Belgian Riots 2006

Belgian youths have again taken to the streets of Brussels setting cars and a hospital afire. It is day three of the replay of last years Ramadan celebration and Belgian authorities are again being cautious so as not to over react and inflame the situation. A quick check of the alphabet soup of American TV news organizations turned up no indication of the current mayhem.

Are the French youth sitting out this years festivities? Time will tell.

The Clinton Rant

I know this video is already old news to most but it is an interesting look into the man. What I always found most troubling about Bill Clinton is his ability to compartmentalize the various parts of his lives into separate entities within his self. As long as each compartment stays within equilibrium he is able to function in a manner that is in total control. But allow one area to become unstable and the whole becomes unstable. In this case Mr Wallace poked an inquiring finger into the compartment where the aggrandizment of his self are held. Clinical psychologist Robert Godwin has an interesting diagnosis here.

This is not the first time Clinton has went on a eye bulging, finger pointing tear. Who can forget that woman Miss Lewinsky. Then there is this Peter Jennings interview.

Raiders news

The Raiders had the week off to lick their wounds and find a way to salvage what portends to be a disasterous season. One of the best explainations on the demise of the Silver and Black can be found here.

Chuck Norris Facts

When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.

Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.

Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.

Chuck Norris doesn?t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is.

Chuck Norris does not get frostbite. Chuck Norris bites frost

Hundreds More Here And Here

Survivor II

How long could any of us survive if a natural disaster or a not so natural disaster suddenly upended our world?
Last years hurricane season highlighted just how vulnerable, insulated and dependant we have become. It also illustrated how close we are to anarchy without the strong arm of society to hold it all together. As Thomas Hobbs noted without the power of a strong government life would become "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
We all need to ask ourselves, what if? Slate has a series of articles addressing a variety of sceneios with links to some helpful sites. At the least it should get you to thinking what if? Being prepared is not paranoid it is practical.

Survival ramblings......
I spent two Alaska winters living in a cabin eight miles from the main highway with wood heat and no running water. "What do you do when you get snowed in my sister asks. Don't know never been "snowed in" I reply. To a great extent survival is a state of mind.
I get a kick out of the news stories of flatlanders emptying store shelves because it might snow.
I am curious as to when ice became a staple of disaster relief. The logistics involved in supplying ice must be mind boggeling. During any emergency having cold beer on hand is a definite plus, but lets be realistic, the shit melts! Ice is not a necessity! Food and water are necessities!
During Katrina people were on TV complaining because they were given MRE's to eat. I'm sure they would prefer the filet mignon but come on it's a disaster, let's suck it up a bit folks!
The other day the wife sends me to the store for milk and bread and I come home with $120 dollars worth of Spam and soup. Just stocking up I say. Then I get "the look." Deep down, she knows I'm right.

Survivor

A new season of Survivor! We began to follow this show faithfully midway through season one. It became our Thursday night date the year we met.
I don't know why we keep watching it. The first winner,Richard Hatch developed the strategy of formng alliences and depite the producer's best efforts to shake up the game the formula hasn't changed. The castaways, which were once a diverse mix of individuals, are now for the most part a crew of the young and the beautiful. It has also become apparent that the struggle with hunger, thirst, and fire of the earlier years is not much of a factor in recent seasons.
What is so frustrating, is the tribe members that could actually spend 30 days on an island and survive are generally the first to go. Consequently it is not a game of survivablity but a game of manipulative popularity. Contestant Hunter Ellis,a former fighter pilot that went on to host the History Channel show "Tactical to Practical" summed it up best when he was the first to go, "You all are the biggest bunch of loosers I ever met"
Every year I say that given a blue tarp and a Swiss Army knife I could out survive any of the contestants. Which then leads to my plan of separating myself from the other tribe members, setting up camp and becoming a benevolent despot to whoever would like to join my tribe, for a price of course. The wife is pretty sure that a bloodless coup would happen by week two. Now that would be must see TV.

Schooling Up

It has been difficult the past few weeks to dedicate much time to this blogging endeavor. For my faithful readers and you both know who you are, I apologize. For those new to the Salmon my lack of time is the result of returning to the halls of higher learning in pursuit of a degree in business. Going back to school was something I had always wanted to do, and recent events and an amazing wife gave me the impetus to give it the old college try so to speak.
Life at Tall Corn College and Industrial Training Institute has been an eye opening experience. Quit your chuckling, I don't just mean the muffin tops and butt tattoos. I have found that I actually enjoy writing and this blog gives me an opportunity to do that. I have also found that I still hate algebra but have excelled in history and political science. If I were a couple years younger, history may have been an interesting career path. As I mentioned before,(here) the liberal bias in academia is real and what was at first maddening has become sport as I try to subtly challenge and highlight their indoctrination. I only wish that my mushy headed classmates would be more questioning. Enough said there.
So keep checking in once in a while and I'll pound out a few thoughts and insert a few things that I hope will enlighten or brighten your day. S.

Reflections on a Supreme Being.

Belief in a supreme being in not something innate to the human existence. It is a journey that for most of us is part of our socialization that begins in childhood.
My own journey began with my baptism into the Catholic Church. My parents both converted to the faith prior to their marriage and my father, always zealous in any endeavor, was going to make sure that I experienced all that the church had to offer. We attended church every Sunday, I served a tour of duty as an altar boy, and was sentenced to six years at the parish school. I was paroled when it became apparent to my father that he was probably wasting his money. To steal a line from George Carlin, when it came to religion, It just didn't stick. When I finally reached the age where I could refuse to get up on Sunday mornings the Catholics and I parted company. I have never been able to embrace the whole concept of church and as I have gotten older I have gotten more cynical on the matter. But that is not to say that something is not at work in the universe.
Several years ago my wife, daughter and I had traveled to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to spend a few days at a lodge with friends. As we were leaving to return home we pulled out on the highway and as the truck got up to speed all the lights on the dash lit up, warning bells were ringing, and the truck began to slow. As I prepared to pull off the road, at the same time trying to figure out what all the warning lights meant, out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of a dear bounding across our path. You can probably guess what happened next.
As soon as he was out of sight, the lights went out, the engine came back to life, and we proceeded on our way. The irony is, when we got back home a cancellation notice from the insurance company reminded us that I had forgotten to pay the premium and we had made the trip uninsured. The truck of course has never malfunctioned again. Fate, Luck, or as I prefer to call it, Divine Intervention.
In my heart I am certain that there is a driving force present in our lives. Is it the God of classic monotheism? Perhaps, but from a spiritual standpoint I believe that it is more important to be morally upstanding and to direct a loving heart to those around us than it is to join the congregation for the mandatory sixty minutes of weekly worship. At the end I'm sure that God will understand.

Living Wills

A funny from my favorite sister in law. (I'm pretty sure she didnt think this was me)

While I was watching the Masters this weekend, my wife and I got into a conversation about life and death, and the need for living wills. During the course of the conversation I told her that I never wanted to exist in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and taking fluids from a bottle.
She got up, unplugged the TV and threw out all my beer.

....Sometimes it's tough being married to a smart ass.

Godsmack. March of the Penquins

A Letter from the Nussle Campaign

Several weeks ago I submitted the suggestion to Iowa gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle?s 99 Ideas Program that it is time for Iowa to join the 35 other states that have shall issue concealed carry weapons laws. Considering the suggestion I was not surprised that it did not make the list. What was surpising was the fact that I received an e-mail from Jim explaining his position.

Scott,
Thank you for contacting me to share your views. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome this opportunity to respond.
As a hunter and fisherman, the Second Amendment is very important to me. I believe the Founding Fathers meant what they said when they wrote, "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
That is why I have always supported, and will continue to support as Governor, the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. I also support the right to conceal and carry. As Governor, I will work toward a predictable and reliable permit process. I have consistently voted in support of gun owners? rights, and I am proud to have received an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association.
Thanks again for contacting me. To learn more about my vision to Energize Iowa?s Future, please visit my website at http://www.jimnussle.com/. My best advice comes from Iowans willing to share their ideas. Please keep in touch.
Sincerely,
Jim Nussle

"Path to 9/11" Update

ABC has announced that it will broadcast its upcoming MiniSeries with out commercial interuption as reported in Variety.

"ABC Entertainment prexy Steve McPherson said the commercial-free strategy was the most appropriate route to take with this project. "We looked at different scenarios (and) talked to possible (advertising) partners, and none of it made sense," McPherson said. "This is the most respectful way to present this."

Race to Terrace Hill.

The DesMoines Register has laid out several scenarios in this year?s election and what it could mean for the state. The article made this comparison of a democratic vs. republican controlled Iowa.

"At one end of the possibilities, full Democratic control - last seen in Iowa in 1966 - would promise more spending on education and health care, as well as a higher minimum wage and cigarette tax. Chet Culver, the party's nominee for governor, has laid out plans to spend $100 million to enhance development of the renewable fuel industry and boost spending on teacher pay by $25 million in his first year (Earning Chet the endorsment of the Teachers Union).

At the opposite end, the return of Republican legislative majorities and a GOP governor for the first time in eight years would usher in property-tax reform, tighten restrictions on abortion rights and bring a better chance of Iowa reinstating the death penalty.GOP nominee for governor Jim Nussle also has proposed a renewable fuel plan, built on tax breaks for ethanol producers and retailers, and has called for trimming schools' administrative costs, streamlining government and requiring parental consent for teen abortions."

Full Article here

Touring Detroit at 140 MPH

My wife is a native of the Detroit Metro Area and I can say that from my experience there, seeing the city at 140 mph is the only way go.

"Path to 9/11"

There has been considerable talk in the blog o sphere about the upcoming ABC special " The Path to 911"scheduled to air Sep 10th and 11th. We all are prone to latch on to the things that tend to validate our notions, so the bloggers are as usual divided on the implications of this show. One side is certain that the story will finally shine a light on Bill Clintons failures and the other side believes it is just an attempt to tarnish his "legacy". Either way it should make for interesting viewing.


A 2001 NRO article highlights the Clinton years.

Loons; Part II

I recently wrote about an editorial in the Cedar River Rag that called on the government to address the claims of 9/11 conspiracy loons. They even gave several free column inches to a local loon to illustrate their point.
Well it seems that real scientists have been busy examining why the towers fell and their research has been released. I have linked to the National Institute of Science and Technology FAQ page. They also have a complete report HERE.
Since the Rag threw down the gauntlet on this subject they do have an obligation to follow up.


Please do not write to tell me that the people at NIST are part of the cover up.