Nightly Ramble: Small Hits

* Still spending a good deal of time with the new TV.  Watching the playoffs, mostly.  One point of annoyance we have found, is that the brand name of the TV is so recent, that nobody’s got remote programming codes for it yet; this results in my having to use at least two remotes at all times, if not three.  I suppose in another month or two they’ll have the programming code, and I won’t have to worry about it so much.  But it is a pain.

* I see Memeorandum finally noticed we moved, linking to my commentary on Carlson. A nice step forward. We’re actually going up in the hitrates on a daily basis… I’m pleased with the progress we’ve been making.

* Considering taking on another contributor here at BitsBlog. Adding DavidL and Fersboo as writers was one of the smartest things I have done since starting this blog. I told them both that they were not under any obligation in terms of volume of posting, nor of opinion, other than in the most general of senses.  That’s proven to be a wise decision.  As a friend of mine once said, “if you’ve got a good horse give him his head, he’ll get you where you’re going”.   If you’re interested in joining our efforts, here, let me know, and drop a link to [email protected] some of your writings.

*I’m watching with a somewhat jaundiced eye the weather front that’s moving up of the Midwest.  We didn’t do much today, mostly because of the spec could weather.  We did manage to go shopping, and found out that everybody else in the neighborhood was responding to the reports of the oncoming storm; candles, batteries, canned food, Milk and toilet paper were in short supply.

We’re pretty well prepared, already.  The biggest problem that we would have around here would be a lack of power.  But as it happens, I have a 110 volt supply, which will run directly from the truck.  That will keep us going for several hours.   Of course, the Internet will be out, and so will the TV, but not a big deal.

Word from Jon Swift that Michael Ledeen Is Dead.

No confirmation as yet.

What in the world is Chuck Hagel smoking?

I’ve got a small newsflash for you, Chuckles; When you see the usual left the suspects singing your praises about your current anti- Bush position, it should be the first indication to anybody with an IQ above three (Which apparently excludes you) that you’re taking the wrong position.

Thing if it is, that the whole of the Republican party should be rejecting you and what you stand for.  And so they will, suspect.

Dry up, Hagel.

The Washington Post reports this morning on a blogger who decided to write a post about one of the customers he served at work and got fired over the aftermath. Two days before Christmas, Chuckles of Freelance Genius (real name Charles Williamson) wrote the following about Tucker Carlson after he and his companion rented movies at his video store:

Tucker Carlson opened an account last night at my video store. I thought the name seemed familiar but I couldn’t figure out why. It was after he left that I realized he was on the list of Gigantic Cobagz. I could tell you what he and his ridiculously wasped-out female companion (wife?) rented if you really want to know. I won’t tell you where he lives, though. That would be wrong and stupid. I will also not be running around ordering 10,000 copies of America: The Book and having it sent to his place even if that would be more awesome than frozen urine treats for his home.

Williamson thought that the low level of traffic at his blog made him invisible enough for this to go unnoticed to all but his circle of friends. Unfortunately for Chuckles, nothing on the Internet is invisible, especially with Google and other search engines making all links more or less equal. The Post describes what happened next:

A week later, Williamson had forgotten all about it, he told us yesterday. That is, until Carlson, 37, reappeared at the video store and, said Williamson, “got pretty aggressive.” According to Williamson, Carlson confronted him about the blog and said he viewed the post as a threat to him and his wife. “He said, ‘If you keep this [expletive] up, I will [expletive] destroy you,’ ” Williamson recalled.Williamson said he agreed to remove the blog post and did so later that night: “All I remember thinking was I was worried about what this guy was going to do.” He consulted a lawyer friend and was told he had probably not broken any laws. “What I said was pretty juvenile, I’ll admit,” he said.

In a phone interview Thursday, Carlson acknowledged that he approached Williamson in the store and said he was “very aggressive” because he wanted the post removed: “I don’t like to call the police or call his boss. . . . I’m a libertarian. I’m not into that.”

On Monday, Williamson said, his Potomac Video manager called and fired him. Williamson said he was told the company was threatened with legal action “and the owner doesn’t like that.” He re-posted the original Carlson item later that day. Williamson said he later learned that a man who identified himself as a lawyer for Carlson had been in the store and asked Potomac Video employees questions about him.

That’s Captain Ed, this monring. As Ed suggests, there’s a lot of other bloggers who are jumping in on this one on one side or the other.

Personally, I figure Williamson’s boss had every right to fire him.  One thing you have never seen me do, is blog about work.  I may make some comments with regards to one piece of software or another, I may even make a snipe in a software manufacturer, or a hardware manufacturer, but I have never done that about either people I work with, or for.  This kind of thing is precisely why I never will.

But there’s another factor here that needs to be brought up, that I’ve not seen mentioned thus far.  That being, I cannot imagine the target of such a blog entry, being a left wing host from, say, MSNBC, or any other, for that matter.  Granted, Tucker Carlson is centrist, if anything, but let’s face it; he is what passes as right wing on MSNBC anymore.  But, there it is.  AS Ed Says:

Free speech does not release one from responsibility for what they say and write. Writing about customers one serves at their job puts their employer at some risk for legal action as well as a negative impact on business. Williamson’s boss has every right to fire him if Williamson used his position as an employee to even threaten to abuse personal information on customers. If a video store cannot build trust with their customers that their information (including, say, credit card numbers) will only be used for the express purpose for which the customer shared it, then customers will go somewhere else, and the business will suffer.

There is, however, more to the issue when the blogger is right wing.  Such as, for example, this blog.  Speaking against the leftist mantra, has a tendency to put anyone’s speaking about work, in a particularly precarious position. where I’d take heart in this story, is that the tables, occasionally, can be turned.

Addendum:

I suppose I shouldn’t have to point this out, but let’s do a little comparison; a short time ago we were hearing all kinds of things from the left regards right to privacy issues; one of the favorites was that your video store purchases would be recorded and analyzed by the government.  Apparently, however, and they have no problem whatever with it being explored in the ‘sphere.   (At least, given the commentary I’ve seen thusfar.)

Connect the dots.  A good news/strange news story from Missouri.  The good, two kidnapped boys were found and returned to their familes. 

KIRKWOOD, Mo. (AP) – The safe return of two kidnapped boys – one missing for four days, the other for four years – is being heralded as nothing short of a miracle by their families

The strange, officials appear baffled:

What could have motivated the suspect? How did he treat the boys? And how was he able to keep them hidden in plain sight just an hour’s drive from their hometowns?

From NAMBLA‘s home page: 

NAMBLA’sOur goal is to end the oppression of men and boys who have freely chosen, mutually consensual relationships.   

Can you see a possible connection?

Kinda Luke asks, “Could there be more?”

In my previous post I listed 5 children’s names that have been missing from the area in which Michael Devlin resided in an apartment in Kirkwood, MO.

I have weeded out the girls, as it seems Devlin had a preference for boys, and also because after reviewing the circumstances in which they went missing, it didn’t seem to fit.

However, two remain in which I feel should raise questions on whether Michael Devlin had any hand in their disappearance.

A prefence for boys?

I suspect that Bit was more that a little bit heart broken to see Cynthia McKinney leave Washington.   McKinney is a full fledged moonbat and provided plenty of fodder for the board.

Good news, Wisconsin has elected a replacement for McKiney.  Money can buy you a lot of things. I this case, over two million of his own money bought Steve Kragen, pictured, a seat in Congress (WI-8).   What Kagen millions did not buy him was a clue.   Kagen ran on health care platform “No Patient Left Behind” and was rewarded by Mrs. Pelosi with seat on the Agrriculture committee.  So far Kagen has been called a liar by the White House, and under investigation by the FDA

I make two predictions.  One, Kagen two year tenure in Washington will provide plenty of fodder for Bitsblog, and two in 2009 Wisconsin Eight will flip.   .

(H/T photo:  Wikipedia )

I confess, the events in the Duke rape case are breaking too fast for me to keep pace.  In any case, the story has mainstreamed.  This one is too juicy on which to pass.

(H/T photo: Slate )

The persecuting, prosecuting DA, Mike Nifong, has asked to be relieved of the case.

Steve Vendor, Outside the Beltway, provides the quip of the day by his reader, Chris Lawrence

(H/T photo: Johnsville News )

Nifong’s case doesn’t really need a new prosecutor; at this point, it needs a more credible complainant. Unfortunately for Nifong, a letter to the state attorney general won’t fix that problem.

More, K.C. Johnson, Durham-in-Wonderland; Don Surber; Randy Barnett, Volokh Conspiracy.

As Ed Bruce once sang, Billy… if it was easy, everyone would do it.

It was so easy, and so they called YOU? I mean, that’s mildly insulting, if you think on it.

Bottom line: If they called you, it’s beyond their ability… and that’s as much as they NEED to know about it.

Trust me… been there.

There new critter foiund in Mrs. Pelosi’s Swamp, Charlie Tune,   It seems like the minimum wage bill passed by the House under a closed rule which forbides amendment, exempts American Samoa.   Mrs. Pelosi’s bill applies to every American territory save American Samoa.   Starkist, of Mrs. Pelosi district, just happens to be the major employer on American Samoa.   Concidence?

If raising the minimum wage is to critical to helping working class American, why does Mrs. Pelosi seek to exclude the working class citizen of American Samoa?

The Washington Times reports, “GOP hits Pelosi’s ‘hypocrisy’ on wage bill:”

House Republicans yesterday declared “something fishy” about the major tuna company in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco district being exempted from the minimum-wage increase that Democrats approved this week.¼br />  

“I am shocked,” said Rep. Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican and his party’s chief deputy whip, noting that Mrs. Pelosi campaigned heavily on promises of honest government. “Now we find out that she is exempting hometown companies from minimum wage. This is exactly the hypocrisy and double talk that we have come to expect from the Democrats.”

You can view your explaination here,

More: Lori Byrd, Wizband; Pam, Atlas.

Update I:  The bloggers at Powerline are all lawyers.   Everybody gots to make a living.  Paul defends the exemption, albeit not the minimum wage bill itself.   The wage in American Samoa is about three dollars an hour and the tuna industry is already hurting.   An incease to the federal minimum wage would kill the industry.

So is the tuna industry American Samoa the only industry which would  be threatened by a higher minimum wage?

Update II:   Gateway Pundit reports ‘Paul Pelosi Is “Primary” Del Monte Investor.‘   That is Paul Pelosi as in Mrs. Pelosi’s huaband, and that is Del Monte as in Star Kist’s parent company.   Mrs. Pelosi backroom deal just saved her family a bundle.   

Mrs. Pelosi should have recused hereelf from her minimum wage bill.  The Ethics Committee needs to investigate Mrs. Pelosi’s conflict of interest.

Update III:  Mrs Peslosi caves.   More, RedState.  Well there goes the tuna industry.   Congress established the committee system to help prevent these kinds of mistakes.  Mrs. Pelosi has choosen, to either suspend or abolish the committee system.  She is trying to run a one woman House   She is not doing very well.   Mrs. Pelosi has named committee chairs and appointed majority members to them.  It time for Mrs. Pelosi relent her grip of abosolute power and let the committees do their work.

(H/T picture:  Bongo News) 

Pictured left is Senate Leader Dirty Harry Reid’s best friend, Pork.  

Two days ago, Dirty Harry lied:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today delivered the following remarks on the Floor of the United States Senate, introducing a bipartisan substitute amendment that will dramatically strengthen ethics reform legislation currently under debate and an additional amendment to take the new legislation even further.

Dirty Harry no more supports pork, err earmark reform than I support Andrew Sullivan for president.   The House passed a earmark reform bill.   Yesterday Dirty Harry blocked a comprehensive bill backed by the majority of the Senate.  The New York Times reports, “Democrats in Senate Fail to Block Bill on Ethics

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 — After campaigning for months on a promise to tighten ethics rules, Senate Democratic leaders tried unsuccessfully Thursday to block a measure that would shine a light on the shadowy practice of earmarking federal money for lawmakers’ pet projects.

The Senate democrats need to get serious about a low pork diet.

Yes the first escort has changed her story, yet again.   I think by this stage, it no longer matters what her story is, because none of her verisions are credibile.   Even the New York Times is piling on the escort. 

There is another question.  Now that Crystal Gail Mangum’s credibility has been destroyed, her prior rape accusations exposed, criminal record made public, and feminists have abandoned her cause, why is the MSM still protecting her name?  There was no rape,   There is no rape victim which to shield.

Mr. Nifong and Ms Mangum have dragged Dave Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann’s good names through the mud for the last several months.  Ms Mangum, it is time for this travesty to stop.

The woman who once claimed that three members of the Duke University lacrosse team raped her has changed her story once again as to what happened during the alleged sexual assault, according to court papers filed Thursday by the defense.  The accuser told prosecutors in December that Reade Seligmann, one of the three players charged, did not commit any sex act on her during the alleged attack and changed her time frame for the alleged assault.  So the defense once again asked a judge to dismiss the case.

So reports WGHP.

To my mind, only one question remains…

Why isn’t Mike Nifong behind bars?

Oh, wait… that’s right. He’s a Democrat.

Never mind.

From John Hawkins:

Democratic Whip Dick Durbin actually asked the Kos kids  (The Kos Kids!) for help in setting a Democratic Agenda for 2007 and I took the time to go through the almost 800 comments there to grab some of the more “interesting” suggestions that he received. Like…

“I see global warming mentioned frequently, but it is so often talked about without any aparent realization of what I call “Mother’s Skin.” That little bitty crust, with dirt and trees on top. That crust that is being stripped, logged, polluted by toxic wastes.From just beneath that crust flows our lifeblood, water. Precious and becoming scarce.

…These are all National Security issues, for if we do not heal Mother’s Skin, we dead. Dead.” — emmasnacker

“This president is lying to you,he does it all the time with help from our media,(we need an fairness act or bust them up), and you guys  still believe him and dont call him on it.Investigate on your own.. I  would bet you those 20,000 are going to iran..He is poking the bear  hoping someone will give him a reason to destroy them.Wag the dog
before you guys find out what he has done,.He is bombing africa now killing more innocents. He delibertly caused civil war and hunger in  afganis. iraq, helped israel killed innocent in palistine and leb.,is  bombing africa, and wants to do the same in iran..Dont you wonder when  he is going to start torturing and killing americans,he already has
camps set up, dont you know he has the power thanks to 109th to come  after you and your loved ones for no reason.. He is not above the law  but you guys are too afraid to stop him.” — bayside

You can read them all here,

RightWingNews

Welcome to existing with the Democrats in power.  Does this nonsense surprise anyone, really?  I’m willing to bet that surprised those ‘libertarians’ and ‘conservatives’ who voted Democrat to teach the Republicans ‘a lesson’…. but it shouldn’t.

I see are Rusty Shackleford, and Ace, are both reporting explosions in the Arabian desert; some reports have these as nuclear explosions.  Not sure what to make of it yet; the main line services haven’t picked up on it, as yet. If these reports pan out, I would certainly labeled this a suspiciously timed event
Update: Pakistan Times has the report now, but only a brief one, the import of which is that it wasn’t oil related.. Most of the  eastern news services have similar reports. A few reports, suggest the explosions occurred in the southwestern Iranian port of Khorramshahr, which is on the Iranian border. My, my. Shipping weapons into Iraq, are wel?

* I’m still in “new toy” mode with the new TV set.  I don’t know how long this is going to last but I haven’t had this much fun with a new piece of equipment in years.  Saturday, will run down and see we can do about getting the high definition cable box, which on the cable system we’re on is no extra charge.  I’d have done it before,it’s just that I haven’t had the time during the day to run down to the shop and get it.  Saturday afternoon and evening are going to prove interesting.

The first snow of the winter, has come, and gone , all inside of about 48 hours.  It got up to the middle forties today again.  There’s still snow, as it happens, to the south end to the west of this and, along the eastern edge of lake Ontario north of Syracuse on I-81; what we around here call Tug Hill.  I can’t imagine that that’s going to be the extent of the snow will get this winter, but it does remind me what a pain in the backside it is.

That’s OK, I’ll just stay home and watch the new TV.

* Had about three and a half hours with a cleanup work tonight on the local network, because one of my backup routines get away from me.  The five desktops in the house nightly dump their entire desks to their own separate directories upon the big server, and then I back up the directory on the server from there, thereby backing up the entire house in one job.  Only trouble was, that one of them decided that they were going to not keep to the schedule I had established for erasing the old backups.  The result was I had 30 copies of one of my desktops on the server, and about 4:00 this afternoon the drive filled to beyond capacity and crashed the server.

The odd part was, that was about five minutes work once I actually managed to get the poor thing to boot up.   Oh well, sometimes those jobs are like that.