If This is St. Paddy’s Day, Why Isn’t the Snow Green?

If this is Saint Patrick’s Day, why isn’t the snow green?   When it comes to weather in Rochester, the phrase “Luck of the Irish” just does not seem to apply.   By the way, it was sixty degrees on Wednesday.   Mother Nature just must not be Irish, and gee I thought everybody was, at least on Saint Patrick’s Day.  Oh well.

Aside to Bit:   If you have a better picture, feel free to replace mine.

 (H/T photos:  WHEC TV, Rochester Saint Patrick’s Day Parade)

There is a paper in New York willing to dig into the Valerie Plame scandal, and it is not the New York Times.   The Rome Sentinel does what the main stream media either can not or will not do, report on, “Webs of incompetence, deceit and politics:’

The Wilson/Plame/Libby episode may seem distant, but local readers should learn about it because it exposes low-level abuse as poisonous as the graffiti and petty crime that corrupted New York City in the early 1990s until people became fed up enough to do something about it. What you tolerate is what you live with. Three successive editorials will expose misbehavior: 1) the web of incompetence, 2) the web of deceit, and 3) the web of politics. The abuse will continue so long as you tolerate it.

(H/T:  Clarice Feldman, American Thinker )

Remember, there was much talk within the Kerry camp that Joe Wilson might be the new administration’s Secretary Of State. The vainglorious Mr. Wilson surely had his eyes on that prize.

And any concern about the secrecy of his wife’s job at the CIA was a minor consideration compared to that lofty goal.

Steve Gilbert, Sweetness & Light

More evidence that our school systems are failing us totally:

WHAM-TV Rochester, NY (Rochester, N.Y.) – It’s called Black English Vernacular – or more commonly – Ebonics.

In a newsletter to staff, Rochester City School District officials say it is OK for students and teachers to speak Ebonics in class.

The newsletter, Diversity Dialogue, suggests teachers use BEV to communicate with students. It says teachers can:

– “Switch into BEV in specific situations or informal discussion.”

– “Translate common phrases in Standard English into BEV.”

– “Read and retell stories in both BEV and Standard English.”

“We need to embrace the diversity they bring into our schools,” said the district’s Chief of Diversity and Leadership, Michele Hancock.

Hancock and Tyra Webb-Johnson, Director of Coaching and Leadership, wrote the newsletter. They are both former elementary school principals.

“We want (teachers) to have a better understanding of what BEV is so they can incorporate it into their teaching. That way, they’re not alienating the students who are speaking the vernacular and degrading them,” Webb-Johnson said.

Yesterday, I referenced an article posted by Bruce McQuain at Q&O.

He states flatly, and so do I, that the schools primary responsibility is to transmit our culture to our young people.  While Bruce’s comments, seemingly, are focused on the Muslim takeover of the west, I submit to you that it is not limited to that sphere of influence.  As this story from Rochester indicates.

Interestingly, these questions of culture, and the support of it, are exactly the same questions, the same arguments, that Rush Limbaugh and some other talk show hosts of the right, were raising 10, 15 even 20 years ago.  And they were called “racist” for their trouble.  It isn’t true now, it wasn’t true then.

Just what does it take to get people in this country to protect their own?  Must we have planes crashing into buildings to get people in this country to take the threat against our culture seriously?

If we aren’t going to fight for our culture, and support it as it should be, who will?

Are we that afraid of black people progressing in western culture, that we need our schools to teach them to sound like total idiots?

Just a little over three and a half years ago, I began this blog as a creative writing outlet and a chance to hone my skills. When I launched Captain’s Quarters, I had no idea how it would grow, that it would attract this wonderful community of readers and commenters across the political spectrum, or that it would change my life.

Today, with the support of family and friends, I made the transition from hobbyist to full-time worker in the New Media. I have accepted a position as Political Director of Blog Talk Radio, an exciting new venture known to the CQ community but one which I hope to help expand exponentially. It’s a chance to work full time in the field which I have grown to love, and an opportunity to help others literally discover their voices.

So says Captain Ed, as of yesterday. This is a move that pleases me, no end.

I’ll tell you what, Ed… should you need a voice with about 15 to 18 years worth of professional announcing experience, and a certain attitude about politics, give me a call.

Henry Waxman was digging for dirt.  All he got was hot air.  The Intelligence Identities Protection Act(IIPA), has several very specific requirements as to who is covered by the act.

Waxman was like a pitbull in asserting that the CIA considered Valerie Plame Wilson covert.    Yet Waxman avoided like the plague the question of if Plame was protected by the IIPA

Read Victoria Toensing’s testimony(PDF).   Toensing wrote the IIPA.  Her testimony makes it clear that Plame was not covered by the IIPA, and the agency, itself and the Wilsons were not adhering to its provisions.   Plame herself testified that she does not know, even as she testified, whether she was covered  by the IIPA.

The CIA never instructed Plame to adhere to provisions of the IIPA.   The CIA did not expect Plame to adhere to the act.  The CIA never treated Plame’s identity as if were covered by the IIPA.  Therefore, it is unreasonable for Waxman to expect the White House to adhere to IIPA with respect to Plame.  

More:  NRO – Corner, Just One Minute.

(H/T photo:  Washington Blade )

* Water on Mars? Sure. In the form of ice.

Matter of fact, there’s enough ice there, that if it melted, it would cover the entire surface of the planet about 30ft. of water.

Interesting.

* So McCain thinks he can restart the “straight talk express”, does he?

The problem, of course, with that, is that we learn from the last time around, and his version of straight talk is anything but.

* In listening to the usual back and forth over “American Idol” on one of the local stations, here, I’ve become more firmly convinced than ever, that the only reason some people are alive is because it’s illegal to kill them.

* One of the problems with the current level of assessment of what’s going on in Iraq is that most people figure the thing is going to go on right through the first couple commercials of the NEXT show. Being patient seems to be a bit of a lost art, in this age of nonstop instant gratification.  I am shocked daily by the level of self absorption. well, perhaps shocked is too strong a word.

That is, until I’m stuck behind the hybrid- driving morons doing 45 in the left lane in rush hour traffic on I-390. its at that point that I can think of a number of stronger words.

* McQ has a great post up on “The Transmission of Culture”.

The result is now beginning to tell with a vengeance in Britain as well as parts of Europe. Balkanized immigrants who haven’t assimilated and, even if willing, wouldn’t really be able to find out much about the national culture they should embrace. The transmission has, for the most part, ended because those who’re charged with the job have unilaterally decided that the traditional culture isn’t worth transmitting anymore.

In my opinion multiculturalism, or as I prefer to refer to it, cultural relativism, is one of the most dangerous philosophies since Marxism. Its first requirement is that adherents must suspend one of the most basic and necessary functions inherent to a human being: making judgments. That, of course, means one must eschew morality. If morality is simply the difference between ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ (according to a defined set of principles) and judgement gives us a method by which to categorize actions, activities and ideas using those principles into right or wrong, cultural relativism tells us that for the most part, our principles are suspect as we relate them to other cultures.

And it is that paradigm shift which has infected Britain and is infecting the US as we speak. What is interesting to me, however, is how the Muslim tradition is being transmitted so strongly in Britain. Through Muslim schools. Given there is no requirement to assimilate, and given the cultural relativity found in British schools which makes real assimilation impossible, Muslims increasingly choose to reinforce their culture through private Muslim schools.

This is precisely the argument I’ve been making for years now. This all falls down on whether not we are actually transmitting our own culture to our children, and in transmitting it, also communicating that our culture is worthwhile, even crucial to our survival.

Someone who believes in their own goal or purpose will invariably trump someone who doesn’t believe in their goal or purpose. If those who were teaching our children, about our culture, don’t believe in our culture, where we left?

We end up spending our time wondering how long it will be before the next landlord takes over.

* My older dog, has developed the habit of getting me up and 3:00 in the morning, wanting to go outside to take care of her business.  I wouldn’t mind that so much, much as it disturbs my sleep, if someone could explain to me; if she’s in such a darn hurry to get out to the back yard, cause she’s gonna go, why does she still insist on taking three or four laps around the back yard, nose to the grass that she’s been over thousands of times covering it at rates that would make an earthworm look speedy?

* I see James remarking about the New York Times, who has apparently decided that their “TimesSelect” program is a failure, at least insofar as making money is concerned. Bainbridge and I agree, here, saying this is…

….a pretty blatant long-term marketing strategy. Hook students now, so they pay later. But I doubt it’ll work. Students will get used to getting the news for free and, when they no longer have a .edu address, will switch to other free news sources. In addition, lots of schools now give their alumni lifetime .edu addresses, which means there will be lots of off-campus folks getting free access to NY Times Select forever. Anyway, it’s a huge boon for academic bloggers.

Thing is, the professor is assuming money making is what this is about. I’m less than convinced of that. Granted, that the scenario only makes sense in making money is what you think Sulzberger is about. But we both know better, don’t we?

The political left-leanings of the New York Times are legendary.I stopped regularly quoting them here, years ago, for that very reason.  Offering their product to teachers and school age kids, seems an interesting way to get around restrictions on overtly political material.

Imagine with me, if you will, an overtly right wing publication offering its product in a similar manner… what do you suppose the reaction would be?

The timing of this move, also seems suspect; right at the bottom , the beginning, of the presidential election cycle for 08.

* Watching Johnson go up against mental midget Glenn Greenwald, is about as one set of the contest is anyone could devise on their sickest day.  It’s almost painful to watch, it’s so one-sided…  But I’ll do my best.

* I see the jackals have started on Nathan Tabor.  I suppose that it hasn’t occurred to any of these clueless idiots, that Tabor may be writing what he does because that’s what he’s thinking.  If they really consider that people don’t say things a certain way unless they’re being paid for it, then what are we to say about 90% of the output at HuffPo?

I had arguments with Tabor in the past, but believe me this isn’t one of them.

Joyner makes mention of Valarie Plame “Testifying” today.

Valerie Plame has been invited to testify before Congress. About nothing in particular.

Heh. Boortz is a little more direct:

Valerie Plame is going to testify in front of Congress today. Why? Because Democrats want to embarrass the administration some more. Since nobody was charged with leaking her name, there is no possible reason for her to testify. But Democrats control the Congress and it’s time to pile on…so here we go. By getting Plame 007 to testify they get the media spotlight to continue their efforts to discredit the Bush Administration. We can’t wonder what questions they’ll be asking Mrs. Wilson?

I wonder if they’ll ask her why nobody has been charged with leaking her name? Wasn’t it because her name wasn’t such a secret at all? Will they ask her why she really wasn’t a covert operative, but instead was pushing pencils at Langley? Will they ask her why she posed for a photo spread in Vanity Fair? After all, wasn’t she so concerned about her identity being exposed?

Will they ask her why her husband lied about his trip to Niger? Maybe not…but then again, there will be some Republicans on the committee. Let’s see if they can actually make some noise. Because if they don’t, Democrats and the media are going to get away with portraying Plame as a victim…something she’s not.

The Democrats had best travel carefully, here.

It’s been established that the woman was not a covert op, instead having a desk job. On that basis, what they were ‘investigating’ wasn’t a crime.

So where we are at a bit of a sticky problem for the Democrats making this claim about Libby… even assuming Libby’s guilty… and I do not… we’re left with the picture of Bill Clinton lying under oath and obstructing justice about something which was not a crime.

One lands in jail, one gets praised. What’s wrong with this picture, Democrats?

Jay Leno told his audience that Hillary Clinton said the vast right wing conspiracy is back. He then said that can only mean one thing — Bill is dating again.

Lorie Byrd, Wizbang,?

Chuck Schumer, D-NY, is mad at Attorney General, Alberto R. Gonzales   Par for the course.  Well as long as Schumer is mad, Gonzales ought to really get Schumer steamed.  Open an investigation into DNC chairman, Howard Dean.

Is Dean really stupid enough to meet face to face with terrorists and conduct private, and illegal, diplomacy?  Roger Simon, Politico:

Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean has been meeting with world leaders to repair “the extraordinary damage” that the Bush administration has done to America’s image and to prepare the way for a new Democratic president.

“I am trying to build relationships with other governments in preparation for a Democratic takeover,” Dean told me.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch: 

RAFAH, Gaza, Dec. 6 (UPI) — Hamas officials have smuggled more than $66 million into Gaza and have met with U.S. Democrats at a secret location, it was reported Wednesday.

Hamas representatives are foreign officials and Dean is a democrat?   Is Dean the democrat with whom Hamas has claimed to meet?   In any case there is a prima facie case for a violation of the Logan Act.

(H/T:  Clarice Feldman, American Thinker )

From an email sent by Howard Dean:

This could be George Bush’s Watergate.Eight U.S. Attorneys, fired because they wouldn’t follow orders by the Bush Administration.

Fired because they refused to go on witch-hunts against Democrats, or ignored the Republicans’ blatant disregard for the law. Fired so that they could be replaced by talking heads and loyalists of the Bush Administration.

Burgalry is illegal.  Ask G. Gordon Liddy.  Firing US attorneys is not.  Ask B.J. Clinton.   Not following orders is called cause.   The rest is sheer speculation. 

(H/T:  John, Power Line )

* You do know it was was national Pi day, right? Did you much care?

* Of course there was the Ides of March, today. Do you even know what that is?
* I’ve been second guessing myself, a little, on that post I put up about Bowie Kuhn.  I’m usually not quite so harsh; especially about the dead.  In the end, I suppose I just have to be honest about the way I feel about things right in and let it go at that.  So there it is.

* I note with interest that the folks over at the corner, started by Jonah have been spending some time with bumper stickers, of late.  I’m not one to put a bumper stickers on BitsBox, but I’m beginning to think that I should be doing something like that here.  Some of the really rude stuff is over the top, and frankly not very funny.  But there are a number of really good ones.  I saw one the other day that said “Ask me about my bumper sticker” . Maybe I’ll toss together something, later.

* I note that the bill that Dirty Harry Reid put up, demanding we cut and run in Iraq, went down in flames this afternoon.  How do I mean “flames”?  How does 82 to 16 grab you?  McQ has more. Do you suppose they got the message, this time?  No, I don’t think so either.

* I see that Fran has gotten into chess in a big way on his site.  Time was, I used to be pretty got the game.  I haven’t played actively in a number of years, however.  Although, I was given a rather nice chess set for Christmas, last.  Perhaps I should take that as a queue to start playing again.  At the very least, I’m going to start bringing it when we go camping.  Maybe I can teach my older boy.

* I see a number of reports today that Howard “scream” Dean is considering another run for the White House.  I have a message for Howard; if you see and tell him please run. Please.

* I’m having a bit of difficulty with my Palm Pilot, of late.  I have a Tungsten E2. I’m finding that copying MP3 files to the extended memory is problematic at best.  I’ve tried a couple of utilities that allowed the palm to be used as a life drive would be, where it simply shows up on the XP PC as a standard drive, and that didn’t work so well.  I’ve tried it Palm’s way… (They insist on using Real Player, which I want nothing to do with)and the results are sporadic at best.  Drop me a bit of mail if you have overcome these issues with your Palm OS device.

You gotta give Fred Thompson credit for one things   Fred knows how to act presidential.   You can listen to Fred skewer the left’s favorite hero Mahatma Gandhi, or read the transcript.

You know the next time some leftiest says we  need do what Gandhi would do, tell him to jump off a cliff, just like Gandhi would advocate.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.  — AP – Former commissioner Bowie Kuhn, who lorded over baseball during 15 tumultuous years that saw players gain free agency and start the spiral of multimillion-dollar salaries, died Thursday. He was 80.

Yeah, gee, there’s an accomplishment, huh?

“I want it to be remembered that I was commissioner during a time of tremendous growth in the popularity of the game,” he said, “and that it was a time in which no one could question the integrity of the game.”

Yeah, well… for the first year of that 15 years, anyway. Past that, not so much. Under his “stewardship” millions of people lost interest in the game.  I was one of them.

His job, in terms of what the owners were dictating, was to keep money flowing into the owners pockets… And from that standpoint I suppose it could be argued he did that, at least in the short term. To keep that money flowing, however, he ended up making too many concessions to the world around us.

More than granted, that a lot of the changes that came to the game during his tenure were reflective of changes that were in society.  But his charge wasn’t getting the game to reflect the ugliness that was going on in society, but to relieve us from it one game at a time.  He failed. Miserably.

Baseball became popular when it did, because baseball is at the bottom line a diversion.  A diversion from the everyday life, some of which in these times can get very ugly indeed.  Instead, the greed and the ugliness start showing up in baseball itself… The rising power of the players union, arbitration, multimillion dollar salaries, all of that, at an increasing rate over the years he ran things.  As a direct result, we now see the NFL , bad is that monster is of late, with greater popularity than that of baseball.  In a time frame when the population of this country has skyrocketed, baseball game attendance has remained flat. Ticket prices, of course, are part of that scenario.  Then again, the ticket prices wouldn’t be necessary without the multimillion dollar salaries.

Don’t misunderstand; I’m not grave dancing here, not by any stretch. I’m sorry he’s gone. I’m sure he had some fine qualities.  But after what I saw I happen to the game with him at the controls, please don’t expect me to be singing his praises, either.

In their two terms as co-presidents, the Clintons waged an unauthorized, illegal and immoral war on Yugoslavia a war based on fabricated charges of genocide and ethnic cleansing.   A war for which, Mrs. Clinton has yet to apologize.

Now Mrs. Clinton is claiming she would turn a blind eye to ethnic cleaning in Iraq.   What changed?  Mrs. Clinton imagines martial fidelity, great conspiracies, genocide.  Now she is promising to imagine peace in Iraq, even it none exists.   Much of what Mrs. Clinton knows, just is not true.

Update I:  Don Riehl expresses an alternate view, “Okay, So Hillary Is Just Plain Stupid:”

Hillary has decided to be more “nuanced” when it comes to what she would do with Iraq as President. This is rich. While her party is attempting to pass legislation to micro-manage the war, Hillary would instead rely on the advice of the military commanders. Huh? And it gets better. The urban war is a “loser.” However, she would obviously have plenty of troops in Iraq to protect our “remaining vital national security interests in Iraq”.

In the end, whether is it moral confusion, or just mental confusion, Mrs. Clinton is too confused to president.

Update II:  Ed Morrissey, Captain’s Quarters sees Mrs. Clinton’s position as a joke:

Hillary has revealed herself as a joke on military strategy, and more importantly, on moral grounding. Who can say in these days and times that the US should stand by and watch a genocide take place within a day’s drive of American troops? As a member of the UN Security Council, we have enough shame for inaction in Rwanda to last us a generation. This strategy would embolden the radicals to conduct their genocide — and stain us for generations to come.

This is only going to get worse for Mrs. Clinton.

Update III:  And it does get worse for Mrs. Clinton.  Matt Browner Hamlin at the Pufffington Post, has simple theory, “Hillary Clinton Lied At The DNC:”

Clinton also addressed a conceivable future in her DNC speech (video here), “If we in Congress don’t end this war before January of 2009, as president I will.” This statement is as clear as it gets. Clinton promised to end the war in Iraq if she takes office in January 2009. She made this promise to a room of thousands of Democratic loyalists, people who have been fighting to end this war since the day it started, people who have lost family members or themselves been injured in Iraq. And she made a promise, not unlike other Democratic candidates, to be sure that the war would end immediately were she to be given the reins of this country.

Clinton lied. Or at least changed her mind in the last month, though this is hardly a better explanation.

Hamlin is mistaken   Mrs. Clinton does hold beliefs,  She merely has campaign positions.