If you like PBS's America's Ballroom Challenge series you have an opportunity. Just show up in Columbus, OH in a few weeks to see the 2008 Ohio Star Ball. This is the event that they record for the series, and it attracts the top pros from across the country.
There are a couple of hotels that are physically connected to the Columbus Convention Center where the competition is held, and there are many others nearby. But this year it turns out that nearby Ohio State University has a home football game on that weekend, so it could be harder to find rooms than usual.
The competition goes on for almost the entire week, but the top pros historically are seen on Friday and Saturday nights.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Alaska panel finds Palin abused power in firing - Yahoo! News
The Associated Partisans are back at it again, with this nonsense:Alaska panel finds Palin abused power in firing - Yahoo! News.
Let's flip this around. Here's a state trooper with disciplinary issues that is related by marriage to Sarah Palin. If she had done nothing, then the story would be that she failed to protect the public from some loose cannon state trooper because he was married to her sister. And perhaps she had done so for financial gain - Wooten had financial liabilities to Palin's sister.
It's likely that none of this would have happened if Palin had not reassigned Walter Monegan, leading to his resignation. Monegan says this was because he wouldn't fire Wooten. It couldn't possibly be because of insubordination as detailed here, right?
Among other things, Wooten was accused of domestic violence. Monegan might have sympathized - after all, he had had some domestic violence issues himself as detailed here. Is it dirty pool to mention that? Awwww.
Monegan suggested that the state would have some legal exposure to Wooten if they mishandled his case. Of course there's no legal exposure for keeping a trooper with disciplinary issue on the force either, right? A guy who tasered his 10 year old stepkid couldn't possibly have any judgment or impulse control issues. Sheesh, if you can't taser stepkids or drive your police car while drinking beer what rights do we have left?
It would be interesting to see whether the people fussing about Palin now had any opinions when Bill Clinton's gang fired the White House travel office staff. And for those who are outraged that Todd Palin got involved, does anyone remember Hillary Clinton?
As for legal aspects, check this out. Shorter version - the report is BS. The kind of crap that gets published in October of election years.
Enough for now. I want to save some rage for a Palin rally.
UPDATE: More here
Let's flip this around. Here's a state trooper with disciplinary issues that is related by marriage to Sarah Palin. If she had done nothing, then the story would be that she failed to protect the public from some loose cannon state trooper because he was married to her sister. And perhaps she had done so for financial gain - Wooten had financial liabilities to Palin's sister.
It's likely that none of this would have happened if Palin had not reassigned Walter Monegan, leading to his resignation. Monegan says this was because he wouldn't fire Wooten. It couldn't possibly be because of insubordination as detailed here, right?
Among other things, Wooten was accused of domestic violence. Monegan might have sympathized - after all, he had had some domestic violence issues himself as detailed here. Is it dirty pool to mention that? Awwww.
Monegan suggested that the state would have some legal exposure to Wooten if they mishandled his case. Of course there's no legal exposure for keeping a trooper with disciplinary issue on the force either, right? A guy who tasered his 10 year old stepkid couldn't possibly have any judgment or impulse control issues. Sheesh, if you can't taser stepkids or drive your police car while drinking beer what rights do we have left?
It would be interesting to see whether the people fussing about Palin now had any opinions when Bill Clinton's gang fired the White House travel office staff. And for those who are outraged that Todd Palin got involved, does anyone remember Hillary Clinton?
As for legal aspects, check this out. Shorter version - the report is BS. The kind of crap that gets published in October of election years.
Enough for now. I want to save some rage for a Palin rally.
UPDATE: More here
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Obama is not a socialist?
Not sure what's going through Rick Moran's head with his assertions that OBAMA IS NOT A SOCIALIST.
Maybe he isn't. But how can Mr. Moran tell, when Obama has a different message for each audience each time?
The only constant in Obama's campaign is banalities about "change". Yep, just "change". Lest he should limit his options, Obama isn't even willing to hold out for "improvement". So Mr. Moran isn't totally out in left field when he suggests that Obama is non-ideological.
But if that's true, wouldn't you expect Obama to have friends more broadly distributed across the ideological spectrum?
And what about his wife? Even if Obama is nonideological, he's going home to a woman who apparently is not.
And does Rick Moran really think that Obama fooled unrepentant terrorists William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn? Would they have picked just anyone to administer their pet Chicago Annenberg Challenge project? Sheesh, it's not as if there aren't any other leftists in Chicago.
If it makes Mr. Moran feel better, I guess we can use another word. I for one would like to keep "socialist" from going the way of "fascist" and becoming a non-specific epithet. But the word is at least as useless if we can't use it when it applies, and IMO all that stands between Obama and full-blown socialism is how closely and rapidly he dares to approach it without endangering his election chances.
Maybe he isn't. But how can Mr. Moran tell, when Obama has a different message for each audience each time?
The only constant in Obama's campaign is banalities about "change". Yep, just "change". Lest he should limit his options, Obama isn't even willing to hold out for "improvement". So Mr. Moran isn't totally out in left field when he suggests that Obama is non-ideological.
But if that's true, wouldn't you expect Obama to have friends more broadly distributed across the ideological spectrum?
And what about his wife? Even if Obama is nonideological, he's going home to a woman who apparently is not.
And does Rick Moran really think that Obama fooled unrepentant terrorists William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn? Would they have picked just anyone to administer their pet Chicago Annenberg Challenge project? Sheesh, it's not as if there aren't any other leftists in Chicago.
If it makes Mr. Moran feel better, I guess we can use another word. I for one would like to keep "socialist" from going the way of "fascist" and becoming a non-specific epithet. But the word is at least as useless if we can't use it when it applies, and IMO all that stands between Obama and full-blown socialism is how closely and rapidly he dares to approach it without endangering his election chances.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Filipino fast food
Betcha haven't been to Jollibee. I stumbled across one in National City, CA just south of San Diego a couple of weeks ago.
We had just eaten somewhere else but I had to check it out. The menu isn't something you'll confuse for McDonald's, that's for sure. But it must work in their home in Southeast Asia, where they have close to 600 outlets in the Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Brunei, and they have about a dozen stores in CA, NV and NY here in the US.
Coming soon to a town near you?
We had just eaten somewhere else but I had to check it out. The menu isn't something you'll confuse for McDonald's, that's for sure. But it must work in their home in Southeast Asia, where they have close to 600 outlets in the Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Brunei, and they have about a dozen stores in CA, NV and NY here in the US.
Coming soon to a town near you?
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
He knows the score
You know, there just aren't enough musical comedies involving mine disasters.
Some years back a mine collapsed at Beaconsfield, Tasmania. Now to commemorate it we have "Beaconsfield - a Musical in A Flat Minor."
Well, not anymore apparently. Upon further review it appears that the playwright responded to outrage at the title and has renamed it "Beaconsfield - The Musical". Such a sensitive guy!
Original link from where else but Fark.
Some years back a mine collapsed at Beaconsfield, Tasmania. Now to commemorate it we have "Beaconsfield - a Musical in A Flat Minor."
Well, not anymore apparently. Upon further review it appears that the playwright responded to outrage at the title and has renamed it "Beaconsfield - The Musical". Such a sensitive guy!
Original link from where else but Fark.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Tying it all together
American Thinker: Barack Obama and the Strategy of Manufactured Crisis. Read it.
Incidentally, let's recall that Barack Obama's mother is white. Lest I should be called a racist for daring to criticize him in any way, let me assure you that all of my critique has been directed at the maternal side of his ancestry.
More here.
Incidentally, let's recall that Barack Obama's mother is white. Lest I should be called a racist for daring to criticize him in any way, let me assure you that all of my critique has been directed at the maternal side of his ancestry.
More here.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
The Midway :: San Diego's Aircraft Carrier Museum
I recently found myself in San Diego looking for things to do when I found out about the USS Midway. It's a diesel-powered aircraft carrier that has been decommissioned and turned into a museum in San Diego Harbor.
I enjoyed it thoroughly. If you go, be prepared to climb a lot and don't expect air conditioning.
I enjoyed it thoroughly. If you go, be prepared to climb a lot and don't expect air conditioning.
Eat your heart out, Ponzi!
That Charles Ponzi sure was a sucker. He should have done Credit Default Swaps.
Wanna play? You come up with something you want to insure against, I agree to assume the risk for a premium. If things go well I get money for almost nothing. But if your fears come true and you try to collect from me, I fold up shop and leave you hanging.
The cool thing is, I don't have to do much research. In the worst case scenario, all I need is enough time to get your money out of the country before your catastrophe happens and you try to collect.
Stuart Buck links to this which has a lot more details.
Wanna play? You come up with something you want to insure against, I agree to assume the risk for a premium. If things go well I get money for almost nothing. But if your fears come true and you try to collect from me, I fold up shop and leave you hanging.
The cool thing is, I don't have to do much research. In the worst case scenario, all I need is enough time to get your money out of the country before your catastrophe happens and you try to collect.
Stuart Buck links to this which has a lot more details.
Genetically engineered birth defects are a good thing...
in mosquitoes
If you follow the link, look around. Olivia Judson always has something interesting to say.
If you follow the link, look around. Olivia Judson always has something interesting to say.
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