Kowabunga

The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was designed for the U.S. Army Air Corps as a high altitude interceptor. Heavily armed for its day, the P-38 sported a 20-mm cannon and four .50 caliber machine guns. Its speed and climb rate made up for its lower maneuverability when compared to the enemy fighters that it often flew against.

It was used in all theaters of operation during World War 2, but truly excelled in the Pacific war where it seemed to be most suited due to the warmer climate. The P-38 is credited with destroying more Japanese aircraft than any other aircraft during the war.

One specific mission for the P-38 was the interception of Yamamoto while he traveled in a "Betty" bomber, with a light fighter escort.

During the early part of the war, a group of P-38s, escorting a pair of B-17s, were on a ferry mission, traveling from the u.S. to the U.K. Foul weather forced the flight to turn back before reaching Iceland, and the whole group was forced to land, wheels up, on the Greenland ice sheet. In 1992, a recovery operation took place, drilling through 268 feet of ice to reach the aircraft. The end result of this operation was the restored P-38 now called "Glacier Girl."

Putt-{utt Maru in the Pacific	P-38 at sunset in Chico, California, December 1944.
Group of P-38s in formation.	Group of P-38s in formation.
With Normandy Invasion stripes.	Glacier Girl in flight.

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P-38 Lightning

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John Travolta claims he is concerned about global warming. From ThisIsLondon:

"It [global warming] is a very valid issue," Travolta declared. "I'm wondering if we need to think about other planets and dome cities.

"Everyone can do their bit. But I don't know if it's not too late already. We have to think about alternative methods of fuel.

"I'm probably not the best candidate to ask about global warming because I fly jets.

"I use them as a business tool though, as others do. I think it's part of this industry - otherwise I couldn't be here doing this and I wouldn't be here now."

Travolta is proving himself to be yet another "do as I say, not as I do" liberal.

The article details out the five jets Travolta owns (maintained on his own private runway), and estimates that his flying habits have resulted in 800 tons of carbon emissions. How much carbon does the average American dump into the atmosphere? Whatever the number is, I seriously doubt that it is measured in hundreds of tons.

He claims that it is due to the business he is n, but one has to question even that. He could easily fly first class for any and all of those business trips. Uses his jets as a "business tool…as others do?" He talks as though everyone has their own private jet, just as though it were an car.

Actually I like that. Time to update the old adage "A chicken in every pot, a car in every garage" to "a jet in every garage." I’ll take a Gulfstream G200.

At least he admits to not being the best candidate to talk about environmental issues.

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Yesterday, The U.S. Senate joined the House of Representatives in setting a date for surrendering Iraq to terrorists and death squads. As President Bush has made it clear that this bill, which also loaded with pork barrel spending, will be vetoed. Fortunately for the people of Iraq, the leftist Democrats in Congress do not have the votes to over-ride the veto.

The only reason I can see that such a bill would be put forth by the Leftists is as a show, attempting to convince the anti-peace zealots that are pushing for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq in order to end the "occupation" (yet not from Germany, Japan, and other countries we "occupy"). Now they can claim they tried, and it's all Bush's fault for his "go it alone, cowboy" attitude.

From myway news:

Three months after Democrats took power in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the moment was at hand to "send a message to President Bush that the time has come to find a new way forward in this intractable war."

And that message is, "we surrender," just like the Democrats did to South Vietnam nearly 35 years ago.

John McCain, R-Ariz., a presidential hopeful, said that "we are starting to turn things around" in the Iraq war" and that a timeline for withdrawal would embolden the terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere.

The effect of the timeline would be to "snatch defeat from the jaws of progress in Iraq," agreed Lieberman, who won a new term last fall in a three-way race after losing the Democratic nomination to an anti-war insurgent.

I don't often agree with McCain or Lieberman, however where the liberation of Iraq and the War on Terror are concerned, I do. And this is one of those times. Since the Party of Defeat has taken the majority n Congress, it became only a matter of time before they would call for a Vietnam style surrender to totalitarian thugs.

Can it be that the Defeatocrats are so shortsighted in their hatred for Bush and Republicans in general that they will stop at nothing to push for failure in Iraq? Do they have no compassion for the people of Iraq who are grasping at the straws of Liberty after decades of oppression? Are they so stupid that they don't see that pulling out of Iraq prematurely will, when we are gone, Iraq will erupt in civil war and end up as a puppet state of the Ayatollahs that run Iran?

Apparently they will stop at nothing, don't care about freedom, and are willing to sacrifice millions of Iraqis to show political clout.

God forbid we get a Defeatocrat in the White House in the next election.

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Iraq Iran Defeatocrats Surrender

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Hillary Clinton may have learned from her husband’s mistakes while he was the Commander in Chief; the question is, will be it be sufficient to overcoming her history of disdain for all things military. After all, Hillary is still an anti-military leftist attempting to pass her self off as a pro-American hawk. From the NYTimes:

During his 1992 campaign, Mr. Clinton was attacked for avoiding the Vietnam draft and organizing antiwar marches in the 1960s. After taking office, his early focus on gay men and lesbians in the military drew sharp criticism from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colin L. Powell, and other officers. Even his ability to salute properly was called into question.

Mrs. Clinton, to use a phrase, has been practicing her salute. As a senator and now as a presidential candidate, she has cultivated relationships with generals and admirals, prepped herself on wartime needs and strategy, and traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I think eight years in the White House, traveling the world and seeing the United States military doing the nation's business, and now her time in the Senate, has given her a significant appreciation of the military that maybe her husband didn't have before the White House," said Jack Keane, the retired general and former Army vice chief of staff who has become close to the senator.

Maybe she has learned a bit about the military, however, like her husband, she will never be one of us. This is not to say that no one who has never served in the Armed Forces is incapable or unqualified of serving as Commander in Chief of the military. It is Hillary’s anti-military (Vietnam War!) past that will need some over-hauling if she should become our next president (God forbid!). Dereliction of Duty details some of her treatment of military officers during the Billary Administration.

Anyone can practice saluting, attempting some form of perfection that will be perceived as respectful of those who served. It takes far more than practice and a few years in the Senate to truly understand what the military is about and how it should be used.

The article also points out that there are some in the military who are wary of Hillary, and concerned that she will redistribute funding away from the military in order to push a socialist agenda, just as was done in the ‘90s under her husband. It was during their administration that the military was gutted in order to “balance” the budget. With current hostilities, and the potential of having to deal with a nuclear-armed Iran and North Korea, and possibly even al-Qaeda, gutting the military again is not an acceptable option.

If Hillary is elected to our nation’s highest office, will there be a sudden downsizing of the military by soldiers who decide not to continue with a military career? That was a distinct possibility had Kerry been elected in 2004. I knew a number of young Army officers who intended to leave the service had Flipper become president.

In the event of a mass exodus from the military, will Hillary push for re-instating the draft? Or will she do so even if there is not the thundering of boots heading for the nearest exit?

She is playing both ends of the field, attempting to fit in with the military and supporting the ongoing mission in Iraq, all the while attempting to appease the left by criticizing the manner in which the war is conducted. Never mind the fact that it was not that long ago that she, and other leftists in the Senate, were calling for increasing the number of troops in Iraq. It’s amazing how that when they get what they want, they decide it is time to shift gears and find other ways to undermine efforts in Iraq.

"By surrounding herself with military brass, it reinforces an image of her as strong and hawkish," Mr. Carpenter said. "But is that an authentic image? Would she really give dollars to the Pentagon instead of to cherished domestic programs?"

Even money she’ll claim that there is a need to increase taxes in order to push her socialist agenda as well as maintain the military.

I think if there is anything she has learned since 1992, it is that you can’t hope to win the presidency if you are perceived as anti-military.

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Hillary Clinton Military Hillary Billary

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Over the weekend, Sean Penn addressed a crowd of dozens of anti-war zealots in Oakland, California. SF Gate wrote this article on the event.

In regards to President Bush and the use of military force in Iraq, Penn said: "it is you that has become our country's, and our constitution's, most devastating enemy." That is a fairly serious piece of rhetoric. But it gets better. He continues on by purporting that the anti-war zealots are silenced and called cowards (which is anything but true) and then proceeds onto this next little bit: "You and the smarmy pundits in your pocket, those who bathe in the moisture of your soiled and blood soaked underwear can take that noise and shove it."

Penn claims that he and the anti-war zealots support the troops, and that the Bush administration is exploiting the men and women who have chosen to serve their country, as well as their families. I've yet to see any of these Moonbats do something that actually indicates that they do in fact support the troops. Unless you count their constant demand to withdraw from Iraq and surrender to terrorist thugs.

He claims that Bush lied, yet fails to provide substantiating evidence, then goes on to say that Bush, Cheney and Rice "are villainously and criminally obscene people." Not sure where he gets that from. And goes on from their, claiming that they are exploiting our country and unable to fulfil their duties.

Penn then attacks Bush's daughters, stating that if they support Bush's policy, "how dare they not be in uniform." The only uniform Penn ever wore is the one he wore while in prison for assault and battery. To Penn, assaulting a photographer must be an act of heroism. Penn continues with, "while the children of the poor, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, and all other working men and women are slaughtered and maimed and flown back under the cover of darkness." The accompanying applause was silent, with only one or two people showing agreement to this little bit of B.S.

Incredibly, this shmoe can't even get his facts straight as he claims that civilian casualties during the past four years in Iraq amounts to "200 9/11s" which would be over 600,000 people, yet even the most liberal organizations puts the death toll at about 60,000. Talk about inflating the facts!

Penn then goes on to the current tensions with Iran and said, "Iran is a great country, a great country." At least he admits that it has a corrupt regime. He considers Iran one of our greatest future allies. No idea where he gets that. Iran, once upon a time before Jimmy Carter, was a great ally. It was Carter and the liberal-left that abounded it.

Congratualtions, Sean Penn, you have won a Moonbat Award.

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Sean Penn anti-war rally Iraq Iran War On Terror Moonbat

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Comrade Chavez is busily pushing Venezuela towards communism again, this time targeting confiscating farms and ranches. From IHT.com:

President Hugo Chavez announced Sunday that his government's sweeping reforms toward socialism will include the creation of "collective property."

Vowing to undermine capitalism's continued influence in Venezuela during his television and radio program "Hello President," Chavez said state-financed cooperatives would operate under a new concept in which workers would share profits.

"It's property that belongs to everyone and it's going to benefit everyone," said Chavez, a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro whom opponents accuse of leading Venezuela toward Cuba-style communism.

Sounds as though Chavez's opponents have got him right. "Collective property" is a euphemism for state-owned, and it is clear that Chavez intends to bring everything under the control of the government, meaning himself, since their legislative body has granted him the power to execute law by decree. There are no longer any "checks and balances" in Venezuela to prevent Chavez from implementing his plans of totalitarianism.

In countries that operate under Marxist doctrine, such as Cuba, China, the former Soviet Republic, and now Venezuela, it is the top dog (and their loyal supporters) who get it all, while the people, whom they claim to serve, struggle on in poverty and slavery to the State.

"It cannot be production to generate profits for one person or a small group of people that become rich exploiting peons who end up becoming slaves, living in poverty and misery their entire lives," he said.

In other words, taking your money and investing it in business with the anticipation of making a profit is bad, despite the fact it employees people to get a job done. And these people were not forced to accept these jobs, they chose to do so, which is something the people in China don't get to do.

The piece goes on to iterate that current policies of confiscating land from large farms and ranches, redistributing it to poor people to work, has failed to revive the agricultural industry in Venezuela. No surprise there as what is needed is more, and modern, large-scale farm equipment that can do the job far more efficiently than small-scale farming.

It also points out that Venezuela continues to import food staples such as meat, milk and sugar, because of ongoing shortages.

So, what good is "sharing the profits with workers" in a country that cannot produce enough food to feed itself? If the peons have it so good under such regimes, then why have so many thousands of people fled Cuba over the last 40+ years?

What's really going on in Venezuela is a grab for power, and it is the people that will end up paying the price.

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Hugo Chavez Venezuela

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Fifteen British sailors that were kidnapped while operating in Iraqi waters by Iran last week are now under threat of "trial" by the totalitarian theocracy. From FoxNews:

Iran warned that 15 British sailors and marines could face charges for allegedly entering Iranian waters and rejected British requests to meet with the servicemen detained off the coast of Iraq.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki threatened unspecified consequences for the Royal Navy crew in comments to reporters in New York on Sunday. He described the charge against them as "illegal entrance into Iranian waters."

"In terms of legal issues, it's under investigation," Mottaki said.

Despite Iran's claims, these British sailors and marines were operating in Iraqi waters, and were taken prisoner by Iranians that violated Iraqi territory in the Shatt waterway. The Brits had just completed a routine inspection of a civilian vessel that was in Iraqi territory.

It is pretty obvious that these Brits were kidnapped by Iran to be used as leverage against the International Coalition and to put a counter-pressure on the U.N.

Thus far, Iran has continued to refuse to negotiate with Britain for their release.

As for trustworthiness, I side with Britain as Iran has been a rogue totalitarian regime since the Shah was deposed by Islamic extremists in the '70s (thanks to Jimmy Carter). Iran has been arming and supplying sectarian death squads operating in Iraq, as well as supporting Hezbollah in Lebanon. If Iran does not release these British troops soon, it is possible that the situation could turn quite confrontational. Perhaps that is what Iran is hoping for. Hopefully they will realize that a confrontation with the West is something that they can ill-afford.

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Iran Britain Iraq

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There is a lot being written on the 'Net in response to Al Gore's recent testimony (which was not under oath) in D.C. this week, including a piece by Steven Milloy for FoxNews. Milloy covered the testimony quite well, hitting on some very important highlights, and exposing the Goracle (Boracle?) as a "do as I say, not as I do" alarmist. From the tale of the little girl who has two winter coats, which sounds pretty good until it is revealed that one is for wearing indoors as her family cannot afford to properly heat her home, to debunking the Boracle's claim of using "green power" on more than one front - for instance, only in the last couple of month's has the Gore plantation been running on "green power", and part of that "green" power is from a methane/coal burn that produces carbon dioxide.

What is really interesting is this part:

If temperature increases come before carbon dioxide increases, the notion that manmade greenhouse gas emissions are changing global temperatures would have the cause-and-effect relationship exactly backward.

Gore responded by describing how, depending on the Earth's tilt and wobble as it revolves around the sun, sometimes carbon dioxide increases precede temperature increases and other times temperature increases precede carbon dioxide increases.

That led attentive listeners to wonder, well, why worry about manmade global warming if it's the Earth's tilt and wobble that define the carbon dioxide-temperature relationship?

Apparently realizing his self-defeating statement, Gore then tried to backtrack by saying that currently, carbon dioxide increases are preceding temperature increases. It was a desperate and revealing effort to get back on message.

One problem with Gore's assertion that CO2 is currently leading temperature increases: it isn't!

I pulled this chart from the Friends of Science website.

As you can see, with the exception of a few years centering ‘70s, CO2 concentrations have been a lagging indicator in regards to global warming. Avery and singer make the same assertions in their book Unstoppable Global Warming, and their assertions were based on volumes of scientific data. Great book, by the way.

The other interesting point is Gore's referencing the Earth's tilt and wobble as having an impact on CO2 levels. It is more accurate to say that these factors, as well as variances in the Earth's orbit, play a role in climate change in regards to the cooling and warming cycles. Again, a lot has been written about how these cycles impact the Earth's climate.

With the Boracle's appearance in Washington, and his frothing at the mouth rhetoric about "impending doom and gloom" and that it is all man's (America's?) fault, it is very clear that global warming will be a highly polarizing issue in the 2008 campaign. Let's all hope that the real science shines through the carbon-dioxide smoke-screen being spewed by the party of totalitarianism. Otherwise, be prepared to wear winter coats in your home in 2009. And watch your wallet.

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Al Gore Goracle Boracle

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

It had been a long, surfless run out to Antares and back. The crew was
happy when we hit DS9 for some badly needed R and R, not to mention a
chance to pick up a the new wave making torpedoes I had ordered from the
Duras Sisters. At least we would have something to look forward to on
our next patrol.

I ran into the Doctor at Quark's, he was nursing a pint of bitters, and
I saw him motion for me to join him.

"Ah, Kahuna, good to see you. Jelly Baby?" He offered his ever-present
back of jelly baby candies.

"No thanks, Doctor. It doesn't go well with Guinness."

"True," he said as he put the back of little candies back in the right
pocket of his oversized coat. Never could figure out why he wore that
big heavy coat and multi-colored knit scarf on a space station that
maintained a constant 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Just one of his quirks, I
guess.

Quark, reading my mind, sidled up with a pint of Guinness and a shot of
Tribble Sweat. My usual.

"Kahuna, got any new vids for me?" Quark asked.

I looked at the Doctor, then at Quark, figured it was okay to talk in
front of the Timelord, especially since he provided me with the tech to
pull it off. "Yep. I good one. I was at a campaign banquet for the
Hill."

This caught both their attention. Quark said, "how'd you manage that
trick?"

"Well, I got some tickets from Flipper Kerry as part of a trade. I
figured, what the hey, and rigged up a miniature camera that the Doctor
here helped me with."

"Okay, so you were at one her campaign banquets. Those are not, from
what I have seen, good entertainment," Quark said.

"This one is," I said, knocking down my Guinness. Quark glared at me as
I set the mug down and reached for the shot of Tribble Sweat. He hates
it when I slam the empty shot glass down on the bar after I've drunk my
chaser.

I pulled out the memory crystal with the video on it, and passed it to
Quark. "Go ahead, put it up on the big screen."

"Now?" Quark asked. "I haven't had a chance to check it yet." He eyed
the crystal. "So, how much you want for it."

"I'm sure you'll think of something good once you've run it a couple of
times."

Now Quark was really suspicious. "Can't be much if that's your idea of
bartering a price."

"Try it, you'll like it," I said.

"Okay, Kahuna, you're on!" Quark went of with the memory crystal.

Soon, the new video came up on his main screen. On the screen was a man
standing behind a podium, to his right sat, in all her glory, the Hill,
presidential candidate, and current senator from New York. The man was
introducing her, saying all kinds of things about her and her time in
the White House as First Lady and her hoped for return as President of
the Federation. When he concluded his oratory, the Hill stood up,
smiled and said, "Thank you, Sandy/" Then she hugged him and said, "My,
are you happy to see me, or are those classified documents you have in
your pants."

Quark's bar exploded with laughter and cheers. Quark smiled at me. He
knew I managed o do it again. Looks like ten cases of Tribble Sweat for
me.

Kahuna out.

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Global warming seems to be the hot-button issue today, either a hair ahead of, or behind, the war in Iraq. Al Gore has been center stage on the "let’s blame man/America" for the current warming trend, especially with his appearance before a Senate committee headed by Barbara (why the heck did I ever vote for her) Boxer. From MyWay News:

"The planet has a fever," Gore said. "If your baby has a fever, you go to the doctor. If the doctor says you need to intervene here, you don't say, 'Well, I read a science fiction novel that told me it's not a problem.' If the crib's on fire, you don't speculate that the baby is flame retardant. You take action."

There’s a couple of things wrong about his analogy. First, a baby’s (or adult’s) temperature is a relative constant, 98.8 degrees. People, and animals, are subject to developing fevers when they are ill, a fever signaling there is something wrong. As far as that goes, Gore is right. However, in relation to the Earth, this is a false (and deliberately deceptive) comparison as the Earth’s temperature is anything but a constant: it is dynamic and highly variable.

It is a known fact that the Earth’s temperature as increased slightly since the end of the Little Ice Age in the first half of the 19th century. The cause, though the moonbats and loons on the left would have you believe otherwise, is not man-made carbon dioxide emissions. It is staring you in the face every morning: the Sun. The amount of science that supports the position that it is the sun and not man-made CO2 is increasing every year, while the reverse still has any real science backing it, just a lot of socialists and failed presidential hopefuls pushing a political agenda.

When Al Gore speaks on the topic, it is doubly suspicious as he is co-founder of Generation Investment Management, a company that trades in carbon offsets, and provides its employees, including Gore, with free carbon offsets. This presents a conflict of interest as he pushes an agenda from which, if adopted, will make him a lot of money.

I would dearly love to find a transcript of his testimony, as it is being reported that Gore is, once again, calling for a carbon tax. If this is applied only to industry, then that will force an increase in the price of goods and services. It will also [put a hefty tax on energy, driving up those costs dramatically. Either way, the working middle class will take the brunt of the financial damage, while the rich, like Gore, will deal in "carbon offsets" so as to enable them to ignore carbon taxes, while the poor get credits and the working middle class ends up taking the full brunt of these taxes.

As Gore stands to profit through his GIM on carbon offsets, you can bet he’ll do everything he can to convince Congress that carbon taxes should be implemented immediately. he’ll be laughing all the way to the bank, in more ways than one.

Gore continues to claim he is "carbon neutral" thanks to the carbon offsets he receives from himself, but the fact is such claims are bogus and disingenuous. You can’t be running up an electric bill that is 20 times that of the average home owner, fly around in private jets, drive gas guzzling cars, and claim to be carbon neutral.

But for the man who single-handedly invent the Internet, I guess anything is possible.

Also, see Planet Gore at National Review Online.

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Al+Gore Carbon+Dioxide Tax

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I've never thought about "environmentalism" as being the new "communism", however Vaclav Klaus brings up a very interesting point. From Signon San Diego:

Czech President Vaclav Klaus said on Wednesday that fighting global warming has turned into a a 'religion' that replaced the ideology of communism and threatens to clip basic freedoms.

The right-wing president, a free-market champion, wrote to the U.S. Congress that adopting tough environmental policies to fight climate change would have destructive impact on national economies.

'Communism has been replaced by the threat of an ambitious environmentalism,' Klaus wrote in response to questions from the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Energy and Commerce.

This not to say that communism is no longer a threat to freedom - just look at what Hugo Chavez is doing in Venezuela. Klaus is right in that the religion of environmentalism is a bigger threat globally than communism currently is. It is also far more insidious than communism, by playing on people's fears that mankind (more specifically, Western countries) are destroying the environment, causing mass extinctions, not to mention global warming.

Environmentalism pushes governments to force people to give up that which helps make the world go round: cars, planes, heating and air conditioning, modern agriculture techniques. The cult of environmentalism also forced the ban of DDT, which could have saved the nearly 6 MILLION people who have died of malaria since its ban.

This is not to say we should not be concerned about the environment. There are many things man has done that has an impact on the environment, and, yes, we should work o minimize our impact. However, it should be done based on factual evidence, not because of the scare-mongering rantings of Moonbats such as Al Gore. The sky is not falling. The Earth is warming, but that is due to increased solar activity, not increased carbon dioxide.

Left-Wingnuts use the religion of environmentalism to exercise control over you and me, taking away our rights, our very freedoms, by forcing us to drive small economy cars that are veritable death traps, or preventing the construction of nuclear power plants to supply the electricity that a growing population hungers for. Environmentalism, like communism, is about control, not freedom. And that is why it is a threat to freedom.

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Enviromentalism

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Finally, MarsCon 2007 photos. Click the thumbnails for the full sized image. For con reports, check the following:

Part 1
Part 2

As always, MarsCon was a blast, and met some new friends, including Brad and Laurie during the Western Movie discussion.

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I am trying to figure out why this is news. From FoxNews:

Fidel Castro will be in "perfect shape" to run for re-election to parliament next spring, the first step toward securing yet another term as Cuba's president, National Assembly head Ricardo Alarcon said Thursday.

Castro is a dictator, not an elected statesman. Cuba is a totalitarian country that has not held a free election since it fell to Castro and his communist thugs nearly half a century ago. Run for re-election? You've got to be kidding.

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Castro Cuba Election

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Hillary on gays in the military - this is off of the Bloomberg News via National Journal:

"Well I've heard from a number of my friends and I've certainly clarified with them any misunderstanding that anyone had, because I disagree with General Pace completely. I do not think homosexuality is immoral. But the point I was trying to make is that this policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell is not working. I have been against it for many years because I think it does a grave injustice to patriotic Americans who want to serve their country. And so I have called for its repeal and I'd like to follow the lead of our allies like, Great Britain and Israel and let people who wish to serve their country be able to join and do so. And then let the uniform code of military justice determine if conduct is inappropriate or unbecoming. That's fine. That's what we do with everybody. But let's not be eliminating people because of who they are or who they love."

As I recall, "Don't ask, don't tell" was implemented by the Clintons early in their administration. Prior to that, it was a matter for the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Regardless of whether you believe gays should be allowed to serve in the Armed Forces, the current state of the military system is such that gays are not allowed (at least openly gay people currently).

I have no doubt that there are a number of experts on both sides of the issue that have a lot to say. There are times when I am not even sure which side to take. Both sides have valid points; like why should people who want to serve their county be banned vs. it creates various issues in regards to sexuality (like communal showers) and morale.

It's just interesting to note that a policy implemented by the Clintons is now found to be wanting in the eyes of the woman who would be queen, I mean president, and would want to go back to the way things were when I wore the uniform.

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Hillary Military Gays

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Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, and many other acts of terrorism, as confessed to his role in these brutal assaults in a U.S. Military Tribunal. From FoxNews:

he gruesome attacks range from the suicide hijackings of Sept. 11, 2001 - which killed nearly 3,000 - to a 2002 shooting on an island off Kuwait that killed a U.S. Marine.

Many plots, including a previously undisclosed plan to kill several former U.S. presidents, were never carried out or were foiled by international counterterror authorities.

"I was responsible for the 9/11 operation from A to Z," Mohammed said in a statement read Saturday during a Combatant Status Review Tribunal at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Mohammed's confession was read by a member of the U.S. military who is serving as his personal representative.

Whether or not this evil being will receive the just punish his crimes against humanity and the world remains to be seen. I have no doubt that the Liberal-Left will push hard to have any and all confessions and verdicts invalidated as they were handled by a military tribunal. It should be pointed out that he is an international terrorist who has operated outside the law and jurisdiction of any country. He was not captured on U.S. turf, and is not a citizen (or legal resident alien) of the United States, and therefore he is not subject to Constitutional protections.

The article on FoxNews, of course, bears my concerns out:

Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, questioned the legality of the closed-door sessions and whether the confession was actually the result of torture.

"We won't know that unless there is an independent hearing," he said. "We need to know if this purported confession would be enough to convict him at a fair trial or would it have to be suppressed as the fruit of torture?"

As expected, the America hating Liberal-Left blame the U.S. for the world's troubles and think we're the bad guys while scum like KSM are heroes and/or victims.

KSM confessed to a multitude of crimes, including the brutal execution of journalist Daniel Pearl, in addition to the 9/11 plot and a previous attack on the World Trade Center in 1993. I seriously doubt that torture was used. Unless you can't having only Barbara Streisand CDs to listen to as torture.

Because of leftist organizations as Humans Rights Watch, it may be many years before KSM receives the punishment for his heinous crimes that he so richly deserves.

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Khalid Sheikh Mohammed al-Qaeda KSM 9/11

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Looks like I'll be sticking around on the Sciota Township Board of Supervisors. It was a tight election with the stealth write-in campaign going on. One of the things that bugs me about the other candidates is that they were A) not at the annual township meeting last night and B) I've never sen them at an annual township meeting. I've only missed one since moving here, and that was the part-2 of a meeting; I missed it as I was traveling to see my Mom in Oregon for her birthday. Kind of figured that was more important.

It also looks like we got a dose of what the motivation for replacing me is: there may be a push by one of the locals to allow dewatering as part of agregate mining operations. I don't have a clear understanding of what it entails, but it does not sound good. I'll be doing some research into this so as to get a good understanding of what it means and its impact on water tables and water quality for rural residential wells.

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Today is election day for townships in innesota. I'm up for re-election. No worries. It's not so important to me that I will lose any sleep if not re-elected.

The intersting thing that I found out last night one of my "freinds" and neighbors is pushing a stealth right-in candidate aganst me, so we have a 3-way race for the seat. Not sure what brought on this move, however not saying anything about it to me in advance, says a lot about him. You can't keep things like this a secret in a community of 300.

Tonight is also the annual town meeting, at which the community sets the annual levy to manage the township. We usually get things started in March, and wrap it up in a second session in August. I suspect this will be true this year as wel. At least we won't have to push on building a new townhall, as that project is completed.

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Hillary Clinton, contrary to her own belief, is no JFK. From New York Post:

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton invoked the campaign of the nation's lone Catholic president, John Kennedy, last night as she talked about her challenge in becoming the first female commander-in-chief.

"He was smart, he was dynamic, he was inspiring and he was Catholic. A lot of people back then [1960] said, 'America will never elect a Catholic as president,' " the White House hopeful told the New Hampshire Democrats' 100 Club fund-raiser here.

"But those who gathered here almost a half century ago knew better," she said. "They believed America was bigger than that and Americans would give Sen. John F. Kennedy a fair shake, and the rest, as they say, is history."

A few subtle differences:

JFK cut taxes on the wealthy, significantly, which spurred economic growth in the first half of the ‘60s. Hillary has yet to meet a tax increase she didn’t like.

JFK was a virulent anti-communist, supported our allies in Southeast Asia who were struggling against totalitarianism. Hillary has never met a commie she didn’t like.

JFK was willing to nuke the U.S.S.R. over the Cuban missile crisis. Hillary would rather let the U.N. control our missile codes.

JFK was a bonefide war hero and recipient of the Medal of Honor. Hillary was an anti-war protestor during the Vietnam era, married a draft dodger, and has a history of displaying contempt for those who serve their country in the armed forces (check out Paterson’s book Dereliction Of Duty).

Bottom line is, Hillary ain’t no JFK.

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Hillary Clinton JFK Kennedy

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According to Matthew Gross on the John Edwards Blog, Fox News is not giving Edwards a "fair and balanced" coverage. Nor are they expected to give any candidate that's a Democrat a fair shake. As if CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, or any other arm of the DNC, I mean, Main stream Media, gives a Republican candidate a fair shake. The facts on the matter are clear. Fox News is far more balanced when it comes to the political arena than any other news outlet.

Here's a sample of what Gross wrote on the subject:

You may have heard by now that John Edwards was the first candidate to officially say no to the Fox News debate in Nevada -- and because of the hard work of so many grassroots and netroots Democrats, news is breaking tonight that Fox is out.

Fox has already started striking backat John for saying no. (There's a surprise - Fox attacking a Democrat.) Last night, Roger Ailes - the life-long Republican operative who is now Chairman of Fox News Channel - said that any candidate "who believes he can blacklist any news organization is making a terrible mistake" and "is impeding freedom of speech and free press."

And John's not their only target. Tonight Fox News Vice President David Rhodes is telling news organizations not to get involved in the Nevada Democratic Caucus because of "radical fringe" groups - meaning grassroots Democrats (that would be you) - who objected to Fox's long history of spreading Republican propaganda at the expense of Democratic leaders.

The whole right-wing is getting in on the attack; the Drudge Report is blaring the headline: "War! Dems Pull Out of Fox News Debate."

Enough is enough. It's time to send a clear message to Fox News and their allies that their right-wing talking points and temper tantrums won't go unchallenged anymore - when it comes to what Democrats should do in the Democratic primary, we'll decide - no matter what they report.

The so called grassroots and netroots of the Democrats are radical groups like MoveOn, which is about as far left as you can get, and has a history of posting repugnant comparisons of President Bush to Hitler. Many of them are about as anti-American as you can get.

What I mean by anti-American is that they do not support the basic principles on which this great nation was founded: liberty, personal responsibility, self-government. What they push is a reliance on, and expansion of, government; controlling population through social programs and banning free will. They do not want Americans to have a choice on many issues (except for abortion, which is contrary to the Declaration of Independence guarantee of "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happinesss").

Whether or not Ailes of Fox news is accurately quoted is something I don't know. I would like to see the entire film clip so I can see the context.

As for the Nevada debate, Edwards has a right to not attend. He's being pretty short-sighted, but, in a free country, that is his prerogative. It's no biggie to me.

What Gross then writes is that so-called "temper tantrums" by the supposed "right-wing" is not okay and will not be unchallenged. However, left-wing temper tantrums are perfectly okay. Go figure.

One thing is certain, it's going to be one heckuva campaign, and a long one at that.

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Comrade Chavez is spewing more venom in Venezuela again. This time in response to President Bush's tour in Latin America. From FoxNews:

Venezuela's firebrand leader said Friday that President Bush's Latin American tour was nothing more than an attempt to improve America's image, dismissing pledges of U.S. aid as a cynical attempt to "confuse" the region.

I find the word choice in this opening statement, refering to the communist dictator as a "firebrand leader' rathr repugnant, but typical of the MSM viewpoint that anything that is opposite America and our values must be good, and America and its leaders are invariably bad. At least Republican leaders.

"I believe the chief objective of the Bush trip is to try to scrub clean the face of the (U.S.) empire in Latin America. But it's too late," Chavez said of recent Bush pledges of aid. "It seems he's just now discovered that poverty exists in the region."

In an interview with Argentine state television Channel 7, Chavez promised his scheduled soccer-stadium rally Friday night in Buenos Aires "will be confrontational. I believe you have to point out the contrasts. If he says 'Yes,' we say, 'No!'"

America has been very cognizant of poverty in the region south of the U.S., and its causes: government corruption, communism, drug cartels, and dictators like Hugo Chavez.

This year, Chavez has been very successful in concentrating total power in his country with himself, including the power to pass laws and confiscate property by decree (no checks and balances).

Okay, so if Chavez wants to be confrontational, and say "no!' to everything we say "yes" to, let that also include ALL economic aid to that region as it is obvious that they do not appreciate our efforts to help them rise out of poverty and grasp the hand of freedom. They seem to prefer totalitarianism and enslavement rather than liberty and self-government.

Gotta wonder: how long will it take the people of Venezuela to wake up and smell the roses; to realize that they've been had and have given total power to megalomaniac.

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Hugo Chavez Venezuela

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Leave it to Steven Milloy of FoxNews "Junk Science" column to bring the Gore's "Carbon Emissions" into greater focus. There has been more and more talk about how Al Gore's mansion uses about 20 times the amount of electricity than the average American, all the while preaching how everyone needs to cut their use of electricity (i.e. standard of living) by not heating or cooling their homes, or using less hot water, or switching to fluorescent light bulbs (which are not only expensive to buy, but also expensive to dispose of).

Meanwhile in the latest column from Milloy, it is revealed that Gore's pool house runs up a $500 monthly electric bill. All I can say is that it must be nice to have that kind of money to throw around.

Gore has countered criticism by claiming that he is purchasing carbon offsets in the lucrative market created by Kyoto. We'll set aside the fact that the company he acquires these offsets from is a company he owns, and provides offsets to all of its 23 employees, including Gore, as a benefit. The fact of the matter is that trading in carbon offsets has ZERO impact on carbon emissions, nor does it reduce the Gore's carbon footprint from whatever it is (much higher than nearly every American) to zero.

From Milloy's column, Junk Science on Fox News:

The Carbon Neutral Company - one of the two vendors that sell offsets to GIM - says that offset purchases "will be unable to reduce greenhouse gas emissions… in the short term."

Instead, they merely: (1) demonstrate commitment to taking action on climate change; (2) add an economic component to climate change; (3) help engage and educate the public; and (4) may provide local social and environmental benefits that help to encourage the use of low-carbon technologies.

The real design behind offsetting, then, is to impact the public debate, not to avert the dreaded global warming. This purpose is consistent with what I heard Al Gore say about the Kyoto Protocol following a private presentation of his climate slide show I attended at the Americans for Tax Reform offices in January, 2006.

That's what these carbon emissions offsets are about: influencing the public debate, and further fanning the flames that global warming is a disaster that man brought on and can influence and change. Of course, such claims that the global warming trend is the result of man's carbon emissions is a fabrication by people who want to exert control of mankind.

The whole piece by Milloy is a good read. Check it out.

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carbon offsets Al Gore Junk Science Kyoto

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What's that old line, "kettle black?" China, the glowing example of human rights, is blasting the U.S. over alleged human rights violations. From FoxNews:

China on Thursday accused the United States of trampling on Iraq's sovereignty, saying Washington was using its campaign against terrorism as an excuse to torture people around the world and violate the rights of its own citizens.

The charges came in a report titled the "Human Rights Record of the United States in 2006," China's response to U.S. criticism of Beijing's human rights record in a report Tuesday by the State Department.

"As in previous years, the State Department pointed the finger at human rights conditions in more than 190 countries and regions, including China, but avoided touching on the human rights situation in the United States," the Chinese report said.

China is a country that is responsible for the murder of some 65 MILLION people, not counting the millions of forced abortions used to enforce its one child per family rule. It routinely imprisons political dissidents, and runs gulags where the prisoners are used as slave labor.

America has the highest regard for human rights. This is not to that there aren't a few rogues who disobey orders and do things that are repugnant, such as Abu Ghraib.

Prisoners at Guantanamo Bay are treated exceedingly well; they are not tortured (unless you consider listening to Barbara Streisand sing as torture); they are given Korans (think that would happen in Iran?) and ethnically appropriate meals (no pork); the best health care (as opposed to be shoved in a hole to rot).

As for China, and its accusations that the U.S. is violating the sovereignty of other countries, what about their incursion into Tibet? How about the thousands of students killed at Tianaman Square in 1989? And it's continued threats to seize and annex Taiwan?

What I don't get is why so many Americans give a rat's you-know-what about what China, a totalitarian dictatorship, thinks about America. More importantly, why do they fault America for the rare violations instigated by rogues (who have been tried, convicted and incarcerated) as being so bad on human rights, yet they consider China, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, and many other totalitarian and oppressive regimes as being glowing examples of how America should be?

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Barack Obama's financial wheelings and dealings with some of his biggest donors is getting some coverage. From Drudge Report:

The paper claims, according to newsroom sources: One of the companies was a biotech concern that was starting to develop a drug to treat avian flu. In March 2005, two weeks after buying about $5,000 of its shares, Obama took the lead in a legislative push for more federal spending to battle the disease.

This is pretty typical. Buy stock in a company and use political influence to push through an agenda that will benefit the company and your stock holdings in said company. I wonder what the name of the company is.

The paper's Mike McIntire and Chris Drew get front placement [side by side with Libby Coverage] for details of Obama's most recent financial disclosure:

It shows that he bought more than $50,000 in stock in a satellite communications business whose principal backers include four friends and donors who had raised more than $150,000 for his political committees.

Based on the little information, I am not as concerned about this one, but would like to know what the company is and who these donors are. It is not as if they gave him the stock, or contributed to his campaign as a result of his investment. However, it is something that should be watched.

The piece also mentions that a spokesman for Obama claims the Senator did not know he had invested in either company. That's a load of bull and not the kind you find on Wall Street. Okay, maybe you can find it there. Regardless, how can he invest in two companies without realizing he has invested in them. Doesn't he monitor his investments?

Still, there is not enough information available to accuse him of any wrongdoing. A little stupidity maybe, but not wrongdoing.

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Obama Wall Street Investents Drudge

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John Edwards claims to know what Jesus would think on a variety of issues we face today. Has Edwards been talking with Jesus? From BreitBart.com:

Edwards, in an interview with the Web site Beliefnet.com, said Jesus would be most upset with the selfishness of Americans and the country's willingness to go to war "when it's not necessary."

"I think that Jesus would be disappointed in our ignoring the plight of those around us who are suffering and our focus on our own selfish short-term needs," Edwards told the site. "I think he would be appalled, actually."

Edwards also said he was against teacher-led prayers in public schools, but he added that "allowing time for children to pray for themselves, to themselves, I think is not only OK, I think it's a good thing."

In an attempt to appeal to both the Christian right and the anti-war Left, Edwards is claiming that Jesus would be against the war to liberate Iraq, describing it as an unnecessary war. Question to Edwards: is Iraq better off today, even with the al-Qaeda terrorists and sectarian death squads, than it was under Hussein and his terrorists and death squads?

As for ignoring those who are poor and suffering, Americans do more than any other people on the face of the Earth to help those in need. Take a look at such organizations as the United Way and the Salvation Army. Or is Edwards implying that we should be taxed more so as to create more inefficient government bureaucracy in order to provide handouts to people, rather than helping hands?

Is statement about allowing children to pray in school is clearly an attempt to appeal to the Christian right, attempting to paint himself as a moderate.

There is one thing I will say as a positive. In the piece, Edwards is said to have discussed is rediscovery of his faith after the death of his teenage son. I have no doubt that he is sincere there. I've spent a goodly amount of time lost in the wilderness myself, and am finding a keen desire to reconnect with my faith as well.

Regardless, he is a Leftie in sheep's (moderates?) clothing.

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John Edwards Iraq War Christianity

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Bill Maher has really stepped over the line this time. On his program, "Real Time With Bill Maher," he had a panel discussion regarding the recent removal of a number of comments from the Huffington Post concerning the recent attempt to assassinate V.P. Dick Cheney. From FoxNews:

Frank earned applause when he quoted bloggers saying the bomb was wasted when it missed Cheney. Maher asked the panelists whether it was wrong for blog host Arianna Huffington to remove the comments.

Quoting the blog, Maher said, "I have zero doubt that if Dick Cheney was not in power, people wouldn't be dying needlessly tomorrow."

Asked by Frank if Maher believed that sentiment, the host replied, "I'm just saying if he did die, other people, more people would live. That's a fact."

Had this been said about a Democratic V.P., the outrage over such a statement would reverberate throughout the media.

Let's focus on a few facts. Prior to Operation: Liberate Iraq, something on the order of a half-million people were murdered by a tyrannical regime. These are people who, in my opinion, died needlessly. In other words, we should have told the U.N. to bugger off in 1991 and did the job right the first time. Thousands of people died needlessly on 9/11. Since the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, thousands of terrorists and others have been killed, and others imprisoned. This is good. The downside is that several thousand American and Coalition soldiers have died in the process. Then there are the several thousand innocents who have died, mostly at the hands of terrorists and sectarian death squads.

Iran has actively contributed to the destabilization of Iraq by supplying arms to the various terrorist groups operating in that country. Muqtada al-Sadr, instead of being captured or eliminated in 2004, was negotiated with, allowing his "Mahdi Army" to rearm and rebuild, and now posing a greater threat to a democratic Iraq than it posed in 2004 when al-Sadr took the stage.

Does Maher believe that the world would be better off if America had done nothing, stood by and let attack after attack be leveled against the United States by al-Qaeda? If America had done nothing, how many thousands of others would have died in further 9/11s? How many more people in Iraq would have died at the hands of the Butcher of Baghdad (and his sons) had he been left in power? What would it take to convince Maher and others of his ilk that the world is better off by confronting terrorists and totalitarian regimes? A mushroom cloud over New York and Los Angeles? Probably.

The Huffington Post's action to remove comments as described in the article concerning the assassination attempt on Cheney was the right thing to do. I am glad they had enough common sense to do it (I am giving them the benefit of the doubt that they were actually proactive about it). Such comments stop short of being criminal in nature. Hopefully there were not any that crossed over the line.

As for Bill Maher, there is no doubt in my mind as to the kind of person Maher is. Congratulations Bill Maher, you are the latest recipient of the Moonbat Award. I hope HBO shows some common sense and cancels your show.

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MarsCon was well attended, despite the winter storms that hit the region on Thursday and Friday, with 675 people in attendance. Although down a bit from last year due to snows and bad driving conditions, the con was an overwhelming success.

The Rakehell was very well represented, with most of the crew on hand for the festivities and mayhem.

On Saturday, Sue, Anna and I had breakfast with Walter Hunt, author of the Dark Wing series and had a great chat with him about cons and non-fandom stuff.

Qob participated in a panel to recreate the look of Elizabeth I, with G'Mar serving as the subject. The end result was including as a presentation piece in the Masquerade on Saturday evening.

Kosh ran a presentation on mask making as a result of his Gargoyle costume from Convergence last summer.

There were many excellent panels over the weekend (seriously!) that made it not only hard to figure out which ones to attend, it was impossible to go to lunch or dinner without missing something good. Panels ran the range from writing and writers, to films, film making, and discussions with the Actor Guests of Honor (Don Davis and Patricia Tallman) to science, weaponry and prop making. From a literary perspective, it was no surprise that the focus was on Robert A. Heinlein, in advance of the centennial celebration of his birth, and there were several lively panels covering his work and the impact he had on writers and society.

The science room was an educational experience, with many models from the U.S. Space Program, computer simulations, informative handouts and even educational materials for kids.

Kosh spent a chunk of the day doing a "Warrior on the street" gig, interviewing con goers to get their reaction to the recent downgrading of Pluto from planetary status. I hope to see the results of the video soon.

New this year was a prop room, where many props, mostly fan made, but also a few genuine movie pieces, were on display. Although strictly hands off, photography was allowed. There were pieces from Star Trek:TOS (of course!) and quite a few light sabers from Star Wars, as well as props from the Indiana Jones movies, Starship Troopers and the Rocketeer.

The masquerade was well attended by most of those present. I was an exception as the Rakehell's currently youngest active member (but no longer the youngest member) decided to be fussy and wanted to run around, so I ended up stepping out and letting Sue'la enjoy some free time to enjoy the masquerade while our little one got some quality daddy time in. Kosh represented the Rakehell with an entry as a redneck Klingon, which garnered many laughs. G'Mar, as mentioned earlier, came on as a presentation of Elizabeth I. Regrettably, I have no clue about the rest of the entries, however, based on the reports I heard, there were 11 entries in all.

Saturday's party scene was as good as Friday, maybe even better, as more people were dressed up for the event (and a few mundanes coming up to hang out with us). The Rakehell party pulled out the stops, with good tunes and a variety of drinks that went beyond the standard "Hot Sex with a Klingon." There were about ten parties in all (not counting the con's hospitality suite) all of which were packed to the gills.

Top honors for room parties went to the Tardis Tea Society and the World Defense Force (the Rakehell and Cosmic Tulip won last year, so they were non-competing). First prize was $100, second prize $50. Both parties looked really great and were just plain fun.

The hotel had free wireless Internet. Unfortunately connectivity was sporadic. So much for plans for regular updates, and that is probably for the best.

A great time was had by all.

Photos coming soon.

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MarsCon 2007 is off to a good start with lots of good panels guests and parties! After missing the first panels on Friday and Opening Ceremonies due to a luggage mishap, it was full party mode on the first evening of the con.

The IKV Rakehell has put on a great party room, with the theme “How much for just the planetoid,” poking fun at Pluto’s recent downgrade from planet status. The room was decorated with various planets, comets, asteroids and a variety of space images. Dinks included the staple “Hot Sex With A Klingon” and several new themed drinks including “Dissolving Planetoid” and “Asteroid Belt” (sometimes also called “Surf’s Up At Alderan”). Admiral Qob supplied most of the music, with some supplemental tunes from Sqotty’s collection. Munchies were also planetary themed and included “Fruit Ringworlds.”

The Klingons of the Rakehell were to be found everywhere, lurking in every corner of the party floor, with the Rakehll being the most poplar party, followed closely by the Tardis Tea Society (they had a very nice selection of ports that they were serving).

Guests at the Con include SF writer Walter Hunt, author of the Dark Wing series, and Patrica Tallman of Babylon 5.

Saturday will be a busy panel day, with some of the Rakehell’s own participating on several costuming and makeup panels, including Patrick on mask making and Qob with the Elizabeth I makeup presentation.

More later.

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MarsCon

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It's refreshing to see Rick Santorum back in the spot light. From the Politico:

"The only one I wouldn't support is McCain," Santorum said during an interview in his office at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, where he is a senior fellow.

"I don't agree with him on hardly any issues," Santorum said. "I don't think he has the temperament and leadership ability to move the country in the right direction."

Quite frankly, I agree with Santorum. I can't think of many issues I agree with McCain on, but there are quite a few I disagree with, beginning with the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform that passed a few years back.

It would be nice to see Santorum run for our highest office, as I was quite disappointed when he was voted out due to the political backlash many Republicans were hit by. Perhaps he'll look to become Governor of Pennsylvania first.

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I really hate picking on someone who is losing it, but it needs to be discussed. Off of Yahoo News:

A former Canadian defense minister is demanding governments worldwide disclose and use secret alien technologies obtained in alleged UFO crashes to stem climate change, a local paper said Wednesday.

"I would like to see what (alien) technology there might be that could eliminate the burning of fossil fuels within a generation ... that could be a way to save our planet," Paul Hellyer, 83, told the Ottawa Citizen.

Alien spacecrafts would have traveled vast distances to reach Earth, and so must be equipped with advanced propulsion systems or used exceptional fuels, he told the newspaper.

Quite frankly, I doubt that aliens have been visiting our planet, top secret facilities and conspiracy theorists aside, the basic theory is that any race capable of interstellar travel would have fully populated the galaxy, including the Earth, by now.

For the sake of argument, though, let's suppose there have been such visitors, what could we learn that could forestall or halt the Earth's current climate warming trend? Zero! Why? Because the warming trend is part of the Earth's natural cycle and has been going on.

On the flipside, if there really are alien ships that have crashed here on Earth, then the technology, once it is deciphered, could be leveraged to improve energy development, most likely nuclear energy, as well as give insight on space travel. Admittedly, that would be cool.

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Ahmadinejad is foaming at the mouth again, this time in Sudan. From FoxNews:

"There is no place in the world that suffers from divisions and wars unless America or the Zionists' fingerprints are seen there," Ahmadinejad told his audience in Farsi translated into Arabic.

He urged Muslims to rally behind Iran and accused detractors of Iran's nuclear program of trying to prevent a developing country from making scientific advances.

"Our strength and the cornerstone of the victory is in our (Muslims') unity ... we have to pay attention to the devils who want to cause divisions among us," the Iranian president said.

Let's see now, Iran has threatened to annihilate Israel for how many decades? As they move closer to nuclear weapons, further destabilizing the region, and it's Israel and the U.S. who are to blame? Iran is arming terrorist groups and death squads operating in Iraq, and that is somehow OUR fault?

Sudan has been running a pogrom in Darfur, and that's our fault, too, I suppose. There is violence throughout much of South East Asia, where the U.S. has little, if any, involvement, but Islamic terrorists are heavily involved.

Basically, it is "Iwannajihad" Ahmadinejad blaming the West for the ills of the world, regardless of the fact that many of the problems we now face has its roots in radical Islam. What else is new?

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Ahmadinejad Iran Israel America

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