Once more for the home team: an unfinished thought

Sometimes The Right Wing takes a very light-hearted point of view of the events occurring around us. Sometimes, we don’t. Lately, we’ve been very political here, and for good reason. I’m hearing endless debate out of Washington. The Congressional Democrats are investigating anything that they can get their hands on, something they promised us they wouldn’t do. For over six years the Bush Administration and Congress has spent more money than almost any Congress ever, possibly more, I don’t have the figures. This expressly goes against everything that the conservative movement stands for. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi want to tell our enemies when the exact date that we are going to stop fighting in Iraq, George Bush still isn’t sure we’ll ever stop fighting in Iraq. Reid went so far as to call the war lost. Surprisingly enough, he didn’t say who we lost to.

Is the war lost? No. Emphatically No! Can we lose it? Yeah, we can. Can we win it? Absolutely. The biggest problem facing the way this war is viewed in the public is the fact that Americans want everything solved quickly. If CSI can solve a murder in one hour, then why haven’t we won a war that’s lasted four years? That’s the mindset.

But what about WMDs? Bush sent us to war saying that Saddam had WMDs and we found none, zip, zilch, zero… Okay, save your breath. Dennis Miller stated the other day that, had we actually found WMDs in Iraq, more Americans would probably be dead now. Instead of thinking it’s a good thing that none were found, we’re all upset. I’m glad there were no WMD there. I know that it makes us look a bit foolish, but I’d rather live looking like a fool, then die seriously.
“But Bush lied about it all, he said things that weren’t true, he…” Get over this line. You’ve used the same argument for the last four years. We get it. I’m struggling to see how Bush can be the idiot that so many liberals claim he is, but yet he can mastermind such evil. George Bush is apparently so stupid that he can’t even speak in coherent sentences, yet he was able to steal two elections. According to certain factions on the left, Bush is a stuttering imbecile who can barely feed himself, and somehow he managed to destroy the levees in New Orleans. He obviously knows nothing of foreign or domestic policy, yet he, along with Cheney and Rove, brought down the World Trade Center. Go ahead, far left, keep talking, it amuses me.

A few nights ago at the Republican Presidential Candidates Debate, Ron Paul essentially stated that US foreign policy was the chief cause of 9/11. I’m not taking any party lines here, and I’m sure that our foreign policy played some role in the attacks, but I don’t believe it was the chief cause. Later on, Republican Tom Tancredo called Paul a true Libertarian. That statement deserves clarification. Ron Paul is not a true Libertarian. He isn’t even representative of the Libertarian Party. Libertarians understand the threat Islamic fundamentalism is to our way of life. We don’t hate Muslims, and we sure don’t blame America first, as Paul was willing to do. Libertarians stand strongly for many issues. I don’t even agree wholeheartedly with the Libertarian Party, but that doesn’t sway my support of them.

So yeah, I feel justified in this political swing, and it doesn’t end there. We going political one more time, and this time I’m taking no prisoners. There are some that I agree with, and some I don’t.

I was surfing through the channels the other night and I cam across Newt Gingrich making an appearance on The O’Reilly Factor. Now, I’m no fan of Bill O’Reilly, which was good, because Michelle Malkin was hosting the show for him, but something Newt said caught my attention. I’m going to paraphrase, as I’ve not yet found the transcript for the show, but Newt said something to the effect of the people in this country being ready to throw out the Republicans and the Democrats, sparking a new grassroots revolution. In olden times language like that would earn you an appointment with the hangman’s noose. Now, thankfully, it’s welcome.

We’ve known for years that a revolution was coming. I felt that it would be a taxpayer revolution, and darned if it doesn’t look like it will be. The Fair Tax, a twenty-some-odd year old plan, is finally gathering steam. Libertarians have been behind the idea for years, now some Republicans, and even some Democrats are jumping on board. I’d like it tell you all about it, but there isn’t time right now. Go to fairtax.org to learn more.

Point 9973: Heard on Fox News' Half Hour News Hour: The INS and the federal government are investigating Michael Moore’s trip to Cuba and subsequent return, not because he didn’t have a visa, but because 187 Cubans floated to American clinging to him.

The Right Wing goes very political

I have stated before, and will now say again, that something needs to be done concerning our current system of government. I laid out a plan a few weeks back, and I've since revised that plan (listen to me, I sound like John Kerry... "I have a plan." I promise, I'll never start a sentence with the phrase "When I was in Vietnam."

The Plan:
1. Get rid of everyone in Washington. Now, I'm not advocating killing these people, but they all need to be removed from power. We thankfully have a system in this country where a person can be stripped of power without having to be shot, stabbed, hung, drawn, or quartered. It's called voting. The last presidential election witnessed the most votes ever cast in an election in this nation's history, we should make good on that fact. I came across this notion the other day, after watching a speech by President Bush, and it hit me, "We've got to get rid of all of them. That's the only way to make progress."

2. Now that the old guard has been taken out of power, we repeal that pesky 17th Amendment. This little ditty allows for the common voting populace to elect Senators. "But why should we get rid of that? We should elect Senators, right?" No. Plain and simple: NO. The nation is set up as a group of states. The government is set up as a representative body of those states. The House of Representatives is built to, and I know this will shock you, Represent the people. The Senate is a body designed to represent the state governments. By allowing the people to elect both the House members and the Senators, the State governments are left with no representation in Washington. By putting the power to elect Senators back in the hands of State Legislators, we return to the balance of power that our Founding Fathers strove for.

3. Term Limits. I stated that corruption in Washington is spawned by seniority in government, and I stand by that. Therefore, by limiting terms, we limit corruption. Everyone, from the President to the janitor in the Rotunda, serves ONE six-year term. That's it. After six years, you leave Washington, never to return.

4. Elections. Electing of officials would be held every two years, at which time one-third of the government. Election Day is a topic of great debate. If we leave election day on a Tuesday, then it should truly be Tuesday, the polls should be open 24-hours on that day. More time means more people have the opportunity to vote. If not, we could move election day to a Saturday. That would work as well.

5. Special Interest Groups. There are none. Anything remotely resembling a special interest group would be kept out of Washington, by means of court-issues restraining orders if necessary.

6. Campaign Finance. If a job pays $400,000 for the entire term, then the candidate can only spend $399,999.99 on his or her campaign. It's utterly ridiculous for candidates to spend millions of dollars trying to win a job that will only pay them a few hundred thousand dollars. The fact that we allow such idiocy to flourish tells you that kickbacks are rolling in all along the line.

That's the skeleton of the plan. Everyone that I've spoken to says that it's great, or that they agree, meaning that I'm not the only one who feels this way.

By the way, Drudge posted an article yesterday saying that Congress's approval rating was at 29% while Bush's approval rating was at 33%. Which of those numbers do you think you'll hear in the news?

scooters, vacation, fall

Those three words appear at the bottom of my screen. Blogger wants me to add labels. Apparently my three readers... wait, Sanjay is telling me that I gained a new reader about two weeks ago, so, my four readers are having trouble finding my blog.

There has been a lot of discussion lately about many different things. Well, I'm here to say that I have no comment.

Good night, and my God bless.

Simple

Hillary Clinton has said that she voted to authorize the Iraq war based on the intelligence available to her at the time. Amazingly, this is the same reason that George W. Bush decided to push for the war.

The difference is, Hillary gets a pass because of it. Bush, according to certain sources, should be drawn and quartered for doing the same thing.

Simple.

Unwarranted Rebuttal

The title here is intentionally off topic, as this post is neither unwarranted, nor a rebuttal, but is instead an agreement. Today, Robert over at Skewed put up a post saying that the electoral process in this country has come down to choosing the least crappy guy for the job. As much as I hate to say it, that's really the case.

On one hand you have a bunch of GOP apologists running around and saying that the administration is 100% right, 100% of the time. On the other hand, you have a bunch of left-wingers running about saying that every single member of the administration (even the White House janitor) should be brought up for investigation. And on the third hand of the genetic mutant you have a group of people like Robert and myself who really don't care. Honestly, if we cared any less, we just might die.

I think sometimes that the best thing we can do is replace everyone in DC and start over. The Declaration says we can do, in fact, we have an obligation to do it. But we'd rather listen to the talking heads telling us who is right and why.

We'd rather tolerate the endless investigations that the Democrat controlled congress is launching. Let's see... figure out the war without cluing the enemy into our plan? That's a good thing to work on. Stabilizing a fluctuating economy by equally distributing the tax burden and taking the weight of the low-lifes who aren't even trying off the backs of those who are? Another good idea. Investigate Cheney because he looks like a ticked off schnauzer? Not so great of an idea, but let's do it anyway. Scream and shout that we're going to impeach Bush? Not so hot, but it gets us camera time. Complain that an entire portion of the tax-paying demographic, a group who is carrying roughly 3% of the burden, yet constitutes roughly 45% of wage earners, is far too burdened by the current tax system, but that the wealthiest 1%, those already carrying over 20% of the tax burden, aren't paying enough? Bad idea, but it gets people to vote for us. (those figures are real, look it up, 45-50% of wage earners in this country carry only 3.6% of the tax burden, my numbers might be a bit off, but you get my meaning).

Topics like this make me glad to be a Libertarian.

Robert, we need to find the most qualified people for the jobs. Unfortunately, the most qualified people are usually the quietest, and therefore kinda hard to find...

Tjmohsl Bedguhtu

I'll let you figure out the title. (Hint: it's a word game.) So a game: first one to tell me what the title means wins... uh... well, they get a free lesson from Rennie on how to do that triple-half-nelson, egg-beating exercise thing...

1. The Thrashers season is over. I'm not as sad as I thought I would be. We made the playoffs, but we got swept by the rangers. I'm okay with that. Now comes the fun of the off-season. What moves will Don Waddell make in order to keep this team on the rise? What would I like to see? Simple, Daniel Briere in a Thrashers sweater. I know it won't be easy to pull off, but there's always hope.

2. Prediction time.

Stanley Cup Finals: Anaheim over Buffalo in seven games.

NBA Finals: Phoenix over Chicago in six games.

3. Staying with sports for a moment, the Atlanta Braves continue their amazing start. They lead the division and currently have an 11-5 record, one of the best in the league. The amazing thing to me is that ESPN, in the MLB power rankings, continues to say that the Mets are better. So far, head to head, Atlanta has beaten the Mets three out of four games. Go figure...

4. Sanjay has been in a foul mood lately. He tried out for the last American Idol, and he thinks he actually would have made the show, but because of a filing error, the show allowed Sanjaya in and kept Sanjay out. Now Sanjay is very unhappy about the whole ordeal.

5. A note to all the rednecks out there who like to go muddin'. If you feel the need to drive your truck through a mudhole to feel more like a man, then at least have the common decency to wipe off your lights and mirrors when you finish, especially those lights on the back end of your vehicle, I hear they come in quite handy when stopping or making a turn.

6. Democrat Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (NV) made the most promising statement to come out of Washington in years. Reid found some facetime on the airwaves and stated, matter-of-factly, that the Iraq war was 'lost.' I'm sure, Mr. Reid, that our troops are very appreciative of your statement. I'm waiting on Reid and Kerry to team up with the Dixie chicks and make an album. The music videos could star Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Charlie Sheen.

I don't mind people having an opinion, in fact, that's what makes this country so great. It's when people complain that a man the graduate from Harvard is stupid that it begins to grate me. I'm not exactly the big W support lately, but I still think it's better we had him in office than either Kerry or Gore.

7. Last but definitely not least: Say a prayer for the VaTech families.

Shoot-out

Alright, guys, quick hit, cause I'm running low on time.

Will someone please explain to me why so many people are angry that Bush fired 7 US Attorneys, yet it wasn't that big of a deal when Clinton fired 93 in 1993?

Just askin'.

Why we're falling apart...

Most of you, my three readers, know me. You know I'm fairly easy to get along with. You usually know my political leanings (Libertarian). Funny thing, if you poll most people and ask them questions without revealing what party platforms those questions ceom from, roughly 90% of Americans turn out to be Libertarian, but we've all been forced into this two-party system where you're either Republican or Democrat and if you aren't then you get no face time on TV.

Well, I tuned in to drudgereport.com today and I saw that "Scooter" Libby has been found guilty of a crime he supposedly committed during the trial of another crime for which he was accused and which wasn't even really a crime. Long story, don't want to go in to it, mainly because its not the point of this entry. My first thought when I read that was, "Gee, the people at democraticundreground.com must be having a fit right now." So I surfed over to their site and, sure enough, the Libby verdict is leading all discussion. But something caught my eye as I scrolled down the page. I had forgotten this little number DU like to pull. It's an article called "Top Ten Conservative Idiots." Ann Coulter currently sits at number one, and the Bush Administration as a whole currently holds three of the top ten spots. The Pentagon is a number five.

Then I googled the top ten liberal idiots and found multiple hits to multiple sites. How exactly are we to forge ahead as a nation if we're so busy calling each other names on the internet? DU even names a Tennessee organization as an idiot because they pointed out that Al Gore's home uses more electricity in a month than the average American household uses in a year. Apparently revealing a fact that goes against Al Gore make you an idea, no more how true, pertinent, or even revealing that fact might be.

And then it hit me, this is why we're falling apart. After the 2004 elections, a map painting the northeast, the west coast, and a portion of the midwest along with the Candanian provinces as "The United States of Canada" appeared. The rest of the US was labelled "Jesusland."

Its almost funny except that its not. I remember seeing a film about the '04 election centered on a liberal talk radio station. One of the workers was watching TV coverage of the results and as more and more states appeared "red" she began crying. One of her colleagues consoled her by saying "Look, they're in the middle of the country, there's no food there." As if the prevalence of an industrialized economy in an agricultural area was a determining factor in intelligence concerning elected officals. Another thing is the preoccupation with Jesus, and the subsequent hatred thereof. At what point did we decide that the opinion of the people who believe in Jesus should be valued less than the opinion of a secular progressive like Janeane Garofalo or Bill Maher?

The right side of the aisle doesn't fare much better, but the double standard certainly doesn't help them either, and please don't act like the media doesn't hold Republicans to account more often than Democrats. Honestly, how much coverage did you see ofLouisiana democrat William "Coldcash" Jefferson, and the scandal he created by hiding $90,000 in tin foil in his freezer? Yeah, that story dropped off fairly quickly...

So here's my proposition: The corruption in Washington has grown far out of control. The best way to limit and eventually decrease said corruption is to create a clean slate. In order to create a clean slate, we must first limit all elected terms. If the President can serve a max of two terms, then every single elected official should only be allowed to serve two terms. So much of the corruption is linked to seniority, and by removing seniority, you remove links to said corruption.

Next, campaign funding. I say if a job pays $400,000 for four years, then at most a candidate should be allowed to spend $399,999.99. One penny less than what the job would pay. I don't see the sense in spending millions upon millions of dollars to make $441,000 annually.

Third on the agenda is special interest groups. Gone. Eliminated. You want to decrease corruption you forbid the teacher's union, any worker's unions, and any other special interest groups from doing anything in Washington.

Lastly, the repellation of the 17th Amendment. This amendment to the Constitution allows senators to be popularly elected, when they were formally elected by the state governments. Now, the states have no representation in Washington. The system was designed to represent the people in the House of Representatives, and the states in the Senate. Not now. By repealing this amendment, we limit the scope and authority of the federal government back to the levels the founding fathers desired it to be, with exceptions for times of war.

I hope that works, I really do. Otherwise, this nation is shot in a few short years. Go boldly, and my God bless.

Smiling Frog

Couldn't Resist. Even frogs have better dental care than the British.

I'm thinking about making this guy a mascot for the Right Wing.

Short Shift... that's a hockey term...

I sit here today berated by illness and injury. My knee still hurts, only not nearly as bad as it once did, but now I'm sick. I can't stop coughing, sneezing, etc. Everytime I cough, my entire body hurts. If that's ever happened to you, you know it's not fun. I'm at my friends apartment at the moment, because I still have 2 hours until my next class. I'm here today for the short shift that follows...

The American Media: The NEW Roman Spectator

I call the American media the new Roman spectator because they are seemingly out for blood everytime they put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard. They don't care if the blood is American, British, Iraqi, etc. Doesn't matter if it came from a soldier defending freedom, or from an Islamic insurgent trying to wrest back the freedoms being given by those soldiers. Although, the American media is more likely to put the story on the front page of the paper, or in the first eleven minutes of the news broadcast if Americans died in whatever attacks.

Just watch the coverage of Iraq and, occassionally, Afghanistan. It seems highly unlikely to me that our soldiers could've been in Iraq for over three years and still only bad things happen. I actually heard a reporter the other day, and it pains me that I can't remember the channel, bring up Abu Ghraib again. I thought we were past that, but in the media we aren't.

I know that I'm going to tick off my left-leaning counterparts when I say this, but the mainstream news media in this country has a horrible record concerning President Bush. If the story makes him look bad, run it on the front page three times. If a story makes Bush look good, hide it as far back as possible, or don't print it at all.

Once again, I direct your attention to Abu Ghraib. What's the point of bringing that up? What victory does that gain anyone? Do I like what happened there? No. But I'll say this, if putting underwear on our enemy's head gets our enemy to tell us where his West-hating friends are hiding and what they're planning, I'll gladly donate some boxers to the effort.

But that's your assignment, kids. Watch the news, if you can stomach it, and see what I mean.

P.S.: Keith Olberrmann, get over it. Your show does about1/20 the ratings of Bill O'Reilly. You really make MSNBC look good by coming out and slamming their competitor that's constantly beating the crap out of you.

P.P.S.: Rennie, on your playground fight, you left out the part about how the kid before George had an official playground policy to remove Ahmed from the sandbox, and George only made good on it.

This Week in the Crazy, Vol. II

Short post this time, kiddos. I've got some time between classes, and I did promise this to you.

Best Game Ever!

I made the statement, which I still stand by today, that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the greatest Nintendo game ever.

For those of you who had the fancy Playstations, you don't know what you missed. Ocarina held everything a gamer could want. Engaging storyline, familiar characters, new weapons, tasks and puzzles, and the return of everyone's favorite enemy, Ganondorf.

When I first opened up Ocarina of Time, circa Christmas 1998, I sat down hoping for a good game. What I got was a great gaming experience that still stands in my memory. I recall climbing the steps to reach the epic final battle. I think back on the first time I beat one of the major temples. You have to know, before this time I wasn't a big Zelda fan. This game single-handedly won me over.

Sure, the game was only one player, and in a world of online gaming, a single player game is almost rowned upon. But not the Zelda series. Shigeru Miyamoto brought everyone an incredible series, and, depending upon the success of Wii's Twilight Princess, this game stand as the current crown jewel of the Zelda franchise.

Political Oddity of the Week

Just this...

She could be our next President. If you have any private property you want to hang on to, well, hide it now...

And if you like a Socialist America, well, here's your candidate.

Where's Ross Perot when you need him?

Still Torn, only Less Cutting Required

Okay, so I had my follow-up appointment with Dr. Greenwood today. I've been dealing with knee problems for nearly a month now, and I had an MRI last week.

I got good news today. My meniscus isn't torn. It isn't even the problem. The injury I sustained shows the same symptoms as a torn meniscus, but is actually a torn and partially dislocated patella tendon. For those of you at home, the patella tendon connects the kneecap to the quadricep muscle, the front part of your thigh.

Now, I may have to have surgery later, that's still not out of the question. But for now I begin a 4 to 16 week physical therapy stint during which I'll likely be grumpy and rather mean-spirited, but also far more tired than usual.

Enjoy me for the next 1 to 4 months.

This Week in the Crazy

Hello, all. Sanjay here, leading off what will hopefully become at least a bi-monthly article here at The Right Wing. We're calling it "This Week in the Crazy." Blake has entrusted me with the following segment:

Commercial Stupidity and the Following Outrage

I'm sitting here in the office, web-surfing and pulling together tidbits of knowledge for the next blog entry when I come across this.

I watched the Super Bowl. I found the commercials to be a bit lackluster. My favorites were the Blockbuster ad about using a "mouse," and the Chevy commercial where the assembly line machine is having a dream. Good stuff.

This Snickers commercial did not offend me. I actually thought it was funny. Hey, it could have been much, much worse. Now, though, Mars, Inc., the maker of Snickers, is apparently pulling the spot because they received a complaint. Here's where I draw the line. I don't care if you're pro-gay, or totally homophobic. It's a commercial.

If the commercial offends you, then change the channel, it's not like you don't have 185 more options out there. I hear that the dish actually has over a thousand channels. Just because something offends you doesn't mean we all have to lose it. You have control, exercise it.

Blake, take over, I'm ticked,

The Best Video Game On Every System Blake Has Ever Owned

NES: Super Mario Brothers 3. This game had it all.

The plot was just crazy, man! Bowser's up to his old tricks, trying to take over the world and all, but now you don't just fight Bowser, but you have to fight his kids and recover magic wands to restore kings to their original forms.

You fight, in typical Japanese video game/animation style, in wooden ships that can fly thanks to a single, solitary propeller.

This is one of, if not the, highest selling games of all time. I'm proud to have owned it, and even happier to have it for the GameBoy Advance.

Tune in next time for the Nintendo 64 game:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time... quite possibly the best video game ever made.

The Politics of International Terrorism and the American Response

For those of you unconcerned with political matters, feel free to stop reading. This little segment deals with a growing problem in America today. It seems to me, your humble blogger, that many Americans graduated Class of 1939, from the Neville Chamberlain, Peace in our Time University. (thanks ajc.com The Vent)

A vast number of the vocal American political class and the voting public seem to think that if we just ignore Islamic fundamentalism, then it will simply disappear. This same line of thought appeared during the build-up to WWII. Hitler was appeased by a large number of European leaders, in hopes that he would be satisfied with just a bit. But their ignorance allowed the problem to reach its climax, and global conflict ensued.

Now, in the face of a similar enemy, the belief that appeasement will work has once again reared its ugly head. Remember, the Islamic extremists who brought about the destruction on 9-11-2001 were very patient. They first tried to destroy the building in 1993, but they failed. Eight years later, they left a crater in New York City. They hit the Pentagon, and were thankfully thwarted on a fourth plane.

It's now been five years since that day. The Pentagon still stands. I wouldn't be surprised if they return for it. But that's apparently what it's gonna take to wake people up in this country. Our enemy is willing to wait for generations to gain what they want. The American public isn't willing to wait three years. Our enemy waited eight years before returning to a target and finishing the job. The American public is upset that we've been in Iraq and Afghanistan for over four years. See the difference.

I'm leaving this one for you, the reader to investigate, but from what I understand, there is, or has been, a case in Saudi Arabia where a woman is awaiting trial, and likely execution, because she fought back against being raped. This is the great enemy of our time, but if the fight takes too long, or if it interferes with our nightly TV schedule, the American public isn't sure the fight is worth it.

If you don't like it, do something about it.

Groundhog Day, right?

Robert, before you get mad, I'm not stealing your groundhog day idea, buddy. Just adding a nice touch that you left out.


When Chekhov saw the long winter, he saw a winter bleak and dark and bereft of hope. Yet we know that winter is just another step in the cycle of life. But standing here among the people of Punxsutawney and basking in the warmth of their hearths and hearts, I couldn't imagine a better fate than a long and lustrous winter.

There is no way this winter is *ever* going to end as long as that groundhog keeps seeing his shadow. I don't see any way out of it. He's got to be stopped. And I have to stop him.

France becomes an even bigger jerk... film at 11.

So I'm checking out some of my favorite news sites today and I come across the little diddy on drudgereport.com:

Chirac: U.S. Could Face Euro Carbon Tax

Apparently, French presi-weasel Jacques Chirac was able to find an opening on his schedule somewhere between the 3 p.m. Hide Head in Sand and the 5 p.m. Hide Head in Sand to step up to whatever microphone was around and claim that, with the full support of the European Union, a tax would be brought against the United States if we did not sign both the Kyoto agreement and the subsequent agreement that takes effect in 2012, when the first Kyoto treaty expires.

For those of my readers unfamiliar with the Kyoto agreement, it is a United Nations backed plan to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Sounds good, right? Global Warming being the big evil that it is. Well, there are a few hitches in this thing. First, the Kyoto agreement is ratified by two nations that are not even subject to the agreement, China and India. These nations happen to be developing industrialy, and as such are emitting a vast amount of CO2. Secondly, the US and Australia refuse to sign the agreement because of a two-fold argument. A) The Kyoto Agreement is viewed as a restriction on industrialized capitalist economies. B) The possible machinations of the United Nations in an attempt to distrubute income globally.

Jacques Chirac sees things a bit differently. Don't get me wrong, Chirac is far from being the most enviro-friendly European leader. But he claims that he will have the full backing of the EU to pursue taxation on American goods.

Lawyers are beginning to join the fray, questioning the legality of such a tax. Chirac, though, is unworried. “A carbon tax is inevitable,” Mr. Chirac said, in a quote found in the NY Times. “If it is European, and I believe it will be European, then it will all the same have a certain influence because it means that all the countries that do not accept the minimum obligations will be obliged to pay.”

You know, the more I think about this, the more a history lesson comes to mind. Seems to me the last time the United States were taxed without having governmental representation, a little island nation in Europe lost bunches o' land. Last I checked, the name United States of America isn't on the European Union roll call.

Makes you glad to live on this side of the pond, eh?

Torn

Today's a big day for me. A really big day. It's my birthday. I'm 25 now. A quarter of a century. Halfway to fifty. It's a big day.

So why, in the name of all that is good and holy, am I writing a blog post?

Well, look at the title. Torn. Remember that knee fluid problem I filled you all in on a few days back? Well, it's not fluid. I have a tear of the meniscus. That's why I've been wandering around on crutches or with a cane, depending upon my mood. That's right. Torn cartilage, table one.

It all started as a recurring knee problem, swelling, pain, general yuckiness. Then my doctor put me on an anti-inflammatory, thinking the fluid would go away. It did go away, but the pain remained. So, off to Southern Orthopedic Specialists I went. After some preliminary x-rays, I met with Dr. Greenwood. He performed a modified version of the McMurray test. It went something like this:

Greenwood: Okay, I'm going to start with your right leg to get a base. (he turns the right foot out to nearly 60 degrees) Does that hurt?
Me: No, not really.
Greenwood: Okay, same thing on the left leg. (he starts to do the same test, but only gets about one-third of the way he did with the right before I say...
Me: Holy crap!

That's how we can to an understanding. I'm now to walk as if every step I take is on ice. Limited stair usage, thankfully there are elevators. I'm scheduled for an MRI on Wednesday, and then I follow-up next week with Dr. Greenwood. In all likelihood, and hopefully, I'll be having surgery to repair it by the end of February.

So, on my 25th birthday I sit staring at surgery.

Ancient History

I'm a history minor. As such, certain things, like old maps, interest me. I like looking at maps drawn before we had GPS and other tools that, while making life easier, completely remove the guesswork.

Seriously, what's the fun of looking at a map of North America and seeing everything in minute detail from Key West to Puget Sound? It is vastly more entertaining to roll out an old parchment and see, like above, Florida barely sticking out of the United States, or, instead of the Pacific Northwest, you have a river that is labelled "Northwest Passage," yet no one ever found it. My favorite is the ocean charts that have 'Here be Monsters" drawn on them. Obviously the work of a drunken sailor after a long shift in the Crow's Nest.

So last night I was talking to Robert, the founder of Skewed, and he told me about an old 2-volume history book he'd come across. It was published circa 1875 and had a map inside that labelled parts of Asia as "Nether Asia." This sparked a lively few minutes of jokes.
Jokes like:

"Yeah, it's like when Alexander and his men reached Afghanistan... and saw people. He probably turned to one of his men and said, "I say Marcus, doesn't the map say no one his here?"
"It does, sir."
"Well who the devil are these people?"
"I'm not sure, sir."
"Hang on, excuse me, good people... uh... um... who are you and why are you here? Our map clearly states this to be the edge of the Great River."
And then a tribesman approaches, "Well, we live here, see. Always have."
"No, the map says you haven't. We are Greek, our maps are never wrong."
"Let me see that. Well, here's your problem. You've got us listed as Nether Asia, this is Afghanistan. And you've got a giant river just beyond our border. And you've listed some fellow named Prometheus in the mountains."
"Which is there by the grace of the gods. And who was placed there by the gods for his insubordination."
"No it isn't. And no he wasn't. The only person in the mountains is Old man Herbert, he runs a ham radio station. And if you keep going east, just past Ackbar's fruit stand, you'll see a bunch of big mountains. Beyond those are more lands with lots of rice and people in funny hats."
At which point the Duke of Edinburgh popped in and said "Don't stay there too long or you'll get all slitty-eyed."

Ther you go kids. I know it was short, but remember, never pass up a chance to view an old map.

A Mixed-Bag

The Right Wing is not responsible for any harm that may come to its readers as a result of this entry.

NFL NEWS
It finally happened. David finally slew Goliath. It's like the Red Sox overcoming the Yankees all over again. Sunday night witnessed perhaps the greatest conference championship game in NFL history. The Colts, once down 21-3, stormed back in the second half and knocked off superstar Tom Brady and the Pats 38-34. Once again, the Patriots won't play for the Lombardi Trophy. I, for one, am glad. I nearly cried. I love the Colts, but my love of Indy pales in comparison to the level of hatred I have for the New England Patriots. Go Colts.

NHL NEWS

In other, less exciting news, the NHL unveiled their "sleeker" uniforms today. I wasn't thrilled when I first heard that the uniform design was changing. But I've seen the pictures, and I really don't mind the change. The differences seem subtle. Thank the good Lord they didn't bring back the old Vancouver "V" uniform. (sorry about the photo quality)

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Tonight is the night of a thousand words. That's right, George W. Bush will deliver his seventh State of the Union speech tonight. For those of you that drink, there's an interesting drinking game that will likely render you comatose after the first ten minutes.

1. Every time the entire assembly gives a standing applause, take a drink.
2. Every time the Republican side of the aisle gives a standing applause, take a drink.
3. Every time the Democratic side of the aisle gives a standing applause, take a drink.
4. Whenever a close-up shot shows someone in the audience crying, take a drink.
5. Whenever a member of either party is shown sitting down while others stand and applaud, take a drink.
6. This is the trickiest one. For however many minutes it takes the networks to air the Democrat Party response to the speech, take a drink. (i.e.: if it takes 12 minutes for them to air Nancy Pelosi telling you what Bush said wrong, take 12 drinks.)

I'm more than certain some of you will die from playing this drinking game. If you do, the Right Wing is not responsible for your death. I merely told you about the game, I didn't make you play it.

Contest Time
The Right Wing is announcing a one-time contest for its readers.

It's a simple bit of trivia. Since it is State of the Union time in the United states, it's also time for one member of the Cabinet, or anyone of any influence in Washington, to be spirited away to a bunker somewhere in Nebraska, just in the event that the Capitol building is reduced to burning cinders at some point during the speech.

To win the contest, merely send us a comment to this post telling us the name of the Bush Cabinet member, or Washington insider, not present at tonight's speech, and what position they hold.

The winner will receive special mention in an upcoming Right Wing post.

Sanjay Speaks
Hello readers. Sanjay here. I've been screening your calls for sometime now, ever since Blake loosened up a let me out of the broom closet. I've been hearing from many of you that our "Greater Good" segment is a missing part of the blog. Well, I'm here to rectify that error.

The Greater Good, as most of you recall, is not a religious call to arms, nor is it a political ploy. It is simply the act of kindness toward your fellow man. Blake and I agree that this lost segment is due a revival of sorts.

The first call to the Greater Good in 2007 is to inconsiderate drivers. You know who you are. You are the people who drive like you are the only person on the road. Just the other day, a gloomy, rainy day, I was driving in to the office here at RW. The speed limit is 45 mph, which isn't fast, but when the roads are slick, it's probably in your best interest to adhere a bit to it. Anyway, I'm on a four-lane road approaching the office when some idiot flies around me at about 65 miles per hour, with no lights on, in a dark gray truck, on a very rainy overcast day. Lack of visibility aside, it's not true to the Greater Good to drive like your hair is on fire or like you just dropped your cigarette lighter into your crotch when your experiencing a mild downpour.

That's only one of many. Blake tells me every other day about the local moron who somehow passed the driving exam. Maybe it's time to institute change. Perhaps you should go through a three-step learners program from age 15-17, then get your actual driver's license at age 18. That might help.

Anyway, the Greater Good will frequently be revisited, we hope.

For myself, Blake, and whoever else might be in the office today, good luck, and my God bless.

Football Predictions

AFC:
Game One: Indianapolis at Baltimore
Okay, Baltimore is the obvious choice here. That's why I'm picking Indy for the upset. This is all dependent on which Colts team shows up. Will we see the regular season Colts (Oh, he's rushing. Okay, guys let him go, we can score 40 points on these guys, we don't have to play defense.) or will we get the playoff Colts of last weeks (Well, we stopped the run but Peyton threw 3 picks. Oh well, we still won.)? If the latter shows up, it'll be a tight game, likely decided by a last second field goal, at which point I'll be happy to see a Vinatieri kick.
Predition: Colts 27, Ravens 24

Game Two: New England at San Diego
The Chargers enter this game as an enigma, which doesn't often happen for a 14-2 team. The Pats are a playoff team, and by that I mean they rarely choke when the big game rolls around. Well, this is big folks. Powerhouses colliding big. That being said, I like the Chargers. I think they have too much on offense for New England to overcome. Antonio Gates and LaDanian Tomlinson will expose the Pats secondary, and LT will put in at 130 yards on the ground.
Prediction: Chargers take it 31-21

NFC:
Game One: Philadelphia at New Orleans
The Saints are the feel good story of the year. A city devastated, the fans turn to their football team, a perennial loser. Well, the planets aligned, Reggie Bush fell into their lap, Marques Colston proved to be just as valuable as Bush, and the Saints played strong all year, finishing 11-5. The Eagles, on the other hand, watched Donovan McNabb go down to injury. All seemed lost until Jeff Garcia stepped in and proved that the crafty veteran can be just as good as the young gun. Philly has the hot hand right now.
Prediction: Philadelphia 23, New Orleans 17

Game Two: Seattle at Chicago
This is the hardest game to pick. Chicago has been as much as an 8 point favorite, but I don't see it. Grossman has to become an incredible quarterback in a very short time to pull that off. Remember, this is the same Rex Grossman who had a passer rating on 1.7 in a game earlier this season. Seattle gained a lot of momentum from a one point win over Dallas. Look for Hasselbeck and Alexander to take the 'Hawks to the NFC championship for a second straight season.
Prediction: Seattle 20, Chicago 13

Sampler Platter

The name says it all.

1. I've read Rennie's post about the President, and I have to agree. I'll admit I voted for the man twice. The first time because I thought he could be a good President who would work with Congress and his cabinet. The second time was, as Robert so eloquently put it one time, his party could only find a dweeble as a candidate. I'm tired of the war. The goal has been reached. There were WMDs found, they were semi-dormant containers that WE had given Saddam during the Iran conflict. That's right, the US state department had enough whiskey one night to look at Saddam and say "You're a snuggy bear, we're gonna give you Anthrax." (Lewis Black)

2. Parking at NGCSU continues to circle the drain. Now, in an even more brilliant move, the college has closed off parts of the campus where absolutely no work is going on, but were instead places the students used to congregate. Brilliant.

3. This weather has constantly gone from one extreme to the other, and the CNN weatherman earlier today couldn't understand why the southeast was experiencing the largest flu outbreak in the nation.