tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34954582012-01-31T18:24:05.844-05:00Politics. Random Meanderings. Drooling optional.Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.comBlogger441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-2765595393451423262009-02-18T14:46:00.008-05:002009-02-18T15:31:04.654-05:00

So President Obama "unveils" a $75 billion "mortgage relief plan", aimed at alleviating the burdens of some 9 million homeowners who might otherwise be unable to stay in their homes.I'm going to make some simplistic assumptions/generalizations about this bill, just for ease of illustration and also because I do not have the details of who will get what.The total package equates to an average of

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-10819455183347155422008-11-05T13:41:00.006-05:002009-02-18T15:31:59.459-05:00

I'll be the first one to say that I'm not surprised that Obama won and that McCain lost. As Rush Limbaugh has so aptly put it, McCain's entire campaign, other than Sarah Palin, was one big concession speech, and Barack Obama says "nothing" better than anyone else. Those two things together should cause no one surprise as to the result of the election.That being said, I'm still baffled as to how,

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-50616968013052017132008-11-04T13:15:00.006-05:002008-11-04T13:35:21.073-05:00

While there are so many other things at stake, at risk, etc., this is a good example of the crux of the election. It's a frightening notion that whatever some cretin in Washington defines as wealth at any given moment, the owner/earner of it is unentitled to it:Even if you make less than $250K (or $200K, or $150K, or $120K), whatever you make/have could be redefined as undeserved wealth.Anyone

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-37595861356653875992008-09-30T08:16:00.004-04:002008-09-30T08:52:12.369-04:00

Anyone who has seen the following message, most likely spread via email:With all the ideas being thrown around as to how to save the good ole USA from its current financial woes, here is the BEST idea so far!!I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG. Instead, I'm in favorof giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend. Tomake the math simple, let's assume there are

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-6058165619282612082008-08-14T08:14:00.005-04:002008-08-14T09:39:09.043-04:00

As it seems to go with Sprint, I was having issues again, so I was again going to cancel my contract and get out of the broadband wifi deal and just get a freakin' iPhone 3G.I had not used my Sierra Wireless 595U card in some time because I kept getting PPP error #678 saying that the remote computer didn't want to talk to me. When I talk to Sprint, after the same lame diagnostics (that I've

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-12363500170408895782008-07-28T08:30:00.004-04:002008-07-28T08:55:45.235-04:00

Recently there has been a lot of publicity regarding the critical defect in DNS caching - which essentially says, if you type "www.waxingcatatonic.com" (which takes you to this blog) it should go the computer who's address is "64.202.189.170" (at the time of this posting :) ). This critical defect allows attackers to change that address to whatever they would like (essentially), and it allows

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-62049020990911432832008-05-14T12:15:00.002-04:002008-05-14T12:30:09.326-04:00

So I'm having lunch in the bar area of a local wings place. There are TV's all over the place with various sports stuffs playing. One set of TV's has been playing various bits about the New England Patriots spying "scandal" (IMO, it couldn't happen to a nicer team, but I digress).Then I look up and see Arlent Specter (R-PA)'s freaking face on the tube.Here's my question: where in the Constitution

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-9638183505023721302008-03-03T18:00:00.011-05:002009-03-05T07:41:02.151-05:00

While bilge-spewing groups like National Geographic eruct fear-mongering junk like "Six Degrees Could Change the World", and that junk is advertised on other networks, facts to the contrary are ignored.What facts? Oh, you know, insignificant facts like the one that says that all 4 major global temperature trackers recorded the "single fastest temperature change ever recorded, either up or down" -

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-91012649686308093922008-02-27T13:05:00.002-05:002008-02-27T13:06:49.586-05:00

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-20998001045894344622008-01-08T15:44:00.000-05:002008-01-08T16:19:00.354-05:00

As mentioned in my previous post, I just received a new wifi broadband card. The AirCard 595U. It's a fine card, but I had some initial trouble getting the software installed for sprint and just wanted to throw out the solution in case my one reader ever has the same issue.I'm running Vista Ultimate 32-bit on my laptop. On both the CD that came with the card, as well as after downloading the

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com72tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-37368434125715762802007-05-28T23:29:00.000-04:002007-05-29T00:29:46.534-04:00

As part of what I guess will become a running series, I now present the instructions for creating the perfecto Mojito.A little background. Being into cigars, and therefore having a romanitc yearn to visit Havana, Cuba, I have had a long running interest in the Mojito. Whilst on vacation to Myrtle Beach, SC, I ran across a little place called Latitude 22 degrees, which purported to offer Mojitos

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-51778545055034507852007-05-23T14:44:00.000-04:002007-05-23T15:05:01.116-04:00

Ok, by now virtually everyone has heard of the POS idea to not buy gasoline that happened on 5/15 (and has been happening since 1999). The whole premise is that it will hurt the "big oil" companies (it won't), and that it will make some sort of a statement about the state of gas prices, yadda, yadda, yadda.Well to combat that vacuous crap, I'm asking for my one reader to buy twice as much

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-43328508375959266202007-04-22T22:38:00.001-04:002009-03-05T07:36:19.494-05:00

In looking at all of the available candidates for President in 2008, I've finally whittled my way down to my official '08 endorsements (for which I know the cavalcade of press has fervently been waiting) .For the 2008 United States of America Presidential Election, I officially endorse the ticket of General George Washington as President and Ronald Reagan as Vice President:For a short time I

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-20166570344195214912006-12-06T13:56:00.001-05:002009-03-05T07:34:25.980-05:00

I was reading an article about the concept of a hate crime, and it seemed to echo (more verbosely) my own thoughts: It seems as simple as 1+1=2 to me that if the only difference between crime X and crime Y is the fact that in crime Y the perpetrator did it for racial reasons, then the government is now in the business of punishing thought and opinion. Does the fact that this even has to be told

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-57246273074688688182006-11-30T12:14:00.000-05:002006-11-30T12:19:21.136-05:00

Earlier this morning, I saw this headline: "US man saved from alligator jaws" from the BBC. It seemed like an interesting enough story from the headline, but after reading it, there was a bit more to it than the headline indicated.Then, this afternoon, CBS came though with a truly American headline that tells oh so much more of the story: "Gator Attacks Naked Man on Crack". Awwww yeahhh, baybee.

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-77097970354398592252006-11-29T23:30:00.000-05:002006-11-30T00:15:59.192-05:00

Ever since my honeymoon to Vancouver, BC back in '98 I had been on a quest to recreate the perfect martini I had there. Unfortunately I don't remember the restaurant name, but it was incredible. It was perfectly chilled, with a silky smooth taste and some very thin, beautiful ice crystals layering the top (a must have if done right). I perfected it sometime ago, but thought I'd put it out there

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-53920618418737419282006-11-29T14:32:00.000-05:002006-11-29T14:53:33.666-05:00

Walter E. Williams is amazing in that he seems able to talk about a particular subject, and yet capture almost all of the tenants of conservativism all at the same time in his columns.From his 11/29/06 column, he finds it egregious that "at least two-thirds of the federal budget represents forcing one American to serve the purposes of another. Younger workers are forced to pay for the

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-54474279497822743822006-11-17T13:25:00.000-05:002006-11-17T13:32:17.963-05:00

Thanks for all of your work. The lunches are free forever now.

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-27550528828621996782006-11-15T13:29:00.000-05:002006-11-15T13:35:05.937-05:00

So, it seems that "US" Chefs are more interested in taste than in health (what about all of those decadent French meals?). Thank goodness for that. If I want to eat healthily, I'll cook myself (well, I'll cook for myself anyway. If I cooked myself, then that would just be another high fat meal...). When I go out I want good food.As I've said before, what about this is actual news?

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-52757698905676314102006-11-09T09:15:00.000-05:002006-11-09T13:55:52.932-05:00

As a registered Republican (but conservative first), I have no problem saying that the Republicans completely gaffed this election cycle. However I do think that they would have had a much better showing if they had stuck to (or in some cases adopted in the first place) conservative principles.It was sickening to me to hear John McCain say, the morning after the election that things would have

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-14139063167863115162006-10-13T13:14:00.000-04:002006-10-13T13:17:22.746-04:00

It was bound to happen and finally has. Heh.

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-65257857693116992672006-10-10T12:55:00.000-04:002006-10-10T13:39:45.285-04:00

Despite the nuclear arms, despite the beatings, mass murders, and mass starvation, and despite the millions of oppressed citizens living in squalor, I've finally read a bright and happy story (well-timed with yesterday's news) about how jolly North Korea is.It turns out we were all wrong about Kim Jong Il. According to David Borenstein, apparently the vast majority of North Korea is not either in

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1158333262216721462006-09-15T10:49:00.000-04:002006-09-15T11:31:43.546-04:00

So 4 Republican Senators and one former Secretary of State constitute a "Senate Rebellion [Breaking] Out Against the White House" in regard to what should/should not be considered legal treatment of detainees in the war on terror?I found that interesting, but not because of the numbers (there are after all only 100 U.S. Senators, and the Republicans have a small majority).No, what I found

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1158159937425112992006-09-13T11:01:00.000-04:002006-09-13T11:05:37.456-04:00

I was perusing ASK.com's news site, and noticed a striking headline under the US Politics section:Of course I had to click on the link. Turns out it was about a murder/suicide in Clinton, IOWA, not from the actual politician and her wife. I think ASK needs to tweak some parsing logic....

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1154626902889858322006-08-03T13:39:00.000-04:002006-08-03T13:41:42.900-04:00

http://inertiacrept.livejournal.com/43187.htmlDon't be fooled by the title. Read the whole thing. And then heaven forbid, think about it.Thanks to krizazy for the link.

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1150381658571917832006-06-15T09:04:00.000-04:002006-06-15T10:29:47.993-04:00

While I think most of us would jump at the chance to thank Al Gore for "[taking] the initiative in creating the internet", it seems we have something else for which to thank him (we being those with common sense).Gore has been on a rabid campaign of misinformation and environmental zealotry, all based on crap. He even released a stupid movie about it.Well, it turns out that we can thank him

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1149791109861314982006-06-08T14:23:00.000-04:002006-06-08T14:45:15.086-04:00

Just in case the one and only reader of this blog missed it.

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1141960337272976012006-03-09T21:58:00.000-05:002006-03-10T11:10:14.243-05:00

I'll preface this post by saying that I do not consider myself any kind of grammar nazi. Far from it actually (primarily because I suck at my mother tongue).That being said, I do believe that there should be some minimum requirement to which one must adhere to existing rules and words, the violation of which would mark one for physical punishment.Ok.Recently I was giving a friend a bunch of crap

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1135793302285900562005-12-28T13:00:00.000-05:002005-12-28T16:41:26.860-05:00

According to the AmSpec Blog, there is finally a fair attempt at assessing the reasons for going to war in Iraq.As with the AmSpec Blog, I don't agree with all of the conclusions made. Primarily under the heading "Iraq and Al Qaeda" is the following entry:WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAIDPresident Bush: "... Iraq and the Al Qaeda terrorist network share a common enemy--the United States of America. We

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1135364558817573602005-12-23T13:46:00.001-05:002009-03-05T07:10:56.366-05:00

Another leak makes its way to the press. I keep hearing over and over that the leakers should be caught and prosecuted. Fine. Done. Check.However, isn't there any culpability for a press that repeatedly puts in print the details of classified material? I mean, fine, these leakers "spoke to U.S. News because of their concerns about the legality of the program". However, U.S. News is not a body to

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1135287198747912632005-12-22T16:01:00.001-05:002009-03-05T07:13:27.078-05:00

A federal judge has just ruled that teaching Intelligent Design (ID) in public schools in unconstitutional. From the article:`In making this determination, we have addressed the seminal question'' of whether intelligent design ``is science,'' Jones wrote in Kitzmiller vs. Dover Area School District. ``We have concluded that it is not, and moreover'' that intelligent design ``cannot uncouple

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1129135978196248422005-10-12T12:26:00.000-04:002005-10-12T12:55:30.356-04:00

I don't even know where to start on this. I guess the first thing to say is that there's nothing better than a liberal leaving a prominent political position, except maybe a liberal who has never had any power at all.Good ol' Gerry is great - first he whines and tears up, and then he blasts Britain and (shocker here) the U.S. for basically everything under the sun. Then he makes sure that

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1128969706288528152005-10-10T14:38:00.000-04:002005-10-10T14:41:46.293-04:00

Walter E. Williams is great. In these two articles he concisely and accurately explains two very important topics:Is it Permissable?Blaming Bush

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1128745494949208062005-10-08T00:13:00.000-04:002005-10-08T00:24:54.976-04:00

As in the last several posts, I must take umbrage with the oft displayed sentiment of other conservatives that we should not rebuild in New Orleans. "Why should we rebuild in an area that is below sea level when the next hurricane will do the same, etc., etc." Because we're Americans, that's why.New Orleans is an historic city that represents a part of America that no other city can.Now, I'd be

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1126494901818081482005-09-11T22:55:00.001-04:002009-03-05T06:46:26.021-05:00

I've heard conservatives - all of the ones I listen to anyway (primarily Rush and Jason Lewis) - speak up in favor of Wal-Mart's various questionable practices. Jason Lewis (whome I admire greatly) in particular keeps harping on the zoning issues that plague Wal-Mart within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. With most of these I agree.However, most of these arguments assume that Wal-Mart is simply a

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1126493687066246122005-09-11T22:31:00.001-04:002009-03-05T06:49:37.774-05:00

I've heard a lot of conservatives rail against anti-HOA legislation. They naively tend to see it as the government stepping in and trying to thwart private citizens governing themselves. On the surface, this makes sense - i.e. the very concept that it's wrong for government to try to stop private citizens from self-government is a tenant of conservativism (a la the Constitution). However, I have

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1120741016372751442005-07-07T08:32:00.001-04:002009-03-05T06:43:21.857-05:00

Liberals seem to have an aversion to "evil corporations" (well, unless they are in cahoots with a local government to take a private citizen's property away, but that's another story). In general, it's because the corporations wield such great power over us regular slobs with their vast amounts of wealth. But alas, as usual, there is an 800 lb. gorilla of inconsistency sitting right there in the

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1115649995303469432005-05-09T10:22:00.000-04:002005-05-09T11:16:59.553-04:00

I'll preface what I'm about to say by disclosing that I'm a Christian. I believe that Christ is our Savior and the true Son of God. I'm non-denominational (although I enjoy the Episcopal services).Ok, now with that being said, these Christians are trying to infuse spiritual beliefs into a realm of physical science. To me, the idea of being able to "prove" what is being called "Intelligent Design"

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1112079441839715372005-03-29T01:41:00.000-05:002005-04-21T06:01:11.213-04:00

...I'm feeling a bit surly, but it's 1:43 AM EST and while working, I'm watching a show on the Military Channel on Iwo Jima.Every single one of us, including me, but especially every single one of you liberal zealots out there who can spew your venom without fear of oppression (real oppression, not your imagined victimizations), needs to go and volunteer at a VA hospital before more of these

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1110833924561974142005-03-14T15:46:00.000-05:002005-04-21T05:59:07.790-04:00

While not totally absent from the whole Social Security Debate, the argument for the Constitutionality of having it in the first place seems to have way too small a place for my taste. It's simple logic, and it's a simple matter of Constitutionality. I love how clearly Walter E. Williams makes the case here and here. Notably:"There's a moral dimension to Social Security that few have the guts to

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1109953204828915732005-03-04T11:02:00.000-05:002005-04-21T05:54:04.130-04:00

I saw this at TCS by Tim Worstall. I like what Mr. Worstall has to say about "poverty" being natural:"...what is unusual, what is unnatural and what is man made is wealth, this thing we've only been able to do reliably and consistently since the Industrial Revolution."However, I think he's being way too generous to the manifesto writers of Make Poverty History and their ilk (who recommend against

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1109863915718139422005-03-03T09:16:00.001-05:002009-03-05T06:45:10.324-05:00

Once again, our Supreme Court has decided to use its power to uphold a personal idealogical opinion instead of upholding the Constitution.In the 5-4 decision to bar the execution of minors, the Court uses a flimsy argument for a "national consensus" against the juvenile death penalty, the fact that other "nations that share our Anglo-American heritage" have overwhelmingly abolished it, and that

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1108661683363058572005-02-17T12:29:00.000-05:002005-04-21T05:51:58.083-04:00

Nice to hear things being said as they are. Power Line rocks.

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3495458.post-1100201397603193802004-11-11T14:28:00.000-05:002005-04-21T05:48:37.296-04:00

"It has been said so truthfully that it is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives that protester the

Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105163065716665647noreply@blogger.com0