Californian Sojourn

The Porn Industry And HIV

Tony has some thoughts including what it will do to the San Fernando Valley's economy (which I'm apart of). Personally I'm a bit ignorant of what the impact may very well be but in many ways I don't think the Porn industry drives the economy here as much as they may want you to believe. Granted there are a lot of productions around here but the City of LA is more likely to profit from any productions than the Valley is. In fact I would believe it may have had more impact had the Valley broken away from LA County but since it didn't I don't think it would be as great. But I honestly don't know and would be interested to see if there is any affect from the shutdown. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

"Let The Truth Be Told"

That phrase above has been used a lot and seeing how I've been watching a lot of basketball lately I have found it to be used quite regularly by TNT to describe the playoffs. Well I've found another area it can be applied to and that would be this latest post from Steven Den Beste. It's long and it's a whopper but it tells the truth of the matter that we all need to know, especially for this upcoming election. And the greatest truth doled out here is as follows:

The Truth Is that in the last two years one of the strongest currents in international diplomacy and rhetoric has been Tu Quoque. If you are vulnerable to a certain criticism, preempt that criticism by accusing your enemies of that same failure before they accuse you. One benefit is that you may muddy the waters enough so that the entire accusation is devalued, and even if you don't, when someone accuses you of that same failing it makes them look feeble and reactive.

One word: Bingo. If there is one thing I have learned in all my dealings and arguments with liberals and the "Left" is that they are guilty of this more than anything else (lack of common sense running a close second). I used to describe the afflication as "Projection" (not knowing whether or not that is actually the term psychologists use) but I see it has a different name and is true none the less. Frankly it is a cowardly argument. Instead of facing up to the faults and doing something about it the Left simply forces it on someone else (namely the GOP) even though it isn't true, and that is simply cowardly. No way around it. And this is the problem with the Left. They over analyize and politicize so many things that they lack the clarity of mind to act. Their party is in shambles and right when the American people need vision we get arguments that the current administration can't cut it and they can do better. In fact I don't think I've even heard that they can do better all that much anymore. Just that this administration can't cut it. Alright...show me why and show me how you plan to work against those forces outside (and even within in some cases) our border that seek to destroy us. Simple as that. Stop arguing the equivalent of "they suck" and show me vision. Show me what would be done to protect my security that you have never shown before. Show me you won't run like in Somalia or possibly Iraq. Show me you won't do anything at all in the case of the first WTC and Cole bombing. Show me you won't appease the UN when it costs us our security. Show me that instead of Tu Quoque and then I might believe the Left might have something to offer. In the meantime though, I'm not holding my breath and neither should anyone else.

And may God continue to bless the United States of America.

It Used To Be People Like This Kept Their Damned Mouth Shut

But now, oh no, they're gonna run their mouth (Thanks to Drink This for the updated link) as loud and proud as possible. Just further notice that there are people in this country who just don't get it. Tillman a "pendejo?" You gotta be joking.
If there is one positive aspect of this, seems the author is sure getting hell in the comments section.
Good is all I can say to that.
Addition: Upon further dissection of the article I am struck by what seems to be a reoccurring theme from Left thinkers; hatred of the "warrior" class. Those breed of men who live for the fight and are willing to jump deep into the "shit" to see the mission accomplished. Believe it or not but there are plenty of men like that in our armed forces; I'd dare to say a majority of our Special Forces consist of such men. The thing to recognize though is these men aren't "Rambos." No, they are men who often times know that if they don't do it, no one else will. And when you face the fanaticism of the terrorists we face today you need men like this on our side. Men who do live for the fight but who also stand by the principles of this country and would gladly give up themselves so we may be safe. So while people like the above speak of "Rambos" as "pendejos" know that these men are giving up their lives (and I'm not kidding when I say that) so don't have to. They can fear them all they want but I salute those who live for the fight, because believe it or not they might be closer to sanity than any one of us.
Are they all righteous human beings? Maybe not, but who is?
By the way, how much you want to bet this piece was used to get this person's name out there as one commenter suggested?
Update: Thomas Galvin links to many more regarding this issue.

UPDATE: No wonder the guy felt the need to bad mouth a hero like Tillman, HE'S A FREAKIN WIMP! "I'm superior" alright!

From here.

The Dangers Of Dancing

Tony knows all about it!

See that, it's dangerous Chere. *grin*

American Idol Racist?

My answer to that: Please! I don't know how a show that voted out numerous white people and in fact took a black gentleman over....whatever Clay Aiken is could be racist. Rather I think Sir John has been looking through those crazy glasses FAR too long. This is just another example of why race and racism is way too in the forefront of certain peoples' minds. Things just can't happen because they happen, but they have to happen because they're racist. Now I know life will never be looked at with a color-blind eye but I think people need to stop thinking that just because a white person (or even an Asian) gets ahead of a black or Hispanic person it's automatically racist. Does that still happen? Yes, but we need to realize it happens a lot less then one would imagine. Besides, if there is any reason to not watch AI it's because William Hung already won or, even better, the show is just a lame popularity contest and not about talent anyways. Well that's my opinion at least.

TV: Diagnosis ADD

I've made a little observation just recently, and that observation is that television has just become way too damn busy. You can't watch nearly ANY program without getting something scroll across the screen or images pop up letting you know what's coming next. It's just too busy. Whatever happened to keeping your focus on what is happening right on the screen here and now? I can understand some news and sports programs using the ever infamous "Ticker" but do entertainment programs really need them? I mean come on now, I'm trying to watch what's going on not what's coming up next! And then people wonder why we're all running all over the place like ants in a flooded ant hill. It's because we have to pay attention to five million different things on a 13 to 50 inch box (obviously the lower measurements make it worse). Look, I just want to pay attention to what's on right now. Is that so much to ask? Is that violating the precious order of things? I bet if TV execs could make you "jack in" like the Matrix and beam the straight into the base of your brain they'd be ALL over it.

"Hotter Than A Devil's Draws"

Alright, at 7:07 am this morning it was about 85 degrees outside. Now at 9:41 it is somewhere around 90 something. This is friggin ridiculous! And I have no central air either!

Rumsfeld Puts Draft Issue To Rest

All this talk about re-instating the draft is just that, talk. Unless a nuke goes off on the continental US it just won't happen. That is, if sane people are allowed to make the decisions. Last I checked, Rumsfeld was sane AND he knew what he was talking about.

Evangelical Outpost has more about the morality of the draft.

Jonah Said It Was A Doozy

He wasn't kidding.

So they see the world divided between Muslim and Al-Qaeda and Western civilization; why aren't we seeing it that way?

Pat Tillman Reported KIA

If you don't know the story of Pat Tillman then you are missing out on an incredible man. A former Arizona Cardinal Tillman walked away from a 3 year 3.5 million dollar contract extenstion to go fight in the Army after Sept. 11th. Today he is reported to have died in Afghanistan. This was a man who had a burgeoning career (just look at the contract extenstion) and was newly married and gave it all up to answer his call of duty. A great man to do such a thing and though hearing about the deaths of our soldiers always makes me shake my head, this truly makes me sad. Every interview I had heard with the man he had refused to make a big deal out of what he was doing. In fact I believe he only did one interview and that was with the Dan Patrick show because he was trying to avoid the hoopla. A true hero doesn't not seek to be one, but circumstances make him one. It is safe to say Pat Tillman will forever be known as a hero.

My condolences to his wife and family.

Teresa has her thoughts.

ESPN reports.

Greg Garber wrote a year ago about Tillman and others.

Tim Leyman two years ago.

More from two years ago.

And it's the same ole (Lord I really want to cuss) from the Left. Here. I know of more but it's all rather unfit to print just on stupidity and moral depravity alone.