The Air America Fiasco Continues

Stereotypes are that liberal types cannot manage business' and are profligate with other people's money. Imagine my shock reading this passage from a NYT article recounting the ineptitude and botchery that lead to Air America's bankruptcy;

Some people at Air America assert that, under Mr. Glaser and the team he put in place, the network was top-heavy with management, inept at selling ads, unwilling to make program compromises that veered from the liberal message and overstaffed with more than 100 employees when two dozen would have sufficed.

What they did for $45 million they could have done for $10 million, said Sheldon Drobny, an investor with a contentious relationship with the network.

No wonder conservatives don't feel that they can trust liberals to regulate business and industry. Overstuffed administration, wasteful spending, and paralyzed by dogma. Thanks for not reinforcing any of those stereotypes, guys. Perhaps the most telling passage was this,

As for the bankruptcy filing, which came after a creditor, MultiCultural Radio Broadcasting, sought to freeze company accounts, Mr. Klestadt said the board decided a Chapter 11 proceeding would be the best way to maximize the value of the assets.

When a business feels that bankruptcy improves its value, you're in trouble. The truth is, nobody was listening to Air America except Liberal True Believers. When I listened I heard programming long on emotion and short on persuasion. Insulting conservatives is what passed for "spreading the message." For what its worth, calling someone a dumbshit isn't likely to make them receptive to your philosophy.
While the current and former staff of Air America might like to shake their own hands and say how they changed the elections, it just isn't true. Those who listened to Air America were never going to vote any other way. Yet another money quote:

Saying that Air America reaches millions of listeners and "clearly had an impact on the 2006 elections..." (Terence F. Kelly, potential buyer of Air America)

What complete bullshit. Air America couldn't even find an audience in Madison, Wisconsin. Berkeley of the Midwest and all that. Terence Kelly's hometown by the way. The Madison Air America station will be a Fox Sports Radio station. Oh, sweet irony, your nectar is too tart for most but I will partake of thee.
I'm going to make a not-so-bold prediction; Air America will never succeed except as a vanity project funded by some charitable limousine liberal attempting to woo some vacuous hollywood Mc-Starlet.
Why on earth would anyone need Air America, anyway? We already have the NYT, the LAT, Time Magazine, Ted Turner, ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR, and Hollywood.

Pearl Harbor Vets

I work in a Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital and I've gotten to know vets from every conflict since WW1. Not much more than a week has passed since the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association's announcement that

"With age and aching joints slowing the sailors, marines and airmen who lived through the attack on Pearl Harbor, the major national survivors group has decided this year’s gathering will be its last in Hawaii."

Sadly, inevitably, their numbers shrank by at least one more a few days ago.
I'll just call him Arthur. He was in the US Navy but on shore that day. Arthur had been sick for these last few years and had been in the hospital quite a bit. Over these few years I've heard many stories of that day, and the days following December 7th, 1941. Its a story I've heard many times over the years working at the VA. Ordinary men doing the extraordinary when need calls and never believing their actions were the least bit special. "Just what any decent man would do." Perhaps so, but the world is a bit less rich for your passing, Arthur.

Godspeed, Arthur.

Architectural Porn

Chateau in the Sky - New York Times

Now just how incredible would it be to have that view? Knowing what a philistine I am, I'd probably set up a basketball court in the ballroom.

"I've got a bad feeling about this"

While running spellcheck on my last post, "Pelosi" was highlighted. I clicked on the "learn" box and now I feel dirty inside.

Just a Reminder, the Taliban are Scum

The death of a criminal

The gunmen came at night to drag Mohammed Halim away from his home, in front of his crying children and his wife begging for mercy.

The 46-year-old schoolteacher tried to reassure his family that he would return safely. But his life was over, he was part-disemboweled and then torn apart with his arms and legs tied to motorbikes, the remains put on display as a warning to others against defying Taliban orders to stop educating girls.

His crime was teaching girls.


For those of us who need reminding of just who it is we are fighting in the Middle East, read this article. Students of recent history shouldn't be surprised. After the US forces left Vietnam to the tender mercies of their northern commie friends, the same thing happened there. While we haven't fled Afghanistan yet, our enemies know with the Democrats closer to power in America it may not be long before Pelosi and her ilk concede victory and leave Afghanistan high and dry. This is just a taste of what will happen in Afghanistan if the USA and NATO abandon them. Just imagine what you could get in Iraq if our new Democrat Overlords have their way.

No wonder nobody trusts America.

Leonard Nimoy sings the "Ballad of Bilbo Baggins"

For the best in truly bizarre 60s-70s nostalgia, watch this early music video by none other than Spock and his squad of adoring cheerleaders




truly odd

USAF TV commercial

I just heard that the USAF plans to shitcan their F-117 stealth fighters. Ah, Nighthawk, we hardly knew ya. The complaint has been a 1970's design made with 1980's technology flying in the 2000s was outclassed by new aircraft; namely the F-22 Raptor. I've seen this commercial around lately and thought it was most excellent.



During my soldier years, I kept a photo of my wife inside the top of my helmet so I perfectly understand the sentiment of the pilot's photo in his cockpit. Having a reminder close at hand of why we endure the long, lonely, hours of duty made them less tiresome. Many who have seen this video take the meaning of "guardian angel" to be the pilot in his stylin' F-117 flying overhead protecting his loved ones from harm.
I thought the wife and kids photo was his guardian angel acting as a spiritual shield. Military life can be deadly dangerous, especially for the Zipper Suit (pilots) crowd. Being reminded not only of what you swore to protect but what's at home can help prevent unnecessary risks that can keep you from becoming an expensive lawn dart.

"If it was up to the Democrats, we would still be living under Saddam's tyranny"

Sometimes it takes a parody news aggregator to get to the heart of the truth.

"If it was up to the Democrats, we would still be living under Saddam's tyranny"

Don't worry guys, the Democrats will soon put that to rights. FFS a former Democrat US attorney general is one of Saddam's defense team. That should tell you all you need to know.

CNNs 9-11-01 As It Happened

I'm watching "CNN's original TV coverage of 9/11/2001 in REAL TIME."
Seen through the prism of five years the uncertainty and panic of that day come through clear as a bell. I remember that morning too well, sitting at home that day glued to the television. At the time while I lived in Wisconsin we were getting the network feeds from NYC; my wife is a Yankees fan. The commentators dealing with the second airplane striking the WTC then shortly afterwards the Pentagon on fire, and the White House being evacuated. None of us knew it at the time but the people on United Airlines flight 93 were planning their desperate attempt to retake their plane.

We all kept waiting for the next shoe to drop, the next attack, more bad news. I told my wife then that someone was going to pay for this, more than they could bear. Its 8:55am, and Osama Bin Laden's name was mentioned for the first time. Few Americans that day knew who he was, now we all know his name, curse him.

Its 9:00 and the first (South) tower just collapsed. Scores of policemen, firemen, WTC workers fleeing down the stairs, and others, died at that moment. It was then that it became apparent to everyone that there would be great loss of life.

I sat in my living room all day, watching the news coverage knowing that this was a historic day. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor most Americans found out about it on radios or read it in the newspaper. That day, in real-time, we saw it happen ourselves. Though we didn't know it at the time, United Airlines flight 93 had already been flown into the ground by the terrorists after they had realized the passengers were going to retake the plane.

Just thinking about all of this and watching the five year old video while remembering the events of the years since, now the second WTC tower has collapsed.
Reading one of my favorite blogs today, a post by Laughing Wolf at Blackfive points me to this;

Breaths

"There are no words."

Nanny statism in the kitchen

Defying Law, a Foie Gras Feast in Chicago - New York Times

Lets be honest. Nanny statism breeds contempt, not compliance.

I don't recall ever having foie gras but I must say I'm tempted to go to Connie's Pizza myself to try one of their pizzas topped with the illicit organ. Is this what the Chicago aldermen worry about? Though the law went into effect yesterday (8-22-06) enforcement won't begin until today.

“The city gave them a day of fun, but tomorrow we’ll see what happens,” said Joe Moore, the alderman who proposed the ban, adding that the method by which foie gras is produced — force feeding ducks and geese through a pipe inserted into their throats — is clearly animal cruelty.

Sounds like the UN dealing with Iran. Talk tough while pretending not to notice the thumbed nose.