J-Mac a True Hero in the Sports World & Life

I’m a huge sports fan, college sports being my favorite of the lot. That said there are countless stories coming out every day that put athletes in a very bad light given the lack of judgment, self centered attitudes, and self serving demeanor, some are guilty of.

Here however is an inspiring sports story and video clip that gets to the very heart and essence of what sports “should” be all about via CBS 11 Dallas-Fort Worth:

Senior Jason McElwain had been the manager of the varsity basketball team of Greece Athena High School in Rochester, N.Y.

McElwain, who's autistic, was added to the roster by coach Jim Johnson so he could be given a jersey and get to sit on the bench in the team's last game of the year.

Johnson hoped the situation would even enable him to get McElwain onto the floor a little playing time.

He got the chance, with Greece Athena up by double-digits with four minutes go to.

And, in his first action of the year, McElwain missed his first two shots, but then sank six three-pointers and another shot, for a total of 20 points in three minutes.

How exciting and valuable this was for Jason McElwain who is nicknamed J-Mac by his teammates and on the schools website. This is a fantasic accomplishment and one that he will remember all his life. The positive aspects of this story are overwhelming.

Another thing that impressed me so much was the absolute joy and excitement that his teammates and his fellow students in the stands displayed over his accomplishments. I thought to myself what a fine group of young people these kids are and how supportive. When is the last time that you saw such joy over a fellow teammates or classmates accomplishment at any level or age? Well done by all involved………………

Coach Johnson and the staff at Athena High are doing something very right and it would appear that they have a great group of kids to work with. Keep shooting J-Mac, keep shooting……………………………………

Paper that Fired Reporter for Blog Now Linking to His Blog

The Houston Chronicle fired reporter Steve Olafson three years ago because he posted criticisms of the paper on his blog. Now E&P is reporting that the paper is linking to Olafson’s blog from their online edition:

Since November, when the Chronicle launched an expanded and redesigned Web site, the paper has been linking to his blog.

Brazosportnews.blogspot.com, the same blog that got Olafson fired, is now among the 60 or so blogs featured at the Chronicle Web site's "BlogWatch," which has been spotlighting local web outlets for more than three months.

The editor who decided to link to the blog had this to say about the ironic development:

The man who chose to link to the blog is Dwight Silverman, the Chronicle's interactive journalism editor and a 16-year veteran of the paper. When asked about the irony of linking to Olafson's work, he said "it is not ironic. He is a blogger and the posts he writes are well-written and I am interested in what he writes."

Well I have to disagree with Mr. Silverman, it is in fact at a minimum “ironic”……………..Here is what Olafson had to say about the links:

"I think it kind of makes them look silly, but it is a good thing that they give exposure to blogs," says Olafson, who still lives in Brazosport, Tex., south of Houston. "I get 30 or 40 hits through them each time they highlight it. I don't mind it."

I think he got it spot on: they look silly, but it is a good thing that they are linking to non-MSM sources. That they would select Olafson’s blog is again slightly ironic. Lots of papers are slowly moving deeper into the blog arena within their online offering. To me it seems most at first are merely an online duplication of the paper product with the same types of stories and same types of MSM source links (AP, NYT, WaPO, etc.). The first big and scary move for most papers is to add a comment section to their blog entries. Getting direct, interactive feedback that is published for all to see is no doubt an early concern of the MSM. For all these years it’s been their product that they decide what information the subscribers see, and blog comments change all that completely and dramatically.

It’s my observation that the comment sections can become more of a chat room than an interactive tool for debate and information sharing. Lots of comments seem to bring out a sophomoric crowd that can be more interested in a personal pulpit than truly the exchange of information and civil debate. You can also get the same crowd of comment posters over and over that after awhile don’t really add anything new. That’s ok and it seems that lots of people enjoy that element of the new online newspaper blogs. I personally see more potential there than merely a chat room.

The thing that I think we are now just beginning to see are links to more blogs and non-MSM news sources in their online posts. I think the newspapers that are moving in that direction clearly understand for them to be a new media source, they have to include the new media. The local STL paper the St Louis Post Dispatch and the STLToday online edition have a pretty comprehensive blog offering already. Although I have issues with the papers coverage at times and find the Editorial team to be extremely liberal and without any objective value, the online blog product is really making some head-way. If you have not visited the STLToday Blogs, you should visit and take a look around.

The linking of Olafson’s blog by the Houston Chronicle does make the paper look a bit silly given the history, however as Olafson stated, is a positive development when online MSM products start including the new media and blogs in their offering……………………………………………..

New Bankruptcy Laws

Per the Ap and the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, the new laws that reformed bankruptcy requirements and went into effect October of 2005, is not “fair”:

A report released by the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys was based on an analysis of 61,335 people who have gone to credit counseling agencies, the required first step before filing bankruptcy under the law that took effect on Oct. 17.

Of the 61,335, 97 percent were unable to repay any debts and 79 percent had gotten into financial trouble because of job loss, huge medical expenses or the death of a spouse, the report said.

Forgive me for being a bit skeptical of a report from the NACB four months into the new law………………..This trend reported by Lundquist Consulting, appears to show that the law is having the impact that was intended:

Figures released last month by Lundquist Consulting Inc. showed a sharp drop in the number of bankruptcy filings since the Oct. 17 deadline. Within the smaller number overall, a greater proportion were made under Chapter 13 versus Chapter 7 of the code. Nearly 60 percent of filings made after Oct. 17 came under Chapter 13, compared with the usual 30 percent under the old regime, according to the figures.

Under Chapter 13 the debtor is deemed able to pay their bills at an adjusted schedule and under plan that is of lighter burden. Chapter 7 allows the debtor to walk away entirely from their debt. The key intent of the bill was to prevent people with above average incomes from qualifying for Chapter 7 unless meeting special conditions.

STL Top 25 Port City - Not a PON Port However

I had no idea that STL was a top 25 port city until I read this Post on PoliPundit:

Top 25 Ports:

South Louisiana, LA
Houston, TX
New York, NY and NJ
Beaumont, TX
New Orleans, LA
Huntington, WV-KY-OH
Corpus Christi, TX
Long Beach, CA
Texas City, TX
Baton Rouge, LA
Plaquemines, LA
Lake Charles, LA
Los Angeles, CA
Mobile, AL
Valdez, AK
Tampa, FL
Pittsburgh, PA
Baltimore, MD
Duluth-Superior, MN-WI
Philadelphia, PA
St. Louis, MO-IL
Pascagoula, MS
Norfolk Harbor, VA
Freeport, TX
Portland, ME


Given the current fire storm over the UAE purchasing Peninsular & Oriental Navigation, I'm sure many in STL will be happy to learn that PON does not have any leases in STL per the P&ON Website................


Although STL is currently in the top 25, it has been losing ground the past few years Commerce Magazine:

The Port of St. Louis is losing market share in a growing economy,” states a recent report of the St. Louis Inner City Competitive Assessment and Strategy Project. “While competing Mississippi River System ports have grown at an average annual rate of 3.1 percent, with some ports growing at rates as high as 6.6 percent, the St. Louis Port’s growth has been stagnant at a rate of 0.8 percent annually over the same 10-year period.”

What are the biggest products shipped into and out of the Port of St. Louis? Well per Commerce Magazine:

Of the different commodities that move through the port, 80 percent include products such as petroleum, coal, grain and chemicals. “By using the river for these heavy commodities we save moving it by truck and rail,” says Nichols. He says it is cheaper to move these commodities by the waterway system, since one barge usually holds 1,500 tons, equaling the capacity of about 60 trucks or 15 rail cars. And according to World Agriculture Forum Founder, President and Chairman of the Board Dr. Leonard Guarraia, “St. Louis is the largest inland water port for agricultural products in the world.”

Lots of corn and soy beans, and then gas, coal and chemicals....................................................

UAE Port Deal

I have not commented on the UAE port matter, but there is one thing for sure:

Those who have been saying that Bush is a divider not a uniter, will have to change their tune after this one…………………The UAE port deal seems to have united just about every member of congress in a common cause……………………….Pretty rare and hard to do these days………..

Terrorist Related Raids in Louisiana?

Via Drudge, there are some FBI raids going on in Northern Louisiana that may have connections to suspected terrorist activities. Per KNOE TV:

TV 8 News has learned FBI agents and local law enforcement authorities are conducting a raid of service stations and businesses owned by Middle Easterners in Northeast Louisiana. Agents executed search warrants today at 10 businesses in Tallulah, Delhi, Monroe and Ruston. The FBI says the raids are part of "an ongoing criminal investigation." Police sources tell TV 8 News the raids target possible money laundering and counterfeiting in connection with suspected domestic terrorist activity. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is said to be taking part in the investigation. TV 8 News will have details at 5, 6,and 10.

Toilet Paper Rules & Roommates

Remember back to your college or early post graduation days when you had a roommate and the issues that arose from time to time with sharing each others stuff………..You know borrowing some laundry detergent from your roommate or helping yourself to a small amount of their food if you had not gotten to the store yet. There were acceptable things to borrow and some that you never closed the line on. For everything borrowed there was a universally acceptable repayment process and timeline. You simply have to have those types of rules when you have a roommate.

I don’t know about you but toilet paper was always a shared expense if there was only one bathroom and everyone bought it when they shopped and stocked it liberally because I don’t know how you don’t share toilet paper……………..Usually there is only one toilet paper dispenser……….Isolating toilet paper by roommate does not seem like a very functional process.

That said think about this story coming out of Central Florida where a man beat his roommate to death with a hammer because he used up all the toilet paper via WFTV 9:

A man has been arrested for fatally beating his roommate with a sledgehammer and a claw hammer because there was no toilet tissue in the home, authorities said.

Not just a hammer, this guy used two different types…………………..

Matthews was beaten so badly he had to be identified through his fingerprints, detectives said….

Beaten so badly with a sledgehammer and a claw hammer that they had to identify him via fingerprints and it was all over toilet paper…………………

If you have a roommate, you might want to consider discussing and establishing some offical rules over the toilet paper.......................

Hillary Clinton Coming to St. Louis to Help McCaskill?

Last week on the STL PD blog the Talent vs. McCaskill race was being discussed and fundraising came up. I put out the question, who from a national perspective could come in and help McCaskill raise cash. A few of the left leaning folks posted some names from the C list, and I responded that I thought Hillary Clinton might have an interest. They responded no way, the down side was much to high given the high negatives Clinton carries with some voters. They said McCaskills camp would not let Hillary Clinton anywhere near STL until after Nov 06'.

I thought that Clinton might have an interest since she would need to win states like Missouri to have a shot at winning in 2008, and this would give her an opportunity to get some early readings in Missouri. I also wondered if the McCaskill camp would take her up on the offer if it came, because although Hillary has the star power within the party, she also comes with some very heavy negatives. You need the cash but the price for the cash could be pretty large……………………….

Jo Mannies of the STL PD just put up a post (here) saying that Clinton is in fact scheduled to come to STL in March for fund raising:

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton — is planning to be in St. Louis next month for a fundraiser. However, Democratic sources say the March fundraiser will solely collect money for the senator’s re-election bid for the U.S. Senate in New York — not for any 2008 aspirations (or for any other Democrats on the November ballot.)………

Joyce Aboussie, long the most powerful behind-the-scenes Democrat in Missouri, is putting the event together. The time, date and place for HRC’s event has yet to be determined…………….

They maybe saying that Hillary is coming to STL for the sole purpose of raising cash for her campaign, but I’m not buying that for a moment. She is here to start testing the water and getting a read on how she is going to play in 2008 for sure. Also, there is very little chance that Aboussie is not locked in with the McCaskill camp on the visit and McCaskill's camp was in agreement. It very well could be that the state Dem party is testing the water to see if Hillary can help McCaskill raise cash without hurting her poll numbers and trying to do it without connectiong the two prior to the early readings…………………………..

I think this will be an interesting element of the Talent vs. McCaskill race to watch. Talent can bring in the biggest of the big national Republicans to help his campaign. It will be interesting to see who McCaskill will be able to bring in to assist her campaign……………………………………….

Florida's Cuban Americans Considering Democrats?

WaPo has an article up that examines the political link between Cuban Americans in Florida and their allegiance to the Republican party and how new Cuban immigration polices might be straining that allegiance:

At least one influential Cuban, Pepe Hernandez, president of the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF), said it might be time for the Cubans to do the unthinkable -- reconsider their unwavering loyalty to Republican candidates.

It is possible that the Cuban American community could switch loyalties and consider the Democrats, but that seems like a long shot and not a very compatible alliance. To me such a scenario would be like organized labor switching party affiliation and becoming Republican.

If there is a danger of my native state turning from Red to Blue, I’d say the cause is more likely to be the migration of voters from the northeastern states to Florida who in general lean to the left politically…………………

Native American Read on Abramoff Scandal

An interesting read from the Native American perspective on the Jack Abramoff scandal, via Indian Country Today:

Campbell is worth hearing on the Abramoff scandal, which is confusing and damaging; his main message is that tribes must take Washington strategies seriously. The biggest danger of the Abramoff scandal is that tribal leaders would shy away from trying to influence Congress. That would be a big mistake, according to the two-term former senator from Colorado. ''Boy, don't put the blanket over your head here,'' he emphasized. ''They [members of Congress] need your input ... We need to come back [to Washington] more, not less. We need to talk to our own congressmen and our own senators more, not less.''

Former senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell went on to say:

Be bipartisan in your lobbying, was another piece of advice from Campbell. Work with all sides on issues that affect the rights of tribes. ''We have friends in both parties ... These are tough times, but we have friends on both sides of the aisle.''

Winter Olympics Roots

I have not watched much of the Winter Olympics because I find it very boring, but I watched a bit tonight. Here is my read on this sporting festival:

Seems like a sporting event in a very small town in northern Wisconsin or northern Minnesota and lots people tired of being frozen in for months and drinking hard and long, got bored in the dead of winter and decided that they would have some so called athletic fun...................................................

Sort of a merger of Jack Ass meets sub-zero temperatures and lots of snow...................................................

Senate Will Not Investigate NSA Wire-Taps

Per the NYT, the Senate Intel Committee decided not to go forward with investigations into the wire tapping of calls from al Qaida members coming into people here in the US:

The Senate Intelligence Committee decided today not to investigate President Bush's domestic surveillance program, at least for the time being. "I believe that such an investigation is currently unwarranted and would be detrimental to this highly classified program," Senator Pat Roberts, Republican of Kansas and chairman of the panel, said this afternoon following a closed session.

The current odds on source of the leak does not appear to be all that happy:

But the committee's ranking Democrat, John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia, was clearly unhappy after the meeting and said it made no sense to pursue legislation when the full details of the surveillance program were not known. Mr. Roberts said Mr. Rockefeller's proposal for an investigation would be reconsidered when the committee reconvenes on March 7.

If Rockefeller IV is in fact the one who leaked the intel, he very well could have his calendar full for a different hearing of sorts - a Grand Jury...........................................

If Rockefeller IV is on the hook here, you bet he is unhappy that the focus is about to turn towards the party who leaked the intel..............

Rasmussen Poll on Cheney Hunting Accident

Rasmussen has it’s first poll out over the Cheney hunting accident HERE:

February 16, 2006--Twenty-seven percent (27%) of Americans believe that the recent hunting accident involving Dick Cheney raises serious questions about his ability to serve as Vice President. Twice as many, 57%, say it was "just one of those very embarrassing things that happens to all of us."

The survey was conducted Tuesday and Wednesday night. Cheney spoke publicly about the incident for the first time on Wednesday. Sixty-six percent (66%) of Americans say they have been following news about this story somewhat or very closely.
Thirty-six percent (36%) of Americans have a favorable opinion of the Vice President while 41% have an unfavorable view.

Thirty-nine percent (39%) say the United States needs stricter gun control laws. Fifty-two percent (52%) disagree

So only 27% of Americans think that the accident raises “serious questions” about the VP’s ability to serve as VP……………………One would not get that idea from the unhinged coverage coming from the most left leaning members of the MSM………

Embarrassing, you bet…………Unfortunate, absolutely……………..More than a hunting accident, not a chance and if you are in the media and pushing that angle, then you flat out have a political agenda your pushing…………………………

Not That There is Anything Wrong With Being Called Lawrence

Here is the MSM at it's very worst by way of the Larry O'Donnell's interview with Hugh Hewittt:

Lawrence not Larry - O'Donnelll:

Larry: I get credit for Was Cheney Drunk. Make sure all your audience knows I'm the guy who asked was Cheney drunk, and I forced Fox News into asking him about what his alcohol consumption was that day.

HH: But you think the Secret Service knew he was drunk and protected him? Tell us Larry...............

Larry O'Donnell: No. Hey, stop lying about what I'm saying. Get this straight. Lawrence O'Donnell has no idea, and has never suggested whether or not the Vice President was drunk. I've never said it, and I never will, because we will never know...

So tell us Lawrence-Larry, did you break the story and are you sticking with it? Sounds like your running from it now Lawrence - Larry (sorry not that there is anything wrong with a guy calling himself Lawrence)....................Tell us Larry exactly where you stand on your news break.............................

Political Cartoon Cheney Gun Accident

Here is a round-up of top hits at "excite" on the following key words: Political Cartoon Cheney Gun Accident and it's a pretty balanced offering

Political Humor leads the roll and it is a "VERY FULL" offering of photo-creations for satire......Some real tasteless and others sort of humorous now that Mr Whittington is recovering...

The Wonkette...................comes in second, but she is the bomb don't you know:

5:58 PM: We’re sitting in front of our TV and ready for this show to get on the road. Tired of Fox News’s relentless coverage of Neil Entwistle — we love tabloid trash as much as the next guy, but Entwistle’s not even interesting trash.

Hugh comes in third and from my position, gets it most correct........................

The BuzzFlash comes in fourth and is a hard lefty site...............

Scrappleface comes in #11 and has a funny post, with Cheney "worried sick" over David Gregory's coverage of the matter and the VP's poll numbers (funny - a good read)

Me(Getting Nothing But Static From MSM) come in at #18.........................

I think it's great that Harry Whittington is doing well after a brief set-back. That is what this story is truly about. That said, I will not rehash all I've posted related to this matter, but here are a few key points:

I) 99.9993% of those in the media don't hunt quail and never have - therefore have no clue what they are talking about or reporting.......................

II) The impact of the shot did not endanger Mr. Whittington, it rather was a shallow wound from which a very small pellet traveled via blood vessels to his heart area.....

III) As Cheney said he was at fault because he was the one who pulled the trigger, but in hunting there is much more to the dynamic than that. However he is right and did the right thing...........................

IV) Did the Nut-Job ultra-liberal MSM folks not jump out of their shoes to make themselves look like complete fools and idiots on this one and will they not be paying hard for this one for awhile.................

Mohammed Cartoons Bad - Old Abu Ghraib Photos Good?

Hugh Hewitt links to Black Five and the photo's that should and do upstage some tired re-treads of the same photos back in 2003, that the MSM has deemed worthy of running again. ZERO news value, HUGE risk for the people protecting our freedom and liberties.

So let me get this straight, the MSM has to protect us from the Mohammed cartoons via their filters, but it's news to re-run old Abu Ghraib pop-up photos that are more of what we have already seen and understand and debated? What CONCEIVABLE rational is being applied here? INCOMPETENCE, of the highest DEGREE....

Seriously, is the MSM now on a course that is worse than a terribly incompetent auto-pilot, and have now crossed over the abyss of logic and responsibility.......

University of Illinois Suspends Editors of School Paper

Most MSM sources have decided not to publish the Mohammed Cartoons, and not provide their subscribers and viewers the images that have been at the center of the biggest news story these past several days. The student paper at the University of Illinois however decided to print the cartoons and let their customers see for themselves what the cartoons were all about. Today however per the Post the editors have been suspended:

Two high-ranking editors of the student newspaper at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign say they were suspended Tuesday after they decided to run some of the controversial cartoons of the prophet Muhammad last week.

The editors who decided to run the cartoons are not backing down:

Acton Gorton, the editor in chief, and Chuck Prochaska, the opinions editor, said Tuesday that they stand behind their decision to print the cartoons that have sparked controversy around the world.

The board that suspended the student editors had this to say:

The board went on to say that while it did not necessarily disagree with the decision to run the cartoons, it disagreed with the process of how the cartoons made it into the paper..................

Sort of for freedom of speech but not totally.............We were for freedom of speech before we were not totally for it? There are appropriate filters when it comes to freedom of speech silly college students............

Sounds like Gorton & Prochaska should be holding some classes for lots of their elders in the MSM.............................

The Post has a blog up discussing this matter: here

Birdshotgate Day Two

Well actually it's day three considering the intentional attempts to suppress the accident if you believe the lefty loons in the MSM that are going with that angle, but officially day two. The first cartoon (hat tip Lorie Byrd at PoliPundit):

Cox & Forkum

It's a satire on the satire that is coming from the lefty political cartoonists, using the hunting accident to attack everything Cheney and everything Bush........

As I've post below, I say go for it because I think it will be a loser for their cause and will turn American's off besides those in the already hate everything Bush - Cheney blue dots. On the same subject forget cartoons when you have a reporter at WaPo turning into a cartoon himself. Check out Dana Milbank's complete breakdown on the Keith Olberman show dressed in hunter orange here.

Not that anyone thought Milbank had an objective thread in his reporting previously, but certainly he and WaPo understand that he has zero credibility from an objective standpoint from here forward. I hope the laugh was worth it......................

Hold on, there will be many more taking the leap and bursting into flames. They have wanted a "Got Ya" moment so bad against this administration that they are falling all over themselves over this innocent hunting accident and it is insane. I'm telling you that this will end up hurting the liberal left MSM far more than Cheney and the Bush administration. Sit back and watch them blow...................................................

----------------Update----------------------------------------

This certainly is a strange and unfortunate development, Fox is reporting that Harry Whittingham had a "minor" heart attack but the prognosis looks good:

A birdshot pellet that hit Harry Whittington, the friend Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot on Saturday, has migrated to his heart, causing a "minor" heart attack, hospital representatives said on Tuesday outside the hospital where Whittington is being treated. .......

He will have a full life the Lord intended to have, and this shouldn't affect him one way or the other," he added..........

"The BB basically has lodged in a certain area that has caused inflammatory changes. When that occurs, there is irritability to the heart muscle ... it is basically like an electrical short circuit," Blanchard said, adding that it is "easily treated with medications" and is a nonsurgical condition.............

It would appear that one of the #7 1/2 pellets (I thought #8 - basically the same thing) went from a shallow wound into a blood vessel and "migrated" to his heart via blood flow. I have serious doubt that a #7 1/2 could make a wound to the degree to penetrate to the heart area. Based on this reporting it did not and traveled there via blood flow. Again an extremely strange development. That said when your 78 years old, any wound no matter how deep is not a good thing. Prayers and thoughts to Mr. Whittington and his family....................

I'd say that those on the left attacking and making this a political matter when it obviously was a simple accident, are going to look even worse now that a freak development like this has made it even more serious than it should have been..................................

Cheney Hunting Accident - Near Death by #8 Shot?

Some of the news organizations who are acting like the news of the hunting accident where VP Cheney peppered a fellow hunter is some big story, have obviously never went quail hunting and know very little about quail hunting. No it's never good to be shot by a gun, but based on my 30 years hunting, if I had to pick a gun and ammo to be accidentally shot by it would be a shot gun with bird shot #8 shot, just as happened in this matter.

Yep tinny shot pellets that are big enough to barely kill a two pound bird but not seriously damage the body is the way I'd go. The shot of a #8 is about the size of a pin head and there are 410 pellets in a #8 shell. It would sting bad and pierce the skin but the chances of being critically hurt are much less than being hit by lightening or winning the Powerball lottery.......................

Although the hunting accident was unfortunately, Whittingham was in no serious danger. The anti-Cheney press and political cartoonist will try and have a grand time with this and use it in their attacks on Cheney on all fronts where they disagree with him and the Bush administration. No doubt that "Cheney shot gun based humor" will flood the editorials and cartoons over the coming days. Here is an early offering from the AP and CNN:

CNN:

Harry Whittington, a millionaire attorney from Austin, was "alert and doing fine" in a Corpus Christi hospital Sunday after he was shot by Cheney on a ranch in south Texas, said Katharine Armstrong, the property's owner. He was described as in stable condition by Yvonne Wheeler, spokeswoman for the Christus Spohn Health System in Corpus Christi.....................

"Stable condition" after being peppered by #8 bird shot? Of course he is in stable condition, good grief............................................

The shooting was first reported by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. The vice president's office did not disclose the accident until nearly 24 hours after it happened.

So what if the accident was not reported until the next day. What in the world does that have to do with anything? Unless of course your a news organization who thinks Cheney is not trustworthy and this is another example of attempts to hold critical info back from the American people............Sad agenda indeed.........

Early hit by the AP: Cheney almost killed his hunting companion with #8 bird shot and tried to hide it........................

(to help those who have no clue how damaging a #8 shot is, here is a visual: a #8 shot is the size of a pin head, and it would take about 15 #8 shot pellets to make a BB. Cheney was reported to be using a 28 gauge shot gun which is one above the least powerful shot gun that can be used. The #8 shot has 410 pellets which would produce 27 high powered BB's at one time. The pattern at the distance that his hunting companion was shot would probably produce 1/3 of all pellets hitting the man, 2/3 at most. So between 9 and 18 high powered BB's pierced his hunting companions skin. Painful? Yes. Remotely fatal, not a chance..........)

----------------Update---------------------------

Taking a glance at the Kos Kids discussion on an open thread about the Cheney hunting accident, I think this will be a "Big" positive for Cheney and the administration when all is said and done. Why, well these folks are going over the deep end hard and fast on this simple "hunting accident" and although it might play well for the hard left, it's certainly not going to play well with non-moonbats. The majority of Americans don't respond well to the Kos-Dean-DNC hysteria, and its already reaching warp speed. Here are some Kos conspiracies uncovered this evening:

how much of the quail is left when you shoot it with a shotgun? Picking buckshot out of deer is bad enough, but is there any good meat left on the quail? Seems more like .22 riflesport to me..............Skid

Like most subjects these folks have zero understanding of the matter they are currently attempting to discuss..................Buck-shot for quail hunting, hysterical................

Which is why Cheney confused his friend with his target, right? But how do those quail fly if they have those big orange vests on? And who gave the quail the vests in the first place? The medical personnel maybe?? Smells fowl to me.....................MrSandman

This clown thinks that the birds have orange vests and sees a conspiracy brewing.......................orange vested quail indeed............

I would imagine that getting shot in the face, chest, and neck with shot as big as green peas would be quite painful. I note the person shot by the Vice President yesterday is reported to be in the intensive care unit of the hospital. So that teeny shot must have done quite a number on him...............Patricia Tyler

The shot was #8 bird shot the size of a pin head not a pea. Again a very informed group to discuss this matter.....................

And now the really logical analysis:

If he had been drinking, then yes but we'll never know about it, so no. If it was just negligence, then no but he can be sued. We'll never know the truth about it, though. The repubs will circle the wagons and no info will ever come out. When Reagan got shot, he joked about Democratic doctors. These guys will INSURE that there aren't any Democratic doctors or nurses or ambulance drivers or anybody associated with this situation. There won't be leak one if Darth was negligent or drunk. Count on it!...................dougymi

the fact that it was an accident is not a mitigating factor in the case of negligence, and the victim does not need to press charges in order for charges to be brought........Trix

Will ANYBODY in the f**king MSM question why there was a 24 hour delay in learning about this story??? It wouldn't be out now if it wasn't for the local media. Are we (blogs)the only ones that have a problem with this???........Phil S

The Vice President shoots someone and not a word reported for 22 hours! And then what we get is a self-serving AP story based on spin provided by the owner of the ranch (who happens to be a lobbyist). No police report. No breathalizer test. Were they afraind the old guy would die and they would be dealing with a homicide charge? There is something really fishy about this whole story..........eddeevy

And then from the blog thread comes two observations of logical thought and I think spot on politically:

Living here in "the heartland", I can assure you that guns are a very emotional topic for the locals. opening day of hunting season is virtually a holiday, and nearly a majority of my co-workers wear camoflauge to work. Like abortion voters, many of these people are "one issue" people. these are working class, blue collar, union workers who are very passionate about guns. Something to think about when Democrats wonder how to pick up more voters.........polymath22

Here in the deep south.............the same.......BenGoshi

Two Kos Kids out of 184 (1%) who understand and are getting it somewhat correct (the one issue statement by polymath22 is wrong)................................

Hunters and people who own guns understand that this was an accident (the experts on this matter) that could happen to anyone. If they attack Cheney on this and link it to political matters, it will make all who hunt and own guns turned-off to that particular political platform.....................Those who attack will be attacking not only Cheney for something that was a simple accident, but all who hunt and all who own guns...................

Go after it MSM, Kos Kids, Dean - DNC, political cartoonists, go after it........................................You know you can't help yourself from doing so................

The Mink Responds - Bizarre Man Bizarre

I exchanged emails with Mr. Mink today and he found my description of his article as being an "attack" on subscribers and those who felt he and the Post had done a very poor job on the Mohammed cartoon story in short "bizarre". See that post below. I found his response bizarre and explained why his article was in fact an attack on the Post subscribers.

Here is a link to the full Mink article: Freedom to publish— and not to publish

Here is why I say The Mink attacked - lashed out at the Post subscribers:

Mink: Here in the editorial department, we sometimes employ a sophisticated intellectual shorthand to summarize complex situations and arcane concepts.

( that is very condescending - the editorial department has intellectual powers and can use it in the short hand version - you & I are dumb as he said and lacking the editorial abilities to understand this complicated matter - disrespectful hubris from an Op-Ed Editor on a very serious matter and he is mocking everyone including non-Post editorial staff )

Mink: So permit me — in addressing the current controversy over newspaper publication of images of Mohammed, the prophet of Islam — this sophisticated, intellectual observation: “Riots bad; freedom good.”

( Mink identifies the point - issue that he will address in this article which is: why the Post did not publish the Mohammed cartoons or really report or comment on it at all - the Post did not publish or cover because the riots that had already occurred were bad and they did not want to at this point be a footnote )

Mink: Having made the obvious points,

(Mink's obvious points are that to publish or report on the Mohammed cartoons are dumb and so are those who think the Post should have published such items)

Mink: I can’t decide who’s dumber: those who believe that beating people and torching buildings honor Mohammed and his teachings or those who believe there’s something honorable about insulting someone else’s religion simply to prove that they can.

( you are dumber than those burning down embassies if you wanted this story covered or the cartoons published - insulting someone else's religion simply to prove that we(St. Louis Post Dispatch)can - clearly Mink's thoughts that the Post should not publish the cartoons or even report on it )

Mink: If a government controls what can and cannot be distributed, it’s called censorship. If a media outlet decides for itself what to include and exclude from its products — whether for journalistic or economic reasons, out of respect for possible sensitivities of some readers or concern about possible impact on its community — it’s called editorial judgment.

( if media decides for economic reason or journalistic reasons not to publish it is not censorship it is in fact editorial judgment - Mink and the Post are afraid to publish the story and are not covering a very important story because they are capitulating )

No Mr. Mink you lashed out and attacked those who feel correctly that you and the Post capitulated on this story. Spin as you will, but it is without a doubt a "full press capitulation" on your part and the St. Louis Post Dispatch.......................................................

The St. Louis Post is discussing this matter on their blog under the God Blog

Eric Mink - Dumber Than Dumb

The Post Dispatch breaks their silence, and attacks the subscibers over the Mohammad Cartoons. After Eric Mink's attack against those who expect the paper to at least address the matter of the Mohammad Cartoons, there is no doubt that the paper has fallen to the level that it must have a Reader Advocate - Ombudsman..............................

The Post is discussing that HERE

If you did not see it, Eric Mink and the Editoral/Op-Ed staff after days of silence had something to say, here is what they said: Mink"

Here in the editorial department, we sometimes employ a sophisticated intellectual shorthand to summarize complex situations and arcane concepts. So permit me — in addressing the current controversy over newspaper publication of images of Mohammed, the prophet of Islam — this sophisticated, intellectual observation: “Riots bad; freedom good.”

Having made the obvious points, I can’t decide who’s dumber: those who believe that beating people and torching buildings honor Mohammed and his teachings or those who believe there’s something honorable about insulting someone else’s religion simply to prove that they can.

So let me ask you, are you dumber than the people burning embassies for asking the Post to address this matter and give it correct coverage? Until the attack on the subscribers today, there had been nothing, and now the subscribers are dumber than the intolerant people burning embassies?

Reader Advocate - Ombudsman is seriously needed...............................

MSM Capitulation Over Mohammed Cartoons

Here is a cartoon that pretty much sums it up reference the American MSM coverage of the Mohammed Cartoons:

Cox & Forkum

It's called: Capitulation on the right of Free Speech.......................

--------- Update -------------------------

Here is one news organization with their journalistic integrity in place:

Staff Walk Out

One would think that there would be more editorial staffs walking out............Nah, what a silly thought........................

---------- Update II --------------------

E&P has a post up on the Mohammad Cartoons and sites a limited round-up of samplings of what news organizations are doing on this matter:

- NPR did not even provide an online link to the cartoons, not even a backdoor avenue to the information that is causing embassies to burn………………
- USA Today: "we concluded that we could cover the issue comprehensively without republishing the cartoon, something clearly offensive to many Muslims. It's not censorship, self or otherwise," said Deputy World Editor Jim Michaels…………………
- New York Times editor Bill Keeler: long and vigorous debate" that publishing the cartoon would be "perceived as a particularly deliberate insult" by Muslims. "Like any decision to withhold elements of a story, this was neither easy nor entirely satisfying, but it feels like the right thing to do."

One of few MSM organizations not capitulating on this was the Daily Press in Victoria CA.:

A California paper, the Daily Press in Victorville: became one of the few to publish a Muhammad cartoon--the one with the prophet with a bomb in his turban--today, with its editor in a column knocking The Associated Press for refusing to distribute the images.

The paper states the following and gets it right related to their role as media: The Daily Press is one of the very few American newspapers that is publishing the cartoon. The point is not whether it is offensive or not. The point is that it is part of a worldwide news story.

It’s pretty clear to me that most MSM newspapers have simply become a parrot of the AP, NYT, WaPo, and the other wire services. No independent thinking or journalistic convictions, simply pack mentality to follow the herd, and on this one follow the herd to capitulation……………………………

Atrios - So What if Iran Blows the Hell Out of a City or Two

Via the Corners Byron York, a discussion over a post by lefty blogger Atrios on Iran and the Bomb. Atrios basically questions whether Iran having a couple nuclear bombs is that big of a deal, so what if they can blow the hell out of a city or two:

Look, I just don't get this stuff. I don't want Iran to have nukes. I don't think that's a good thing for the world. I certainly didn't want Pakistan or India to have nukes. But is a nuclear Iran really a threat to us? Certainly an Iran-with-nukes could blow the hell out of a city or two, but an Iran that did such a thing would pretty much cease to exist. It isn't mutually assured destruction, it's you f*ck with us a little bit and YOU NO LONGER LIVE BITCHES!

York correctly points out the insanity of such a view:

Yes, Atrios suggests that if Iran becomes a nuclear power, and if they "blow the hell out of a city or two," then the United States would retaliate. But isn't that what the entire world is hoping to avoid? If a nuclear Iran took out Jerusalem and London, to name a city or two, wouldn't that be really bad -- even if the U.S. was capable of devastating retaliation? Wouldn't it be better to prevent such an outcome, even if it involved a military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities?

Preventing Iran from "blowing the hell out of a city or two" is exactly what we are attempting to do. The strategy that Atrios appears to be promoting is one where we let Iran blow the hell out of our allies then we blow the hell out of Iran. And what about our troops in Iraq and other locations in the Middle East? Don't you think they would be an appealing target for the mad mullahs?

It's hard to grasp a thread of logic in such a strategy. It would in fact be an easier and safer strategy for America to sit back and after it happened then say we have the rational to wipe Iran off the map (unless our troops were the target of one of the bombs of course). I doubt if such an American strategy would provide much comfort or confidence for our allies. No one would win using the Atrios Iranian Strategy including the Iranian people.....................

York points out that Atrios is a mainstream member of the new ultra left that seems to be gaining control of the democratic party that they "bought & own":

His website is quite popular on the left, he is a key figure in the watchdog organization Media Matters for America, and he is an increasingly influential voice among "netroots" activists. On the night of the State of the Union address, for example, he took part in a discussion in Washington sponsored by the Center for American Progress, the liberal think tank founded by former White House chief of staff John Podesta, which was broadcast on the Air America radio network. That is not to suggest that all the Center's supporters, or all the network's listeners, agree with him, but it does suggest that they view him as an important voice in their constituency.

The lack of seriousness and understanding over the Iranian nuclear threat by the hard left is scary and very worthy of being exposed and discussed. Can you imagine these minds in charge of and dictating foreign policy and military strategy?????????

Atrios is none to happy about the focus on his Iran Strategy and responded with Fear is the Mind Killer:

He of the best hair in punditry gives us a preview of the coming political campaign. Anyone who suggests that Iran is not the biggest scariest monster in the world is going to have their comments misrepresented....................I'm quite against nuclear proliferation in all of its forms and it would've been nice if we had been taking it more seriously. But thinking that Iran shouldn't have nukes is not the same as imagining that Iran with nukes is the "greatest threat to the Republic" that we face. I just have no idea how that computes.

Atrios even attacks a blogger Scrutator who posted on the matter and linked to the Atrios post:

But then we have this idiot trolling for hits by posting a trackback. He falls on the "stupid" side, unable to comprehend that York relies on idiots like him to help spread his gospel of nonsense...............

I'm guessing by the moonbat comments following the post that Scrutator did in fact get a few hits........................................

Why No Coverage Like on the Gitmo Bay Koran Flush?

I have a question.......Why are most MSM sources delicately hiding their watered down coverage of the Mohamed Cartoons violence deep in their news offering, and not covering it like they did the false "Guantanamo Bay Toilet Flush" story? I mean the Gitmo Bay Koran story was front and center and pursued hard by the MSM, and it was proven to be false. The current burning of Embassies around the Muslim world and the calls for death to anyone who insults Mohamed via cartoon caricatures is observable and is fact. The fact that this is big important news that the MSM should be "fully" covering but aren't, is strange indeed when you consider that what is being violently attacked is the right of a "Free Press". If there ever was a story that should run deep and true to the interest of the MSM this is it.............................

Bloggers are covering the Mohamed Cartoon violence while the MSM plays "hide the hot potato". Here are several fine summaries on what is happening:

Mudville Gazette

Michelle Malkin

Gateway Pundit who has a link to the report that the cartoons that caused the greatest outrage were fakes planted by Danish Imam Ahmad Abu Ladan with the intent to incite riots just as it has.........................

Hugh Hewitt

Austin Bay

Little Green Footballs


While the MSM naps with one eye open and holds back from really covering this story, the new media is doing their job and building more and more go to value for people who want to learn the "news of the day"....................................

Petting Zoo Bear Kills Zoo Worker

This story from the St Louis Post Dispatch seemed bizarre indeed from the headline alone: Bear kills petting zoo worker

I mean a bear being part of a petting zoo????? That seems like a wildly inappropriate animal for inclusion in a petting zoo, and a poor product strategy……….

From the article it’s not altogether clear what exact roll the bear played at the petting zoo, per the Post:

An 80-year old man who helped feed animals at a closed petting zoo and farm near Flora, Ill., was killed Wednesday by a black bear that had escaped its cage.

It’s possible from the cage reference that the bears were not hands-on members of the petting zoo but rather were on display without “petting status”………………….I certainly hope so…………………………..

It would also be interesting to know about the petting zoos “closed status”…………………….

Eric the Mink Goes Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs............

Eric "the" Mink went totally Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.............................. today and had the most hilarious "tinfoil hat" column I have ever read in my life. I mean it was truly amazing to see what he presented to me and other subscribers in our paid subscription as "product". If you have not read it you should, link here

The Mink runs a list of what he calls "Bush Casualties" and asserts that King George eliminates those who don't prescribe to his power grab to eliminate liberties and freedoms within our Republic, and challenged him. The list is a Who's - Who of "C-" level government officials that are truly insignificant players: Susan F. Wood , (FDA Woman's Health), Gen. Eric Shinseki (not enough troops harp - I thought you wanted them home Eric?), Richard "sell some books" Clarke ( a Clinton hold over who is the most responsible person for the failed Intel named in his own book), and Greg Theilmann ( Intel expert fired for failure on 911 like Clarke ). Probably the saddest list of "expert witnesses" I have ever seen from anyone, even the most insane left wing liberal bloggers.

As I read The Minks article I immediately though of several of the most "insane" an "irrational" of the extreme left blog sites. You can read them:

here

here

here

here


Compare the "product" and "reasoning" from The Mink to these sites and ask yourself if the Mink is not more a hard left blogger than an Opinion Editor? It's actually very sad. How this guy retains his job putting this out as "product" is making a mockery of the good people at the Post Dispatch that are trying to uphold their responsibility of being the "Fourth Estate", while The Mink continues to go Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs...........

I use to get mad on occasion after reading The Mink's articles early on that were perverse like this one. Then I realized he speaks for a very small and illrelivent minority of moonbats. Who cares what The Mink says in his tin foil hat, it's so out of mainstream that the only people who value it are fellow moonbats that also could qualify as "hard left bloggers".....................

Post Dispatch - Lee Publishing, time to cut down on the Coca Puffs and start producting a better "product".............

World Can't Wait St. Louis Style

Gateway Pundit has a post up Here covering the World Can’t Wait national protests, and how the local STL protest played out………………………..

Sounds like about 20 committed communists showed up to protest Bush’s SOTU address……………………….