Kowabunga

Stardate, oh, wait, that's pajama boy talk.

We had been back from the surf tour with Flipper Kerry a couple of weeks, and I had been riding high on Quark's generosity (meaning, I still had to buy my own drinks) for the high quality footage I delivered up to him, on Flipper Kerry's attempt at product endorsement for the Duras Sisters. Things have grown tight as out-of-control prices for dilithium crystals hit all time highs.

Quark sidled up with a second round of Guinness and Tribble Sweat for me, and asked if I had been following the reports coming out of the Federation Senate.

"No. I take it you have."

"Of course…good for business. And our friend Flipper has been very active there."

"Oh?"

"Watch this," Quark said, and activated a view screen in front of me and ran a transmission from the Federation Senate, courtesy of the Drazi News (Fair and Balanced)).

Green Drazi: Senator Flipper came on to the floor of the Senate today to speak out against "Big Dilithium" and the current high prices for raw dilithium crystals. After railing against "Big Dilithium" he called for a special tax on dilithium crystal companies, and called on Federation residents to cut their use of dilithium by at least 30%. Here comes the Senator now.

Purple Drazi: Senator Flipper, what do you see as the main driver of the high price of raw dilithium?

Flipper: That's easy. As dilithium corporations are showing record profits, there is strong evidence of price gouging despite the current high prices of raw dilithium.

Green Drazi: What about opening up the Arctic Federation Wildlife Reserve on the ice planet Hoth for dilithium?

Flipper: Out of the question! Why should we invest billions of gold-pressed latinum for the six month supply of dilithium that may exist on Hoth. Besides, it would be detrimental to the wampa population.

Purple Drazi: Senator Flipper, according to the Federation Depatment of Energy, it is estimated that Hoth has enough dilithium to supply the Federation's needs for several decades. Are you saying that the official reports are wrong?

Flipper: Well, you have to consider the source. They put that together to make the current adminstration look good, and play into the pockets of Big Dilithium, which we all know backs the president. Besides, we have to be concerned about the wampa population on Hoth. Do we want to drive them into extinction over corporate greed?

Green Drazi: What about the growing instability in regions within the Organization of Dilithium Exporting Empires, such as the Romulans and Cardassians, as well as the Delta Quadrant. By taping Hoth, and the AFWR, we would greatly reduce the Federation's dependence on foreign dilithium, at least until those areas become more stable, and maybe Federationized.

Flipper: I have to disagree with you on the importance of the geopolitical impact on our current dilithium supplies. Gotta go. I hear the surf is up out around Dantooine.

"Business as usual. The leftwing nuts kowtow to the environmentalist lobby, buying their load of tauntaun about the wampa's, which statistics show that their numbers increased during the several decades that dilithium mining took place on the neighboring Rebel Stand site."

"Right...and then there's San Fran Nan calling to change starship propulsion to run on something involving balloons and hot air."

"I think she was referring to bloviating blimps like Flipper's pal from Chappaquiddick."

"Oh, Teddy."

"That's the one."

"Naw, I think she was referring to something else. I'll try and dig it up for you sometime."

"Sure…meanwhile, I have a date." With that, I laid some latinum on the bar and headed to Tunok's for a very larger grilled wampa steak.

Kahna out.

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It's been over a year since the story of Francisco Javier Serrano, an illegal alien was found living in a Minnesota school auditorium. At the time he was heralded as someone who was being "wronged" by the immigration system (he overstayed his visa), and a campaign took place to free him; with people contribuiting to his cause by providing food, shelter and an immigration attorerny. The Minnesapolis Tribune has this article on Serrano (Last update: April 12, 2006 – 5:49 PM):

Serrano, whose odyssey from Connecticut to Apple Valley High School to a jail cell to a benefactor's home has made national news, was to move Saturday into a Minneapolis apartment provided by businessman and developer Basim Sabri.

Serrano's journey to homelessness began in Connecticut, where he had an argument with his father and decided to leave. "My father and I disagreed with some things so I decided to move on and start over," said Serrano, a native of Mexico.

And now, the rest of the story…from CNN News:

A young illegal immigrant who became a cause celebre in Minnesota after secretly living in a high school for weeks has been arrested here on home invasion charges, months after he was supposed to have left the country.

Francisco Javier Serrano, 22, had waved goodbye to supporters and journalists who saw him off at the Minneapolis airport in January, but he apparently never boarded his plane for his home country of Mexico.

Two weeks ago, police arrested him after finding him with a knife in an apartment in Boston's North End, struggling with the tenant, who was unharmed, The Boston Globe reported Thursday. He remained in Suffolk County Jail facing home invasion charges and eventual deportation.

As of this time, there is no followup on Serrano's current "adventures" in Massachusetts. I wonder why.

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I heard about Prayers For The Assassin during an interview of the author, Joe Ferrigno, on the Hugh Hewitt show and decided I had to read it. And am I glad I did.

The year is 2040, and the landscape of America, and the world, has changed. After atomic bombs were set off in New York, Washington D.C. and Mecca, and a civil war in the United States, much of America is now a Muslim nation, with Nevada holding out as the Geneva of the “New World” and the southern Bible belt states.

The hero, a Fedayeen Shadow Warrior named Rakkim is searching for the niece of his former mentor (and the man who raised him as a son) who is in some serious hot water. It seems that Sarah has stumbled upon information so volatile, that her life is endanger, as is the life of anybody she comes in contact with.

Eluding bounty hunters set upon kidnapping her for a powerful Imam, she eventually is united with Rakkim, who is aware that a Fedayeen assassin is on her trail as well.

Prayers for the Assassin is a fast paced, action-packed novel that once you get into it, it refuses to let you go.

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Well, I did it...started a new "just for fun" project. It's a hoax Worldcon bid for 2008.

Take a look...it's all for fun.

RepubliCon 2008

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This morning I ran across the Team America PAC website which has an article on recent Illegal Immigrant protests, and quite a photo gallery. Below is one of the pics from their adventure, and, as the saying goes, one picture is worth a thousand words.

Reagan's granting of amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants in the United States was one of the very few mistakes that he made. It set the stage for millions more to enter the country illegally, justified by the fact that we granted amnesty once, it would be done again (and again, and again…).

This is not to say that they should be prosecuted as felons. That's unrealistic.

There has to be a plan in place that does the following:

1. Secure our borders…this is a must, especially now that Iran has successfully enriched Uranium, it would be very easy for al Qaida to obtain weapons grade uranium to use in building and detonating crude atomic bombs in American cities. It will also put a damper in the drug trade, especially cocaine. Three positive benefits for the price of one action: securing our borders.

2. Identify and register every illegal alien currently inside the United States. If employed, "normalize" them by having them go through a port of entry and submit to the routine checks that legal immigrants currently comply with (health and criminal background checks). Re-entry will be subject to the same rules that new LEGAL immigrants currently face.

3. Path to U.S. citizenship should be permanently barred, or at least, lengthened with the "clock" beginning when they check in with a port of entry and go through the motions of health/background checks. There should be severe penalties for having violated U.S. law.

4. Make legal immigration easier. I would rather have 5 million people entering this country LEGALY every year rather than one million plus an additional 4 million entering ILLEGALLY.

I don't believe there is anything unreasonable about this plan, and it is achievable.

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Thanks to the Palm Beach Post for running an article on Basil E. Dalack, who recently filed suit in order to be able to accept the office of city councilman without taking the oath of office.

Dalack, an appellate lawyer who recently won a seat on the Tequesta Village Council, is refusing to take the oath of office because it requires him to "support, protect and defend" the federal and state governments. To him, that's the equivalent of "blind support" of the war and of Bush administration policies. If Dalack took the oath, he says, he'd have "the blood of all those Iraqi and American kids on my hands."

Dalack has proven he is Moonbat in his attempt to warp the meaning of a councilman's oath of office as defacto support for the current administration and the war for Iraq. As an elected office holder myself, I know otherwise.

Any person seeking elected office is aware that they must be sworn in to office if elected, and that they will be expected to support and defend the Constitution. This is not the same as saying they will support a given administration.

Dalack is twisting the meaning of the oath to meet his own personal political agenda, and since he has refused to take the oath of office, he should be denied that elected office and the Tequesta Village Council should take immediate action to find a suitable replacement for this week's Moonbat of the Week.

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Tracy of the Anti-Strib posted the results to his VRWC test. Slightly better than mine in some areas. And yes, I'd say he is a member of the VRWC.

Richard M. Scaife You scored 68% in Political Scandal Knowledge, 76% in Sex Scandal Knowledge, 70% in VRWC Political Connections, and 81% in Right-Wing Political Ideology!

You're definitely a veteran and very valued member of the VRWC, with a special emphasis on the seamier, sexual side of the Clinton Administration. Mr. Scaife, as you undoubtedly know, was one of the VRWC's financial kingpins during the Clinton years and was as obsessively reviled by Clintonites as the rich left-wing maniac George Soros is today on our side. Congratulations on your achievement of this high honor, and let's dig up some more dirt on Hillary, shall we? We can never have enough.

Oh, well...take the test and have fun with it.

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Marscon 2006 Final Report

I know this has been a bit delayed, however, it is FINALLY up. Apologies for the delay, however, between new-daddyhood and other commitments, time has been in short supply.

Sqotty MacKlingon in the Rakehell Party Room.

Okay, I have to say something about the shirt I am wearing. It was a hit with nearly everyone at the con (there were two exceptions...no names, but initials are S an T).

As for the rest of the pics, please click on the thumbnails to see full-sized images. I try to be respectful of people's bandwidth, as not everyone has broadband, and in some areas, even dialup can be slower than molasses.

79k JPEG Winged Dancer - this was a fine costume created (and worn) by one of the local belly dancers.

86k JPEG Angie and Holly - recent recruits onto the IKV Rakehell.

76k JPEG My daughter, Anna, with Fluffy.

What's Fluffy going to do when Anna starts talking and calls him "Uncle Fluffy?"

Fluffy is with the World Defense Force, which put on one heckuva great party room, celebrating the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was so dark in their party room, illuminaed by blacklight, I didn't want to disturb the ambiance, so no pics. Sorry.

The WDF also sponsored a very successful blood drive. Unfortunately, some of us, by having served our country overseas, are no longer allowed to give blood. :-(

88k JPEG The lovely Mrs. Hansen with Anna in front of the Doctor Who party room. The entry was set up to look like the door of the TARDIS.

120k JPEG Anna and the Dalek. No, you cannot exterminate my daughter!

This is an inflatable Dalek. Very cool toy. Kind of wish I had one.

66k JPEG Another shot of the inflatable Dalek.

We now hear into Masquarade Land...

56k JPEG Igor, from "Young Frankenstein".

67k JPEG Doctor Who and the Dalek. Okay, they were having way too much fun with the inflatible Dalek. Including a chase scene to the Benny Hill theme.

63k JPEG Be afraid, be very afraid. Patrick as a Klingon all ready for bed.

This costume received "Best Theme" for Marscon (the theme was "Things that go bump in the night"). Patrick has been doing a number of theme based costumes in the Twin Cities for a number of years, and is always good for a few laughs. This one, however, was truly frightening.

69k JPEG Amadela and Leia, by Angie and Holly. They received "Best of Show."

61k JPEG The Undiscovered Country, by the Rakehell's own, Qob, as the "Smiley of Death". Bill received an award for Best Journeyman, and deserved it.

Bill has also been costuming in the twin cities area and is top notch, and like Patrick, is always good for a laugh.

After the Masquarade, it's back to party room...The IKV Rakehell won "Best Party Room" this year. The WDF put on a great show, however, as they won best party last year, they were eliminated from the competion.

59k JPEG Rakehell Party Room...scaring the party goers.

85k JPEG Rakehell Party Room. Mary.

79k JPEG Rakehell Party Room. The Fearless Captain of the Rakehell.

113k JPEG Rakehell Party Room. Even I get the "willies" in this room. Okay, this was when Patrick strolled into the room.

115k JPEG Patrick and Sqotty in the Rakehell Party Room.

106k JPEG This is a real, functioning, jet pack. It was loaned to the MarsCon Science Room for the con. It really works and costs more than a couple of grand for a few seconds of flight.

96k JPEG This is me in the jet pack. I want one!

Here we are as the Super Family. Okay, I had my arm twisted to do this one...but it was worth it.

There was a lot that went on at the con...autograph sessions with the guests, belly dancing during the Masquerade, including lessons, panels on variety of topics, as well as many fun parties (which I should have taken pictures of as well).

Also a lot of fun people and general silliness.

Check out my other reports on the con at:

Marscon 2006 Part 1

Marscon 2006 Part 2

If you have never before been to a MarsCon, consider coming out for it next year.

Meanwhile, stay tuned for the next convention report - BayCon, the Return of Sqotty MacKlingon.

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This week's Moonbat of the Week is Congressman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) for her assault on a Capitol Police officer while he was performing his duties, then claiming she was a victim of racism. Some of th highlights of the incident include:

From Fox News:

Rep. Cynthia McKinney, the Georgia congresswoman who had an altercation with a Capitol Police officer, said Friday the officer started the incident by "inappropriately touching and stopping" her after she walked past a security checkpoint.

Let's be clear about something here…she blew past the security checkpoint, ignored requests to stop and be identified, then, when an officer stepped up to detain her, as she was in clear violation of security procedures, she hit him.

Now, if any average citizen, regardless of skin color, had done the same, they would have been hauled off to jail, no passing "go" and no "collecting $200."

On Thursday, the Congressman for Georgia made the following statement:

"There should not have been any physical contact in this incident," McKinney said.

"I am sorry that this misunderstanding happened at all, and I regret its escalation and I apologize," she said surrounded by colleagues on the House floor.

In the first part, she is right, she should not have hit the police officer,

Unfortunately, that is not what she is referring to, but to the officer stopping her when she blasted past the security checkpoint.

As for the rest of her "apology", I think McKinney, as well as many others in the Democratic Party, have taken the line of Capt. Brittles (John Wayne) in "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon", "never apologize; it's a sign of weakness" way too seriously, and have applied this philosophy to mastering the non-apology "apology".

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The April gathering of the Townhall discussion group from grub, suds, and political discourse was once again well attended. The main topic for this month was immigration reform.

The group began with the usual round of intros as there were several new faces in attendance, as well as Sue Jeffers, who is making a run for MN Governor. I believe she is running as a Libertarian, and is considered a fiscal conservative.

Jeffers made several clear points on what she believes are problems within Minnesota and her platform, with a focus on fiscal responsibility ("closing the checkbook"), school choice, and eminent domain reform. All important issues in Minnesota, especially when you consider the out-of-control budget this state has had over the last ten years (and it ain't getting better anytime soon!).

She has a good message, and is working hard to get it out. Power to her!

The main topic of the evening was immigration reform and border security. The upshot for the evening is that whatever course you take in regards to illegal aliens currently residing in the United States, we have to first secure our borders. One that is accomplished, the question of what to do about illegals can be addressed.

The Townhall group, although mostly conservatives, has a fairly vocal libertarian segment, and, I am guessing, most of the group qualifies as "small L" libertarians. Including myself.

One of the staunchest Libertarians in the group is advocating border security, especially after 9/11. This is only logical, especially when the Feds, while testing border security at checkpoints, managed to bring in a small amount of cesium, in violation to the law.

What to do with the 12+ million illegals currently in the United States is the big question mark, and makes for an interesting debate.

Current proposed legislation in Congress is taking many forms, and what that final form will be is currently unknown, however, for many of us, any plan that puts illegal aliens on the path to U.S. citizenship is the wrong plan.

Here's my take, for what it is worth. Secure and enforce the borders (both North and South); choose one: deport the illegals or allow them to stay providing they meet certain criteria (like, they have employment, verify all back taxes are up to date, pass health inspections, and do not have a criminal record in either the U.S. or their country of origin); if they are allowed to stay, it should be noted with the INS that they originally entered this country illegally; if allowed to stay, they should be placed on a path to obtaining permanent residency, BUT NOT CITIZENSHIP. The path to citizenship should be permanently barred to those who came here illegally. If allowed to stay, those who choose to return to their country of origin (not deported), may pursue a path of re-entering the U.S. following our immigration laws and then be allowed to pursue the path of citizenship. Basically, allowing illegals to stay should not be used as a short cut to citizenship. We should also look at loosening up immigration policy, allowing more people to enter legally. Let's face it, I would rather have 5 million people come into the U.S. legally under revised (and "looser") immigration laws, than have 1 million come here legally and another 4 million ILLEGALLY, of whom we know nothing about (like, do they have a criminal record, or some deadly disease? Affiliated with al-Qaeda?).

That's my two cents worth.

As for securing the borders, think about it: if a couple of Federal agents can BS their way across bringing in radioactive material, how hard is it for terrorists to bring in material that can be used in making an atomic bomb? The risk of such an attack, and the devastation it would cause on the United States makes the price of leaving our borders in the unsecured state they are in now too high. We need to lock em down, and enforce them. Of course, I have no doubt the raving moonbats on the left will try and shoot this down, claiming it is unworkable or too expensive; but then, it will have an adverse impact on their supply of illicit drugs as well.

Which is more costly to America: locking down our borders, or leaving them so porous that terrorists are able to sneak in the materials they need to nuke New York City.

One last thing, Larry was asking for the sites I had mentioned on nuclear energy. Here they are:

The Nuclear Energy Institute

FAQ About Nuclear Energy, maintained my John McCarty, Professor Emeritus at Standford University. This is an excellent site that covers a variety of topics, not just nuclear energy. Give it a check.

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Chicago Tribune has this article (registration required) on Barak Osama and his take on America's Energy Policy. Give it a read. It is quite entertaining.

Sen. Barack Obama accused the Bush administration Monday of a "stubborn refusal" to attack the causes of climate change, and said tougher fuel standards, stricter curbs on oil imports and more investment in cleaner energy are essential to avert global catastrophe.

"Saying that America is addicted to oil without following a real plan for energy independence is like admitting alcoholism and then skipping out on the 12-step program," the Illinois Democrat said. He referred to one of the principal themes of President Bush's State of the Union address Jan. 31.

One again, the loons on the left are focused on one aspect of energy and climate. Their mantra is: "Oil is evil, and we're evil for using it."

The loons on the left castrated the development and deployment of nuclear energy in the United States under the Carter Administration. Instead of being able to build new, cleaner running and more efficient reactors, such as the "pebble-bed" design, which are far safer than any other reactor currently in use; or allowing the reprocessing of nuclear fuel rods after use in current reactors, causing a waste problem (okay, it's far more than a problem), and a "gee, now that we have all this radioactive waste, where can we bury it?" attitude.

Getting off the so-called addiction to foreign oil is not as easy as it sounds. We can certainly reduce our dependence on foreign oil by tapping oil resources within the United States, as well as explore and tap oil deposits in the outer continental shelf. Although this would not eliminate the reliance on imports, it would go a long ways toward reducing our need for imports.

Doing so hand-in-hand with the deployment of state-of-the-art nuclear reactors would further reduce America's need for foreign imports.

With the drive to develop cleaner sources of electricity, the power plant industry has switched from coal burning (and nuclear generators) to natural gas. The same stuff most Americans heat their homes with in the winter (I heat my home with a geothermal system). And what has that done? The increased demand on the limited supply has forced increased prices on natural gas.

Obama's solution: redistribute wealth form you and m to big corporations in order to foster the development of cars that are more fuel-efficient. In other words, he wants us to drive vehicles that are less safe than what we drive today, and tax us for it.

Obama also wants to tax us so that the government can take over paying automaker retirees health care, to the tune of nearly $7 billion per year. Taking more money from you and me to the benefit of huge multi-national corporations.

The article concludes with the loony-left line on global warming.

More broadly, he said, the "administration's record on climate change is almost legendary ... Just recently, this is the administration that tried to silence a NASA scientist for letting the rest of us know that, yes, climate change is a pretty big deal."

Sure, climate change is pretty big, it has been going on on the Earth since the beginning of time, and will continue to do so, despite anything mankind does on the Earth.

Climate change is a scientific fact, but the scientists don't understand all of the factors that cause changes in the Earth's climate. It is a dynamic and fluid phenomenon that cannot be controlled by man. (Influenced, sure, but not controlled.) The amount of green house gases dumped into the atmosphere by man is miniscule to what is dumped into the atmosphere through normal geologic processes. (Check out "Satanic Gasses" from the Cato Institute and the works of Edmund Contoski.)

How did this guy get elected? Oh, yeah, for all intents and purposes, he was unopposed!

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There is no doubt that all of America (and the world) has been paying attention to the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, during which he admitted hat he was part of a fifth team planned to crash an airliner into the White House.

Now that his "fate" is being deliberated, there is much discussion of whether or not he should get the death penalty.

I would argue for life in prison without the possibility of parole. Why that instead of the death penalty? Let me explain. Moussaoui and his confederates all believe that there will be 74 virgins waiting for them in paradise. If that is so, then make him wait. Add to that by having him in a mixed prison population, he'll be subjected to some fairly brutal treatment by his "fellow" inmates, very few of whom will have any sympathy with this piece of slime.

My two cents. For what it s worth.

Of course, I am also hoping that the promise of 74 virgins is a misunderstanding, and what is really waiting for him in "paradise" is a long line of Virginians, beginning with George Washinton and Thomas Jefferson, waiting to "discuss" Moussaoui's heinous behavior with Moussaoui himself.

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