We love MEAT... BBQ'd MEAT...

The ribs, brisket, sides and pies at Phillip's Bar-B-Que at 4307 Leimert Blvd in Los Angeles are great.
I've been reading about Phillips for a long time. Not until last week was I remotely in the neighborhood. I went down, read the menu and wound up ordering babyback ribs, beef ribs and sliced brisket. Cole slaw, barbcued beans, peach cobblers, pecan pies and plenty of mixed sauce topped the take out package.
I made it home and suprised the family and some friends with an incredible feast. Don't judge this place by it's appearance. The people who run it are great and the food is out of this world.

I seem sane! Thanks!

I get mail.

This was an interesting comment:

Mr 'Woods'

Pretty funny little hot air story

Altho - I must point out the dem in the story didn't actually blame the rep - he merely made an observation

Pretty good blog! I'm a lefty, but you seem sane!

Good luck [Name withheld]

Okay. Thanks.

Thing is, and I'm sure the writer didn't intend anything more than a wry, backhanded compliment, this sort of flattery is annoying. Having views that don't conform to the Left of Center can be a real pain. For a Jew, you are pretty generous. For an African-American, you're not such a great dancer. For a WASP, you have a pretty good sense of humor. I appologize for any pain I may have inflicted by just trying to make my point.

For a lefty, you seem sane.

Right after 9/11, I was in a meeting with a diverse group of people. The first few minutes were about the events of the preceeding days. One woman, a very nice woman, said, "It's all the fault of the Right Wing Christians." She's Jewish by the way, as am I.

Following her remark were some subdued murmers. I knew for a fact that there were Christians [what political stripe I hadn't a clue] in the room.

I said, "There are a lot of people who think it's the fault of Left Wing Jews."

Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. "But, you're Jewish!"

"Yes," I said, "but I'm not a Left Wing Jew."

Things have never been the same in that little community group.

Not every Lefty is a Leftist. Not every post at HuffPo is going to support the North Koreans, but, a few groups regularly praised there are funded by the International Left. I don't automatically assume that anyone who voted for Al Gore is an enemy agent or revolutionary. I don't actually think about that at all.

I do tend to think my political choices will benefit our country and the world in the long term in spite of the alarmist rhetoric attached to the inevitable criticism. I know that my choices seem different to The Left than what HuffPo has to offer, but, that's because The Left skews the Right of Center's benchmark so drastically.

We're not insane. We're just not YOU.

One goal of The Right is to defund government financial and legislative support of The Left. Take away the government subsidies of litigous advocacy groups. Make unions transparently accountable to ALL the membership with regard to the allocation of dues for political support. Take the PORK out of Federal spending.

Look. While The Left was fanning the anti-American flames, goading our European neighbors to levy insults and accusations against our government during the Katrina crisis, it took weeks before the badly shaken Right of Center Media and bloggers began reminding the world that for the last couple of summers, in France alone, there have been upwards of 13,000 DEATHS due to the intense heatwaves. In 2003, the total was close to 35,000 for Europe. Compared to the relatively small number of tragic deaths in the Gulf States, that amounts to a European Genocide. The deaths took place during the traditional summer vacation.

Nobody home to save them. And they call us a Third World Nation.

Which do you remember?

The heatwave or the hysterical stories of mass murders and drownings?

I already know the answer.

And I seem sane.

Hey! You! YEAH, YOU! - THE UN IS CORRUPT!

The web is ablaze with Judy Miller/Oil For Food hype right now... I think it's time to remind everyone what this thing is about...

NOT JUDY MILLER!

See the Wall Street Journal:
[You may need a subscription.]

** In other words, Oil for Food is not about some isolated incidents of perceived or actual wrongdoing during the course of a seven-year effort to maintain sanctions on Iraq, monitor its oil flows and feed its people. Oil for Food is a story about what the U.N. is. And our conclusion from reading the 847-page report is that the U.N. is Oil for Food. **

Maxine Waters, Look Out!

There's a lot of talk today about U.S. soldiers back from Iraq and champing at the bit to run for elective office... here's where to find out about one you might not have heard of...

An excerpt:

** Keep your eye on this MilBlogger. He's going to go after Maxine Waters' seat in Congress when he gets home. **

Here's a bit of what Rusten Currie has to say for himself:

** Last night I went on a patrol with Civil Affairs, our mission was to see if everything was ready for today's vote. We drove around from site to site accessing the security of the polling sites, what we found was an Iraqi population that was calm and eagerly awaiting their chance to vote once again, and take part in their own destiny. The day passed virtually without incident, and once again the Iraqi people took a step towards complete independence. Today didn't belong to the insurgency, or the Coalition, it belonged to all of Iraq, and everyone in it. Again, I find it interesting to be here on the ground and witness to this historic event, for better or for worse we will say years from now, we walked the ground on that day. I was there. **

Worth a look.

We're Shocked. Shocked...

Cronyism at Law and Journalism Schools?

** Journalists and legal scholars have been decrying "cronyism" and calling for "mainstream" values when picking a Supreme Court justice. But how do they go about picking the professors to train the next generation of journalists and lawyers?

The left has a lock on journalism and law schools. **

Boring, but, True

Here's everything you ever wanted to know about Plameaquidick...

An excerpt:

** It is certainly the case that the media narrative is much more sensational than the Senate report. A story about malfeasance is perhaps more interesting than a story about incompetence. A story about deliberate White House deception is perhaps more interesting than a story about bureaucratic miscommunication. A story about retaliation is perhaps more interesting than a story about clarification.

But sometimes the boring stories have an additional virtue. They're true. **

A detailed report by Stephen F. Hayes... Read the whole thing.

Let the trashing begin...

For a quick look at how the left develops an anti-Roberts meme, check out the HuffingtonPost's Peter Melhman who is writing, MAD MAGAZINE diary style about Chief Justice Robert's first 2 weeks on the job.

Here's a taste:

** What a couple of weeks. I know getting a job is better than actually performing it but still, you'd think the Supreme Court would be more fun than this.
First of all, as Chief Justice, I just assumed I was the boss and like all bosses, I could bring in my own people... **

Of course, this pissy little antic is designed to ignore the considerable experience Roberts brings to his job from his time as Chief Justice Rhenquist's clerk, and the numerous times he appeared before the Court arguing a case.

It ignores, as well, the nearly universal agreement among his supporters and critics that his intellect, enormous experience and scholarly demeaner will stand to enhance the Court, however they may feel about his judicial philosophy.

This is how the erosion begins... soon the MSM will refer to these quips as though they had some basis in fact. Some reporter some day will actually think he read leaked damning Roberts remarks about his first days at the Court and assume the Chief Justice is a dunce. Then the wolves will attempt to finish the job.

Memes are viral and this one is not as cute as it seems...

Libby/Miller: Leave the Gun - Keep the Cannoli

I keep coming back to this post by Mickey Kaus:

** The Aspens Sleep With the Fishes: Is it just me or is this sentence in Cheney aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby's letter to reporter Judith Miller regarding the Plame-leak case just a little too suggestive of how she might want to testify:

Because, as I am sure will not be news to you, the public report of every other reporter's testimony makes clear that they did not discuss Ms. Plame's name or identity with me, or knew about her before our call.

(The suggestion, of course, would be that this is how Miller might also testify--e.g. no discussion of "Plame's name or identity"--unless she wants to stand out from the pack as someone who contradicts Libby's defense.) ... P.S.: Libby's letter ends, somewhat mysteriously, with this sentence:

Out West, where you vacation, the aspens will already be turning. They turn in clusters, because their roots connect them... **

Kaus suggests a veiled threat amidst the Aspens... Start here and scroll for more recent Kaus pearls..

Harry Shearer... To the Ash Grove... and Beyond!

Harry wrote:

"Excuse me? How does NYT reporter Judith Miller, who writes only about conversations with Cheney's chief of staff Lewis Libby, know what Mr. Cheney was aware of, and know it with monosyllabic certainty?"

He was questioning whether Miller could know what Cheney was aware of... his "Eat the Press" GOTCHA moment.

A look at his own post reveals his error:

"Before the grand jury, Mr. Fitzgerald asked me questions about Mr. Cheney. He asked, for example, if Mr. Libby ever indicated whether Mr. Cheney had approved of his interviews with me or was aware of them. The answer was no."

What part of: "... He asked, for example, if Mr. Libby ever indicated whether Mr. Cheney had approved of his interviews with me or was aware of them. The answer was no." suggests that she was claiming knowledge of what Cheney knew?

Harry, you're having a senior moment. A little flash back to the Ash Grove or something. It'll be okay.

[Credibility Gap update 10/17/05 - 9:22 AM]

Another late night...

I'm watching The Godfather and I can remember the first time I saw it. I thought I'd never see another film so perfectly constructed. I'd add Sideways to the list along with anything with Clint Eastwood especially if he's directing.

We know who you are...

A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. Reducing his altitude, he spotted a woman on the ground below and asked for help. "Excuse me," he said when she was within earshot. "Can you help me? I don't know where I am and I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago."

The woman looked up at him and said, "Sure. You are in a hot air balloon, about thirty feet above the ground. Your location is between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."

Hearing this, the man in the balloon became irritated. Looking down at her he asked, "Are you a Republican?"

"Yes," she replied. "How did you know?"

"Well," he snapped, "the information you've given me is probably technically correct, but I haven't the foggiest idea what to do with it. I'm still lost, my friend is still waiting for me, and frankly you haven't been any help at all."

"Are you a Democrat?" the woman asked.

"Yes," he said. "How did you know?"

"Easy," she answered. "You don't know where you are, and you don't know where you're going. You've risen to your present position on a large quantity of hot air, you've made promises you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. Moreover, you're in the same position as when we met, but you've found a way to blame your predicament on me."

Insomnia all over again...

I'm up late reading Richard Morgan's new book, Woken Furies and I'm having a hard time putting it down. Last time this happened it was Neal Stephenson and I must have read 3000 pages in a blink.

A Modest Proposal for the Amerikan Left

Dear Amerikan Left,

The Pershing Missile you so authoritatively hysterically insisted mistakenly opposed would start another arms race helped end the Cold War with The Mighty Soviet Union and in spite of the inept thanks to the towering leadership of Reagan and Bush the world somehow managed to survive the oligarchic warmongers gave birth to The Russian Commonwealth. You succeeded in ending enlarging the genocide in South East Asia by levitating the Pentagon until we stopped oppressing the free and democratic people of Vietnam and Cambodia abandoning an oppressed people and leaving them in the clutches of villains such as Pol Pot who tortured and murdered millions of his own people. You looked the other way screamed bloody murder when the former President kept refused to acknowledge the negotiating authority of Yassar Arafat for years cooling his heels while he was making a DNA donation and forced the Palestinian Authority to take the negotiating process seriously. You predicted that Afghanistan would fail to have legitimate elections scoffed at the long-term prospects of Afghanistan's legitimate elections keep trying to find ways to undermine the success of the War on Terrorism. You encourage Universities to disinvest in businesses associated with the State of Israel. You demand diversity Blacklist non-Amerikan Left professors who attempt to provide intellectual balance on University campuses. You welcome with open arms oppress students with views in opposition to your own.

You get it wrong a lot of the time. Just like the rest of us. Only you never say you're sorry.

Please, Amerikan Left, in the spirit of fair play and decency, take another look at yourself in the mirror and admit to a few errors just piss off. It'll do so much to make things right again.

Thanks.

Most of us.