Rove To Quit

Ken AshfordBreaking News, Bush & Co.Leave a Comment

Cool.

Apparently without irony, he told reporters that he is going to go dove-hunting.  Seriously.

People think that Rove was an "evil genius" because of his strategic brilliance.  Carpetbagger thinks that a lot of hype, but:

His significance has everything to do with his cutthroat, win-at-all-cost style. Rove believes the political rule that there are no rules. Laws are meant to be broken. Scandals are meant to be covered up. Enemies are meant to be destroyed. The key to electoral success is to tear the country in half and see who comes out with the bigger chunk.

Moreover, Rove helped usher in an unprecedented approach to executive-branch governing — one in which the line between policy and politics no longer exists. Every agency, every official, every decision was a political opportunity to be exploited, laws and ethics be damned.

When history looks back at the disgrace of the Bush presidency, the one celebrated quote that will help capture much of what went wrong will be John DiIulio’s. It was DiIulio, the first director of the president’s White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, who told Ron Suskind, “What you’ve got is everything — and I mean everything — being run by the political arm. It’s the reign of the Mayberry Machiavellis.”

This was Rove’s idea, and it was Rove’s job to execute the strategy. He’ll be leaving the White House in a few weeks, but his place in history is secure. That’s not a compliment.

UFO in Haiti?

Ken AshfordRandom MusingsLeave a Comment

Is this short video of UFOs, reportedly shot last week, real or fake?

I’m going with fake, and here’s why.  Look at the palm trees in the video.  They all look exactly alike.

A very clever forgery though.

Dick Cheney ’94: Invading Baghdad Would Create Quagmire

Ken AshfordIraqLeave a Comment

Hmmmmm…..

The response, of course is that "9/11 changed everything".  Except, you know, the consequences of invading Iraq.

Here’s the transcript of the key moments:

Q: Do you think the U.S., or U.N. forces, should have moved into Baghdad?

A: No.

Q: Why not?

A: Because if we’d gone to Baghdad we would have been all alone. There wouldn’t have been anybody else with us. There would have been a U.S. occupation of Iraq. None of the Arab forces that were willing to fight with us in Kuwait were willing to invade Iraq.

Once you got to Iraq and took it over, took down Saddam Hussein’s government, then what are you going to put in its place? That’s a very volatile part of the world, and if you take down the central government of Iraq, you could very easily end up seeing pieces of Iraq fly off: part of it, the Syrians would like to have to the west, part of it — eastern Iraq — the Iranians would like to claim, they fought over it for eight years. In the north you’ve got the Kurds, and if the Kurds spin loose and join with the Kurds in Turkey, then you threaten the territorial integrity of Turkey.

It’s a quagmire if you go that far and try to take over Iraq.

The other thing was casualties. Everyone was impressed with the fact we were able to do our job with as few casualties as we had. But for the 146 Americans killed in action, and for their families — it wasn’t a cheap war. And the question for the president, in terms of whether or not we went on to Baghdad, took additional casualties in an effort to get Saddam Hussein, was how many additional dead Americans is Saddam worth?

Our judgment was, not very many, and I think we got it right.

Bug: The Preview

Ken AshfordLocal InterestLeave a Comment

Nice little write-up of the upcoming show, with a picture of yours truly, in today’s Winston-Salem Journal:

Play is guaranteed to bug you

Director says psychological thriller will leave the audience stimulated, surprised and wanting another chapter

Sunday, August 12, 2007

By Mary Martin Niepold

Bugstab He’s never been one to choose the easy stuff, the plays that any director worth his salary knows are sure bets for filled seats. Instead, Jamie Lawson, the artistic director of The Theatre Alliance of Winston-Salem, likes the edge.

Lawson loves to entertain audiences, but he also likes to go past established norms by presenting such plays as The Full Monty, his last production for The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem that put nudity on stage – or his current love, Bug, a contemporary, psychological thriller that upends our notions of everything from sanity and drug use to wife abuse and reality. Violence, terror, laughter and nudity are mixed in along the way, and no one under 18 is admitted. Period.

Lawson says he hasn’t been this excited by a play in a long time.

“Of the hundreds of shows I’ve seen and directed, this, by far, is the most edge-of-your-seat show I’ve ever seen,” he said. “It makes Wait Until Dark look like the Mickey Mouse Club.” Bug, written by playwright Tracy Letts from Oklahoma, premiered in the United States in 2001, and this year’s movie version with Ashley Judd sank at the box office.

The play is set in a sleazy motel in Oklahoma City where a substance-abusing wife named Agnes is hiding out from an abusive ex-husband who is about to get out of prison, and she’s scared. She is comforted by a handsome stranger, a Gulf War vet named Peter. Meanwhile, an infestation of bugs unnerves everybody.

Lawson sits around rehearsals at SECCA with two of Bug’s actors, Mark March, who works at Old Salem and plays Peter, and Ken Ashford, a lawyer who plays Peter’s friend, Dr. Sweet.

All three agree that this play is really about challenging our notions of what we think is real. The play gives no pat answers, they say, but it does give the actors lots of room for interpreting their characters.

March, who plays the menacing lover, Peter, said, “It’s difficult not to play a stereotype – like a man who’s obviously not in his right mind. Peter could be mentally disturbed, definitely has big problems – or – he’s been the subject of military experiments.”

“Or, he’s completely sane,” said Lawson, the director.

“I promise you, it’s not like anything you’ve ever seen, not even in movies,” Ashford said.

“There’s a lot of paranoia going on, essentially with every character,” March said. The play is not written, however, with an obvious sequence of events.

“It’s not like you know when they cart Blanche off at the end of the play when she goes beserk,” said Lawson, referring to A Streetcar Named Desire.

The volleying continues, but no one is going to give away the plot, the ending or much else about Bug. That, as Lawson said, is for the audience to figure out.

“I guarantee you,” he said, “you definitely don’t see the end coming, but you’ll walk away wanting a sequel.”

■ Bug will be presented by Theatre Alliance at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Aug. 23-25, and at 2 p.m. next Sunday and Aug. 26 at Dunn Auditorium, SECCA, 750 Marguerite Drive. Ticket are $14; $12 for senior adults and students. Call 768-5655.

Just Sayin…

Ken AshfordRed Sox & Other SportsLeave a Comment

1987_2_2BARRY BONDS – 1987

Games Played: 150
Batting Average: .261
Home Runs: 25
Runs Per At Bat: 22.0
Listed Weight: 185

2003_2BARRY BONDS – 2001

Games Played: 153
Batting Average: .328
Home Runs: 73
Runs Per At Bat: 6.5
Listed Weight: 228

Bush Today, On Accountability

Ken AshfordBush & Co.Leave a Comment

Bush says at one point, "Lewis Libby was held accountable", but of course, we all knew that Libyy wan’t held accountable.  Bush pardoned him.

On the subject of Gonzales, members of Congress from both parties have called Gonzales’ credibility and leadership of the Justice Department into question after congressional testimony on a number of issues.  Bush, it seems, doesn’t think Gonzales sould be help accountable.

UPDATE:  Not in the clip above, but apparently Bush referred to the 9/11 hijackers as "those 19 kids".  Yeah.  Like it was a bunch of college-age pranksters.  Cringeworthy, even for those on the right.

Marie Jon Apostrophe Thinks It Is Stupid To Focus On Hillary Clinton’s Cleavage; It’s Better To Focus On Her Ass

Ken AshfordElection 2008, Health Care, Right Wing Punditry/Idiocy2 Comments

Poor Marie.  She so badly wants to write an article with insightful political analysis about Hillary Clinton, the current Democratic frontrunner for President ’08.  But she just can’t.  Or can she?

Just say no to socialized Hillary Care

Ah, well, that’s a good start.  A thought-provoking critique of Hillary’s plan for improved health care.  Let’s see how far Marie can go with this…

In today’s world perception is everything. Why would that old adage not apply to one seeking the Oval Office?

This doesn’t bode well.

Whether you like his politics or not, President Bush works out daily to stay in good health. He is fit and trim and robust at the age of sixty-one.

Hmmm.  This morning‘s headline: "Bush Apparently Had Lyme Disease"

Marie can be forgiven for not acknowledging this latest revelation.  After all, she probably turned in the article last night, and wasn’t aware of the things that the White House keeps secret.

On the other hand, one wonders where Marie was when Bush made headlines after he fainted because he choked on a pretzel.  Then there’s his infamous workout on a segway:

Bush_segway_fall

A healthy body is an adjunct to a healthy, clear mind.

Right, Marie.  As evidenced by Bush’s Einstein-like ability to master the fine art of leaving a room.

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We know where Bush stands on Iraq. He is committed to win the war. Many are beginning to think he just might be able to do it. All good Americans want us to succeed in winning the peace for a fledgling democracy.

Meaning 70% of Americans are, apparently, "bad".

If you doubt what is being accomplished in Iraq, you’ll need to read "A War We Just Might Win" written by Michael E. O’Hanlon and Kenneth M. Pollack, published: July 30, 2007 in The New York Times.

And this relates to "Hillary Care" how?

One thing is becoming clear in this article:  Marie Jon Apostrophe has neglected to take her anti-ADD medicine.  Watch how we go from Iraq in the preceding paragraph to….

Robin Givhan, a fashion editor for The Washington Post, wrote an op-ed on Senator Hillary Clinton’s revealing neckline displayed during a July 18 speech on the Senate floor. Givhans is a 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. She has critiqued the fashion statements of the likes of Condoleezza Rice and Dick Cheney.

Shit, they give Pulitzer Prizes for making fun of the way people look?  Where I come from, we just call that "mean".

"Commanding Clothes" was an extremely well written opinion piece referencing Dr. Rice’s wardrobe. "Dressing Down," on Dick Cheney, was right on target. Givhan takes no political sides. Cheney was dressed inappropriately while attending the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. In her op-ed, Givhan gives Vice president Cheney very bad marks for looking tacky. He wore a knit ski cap. She rightfully criticized him for not wearing a Fedora or a fur hat.

"Therefore, Hillary Care sucks".  I guess that’s the connection…

Does it matter if a presidential candidate wears a shell top with a pantsuit, designed not to show cleavage, but does nonetheless? Probably not.

Probably not?!?  Let’s see.  We’ve got a war in Iraq, huge deficits, problems with Islamic facism, a housing market on the verge of utter collapse …and you’re on the fence as to whether shell tops and pantsuits on presidential candidates are important?

Perhaps the reason for the numerous articles on her appearance is that the liberal media wants to cast Hillary as a more sensual woman.

Wait, wait, wait.  The liberal media?  The article about Clinton’s cleavage was written by Robin Givhan, someone you just said "takes no political sides".

As her husband would say, "You don’t want to go there."

Yes, it was Bill Clinton who coined that term(?).  We all remember.

Hillary Clinton is a very attractive woman.

Ummmm…. well, if you say so.  I guess the "liberal media" has done its job in convincing you.

During the holiday season we all take in too many calories. We can all sympathize with people who have a weight problem that’s for sure.

For an article about Hillary’s healthcare plan, we’re certainly dancing around the subject from all sides.  And why are we talking about the "holiday season" in the middle of August?

It is obvious that Hillary needs to exercise more and reduce the amount of calories she consumes. It is incorrect to blame it on aging or metabolism. Condoleezza Rice has a gorgeous figure, and she is over fifty years old.

Right.  That makes sense.  After all, Hillary and Condaleeza Rice have the same genetic makeup, both being political women.  Or something.

For a moment, let’s forget about all the fuss being made of Clinton’s cleavage showing in a poorly chosen ensemble.

I will if you will.

Look at her pear shape, heart-attack just waiting to happen physique.

Okay.  This is not what I expected when I read your column’s title.

A gathering of weight in the body’s lower sections is a medical danger sign for both men and women.  Too many Americans (two out of every three, including our children) are overweight or morbidly obese. One out of every eight deaths is caused by an illness directly related to overweight and obesity. Researchers say obesity costs in the U.S. totaled up to $92.6 billion in 2002.

It’s a problem.  I wonder if Hillary has a solution.  Like, you know, preventative programs to cure obesity before it develops into serious health problems.  Why, yes, she does!  Let’s talk about that Marie, since that IS the subject of this article.

Weight problems are costing our health care system a fortune as people develop such behavioral problems as depression. That’s the latest medical semantic dodge.

"Semantic dodge"?  I don’t know what that means either.

With the possible exception of the buff and chiseled Mitt Romney, no Republican presidential candidate has discussed changing our heath care system. However, Mrs. Clinton wants a universal health care coverage, cradle to grave. She just might get her wish, too, if you decide to vote that extremely "liberal" Democrat ticket in 2008.

So the problem with Hillary’s health care plan is that she HAS a plan, unlike her Republican counterparts.  Except for Romney.  Romney probably has a healthcare plan, because — my God — look at his abs!  How could he NOT have a healthcare plan with abs like those?!?

Eating healthfully and exercising regularly can sharply lower your risk of death from cardiovascular disease — the leading cause of death in the United States. That’s the extraordinary good news emanating from the Harvard School of Public Health’s Department of Nutrition. Good habits are a necessity in lowering the factors for chronic diseases in women.

I think this isn’t exactly "news".  Health specialists have been saying for yearsthat eating right and exercising is good for you.  But it’s nice to see that the "news" has finally filtered to Marie.

One would think that Senator Hillary could present herself as a good example. She keeps reminding us that "It takes a village" to better America. She might at least have gotten herself in top physical shape prior to aiming for the highest office in the land — you know, slim and trim?

Like, say, Dick Cheney, or Marie’s candidate of choice for 2008 — Fred Thompson?

In addition to the harmful incremental social reforms, Democrats such as Hillary Clinton want to transform our country’s health care system into something resembling Canada’s or the failing European model. Big government is no more the way to go when it comes to health care than anything else.

Like exporting democracy….?

Governmental health programs do not provide excellence to their patients.

Right.  Look at Medicare, the most successful government program in the history of government programs.  Er, wait….

Okay, then Marie Jon does her "phone it in" bit, where she copies from a Wall Street Journal article.  We’ll skip that, mainly because it has NOTHING to do with Hillary’s current health care plan.  You know why?  It was written in 2004!

After several paragraphs of that, Marie comes back to her main point, which is (we’re still hoping) Hillary’s healthcare plan.

What does work is personal responsibility. Taking good care of what has been given to you from birth is good common sense. Too many people decry their poor health. Facts show that most of what we become in later years stems from poor judgment in our younger years.

Right.  Bush, for example, in his youth, snorted lots of coke and was a habitual drinker.  Case closed.

Keeping our bodies in shape and eating correctly are the keys to a full and healthy life in our golden years.

We’re going to skip the next few paragraphs; it’s Marie basically cutting and pasting some stats on obesity — stats that nobody disagrees with or disputes.  What it has to do with Hillary’s healthcare plan, again, is lost on me.

While much was made about Senator Hillary Clinton’s exposed cleavage, I’d be more concerned about what she has in mind regarding her socialistic heath care agenda, which will be a living nightmare for average Americans. Health matters as much as facts and statistics. Indeed, just say no to socialized Hillary Care.

Wait.  You would be "interested to know" what she has in mind regarding her health care plan?  So… you’re writing a column ABOUT Hillary’s health care plan, and telling people to "say no" to it, without even knowing what it IS?

Marie, that’s just plain intellectually lazy.  No wonder your brain is obese.  You don’t exercise it enough.

Ask the good senator to take off the unwarranted pounds, for the sake of all MoveOn.org and Daily Kos feminists.

I don’t know what that means either.

However, never mind all the fuss being made of Hillary Clinton’s cleavage showing in a poorly chosen fashion statement.

Okay that’s the SECOND time she told us to never mind the fuss about her cleavage.  Kind of makes it hard for us to do that, Marie, if you yourself won’t shut up about it.

Look at her "pear shape," heart-attack physique just waiting to happen. A lower gathering of body weight is a medical danger sign for both men and women.

AGAIN with the pear-shape. AGAIN with the lower gathering of body weight.

This column is like one huge mobius strip.

While much was made about Senator Hillary Clinton’s exposed cleavage…

JESUS CHRIST!  I’m trying to FORGET about that — like you ASKED — and you keep PULLING ME BACK IN!!

…I’d be more concerned about what she has in mind regarding "her socialistic health care agenda, which indeed will never work."

Even though you don’t really know what it actually IS.

Health matters as well as using facts and statistics.

Got any facts and statistics, Marie?  No, I didn’t think so.

Absolutely, just say no to socialized health plans.

Heard you the first time.

Remember Hillary Care in the state of Tennessee.

Put that on a bumper sticker.  It’s inspiring.

So I guess here’s the shorter Marie Jon Apostrophe:  "Hillary’s healthcare plan sucks because it’s socialized medicine, and the reason you know it’s socialized medicine is because of the size of Hillary Clinton’s ass (and NOT her cleavage)".

Life Preserver From Edmund Fitzgerald Found?

Ken AshfordHistory1 Comment

0788125818_raschfamilyYou know the song:

A farmer, they say, was out by the bay
With his family out on vacation
The thing that he found in the dirty ol’ ground
Soon became the talk of the nation.

Thirty five years and a river of tears
From when the great ship met peril
Was this faded thing, this old orange ring
Really from the Edmund Fitzgerald?

Clinton v Obama

Ken AshfordElection 2008, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

It’s a minor skirmish in my eyes, but it has had "legs".  Obama recently gave a tough speech about combatting terrorism:

Obama said if elected in November 2008 he would be willing to attack inside Pakistan with or without approval from the Pakistani government, a move that would likely cause anxiety in the already troubled region. 

"If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won’t act, we will," Obama said.

Hillary took him to task, saying that it is irresponsible for a presidential candidate to make such "promises", because it sends a bad message to our ally in the war on terrorism, Pakistan.

Whoa, but wait a minute, Hillary.  How is what Obama said any different than what you have said?:

Clinton, in an interview with the American Urban Radio Network, stressed the importance of the Pakistanis "taking the actions that only they can take within their own country." 

But she did not rule out U.S. attacks inside Pakistan, citing the missile attacks her husband, then-President Bill Clinton, ordered against Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in 1998. 

"If we had actionable intelligence that Osama bin Laden or other high-value targets were in Pakistan I would ensure that they were targeted and killed or captured," she said.

Sounds to me like both have the same policy position.

Josh Marshall on the recent unpleasantness regarding Pakistan:

The unspoken truth here, I suspect, is that Obama has struck on the central folly of our post-9/11 counter-terrorism defense policy — strike hard where they aren’t and go easy where they are. I think everyone can see this. But Obama got there first. So they need to attack him for saying it.

Why Does The Republican Party Call Itself The Party Of “Family Values”?

Ken AshfordSex ScandalsLeave a Comment

  • Republican legislator Ted Klaudt was charged with raping girls under the age of 16.

  • Republican city councilman Joseph Monteleone Jr. was found guilty of fondling underage girls.

  • Republican congressional aide Jeffrey Nielsen was arrested for having sex with a 14-year old boy.

  • Republican County Commissioner Patrick Lee McGuire surrendered to police after allegedly molesting girls between the ages of 8 and 13.

  • Republican prosecutor Larry Corrigan was arrested for soliciting sex from 13-year old girls.

    Republican Mayor Jeffrey Kyle Randall was sentenced to 275 days in jail for molesting two boys — ages ten and 12 — during a six-year period.

  • Republican County Board Candidate Brent Schepp was charged with molesting a 14-year old girl and killed himself three days later.

  • Republican Congressman Mark Foley abruptly resigned from Congress after "sexually explicit" emails surfaced showing him flirting with a 16-year old boy.

  • Republican executive Randall Casseday of the conservative Washington Times newspaper pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from a 13-year old girl on the internet.

  • Republican chairman of the Oregon Christian Coalition Lou Beres confessed to molesting a 13-year old girl.

  • Republican County Constable Larry Dale Floyd pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting sex from an 8-year old girl. Floyd has repeatedly won elections for Denton County, Texas, constable.

  • Republican judge Mark Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to fondling a 10-year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation.

  • Republican Party leader Bobby Stumbo was arrested for having sex with a 5-year old boy.

  • Republican petition drive manager Tom Randall pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 14, one of them the daughter of an associate in the petition business.

  • Republican County Chairman Armando Tebano pleaded guilty to fondling a 14-year-old girl.

  • Republican teacher and former city councilman John Collins pleaded guilty to sexually molesting 13 and 14 year old girls.

  • Republican campaign worker Mark Seidensticker is a convicted child molester.

  • Republican Mayor Philip Giordano is serving a 37-year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls.

  • Republican Mayor Tom Adams was arrested for distributing child pornography over the internet.

  • Republican Mayor John Gosek was arrested on charges of soliciting sex from two 15-year old girls.

  • Republican County Commissioner David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.

  • Republican legislator Edison Misla Aldarondo was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his daughter between the ages of 9 and 17.

  • Republican Committeeman John R. Curtin was convicted of molesting an underage teenage boy and sentenced to serve six to 18 months in prison.

  • Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth is a convicted child rapist in Florida.

  • Republican zoning supervisor, Boy Scout leader and Lutheran church president Dennis L. Rader pleaded guilty to performing a sexual act on an 11-year old girl he murdered.

  • Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor.

  • Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl.

  • Republican racist pedophile and United States Senator Strom Thurmond had sex with a 15-year old black girl which produced a child.

  • Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign, surrendered to police after admitting to a sexual affair with a female juvenile.

  • Republican legislator Peter Dibble pleaded no contest to having an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old girl.

  • Republican advertising consultant Carey Lee Cramer was sentenced to six years in prison for molesting two 8-year old girls, one of whom appeared in an anti-Gore television commercial.

  • Republican fundraiser Lawrence E. King, Jr. organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.

  • Republican lobbyist Craig J. Spence organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.

  • Republican Congressman Donald "Buz" Lukens was found guilty of having sex with a female minor and sentenced to one month in jail.

  • Republican fundraiser Richard A. Delgaudio was found guilty of child porn charges and paying two teenage girls to pose for sexual photos.

  • Republican activist Mark A. Grethen convicted on six counts of sex crimes involving children.

    Republican campaign chairman Randal David Ankeney pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault on a child and was arrested again five years later on the same charge.

  • Republican Congressman Dan Crane had sex with a female minor working as a congressional page.

  • Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter.

  • Republican Judge Ronald C. Kline pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer.

  • Republican congressman and anti-gay activist Robert Bauman was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy he picked up at a gay bar.

  • Republican Committee Chairman Jeffrey Patti was arrested for distributing a video clip of a 5-year-old girl being raped.

  • Republican activist Marty Glickman (a.k.a. "Republican Marty"), was taken into custody by Florida police on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with an underage girl and one count of delivering the drug LSD.

  • Republican legislative aide Howard L. Brooks was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography.

  • Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway was accused of having sex with his 12-year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media.

  • Republican preacher Stephen White, who demanded a return to traditional values, was sentenced prison after offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him.

  • Republican talk show host Jon Matthews pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals to an 11 year old girl.

  • Republican anti-gay activist Earl "Butch" Kimmerling was sentenced to 40 years in prison for molesting an 8-year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her.

  • Republican Party leader Paul Ingram pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison.

  • Republican election board official Kevin Coan was sentenced to two years probation for soliciting sex over the internet from a 14-year old girl.

  • Republican politician Andrew Buhr was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13-year old boy.

  • Republican legislator Keith Westmoreland was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to girls under the age of 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children).

  • Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was found guilty of molesting a 15-year old girl.

  • Republican County Councilman Keola Childs pleaded guilty to molesting a male child.

  • Republican activist John Butler was charged with criminal sexual assault on a teenage girl.

  • Republican candidate Richard Gardner admitted to molesting his two daughters.

  • Republican Councilman and former Marine Jack W. Gardner was convicted of molesting a 13-year old girl.

  • Republican County Commissioner Merrill Robert Barter pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and assault on a teenage boy.

  • Republican City Councilman Fred C. Smeltzer, Jr. pleaded no contest to raping a 15 year-old girl and served 6-months in prison.

  • Republican activist Parker J. Bena pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000.

  • Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative, Larry Jack Schwarz, was fired after child pornography was found in his possession.

  • Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate Robin Vanderwall was convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet.

  • Republican city councilman Mark Harris, who is described as a "good military man" and "church goer," was convicted of repeatedly having sex with an 11-year-old girl and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

  • Republican businessman Jon Grunseth withdrew his candidacy for Minnesota governor after allegations surfaced that he went swimming in the nude with four underage girls, including his daughter.

  • Republican campaign worker, police officer and self-proclaimed reverend Steve Aiken was convicted of having sex with two underage girls.

  • Republican director of the "Young Republican Federation" Nicholas Elizondo molested his 6-year old daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.

  • Republican president of the New York City Housing Development Corp. Russell Harding pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer.

  • Republican benefactor of conservative Christian groups, Richard A. Dasen Sr., was found guilty of raping a 15-year old girl. Dasen, 62, who is married with grown children and several grandchildren, has allegedly told police that over the past decade he paid more than $1 million to have sex with a large number of young women.

Talking To Myself

Ken AshfordPersonalLeave a Comment

Questions lifted from here.

1.  If there were no blogs, what would you be doing right now?

Writing something.  Or editing something.  Or creating something.

2. If you had to spend one year living alone in a remote cabin, what would you spend your time doing?

Definitely writing the great play or novel or whatever.  Catching up on DVDs in the meantime.  Maybe some fishing — that always looks peaceful.

3. If you could go back in time, what one piece advice would you give yourself?

"Stop stressing out — you’re not going to even remember this five years from now."  That little piece of advice would have come in handy a few times.

4. "If you really knew me you would know that…"

I’m doing the best I can.  But if the chips are really down, I’d walk through fire for you.

Not So Fast, Hank….

Ken AshfordPopular CultureLeave a Comment

"I move over now," Aaron said on the screen as everyone, including Bonds, stopped to watch, "and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family on this historic achievement."

Move over if you want, Hank, but to many, the record is still yours.  Bonds may have the higher number, but your achievement was greater.  You did it purely on talent, and you had to come fight against the racism of the time as well.

Season G AB R H HR RBI BB SO Avg. SLG
1954 122 468 58 131 13 69 28 39 .280 .447
1955 153 602 105 189 27 106 49 61 .314 .540
1956 153 609 106 200 26 92 37 54 .328 .558
1957 151 615 118 198 44 132 57 58 .322 .600
1958 153 601 108 196 30 95 59 49 .326 .546
1959 154 629 116 223 39 123 51 54 .355 .636
1960 153 590 102 172 40 126 60 63 .292 .566
1961 155 603 115 197 34 120 56 64 .327 .594
1962 156 592 127 191 45 128 66 73 .323 .618
1963 161 631 121 201 44 130 78 94 .319 .586
1964 145 570 103 187 24 95 62 46 .328 .514
1965 150 570 109 181 32 89 60 81 .318 .560
1966 158 603 117 168 44 127 76 96 .279 .539
1967 155 600 113 184 39 109 63 97 .307 .573
1968 160 606 84 174 29 86 64 62 .287 .498
1969 147 547 100 164 44 97 87 47 .300 .607
1970 150 516 130 154 38 118 74 63 .298 .574
1971 139 495 95 162 47 118 71 58 .327 .669
1972 129 449 75 119 34 77 92 55 .265 .514
1973 120 392 84 118 40 96 68 51 .301 .643
1974 112 340 47 91 20 69 39 29 .268 .491
1975 137 465 45 109 12 60 70 51 .234 .355
1976 85 271 22 62 10 35 35 38 .229 .368
Career Statistics 3,298 12,364 2,174 3,771 755 2,297 1,402 1,383 .305 .555

RELATED:  They’re talking about impending doom at the Red Sox blog.

UPDATE:  #756 from the stands