Monkey See, Monkey Do

The Feared Redhead and I went to Costco today to get our eye exams and order contact lenses, an annual ritual. While I was waiting for her to finish her exam, I moseyed over to the book tables. The had a political section, with an interesting assortment of offerings both conservative and liberal, including Ann Coulter's Treason and Kitty Kelly's book (the title escapes me).

Among the books I found this current hot item:



I'm familiar withthe book, but to be honest, I'm probably one of three conservatives in the country who has not read it yet. Not for any moral or ethical reasons, but just because I really don't need convincing at this point, and I have other things on which to spend my money.

But what caught my attention was the book right next to it:



Mind you, I believe in freedom of speech and the press, and everyone has a right to their opinion. but this is just pitiful. Look at it. The fonts are similar, the picture is similar, the title is similar -- and not in a clever, spoofing kind of way. Even Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 911" is a somewhat clever play on a book title -- for all of its shortcomings, I'll give it that. But this is not a witty entendre. This allusion to the Swifties' book lacks any semblance of originality of thought. This is the literary equivalent of "I know you are but what am I?" Come on, Left, you can do better than that.

Can't you?

Scare-endipity

So remember my post about crappy but catchy songs? Or about the way my wife got the song out of my head?

So I step into Kinkos this morning to fax an acceptance letter to my new job, and to blog for a minute. And guess what Rod Stewart Crappy Song was playing? Yup.

It's a plot, I tell you.

Beer for Soldiers Goes Dry

A few of you may remember my post a while back on buying beer for soldiers through a blog called, appropriately enough, Beer For Soldiers. I thought it was a worthy cause, and so I blogged on it. Well, an unforeseen positive result was an increase in my own traffic. Apparently the readers over there follow links a LOT, So I try to return the favor.

Well, the last time I was there, I noticed that they'd taken down the donation functions and were informing us we can't buy them beer. I fired off a "Whisky Tango Foxtrot" email to their blog owner, but nothing in reply. However, I subscribe to a beer drinker's newsletter, and they have the skinny:

Army tells creator that www.beerforsoldiers.com is illegal

According to Stars and Stripes, Sgt. Dale Rogers, in Iraq with Company C, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment was ordered to retreat from the site after the regimental briefs said it was unethical. A regimental spokesman said that whatever the intentions, www.beerforsoldiers.com was illegal because Rogers seems to be using his association with the Army as a way to solicit funds for beer.

If you click on the "Don't buy us beer" link just added at the site, you end up on a page with the word "violation" displayed six time and the message: "We would still love for you to buy us a beer but the legal folks say you can't".

Beerforsoldiers.com previously sent visitors to links that charged their credit cards for anything from $2 for a 40-ounce bottle of beer to $6 for a "tall beer from the bar," to $7 for a six-pack. Other donation options included $10 for a "pitcher" or $20 for a "keg club."

The site includes dozens of photographs of soldiers enjoying the beer.

"I go to a pub where there are 20 to 30 soldiers around the bar. I ring the bell and say: 'Free beer for everybody.' The bartenders think I'm crazy. I get to meet new people and new soldiers and I will buy two or three rounds," Rogers said in an earlier story about the site.

Well, that sucks, but rules are rules, and I respect Sgt. Rogers for obeying. I am curious, though -- if a group of civilians decided to accept donations, and then spend the money on Sgt. Rogers and his buddies, would THAT be legal? Just wondering....

Football in Review: Better than Expected

Saturday: The Ducks beat WSU (in Pullman!!!) 41-38. Things arestill bad, but not as bad as I'd feared.

Sunday: The Seahawks lost, which sucked, but Joey and his crew beat Atlanta! Woo Hoo!

An example of Right and Wrong...

...Or Right and Left, as the Case May Be:

A comment left by a reader in my post on the stolen bumper sticker:

Haha, dude you deserve it. I'm sorry, but if you can somehoe[sic] find a way to rationalize voting for Bush after everything he has done, you deserve everything coming to you. Liberals have bleeding hearts, and Conservatives have whining babies like you, suck it up.

Wow. If this is the argument prevalent from the Left, I'm convinced. Convinced, that is, that it's imperative that we not let people with that mentality anywhere NEAR the halls of power. I didn't think I could get any more enthusiastic about voting against the Democrats. This reader has proven me wrong.