WILLisms.com: June 2005 Archives

« May 2005 | WILLisms.com | July 2005 »

Nerd Art: Scrollbars.

Scrollbars:

It's nerdaliciously fun.

Posted by Will Franklin · 30 June 2005 03:02 PM · Comments (11)

Social Security Reform Thursday: Week Twenty-Two.

Thursdays are good days for reform, because they fall between Wednesdays and Fridays.

That's why WILLisms.com offers a chart or graph, every Thursday, pertinent to Social Security reform. The graphics are mostly self-explanatory, but we include commentary on some of them where and when necessary.

This week's topic:

Millions of Lockboxes.

Last week, Senator DeMint, along with Senators Santorum, Graham, Crapo, Coburn, Sununu, Isakson, Enzi, Cornyn, Lott, Brownback, and Craig introduced the Stop the Raid on Social Security Act of 2005(.pdf).

The bill would take the surplus Social Security is projected to run each year until 2017, and sequester the funds away from the general fund of the United States Treasury, preventing Congress from spending them and running up an even more enormous "I-O-Me" tab than it already has. The funds would go toward millions of Social Security personal account lockboxes owned by individual Americans.

To eliminate the "risky scheme" critique, the personal accounts in the DeMint proposal would be comprised of United States Treasury bonds rather than stocks.

These accounts are not nearly as sexy as the personal accounts envisioned by President Bush and most Americans, but Treasury bonds aren't such a bad deal, either:

Over the very long run Jeremy Siegel’s work shows about a 5 percent annual return for Treasury bonds. Interestingly, since 1977 that return has climbed to nearly 9 percent yearly. Of course these are risk-free bonds backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

More importantly, these lockbox accounts will provide an opening for additional progress on Social Security reform. Once Americans experience the benefits of personal accounts, they will demand more. How could they not?

As Maestro Alan Greenspan put it, Congress needs to:

"...make the phantom 'lockboxes' around the trust fund real."

Making the trust fund real would have many benefits:

1. Unmasking the true size of the federal budget deficit, rather than obfuscating it through the diversion of Social Security funds, would force Congress to focus on fiscal discipline.

2. The assets, rather than vanishing into the federal bureaucracy, would earn compound interest. The accounts would grow at a far better pace than the fake trust fund (click image for .pdf):

Growing real assets. Protecting the surplus. Stopping the raid. Tackling out-of-control entitlement spending, which threatens to harm America's economy over the long-run. Advancing the ball on Social Security reform.

It's a win, win, win, win, win, situation.

And the House of Representatives is pledging a vote on Social Security. While reform is unlikely to overcome Senate filibuster, it is imperative, politically, for the Republicans to fight-- and fight hard-- to end the raid on the Social Security surplus.

--------------------------------

Previous Reform Thursday graphics can be seen here:

-Week One (Costs Exceed Revenues).
-Week Two (Social Security Can't Pay Promised Benefits).
-Week Three (Americans Getting Older).
-Week Three, bonus (The Templeton Curve).
-Week Four (Fewer Workers, More Retirees).
-Week Five (History of Payroll Tax Base Increases).
-Week Six (Seniors Living Longer).
-Week Six, bonus (Less Workers, More Beneficiaries).
-Week Seven (History of Payroll Tax Increases).
-Week Seven, bonus (Personal Accounts Do Achieve Solvency).
-Week Eight (Forty Year Trend Of Increasing Mandatory Spending).
-Week Nine (Diminishing Benefits Sans Reform).
-Week Ten (Elderly Dependence On Social Security).
-Week Eleven (Entitlement Spending Eating The Budget).
-Week Twelve (Benefit Comparison, Bush's Plan versus No Plan).
-Week Thirteen (Younger Americans and Lifecycle Funds).
-Week Fourteen (The Thrift Savings Plan).
-Week Fifteen (Understanding Progressive Indexing).
-Week Sixteen (The Graying of America).
-Week Seventeen (Debunking Myths).
-Week Eighteen (Debunking Myths).
-Week Nineteen (Reform Needed Sooner Rather Than Later).
-Week Twenty (Global Success With Personal Accounts).
-Week Twenty-One (GROW Accounts: Stopping The Raid).

Tune into WILLisms.com each Thursday for more important graphical data supporting Social Security reform. We'll address more myths in future installments.

Posted by Will Franklin · 30 June 2005 01:22 PM · Comments (3)

Bulldozed On The Fourth Of July?

A monument in Germany...

"...which consists of over 1,000 crosses adorned with the names of those murdered attempting to escape Communist East Germany for freedom, will be bulldozed on the 4th of July!"

Originally, the demolition was scheduled for early July 4, German time. Now, it has been rescheduled for 4:01 AM on July 5, which will be...

"...10:01 PM in New York and 7:01 PM in LA, just about the time Americans will be setting off fireworks to celebrate the anniversary of their independence!"

The Germans can do whatever they want, but the initial choice of July 4, the most well-known independence day in the world, was no coincidence. It's really just tacky, in fact. However, let's examine this calmly.

1. The monument was erected in October of 2004.

2. It is not the actual Checkpoint Charlie site.

3. The property belongs to the bank, and they should have the right to lease-- or not lease-- its land, however it wishes.

So let's not overreact here.

Still, the choice of date is a symbolic and in-our-face gesture of tackiness on the part of those involved.

[Hat Tip on the story: Quid Nimis blog]

Posted by Will Franklin · 30 June 2005 11:24 AM · Comments (0)

Guest Blogging.

I will be guest blogging for the next two weeks at Wizbang blog, while Kevin Aylward vacations.

Fun times.

My first post is a companion post on Google Earth. Incidentally, in about two weeks, WILLisms.com will need a guest blogger or guest bloggers to pick up the slack for about 3 days or so.

Posted by Will Franklin · 30 June 2005 09:45 AM · Comments (1)

Trivia Tidbit Of The Day: Part 93 -- Bird Flu.

AVIAN (BIRD) FLU-

In the late 1960s, China's...

...population was 790 million; today it is 1.3 billion. In 1968, the number of pigs in China was 5.2 million; today it is 508 million. The number of poultry in China in 1968 was 12.3 million; today it is 13 billion. Changes in other Asian countries are similar. Given these developments, as well as the exponential growth in foreign travel over the past 50 years, an influenza pandemic could be more devastating than ever before.

Source:

Foreign Affairs (via Marginal Revolution blog).

---------------------------------

Previous trivia tidbits:

Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8; Part 9; Part 10; Part 11; Part 12; Part 13; Part 14; Part 15; Part 16; Part 17; Part 18; Part 19; Part 20; Part 21, Part 22; Part 23, Part 24, Part 25; Part 26; Part 27, Part 28; Part 29; Part 30, Part 31; Part 32; Part 33; Part 34; Part 35; Part 36; Part 37; Part 38; Part 39; Part 40; Part 41; Part 42; Part 43; Part 44; Part 45; Part 46; Part 47; Part 48; Part 49; Part 50; Part 51; Part 52; Part 53; Part 54; Part 55; Part 56; Part 57; Part 58; Part 59; Part 60; Part 61; Part 62; Part 63; Part 64; Part 65; Part 66; Part 67; Part 68; Part 69; Part 70; Part 71; Part 72; Part 73; Part 74; Part 75; Part 76; Part 77; Part 78; Part 79; Part 80; Part 81; Part 82; Part 83; Part 84; Part 85; Part 86; Part 87; Part 88; Part 89; Part 90; Part 91; Part 92.

Daily Trivia Tidbits cover a wide range of topics, and they're usually not trivial at all; you never know what you might find. Stay tuned to WILLisms.com for more.

Have a trivia tidbit tip? Send it over to WILLisms@gmail.com.

Posted by Will Franklin · 30 June 2005 09:28 AM · Comments (1)

Google Earth: Awesome.

Have you tried out Google Earth yet?

Oh, man, you are missing out if you haven't. It's in the top 7 or 8 list of most awesome things ever. Well, it will be eventually, at least.

Here is a little quiz based on Google Earth images.

Where are the following places?

-------------

Some are easier than others. Some hints:

3 of the 5 are in Texas.
1 is outside of the U.S.

More hints to come, if that's what it takes.

Posted by Will Franklin · 29 June 2005 11:37 PM · Comments (14)

My New Toy.

Apologies for the less-than-rapid-fire posting rate this week.

Trying to make progress on my thesis.

Trying to catch up on my summer reading (1776) :

And enjoying my new toy:

In the meantime, if you're a blogger, go check this out:

Oh, and go check out the new World Trade Center design (via Blogs for Bush):

It's time to stop goofing around, decide on something, and get this thing built. And while we're at it, let's Take Back The Memorial.

Also, go send a supportive message to the troops:

AmericaSupportsYou.mil

Posted by Will Franklin · 29 June 2005 12:56 PM · Comments (2)

Wednesday Caption Contest: Part 12.

This week's WILLisms.com Caption Contest photograph:

The actual caption:

Austin Hilsmier, 3, from Chicago, looks back at his mom as he plays in Chicago's Crown Fountain at Millennium Park Thursday, June 23, 2005. Temperatures are expected to reach the 90's with forecasts nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit by the weekend. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

There must be a better caption out there for this photograph.

Entries will remain open until 11:59 PM, Central Standard Time, Tuesday, July 5. Submit your captions in the comments section, or email at WILLisms@gmail.com.

Last week's photo:

Last week's winners:

Rodney Dill:

"After months of careful analysis I've determined that the Iraq Oil for Food program was just one big Scam. I put this much on my pancakes this morning and they tasted like crap."

Jim Rose:

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., (pictured here, holding his 2nd place ribbon-winning spicy-pickles) is demanding Congressional hearings on alleged voter fraud at this year's Wisconsin State Fair.

Zsa Zsa:

Sen. Dorgan reveals his Secret ingredients for holding his comb-over to the Senate today!...

Caption away! You're all winners in my book.

Posted by Will Franklin · 29 June 2005 06:30 AM · Comments (14)

Trivia Tidbit Of The Day: Part 92 -- Incumbent Fundraising.

Incumbent Advantage-

From January through March, House freshmen raised 43 percent of their campaign dollars from PACs. As candidates last year, they collected just 28 percent from PACs.... PACs accounted for 41 percent of the money raised by all House members in the first quarter of this year.

People like winners. Winners command the cash. In the positioning for 2008, he (or she) who raises the most money, the earliest, will have the inside track for the nomination.

Source:

Center for Responsive Politics.

---------------------------------

Previous trivia tidbits:

Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8; Part 9; Part 10; Part 11; Part 12; Part 13; Part 14; Part 15; Part 16; Part 17; Part 18; Part 19; Part 20; Part 21, Part 22; Part 23, Part 24, Part 25; Part 26; Part 27, Part 28; Part 29; Part 30, Part 31; Part 32; Part 33; Part 34; Part 35; Part 36; Part 37; Part 38; Part 39; Part 40; Part 41; Part 42; Part 43; Part 44; Part 45; Part 46; Part 47; Part 48; Part 49; Part 50; Part 51; Part 52; Part 53; Part 54; Part 55; Part 56; Part 57; Part 58; Part 59; Part 60; Part 61; Part 62; Part 63; Part 64; Part 65; Part 66; Part 67; Part 68; Part 69; Part 70; Part 71; Part 72; Part 73; Part 74; Part 75; Part 76; Part 77; Part 78; Part 79; Part 80; Part 81; Part 82; Part 83; Part 84; Part 85; Part 86; Part 87; Part 88; Part 89; Part 90; Part 91.

Daily Trivia Tidbits cover a wide range of topics, and they're usually not trivial at all; you never know what you might find. Stay tuned to WILLisms.com for more.

Have a trivia tidbit tip? Send it over to WILLisms@gmail.com.

Posted by Will Franklin · 29 June 2005 06:22 AM · Comments (0)

Some Call It A Bonfire/Carnival Of Classiness...

We call it "Classiness, All Around Us."

Click to explore more WILLisms.com.

In no particular order, WILLisms.com presents classiness from the blogosphere (now with 50% more classy!):

President Bush Slept Here-

The neo-neocon blog makes the post I have been meaning to make for months (no, really), noting that people are severely mistaken when they assert that Bush was born into a life of extreme privilege:

It also should be noted that GW's father's personal political power and influence (as opposed to family power and influence) did not begin until GW was grown. If you do the math, Bush the elder's first term in Congress began in 1966, when Dubya was twenty years old.

Many critics of the President make the assumption that George W. was a spoiled rich kid, when in actuality his upbringing was decidedly middle-class.

Gerhard Schröder-

Q and O blog examines the German Chancellor's visit to the White House:

Schröder can read the handwriting on the wall as well as anyone. Barring Jesus coming down from heaven, patting him on the back, and saying, "That's my boy!", Schröder's done for, politically. Indeed, in Post-Christian Germany, even J.C.'s approval probably wouldn't be enough to help him.

Mer-kel, Mer-kel, Mer-kel!

Moonbat Attack-

The Right Place blog believes you might be a moonbat if....

If you have ever used an asterisk in place of the President's name, or are incapable of saying it without using some combination of the terms "Hitler," "Shrub," or "Chimp" - you just might be a Moonbat!

A moonbaterrific list, to be sure.

Hillary Clinton, college radical-

The Cassandra Page wonders just what in Hillary Clinton's college thesis could be so incriminating as to take such pains to keep it under wraps:

I don't know what this thesis says, but there appears to be much more to the story. I imagine a blueprint for leftist social, political and economic change that would place the last 40 years in perspective. This document would place into perspective Hillary's own attempts to take over the nation's health care industry. I suggest that this document reveals the real Hillary [which we have always suspected, argued and documented by more than circumstantial evidence]. We would finally see it in her own words. Those who would annoint her President cannot legitimately object to revealing a document that would show her true plans and ambitions.

On the other hand, everyone knows Hillary had left-wing activist tendencies while in college, so the thesis might seem relatively ho-hum. But it would still be great to learn more about Clinton's worldview.

Burning the flag-

Captain's Quarters looks at a neat story of patriotism from 1976, adding his own wrinkle to the story:

Watching Monday rescue the flag from two lunatics who tried to hijack a baseball game for their protest, which would have provided the perfect nadir of American morale at that time, the crowd did something no one expected. Lasorda recalled in his book that starting softly, the crowd started singing "God Bless America", completely unprompted, until all of the tens of thousands of Dodger fans had joined together to sing it.

Spontaneous moments of American pride are the greatest moments in patriotism.

6.

Barack Obama, Abraham Lincoln-

Gateway Pundit (via PoliPundit) believes Barack Obama's self-comparison to Abraham Lincoln is way off base; Obama is closer to Steven Douglas:

Before Obama takes anything away from Lincoln and the huge, courageous step he took for this country and the world, it would be nice if he had a better understanding of the day and age of Lincoln and not just poo-poo his accomplishments.

Can you imagine Obama on Mt. Rushmore?

Paul Krugman-

Economist Alex Tabarrok of Marginal Revolution blog calls out Paul Krugman for the illiberal demagogue that he is:

Nothing can harm the prospects for world peace more than the vicious idea that we do better when they do worse. The Chinese and Americans people already have enough mercantilists, imperialists and “national greatness” warriors pushing them towards conflict...

Paul Krugman, economist outcast.

Our Greatest American-

John Hawkins makes the case for George Washington as America's Greatest:

If a stray bullet had sent Washington to an early grave -- let's say before Saratoga in late 1777, I believe we would have lost the war. Although a people as independent and rebellious as our ancestors would have shaken off the British yoke eventually -- our nation's freedom could have been delayed a decade or two -- perhaps more -- without Washington to lead the way.

Reading 1776 right now, so, at the moment, at least, I tend to concur, although the choice of Ronald Reagan was not too shabby.

American Anti-Americanism-

The Jawa Report points out left-wing rejoicing about the disastrous Iranian election, because of the liberal belief that it hurts President Bush:

I was willing to give this guy the benefit of the doubt, but is there anything more damning to be said about an intelligence analyst like Larry Johnson than that he's eager to take "elections" in a totalitarian society at face value just to "prove" the neocons wrong?

Conveying Iranian regime propaganda so enthusiastically, for the purpose of scoring cheap political points against the President, is very not classy.

10.

John Kerry's Bad Advice-

The Belgravia Dispatch disassembles John Kerry's poor advice to President Bush:

There is an obsession with "deadlines," isn't there, among the Democrat camp of late? As I've said, and I agree with Rumsfeld on this, talk of deadlines and timetables provides a "lifeline to terrorists". It's a huge incentive to the bad guys to simply wait us out. It's simply bad policy, and it's sad that whoever is advising Kerry on such opinion pieces behind the scenes (Jamie Rubin? Susan Rice? Ivo Daalder?) continues to go on about artificial drop-dead deadines and such.

Kerry lost precisely because of his worldview on national security. Why should or would the President do what Kerry wants?

11.

Cuckooism-

Hoystory looks at the Democrats' delusions of grandeur:

In fact, this never happens in free societies -- one party winning everything. Does anyone really doubt that no matter what they do or how hard they try, Republicans will never win San Francisco? Does anyone believe that Democrats could ever possibly win the electoral votes in Utah?

The Democrats, aiming for a fifty state strategy, may leave vulnerable their flank in the Midwest.

12.

Anti-war political strategy-

Irish Pennants blog wonders what the Democrats are trying to accomplish, going so concertedly anti-war, so early:

Democrats seem mesmerized by the past, but continue to draw the wrong lessons from it. Iraq is like Vietnam because, for Democrats, every war is like Vietnam.

When bad news for America is good news for your political party, you know you are in trouble.

13.

Iraq's Oil Terminals-

Michael Yon hits the beat with some original reporting and looks at an Iraqi oil terminal:

If the multi-national force guarding the terminals is successful, we will never know the names and faces of the people on watch. But if our people fail their mission, the world will soon know the magnitude of that failure. The finest Navies in the world are there: the UK, the Australians and the US. Iraqis are also sharing in the defense.

Bloggers breaking through, offering in-depth news from Iraq, is really a revolutionary moment in media history.

14.

Quagmire in the Senate-

Belmont Club picks apart the exchanges between Ted Kennedy and Donald Rumsfeld, and between Carl Levin and John Abizaid:

Levin's (D-Mich.) question accidentally suggested that there was a causal relationship between an American presence and a future Iraqi constitution and national elections, which would in turn imply that without OIF there would be no constitution and no elections. Well, you can't have your cake and eat it, too.

Internal consistency of an argument does not matter much in an age of 4-second soundbites.

15.

Bush = Hitler = Trotsky-

Classical Values looks at the latest flavor of poor-analogied name-calling, this time by Seymour Hersch:

....Bush is truly a Trotskyite, a believer in permanent revolution. We have never had one as a president before. He wouldn't understand that, but Wolfowitz would. He truly is. And he's doing it -- what he thinks he has to do, the revolutions he has to create, without any information, without any -- without an ability to absorb information that's counter to what he wants to hear. And so, I don't know where you are when you have a man with as much power as he controls and as much ability to do something. I don't know how we can get at him.

Bush as Trotsky. How far off the deep end has this guy gone?

------------------------------------------------------------

Also, don't forget to check out all the old Trivia Tidbits Of the Day, the Reform Thursday series, the Quotational Therapy sessions, and the Wednesday Caption Contest (entries are due each Tuesday at 11:59 PM Central Standard Time).

Last Week's Classiness Certification from WILLisms.com:

*June 21, 2005.

WILLisms.com offers a weekly classiness roundup as a weekly feature, every Tuesday, with 15 blog posts deemed classy. The criteria for submissions: incisive original analysis, quirky topics nobody else is covering, fantastic graphics, or other posts that took a lot of work. We love to spread the word on upcoming blogs, being that WILLisms.com also fits that description. If you would like to nominate a post on your blog or another blog for inclusion, email us at WILLisms@gmail.com. Write "Classy Nomination" in the subject. You can also utilize this page to make your submissions. The deadline is each Monday at 11:59 PM Central Time.

Classy.

UPDATE:

The Bonfire of the Vanities, Two Year Anniversary is worth a read-through.

Posted by Will Franklin · 28 June 2005 01:02 PM · Comments (6)

Trivia Tidbit Of The Day: Part 91 -- Lance Armstrong.

Lance Armstrong, Super Humanoid Cycling Dynamo-

...the best way to absorb the magnitude of Armstrong’s physical power and endurance is to compare him to others. In one hour of bike riding, Armstrong can cover 32 miles as opposed to the 21 miles a top runner could cover on a bike and the 16 miles an average cyclist could cover.
Armstrong possesses a large, strong heart that can beat over 200 times a minute operating at maximum capacity and pump an exceptionally large volume of blood and oxygen to his legs—only around 100 other men on earth, who have been tested, have comparable abilities and only two other competitive cyclists that Coyle has tested in the past 20 years have even come close to Armstrong’s 200 heartbeats per minute.

If a normal male college student were to train at a grueling pace for two or more years, the student’s maximum oxygen uptake would not increase above 60 ml/kg/min—Coyle estimates that even if Armstrong became a couch potato, his would not dip below 60 ml/kg/min.

And better with age.

Source:

Edward F. Coyle, "Improved muscular efficiency displayed as Tour de France champion matures," Journal of Applied Physiology; read the UT press release here.

---------------------------------

Previous trivia tidbits:

Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8; Part 9; Part 10; Part 11; Part 12; Part 13; Part 14; Part 15; Part 16; Part 17; Part 18; Part 19; Part 20; Part 21, Part 22; Part 23, Part 24, Part 25; Part 26; Part 27, Part 28; Part 29; Part 30, Part 31; Part 32; Part 33; Part 34; Part 35; Part 36; Part 37; Part 38; Part 39; Part 40; Part 41; Part 42; Part 43; Part 44; Part 45; Part 46; Part 47; Part 48; Part 49; Part 50; Part 51; Part 52; Part 53; Part 54; Part 55; Part 56; Part 57; Part 58; Part 59; Part 60; Part 61; Part 62; Part 63; Part 64; Part 65; Part 66; Part 67; Part 68; Part 69; Part 70; Part 71; Part 72; Part 73; Part 74; Part 75; Part 76; Part 77; Part 78; Part 79; Part 80; Part 81; Part 82; Part 83; Part 84; Part 85; Part 86; Part 87; Part 88; Part 89; Part 90.

Daily Trivia Tidbits cover a wide range of topics, and they're usually not trivial at all; you never know what you might find. Stay tuned to WILLisms.com for more.

Have a trivia tidbit tip? Send it over to WILLisms@gmail.com.

Posted by Will Franklin · 28 June 2005 09:53 AM · Comments (4)

Senator John Cornyn: The Antidote To The Kelo Blues.

The Supreme Court's decision in Kelo got you down?

Cheer up. Texas Senator John Cornyn is on the case. He has introduced legislation to protect the private property rights of Americans, rights which were eroded by the Court's controversial 5-4 decision.

In his floor speech (.pdf), Cornyn explained:

The protection of homes, small businesses, and other private property rights against government seizure and other unreasonable government interference is a fundamental principle and core commitment of our nation’s Founders. As Thomas Jefferson famously wrote on April 6, 1816, the protection of such rights is “the first principle of association, ‘the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry, and the fruits acquired by it.’”

Cornyn then put the Kelo decision in the context of the ongoing struggle to populate the court with the right judges (.pdf):

In a way, the Kelo decision at least vindicates supporters of the nomination of Justice Janice Rogers Brown to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. That nomination attracted substantial controversy in some quarters, because of Justice Brown’s personal passion for the protection of private property rights. The Kelo decision announced last Thursday demonstrates that her concerns about excessive government interference with property rights is well-founded and well within the mainstream of American jurisprudence.

Cornyn's measure, Senate Bill 1313, is limited in scope:

The legislation would clarify government’s exercise of its power of eminent domain to be limited only for public use. ‘Public use’ shall not be construed to include economic development. This standard of protection would apply only to (1) all exercises of eminent domain power by the federal government, and (2) all exercises of eminent domain power by state and local government through the use of federal funds.

Individual states would still need to pass measures to protect private property, but Cornyn's legislation could prevent the federal government from engaging in eminent domain for the express purpose of increasing its tax base.

FULL-TEXT: Protection of Homes, Small Businesses, and Private Property Act of 2005 (.pdf).

Posted by Will Franklin · 27 June 2005 11:20 PM · Comments (3)

The Press, The Military, and The Public.

The Pew Research Center has a new survey (via Daly Thoughts) on public perceptions of the media. By a 2-to-1 ratio, Americans believe the media are politically biased. Ratings of believability also stand at record lows for the print media, local television media, and national television media, alike.

Note the partisan differences, but also note that perceptions of the media have gotten more negative across party lines.

People clearly want a free and fair media to serve as a watchdog over the goings-on in society and in government, but it's also clear that Americans are feeling increasingly uneasy about the media's complicity in the slander and libel of our nation's armed forces.

If the media don't take note, and shape up, their precipitous decline will only continue.

Michelle Malkin explains:

The MSM has been left in the dust by milbloggers and alternative media. Who needs the NYT with far superior reportage and analysis from the likes of Austin Bay, Michael Yon, Mudville Gazette, Blackfive, Belmont Club, and Victor Davis Hanson--for starters--available at your fingertips?

The media's lackadaisical, biased, sensationalistic reporting on the situation in Iraq has opened up the floodgates for bloggers, many of whom have better sources, better expertise, and a better perspective than the establishment media. Not only that, but many bloggers are gathering primary source data on the situation, in theater, while the media seem to chase flavor-of-the-week anti-administration innuendoes around the halls of the Pentagon.

Posted by Will Franklin · 27 June 2005 05:16 PM · Comments (5)

Quotational Therapy: Part 23 -- The Great Communicator On America.

The Great Communicator, On America-

Ronald Reagan was voted the Greatest American in the Discovery Channel series that wrapped up last night.

...there remains the greatness of our people, our capacity for dreaming up fantastic deeds and bringing them off to the surprise of an unbelieving world. When Washington's men were freezing at Valley Forge, Tom Paine told his fellow Americans: "We have it in our power to begin the world over again." We still have that power.
We -- today's living Americans -- have in our lifetime fought harder, paid a higher price for freedom and done more to advance the dignity of man than any people who have ever lived on this Earth. The citizens of this great nation want leadership, yes, but not a "man on a white horse" demanding obedience to his commands. They want someone who believes they can "begin the world over again." A leader who will unleash their great strength and remove the roadblocks government has put in their way. I want to do that more than anything I've ever wanted. And it's something that I believe with God's help I can do.

I believe this nation hungers for a spiritual revival; hungers to once again see honor placed above political expediency; to see government once again the protector of our liberties, not the distributor of gifts and privilege. Government should uphold and not undermine those institutions which are custodians of the very values upon which civilization is founded -- religion, education and, above all, family. Government cannot be clergyman, teacher and patriot. It is our servant, beholden to us.

We who are privileged to be Americans have had a rendezvous with destiny since the moment in 1630 when John Winthrop, standing on the deck of the tiny Arbella off the coast of Massachusetts, told the little band of Pilgrims, "We shall be a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword throughout the world."

A troubled and afflicted mankind looks to us, pleading for us to keep our rendezvous with destiny; that we will uphold the principles of self-reliance, self-discipline, morality, and -- above all -- responsible liberty for every individual that we will become that shining city on a hill.

I believe that you and I together can keep this rendezvous with destiny.

-Ronald Reagan, Official Announcement of Candidacy for President (November 13, 1979).

-----------------------------

Previous Quotational Therapy Sessions:

Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8; Part 9; Part 10; Part 11; Part 12; Part 13; Part 14; Part 15; Part 16; Part 17; Part 18; Part 19; Part 20; Part 21; Part 22.

The right quotation can be therapeutic, so tune in to WILLisms.com for quotational therapy every Monday and Friday.

Posted by Will Franklin · 27 June 2005 08:12 AM · Comments (3)

The Carnival Of Revolutions.

Welcome to the Carnival of Revolutions!

In this time, in our time, we're witnessing history unfolding every day, a spontaneous explosion of political activity breaking out around the world. We've seen it in Ukraine. We've seen it in Lebanon. But it's happening in countless other (often neglected) places. There is so much happening, it's often hard to keep up. The Carnival of Revolutions tries to provide a useful summary of the past week's progress on the march of freedom in the world.

Not all of the news is great. Some is even depressing. But we're here to tell the stories of the democratic reformers around the world, struggling for free and fair elections and/or other basic rights necessary for any democracy. We are conservatives, we are liberals, we are Democrats, we are Republicans, and we are everything in between.

We share one powerful goal, however: the advance of liberty in the world.

Democratic reformers living in "fear societies" don't necessarily need guns or large wads of cash to succeed. They do need:

- people to "tell their story"
- people to "hear their story"
- people to "know their story"
- people to "feel their story"

...which is where we come in.

Let's get to it, then:

LATIN AMERICA-

Cuba-

Babalu Blog notes that Castro's government is shutting down scores of foreign-owned businesses in Cuba.

Paxety Pages serves up a Cuban Cocktail Party.

Venezuela-

From Babalu Blog, "Venezuela's anti-castro rebellion spreads."

Chavez, meanwhile, is actively cracking down on groups seeking change.

-------------------------------------------

THE GREATER MIDDLE EAST-

Terrorism Unveiled offers some suggestions on Fixing Al-Hurra.

Kuwait-

The first Kuwaiti female minister took an oath of office.

Pakistan-

Child camel jockey slaves returned home... but nobody was home to greet them.

Lebanon-

The Pulse of Freedom blog wonders about Lebanon's future.

Iran-

Winds of Change takes note of al-Qaeda in Iran, as well as the nomenclatural challenges in labelling Ahmadinejad.

Who Won Iran's Election? Khamenei.

Publius Pundit notes evidence of low turnout in the run-off election.

The U.S. is not recognizing the legitimacy of Iran's mock election.

The Iranian regime called for President Bush to apologize for calling the elections a sham.

Syria-

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sent Syria a warning to stop destabilizing the region, while in the region.

Saudi Arabia-

Condi Rice is walking the walk on the spread of freedom in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.

Israel-

Senator Durbin's comments are stirring up discussion in Jewish circles.

Egypt-

The Liberals Against Terrorism blog looks at the Kefaya demonstrations in Egypt.

The Egyptian government allowed the demonstration to occur without the usual riot police clamping down.

Publius Pundit points out increased American pressure on Egypt to reform.

Indeed, Gateway Pundit has more on Rice's meeting with Egypt's democratic opposition.

Iraq-

The Sandmonkey blog notes al-Jazeera is beginning to treat the terrorists like terrorists, rather than always pretending they are freedom fighters.

Iraq The Model notes media bias.

-------------------------------------------

EAST ASIA-

Naruwan Formosa ponders Asian Democratic Values.

China-

Ideas in Progress blog takes note of a little-reported uprising in China.

Gullyborg is startled to learn that Gullyborg blog is banned in China.

Daniel Drezner asks: Does China Contradict the Liberal Paradigm?

Korea-

R.J. Rummel looks at the kid-glove handling of Kim Jong-Il.

The Marmot's Hole blog looks at some recent developments in the North Korean nuclear game.

Burma-

The U.S. is applying some serious pressure to Burma for its terrible human rights situation.

India-

The Acorn blog notes how India responded in a very ho-hum manner to attacks perpetrated by Nepal's Maoist rebels.

Quid Nimis, meanwhile, profiles the Naxalites, the Indian insurgent movement.

Singapore-

Free To Choose? Not In Singapore.

-------------------------------------------

EASTERN EUROPE-

Russia-

Siberian Light notes Mikhail Khodorkovsky's Birthday.

Ultima Thule ponders: Putin for a third term?

Ukraine-

Orange Ukraine takes note of the media situation in Ukraine.

-------------------------------------------

CENTRAL ASIA-

Blogrel examines America's Influence on Democratization in the Caucasus.

Armenia-

Vazgen Manoukian calls for revolutionary change for Armenia.

REMEMBER: Democracy is a process, not an event.

Azerbaijan-

Volodymyr Campaign blog notes that an Azeri opposition reporter was beaten to death by the police.

Publius Pundit notes how Azerbaijan is slowly opening to the West.

Blogrel takes a gander at the significance of the NKR election results.

Try this one out: Imminent Revolution in Azerbaijan?

-------------------------------------------

AFRICA-

Nigeria-

Ultima Thule unmasks Nigerian corruption.

Ethiopia-

Ethiopundit notes that a member of the United States Congress wants to link humanitarian aid with property rights.

Meskel Square posts the transcript of an interview with Simon Bereket, Ethopian Information Minister.

Weichegud picks apart the interview.

The Buzz Blog posts an Ethiopian Freedom Watch.

Zimbabwe-

Publius notes how African leaders are copping out when it comes to holding Robert Mugabe accountable for his misdeeds.

More Mugabe Insanity.

------------------------------------

HOSTING SCHEDULE:

May 30: Registan.net
June 6: Publius Pundit
June 13: Gateway Pundit
June 20: Siberian Light
June 27: WILLisms.com
July 4: Registan.net
July 11: Publius Pundit
July 18: Boxing Alcibiades
July 25: soapgun blog
August 1: SophistPundit
August 8: Blogrel
August 15: Am I A Pundit Now?
August 22: Coming Anarchy
August 29: One Free Korea
September 5: Thinking-East
September 12: Quid Nimis
September 19: OPEN
September 26: OPEN
October 3: OPEN
October 10: OPEN
October 17: OPEN
October 24: OPEN
October 31: OPEN
November 7: OPEN

Email WILLisms@gmail.com if you would like to host the Carnival of Revolutions at some point in the future. We prefer that you have some experience blogging on these issues, as it requires a moderate level of expertise to prepare the carnival each week.

The submission deadline is each Sunday evening, but the exact deadline really up to the host each week. Any blogger can submit a post on the rapid flurry of events we see each week, or on a broader theoretical idea. The criteria are fairly broad, but inclusion of your submission is ultmately up to the host.

To submit a post for a future Carnival of Revolutions, use this page, or email the host for the week directly.

Posted by Will Franklin · 27 June 2005 07:10 AM · Comments (1)

Trivia Tidbit Of The Day: Part 90 -- Cell Phone Taxes.

How To Avoid Exorbitant Cell Phone Taxes-

Americans pay an average rate of of 16.8% on their cellular telephone bills, a level that...

"...has traditionally been levied on products like cigarettes. Americans pay an average of just 6.9% for typical non-carcinogenic goods and services."

The "soak the cell phone user" mentality rampaging through government has only gotten worse in recent years:

Cell phones taxes increased nine times faster than taxes on other goods and services between January 2003 and April 2004, according to one industry study.

The Top Five Worst States For Cell Phone Taxes (highest rates):

1. Virginia
2. Maryland
3. Texas
4. Nebraska
5. Missouri

The Top Five Best States For Cell Phone Taxes (lowest rates):

1. Nevada
2. Montana
3. Idaho
4. Maine
5. Delaware

Source:

Forbes magazine's "How To Duck Cell Phone Taxes"; and via Political Calculations blog.

Texas' high rate is really an abomination, considering our well-earned reputation as a low tax state. If and when I ever change my cell phone service, I will almost definitely request a Las Vegas number. According to the Forbes article, it could mean a savings of 60+ dollars a year. But it's really more the principle of the thing. It's one of those sneaky stealth taxes, and, as such, it is the responsibility of every taxpayer to revolt against it.

---------------------------------

Previous trivia tidbits:

Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8; Part 9; Part 10; Part 11; Part 12; Part 13; Part 14; Part 15; Part 16; Part 17; Part 18; Part 19; Part 20; Part 21, Part 22; Part 23, Part 24, Part 25; Part 26; Part 27, Part 28; Part 29; Part 30, Part 31; Part 32; Part 33; Part 34; Part 35; Part 36; Part 37; Part 38; Part 39; Part 40; Part 41; Part 42; Part 43; Part 44; Part 45; Part 46; Part 47; Part 48; Part 49; Part 50; Part 51; Part 52; Part 53; Part 54; Part 55; Part 56; Part 57; Part 58; Part 59; Part 60; Part 61; Part 62; Part 63; Part 64; Part 65; Part 66; Part 67; Part 68; Part 69; Part 70; Part 71; Part 72; Part 73; Part 74; Part 75; Part 76; Part 77; Part 78; Part 79; Part 80; Part 81; Part 82; Part 83; Part 84; Part 85; Part 86; Part 87; Part 88; Part 89.

Daily Trivia Tidbits cover a wide range of topics, and they're usually not trivial at all; you never know what you might find. Stay tuned to WILLisms.com for more.

Have a trivia tidbit tip? Send it over to WILLisms@gmail.com.

Posted by Will Franklin · 27 June 2005 06:48 AM · Comments (1)

The University of Texas Longhorns Baseball: College World Series Champions.

Congratulations to the Texas Longhorns for their undefeated run through the College World Series. The University of Texas: 2005 CWS Champs.

Awesome.

Hook 'em Horns.

Posted by Will Franklin · 26 June 2005 05:12 PM · Comments (9)

100,000 Visitors.

WILLisms.com just passed 100,000 visitors (since sometime around March 8th or 9th) on the ole sitemeter.

Thanks for making it possible, each and every one of you. You're all classy.

Posted by Will Franklin · 26 June 2005 01:46 PM · Comments (4)

Trivia Tidbit Of The Day: Part 89 -- Religion and Medicine.

Holy Medicine-

Doctors and religion:

76 percent [of physicians] said they believe in God and 59 percent said they believe in some sort of afterlife. That compares to 83 percent and 74 percent of the general population.
Although doctors were less likely to believe in God or an afterlife, the survey showed that 90 percent of doctors attend religious services at least once a month compared with 81 percent of their patients.

Moreover:

5.3 percent of doctors are Hindu vs. 0.2 percent of nondoctors
14.1 percent of doctors are Jewish vs. 1.9 percent of nondoctors

1.2 percent of doctors are Buddhist vs. 0.2 percent of nondoctors

2.7 percent of doctors are Muslim vs. 0.5 percent of nondoctors.

Source:

Fox News.

---------------------------------