OK, I'll admit it. Sometimes, when I'm bored, I'll self-google and see where my posts are being talked about. Usually, it's linked by someone I know from the comments section here at Ace's, but sometimes we have a newbie wander in and then leave to spread the Gospel of Russ throughout the Intarwebthingys.

I had a couple of people link to my piece about flooding & tornados in Iowa from a couple of weeks ago, and my stuff about representing Teh Fred! at the Iowa Caucus got a little bit of heat around the web as well. And the bacon eating contest? It got some exposure, but mainly due to the tireless promotion I got from mesablue over at "The Hostages". That boy sure looooves his bacon.

A few days ago, I wrote a piece about Chris Dodd discussing his recent involvement with Countrywide Financial and relating a story about his blatant pandering to Iowa voters back in the Fall of 2007. Little did I know that my post would be excerpted in the comments of THIS BLOG. (The post & it's content aren't NSFW, but the blog's title might raise a few eyebrows, so take care hitting the link at work.)

I like you morons. I like the fact that Ace trusts me enough to let me post stuff on his blog without previewing it first. I like the spirited debate we have over serious issues. Hell, I even like it when trolls try to poke holes in my arguments (especially when they come to Ace's on the short bus, ifyouknowwhatImeanandIthinkyoudo). But what I REALLY like is when some stranger finds my work and likes it enough to cut & paste and show it off to a whole different intarwebthingy clique. It's like they're allowing me to come into their village & impregnate their womenfolk, so that my progeny will live and flourish under their protection. Or something like that.

* One month's free subscription to the AoSHQ for anyone who can spot the quote. If you're already a subscriber, we'll have Gabe stop by and detail your car or mow your yard. Either way, you're a winner.

Posted by: Russ from Winterset at 08:14 AM | Comments (19)
Post contains 417 words, total size 2 kb.

Get it while it's hot:

"I am still tortured by the memory of three cousins standing in a circle around me, at the impressionable age of 10, mocking my early development and telling me that I was going to be the Asian Dolly Parton."

She drops this nugget in an article supposedly about the feasibility of transforming the movement of breasts into useful energy that can, say, power an iPod or cellphone.

I am scanning the article for coded information about her phone number.

Thanks to Kevin.

Posted by: Ace at 07:59 AM | Comments (32)
Post contains 99 words, total size 1 kb.

SurveyUSA puts support for expanded offshore drilling at 59%, even among our goofiest minority, Californian-Americans.

Posted by: Ace at 07:52 PM | Comments (64)
Post contains 33 words, total size 1 kb.

Not so pristine as to be above
a bit of dirtying up!

Alas, the demand was directed at Harry Reid, so, you know.

Posted by: Ace at 05:55 PM | Comments (50)
Post contains 43 words, total size 1 kb.

Honestly. Without regard to the whole "should they be attacked" argument.

This is the freaky awesome combat effectiveness of Iran?

Fuck. They make Saddam's army look the German 9th.

Bad analogy. Blaskowitz's 9th without wheels and grits.

The fearsome tactical power of Iran, in your face.

Hinds. Scuds. The occasional field battery. And a bunch of guys with beards and Kalashnikovs, aka "targets". Nice spats though.

This isn't a projection of power. That's laughable. What's it supposed to be, a distraction?

Until they can project real power. Then things change.

UPDATE: The Sun Kings of VAW 116 say bring it.

more...

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 05:49 PM | Comments (52)
Post contains 125 words, total size 1 kb.

Ha, ha. From Jenjhis to press release.

In a statement released by his spokesman, Imus claimed:

"I meant that he was being picked on because he's black."

Nice.

Thanks to Allah for sending that over.

That quote is from some news agency whose name I forget. I guess if you really want to read the article you can click to Hot Air.

Posted by: Ace at 05:38 PM | Comments (10)
Post contains 88 words, total size 1 kb.

The hope here is that regular non-feloniously inclined voters won't be antagonized by pandering to pre-cons or ex-cons.

...The push for new and nontraditional voters is so targeted and aggressive that an NAACP official in Ohio said her organization plans to pursue individuals who are incarcerated but who have not yet been tried or sentenced and, therefore, under state law, remain eligible to vote...

...Ex-offenders are "just everywhere," said Jocelyn Travis, who heads the Ohio NAACP's voter outreach program. "People who have a felony or criminal background are throughout our community, and they don't realize that they have the right to vote."...

If its something like job training, then maybe he'll get away with it. If it smells anything like being soft on crime, then the blowback might well exceed the gain.

Ballsy move. I really want to see how this pans out.

Posted by: Purple Avenger at 04:09 PM | Comments (17)
Post contains 186 words, total size 1 kb.

I've had this post tickling the back of my brain for a week or so now, and I guess I'd better get it out there before the court comes down with their decision and renders my opinion moot.

Like it says in the title, I'm not a lawyer, so any arcane legal issues regarding "original intent" or "stare decesis" or "finders keepers, losers weepers" are outside the bounds of my work here. I'm just looking at the issue with my limited knowledge of history and firearms and trying to give a unique perspective on one thought that might have been in the minds of our Founders as they were writing the Constitution.

more...

Posted by: Russ from Winterset at 04:05 PM | Comments (53)
Post contains 2153 words, total size 13 kb.

Audio here. Discussing Adam "Pac-Man" Jones ' scrapes with the law with Warner Wolf, Imus said:

Imus: “What color is he?”

A: “He’s African American.”

Imus: “Well there you go… now we know.”

Jenghis guesses at the spin: Imus is going to claim "now we know" why cops are persecuting poor Pac-Man. It's because they're racist and racially targeting him, and so he's really on the side of the anti-racists here.

I don't think he should be disciplined either way, but damn, that is definitely good spin. I think Jenjhis is right.

Howard Stern did this all the time. Robin Quivers would begin reading a news story, without even tipping what the story was about, and just state the name of the person concerned. If the name were a Hispanic one or black-sounding, Stern would immediately declare "Guilty," which was especially funny when it didn't even turn out to be a crime story at all but, for example, Jamal Washington winning the Power Ball lottery. "Well I'm sure he did something," Stern would add in that situation.

Never got any heat for that. Or at least no heat that actually resulted in being disciplined or calls for his firing.

So I don't get all the outrage we're sure to see here concerning Imus. I guess if there's a difference, it's that Stern was going so far over the top it was obviously a joke (even if it was a joke with a bit of bite and seriousness to it), whereas Imus just seems like an old crank not really making a joke but just saying "Well, what can you expect from those people."

Still, kind of a thin distinction.

Jenjhis says I should give credit to talk show host Dori Monson, from whom the story was gotten.

Posted by: Ace at 12:46 PM | Comments (30)
Post contains 327 words, total size 2 kb.

A classic case of saying something that's doubtlessly true but shouldn't be said out loud.

"The assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December was an 'unfortunate event,' says Black. 'But his knowledge and ability to talk about it reemphasized that this is the guy who's ready to be Commander-in-Chief. And it helped us.' As would, Black concedes with startling candor after we raise the issue, another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. 'Certainly it would be a big advantage to him,' says Black."

Naturally and appropriately, McCain isn't amused.

"I cannot imagine why he would say it," said McCain. "ItÂ’s not true. IÂ’ve worked tirelessly since 9/11 to prevent another attack on the United States of America."

"My record is very clear," he continued. "The Armed Services Committee, and pieces of legislation. Sponsoring with Joe Lieberman the 9/11 Commission so we could find out the causes and how to fix the challenges that we face to fix the security of our nation. I cannot imagine it. And, uh. So, I would...If he said that, and I do not know the context, I strenuously disagree."

That answer isn't very clear but I imagine he was surprised by the question and was trying not to say something along the lines of, 'that idiot said what?'

Expect Senator Obama (D- Hope and Change) to pounce on the whole, 'Republicans are trying to scare you' thing. Cause, that'll be a new line of attack for Democrats.

UPDATE: Black apologizes.

“I deeply regret the comments -- they were inappropriate. I recognize that John McCain had devoted his entire adult life to protecting this country ... and placing its security above every other consideration.”

And after he gets beat up on the cable shows tonight, we can all move on.

Posted by: DrewM at 12:29 PM | Comments (17)
Post contains 312 words, total size 2 kb.