It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
"This is the most important election of our lifetime"
"When I was younger we didn't have any of this technology"
"It was never this bad"
"This is the first Imperial Presidency!"
"Partisianship has reached a new high"
"People weren't as immoral in the 50's"
Spot on. Dickens knew a thing or two back in the 1700's. For those unfamiliar, this is the opening paragraph to A Tale of Two Cities
The Superlative Degree of Comparison Only
Another Example of Reconquista
I'd say something but I don't think anyone is suprised by this. I would like to point out though, that I'm not sure they ever really had a claim to Oregon. Look closer, yeah, it goes all the way to Portland. We must not forget the contributions of Mexico to Oregon by way of Los Salem and Santo Eugene.
Pictures from my trip to the City of Washington
View Of The Lincoln Memorial 
Mandy and I Across From FBI Headquarters
Random Potomac Office Buildings
From the Base of the Washington Monument
My Favorite Quotes From Ann Coulter
BTW for 49 she's totally hot.- I think the government should be spying on all Arabs, engaging in torture as a televised spectator sport, dropping daisy cutters wantonly throughout the Middle East and sending liberals to Guantanamo.
- [Canadians] better hope the United States does not roll over one night and crush them. They are lucky we allow them to exist on the same continent.
- "Democrats cannot conceive of "hate speech" towards Christians because, in their eyes, Christians always deserve it."
- Here at the Spawn of Satan convention in Boston, conservatives are deploying a series of covert signals to identify one another, much like gay men do. My allies are the ones wearing crosses or American flags. The people sporting shirts emblazened with the "F-word" are my opponents. Also, as always, the pretty girls and cops are on my side, most of them barely able to conceal their eye-rolling.
- *In anticipation of their surrender strategy becoming substantially less popular in the wake of another terrorist attack, the Democrats are all claiming that the threat of terrorism was nonexistent -- notwithstanding 9/11, the Cole bombing, the bombing of our embassies, the bombing of the World Trade Center, the Achille Lauro, etc. etc. -- until George Bush invaded Iraq.
- *The "European Union" happens to be composed of people who hate our guts. It is the continent where Moveon.org-style lunatics are the friendly, pro-American types and the rest are crazy Muslims.
- *Apparently, even crazy people prefer targets that can't shoot back. The reason schools are consistently popular targets for mass murderers is precisely because of all the idiotic "Gun-Free School Zone" laws.
- *I'd build a wall. In fact, I'd hire illegal immigrants to build the wall. And throw out the illegals who are here. [...] It's cheap labor.
- *You know, ok. I made a few jokes — and they killed 3000 Americans. Fair trade.
- Six imams removed from a US Airways flight from Minneapolis to Phoenix are calling on Muslims to boycott the airline. If only we could get Muslims to boycott all airlines, we could dispense with airport security altogether.
- *The tolerant liberal suddenly becomes very intolerant when their official religion is challenged.
- Liberals' only remaining big issue is abortion because of their beloved sexual revolution. That's their cause: Spreading anarchy and polymorphous perversity. Abortion permits that.
I've got the warm fuzzies big time.
Note red and black being the colors of extensive and endemic surveillance societies, green and blue being those societies with adequate safeguards. Also notice which two major English speaking Western countries are red and black.
Thaaaats right, the US and UK.
Click image to enlarge
Barackillary
At least the chickens are coming home to roost in Europe.
You can't tell a Yuppie by their clothes.
There is a couple at church who I often happen to sit next to. Always fashionably dressed and mannered. (The kind you sit up straighter around) I often feel intimidated by people who look really well put together. Maybe inadequate is the word, but that's my problem and not anyone else's.
The point is one Sunday I was sitting next to these people with their unfortunate name and stylish things and I needed to use the restroom.
I always have to use the restroom. It's a problem.
I made a sign as if to notify my fellow parishioners and hope maybe they move slightly to make my exit quick and the wife did something I did not expect. She moved over with a look in her eyes containing no malice or annoyance. The husband followed with a smile and similar niceness. They couldn't care less if they had to move because I needed to.
How do you feel small around people who don't feel themselves to be big. The short answer is that you don't. In the list that I carry around in my head and with which I classify all I come in contact with, I moved them from Yuppie to Classy. Corny to be sure, but just because someone looks nice doesn't mean that are full of themselves or don't act nice also.
We are often warned not to be prejudiced, but let us remember not to be biased on either end of the spectrum.
I identify with ...What?
I had a horrid realization the other night. Of all the books and columns I've read I can say only three people think the way I do. As a contemporary Pat Robertson has always articulated my views to a T, but if that wasn't bad enough there are two fictional characters with whom I also identify.
While reading Orwell's 1984 and Deliverance I found myself consistantly feeling as if the protagonists of both books were taken directly from my inner conscience. Their thoughts and actions were so similar to what my own that I felt a comfort and familiarity with both characters. Yes you heard me: Deliverance and 1984. Something is deeply wrong upstairs. I've always known I thought differently, but this takes the cake.
There are two great examples of how numbingly boring my point is. One is when the character Ed Gentry observed the precise moment when the suburbs of Atlanta stopped and became rural. Oh if the man could see sprawling capital of the New South Atlanta now! Another moment of revelation whas when Ed stood in his office and thought about how often men before stood the same way when making decisions. I liked Ed.
1984 was love at first sight, the opening line is "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen". Little did I know there was a Clifford about to run into trouble in London, the capital of Airstrip 1.
Anyways this is my creepy little inner conscience.
Liberty's Soul
Youtube has a video of Pentecostal singer Mickey Mangun singing Battle Hymn of the Republic and I strongly recommend anyone to view it. It is taped during the Library dedication of President Clinton. Clinton has frequented the Pentecostals of Alexandria and has mentioned them in his latest book. Anyway hearing the Battle Hymn and watching the jet fly by made me feel patriotic in a way I haven't for a long time. This nation is not always about money. It has a soul and maintains a wonderful religious ferver. Remember that righteousness exhalteth a nation Anytime I see an address finished with USA or see a large flag flying in the wind my heart swells for the country that allows such precious freedom to flourish. God Bless America
