Getting Drilled

Tonight's DUI checkpoint

The Ohio State Highway Patrol will operate an OVI (operating a vehicle while intoxicated) checkpoint in the East End today from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Drivers will be stopped on Ohio 32/Beechmont Avenue near Wilmer Avenue and given a test to determine if the operator of the vehicle has been drinking.

County OVI checkpoints are paid for by fines of impaired drivers and other federal funding.

More...

A Tribute to Dad

I may or may not be available to post over the weekend but I wanted to use this Father's Day weekend to acknowledge my father.

Probably, the most memorable time in my relationship with my father was when he broke his neck in a car accident. I was in the fourth grade at the time and I remember telling my teacher how my dad was in a "contraption" at the hospital. My teacher kindly corrected me by saying. "No dear that's traction". To which I said, "that's right a contraption".

Regardless, after about three months in the hospital, my father came home in neck brace. Given that finances were tight in the family, he didn't have the luxury of taking care of five kids on no income.

So he did what dads do when the going is tough... he got going. He spent many a day climbing ladders (with a neck brace on I might add) to paint houses for under the table income. He took cash jobs with the Teamsters to go and picket at wildcat sites, he delivered pizzas, he did what ever he could to take care of his family.

My father could have sat around and been depressed about his physical issues but he never had time... He was too busy working.

When I entered college, my dad got me a summer job at the beer distributorship he worked at. Throughout the entire city of Columbus, it didn't matter what bar or pony keg I walked into, if someone introduced me as "Tommy's son" I got the red carpet rolled out for me. That's when I started to really appreciate who my dad was as a man.

A long time ago, I learned that you can't be everything to everybody. But living life means leaving a legacy with every single person you meet. In my case, I make sure that everyone that meets me knows me as a person who is honest & hard working. I don't think it's a coincidence that those are the qualities I would use to describe my dad.

In a world that continually minimizes the role of fathers in families, I can't imagine what my world would have looked like without my dad in it. I know one thing, I wouldn't have a college sheepskin and a CPA certification on my wall.

In the end, if I can be half the man my father is, that would put me a couple of notches above Chuck Norris. I think that's pretty damn good.

Thanks Dad.

Friday Funny - Best in Show

Since I did Spinal Tap last week, I'll go with another mockumentary.

Global Boiling

Here's a "progressive" group who refuses to accept the now PC term "global climate change" but is going whole hog with "global boiling".

Here's some of their evidence of this "science".

The evidence for the consequences of global warming is appearing with alarming frequency. This morning's headlines are filled with tales of deadly weather: "At least four people were killed and about 40 injured when a tornado tore through a Boy Scout camp in western Iowa on Wednesday night"; "two people are dead in northern Kansas after tornadoes cut a diagonal path across the state"......

Given that ole Gordon is a history buff, he remembered a day in 1974 when we had a few tornadoes in April of that year.

The tornado superoutbreak of April 3-4, 1974 resulted in 148 tornadoes in 13 states. Across the United States, 315 people were killed, more than 6,000 injured, and 27,000 families suffered property losses. The Xenia Tornado caused the most deaths of any tornado in the outbreak. In Ohio, 12 tornadoes touched down, killing 36 people.

The Xenia Tornado touched down at 4:30 PM nine miles southwest of Xenia and entered the city about ten minutes later. It continued northeastward on a path of 32 miles through Xenia and Wilberforce into Clark County. The Xenia Tornado killed 32 people from Xenia to Wilberforce. About half of the buildings in the city of 27,000 were damaged and 300 homes destroyed. Nine Xenia churches were destroyed, as were seven of the twelve schools in the city. Fortunately, the tornado occurred an hour after classes had been dismissed. The roof and windows were blown from the Greene County Courthouse. A train passing through Xenia was struck by the tornado and 7 of the 47 cars were blown over, resulting in the blockage of Main Street.

Question. Were the tornadoes that year a result of global warming or a result of the incoming "Ice Age" as reported by Time Magazine in June 1974?

Here's an excerpt from that article...

Since the 1940s the mean global temperature has dropped about 2.7° F. Although that figure is at best an estimate, it is supported by other convincing data. When Climatologist George J. Kukla of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory and his wife Helena analyzed satellite weather data for the Northern Hemisphere, they found that the area of the ice and snow cover had suddenly increased by 12% in 1971 and the increase has persisted ever since. Areas of Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic, for example, were once totally free of any snow in summer; now they are covered year round.Scientists have found other indications of global cooling. For one thing there has been a noticeable expansion of the great belt of dry, high-altitude polar winds —the so-called circumpolar vortex—that sweep from west to east around the top and bottom of the world. Indeed it is the widening of this cap of cold air that is the immediate cause of Africa's drought.

Remind me; what's so "progressive" about being a dumbass?

By the way the global warming challenge score Warm - 166; Cool 176.

Meet a democrat

HT Darke GOP

DUI checkpoint

Tomorrow night's waste of police resources will be somewhere in Hamilton county.

As soon as we know the exact location and time we'll post it right here.

For the record Hamilton county seems like a bad place to hold a DUI checkpoint. Cedric Benson is due to run either a train or a jet under the influence, you might want to start there.

Obamania - Catch it

What do you expect?

Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the 5-4 high court majority, acknowledged the terrorism threat the U.S. faces - the administration's justification for the detentions - but he declared, "The laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times."

Well, of course, if you're an unborn baby then this little document doesn't mean a damn thing for you.

The United States Supreme Court...... The people who brought you "separate but equal".

Get yourself a tornado helmet

With the increase in tornado activity (I'm sure it's due to global warming), you may want to go buy yourself a tornado helmet.

Our severe Storm Safety Helmet™ is NOT an "ordinary" hard-hat or "conventional" sports-helmet. The Tornado Safety Helmet™ is a space-age product of revolutionary advanced engineering and computer design. This state-of-the-art personal head protection device is constructed with high-impact foam pads and air-bag technology to minimize possible head injury and brain concussion. It is lightweight without compromising integral strength and comes complete with an adjustable chin-strap.

They don't have photos of what the helmets look like but they range in price from $129.00 - $199.00.

Nowhere on the form do they indicate color so I'm guessing that you probably not going to be able to have a matching clothing ensemble with the helmet.

Can we get a mulligan on candidates?

Apparently, there are a number of republicans not all that fired up about a McCain candidacy...

At least 14 Republican members of Congress have refused to endorse or publicly support Sen. John McCain for president, and more than a dozen others declined to answer whether they back the Arizona senator.

Many of the recalcitrant GOP members declined to detail their reasons for withholding support, but Rep. John Peterson (R-Pa.) expressed major concerns about McCain’s energy policies and Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) cited the Iraq war.

Before the democrats get all uppity on that news, there's a number of democrats who feel the same way about Obamania.

Nothing personal, Sen. Obama, but our re-election comes first. Barack Obama, for all his attention and primary successes, does not go over so well in a fair number of Democratic lawmakers' home districts. So it seems there is little chance that some will endorse him for president.

Some are counting on Republican votes in their re-election bids. Some are newly minted and in rematches with 2006 opponents. Some may be wary of how their constituents will react to a black presidential candidate. Some, too, have made it a practice of distancing themselves from the national party, fearing the inevitable campaign ad that has their face morphing into Howard Dean, the party chairman, and Obama.

Is it possible to yell "do over"?

Pot, Kettle, Black award

It's been a while for a PKB award but this week we're going to award one to none other than John Kerry.

What's John Kerry in the news for?

John Kerry, who's served in the past as Obama's heavy-hitter on national security, expressed incredulity at McCain's remark this morning that the timing of troops return is "not too important."

"It is unbelievably out of touch and inconsistent with the needs of Americans and particularly the families of troops who are over there. To them it’s the most important thing in the world when they come home," he said. "It’s a policy for staying in Iraq."

Kerry and Obama aide Susan Rice also both said McCain is "confused"* -- a line some in McCain's camp will surely take as a shot at the candidate's age.

Unbelievably out of touch? Coming from the man who goes wind surfing for a photo op that's a big time statement. Now pass me the arugula.

Obamania - Catch it

Obamania.... kind of like syphilis, if you don't treat it, you'll go insane.

And they want to run our health care

From reader Mark....

Year after year, decade upon decade, the U.S. Senate's network of restaurants has lost staggering amounts of money -- more than $18 million since 1993, according to one report, and an estimated $2 million this year alone, according to another.

The financial condition of the world's most exclusive dining hall and its affiliated Capitol Hill restaurants, cafeterias and coffee shops has become so dire that, without a $250,000 subsidy from taxpayers, the Senate won't make payroll next month.

The embarrassment of the Senate food service struggling like some neighborhood pizza joint has quietly sparked change previously unthinkable for Democrats. Last week, in a late-night voice vote, the Senate agreed to privatize the operation of its food service, a decision that would, for the first time, put it under the control of a contractor and all but guarantee lower wages and benefits for the outfit's new hires.

Out of curiosity, how much money can the US government lose on our national healthcare system? Well, so far they've lost 27 trillion just for healthcare for our seniors.

I wonder if they sell arugula at that cafeteria?

More....

Obama's sub prime mortgage Part II

Two months ago, I posted a piece on Obama's mortgage based on his obviously low income reported on his previous three years worth of tax returns. Basically, you're average joe could never have qualified for that house. How did the Obama's?

A Johnny come lately provided me with this comment yesterday....

1. The deal could have gone down without Rezko. While it's true that the couple who sold the house to the Obamas and the adjoining vacant lot to Rezko's wife required the deals to close on the same day, there was at least one other serious bidder on the lot......

First, my initial post really had nothing to do with Rezko. My main point was how did the Obama's qualify for a mortgage on a 1.65 million dollar mortgage with an annual income of $250,000. Especially, when they were loaded with $100,000 plus in student loan and credit card debt (per Mrs. Grievance, Michelle) .

Second, since you did bring up Rezko, Mr. Anonymous, let's look at Tony and Obama's real estate deal.

You're telling me that it's a coincidence that Obama and Rezko closed on the purchase on a house and the lot right next door on the same day?

That it's a coincidence that the Obama's got $300,000 knocked off of the purchase price on the home but Rezko paid full price on the lot? I find that hard to believe.

It looks to me that Obama needed to trim the price for the house so he could get his sub prime mortgage. That meant knocking off the lot and reducing the price of the house. The sellers were willing to do that since Rezko would pay the full asking price for the lot.

My guess is someone wanting to own the lot next to the Obama's would buy the property to build on it; not hold it so they can sell a strip of it to the neighbors. Look at the above picture, selling that strip of property to the Obama's essentially makes the lot next to them worthless. Who can build on that site now?

The Obama's ended up with 2 million dollars worth of real estate and only had to pay 1.3 million for it. As a friend of mine use to say, "it's not the wealth you own, it's the wealth you control that counts". In this case, the Obama's effectively own both lots without having to pay for both.

The whole train of events on the property transfers can be found here.

My whole point in my previous post was that Obama could never have qualified for that mortgage under normal mortgage credit standards. He had to have qualified under a stated income loan (or as mortgage lenders call them "stated lies").

That is the crux of this sub prime mortgage mess that The Messiah himself has been critical of. Now, if we find out that Countrywide was the loan originator, the stench from this deal would be unbearable.

Obamania - Catch it

Is it Carter, Mondale or Obama?

US News and World taking various speeches from each of the above, changing some of the names, and questions which one is from which presidential president.

Speech #1: "Eight years ago, many of you voted for Mr. Bush because he promised you'd be better off. And today, the rich are better off. But working Americans are worse off, and the middle class is standing on a trap door. ...First, there was Mr. Bush's tax program. What happened was, he gave each of his rich friends enough tax relief to buy a Hummer—and then he asked your family to pay for the hubcaps.... And John McCain believes that the genius of America is in the boardrooms and exclusive country clubs. I believe that the greatness can be found in the men and women who built our nation, do its work, and defend our freedom.... To the corporations and freeloaders who play the loopholes or pay no taxes, my message is: Your free ride is over. When the American economy leads the world, the jobs are here, the prosperity is here for our children. But that's not what's happening today. This is the worst trade year in American history. Three million of our best jobs have gone overseas. Mr. Bush has done nothing about it. They have no plan to get our competitive edge back. But we do. We will cut the deficits, reduce interest rates, make our exports affordable, and make America No. 1 again in the world economy.... We will launch a renaissance in education, in science, and learning. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. And this must be the best-educated, best-trained generation in American history."

Take the quiz and figure out who's speech is who's.

The Messiah on a bicycle

You wouldn't think Jesus would need a helmet!

Jesus smokes?

ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Senator Barack Obama told reporters in St. Louis today that he has fallen off the wagon and smoked cigarettes in the last few months.

Watch the VIDEO HERE.

Do you think Jesus ate arugula too?

Bush regrets his legacy

Per this article

President Bush has admitted to The Times that his gun-slinging rhetoric made the world believe that he was a “guy really anxious for war” in Iraq. He said that his aim now was to leave his successor a legacy of international diplomacy for tackling Iran.

In an exclusive interview, he expressed regret at the bitter divisions over the war and said that he was troubled about how his country had been misunderstood. “I think that in retrospect I could have used a different tone, a different rhetoric.”

George buddy.... Take it from a guy that has supported the war effort. You have no one to blame but yourself.

I still have to believe that there are things we may never know about this war effort. Regardless, this administration did the poorest sales job on this war and the aftermath in the history of the world (to quote Bill Walton).

Time and time again, he and his administration failed to link the Iraqi invasion to the larger war on terror. I never heard one time about Abu musab al-Zarqawi link to Iraq and Al Queda. I had to learn about it by reading thousand of articles on the subject.

It's a given the media never helped the cause, but he is president of the United States for crying out loud. He has the largest bully pulpit in the world. Use it.

Even now, as our country is being victimized with spiraling oil profits, Bush has the perfect opportunity to help is country and stick it to democrats by pushing for domestic drilling. What do we hear instead? (Birds chirping)

Part of being president is to rally support for your agenda. In Bush's case, he gets a big fat F.

I can't tell if it's because he actually lacks an agenda, or thinks that he doesn't need to push one.