Rush Limbaugh in the Hospital

My wife and I were at a pre-New Year's Eve party at the Coconut Grove in Santa Cruz last night.  I checked my Iphone and saw an email telling of Rush's apparent heart attack and trip to the hospital.  I worried about him last night until I went to bed around 2 AM.  It was a relief this morning to see that he is resting comfortably and that his condition is stable.

Get well soon, Rush.

Western Denial and the Islamic Threat

Another Black Conservative has an interesting post this morning, in which Dick Cheney criticizes Obama for his denial of the war declared on us by Islamic extremists.   Cheney said, in part:

"As I’ve watched the events of the last few days it is clear once again that President Obama is trying to pretend we are not at war. He seems to think if he has a low key response to an attempt to blow up an airliner and kill hundreds of people, we won’t be at war. He seems to think if he gives terrorists the rights of Americans, lets them lawyer up and reads them their Miranda rights, we won’t be at war. He seems to think if we bring the mastermind of 9/11 to New York, give him a lawyer and trial in civilian court, we won’t be at war."

Cheney makes a good point, but it applies to more than just Obama.  Many western politicians, political leaders and media types are in denial about the Islamic threat.  They seem to think that by redefining the terrorist war on the west, they can make it go away, or at least transform it into something less frightening.  The reality of an external threat is highly inconvenient to those who already despise their own country.  9/11 generated a lot of patriotism within the United States, making the goals of the hate-America crowd much more difficult.  Denial then becomes a key counter strategy of the disloyal left and right.

Denial can be deadly, however, as 9/11 proved.  Denial takes many forms.  For many liberals, Islamic terrorism is merely unlawful activity to be fought and punished by the police and courts of law.  For nutcases like the 9/11 Truthers movement ("9/11 was an inside job"), there is no threat at all, except for the one posed by our own federal government.  If 9/11 represented a declaration of war by Islamic extremists, then they would be honor bound to do something about it.  They would have to acknowledge that pacifism doesn't work, that our wars in the Middle East are morally justified, that multiculturalism is a lie, that their own personal value systems are culturally based and not the law of nature as they previously believed.

So, they just deny the existence of terrorism altogether.  There is no external threat, just a massive, intricate and widespread conspiracy by a high cabal right here in our own government.  This is denial on a massive scale, substituting an absurd fantasy for an unpleasant reality.

Others try to provide justification for the terrorists' actions.  They are merely reacting to "American Imperialism," or are annoyed by our carbon emissions, our support of Israel, our national arrogance.  Again, it is denial.  Since Muslims have murdered 280 million people since Muhammad invented the wretched religion, what "Imperialism" were the Muslims reacting to?  Was it Hindu imperialism that caused the Muslims to murder 40 million Hindus (the latest installment being the Mumbai, India massacre of one year ago)?  School children imperialism that resulted in the terrorist murder of 300 children in Beslin, Russa?  Perhaps it was European imperialism that caused the Muslims to invade Europe in 1683 and make it all the way to the gates of Vienna before Christian forces stopped them?

History shows that wars with Islam were the result of Islamic aggression and Islamic imperialism, and not that of their victims.

Wise men and women do not attempt to reorder reality to fit their ideology.  They amend their ideology to fit reality.

Sea Lions, Like Many Other Californians, Are Leaving the State

Pier 39 in San Francisco has attracted large throngs of sea lions in the past few years (see top photo).

Sea lions are a species of seal, but unlike regular seals, sea lions have ear flaps and longer front flippers.  See bottom photo of a typical California sea lion.

I was up there at Pier 39 (which is now an upscale shopping mall) a few years ago and noticed the sea lions sunning themselves on the pier.  They really stank.  Think of several tons of dead and rotting fish.  That's what they smelled like.

But they were fun to watch.  One of them will bark ever few minutes:  "Arf, Arf, Arf, Arf, Arf!"  It's almost always five "arfs."  Must be a union rule.

Now the sea lions have moved out of Pier 39.  A week or so back, there were 1,500 of them there, and now there is only about a dozen.  Scientists are saying they are probably just following their food supply, which consists largely of sardines and anchovies.

However, I see from a post at Left Coast Rebel that California is the leading state for outbound immigration.  Californians are leaving the state like rats from a sinking ship.  California is not the only liberal state seeing a net decrease in population.  New York and Michigan are other examples.  The state with the greatest net gain in new residents is the state of Texas.  I'd move there too if I could.

Sounds like sea lions aren't the only ones following the food supply.

"Mythbusters" Erik Gates Dies in 30 Foot Fall (Photo)

Erik Gates, one of the cast of the popular TV show "Mythbusters," died yesterday in a freak accident.  He was walking on a roof and apparently fell through a skylight, falling 30 feet to the floor.  He was taken to a hospital where he later died.  Gates was a rocket expert and appeared on "Mythbusters" numerous times, although he was apparently not a regular member of the cast.

That's Erik Gates in the top picture.  However, he is not one of the two main hosts of the program.  They are Jamie Hyneman (front row wearing a beret) and Adam Savage (front row wearing black frame glasses).  The people in the back row (from left to right) are Grant Imahara, Kari Byron and Tory Belleci.

Music and Musicians on Monday: Stogie the Bass Player Strikes Again

I didn't blog yesterday because I was getting ready to practice with a band in San Jose.  They do a mixed bag of songs, including classic rock, pop and standards.  They have a guitar player, a drummer, a female singer who is quite good, and another musician who plays keyboard and also flute.  They are looking for a bass player and that was my role.  For this band I played my Fender bass guitar rather than my upright bass.

I didn't feel much like practicing but once the music got going, so did I.  The band seemed to like me and said so.  They wanted to play Peggy Lee's "Fever," and asked me to play the bass intro, which I know, so I started in and after the second run-through the band and singer seamlessly joined in.  It was quite cool. (See video of Peggy Lee embedded on the right - note the bass intro.)  We went on to practice for about five hours.

They gave me a handful of sheet music and a CD of their songs and told me to come back next Sunday, their regular practice day.  The guitar player told me about chordie.com, where you can print out lyrics and chords for all kinds of songs that musicians post there.   It's like an online fake book.  I depend a lot on my ear and my ear has become razor sharp at discerning keys and chords, but there is nothing like have the music right in front of you.  Duh!  So I will now begin collecting sheet music and fake books (musician books of many songs with lyrics and chords).  That is clearly the fastest way to get ready to play.

I learned something from this practice, and that was to gather sheet music or sheets with lyrics and chords, as it will quickly add more songs to my repertoire.  I have a lot of Jamey Aebersold books of song chords, but the music doesn't contain the lyrics, and that makes the chord changes difficult to follow.  Without the lyrics, it is easy to get lost.  Now I know why my progress has been slow following the sheet music chords.

Funny, when you push on doors they sometimes open to the answers you seek.

Islam, a Terrorist Ideology and the West's Slow Awakening

In light of the terrorist attempt to bomb a plane on Christmas day, more people are waking up to the Islamic threat.  No, Islam is not a religion of peace.  It is, and always has been, a religion of war, aggression and imperialism.

There are a couple of news items today that support my statement above.

Ralph Peters in the New York Post writes that we are lying to ourselves about Islam.  He writes:

Despite vast databases crammed with evidence, our leaders -- of both parties -- still refuse to connect Islamist terrorism with Islam.  Our insistence that "Islam's a religion of peace" would have been cold comfort to the family members of those passengers had the bomb detonated as planned.

The U.K. Telegraph ran an editorial, a murderous ideology tolerated for too long.  The editorial says 

Jihadist Islamism is also a murderous ideology, comparable to Nazism in many respects. The British public realises this; so do the intelligence services. Yet because it arises out of a worldwide religion – most of whose followers are peaceful – politicians and the public sector shrink from treating its ideologues as criminal supporters of violence. Instead, the Government throws vast sums of money at the Muslim community in order to ensure that what is effectively a civil war between extremists and moderates is won by the latter. This policy – supported by all the main political parties – does not seem to be working. 

Meanwhile, the American mainstream press are trying to engender sympathy for the terrorist of Flight 253, saying that he "was lonely and depressed."  (Awwwwww!)  So it is loneliness and depression that leads to Islamic terror!  At last, we have the key connection!  Terrorists are people who just need a hug!  Idiots!

Lorne Gunter of the Edmonton Journal adds more common sense to the discussion.  He writes that, because of the attempt on the Detroit bound flight, the airlines will devise more passenger tests and taboos to "prevent" terrorism, but it is mostly for show.  With each new ban -- from box cutters to sports drinks, terrorists will simply invent new ways to carry and hide explosives.  Gunter notes that the west will continually engage the PC fiction that all passengers are equal in their potential as terrorists, instead of profiling young Muslim males, who are by far the most likely terrorists.  Profiling would greatly improve security and reduce the risks of a serious terrorist attack.

Read it all at the link above.  (Hat tip:  American Power)

The Hero of Flight 253: Dutch Man Leaps Over Passengers to Subdue Terrorist

Jasper Schuringa (left) is a film director from the Netherlands.  He was on board Flight 253 from Amsterdam yesterday when a Nigerian terrorist attempted to destroy the plane in flight.  Schuringa jumped on the terrorist, who had flames coming from under his legs.  Schuringa beat out the flames with his bare hands and ripped off the small bottle taped to the terrorist's leg.  He then put the suspect in a choke hold and walked him to the front of the plane.

Read it all here.

Islamic Terrorism on Northwest Flight 253: Nigerian Man Tries to Burn Plane (Video)

On Christmas day, a Nigerian terrorist attempted to destroy a plane in flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. The plane was Flight 253, carrying 289 people, including crew. The suspect attempted to light an incendiary device and was subdued by an alert passenger, who jumped on him. The Nigerian, who has ties to Al-Qaeda, only managed to burn himself. He is now hospitalized in Michigan.

Apparently, the suspect, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, taped powdered chemicals to his leg. These were hidden under his pants. Mutallab ignited the chemicals with a syringe containing a liquid chemical detonator.  When the mixture ignited, Mutallab's legs were badly burned.  Apparently, there was no significant damage to the plane.

Read more about it here.

Here's a video of a passenger telling what happened.

Vince Guaraldi's "Christmas Time Is Here" (Video)

I have been noticing a growing number of visitors looking for information on the late, great jazz pianist, Vince Guaraldi.  I have two previous posts on Guaraldi that honored him on the anniversary of his death, here and more importantly, here.  It seems the Christmas season revives interest in the Vince Guaraldi Trio, since the trio was famous for its music in "A Charlie Brown Christmas," recorded in 1965.

Below is a video (of music only) featuring Vince Guaraldi's instrumental version of "Christmas Time Is Here."

A Christmas Present from the Democrats (Exchanges Not Allowed)

Obama Sinks to New Low in Daily Tracking Poll

We hate what he's doing to America but we're stuck with him for three more years. Suicide, anyone?

Incredible! Health Care Bill Forbids Any Amendment or Repeal

A section of the health care bill reads:

"It shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection."

In other words, the authors of this monstrosity seek to make it illegal to amend it or repeal it.  They want to force it on an unwilling public and make it impossible for them to escape.  Jim DeMint of South Carolina said that he found that "particularly troubling."  He added:

"We will be passing a new law and at the same time creating a Senate rule that makes it out of order to amend or even repeal the law. I'm not even sure that it's constitutional."

Fox News reports that numerous legal challenges to the bill are already being written.  The bill may be dead on arrival as soon as it is passed.  Of course, that assumes the Supreme Court will properly interpret and defend the Constitution, something they don't always do.

If the bill does indeed pass the legal challenges, it will be time to consider radical action, e.g. state nullification of the new law, a mass march on Washington, a general strike, mass civil disobedience, even secession of the red states if necessary.

Is Charles Johnson (of LGF) a Transvestite Cross-Dresser?

Over at his transvestite (1) website, Charles Johnson, when he isn't trying on pantyhose (2), likes to disparage conservative pundits and bloggers with outrageous smears.  For instance, he regularly refers, venomously and falsely, to Robert S. McCain as a "white supremacist" and his blog The Other McCain as a "white supremacist website," which of course, it is not.

Crazy Charley (see him in drag in the photo on the left) has become as mad as the hatter in "Alice in Wonderland." Increasingly withdrawn from the real world, Crazy Charley has surrounded himself with a shrinking circle of ass-kissing sycophants.  He and his blog have been often parodied as Hitler hiding in his bunker while Russian shells destroy Berlin above him, surrounded by his last loyal Generals who vow to die with him.  It is an apt comparison.

At his pathetic blog, Little Green Footballs, Charley doesn't allow unregistered visitors to comment on his unending paranoid rants, thereby adding a reality check to someone who desperately needs one.  Charley can't debate because the facts are not on his side, he can't form a coherent argument and because he has a very thin skin and cannot bear any disagreement or criticism.

Charley will not be disabused of his delusions and refuses to take his Thorazine (3), with the result that the Mad Hatter of the Blogosphere continues to rant, insult, libel and slime anyone who is more successful at blogging than he is, namely, Michele Malkin and Robert Stacy McCain.  Lately he has a new ass-kissing toadie in the guise of one Barrett Brown.  Ain't that cute, but as Jack Nicholson once quipped, "Go sell crazy someplace else -- we're all stocked up here."

Barrett Brown has criticized McCain for once using the name of a "slave-holding Confederate general" as a pseudonym while making posts to various websites.  Gee, you mean like Nathan Bedford Forrest?  My great grandpappy rode with him and I'm proud of it!  Terrible, terrible.

Perhaps McCain should have used "George Washington" as a pseudonym instead.  Oh wait.  Washington was a slave owner.  Oh I know!  Thomas Jefferson!  No, he owned slaves too.  How about Ulysses S. Grant?  No, even the great Yankee general reportedly owned a couple his wife used as maids (and who reportedly stated that if  he "thought the Civil War was to end slavery, he would resign [his] commission and offer his sword to the other side.")  William Penn?  Profligate slave owner.  I could go on, but you get the idea.

As a matter of fact, with the exception of John Jay and a few others, most of the Founding Fathers were either slave owners, slave brokers or otherwise believed in the institution.  Maybe McCain could have called himself "Abraham Lincoln."  Well, Lincoln never owned slaves, thought the institution was wicked and immoral, but he was definitely a white supremacist who wanted to deport all American blacks somewhere outside the United States.  So if he used Abraham Lincoln as his pseudonym, Barrett Brown could then say that "McCain used the name of a well-known white supremacist as a pseudonym, thereby proving by association that McCain is himself a white supremacist."  A biased author (like Brown) can slant it many ways, depending on the factors he wants to attribute to his target.

Well I can tell you, Barrett, that Stacy McCain does not agree with slavery and, like me, like Robert E. Lee, and like most other modern-day Confederate descendants, think it was evil.  However, men of history lived in other times, circumstances and social mores.  It is asinine to judge these people by 21st century standards and 145 years of hindsight.  We can, however, legitimately admire these men for the attributes still admired in modern times: leadership, courage, patriotism, sacrifice, dedication and honor.

Did it ever occur to you that there are legitimate things to admire in these men of history regardless of slavery?  No, because you are an idiot who is ignorant of history.  And your attempt to twist this legitimate admiration into modern-day "racism" or "white supremacy" will only get you a well-kicked ass in blog debates.

Notes referenced above:
(1) Charley's website is as much of a "transvestite website" as R.S. McCain's is a "white supremacist website."  If Charley can brazenly lie like a dog, it is only fair to give him a taste of his own medicine.
(2) I do not know for certain whether CJ tries on pantyhose or not, but then he doesn't know that McCain is a "white supremacist" or not.  My observation bears the same empirical proof offered by crazy Charley about McCain's alleged "racism," which is nothing more than my fanciful imagination.
(3) I do not know for sure if CJ has a prescription for Thorazine, but he should certainly ask his shrink for one, ASAP.

Related post at American Power
Related post at The Other McCain

Auschwitz Famous Sign "Arbeit Macht Frei" Stolen, Recovered in Pieces

Disgusting.  Punks in Poland stole the famous sign over the entrance to the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz.  The sign was fabricated by Jewish inmates of the prison and read "Arbeit Macht Frei," or "Work Shall Set You Free."  Polish police recovered the sign, but it was cut into three pieces by the thieves, perhaps to make it easier to carry and conceal.  Three men are being questioned by the police.

The U.K. Telegraph has the story here.

The GOP's Last Stand Against Obamacare

Senator John McCain told Chris Wallace of Fox News that Republicans will make a last stand against Obamacare, but they most likely will not be able to stop it.  He said:

“We will fight until the last vote.  We owe that to our constituents, because we must do everything – we must look back and say we did everything to prevent this terrible mistake from taking place.” 

The first order of business of the new Republican majority in 2010 is to repeal the massive governmental intervention into health care.  If they cannot, then individual states should simply refuse to go along, nullifying the federal government's illegal and unconstitutional invasion of the private sector.

Here's McCain's interview with Fox News:

Glenn Beck's Recipe for Sugar Cookies

Glenn Beck appeared on the Jay Leno show last night.  Beck gave his grandmother's recipe for sugar cookies, a favorite at Christmas time.  I found the recipe at Glenn Beck's website.  Here it is:

Grandma Janssens' Sugar Cookies

1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup sweet milk
2 level tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 level tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp butter flavoring
4 1/2 cups flour and a little more for rolling

Roll out 1/8 inch thick. Cut and bake. You can mix these and let stand in refrigerator several hours or even over night.

Then mix everything together, or at least everything but the flour, and then add the flour and bake at 350 degrees. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Troglopundit as the Evil Anaken (Photoshop)

Troglopundit dared Carol of No Sheeples Here to Photoshop his face onto an image of the Evil Anaken.

Carol declined.  However, I have no such scruples.  Here is my Photoshop with the originals below.

Note to Troglopundit:  if you want to look evil, close your mouth.  It's better that way.

Update:  Yellow eyes added
Update 2:  I improved the eyes, darkened the face and added shadows

Senator Ben Nelson to Vote for Obamacare

The Democrats' sweeping legislation on health care moves closer to passage.  Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska was the last hold-out, but was sufficiently bribed (legally, I mean) to vote for the bill.

The Democrats now have the 60 senate votes needed to pass the bill.  And they will pass it, over the objections of a majority of Americans who don't want Obamacare (51% vs 39% who do).

At this point conservatives should worry less about kicking the Democrats out in 2010 than in how to either nullify the Democrats' new socialist laws or secede from the union.

It's time.


See this flag?  It holds special meaning for those who believe in state sovereignty.

Obama's "Solid B Plus" (Cartoon)

Hat tip to ARRA News Service

Copenhagen Climate Summit Collapsing in Chaos

The meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark has been an absurd display of radicals, neo-communists and tin horn dictators scrambling for eco-bucks.  As the giant hoax of "man made" global warming unravels with disclosures of cheating and faked data, nature belly-laughs itself to delirium by dumping a huge, freezing blizzard on the participants.  Meanwhile, Al Gore continues to refuse questions from the press and runs from reporters, rather than subject himself to questions he can't answer about non-existent APG.

But to the rescue comes our charismatic leader, Barack Obama, who flies into the chaotic and disintegrating summit with a scintillating speech to inspire the participants and save the world for socialism.  Except that Obama's speech is boring, uninspired and disappointing to the socialists/kleptocrats, who find their open and extended palms are not greased as expected.  (But how will they pay for their military weapons, drugs and prostitutes? IT'S NOT FAIR.)

Alas, it is clear that the conglomeration of Copenhagen commies can't cope.  Chuckle!

Ray Stevens Sings "We the People!" (Video)

I found this link at ARRA News Service.  I've always liked Ray Stevens.  He came out with the classic "Ahab the Arab" when I was still in high school.

"Avatar" Another Hate-America Liberal Left Propaganda Film

That's according to Debbie Schlussel, who reviews films regularly.

She says "Avatar" is "long, boring, unoriginal and uber-left." From the way she describes it, it is another eco-freek paean to goddess Mother Earth, with evil capitalists trying to destroy another planet, "Pandora," in order to reap the mineral benefits buried in its crust and kill off the peaceful, loving and attuned-to-nature Pandorians, who look like painted Indians.

The left wing tripe coming out of Hollyweird these days almost writes itself.

See Debbie's review of "Avatar" here.

Update:  See Big Hollywood's more comprehensive review here.

Russians Reveal More Climate-Gate Cheating by Global Warmists

James Dillingpole, whose article in the UK Telegraph first revealed the Climategate controversy, has a second installment today on the unfolding hoax.

One of the way global warming scientists "prove" the earth is warming is by aggregating temperature data from meteorological stations throughout the globe.  Stations located in urban areas (ones that are surrounded by cities and towns) tend to show higher temperatures, because asphalt and concrete and buildings tend to trap heat.  Rural stations tend to show cooler temperatures, which are no doubt a better measure of the true, natural temperature.

Russia says that they have investigated and learned the global warming scientists merely cherry picked Russian meteorological stations that showed warmer temperatures and ignored rural stations with cooler temperatures.

Once again, it appears the global warmists have manipulated scientific data to produce the desired result, i.e. to exaggerate global warming.

Read it all here.

Copenhagen's Collection of Collectivist Kleptocrats

Writer Andrew Bolt says Hugo Chavez, the Communist leader of Venezuela, received standing ovations at the Copenhagen climate summit yesterday.

What did he do to excite the crowed?  He denounced capitalism.

Copenhagen's collection of collectivist kleptocrats are meeting to "fight global warming," and the way to do that is for producing countries (i.e. capitalists) to transfer billions of dollars to non-producing countries (i.e. socialists).  The giant climate hoax is nothing more than a giant scam, similar to those emails we all regularly receive from Nigeria informing us that we have won a million pounds or dollars (just supply your name and bank account number to receive your prize).

Get a life, losers.  There ain't no free lunch.  Capitalism works, socialism doesn't.

Read Andrew Bolt's article here.

Nidal Hasan, Suspected Fort Hood Shooter Out of Intensive Care Unit

Nidal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist who allegedly shot and killed 14 people at Fort Hood last month, is out of the intensive care unit.  He has been moved to a private hospital room.  Doctors say Hasan is paralyzed from the waist down from his injuries.  Pooooor guy! (Not). They'll probably have to help him onto the lethal injection gurney as he won't be able to mount it himself.  However, it will be weeks or even months before Hasan can be brought to trial.

Tiger Woods's Wife Is Leaving Him -- Just Before Christmas

I was afraid it would come to this.  Fox News is reporting that Tiger Woods's wife, Elin Nordegren, is moving out of their Florida mansion and returning to Sweden with the children.  Tiger is not going with them.

Read it all here.

The House from "A Christmas Story" (1983)

Fox News has a slideshow of pics of the 1983 TV movie "A Christmas Story," starring Darren McGavin as the father, Peter Billingsley as "Ralphie," and Melinda Dillon as the mom.  I love that Christmas story.

A fan bought the house used in the film and restored it to its appearance as seen in the film.  That includes the lady's leg lamp seen in the front window.  The house is located in Cleveland, Ohio, is now a museum of "A Christmas Story" and is open to the public.

Man Wins Lottery, Leaves Wife: What Would You Do?

A lady in Florida, Donna Campbell, is being evicted from her home because her husband left her high and dry.  This asshat won the lottery with a payoff of $19 million, shared among several airline mechanics who pooled their bets.  He didn't tell his wife about his winnings, and then left her without any support.

The husband's name is, appropriately, Arnim Ramdass.  Donna would sue him for her half of the winnings but she can't find him.

If I won the lottery, would I leave my wife?  Heck no.

But I would make HER take out the garbage from now on, and hereinafter that damn toilet seat would be staying in the UP position, Missus!


Read more here.

President Obama's Interesting Choice of Words

According to the Wall Street Journal:

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama pressed Senate Democrats to close ranks quickly behind a deal that has disappointed some liberals, saying Tuesday lawmakers are "on the precipice of an achievement that has eluded Congresses and presidents for generations."

The Prez was referring to the Democrats' tortured health bill, which may fall short of Obama's lofty socialist goals.  Lacking the support he needs to ram through a "single-payer" or "public option" bill, Obama is now into face-saving mode with a watered down bill.  The hard left of the Democrats are angry and want to kill the bill altogether.

On that point conservatives agree:  kill the bill.  It is still an unwelcome governmental intrusion into the private sector, for one thing, forcing insurance companies to cover "pre-existing conditions."  That would either bankrupt the insurance companies or raise the price of insurance for everyone else.

Covering "pre-existing condtions" is like buying fire insurance after your house burns down and expecting the insurance company to cover your loss.  Neat trick if you can do it.  It's the same old, number one goal of the Democrats:  to get something for nothing.

Obama is right about "being on the precipice," but it is no achievement.

Webster's definition of precipice:
1 : a very steep or overhanging place
2 : a hazardous situation; broadly : brink

Ben Bernanke is Time's "Person of the Year"

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has been named Time Magazine's "Person of the Year."

Many folks think Bernanke is a disaster, but at least Time didn't choose Nancy Pelosi, who was on the final list of possible choices.  Shudder!

Colonel Allen West Rouses the Troops (Video)

I saw this video on Hannity last night.  Col. Allen West, USMC retired, is running for Congress in Florida.  This video is of him giving an impromptu speech at a rally.  It has generated a lot of excitement among conservatives for Col. Allen West!  This is the kind of guy we need to revitalize the GOP and get it back on track.

Boing 787 Dreamliner Makes First Flight

The new Boeing 787 finally got off the ground in Everett, Washington. She's a nice looking plane.

Read all about it here.

100 Reasons Why "Man-Made Global Warming" is a Crock

The U.K. Daily Express has published a list of 100 reasons why anthropogenic global warming is a lie.  The first fifty are the best:  A sampling of the list follows.

HERE are the 100 reasons, released in a dossier issued by the European Foundation, why climate change is natural and not man-made:

1) There is “no real scientific proof” that the current warming is caused by the rise of greenhouse gases from man’s activity.

2) Man-made carbon dioxide emissions throughout human history constitute less than 0.00022 percent of the total naturally emitted from the mantle of the earth during geological history.

3) Warmer periods of the Earth’s history came around 800 years before rises in CO2 levels.

4) After World War II, there was a huge surge in recorded CO2 emissions but global temperatures fell for four decades after 1940.

5) Throughout the Earth’s history, temperatures have often been warmer than now and CO2 levels have often been higher – more than ten times as high.

6) Significant changes in climate have continually occurred throughout geologic time.

7) The 0.7C increase in the average global temperature over the last hundred years is entirely consistent with well-established, long-term, natural climate trends. 

Read it all here.

"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" (Sung by Thurl Ravenscroft)

I always love Ravenscroft's song about the Grinch. Ravenscroft was also the voice of "Tony the Tiger." Great baritone.  Enjoy.

Sunday Roundup: Copenhagen, Tiger Woods, Barack Obama and the Price of Tea in China

Copenhagen:  So what's up with this Copenhagen thing?  Here it is in a nutshell:  the world's nations are meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark to agree on global rules for stopping man-made global warming.  There is no man-made global warming, but that won't stop them from creating draconian rules that will suffocate our economy, transfer billions of our hard-earned dollars to third-world countries and severely reduce our economic future and individual freedoms.

Protestors at the Copenhagen meeting are mostly communists who want these severe measures to pass.  They know that these measures are really "socialism by other means."  You think the economy is bad now?  As President Obama once promised, "You ain't seen nothin' yet!"



Tiger Woods:  The world's greatest golfer and most popular athlete shot himself in both feet two weeks ago when his multiple affairs with beautiful women were revealed.  Overnight his lucrative product endorsements disappeared from the airways, his wife is considering divorce, and Tiger's face is red, which isn't easy for a black guy.  On the advice of his wife, Tiger has now withdrawn from professional golf until further notice, or at least until the swelling goes down.  Experts say Tiger will never regain his image as the wholesome, all-American guy, in which case he should change his professional endorsements from razor blades and automobiles to Viagra and Trojans.  Except that Tiger apparently doesn't need the former and didn't use the latter.   Oh well.  We still love ya, Tiger, come back soon.  And put some ice on that.

Barack Obama:  Barack Obama, perhaps the most over-hyped president in American history, has fallen on bad times.  The homeless are now naming their new shanty-towns "Obamavilles," similar to the "Hoovervilles" of the Great Depression.  President Obama vowed to fight the new depression by issuing free cardboard boxes for the homeless to live in, and free downloads of the song "Brother Can You Spare a Dime?"  However, I'm not sittin' on my butt.  My new street corner business, selling apples, is doing great.  I sold two yesterday.  That's me on the left.

In any case, Prez Obama's approval rating continues to fall, with the latest Rasmussen " Presidential Approval Index" standing at negative 19 points.  That is his worst showing so far, but "You ain't seen nothin' yet!"

Price of Tea in China: What is the price of tea in China these days?  Beats the hell out of me.  It's hard to believe, but I don't know everything.

Population Control Nonsense from the Frozen North

Canada's National Newspaper has called for limiting all families to one child, i.e. to follow the China model of population control.  The Canadian Financial Post claims (but does not support their claim) that:

The world's other species, vegetation, resources, oceans, arable land, water supplies and atmosphere are being destroyed and pushed out of existence as a result of humanity's soaring reproduction rate.

What soaring reproduction rate?  Recent studies have shown that Europe and other regions, i.e. Russia and Japan, are presently committing demographic suicide with reproduction rates that are well below replacement levels.  The United States is staying even at about 2 births per married couple, and that is only because of immigration from Mexico.  In Canada, the birth rate is only 1.6 births per couple and Canada's population would be declining except for Muslim immigration.  Like Europe, Canada is committing demographic and cultural suicide.

Populations are increasing in some third world countries and throughout the Islamic world; however, it is doubtful that those countries will enact draconian population controls based on some Canadian's theories.  Indeed, Europe and Russia are in danger of becoming Islamic over time as surging Muslim birthrates replace the current "infidel" populations.  Europe and Russia need higher domestic birth rates, not less, or their societies will gradually be replaced.

Naturally, the Canadian's suggested "cure" for our non-existent population growth is (surprise!) greater government control over our individual lives.  The Financial Post explains:

For those who balk at the notion that governments should control family sizes, just wait until the growing human population turns twice as much pastureland into desert as is now the case, or when the Amazon is gone, the elephants disappear for good and wars erupt over water, scarce resources and spatial needs.

More unproven nightmare scenarios.  What's wrong with these simplistic predictions is that they always fail to take cause and effect into account.  Humanity is adaptable to changing conditions; things will not proceed just as they are until on some day far into the future when , overnight, the pasturelands have all been transformed into deserts.  The author of this sophomoric scribbling doesn't begin to make his case.  He gives no demographic data, fails to establish any connection between population levels and pasturelands-to-deserts, disappearing elephants, etc, and draws conclusions not supported by his weak dissertation.

See also my prior post, Our Islamic Future Foretold by World's Changing Demographics

William Shatner and Sarah Palin on the Tonight Show

I saw this last night on the Tonight Show. William Shatner recites excerpts and interpretations from Sarah Palin's book, "Going Rogue," to the accompaniment of a string bass and bongo drums. (This was the method of reciting poetry during the Beatnik days of San Francisco and I like it.) Shatner is funny, the musicians are cool. When he finishes, he is obviously shocked to see Sarah Palin emerge from stage left to read excerpts and interpretations from Shatner's autobiography. Shatner looks slightly bemused but utterly stunned by this turn of events!

Hat tip: The Other McCain

Outrageous! "Law and Order" Episode Calls Limbaugh, Beck and O'Reilly "a Cancer Spreading Ignorance and Hate.."

I stopped watching "Law and Order" many moons ago, as I resented having the far left viewpoint shoved down my throat with every episode.  The latest episode has John Larroquette's character calling prominent conservatives "a cancer:"

This week's episode of "Law & Order: SVU" featured a character played by John Larroquette talking to a detective and saying, "Limbaugh, Beck, O'Reilly, all of 'em, they are like a cancer spreading ignorance and hate...They've convinced folks that immigrants are the problem, not corporations that fail to pay a living wage or a broken health care system..."

Typical. Liberals love to make false statements in a venue where they can't be held accountable.  And not just false statements, but ones that are dripping with sneering self righteousness.

However, there is a way we can hold them accountable, and that's by not watching their rotten shows.  When "Law and Order" comes on, turn the channel.

See the video of this outrage here.

"Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus"

In 1897, Virginia O'Hanlon of New York, age 8, wrote a letter to the New York Sun asking if there was a Santa Claus. Francis Pharcellus Church, an editor for the paper, wrote a response that has been famous and cherished for many decades.

The actual newspaper clipping is digitized in the graphic on the right.

Church perhaps went a little overboard in his dissertation, but his descriptions of the metaphysical are still worthy and valuable to our modern eyes.

I found the following narrative on the web; the source was unfortunately not provided.

The Story of "Yes, Virginia"

Francis P. Church’s editorial, “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” was an immediate sensation, and went on to became one of the most famous editorials ever written. It first appeared in the The New York Sun in 1897, over a hundred years ago, and was reprinted annually until 1949 when the paper went out of business.

Thirty-six years after her letter was printed, Virginia O’Hanlon recalled the events that prompted her letter:

“Quite naturally I believed in Santa Claus, for he had never disappointed me. But when less fortunate little boys and girls said there wasn’t any Santa Claus, I was filled with doubts. I asked my father, and he was a little evasive on the subject.

“It was a habit in our family that whenever any doubts came up as to how to pronounce a word or some question of historical fact was in doubt, we wrote to the Question and Answer column in The Sun. Father would always say, ‘If you see it in the The Sun, it’s so,’ and that settled the matter.

“ ‘Well, I’m just going to write The Sun and find out the real truth,’ I said to father.

“He said, ‘Go ahead, Virginia. I’m sure The Sun will give you the right answer, as it always does.’" And so Virginia sat down and wrote her parents’ favorite newspaper.

Her letter found its way into the hands of a veteran editor, Francis P. Church. Son of a Baptist minister, Church had covered the Civil War for The New York Times and had worked on the The New York Sun for 20 years, more recently as an anonymous editorial writer. Church, a sardonic man, had for his personal motto, “Endeavour to clear your mind of cant.” [cant:  jargon or trite, overused phrases]. When controversal subjects had to be tackled on the editorial page, especially those dealing with theology, the assignments were usually given to Church.

Now, he had in his hands a little girl’s letter on a most controversial matter, and he was burdened with the responsibility of answering it.

“Is there a Santa Claus?” the childish scrawl in the letter asked. At once, Church knew that there was no avoiding the question. He must answer, and he must answer truthfully. And so he turned to his desk, and he began his reply which was to become one of the most memorable editorials in newspaper history.

Church married shortly after the editorial appeared. He died in April, 1906 at age 67, leaving no children. He is buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York.  Washington Irving, who wrote "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is buried in the same cemetery.

Virginia O’Hanlon went on to graduate from Hunter College with a Bachelor of Arts degree at age 21. The following year she received her Master’s from Columbia, and in 1912 she began teaching in the New York City school system, later becoming a principal. After 47 years, she retired as an educator. Throughout her life she received a steady stream of mail about her Santa Claus letter, and to each reply she attached an attractive printed copy of the Church editorial. Virginia O’Hanlon Douglas died on May 13, 1971, at the age of 81, in a nursing home in Valatie, N.Y.  She is buried in Chatham Rural Cemetery, Chatham, New York.

Additional links:

See Newseum for the original article and other photos and facts here.
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and resting place of Francis P. Church.
Chatham Rural Cemetery and resting place of Virginia O'Hanlon Douglas.

Italian Police Recover Artifacts Looted from Tombs

Italian police have recovered hundreds of vases, statues and other artifacts that were looted from Italian tombs.  The grave robbers sought to sell the artifacts to museums and private collectors.

Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini immediately declared the robberies to be the work of a Satanic Cult and said he will test for the presence of Amanda Knox's DNA.

Okay, that last sentence was satire.

Charles Krauthammer on the Roots of the Global Warming Hoax

In a piece titled "The Environmental Shakedown," Charles Krauthammer explains the roots and the purposes of the anthropogenic global warming (APG) hoax.  It is the same old scheme to "redistribute the wealth" from the producing companies to third world, underdeveloped and poor countries.  It has been the dream of socialists worldwide for decades.  Krauthammer writes:

The idea of essentially taxing hard-working citizens of the democracies in order to fill the treasuries of Third World kleptocracies went nowhere, thanks mainly to Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher (and the debt crisis of the early '80s). They put a stake through the enterprise.

But such dreams never die. The raid on the Western treasuries is on again, but today with a new rationale to fit current ideological fashion. With socialism dead, the gigantic heist is now proposed as a sacred service of the newest religion: environmentalism.

Krauthammer is right.  Since the U.S. economy is carbon-based, the best way to get control is to allow the EPA to regulate every aspect of that economy.  The best rationale for that is that we are all going to die unless it is done.

Personally, I think that APG and the current climate hysteria is the biggest power grab in world history.  Through this gigantic fraud, a socialist world government can at last be realized.  Redistribution of wealth from those who produce it to those who don't can be done under the ruse of "purchasing carbon credits."

Thanks to the APG brain trust, poverty is now within the reach of everyone on earth.

Read it all here.

Chris Dodd is Toast, Pollsters Claim

Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut is in danger of losing his senate seat in 2010.  Dodd has been a U.S. senator for five terms (at six years each) but probably won't see a sixth.

Strangely enough, CBS says that voters are still outraged about Dodd approving payment of bonuses to AIG executives after AIG received a massive bailout payment.  IMHO, that was an ethical and correct move by Dodd -- those executives were specifically hired to turn AIG around and were not involved in the mortgage swaps that bankrupted the company.  The bonuses were contractual, were most of their pay and their regular salaries were small.  Often, public perception is just plain wrong and unfair.

However, Dodd has done plenty of other mischief that makes me happy that he may be getting a pink slip.  His key role in the subprime mortgage fiasco that caused the "recession from hell" and his support of  the bail-outs, nationalized health care and cap and trade -- all of those sins are enough.

Back in the heyday of Senator Ted Kennedy, Dodd was Kennedy's partner in crime as they boozed and womanized their way through the restaurants and nightclubs of D.C.  But why go into his good points at this stage?  In any case, Chris needs to update his resume or seriously consider retirement.

Great News for Tiger Woods: Pee Wee Herman Is BACK!

Pee Wee Herman

Just two days ago I wrote that Tiger Woods's dilemma reminds me of Pee Wee Herman.  Pee Wee Herman, whose real name is Paul Reubens, lost his career a few years ago when he was arrested in a porn theater.  Not a great career move for an actor who starred in a children's TV show.  Like Woods, Reubens fell from the public's grace overnight, the subject of innumerable jokes, derision and deafening peals of derisive laughter.  It wasn't pretty.

HOWEVER, that was a long time ago, and Pee Wee Herman is making a comeback!  Paul Reubens is opening his new stage show "The Pee Wee Herman Show" at the Club Nokia Theater in Los Angeles next month.

Now the only problem is to sell tickets to the show and to convince the audience that the now 57 year old Reubens is still a naughty child named Pee Wee Herman.  Good luck with that.  I hope Reubens pulls it off is a big success.  I always liked the guy.  After that "Tequila" dance scene on the bar in "Pee Wee's Big Adventure," who could not?  Besides, I always root for the underdog, having been one myself most of my life.

Anyway, back to my point.  If Pee Wee Herman can come back after ten years in public exile, so can you Tiger.  On second thought...never mind.

Here's the "Tequila" scene I mentioned earlier for those interested.

SC Governor Mark Sanford's Wife Files for Divorce

Jenny Sanford, wife of SC Governor Mark Sanford, is suing for divorce.  Several months ago, the Guv disappeared for a few days while "hiking on the Appalachian Trail," leading to worries about his safety.

He wasn't hiking.  He was with his mistress, a woman from Argentina.  Nevertheless, Sanford invented a new secret code word for "fooling around."  Today, thousands of randy and cheating husbands wink at each other over the water cooler.  "Hey Joe, what're you going to do while your wife is out of town?"
Joe:  "Me?  I'm going hiking on the Appalachian Trail."  (Laughter)

Hey Jenny -- it's about time.  Kick the bum out.  The voters will later do the same.

Ann Coulter is wrong on Amanda Knox; claims Knox is guilty on O'Reilly Factor

I have long been a fan of Ann Coulter, but she sometimes sticks her foot in her mouth.  She did so when she stupidly called VP candidate John Edwards a "faggot" at the CPAC conference, and she did so tonight on the O'Reilly Factor in asserting that Amanda Knox was actually guilty of the murder of Meredith Kercher, based on evidence that has been convincingly refuted.

Coulter claims that Amanda's "confession" under duress is proof of Knox's guilt and points to the kitchen knife as additional proof.  The kitchen knife in question had Knox's DNA on the handle (meaning only that Knox used it for food preparation); it also had trace amounts of someone's DNA on the blade tip (the prosecution claimed it was Kercher's).  [Update:  experts in the appeals trial have now stated that there was no blood on the kitchen knife at all -- just trace amounts of DNA.] However, the alleged Kercher DNA was too small to measure and was not admissible as evidence.  That didn't prevent the prosecution from alleging it anyway.

Coulter did not respond to the fact that clear, bloody impressions of the actual knife (on Kercher's bedsheet) did not match the kitchen knife at all.  Furthermore, expert testimony stated that the wounds on Kercher's neck could not have been made with the kitchen knife.  But, Coulter says, the kitchen knife had been cleaned.  Gee, imagine that, someone washed a kitchen utensil after using it -- who would have guessed?

Coulter also stated that Sollecito's "bloody fingerprint" was found on Kercher's bra strap, but none of the accounts I have read state that is the case.  They state that a small amount of Sollecito's DNA was found on the bra strap, which was handled and moved several times without being protected from contamination.  [Update:  it has now been disclosed that the bra strap lay on the floor, under a rug, for 47 days before being found and that it bore trace amounts of DNA from several people (no doubt from dander).  There was no "bloody fingerprint" at all, and the bra strap should never have been introduced as evidence.]

Further, Coulter repeats the prosecution's claim that a window was broken to make the crime appear to be the result of a break-in.  However, no evidence has been provided to show that it was Knox or Sollecito who broke the window -- perhaps it was broken by Guede for that purpose, whose bloody fingerprints were found in abundance in Kercher's bedroom. [It has since been established that the broken window was indeed used by Guede to gain entrance to the residence.]

Ann Coulter claims that the CBS analyst Peter Van Sant, who earlier defended Knox on O'Reilly was not to be believed because he is "a liberal."

It may be that Amanda Knox was somehow involved in the murder, but the evidence to that effect is highly underwhelming.  I'd love to see a head to head debate on the issue by Coulter and Van Sant.

Ann Coulter, you disappoint me.

See the Times description of this evidence here.

Update:  Since I posted this, I have come to believe that Amanda Knox and Raffael Sollecito are innocent of the crime.  See Injustice in Perugia, a site detailing the wrongful conviction of Amanda Knox and Raffael Sollecito.

Another One Bites the Dust: Predator Drone Kills Another Al-Qaeda Leader

Peace through superior air power.  I can dig it!

MSNBC says:

A high-ranking al-Qaida figure was killed Thursday in an attack by a drone aircraft in northwest Pakistan, U.S. officials told NBC News.

Read it all here.

Niyah, niyah, niyah.  We have drones and you don't (channeling Eric Cartman here).

Video:  Another One Bites the Dust

Stand By Your Man: Elin Nordenger Will Stick With Hubby Tiger Woods

It's a lot easier to forgive a guy with a billion bucks.  In any case, Fox News is reporting that Elin will stick with Tiger Woods.  I hope so.

Tiger is not a bad guy.  He is, like most men, a little boy in a larger size.  Turn a hungry and unmonitored kid loose in a candy store and he's liable to help himself to the cookie jar.  Hey Tiger, how'd you get all that chocolate on your mouth and face...and hands?  GASP!  YOU DIDN'T!

In any case, what he did was wrong.  If we didn't learn to control our highest emotions, we'd all be in jail...or divorce court.

Below is a video of Tammy Wynette singing "Stand By Your Man, Especially If He's Loaded."  Okay, I just made up the last four words.

CNN: Tea Party Conservatives Prepare for 2010

CNN has an interesting tidbit here about the Tea Party movement's growth and power.

Don't be fooled by their rhetorical biases, however.  They describe the TPM as being "anti-government."  We aren't "anti-government," we are anti-Obama, anti-Democrats, anti-socialism, anti-huge budget deficits, anti-high taxes, etc.  We are all for government, as long as we control it.  And we intend to.

So there.

Entire House of Representatives in Play for 2010

The CNN Poll shows that the public is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats for Congress.  That's good news for Republicans as it puts them in a much more competitive situation.  In January, they lagged behind Democrats by 25 points.  Reportedly, GOP leaders immediately met behind closed doors to devise careful plans for screwing it up.

What's bad news for Republicans is that their base is mightily annoyed with them.  Hint:  Run conservatives, folks.  No RINOs.  No Newt Gingrichs or Dede Scozza-whatevers.  Relabeled Democrats will be quickly detected.  You work for us, not the other way around.

Other polls show that American voters still hold current Congressional members in high contempt.  There is a "kick the bums out" fervor as we head into 2010.  This means that Congress is in play and candidates for office will have to sell themselves to the public to get votes, instead of relying on their party label.

Isn't that the way it's supposed to work?

"Wicked" Performance Undisturbed by Drunken Brawl in the Audience

I saw "Wicked" in San Francisco a couple of months back.  I wasn't terribly impressed.  See my review of it here.

However, kudos to the Cleveland cast who went on performing after a drunken brawl broke out in the audience, with a screaming woman led away in handcuffs.  This shows a lot more class than a Broadway actor who recently stopped his performance when someone's cell phone began to ring.  He looked at the audience and said, "Do you want to get that?" (See video below.) Talk about an embarrassing moment for the audience member.  (Always be sure the your damn cell phone is off at appropriate times:  during weddings, funerals, Bar-Mitzvahs and Broadway plays.)

Was the "Wicked" lady really drunk?  Or just upset to learn that she actually spent $75 on this Broadway fiasco?

Fortunately, I was able to contain my drunken screaming until after the play.

AP has the story here.

Video of cell phone ringing during a Broadway play.

Ladies with Huge Boobs (Photos), or "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts!" (Song, Video)

Is it possible to get too much of a good thing?  Consider the negative possibilities: You let her get on top and then die of suffocation.   You get back aches from the missionary position.

Now consider the benefits: You have a portable bean bag to take with you wherever you go.  You make extra money by renting them out for advertising space (with a 100% guarantee that all men will read the ads).

The lady in the top picture was once arrested in a sporting goods store for attempting to steal a couple of basketballs by hiding them in her blouse.  Needless to say, the store manager was very embarrassed at his error.

The lady in the car doesn't even need air bags for safety, she's brought her own. I found these photos at Landshark's Blog.  He has more, check 'em out.

Once in a while you just have to have some fun!

Hey, don't look at me, I'm a leg man.

The theme music for this post is "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts!"  Listen to it in the video below!

Hugh Hefner Is Not Dead. That is Not Rigor Mortis. He Defends Tiger Woods.

Funny, there's a rumor that Hugh Hefner died.  He did not die.  The 83 year old expects to be around for sometime, as his mother didn't die until age 101.  Rumors of Hefner's demise could cause Pfizer's stock price to fall precipitously, so please be careful of rumors that could cause a financial panic.

Hefner says he once almost died having sex.  This is different from most men, who are just dying to have sex.

See article linked  below for details.  It's not what you think.

Yesterday Hefner defended Tiger Woods.  I doubt that will be very comforting to Mrs. Tiger Woods.

In any case, what's up with this old dude's preoccupation with sex?  As Groucho Marx once said, "I love my cigar but I take it out once in awhile."  That reminds me, I haven't had a cigar all day.  See ya.

Read more about Hugh Hefner here.

New York Police Fatally Shoot Street Vendor in Times Square

When I first heard this, I thought the police had grossly overreacted.  You don't shoot a 25 year old street vendor for selling knock-off merchandise.

But you do shoot him if he pulls out a machine pistol and opens fire first.  Now that was a fatal mistake.

Read about it here.

UPDATED: UFO? Sign of the "End Times"? Strange Spiral Light Over Norway is Both Beautiful and Frightening

Infidel Bloggers was first to blog about the strange lights appearing over Norway this week.

The light is a giant white spiral, with a blue light shining forth from the center, also in a spiral pattern.

You can't tell by the still photos, but the light is moving, spiraling.

Go here to read news and see videos on this strange light.

Also see Infidel Bloggers post here.

UPDATE:  The Russians have now stated that it was their failed rocket launch that caused the spectacular light show.  The devil you say!  I suspect a worldwide conspiracy to suppress news of a Martian attack....

Tiger Woods' Unfolding Nightmare

It's amazing how fast a popular personality can descend into public scorn and ridicule.  Tiger Woods made millions of dollars from his golf and product endorsements.  That was when he was the multicultural megastar of sports, young and handsome, with a winning smile and personality and a wholesome image of a husband and father.

Over the last two weeks, it was disclosed that Tiger Woods has been unfaithful to his wife, with as many as 11 known affairs.  No longer seen as a "wholesome" image, sponsors may drop Woods like a hot brick.  He has become radioactive, a public relations nightmare.

The late night comedians are having a field day.

Letterman noted that Tiger Woods has been on the Wheaties Box (14 times, as a matter of fact) but Wheaties won't put him on it anymore.  Considering the stamina required to bang 12 women, Letterman quipped that now, more than ever, he deserves to be on the box.

Jay Leno quipped that, in order to save time, Tiger Woods should just release a list of the women he hasn't had sex with.

Gatorade has dropped Tiger's image from their Tiger Woods Focus bottles.

It has been reported that other sponsors are pulling their Tiger Woods endorsements from prime time TV.  This could cost Tiger Woods millions in lost ad revenues.  Can he ever recover?

I think the answer is no, he will never recover completely.  His self-inflicted plight reminds me of Paul Reubens, the actor who played the role of Pee Wee Herman.  Reubens's "Pee Wee Herman" role was very popular with children.  Reubens made two movies and had a successful television show for kids, called "Pee Wee's Playhouse."  When Reubens was arrested in a porn theater for "flogging the log," his public image was destroyed overnight.  He too faced widespread scorn, ridicule and late-night TV jokes.  He never recovered.

Reubens has been all but invisible since then.  He has made cameo appearances on some television shows and is trying to make a comback.  Alas, once one falls from public grace, his career is practically shot.  Fatty Arbuckle, the silent screen actor and comedian, is probably the most egregious example of this.  Falsely accused of rape and murder, he was acquitted by a jury and received a public apology, but his career was dead.

Tiger Woods, however, is neither Pee Wee Herman nor Fatty Arbuckle .  No doubt he will at least partially recover and continue to earn money from endorsements, perhaps at a reduced level.

Then there's the question of his marriage.  Will it survive the scandal?  Or will his wife move out and take the children and the bank account with her?  I hope not, but if Elin Nordegen can forgive Tiger for cheating and publicly humiliating her, she is more forgiving than I would be.

Personally, I hope Tiger can somehow turn it around.  I'm rooting for him.  If it were up to me, I'd give him a mulligan and let him replay the hole take the shot over.