Pious Agnostic

Slandering Republican Presidents

An informative post about Lincoln's relationship with his generals, which was recently besmerched in the New York Times. (Where else?)

It is true, of course, that politics always plays a part in war. In a democracy, it is necessary and right that the course of a war should, ultimately, be not just influenced but determined by politics. In the case of the Civil War, the great danger to the Union was that the Northern public would grow weary of the conflict and give up. By 1864, many in the North were beginning to think that the war was hopeless, and the Democratic Party adopted a defeatist platform, urging that the war be abandoned and the South be allowed to secede with the institution of slavery intact. The capture of Atlanta, along with other victories in the field that year, convinced most Northerners that the end was in sight and ensured Lincoln's re-election. For the Times to twist this well-known narrative into a cynical political ploy by President Lincoln--in the Times' words, "meddling" by a President with "little military expertise" who "waged war around re-election"--is contemptible.

Hat tip: Instapundit

posted at 1:03 PM Feb 29, 2004 by Rob Ritchie
Category : Media Mendacity

TV Family Tree

I’ve noticed something rather strange over the last few weeks about the sitcoms that I watch. Because of their penchant to use (and re-use) guest stars in various family roles, it is possible to see the characters of many sitcoms as members of a large, dysfunctional, family.

For example, on NBC’s show Will and Grace the boozy character Karen (Megan Mulally) has an equally boozy mother, played by Suzanne Pleshette. This was pretty good casting, since they look as if they could be related.

Ah, but wait. On ABC’s Eight Simple Rules, after the death of John Ritter’s character, Cate’s folks come by to comfort her and the kids. Cate’s father is played by James Garner, while her mother is, you guessed it, Suzanne Pleshette. Thus it is revealed that Karen, from Will & Grace, is Cate’s sister (or, at least, half-sister). James Garner moves in with her daughter (he’s separated from Suzanne Pleshette), and later cousin C.J (David Spade) does as well. Garner doesn’t like his grandson Spade, because he is feckless and disrespectful, but acknowledges their family relationship.

In a previous season of Eight Simple Rules, they introduced Kate’s wild sister, played by Cybill Shepherd. It is implied, though not stated, that C.J. is her son, and considering her irresponsibility, it is not that big a jump. So, Cybill, Cate and Karen are all sisters, the children of James Garner and Suzzane Pleshette.

But this week, another shocker was revealed! On ABC’s hit show I’m With Her Cybill Shepherd was revealed as Alex and Cheri’s mother! That would make Suzanne Pleshette their grandmother, Cate and Karen their aunts, C.J. their brother and the kids from “8 Rules” their cousins!

What is particularly strange about all this is that this large extended TV family acts as if they are completely oblivious to each other! It’s almost as if they were living separate lives!

It’s really sad when families don’t get along. But it can make for some entertaining television.

posted at 11:10 AM Feb 27, 2004 by Rob Ritchie
Category : Television Goodness

Geek looks at Sports

I got an email from my sister Mike. I sometimes have trouble understanding her notes; they often take some deciphering.

This one, however, meant nothing to me. So, I did some Googling around to figure it out. I've provided hyperlinks to the things I didn't understand.

Apparently, it's a sports thing.

Tonight at Harry Carey's restaurant, the infamous "Bartman" ball of last year's playoff notoriety, for the Cubs, will be destroyed. It is 7:30 CST PM on MSNBC. Lots of hype here...
Tickets went on sale and people camped out all night...
It is a new season and we hope the curse of the Billy Goat will be put to rest!
Love,Mike

posted at 4:14 PM Feb 26, 2004 by Rob Ritchie

Comedy Gold

From Alphecca's "exclusive interview" with John Kerry:

Brice: Senator Kerry, you voted for and supported the congressional resolution authorizing President Bush to wage war in Iraq.
Kerry: Yes, but I didn't actually think he'd do it. I know something about war you know. I served in Viet Nam. Do you know what it's like, hiking for miles and miles through the hot steamy jungles of Viet Nam? Never knowing if your next step would be on a land-mine? Getting bitten by mosquitos the size of John Edwards...
Brice: So, Senator, you voted for the authorization to wage a war that you're against?
Kerry: Yes, and from now on, I think I'd like to be called Lieutenant Kerry.

posted at 11:12 AM Feb 25, 2004 by Rob Ritchie

Builders behind in payments to schools

From this May 21, 2003 Cincinnati Enquirer article.

"I think we will collect every penny," said Warren Ritchie, the township's law director. "It's just a question of how hard (developers) are going to make it on us and on themselves."

And from this May 24, 2003 article in the same newspaper:

However, Township Law Director Warren Ritchie said the new policy should solve most problems with collection of the fees.
"I've gotten some feedback from developers who haven't paid that they'll be willing to pay once we have this process in place," he said.

Problem solved due to cracker-jack legal work? I have no idea, but I suspect so. If you happen to know, leave a comment!

posted at 10:45 AM Feb 25, 2004 by Rob Ritchie
Category : Google Fun!

Michael J. Totten on Outing the Jewish “Cabal”. Herein, he discusses the interesting claim that "neocons" are too concerned with Isreali intrerests at the expence of American interests:

Anyone who bothers to trace the ancestry of my last name will learn that my family came to America from England. Yet no one has ever accused me of disloyalty to my country because I support Britain and think of the British as allies. There are two obvious reasons for that. First of all, there isn’t much of a stigma attached to having English ancestry. More important, it’s simply a fact that Britain is an ally of the United States. So it’s perfectly normal that I personally recognize Britain as an ally and care about her interests and well-being.
But it’s also simply a fact that Israel is an ally of the United States. Most Americans, and not just Jewish Americans, sympathize with Israel. There’s nothing odd or mysterious about that. Israel is a Western democracy. And Americans naturally sympathize with Israel because she is also a victim of the Islamofascist jihad. So of course neoconservatives, Jewish or otherwise, sympathize with Israel. It would be downright bizarre if they didn’t.

posted at 7:08 PM Feb 24, 2004 by Rob Ritchie

Nantucket Dreaming

I picked up bottle of Nantucket Nectars^® Premium Orange juice the other day after some management types had cleared out of a breakfast meeting. I put the bottle in the little ‘fridge we have in the office, and today brought it out to drink it. Pretty good, if unspectacular, bottled juice. This is what’s printed on the bottle:

We started our juice company on Nantucket Island off the coast of Massachusetts. People there loved the juice. One day we decided it was time to share Nectars beyond the island. We piled into a van, loaded it with juice and hit the city streets handing out bottles along the way. We believe all you have to do is put a bottle in someone’s hand and trust his or her taste buds from there. We’re juice guys^®.

I was immediately struck by the absurdity of the idea that there is a sizable orange grove on Nantucket Island. Also, by the simplistic marketing strategy. Hey, if someone gave me a bottle of juice, I’d drink it too; in fact, that’s exactly what happened. I didn’t pay for this, after all.

I visited their web site and it’s a pretty good site, with a lot of information about their product and company. I was expecting something that had the carefully crafted “homey” look of a boutique arm of some big corporate juice conglomerate (“Big Juice”). What I found was a site dedicated to presenting information about the juice, the company, Nantucket, and basically anything else would interest people. They have multimedia, polls, games and a lot of nice stuff.

Frankly, what really got me wondering about this company is that the bottle contains 17.5 fluid ounces of juice (518 mL). Why 17.5? It’s a strange amount.

I’m going to write the company an email and ask. I’ll let you know what I find out.

posted at 11:47 AM Feb 24, 2004 by Rob Ritchie
Category : Goofin' Around

Victor Davis Hanson, yet again.

The Coming of Nemesis

There were a number of legitimate areas of debate for the fall campaign — deficits, unfunded security measures at home, moral scrutiny over postwar contracts, more help for Afghanistan, greater control of domestic entitlements, unworkable immigration proposals, and the like. But instead of statesmanship from the opposition, we got slander about Mr. Bush's National Guard service, misrepresentations about intelligence failures that had hampered both previous administrations and the present congress, preference for an unsupportable European position over our own, and stupidity about what to do in Iraq.
The Democrats may have seen some short-term gains from all the attention given to their bluster, but theirs still remain untenable issues. And so nemesis will bite them like they will not believe in the autumn — and, of course, just when it matters most.

posted at 7:03 PM Feb 20, 2004 by Rob Ritchie
Category : Must Read of the Day

Sophia Sideshow

Via Instapundit, I find a beautiful blog from Bulgaria named Sophia Sideshow. From a recent post entitled

If The Glove Doesn't Fit, BUSH LIED!

The anti-war crowd long ago started measuring themselves as culturally, intellectually, and morally superior to the pro-war crowd, instead of measuring whether their policies were superior. Thus, the incredible success in Afghanistan and Iraq is not a blow to their policy, it is a blow to their ego and sense of self.

She gives some advice to the Left on exactly how to form their rhetoric so they don't sound so, uh, nuts.

Plus, she throws in several nice Tolkein references (see if you can find them!) so you know I'm in love.

Just for the beautiful site design, I'm going to add it to my blogroll!

Update: I think that the writer of Sophia Sideshow is, in fact, a man, and not the lovely intellingent Tolkein-loving free-thinker I was fantasizing about. Kind of a buzz-kill, but really, HIS post rocks!

posted at 11:58 AM Feb 20, 2004 by Rob Ritchie

Yankee or Dixie?

According to this quiz, I am 49% Yankee.

I suppose that's to be expected, considering that I was raised in Cincinnati and spent the rest of my life in Florida, married a girl who was born in Alabama and raised in Florida and spend time with my Alabama in-laws and friends from all over the country.

Take the quiz and see where you fall out. I'll bet that my mid-western relatives don't end up as Yankees on this quiz.

Hat tip: Andrew Sullivan

posted at 11:12 AM Feb 20, 2004 by Rob Ritchie

Don't drink and Blog

Bt doesn't anybobody caarew wahat a bastatrard like ther dduinny lane imPerialist Adams is is up tto when he rthinks no bodyb is llooking. tHE PROFEWSSOR HASY TO CARE , so don't hatw him because the one l;ife to live will be as a blomde,m (becAUASE HE'S CATHLOIC AND VENRATWES sT. fgRANCis, iuts aall got to do wirh t Ted whitten and the fklick olassm, qhewixch the diocottrores from men lbourne baNNEED BEFORE THEYBXCRUIPPLED BLOKES AWITH a weell plced jon--mdismonmdf jim tilkbrook , what a a peculoiayt shiryt lifting sort of soapy bloke.

Actually, I read Professor Bunyip fairly regularly, and he's usually much more eloquent; but rarely more entertaining.

posted at 2:29 PM Feb 19, 2004 by Rob Ritchie

Go, Ann, Go!

Ann Coulter is fighting back against her attackers after last week's "Max Cleland" column, and making some good points:

And yet the poignant truth of Cleland's own accident demonstrates the commitment and bravery of all members of the military who come into contact with ordnance. Cleland's injury was of the routine variety that occurs whenever young men and weapons are put in close proximity – including in the National Guard.

Hat tip: Andrew Sullivan

posted at 12:15 PM Feb 19, 2004 by Rob Ritchie
Category : Girls, girls, girls!

Angel's Last Season

A statement from The WB:

We have discussed continuing the Angel legacy with special movie events next year, which is still on the table. In a perfect world, all of these details would be completed before this information went to the press so that we could be definitive about the show's ongoing future. But in any case, we did not want to contemplate this being the last year of Angel without giving the show the option of crafting their own destiny for this character and for this series.

Well, I can't say this is totally unexpected.

Hat tip: Chris via email

posted at 10:46 AM Feb 18, 2004 by Rob Ritchie
Category : Television Goodness

L'horreur!

"We can all make jokes about each other, but you don't start telling people in Quebec they have to speak another language.
"That's completely unacceptable."

No indeed! That would simply be an insult too much for them to bear!

Especially when spoken by a sock puppet!

PS: Bush = Hitler

posted at 11:13 AM Feb 17, 2004 by Rob Ritchie

I know, I know, two "Lileks" posts in a row seems a bit obsessive, but this guy makes me so envious it isn't even funny.

Case in point (for today): in today's Bleat, in the middle of his usual mix of homey anecdotes and homespun wisdom, he writes about his PC Laptop, and how it's acting up and will be sent to the Chestnut Tree Café.

He provides a link on that last proper noun, and following it like the puzzled soul I was, and found myself on a page with the last chapter of Orwell's 1984, which bears that title, and zing!, I remember that this is where Winston Smith is assassinated, since he is no longer useful to the Party.

Hurray! I get the reference! With a little prodding, I actually understand an offhand comment which assumes a familiarity with one of the seminal works of 20th Century English literature. Lileks is equated the fate of his laptop computer, which has outlived its usefullness, to that of Winston Smith, who was similary troublesome.

OK, I haven't read the book since I was in high school, so I feel I can be excused for not automatically remembering that the Chestnut Tree Café was the place where political prisoners were sent to be murdered.

But I'm deeply envious of a guy who is so talented that he can use it successfully as a metaphor for a hardware upgrade. And I'm similarly envious that he feels comfortable using such a metaphor.

posted at 10:27 AM Feb 17, 2004 by Rob Ritchie
Category : Lileks is a god

Image Handling Improved

I know that this will mean nothing to anyone but me, but I've made some changes to my blogging software that makes it easier for me to upload and insert images into my posts.

The previous two entries were the first recipients of this.

Expect to see more gratutitious use of images in the future.

posted at 4:33 PM Feb 13, 2004 by Rob Ritchie
Category : My l33t Pr0gramm3r Ski11z

Splitsville!

Barbie and Ken 'Split' After 43 Years

"Like other celebrity couples, their Hollywood romance has come to an end," said Arons, who quickly added that the duo "will remain friends."
Barbie — the most popular fashion doll in the world, according to Mattel — met Ken on the set of a TV commercial in 1961, and they have been inseparable ever since.

Assuming she was 18 when they met, Barbie would be about 61 years of age in "doll years." Ken is a cad to leave her after all these years.

Of course, Barbie is pretty foolish to have been Ken's "beard" for so long. But the life of a fag-hag is never a simple one, I guess.

posted at 4:16 PM Feb 13, 2004 by Rob Ritchie

U.S. Soldier Charged in Al Qaeda Sting

Local media said Anderson was 26 and a converted Muslim who grew up in Everett, Washington, and graduated from Washington State University in 2002.

Quel surprise!

Update: Ha! I beat Glenn Reynolds by five hours! Of course, he includes trenchant analysis while I just post pictures and shit.

posted at 11:29 AM Feb 13, 2004 by Rob Ritchie

'Bush and I were lieutenants'

The shocking story of one man's encounter with the infamous Lt. Bush of the Texas National Guard.

In the fighter-pilot world, we have a phrase we use when things are starting to get out of hand and it's time to stop and reset before disaster strikes. We say, "Knock it off." So, Mr. Kerry and your friends who want to slander the Guard: Knock it off.

Will this put those stupid stories to rest? Probably not. The people who tell them get to much out of them.

posted at 5:46 PM Feb 11, 2004 by Rob Ritchie

Terrific, and hilarious, new Mark Steyn

Senator Kerry has done a good job of enlarging himself but the reality is simple: George W Bush's America has won two swift wars and overthrown two enemy regimes; John Kerry was heroic in a war that America lost and whose loss he celebrated. Since then he's been a model lack-of-conviction politician. The question for anyone who thinks Kerry has "credibility" on national security is a simple one: who do you think Iran, North Korea, Syria, al-Qa'eda's Saudi paymasters and the rogue elements in Pakistan's ISI would prefer to see elected this November?

Hat tip: Allahpundit

posted at 5:18 PM Feb 11, 2004 by Rob Ritchie
Category : Must Read of the Day

Since Tuesday, I've been experiencing some discomfort of a personal, and increasingly insistent, nature. A doctor's visit found nothing amiss, but that didn't actually calm my concerns.

This morning, I apparently passed a kidney stone. What a difference!

Next week: ultrasound!

Update: Apparently, I spoke too soon. The doc is unconvinced that this is what happened, absent the evidence, so he's setting me up with a urologist.

posted at 4:45 PM Feb 7, 2004 by Rob Ritchie

Let's resolve the WMD debate once and for all

Sounds like a good idea, but frankly, I'm not sure who this will convince. The people who keep screaming "Bush Lied!" are too well served politically by the lie to change their tune.

Or, they are so convinced of the "truth" of Bush's evil, that like a dog they will compulsivly lap it up like their own vomit.

Which doesn't mean you shouldn't try to clean up the vomit, but don't expect the dog to cooperate, or thank you.

Hat tip: Instapundit

posted at 10:50 AM Feb 6, 2004 by Rob Ritchie

Screedy Goodness

I’m waiting for an ad that simply puts the matter plainly: who do you think Al Qaeda wants to win the election? Who do you think will make Syria relax? Who do you think Hezbollah worries about more? Who would Iran want to deal with when it comes to its nuclear program – Cowboy Bush or “Send in the bribed French inspectors” Kerry? Which candidate would our enemies prefer?
O the shrieking that would result should such an ad run. You can’t even ask those questions, even though they’re the most relevant questions of the election.

Plus, a picture you'll never see on Democratic Underground.

posted at 10:41 AM Feb 5, 2004 by Rob Ritchie
Category : Lileks is a god

Easterblogg reports that the National Academy of Sciences has issued a report that supports President Bush's significant (and oft-derided) Clear Skies initiative. Support by a major science organization for a controversial environmental plan should be big news, right?

New York Times and Washington Post editors both have placed denunciations of the Clear Skies proposal on the front page; but when the plan receives very prominent expert support, that's not news. Some studies from the same organization, studies that discomfit the Bush White House, have gone directly to page one--for instance, a National Research Council finding that the fuel economy of SUVs and pickup trucks could be increased was (deservedly) a headline story. But a major scientific study backing a controversial Bush position is quietly buried. Now, what's the word I am looking for?

posted at 11:03 AM Feb 3, 2004 by Rob Ritchie
Category : Media Mendacity

Pious Agnostic

"Typical White Person"