Climate, Russians, and More!

NASA's top official has come out of the closet . . . as a global warming skeptic that is. Read it here. Meanwhile, the White House has just released a new climate initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Next, we won't be able to breath on odd days. Read it here. President Bush is trying his hardest to alienate the few supporters he has left. The good news? A Russian scientist claims he can prevent more global warming. How? Spray sulphur into the atmosphere. We all know how great Russian scientists are.

Speaking of Russians, Putin seems to be upping his rhetoric against the US on a daily basis. In his latest rant, he vows to counter American imperialism. No one has been able to list any US colonies to me yet, but I am still waiting. That said, it is a shame that US-Russian relations have deteriorated so quickly. The potential for friendship is great. Mutual prosperity is in both nations best interests. Plus, wouldn't you rather buy oil from Russians than Saudis? However, US "meddling" in former Soviet republics plus Russian pride and craziness has led to great tension. I am not sure it was worth it.

This article by Bob Shrum, a Kerry insider, is a must read. It gives insight into the VP selection process in '04. Apparently Kerry regrets the Edwards selection, and was wary of it the entire time. You have got to check out the moment that made Kerry "sick." Edwards makes me sick, and want to laugh all at the same time. Read it here.

Louis Freeh, President Clinton's FBI director is endorsing Rudy Giuliani for president. Read it here. Do you like this, or does it concern you?

Finally, an anonymous donor gave $100 million dollars to the University of Chicago, a first rate institution. The money will be used to fund full scholarships for low-income students. As long as they have the grades to be there, I think this is great. It has got to be hard to anonymously give $100 million dollars don't you think. Someone will notice that kind of money moving around. Read it here.

Thompson is in, and Other Things

Credible news reports are saying that Fred Thompson is in this race for sure now, quitting Law and Order, and aiming for a 4th of July launch. Any New Right readers excited? Who will he hurt the most? Read about Thompson entering the race here.

Apparently groundbreaking research is allowing scientist to talk to apes. Isn't this a step backward? Read it here.

Read Michael Medved's column about whether being a Mormon should disqualify you from the White House. Of course my opinion is that is most certainly should not. I would be open to a candidate from any religion that shares Christian values, even if it does not share Christian theology. Hence, Mormon ok, Religion of Peace" not ok. Am I wrong? Let's hear it.

Its an Uncle John Wednesday

Happy Memorial Day. Happy Memorial Day observed. Happy Indy 500. These used to be one date. Now they are three different dates. This is another example of improvements made by mankind during the past 50 years.

The St. Louis Post Disgrace (I mean Post Dispatch) had a page one plug saying "Unlike Muslims in Europe, US Muslims are overwhelmingly opposed to Islamic extremism." In the article on page three it disclosed that 51% of Muslims in the US are "very concerned about Islamic extremism." This is not quite what I'd call "overwhelmingly opposed." Further, over one-fourth of US Muslim males under 30 say suicide bombing is an acceptable way to "defend Islam." I am just as shocked by these results as I am by the journalism acumen of our paper's staff.

The fine Gov. of Arkansas said, "Congress spent money like John Edwards in a beauty shop." If your TV ever happens to be tuned to the Cspan channel and if the Senate is in session and if Senator Byrd is speaking, do yourself a favor and start pushing buttons on your remote. I never thought much of his politics but I must admit he was once a fine orator. Now he is ridiculous. He can only speak about 10 words a minute, he repeats almost everything he says. The keywords are repeated several times each. He reads from a notebook on the podium and the letters must be about 4 inches tall because he turns the page after every dozen words or so. To see this spectacle is as sad as if fans had to watch a teetering Stan the Man who still insisted on taking his turn at bat in the Cardinal's lineup each day.

If you had a dollar for each of the 100 billion seconds of human history, you could pay for the US gov't budget for about 12 days.

The value of real property equity in the US exceed the value of all stocks/bonds/etc.

I'm very confused and conflicted about the new immigration reform proposals, but it seems like the political parties are also. The strangest alliances I have ever seen have emerged over this deal. One highly touted point is that "There will not be a hit on our welfare costs because this bill stipulates that the person be employed at least 90% of the time." This is magnificently incorrect. Our welfare programs may have at one time been intended for unemployed folk but the programs are absolutely aimed at low income employees now and virtually all of the people in question will surely qualify for virtually all the welfare programs. I am almost convinced to stand against the proposal unless its proponents can deliver a grain of honesty on this aspect.

I feel like the old codger I heard on the TV sit com who said he was just waiting for the new Internet fad to pass.

The Gov of IL wanted to tax the gross receipts of businesses in that state rather than just the profits. Seems to me this would be a huge hit on the low profit margin operations and a great boon to the high profit margin operations. The measure failed (at least in the opening round). This guy's name is Blagojevich or something of that ilk. I wish voters would reject candidates with names that I can't spell or pronounce.

A fellow in a neighboring county got arrested and convicted for having 359 marijuana plants growing in his basement. A peculiar facet is that his wife was a county prosecutor at the time. She said she knew nothing about the 359 plants in the basement. A special prosecutor from the big city (that's us) was assigned to look into this situation. He said he believed her. End of story. I bet the folk in DC wish the special prosecutors that descend on them were as easily persuaded.

I see tobacco usage is now a factor in the ratings assigned to a movie. I hear some of the old movies will be edited to delete tobacco usage scenes. There doesn't seem to be a boundary on this subject.

NBC has decided to change the airing of "Friday Night Lights" from Wednesdays to Fridays this year. Now that makes more sense. ABC was all over this concept back in 1970 when the introduced Monday Night Football and aired it on Monday nights.

Currently the US Postal Service is selling some 41 cent stamps for current usage and some 41 cent stamps that are said to be good for all future postage. It seems to me that all rules of economics would say that the "forever stamps" must have greater value than the current stamps, so how can they charge the same for each?

The Cardinals played 27 innings in San Diego and scored in one of them. The bats then came alive but the pitching went sour as they lost 5 of 6 in LA and Detroit. When trailing the Tigers by 9 runs in the 5th, our announcer said "there is still a lot of baseball to be played." He was right. The Tigers scored 5 more times in that very inning.

I have not seen or heard a media report on it, but an anecdotal account has it that a purveyor of gasoline in WI was ordered to discontinue his attempt to sell gas at a discount to certain customers.

How's that for free enterprise? W's approval rating is 33% (awful). Congress' approval rating is 29%. It seems like I hear a lot more about the former than the latter.

The last lyric challenge was from Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The vocabulary word was "scofflaw" and (as the parts suggest) it is one who scoffs at the law, usually minor laws. The trivia question was about the yachting prize, The Americas Cup. Robin, Mary Jo, Rob, and Betsy got it.

The new vocabulary word is "sleazoid." The trivia question is: Over what river canyon did Evil Knevil attempt to jump his motorcycle? The lyrics challenge is: "Buddy you're a big boy,/ make big noise;/ Playin' in the street,/ Gonna be a big man someday./ You got mud on your face,/ You big disgrace,/ Kickin' your can all over the place."

Afternoon Edition

Here it comes.

Why don't you do ol' NT a favor and use the email function on the bottom of this post to send this to at least one friend. Thanks.

This is a longer piece from the New Yorker, but worth a read when you have time. Insight on the state of the GOP and examples of some of the infighting.

Someone infected with a strand of Super-TB entered the US on a transatlantic flight to NY. The CDC quickly quarantined the suspect, the first such quarantine since 1963. I applaud the quick action and guts to use a quarantine. This past year, I attended a seminar by a prominent researcher and physician who painted a doom and gloom picture of global epidemics. It is not it, but when. He convinced me. Be prepared. Read about the quarantine here.

Hilary new economic theme is "shared prosperity," noting that we are all in this together. In a recent speech she chastised Bush's "ownership society" calling it the "on your own society." Hey, that's pretty good Hilary. I like that, the "on your own society" has a nice ring to it. I might use it someday. Read it here.

Here is a link to Ben Smith's blog at Politico. He has a few posts about the Democratic candidates taking shots at each others health care plans. I will paraphrase, "your plan sucks because it does not cost as much as mine." The interesting post, however, can be found if you scroll down a little bit. It seems that Bill Clinton gave John Kerry the advice in 04' that he should break with Democratic orthodoxy and endorse local bans on gay marriage. Kerry, of course, did not. And thank goodness he did not, because I suspect this act would have put him over the top. If you need political advice, Clinton is a good one to ask.

Finally, read here about how Rudy Giuliani was confronted at a recent event by people calling him a 9/11 criminal. These conspiracy theorists have absolutely lost it. Seriously, they are nuts. I don't think I need to make the case against them, but I will if I have to.

Comments are Welcome!

Morning Edition

A recent survey shows that most people expect China to catch up to the United States' economy and that most people don't care, even in the United States. Well, I care, if for no other reason than national pride. Further, I think we have been duped into thinking China is liberalizing and really isn't all that bad a place. Barring massive change, a world where China wields as much power as the United States is not a good one. Read the story here.

First, a positive. President Bush is supporting tougher sanctions on the murderous Islamic government of Sudan (again a surprise for the religion of peace). This is too little too late of course, but it is tough policing the entire world. Read about it here. The negative? One day after the US held their first face-to-face talks with Iran in 27 years (why now of all times?), Iran has formally charged two Iranian-Americans with treason. Looks like the negotiations have paid off. Read it here. Do New Right readers have a solution for dealing with Iran? The smartest thing I have heard on the issue comes from Newt Gingrich. He proposed a blockade of Iran. Supposedly they do not refine their own gas, despite all of the oil, and would all be reduced to pedestrians within a month. This pinch could topple the shaky Iranian government. No bombs, and no troops in harms way. I like it.

Check out Christian Book Awards for 2007 here.

Finally, on a light note, read this piece on marital advice from 1913. This advice is being republished in the UK. A bit funny, but still, there are pearls of wisdom.

Enjoy and Comment!

Happy Memorial Day!

Here are some links on todays solemn holiday

Read about this cool impromptu wiffle ball league that has formed in Fridley, MN.

This article deatials Minnesota Governor Pawlenty's rising profile. Seems he is getting alot of attention in Washington. This is for good reason. He is, telegenic and a good communicator.
Read Fred Thompson's Memorial Day article here, where he stresses the importance of teaching American history. It is true that the more you know about our country and the rest of the world, the more grateful you are.

Read Fred Thompson's Memorial Day article here. It is true that the more you know about American and world history, the easier it is to appreciate being here and feeling deep affections for the USA.

The film that took the top prize at the Cannes film festival was a Romanian film about back alley abortions. This film edged out Michael Moore's Sicko. What a messed up film festival. Read about it here.

Saturday Links

The White House is apparently debating cutting troop levels in Iraq by 50% in 2008. I hope they don't go soft on us. Bush will not make friends by pulling out, so he better stick to his guns. Read it here.

A few new books are coming out and attacking Hillary. These are a little different that some of the attack books in the past, as they are written widely-respected journalists. One of the books is claiming that Bill was going to divorce Hillary in the late 80's to marry one of his many lovers. Read it here.

Even though home sales have been soft for awhile now, this story says that sales of vacation homes are up 4.7%. Read to see who is buying these homes. And before you decide to buy one yourself, I read yesterday that the return on investment after inflation on real estate from 1890-1990 was 0%. Homes are a bad investment.

Looks like the guy who stayed awake for 11 straight days didn't break the world record afterall. Someone else, who he didn't know about stayed awake longer, plus, Guiness doesn't recognize the record. Read it here.

Here is an article about environmental initiatives at Christian colleges.

Also, check out this great debate between Christopher Hitchens and Douglas Wilson on whether Christianity has been good for the world. It is a five piece article. Part one is here.

Enjoy your Saturday.

Finally Friday!

Nothing gets me pumped up for a weekend like George Jones' "Finally Friday." Go to this link, click on Finally Friday, and listen to a sample if you have never heard it.

Now to some news stories that you should know about.

Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama both voted against the war funding measure, making them 2 of only 14 senators to oppose the measure. Looks like they are racing to see who can be the most un-American and win the Democratic primaries. Read it here.

The Pentagon released an Al-Qaeda torture manual this week. See the graphic examples (in cartoon form) here. This must be a misunderstanding, since Al-Qaeda follows the religion of peace and all.

Senator Inhofe of Oklahoma mocks fellow Senators and their hearings on global warming here. Senator Inhofe batting clean-up on the New Right All-Star team.

Speaking of Oklahoma, a law restricting public funding for nearly all abortions has just gone into effect. They must be doing something right down there. Read about it here.

On a lighter note, in the UK, a man broke the world record by staying awake for 11 straight days. I can't even imagine this. Read it here.

Thursday Afternoon Links

I have a fair number of good links building up here, so I will give them to you relatively rapid fire.

Things are heating up a bit more with Iran. It could be an interesting year or so. U.S. troops found Iranian money in a Baghdad raid recently funding a terror cell. Read it here. France's new President, Nicholas Sarkozy is calling for tougher sanctions on Iran. His election looks like it will be good news for the U.S.

John Edwards says it it time to move past the "war on terror," saying the global war is made up. This guy is a laugh riot. Read him here. He says the war on terror is a "bumber sticker."

Steve Jobs of Apple fame is pushing for Al Gore to run for President. This could be an interesting election.

John Boehner, Republican leader in the House of Representatives calls the immigration bill a "piece of sh**" here.

A man in Minnesota is handing out dollar bills to people who will use E85 instead of regular gas. I salute him. And it is not just drivers feeling the pain at the pumps. Apparently, several gas stations have stopped selling gas because of the high price.

A wealthy NY couple is being charged under Slavery laws.

Enjoy the rest of the day.

Milestone for the New Right!

The New Right is celebrating a milestone today. Sometime this morning, we received our 1000th visitor. Thanks for all your support, and please keep spreading the word.

To help commemorate this milestone, I am pleased to present a new column to you. You may remember that a while back I wrote about a forthcoming financial columnist. Here is his first article for the New Right. It is about everyday ways to build your wealth. Please read and comment with your own everyday money saving tips (I know some of you readers can stretch a dollar i.e., reader BS). Also comment with any other column ideas you would like our financial guru to comment on. Until he gives me a different name, I am calling his column "HokanCENTS." Enjoy.

Are you looking to expand your wealth, who isn’t? Saving while you are young allows your two best friends, time and interest, to grow your net worth. Below are everyday expenses that I avoid at all costs.

Foreign Transaction Fee:

Who would give up upwards of $4 simply for not mindfully planning where your closest home ATM is located? Luckily, nearly every piece of merchandise or service performed today accepts credit cards; however, some holdouts will require cash money. Identify these places and make sure you visit your ATM in advance to avoid this fee.

Dry cleaning:

Spending $6 a pop to get a shirt pressed and “feeling clean” sure doesn’t add up to me. I have actually found that the cheaper a shirt is, the easier it is to throw it in your own laundry and clean it yourself. Besides, for all I know, when I take a shirt to the dry cleaner, the owner wears my shirt out that night, spills beer on it, cleans it, and gets it back to me in 3-4 days after my drop off (reminiscent of Ferris Buellers friend Cameron’s car getting taken for a ride). It’s no risk to the dry cleaner because if you take it home, notice they messed something up, they’ll always deny it was their fault.

High Expense Ratio’s on Mutual Funds:

The whole goal of investing your money instead of spending it is to gain incremental money on your principal. With that being said, any mutual fund charging more than 0.80% should be passed on for a lower alternative. Return rates will vary; expenses do not and should be minimal.

Coffee:

Coffee addictions although not as harmful to your health as smoking, can be nearly as expensive. The best suggestion is to not start. If you are known as “the coffee guy” you’ll feel compelled and obligated to walk with coworkers and pick up your $3 a day (nearly $1,000 yearly) money waster. Spend your money on a more expensive mattress and get to bed a half hour earlier.

Parking Expenses:

Under very limited circumstances should you ever pay for parking. To quote Mr. George Costanza in regards to parking in a garage, “It’s like going to a prostitute. Why should I pay, when if I apply myself, maybe I could get it for free. ” This past weekend I was forced to pay $48 for 4 days of parking at an airport parking lot. This parking fee was roughly 30% of my airline ticket. Sure, having your car handy is plenty convenient, but I would much rather leave my money in a mutual fund gaining interest so I can spend it on things that provide me much greater intrinsic value. Swallow your pride and ride a bus, find a meter after peak hours that is free, get dropped off by a friend, find a lot that is farther away but much cheaper, or at least ask a retailer if they supply parking vouchers if you spend more than x amount. Don’t consider parking a sunk cost, it can be avoided.

Muslims Happy in US?

The Minneapolis Star Tribune currently is running a story on a Pew Research Poll of Muslim's in America. The headline: "Poll: U.S. Muslims 'largely assimilated, happy.' Sounds great right? It is true that American Muslims are better adjusted than their European counterparts. But wait . . . buried deep in the story is this little fact. One quarter of American Muslims think that suicide bombing is sometimes justified. What!!!! First of all, this is surprising coming from the "religion of peace." Second of all, how does the Star Tribune run a piece with a rosy headline and story when the poll shows that one in four American Muslims believe in suicide bombing? That should be the headline. I have seen some bad journalism at the Star Tribune, but this perhaps takes the case. Read the story here. Be sure to post your thoughts.

For even more on the Romney-McCain immigration spat, read here.

On a lighter note, John Edwards charged the University of California - Davis $55,000 to give a speech on poverty. I am sure it was a great speech. Read about it here.

Finally, another question for the audience. I heard a piece on the radio this morning discussing which country, if you could only pick one, would you allow immigrants from. So, I pose that question to The New Right's loyal readers. If you had to choose one, and only one country to allow immigrants from, what would it be and why. Post away. Lets set a comments record today.

More From Uncle John!

Happy Armed Forces Day. Happy Victoria Day to the Canadians.

Well, [my wife] is on cloud nine. She, despite giving her youngest sister 18 months notice that she would quit working for her in Jan. 07, still seems to be doing her youngest sister's bidding in May 07. Today a client told [her] that she must be [her sister's] younger sister. [She] is on cloud nine and there is no sign that she'll be coming down soon. She also enjoys commenting on her very low blood pressure, her doctor's assessment than she has the bone density of a 30 year old, and her regular amazing performance in the NCAA pools.

The book I'm reading has a passage in which our hero "sits down and crosses his legs, putting his ankle on the opposite knee." Maybe it's just me, but I just assumed if he put his ankle on his knee, it would indeed be the opposite knee.

[A relative] has returned from the Dominican Republic. I have asked him, but will extend the question to the whole audience just in case he is stumped. What is the reason that the Haiti half of the island is so much more impoverished than the Dominican half of the island?

It seems to me that the extra long phone cords often backfire. I realize that these are largely out of date now that almost everyone uses cell phones or cordless phones. But for those of us still using the old fashioned phones with cords, the extra long cord option usually leads to a situation in which the cord forms a double stranded helix like a DNA molecule and ends up so constricted that when you lift the handset it pulls the phone off the counter top. This is yet another case where more is less.

Everyone has a "mission statement." This revolutionary notion did not escape the IRS. The IRS says their mission is to help us meet our tax responsibilities. I'm not kidding. You can look it up (as Casey Stengel used to say). I think a reasonable interpretation of this mission statement would be that the IRS will chip in some cash when we owe taxes.

How about these bad judges that get reversed repeatedly by higher courts? They have a "three strikes and you're out" rule for the criminals; maybe they should have a similar one for the judges.

Guys are supposed to lower the toilet seat when they finish #1. Gals are supposed to leave it down when they finish. I never understood this protocol. But now I realize that if everyone does as they are supposed to, then only the guys ever see the bottom side of the toilet seat and some of the wonderful sights there.

The TV crime show was going through its forensic report and the deceased's blood alcohol content was given as 0.08%. One of the cast said that 0.08% didn't sound very high. Another said it may not sound high but the deceased only weighed 110 pounds. Why would weight matter when the level is expressed as a percentage of the blood?

Why is it ok to apply paint to the side of your house and let it dry there but it is not ok to just take the lid off and let the liquid evaporate prior to discarding?

Remember when we were assured the seat belt laws were for our protection and that the cops would only make note of seat belt violations if they happened to be detected during a pull over for a moving traffic violation. That position has given way long ago. Now the opposite applies. Locally, TV and radio ads are proclaiming that our police are now on the look out for seat belt violations and are making arrests like never before.

Rosie says Giuliani knew that the steel in the World Trade Center did not meet specifications.

Some global warming guys are getting more specific. Our coastal cities are to be under water in 5 years.

[My pregnant daughter] is like Streisand. She keeps announcing her retirement but continues on. I'm talking tennis in this instance. Each week she suggests may be her last till after the baby comes; but each week she beats her mother and decides to try it again.

We did some dog sitting for [my other daughter's] Kiwi while she attended a four day seminar at Lake of the Ozarks last week. On one day this Yorkie had taken four dumps. [My wife] took it to visit grandma. I must say I wish I had been there to see that little fella summon all his strength to produce yet a fifth pile, just for grandma's floor.

Last weeks challenge word was "butte." It is like a mesa or high plateau. The trivia question was what was the most popular name for boys born in the USA during 1950-2000. The answer is "Michael." Most guessed "John" which is understandable because of the universal appeal I generate. The last lyrics challenge was from Turn the Page by Bob Seeger (and Metallica, per some readers).

The new word is "scofflaw." The trivia question: Tennis has the Davis Cup; hockey has the Stanley Cup; what is the Cup that designates the yachting championship? The lyrics challenge is: "If I leave here tomorrow,/ Would you still remember me?/ For I must be traveling on now,/ Cause there's too many places I gotta see./ But if I stayed here with you girl,/ Things just couldn't be the same./ .../ Lord help me, I can't change."

Tuesday Morning Links

Here a few stories worth checking out this morning.

Some hard work by some Senators opposed to the immigration bill has delayed a vote on the measure for at least a couple of weeks. Hopefully, they can fix some of the bills problems. Read about it here.

Also on this topic, read noted anti-immigrationist Pat Buchanan's stinging critique here. He paints as bleak a picture as one can.

Apparently Iran is coordinating a Summer offensive against US forces in Iraq to drive to drive us out of the country. These guys are asking for trouble. US forces have been detecting an increased flow of weapons entering the country from Iran. Can't they seal that border? I know its big, but . . . wait, we can't even seal our own. Read about it here.

The Afternoon Edition

Here are couple of other stories that have emerged during the day.

It seems like Romney has really gotten under McCain's skin. Here, McCain takes a serious swipe at Romney and his criticism of the immigration bill (which by the way is being slowed by strong opposition). The outburst comes on the heels of a the story about McCain's foul mouthed shouting match with Sen. Cornyn over the same bill. Maybe McCain should take a vacation? This type of behavior is common for McCain. I fear his skin is too thin for this type of race. Since the media love-affair with him is long over, don't be surprised if you see any more outbursts from the hot-tempered Senator.

In another story, Christian, Jewish, and Islamic religious leaders are releasing a signed statement urging Congress to take action on global warming. In the statement, they say the "climate change is real." Did they study meteorology or theology? I am not sure how non-climatologists can make a definitive statement like this. Obviously a lot of scientists say it is real, but as this blog has illustrated, a lot of scientist do not think climate change is an issue (or at least not an issue Congress can do anything about). This raises the larger question. I agree that Christians should take care of the environment, but how do we do that in a God-centric, Human-centric way. How do we approach these issues without making the environment an idol? Also, when should religious leaders step in? I certainly believe that religious leaders should play an active role in social issues, though this unsettles me. The New Right is calling for your comments on this topic. Please let me know what you think. I will put the best comments in a future blog posting. Let the debate begin!

Monday Monday

My favorite candidate in the 08' race, Mitt Romney, has been fairly criticized as a flip-flopper. This scares me, because it was this attack that torpedoed John Kerry's chances (that along with him being a stuck-up stiff). The good news (well, the good news for Romney at least), however, is that the flip-flop charge can be levelled against all of the major candidates. Read a piece on this subject here from the Washington Post.

Speaking of Romney, as I previously reported, he was cheered in South Carolina for criticizing the immigration bill. Senator Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, was booed at the same event for supporting the bill. Some of the elites can't quite figure it out. Let me warn them, voting for this will end a few political careers. Read the story here.

One more Romney note in my attempt to get everyone on the Mitt bandwagon. Check out this poll from Iowa giving him a commanding 30% to 18% lead over second place John McCain.

Finally, Obama's wife says that it is "his time." I will let you read about it yourself here.

Gloomy Sunday

It is a gloomy Sunday here in Minneapolis. Here is some gloomy news to go along with it.

First off, I am posting this picture for loyal reader EP. In a recent comment, he was wondering whether or not John McCain had a goiter. I don't know if he has a goiter or not, but he sure looks old.

Jimmy Carter of all people has called the Bush presidency "the worst." I am calling on you readers who lived through the Carter years to comment and remind us of how much better days were during his administration. Read Carter's criticism of the current president here.

Noted Scientist, err . . . I mean actor, Leonardo DiCaprio claimed at the Cannes film festival that humans are facing extinction due to global warming. I have a feeling this may be a bit of exaggeration. Really Leo, all of us might die? Read his genius here. On the other side a the coin, a real scientist, meteorologist Augie Auer, is claiming that in five years, we will all think climate change is a joke. Mr. Auer points out that only 0.12% of all green house gases are caused by humans. He scoffs at the notion that us mere humans can alter the global climate. Read his rebuke here.

Finally, Mitt Romney scored points in South Carolina this week by strongly criticising the immigration bill. Read his comments here.

More on the Immigration Bill

There has been considerable backlash across the country about the immigration bill.

Read about some of it here.

Apparently Senator Cornyn of Texas got into a shouting match with McCain over the bill. Read about the drama here.

Here is a transcript from Hugh Hewitt's interview with John Kyl, Senator from Arizona, a supporter of the bill.

Some Republicans are heaping lavish praise on Ted Kennedy for his role in negotiating the immigration bill. If you really want to upset the base, and jeapordize reelection, you say things about Kennedy like, "He's awesome," and "He was informed, determined, practical, and essential." With Republicans falling over themselves to praise Teddy Kennedy, it is easy to understand why many Republicans feel like they are getting a raw deal. Read it here.

On a different note, this article by Michael Medved attempts to explain why so much attention has been payed to the presidential race so early this time around.

Ecclectic Friday

Great discussion in some of the previous posts. Thanks for commenting.

Here are a bunch of links rapid fire.

This article talks about the new demographic racial gap that is emerging in the U.S. i.e. The younger population is disproportionately non-white.

This transitions nicely into the immigration bill passed yesterday. As far as I can tell, this could be a career killer for some of those who voted for this. If I was McCain, I wouldn't brag about this. This could be the end of his recent surge. Read about the bill here. Read about Romney's rebuke of the bill here. I think this is a terrible bill. I do think it is better than what the current situation is, but it is certainly not the best situation.

Here are two articles in tribute to Jerry Falwell, written by Michael Medved. If you are not sure what to make of Falwell and his legacy, give these a read. As I have said, despite several public gaffes, his influence on the nation was an overall positive. Read the articles here and here.

Finally, a couple of notes on global warming. First, here is a report from the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works that points out how many prominent scientists are changing there opinions on global warming to being more skeptical. To the other extreme, Green Peace is apparently building another Noah's Ark to raise awareness of global warming. I am not sure who they think hasn't heard about it yet.

Thursday with "Uncle John"

Did you realize that the letters in George Bush can be rearranged to give "he bugs Gore?"

When asked what his family was doing about the global warming crisis, Obama came up with "changing light bulbs." This of course begs the question: "How many senators does it take to change a light bulb.? I've heard the favored bulbs are made only in China and that they contain mercury. Beyond all that, I'm not sure I want anyone in the White House who is of the sort that thinks changing light bulbs is the answer to global warming and/or energy independence. The same goes for the sort that pays $400 for haircuts.

Speaking of wannabe White House occupants, Hillary says she will treat all leaders of all countries with dignity and respect once she is President. It is disconcerting to think that she would be more civil and deferential to our friends from Venezuela, North Korea, Iran, Syria, etc., than she is to anyone in the Administration of the USA.

Sheryl Crow says we all should make do with one square of toilet paper. Maybe this is some weight economy trick Lance Armstrong taught her. Those bikers would never carry two squares if they could make do with one. Maybe it's something she thought up all by herself while she was having fun, as the sun comes up on the Santa Monica Boulevard. Her friend Laurie David says that global warming causes extreme cold results as well.

The Democrats railed, and rightly so, as the GOP congress attached endless "earmarks" and huge non germane spending to many of its appropriations bills. The Dem's own bill, which they said was for "funding our troops," happened to have many billions for everything from levees to sugar beet farmers. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I'm worried about NT up there in Paul Bunyon country. First, there was the Paul Wellstone memorial service, then there was Al Franken threatening to run for office, then there was the new congressman being sworn in on the Koran, and now there are reports that universities are installing foot baths to accommodate the religious ritual of washing feet before prayer. Similarly, shower nozzles about 30 inches above the floor were installed in Kansas City's airport to facilitate foot washing for the many Somalian cab drivers who frequent that terminal. When asked about the obvious "church - state" association here, the authorities said the new showers were there for all to use. Dennis Miller says the last six cab drivers he has hailed didn't seem to have washed anything.

We spent 156 billion on gasoline and motor oil; 275 billion on prescription drugs. Big deal, I want to know how much we spent on bottled water.

Congress passed a bill banning partial birth abortion a few years ago. It passed by a wide margin. It was declared unconstitutional by some judge, of course. Finally, the Supreme Court decided other wise. This ruling prompted much angst from Harry Reid and many other prominent senators. This wouldn't be much of a surprise except for the fact that they voted for the bill. I'm having trouble understanding why these senators are saying the justices are reactionary idiots when the justices simply reaffirmed the very law these very senators voted for in the first place. Did these cats all change their minds recently?

Five teens were shot on a bus in Chicago. There are rumblings in some caucuses in DC that it is time to pull out of Chicago.

Purdue Pharma, provider of Oxycontin, admits it mislead consumers. I have never heard of a company admitting fault before. They usually pay the fines under some agreement by which they still maintain innocence. The fine here is a cool $634 million. They said it was no more addictive or subject to abuse than other drugs. I wonder if Rush Limbaugh was deposed for evidence to the contrary.

Hospitals sometimes find it impossible to collect the fees that are owed by patients. If the best efforts of their folk, lawyers, and collection agencies fail, then they reclassify the amounts (usually unnecessarily outrageous) as "charity care" and brag about this altruism in a sappy press release.

We were supposed to be hit with near record floods from the Missouri River but some 20 levees broke in western Missouri and relieved much of the surge. Still, it is very high. Global warming caused this and the droughts.

The new challenge word is "butte." The new trivia question is what is the most popular name given to boys born in the USA in the second half of the 20th century? The lyrics challenge is: "There I go, on the road again./ There I go, up on the stage./ There I go, singing my songs again./ There I go, __ __ __."

Grading the Debate

Here is the New Right's debate review. I will grade each of the candidates. First of all, 10 candidates makes for an unwieldy debate. At least five of these guys are absolutely delusional. If they are trying to fill a conservative void, they may as well all drop out when they see someone who isn't even running yet (Thompson) have anywhere between 10 and 15 times as much support in the polls. It must be either ego or derangement. The one place where this can be rational, however, is when you have a pet issue (like Tancredo and immigration) that you are looking to bring attention to. Be sure to share your thoughts.

Tom Tancredo- Grade: B, Tancredo seems fairly comfortable in these debates. His answers are fine, but of course he has no shot. His presence in the race does force more attention on the

Ron Paul- Grade: F, Paul comes across as angry and old, which he is. This doesn't win elections though. He is so out of his league it isn't funny. That said, I think it was a bit unfair to jump on him the way they did for his Iraq comment. I am not so sure he actually blamed America for the attacks, and I think it is a rational to think that if the United States was not involved so heavily in the affairs of the Middle East, we may not be such a target. That said, Giuliani saw an opportunity to distinguish himself and he took it.

Jim Gilmore- Grade: D, Gilmore is also out of his league, and delusional to think that he has something to offer to this race. He looked bad when he was given an opportunity to "attack" Rudy McRomney. He has absolutely no chance. He is such a non-factor this is really a waste of web-space.

John McCain- Grade: B-, McCain was OK. He fielded criticisms well. I just have a hard time getting over how old and crippled he looks. That said, being willing to be the last man standing in Iraq is very attractive to me. I can live with McCain.

Tommy Thompson- Grade: D, Other than being from Wisconsin, Tommy brings little to the table. Though his record as governor has some bright spots, he is so bad on TV that he has no chance of being elected to a higher office. If you want a Midwesterner on the ticket, you help yourself much more by taking Pawlenty.

Mike Huckabee- Grade: B+, Huckabee is a likable guy. The jokes went over well, but to me he was trying to be a bit too funny. He responded quite well to criticisms of raising taxes in Arkansas. Basically, he said Arkansas sucks and needed any help it could get. Huckabee could plausibly fill the "conservative void."

Sam Brownback- Grade: C, Nothing stands out about Brownback. It is time for him to pack it in.

Rudy Giuliani- Grade: B+, Giuliani was his typical feisty self. Showed appropriate humor at times, and manages to sound acceptable to social conservatives, though holding drastically different views. At one point, he basically said that if you want to beat Hilary, I am the man to do it, even if I am not you favorite. Overall, a good night for Rudy.

Mitt Romney- Grade: A-, As you know, I am a Romney man, so perhaps I am biased. Romney looks great on camera and is by far the most eloquent candidate. In this regard, he is kind of an anti-Bush. These things are vain, but they do matter. There was no hesitation in answering any question, and he tends to go into greater detail than other candidates. I read one criticism that Romney seems too programmed. This is part of a line of "too perfect" criticisms of Romney. I of course, think this criticism is dumb. Certainly Romney didn't hurt himself last night, and he again came across to as impressive to a large TV audience (important as he is the least well known of the Big Three).

Duncan Hunter- Grade: A-, Duncan Hunter is the sleeper of the group. He is more comfortable than many of the debaters. It doesn't appear that he is gaining any steam however. This is unfortunate. He has great security credentials, has children in the marines (as does McCain) and he also has great immigration credentials. Hunter is a little different than the other candidates in that he is what I would term a populist conservative. For instance, he is skeptical of free trade. You could compare him to Pat Buchanan (in my estimation the best political analyst out there), but less eccentric.

So that is my round-up. Good nights for Huckabee, Romney, Giuliani, McCain, and Hunter. Everyone else needs to step aside.

Falwell's Death, Bloomberg, and Tonight's Debate!

As many of you have likely heard, Jerry Falwell, age 73 was found dead today in his office. Falwell was a controversial character. I have heard many valid criticisms of him. However, he was certainly a man of many accomplishments. He deserves great credit for helping turn the "religious right" into a political force. Without this movement, politics would be a much different place today, from rhetoric to policy. He also leaves a legacy with his huge church and the university he founded. Falwell, though easily baited into saying controversial things, surely made an impact that I would argue was largely good. In every TV interview I saw Falwell give (I don't think he turned many down) he always boldly and truly proclaimed the Christian Gospel. I would love to hear what you think Falwell's legacy will be, good or bad.

Earlier this week I posted about the possibility of Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, running for President. A story today is reporting that Bloomberg is willing to spend up to one billion dollars of his own fortune on a run. One could run a credible campaign on probable a third of that. There is little chance he could win, but if he runs he could make a real dent in the race. Come this January, everyone is likely to be pretty tired of their choices.

Finally, be sure to tune into Fox News tonight for the second Republican Debate tonight live from South Carolina. I will put up a posting tomorrow morning so everyone can comment on who had the best night. I am actually here in South Carolina today, so if I can get any read on what the locals are thinking, I will pass that along.

Some Sanity in Minnesota? . . . and Other Things.

I continued to be pleased, and surprised to see polls showing Sen. Norm Coleman with a commanding lead over "b"-list celebrity challenger Al Franken. The latest poll had Coleman up by 22 points. In a true blue state like Minnesota, I would expect any democratic challenger in these times to be an instant contender, especially one with the name recognition of Franken. Apparently Norm must be doing a good job.

There was some back-and-forth in the comment section about my recent criticism of the "I personally think abortion is morally wrong, but other should be able to choose" position held by Rudy Giuliani. Cal Thomas has an article on the subject here.

Have'nt you heard repeatedly that the divorce rate is 50%. Let Michael Medved explain why this isn't true, and the real figure is under 25%. Read it here.

Iran is apparantly ramping up its uranium enrichment. What should we do with these jokers? Read it here.

Decision 2008

Here is a slew of news regarding the chase for the GOP nomination.

First, it sounds like Newt Gingrich is likely to get into the race. I had thought that perhaps he would stay out of the race, as it looks that Fred Thompson was going to fill the conservative void. Gingrich would make a fine president I think. He is brilliant and solutions oriented. He likely has too much baggage to win though. Read the story here.

Here is an article giving an inside look at Giuliani's leadership in NY after the 9/11 attacks. This piece is fairly critical. Also, here is another article, saying that New Yorkers prefer current Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, over Giuliani, as both a mayor and a presidential choice. Bloomberg, a Republican mayor, is reportedly considering joining the race as an independent. Since he is a multi-billionaire, he could self-finance the race if he had to.

Some prominent conservative Christian leaders are lining up behind Fred Thompson. I find this to be a bit of a curious move, since Thompson was considered a moderate Republican while he was in the Senate. In addition, like several of the other candidates, Thompson has had some personal baggage in his past and has said some things that would concern pro-lifers. Read about it here.

Have a great day! Some more from "Uncle John" coming soon.

Gas, Aliens, and History!

It is official. Gas is well over $4 a gallon in parts of California. Here is a story.

A Dallas suburb just passed an ordinance that prohibits landlords from renting to illegal aliens. This is a good law to hold these enablers accountable. Opponents are claiming they will challenge the law as unconstitutional. I just finished taking Con Law, and I can not determine what theory they will sue under. I am sure they will find a way though. Read the story here.

Also, This Day in History.

1607	An English colony was settled at Jamestown in present-day Virginia.
1842	Composer Arthur Sullivan, who collaborated with William Gilbert in writing 14 comic operas, was born in London.
1846	The United States declared that a state of war existed against Mexico.
1914	Boxing champion Joe Louis was born in Lafayette, Ala.
1917	Three peasant children near Fatima, Portugal, reported seeing a vision of the Virgin Mary.
1940	Winston Churchill told the British House of Commons in his first speech as prime minister, "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat."
1958	Vice President Richard Nixon's limousine was battered by rocks thrown by anti-U.S. demonstrators in Caracas, Venezuela.
1981	Pope John Paul II was shot and seriously wounded in St. Peter's Square by Turkish assailant Mehmet Ali Agca.
1985	Philadelphia police dropped an explosive onto the headquarters of the radical group MOVE; 11 people died in the resulting fire.
2003	The government unveiled a new version of the $20 bill - the first to be colorized in an effort to thwart counterfeiters.

Saturday Morning Musings

Well, we at least know that Romney has been a successful business men. Recent reports are estimating his wealth at a whopping $250 million. I have even heard other estimates that are higher. If Romney is to somehow win the White House, this would make him our wealthiest president ever, by far.

Giuliani has been making efforts recently to clarify his abortion position. At a recent speech he said that he believed abortion is "morally wrong," but that he respected a woman's right to choose. This may sound good to some people at first, but how is this a clear position. I would venture to say that Rudy thinks that stealing is morally wrong as well, but I would bet that he will never say he respects a thief's right to choose to steal or not. The fact is that we impose our morality on people every day. That is what the criminal code is. Saying abortion is "morally wrong," but respecting the right to choose (which was John Kerry's position as well by the way) strikes me to be the most convoluted position of them all.

The Minnesota Legislature, truly out of control this session, has passed a bill through both houses, that would ban smoking across the entire state, except for limited exceptions. Personally, I think smoking is morally wrong, but I respect a persons right to choose. Oh, wait . . .

Gas Prices, and more on Abortion

Enjoying the high gas prices? This guy is. Interesting logic. Makes some sense. What doesn't make sense is the Minnesota Legislature voting to raise the gas tax. Their appetite for raising taxes is insatiable.

Here are two articles on what choices pro-lifers have in this upcoming Presidential election. Read them here and here.

Finally, I am still working on getting a column up from the New Right's financial guru. Any topics that you would like him to address? If you have any questions you'd like him to tackle, from investing, to homebuying, etc., please leave a note in the comment section. Have a great Friday, and hopefully there will be more posts later today.

Celebration, Irony, and Salutations!

First, the New Right has now had visitors from every continent on the planet (except Antarctica). Thanks to everyone who is spreading the word. It is fun to watch the sites readership grow. We appreciate your continued support and ask that you keep spreading the word.

Talk about ironic. Russian President, Vladimir Putin, said that American foreign policy is similar to that of the Third Reich (Nazi's). Putin, who has cracked down on every imaginable freedom in Russia, made this statement standing in front of Lenin's Mausoleum. Read about it here.

On another topic, a Catholic hospital in Japan has set up a "baby hatch." Mothers can come in and drop off unwanted babies anonymously. The conservative government of Japan opposed the idea, saying that they want these mothers to get help, not to abandon their child. Proponents of the "hatch" say that if duplicated, this could lead to an increase in Japan's anemic (nearly suicidal) birthrate. When it comes to respecting human life, we all have a lot to learn from the Catholics. You can read the story here.

Criminals, and the Making of More Criminals

Read about this vegan couple (they do not believe in eating anything from animals, not even milk or cheese, etc). They recently had their first child, who they fed only soy milk and apple juice. Tragically, the baby lasted only six weeks, dying weighing less than four pounds. The good news is that these parents were sentenced to life in prison. Somehow, the only thing I could think of was that if the parents had decided seven weeks earlier to have a doctor mutilate the fetus they would have committed no crime. Please understand, I beleive a life sentence was appropriate here, but something seems out of whack when a parent can get life in prison for malnourishing a child (likely unintentionally, though anyone should have known better), but a deliberate, premeditated slaughter of that same baby a few weeks earlier would be no crime at all. Can anyone explain this too me?

A Minnesota college has decided to ban smoking anywhere on its campus, a first for Minnesota colleges. It is high time that we either made smoking illegal or quit persecuting smokers. Either it is too dangerous to use or not. While all other controlled substances that I can think alter the mind, tobacco does nothing of the sort. It causes no immediate risk to the user, motorists, passersby, etc., unlike alcohol and other drugs. Has anyone ever heard of a family being destroyed by tobacco? I haven't, but I have heard numerous such stories about alcohol or other drugs. It is likely to shorten one's lifespan, but so is McDonalds. I know there are people who would like to ban McDonalds, but I hope everyone sees the lunacy in that. The war on tobacco is massive distortion of priorities. On the list of social ills that need to be vanquished, tobacco falls well behind drug use, alcoholism,and sexual promiscuity. Yet, it is tobacco that recieves all the attention. Here is a question. Would you rather have your child take up smoking, or become a habitual lier and cheat? If this is a hard question to answer, it is time to do some hard thinking about how to prioritize these issues. The body will break down some day, no matter how well we take care of it now. Since this is true, shouldn't we give more attention to one's soul? Disagree? Let's hear it. I know some of you out there are appaled by the idea of smoking. Tell me why this defines morality for you.

Hispanic Conservatives?, Polls, and other Things

There is at least one strain of thinking that beleives that Republicans should welcome Hispanic immigration. "These are hard-working, family-oriented, socially conservatives who are ripe to be future Republicans," proponents of this view would say. My worry about this thinking is that as long as they are relatively poor, they will be attracted to the party that offers them more handouts, Democrats. Well, any illusion of scores of Republican immigrants can be put away by a look at this recent study, which suggests Hispanic immigrants aren't that socially conservative after all.

A new poll has Romney leading in Michigan. This makes sense, as his dad was a popular governor of the state, but Romney has taken off recently. Check out the trend.

The Pope and the Queen

The Pope is threatening Catholic politicians who support abortion with excommunication. A bold move coming from a bold Pope. Could this cause Giuliani problems? The Pope has great words on the topic. Read them here.

Also, it seems the Queen has a sense of humor after all. Read her crack on President Bush here.

Finally, read more about the islamo-terrorist that were arrested in New Jersey yesterday. A chilling account. We all have a part to play in the war on terror. Be ever vigilant.

More Global Warming Hysteria, Bush and the Queen, Obama's Moral Compass, and Other Things.

Read this hilarious account of President Bush nearly inferring that the Queen is 300 years old, then winking at her, then saying she "gave me a look as only a mother could give a child." Priceless. Good pictures too.

Founder of the travel publication Rough Guides, Mark Ellingham is calling on the travel industry the new tobacco industry, saying travel is having just as negative effect on the world as tobacco (I personally think the case against tobacco is overstated anyway). He has gone so far as to say that there is no such thing as an ethical vacation. "Back to the dark ages" seems to be the enviro-nuts cry. While I celebrate the common man's ability to travel the world over as a great advancement in quality of life, enviro-nuts are calling it unethical. Read about it here.

In what I believe will be the most damaging news yet to the Giuliani campaign is this report showing that Giuliani personally contributed to Planned Parenthood. This is probably too far over the line for the GOP base to tolerate. Is this the beginning of the end for Giuliani? Also, this report shows that Fred Thompson has been less than stellar on the abortion issue as well. Here comes Mitt Romney folks. Watch him continue to rise, as his change of heart on the abortion issue continues to look better and better. Also expect a boost for McCain, the only credible candidate with a unvarnished record on the issue.

Barack Obama's wife recently touted her husbands "moral compass." In a statement reacting to the Supreme Court's recent decision to uphold a Congressional ban on the heinous practice of partial-birth abortion Obama said he is:

"extremely concerned that this ruling will embolden state legislatures to enact further measures to restrict a woman’s right to choose, and that the conservative Supreme Court justices will look for other opportunities to erode Roe v. Wade, which is established federal law and a matter of equal rights for women.”

Some moral compass huh?

Finally, here is a story worth reading. Apparently Mickey Mouse has joined Hamas and is teaching Palestinian children about fighting Jews and

Americans. He sings songs and takes calls from kids singing songs about war against Israeli. Even though this kind of barbaric child abuse is disturbing, I can't help but find these crazies raucously funny. How can they be serious?

Please, we need more comments. What do you think?

More from "Uncle John"

Here is the latest from "Uncle John." Please comment on the piece and answer the trivia.

The Cardinals lost again yesterday. This is routine. A pitcher who had never won a major league game not only beat them, but shut them out. A player who had never hit a major league home run hit a grand slam. Our # 3 thru #6 batters (the vaunted Pujols, Rolen, and Edmonds) went 0 for 12. The Cardinals have scored 7 runs in the last 6 games. The sports analyst on TV says they have been "not very productive."

Speaking of the Cardinals, the police have issued the official report on the circumstances attending the fatal crash of their relief pitcher Josh Hancock. He had a 0.15% blood alcohol content, was going 68 mph in a 55 zone, was talking on the cell phone with a babe wanting tickets and planning to meet him at a bar down the road, was not wearing a seat belt, had marijuana in the vehicle, had some drug paraphernalia in the vehicle (and for all I know he was eating a Big Mac). The club's general manager said Josh made some bad decisions that night.

Warren Buffet's $52 billion is no longer good for the #2 position behind Bill Gates. He has been surpassed by a telecom mogul in Mexico. I'm wondering if some 12 million Mexicans had stayed in Mexico and had purchased phone service from him, perhaps this gentleman could even catch Bill Gates. We'll never know.

Speaking of illegal aliens (I mean immigrants awaiting their paperwork), a news report from the Hamptons indicates dire conditions this summer. The legal temporary work visas sought by the local employers for the summer are apparently capped despite applications being up 30%. Apparently no citizens will do these jobs tending to the rich and famous so the local are projecting a severe employee shortage in the area and predict that some employers will be forced to hire illegals.

This incident happened some time ago but for some reason it just came back to me yesterday. Perhaps it was the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs that stirred the recollection. There was a truck wreck nearby in western IL. It was a livestock truck hauling a bunch of horses. The animals were injured to varying degrees in the collision. Contributions were sought far and wide to help pay for the repairs to these animals. I think the taxpayers of IL may even have picked up part of the bill. The interesting thing is that the truck was on the way to a facility in which the horses were to be destroyed. The last I heard, they were looking for people to adopt these horses. If they ended up sending them on the intended facility, I'm sure they would not advertise that result.

I apologize to all readers. I passed along a story that the WY State government had banned all non-Interstate motor traffic for a given week. I have been had. It was a great article tucked among other stories (in my cycling magazine) related to biking and walking initiatives throughout the country. I failed to notice the date on the article. It was April 1, 2007. I am so ashamed. Please disregard my comments about the elected officials of WY. Maybe they are not idiots after all (but then again, they probably are).

May is national bike month. Bill Nye opines, "There is something wrong with a society that drives a car to work out in a gym."

Boxer Mike Tyson apparently sold a house for $4 million. The rapper guy who bought it apparently put another $6 million into it during
a general renovation. A realtor who toured the finished product said it was very nice and tasteful, except for the stripper poles.

The price of gasoline jumped from $2.999 per gallon to $3.199 in Cambridge City, Muncie, Indianapolis, Effingham, and St. Louis on the night of May 2 at virtually all competing brands. There is no collusion. Dad makes the point, with which I wholeheartedly agree, that it is past time to drop the idiotic 0.9 cent appendage.

There is some story about paddlefish eggs being illegally harvested in Vevay, IN and illegally passed off as Caspian Sea sturgeon roe for caviar. As Carolyn would say, "caveat emptor" (or something like that, meaning buyer beware).

The population has grown by 70 million since 1980. Highway miles have increased by 5% in that period. Can you say "traffic congestion?"

Hillary picked a Senor Nunez, CA State assembly speaker, as cochair of her campaign. I guess farmer Jim Smith from Peoria didn't have much of a chance.

Cardinal broadcaster Mike Shannon: For the redbirds that bump in the road has become an avalanche.

Undaunted, I continue with the vocabulary and trivia challenge. The new word is "smarmy." The new trivia question is: what is the hero's name in the Oscar award winning film, Gladiator? Extra credit for the full name. The new lyric challenge is: "And I found out a long time ago,/ What a woman can do to your soul./ Ah but she can't take you any way,/ You don't already know how to go."