Author: admin

Morning Whip, 3/5/05

Victory for VoIP: FCC rules that a local telco/ISP can not block Voice over IP (VoIP) traffic[*1] from their customers.

Gas is expensive[*2] . And it’s won’t be getting any cheaper. Why? Wal-Mart. I’m serious – gas is expensive because the emerging economies of Asia, led by China, are using more and more energy resources.[*3] All the sudden, President Bush’s call for hydrogen-powered cars[*4] doesn’t seem quite as frivolous as some commented after the 2003 State of the Union address[*5] . The key is alternative methods of electricity generation. Time to reconsider nuclear power plants[*6] ? Or how about the new, high-efficiency solar panel technology[*7] ?

That’s it this morning. Go out and play, everyone, it’s Saturday.

Morning Whip 3/4/05

An excellent Whip day today, if I do say so myself.

My nephew asks “what’s up with all the Duke ads” on Medary.com. Sorry, Bryan, you’ll have to ask Google[*1] , they control the ad links here by scanning the page for content. Oops, there’s another Duke mention. Oops, another one. Bryan wants North Carolina references. Sorry, Brian, to do that I’d need to mention North Carolina and Tarheels a lot.

My sister likes singing the Monkeys Have No Tails In Zamboanga song in the morning while out camping. Your life is more full for knowing that, I’m sure.

News Flash: the Aryan Nation[*3] is NOT moving from Pennsylvania to Kansas City, Kansas. I’ll admit, I’m hard-pressed to recommend where they should go, exactly, although a certain very warm subterranean location comes to mind.

Big in the Blogosphere: the Federal Election Commission[*4] apparently has not read or understood the Constitution[*5] . Apparently half (the Democrat half, at that, go figure) of the FEC seems to think that linking from a web site to a campaign site constitutes a donation[*6] and thus falls under regulation. I wonder if it’s OK to link to the Aryan Nation web site. Or the FEC web site. Or the House of Representatives site. Or the “Monkeys have no Tails in Zamboanga”[*2] site. Or the University of North Carolina Tar Heels site. This via Instapundit[*8] .

Peter Jackson wants his money[*9] for Lord of the Rings. Meanwhile, Hobbit fossils are causing strife among scientists[*10] . Maybe Sauron isn’t dead after all – this is the kind of thing he’d enjoy.

Tar Heels[*7] .

Finally this morning, another entry for the “Bush was right”[*11] file, this time from Daniel Schorr. This via freerepublic.com[*12] .

Morning Whip 3/3/05

The mainstream media’s macabre fascination with the Iraq body count continues.

Meanwhile, the flame of freedom[*2] continues to flicker in Lebanon.

Greenspan: deficits bad, Social Security is in fact fubar’ed[*3] .

And, the Award for Most Disingenuously Confusing First Line in a News Article Award goes to: The Detroit Free Press, for Poll: Social Security plan wins young voters’ support[*4]
WASHINGTON — While polls show that President George W. Bush is losing support for his push to partly privatize Social Security, the group he’s winning support from may be the most important one politically — young people.

Another reason why it’s a bad idea to make public policy according to poll results.

Ah, the Replacements[*5] . One of my all-time favorite bands. I might have to make my way down to the Grand Emporium tomorrow night.

Morning Whip, 3/02/05

Judge, Lawyer on Saddam Tribunal Killed[*1] . This being the same judge that the Iraqi provisional authority pleaded with the media to keep his name secret. Coincidence? Or irresponsible media?

Supreme Court bars juvenile executions[*2] . Yawn. Yet another issue decided by the unelected, unaccountable nine-member Ruling Council of the United States. Remind me again what we elect legislators for?

IE drops below 90 percent market share[*3] . What can you say? Firefox is a better browser.

Morning Whip, 2/28/05

Breaking: Fox News is showing an anti-Syrian demonstration in Beirut. Thousands of Lebanese, flying the cedar tree flag. No link yet that I can find.

Who watched the Oscars?[*1] Me neither. What’s the over/under–a 20 share?

Gee, President Bush wins a Razzie[*2] . Har, har, har. That cracks me up. Really. Har.

Got Ding[*3] ? Southwest Airlines wants you to. Too bad you can’t find it on the SWA[*4] web site.

Without Moody, the Jayhawks are pretty ordinary[*5] . With Moody, the Jayhawks are Final Four contenders[*6] . All hail the role player!

Morning Whip, 2/27/05

Victor Davis Hanson[*1] , writing in the Wall Street Journal’s OpinionJournal[*2] (registration required) again calls the European’s bluff [*3] on their hypocritical attitudes toward America. VDH is always a good read . . .

Until postmodern Europe rightly assumes a role commensurate with its moral rhetoric, population, and economic strength, out of envy or pride it will often seek to undercut and occasionally embarrass the U.S.–at least up to that fine, though ambiguous, point of not quite alienating its hyperpower patron. For our part, we cannot ridicule Europe’s present military impotence only to oppose its nascent efforts at a unified defense establishment. So go to it, Europe–one voice, one army, one U.N. Security Council seat!

Jacks win! Jacks win! Jacks win![*4] Now, it’s a bit silly I know to get excited about a college basketball team’s tenth win occuring at the end of February, but these are my Jackrabbits. Not many teams get to end their season with a win. You gotta understand. It’s a fan thing.

Lady Jacks, however, lose for the second time[*5] to arch-rival North Dakota State. Still, 20 wins in your first year in D-I and wins over Alabama, Kentucky, and Oklahoma State is not a bad thing. One more game to go for the Lady Jacks . . .

Note to editorial writers: Any editorial which includes both “quagmire” and “exit strategy” can safely be ignored if not ridiculed for showing an utter lack of comprehension of the post-9/11 world. No link here. You know who you are.

More Euro-love for Dubya

Courtesy the
U.K. Telegraph: “The day Dubya trumped Putin by playing the joker”[*1]

(OK, England isn’t exactly Europe, but it’s close . . . )

As the post-summit press conference got under way in Bratislava Castle, however, drooping heads were suddenly jerked upright. White House correspondents have seen a few taut press conferences in their time. Few had witnessed anything like the electric closing Bush/Putin encounter.