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NY Islanders Sign Player for 15 Years

Posted by Sapper on Thursday, September 28, 2006 4:28:42 PM
After the first season of the salary cap in which NHL owners locked out the players in order to institute a cap saving them from themselves, the New York Islanders GM, Garth Snow, formerly a goalie for the Isles, signed young goalie DiPietro to a 15-year contract.

Something tells me that sooner or later, the Islanders are going to regret this record-breaking deal.
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Berkeley Actually Makes Kids Dumber

Posted by Sapper on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 4:30:55 PM
At least when it comes to education on civics and government (hat tip Allen Erstein).  Frankly this is absolutely no surprise to me but a survey of civics knowledge in US Universities showed that students were appallingly ill-prepared to participate in our great Republic.

This quote was particularly funny, yet sad (from SFGate.com):


"At UC Berkeley, the results showed freshmen knew more than soon-to-graduate seniors. Freshmen scored an average of 60.4, and seniors scored an average of 54.8. That earned Cal a failing grade, the researchers said."

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Democrats are Afraid of Steele

Posted by Sapper on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 3:58:05 PM
Michael Steele, the only african-american elected to statewide office in my native state of Maryland is a truly viable candidate and the democrats know it.  In fact they're afraid of him.

In an election year where the conventional wisdom calls for big losses to the Republicans, democrat stronghold, Maryland may yet elect a Republican Senator.  From the Baltimore Sun:

"Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, the Senate's lone African-American, praised Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin today in a Maryland Senate race pitting a black Republican against a white Democrat.

'You gotta put this guy in the Senate,' Obama told a crowd of about 300, before clasping hands with Cardin. "Put on your marching shoes -- we're going to get out and march for Ben Cardin.'"

Kweisi Mfume joined in the act:

"Cardin's appearance with Obama and Mfume -- in Steele's majority-black home county of Prince George's -- was intended to send a message that black voters support Cardin."

Certainly the party that claims to want a "colorblind society" spends an awful lot of attention focused on the color of its voters.   Hmmmmmmm.
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7-11 Says "Adios" to Citgo

Posted by Sapper on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 3:37:21 PM
Courtesy of the Arizona Republic:

"DALLAS - Convenience store operator 7-Eleven Inc. is dropping Venezuela-backed Citgo as its gasoline supplier at more than 2,100 locations and switching to its own brand of fuel.

The retailer said Wednesday it will purchase fuel from several distributors, including Tower Energy Group of Torrance, Calif., Sinclair Oil of Salt Lake City, and Houston-based Frontier Oil Corp.

A spokeswoman for Dallas-based 7-Eleven said its 20-year contract with Citgo Petroleum Corp. ends next week. About 2,100 of 7-Eleven's 5,300 U.S. stores sell gasoline.

Citgo is a Houston-based subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, and the foreign parent became a public-relations issue for 7-Eleven because of comments by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Chavez has called President George W. Bush the devil and an alcoholic. The U.S. government has warned that Chavez is a destabilizing force in Latin America...."


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Let the Blogs Do Intelligence

Posted by Sapper on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 1:31:13 PM
Forget the idea of letting the military run the CIA.  Dean Barnett makes an excellent point about the quality of the NIE and the bureaucrats who put it together.  It's horribly obtuse.

They should open-source the data and let the blogs take care of it.  I bet it would take about 3 days for a wave of intel bloggers to set up and start operating 100X more effectively than the CIA and you wouldn't have to worry about selective leaks to the New York Times.
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Abe Election is Good News to United States

Posted by Sapper on Tuesday, September 26, 2006 4:19:08 PM
Newly elected Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, should be an ally to the United States.  The US government could do well by partnering with conservative nationalist Abe.  Courtesy of Rueters, via the Star online:

"Japan's new prime minister, Shinzo Abe, pledged on Tuesday to boost the country's role in global affairs and revive respect for traditional values at home. 

Abe, who at 52 became the youngest Japanese leader since World War Two, also said he wanted to improve ties with China - frayed by predecessor Junichiro Koizumi's visits to a shrine for war dead - and keep economic reforms on track while addressing voter concerns about widening social disparities...

A soft-spoken, popular lawmaker whose grandfather was also prime minister, Abe reiterated his call for tighter ties with Washington, pledged to work towards rewriting Japan's pacifist constitution and put more discipline in classrooms. 

He also promised to nurture growth while pushing ahead with the economic reforms begun by Koizumi, and give precedence to spending cuts in the struggle to rein in Japan's huge public debt, the biggest among advanced countries...."

Almost forgotten since 9/11, East Asian relations are of huge importance to the US and the globe.  Having a strong ally in Japan is of great importance to the US both in terms of trade issues and relations with North and South Korea and China.

Also, while Japan has been a huge contributor financially to peacekeeping and foreign aid in the past, Abe reportedly would push for increased Japanese military presence both at home and abroad, both of which would help take some of the burden off of US forces in Asia and around the world.

Abe's election is truly good news and possibly another repudiation that the US "Cowboy Diplomacy" of the Bush Administration has hurt our relations with our allies.  Japan has and will be one of the United States' strongest of it's true allies.

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Time for the Military to Run CIA

Posted by Sapper on Tuesday, September 26, 2006 3:03:59 PM
The CIA can no longer be trusted.  That's the bottom line.  The CIA is a politicized morass of incompetence and careerism from Miss "handy with an AK 47" (give me a break) Plame to totally inept career bureau-bunglers with our lives in their hands like Larry Johnson, a former Counterterrorism official, who wrote this in the New York Times in July of 2001:

"Judging from news reports and the portrayal of villains in our popular entertainment, Americans are bedeviled by fantasies about terrorism. They seem to believe that terrorism is the greatest threat to the United States and that it is becoming more widespread and lethal. They are likely to think that the United States is the most popular target of terrorists. And they almost certainly have the impression that extremist Islamic groups cause most terrorism.... None of these beliefs are based in fact.... While terrorism is not vanquished, in a world where thousands of nuclear warheads are still aimed across the continents, terrorism is not the biggest security challenge confronting the United States, and it should not be portrayed that way."

The bureaucracy has been waging a war of leaks and doublespeak against the President of the United States, their boss, the elected official entrusted to determine policy for years while we are at war for real.  The arrogance and disdain for the will of the people is simply intolerable and dangerous to democracy.  If unelected officials take it upon themselves to determine their own policies in the administering vital government functions like security of the Nation it is no longer a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

The CIA should be transferred immediately to the Department of Defense under the Joint Chiefs.  Division heads within the CIA should be replaced with uniformed military officers sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United states and to obey all legal orders from their superiors.  And an Inspector General's office should be established outside of the chain of command, answerable directly to the Senate Intelligence Committee (IG) to guard against abuse of power.  True whistleblowers may go to the IG or Congress, leakers and spies should be tried under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

We can no longer afford to be an unserious nation when it comes to our security, not when fanatics around the world are one suitcase nuke away from sending this country into collapse.

Update:
(Hugh Hewitt on the NIE war)

(Ed Morrissey on releasing the NIE)

(QT Monster's Place)

(Michelle Malkin has some good quotes on the NIE release)

Update II:

Flopping Aces comments on the preposterous notion push by CIA malcontents and the NY Times that Iraq somehow fueled terrorism:

"So let me see…..fanatics inside Islam didn’t hate us as much prior to the Iraqi invasion? Ok then, please explain 9/11 itself. Why were we attacked with such viciousness and violence if there really wasnt that much radicalism? How about the Afghanistan invasion, they were a little bit miffed about that also. The Danish cartoons? Our support for Israel? Our support for the Saudi royal family?

Maybe Mark Mazzetti, the Times author, could explain why were attacked in Beirut 83', NYC 93', Africa 98', Cole 00', if the “radicalism” wasn’t as deeply “fueled”?"

Realcleartruth blogs on the same theme.

Update III:

Hugh Hewitt trashes the quality of the NIE and the Intel community.

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Baltimore Takes on a Tyrant

Posted by Sapper on Sunday, September 24, 2006 7:45:40 PM
Enough already!  That's what Baltimore Orioles fans have to say about losing seasons (9 straight and counting) and pint-sized Democrat trial lawyer and Castro-coddling owner, Peter G. Angelos. 


 

Angelos has lorded over the City from his asbestos and tobacco-lined throne since 1993 and has taken the once-proud Orioles franchise to unimaginable lows.  Reportedly, Angelos has profitted quite handsomely from owning the Orioles over the years but one cannot know the truth since Angelos, who promised to run an open organization and open the books to the public, has never actually done so.  He did however negotiate a guaranteed selling price of more than twice the amount he bought the team for at $350 million and a majority stake in a new regional sports network from MLB in compensation for their locating the Nationals just down the road in Washington, D.C.  Angelos is famous for firing any who dare oppose his views and runs the Orioles front office with an extraordinarily clumsy ironfist.  Both his ego and utter lack of any reason for it are famous throughout baseball.

The fans of Baltimore baseball nearly unanimously despise the man by this point.  Cheers to the fans of Baltimore and sports radio owner Nestor Aparicio of WNST for organizing a large, loud yet respectful walkout in the middle of another meaningless September baseball game in Baltimore.  Angelos, of course, replied in the only way he knows, he insulted the fans and Aparicio personally and failed to acknowledge any responsibility for the losing. 

Mr. Angelos, you are the only one who is responsible.  I firmly believe that while it is within a sports owners legal rights to run a team as he sees fit, within the bounds of his league franchise.  However, being an owner of a local institution, especially one as proud and storied as the Orioles, carries with it responsibility.  Congress, and thereby the People, have given MLB owners the right to operate a monopoly business as an exemption to the antitrust laws, presumably for the benefit of the public, not in spite of it.  We the People expect owners to behave more responsibly than spoiled kids with a new toy.

(Roch around the clock covers the walkout.)
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Osama Dead?

Posted by Sapper on Saturday, September 23, 2006 6:57:58 PM
 Leaked French documents indicate that Osama hay have died of Typhoid (Myway News).  Have to say it couldn't happen to a nicer guy but I have no doubt that there will be another to fill his shoes if true.  Contrary to the geopolitical genius of John Kerry and the rest of the Democrats, capturing a holed-up and emasculated Osama bin Laden will not single-handedly win the war on terror.  In fact, winning in Iraq is far more important at this point.
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California Screaming (Over Greenhouse Gasses)

Posted by Sapper on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 7:38:22 PM
 We can all relax.  California is going to solve global warming.  From the creators of the modern freeway, we now have the solution to global warming causing greenhouse gasses: Suing auto makers!

"....California filed a global warming lawsuit on Wednesday against Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp., Toyota Motor Corp. and three other automakers, charging that greenhouse gases from their vehicles have cost the state millions of dollars...."

The first question that comes to my mind is:  How many billions of dollars would it cost the State of California if automobiles were outlawed in the State as dangerous products.  If Bill Lockyer, the State Attorney General truly believes that these automobiles are causing great harm to the people and environment wouldn't the logical thing be to outlaw them?  Not doing so I think is tacit admission that not having automobiles would be more harmful than having them.

Don't get me wrong.  I am as concerned about the environment as the next Al Gore-nik.  But I just don't think the problem is as simple as "Corporations bad.  Government regulation good."  Global warming is most likely occurring.  Global warming would probably still be occurring even if there were only thousands rather than billions of humans and we were living in caves.  There are many more powerful influences in this universe than man, two of them being the sun and the earth. 

Can man be contributing to global warming?  Certainly.  Can we stop it?  Certainly not.  Should we even try to?  I don't know.  There is no doubt that vehicle and industrial emissions are harmful in a number of ways.  We should be looking for ways to minimize pollution.  I suggest that partnering with business and incentivizing cleaner methods would probably be more effective than demonizing necessary industries.

What is it the State of California wants to achieve?  Cleaner environments or billions of dollars extorted from auto-makers?
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E.J. Dionne Piles on the Pope

Posted by Sapper on Tuesday, September 19, 2006 11:14:53 PM
E.J. Dionne takes an unnecessary late-hit on the Pope (hat tip:  Captain's Quarters) , who has already practically supplicated himself before Mecca and all of Islam for the world to see.  Yet another Western leader to do so in the face of virulent and malicious naked hatred coming from much of the "Muslim Street".

In the interest of full disclosure:  I am agnostic and therefore, one would assume, somewhat objective on this matter.  I don't have a dog in this fight at all.  But perhaps my opinion may be somewhat biased by the fact that very few Catholics have slit the throats of stewardesses and flown passenger planes into buildings recently.  (Minor details).

Dionne's piece is obviously well thought out and it's obvious he's read the full context of the Pope's remarks before commenting -- something I doubt many of the Pope's detractors have done.  But the problem is, his fundamental argument is flawed.  He makes the mistake that many in this country make, namely that to assume that the "Muslim Street" will behave reasonably if left unprovoked, is just not supported by the reality.  Dionne states:

"...there is no getting around it: The pope made a big mistake, creating problems for himself, his church and the West...."

The problem with this statement is that it ignores the fact that Pope did not create this problem for the West.  That "problem" already existed.  The problem is that freedom of thought and expression are simply not compatible with Islamic Fundamentalism.  From Dutch Cartoons to "Satanic Verses", much of modern Islam behaves like a spoiled child throwing a temper tantrum every time someone dare point out its darker side.  Meanwhile, it is hardly rare to hear many of the leaders of Muslim world denounce the West in the harshest of terms.  I have to believe that these leaders speak for a vast portion of the Muslim world.  Dionne, to his credit, acknowledges this blatant hypocrisy:

"...Benedict's defenders have a point when they question whether his comments fully justify the explosion against him in the Muslim world. A significant number of Muslim religious leaders have said some harsh things about Christians, Jews and Western secularists in recent years. Would that all of Benedict's Muslim critics were as critical of anti-Christian or anti-Jewish statements from their own side...."

But he goes on to, wrongly, imply that liberal tolerance and sensitive "dialogue" will somehow span the chasm between our worlds.  I'm sorry to point out this ugly truth but although all men are created equal, all cultures are not.  Every member of mankind deserves respect and a voice but let his arguments be judged on its merits not its decibel level.

(Powerline and Michael Medved weigh in.)
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Welcome to the Sapper Lounge

Posted by Sapper on Tuesday, September 19, 2006 8:17:22 PM
Welocome to the newly created Sapper Lounge.  Hopefully you will enjoy this blog as much as I do.  I plan on covering a range of topics including: politics, media, sports and culture.

Hang on for the ride and feel free to be free.
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