Metal Dad - Hardcore for Life

Political Rant of the Day

As much as I detest the politics of the Kennedy family, I wish nothing but a speedy recovery for Senator Kennedy in the wake of his recent medical troubles.

But it got me to thinking about the Kennedy "legacy" and the Vice Presidential debate a few years back when Dan Quayle made a reference to former president John F. Kennedy and was told by his opponent that "I knew John Kennedy and you are no John Kennedy."

Instead of standing there looking sheepish and stupid, he should have said, " You are correct, sir. I am no John F. Kennedy. I am faithful to my wife. I do not abuse prescription drugs. I would never have left Americans stranded on the beach of the Bay of Pigs to be slaughtered. I would never have allowed the corrupt mayor of an American city to manipulate election results to give me the presidency. Yes, sir, I am no John F. Kennedy."

Technorati Tags: Debates, Kennedy, Politics, Quayle

Make the World Go Away

Country music legend Eddy Arnold passed away at the age of 89. He was a leading figure in the move of country music to a more "pop" oriented sound often dubbed "countrypolitan."

Now Playing: Immortal - Pure Holocaust - As The Eternity Opens

Technorati Tags: Country Music, Eddy Arnold, Music News, Obituaries

Common Sense, Degrees, and Politics

One statistic that the MSM seems to be quite fond of bandying about is that Senator Obama is not doing so well among whites without a college degree. If indeed this is true it only confirms what I've suspected for some time: a college degree does not necessarily mean the recipient has real intelligence or common sense.

It doesn't take a degree to know what Senator Obama is offering is not change but old fashioned, extreme left-wing, big state, cradle to grave entitlements government. There's not much new about what he's proposing. He's the latest in a long line of statists who believe that government knows better how to spend your own money than you do and that government has the right to take your money to do "good things." Of course, the government decides what those good things are.

Technorati Tags: College Degrees, Current Affairs, Politics, Senator Obama

Better Living Through Chemistry?

Even though coffee is the only drug I can still do with a clear conscience, the news about the passing of Albert Hofmann caught my eye.

102 years old! I wonder if LSD had anything to do with him living so long.

Now Playing: Walls of Jericho - All Hail the Dead - There's No I in Fuck You

Technorati Tags: Albert Hoffman, Current Affairs, Drugs, LSD

Election Anxiety Relieved

I am so glad this came out today. I was worried that unless the word from Mount Bruce came down I wouldn't know who to vote for in November.

By the way, Metal Dad recommends you write in None of the Above.

Technorati Tags: Blowhard Rock Stars,Barack Obama,Politics

Autism and Vaccinations

"...in 2004 the Institute of Medicine panel said evidence against a link is so strong that health authorities, 'whether in the United States or other countries, should not include autism as a potential risk' when formulating immunization policies.

But where is the simple, straightforward study of autism in never-vaccinated U.S. children? Based on our admittedly anecdotal and limited reporting among the Amish, the home-schooled and now Chicago's Homefirst, that may prove to be a significant omission."

I've not read enough to have an intelligent, informed opinion on this controversial matter. On the other hand, I do not have blind faith in the medical community.  Being the parent of a child with significant special needs, I've come to the conclusion that much of medicine is  a "best guess" effort. I say this not to denigrate medical professionals. We have met many caring doctors in our pursuit of the best medical care for our daughter.

The article (linked in the quote above) was quite interesting.

Technorati Tags: Autism,Family,Medicine,Vaccinations

Economic/Political Quote of the Day

It's not often I find myself agreeing with anything on the New York Times' Op-Ed page, and while I don't agree with Bruce Bartlett's ideas about what to do with the $117 billion we don't have, the article is worth reading:

"We need to stop and ask whether we can afford to spend $117 billion that the Treasury Department does not have on a program of dubious effectiveness. It simply makes no sense to send out checks to people who have no need for it as some kind of election-year bribe to vote for incumbents of both parties. That money would go a long way toward cleaning up the mortgages that are poisoning the financial sector.

Congress should immediately repeal the rebate and redirect the money that has been budgeted into a package of measures that would help the housing sector and those people who actually need assistance. The Treasury might use some of the money, for example, to enable Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored housing agencies, to buy up some of the bad mortgages, get them off bank balance sheets and help homeowners refinance them.

My gut tells me that the vast majority of Americans would happily give up their rebate if they knew that the money would be used instead to help families in need and start the process of cleaning up the bad debts in the housing sector. Everyone knows that we will have to spend the money eventually and that the sooner the financial sector goes through detox the better it will be for everyone."

Technorati Tags: Bruce Bartlett,Current Affairs,Economics,Politics,Rebates

Political/Theological Rant of the Day

Faith, Politics, and Stupid, Loud-Mouthed Preachers

I could give a flying you-know-what about where Sen. Obama goes to church or what inane remarks his pastor may have made. His theological point of view is of no interest to me. What alarms me is his political point of view. As far as I can see, he is a typical, lefter than most Democrat who thinks that there is no problem, political or social, which cannot be solved with bigger government programs funded with your and my tax dollars.

I've sat under enough preaching, mostly of the evangelical/fundamentalist variety, to know that preachers are not immune to putting their foot in mouth on any given Sunday.

The best preaching I ever heard was preaching which attempted to faithfully and accurately exegete the particular biblical passage being looked at that day rather than the diving board approach so common in many so called "biblical" churches: Take a verse from the bible and use it as a launching point for a 30 to 40 minute talk expressing your opinions on any number of subjects. This, of course, is a broad generalization and I guess I must have been lucky to so often land in faith communities where this was the norm on Sunday.

Some of the best preachers I ever heard were John Stott, guest preaching at a small Presbyterian church in Chicago almost 20 years ago, George Polcaster, who was the pastor of the now sadly defunct Downers Grove Vineyard, and Kevin Cawley, who also preached at the Downers Grove Vineyard on occasion.

Technorati Tags: Current Affairs, John Stott, Kevin Cawley, Politics, Preaching, Senator Obama, Theology

Kalifornia Declares War on Homeschoolers

In light of the recent California State Supreme Court's ruling that parents do not have the right to homeschool their own children, this bumper sticker is right on time. You can order it here. And read a really good article by Bill Huff over here.

Technorati Tags: Bill Huff,Homeschooling,Politics

Edwards to Drop Out of Race

Grab your box of kleenex and head over to Daily Kos and see the weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth over John Edwards' decision to abandon his run for the Democratic nomination for president.

Now he can go back to doing what he does best: enriching himself through his law practice. And he can drop that "man of the people" charade.

Some are pointing to a robocall from the Clinton campaign to South Carolina voters as dirty politicking that dealt a fatal blow to his campaign:

"Hello, This is the Hillary Clinton for President Campaign.

Before you vote on Saturday, you should know that John Edwards voted for permanent trade relations with China. That’s right, John Edwards voted for the bill that cost thousands of jobs. Like the ones in the textile mills he talks about so much down here.
You should also know that John Edwards made nearly a half a million dollars working for a Wall Street investment fund. A fund that’s been profiting on foreclosing on the homes of families; including 100 homes right here in South Carolina. That’s according to The State newspaper. Here in South Carolina, Edwards says he’s one of us, but up on Wall Street he was just another one of them.
Can you trust John Edwards?"

Technorati Tags: John Edwards,Politics,Smarmy Lawyers

Looks Like DRM Will Die a Quiet Death

Check out this article over at the Wired blog. Sony BMG is apparently finalizing their plans to abandon digital rights management methods of controlling the distribution of digital media.

"As the major labels abandon DRM, it becomes increasingly likely that new distribution channels will rise up capable of challenging Apple's market-dominating iTunes Store. Amazon's DRM-free store, for instance, offers variable pricing. Social network sites like Facebook and MySpace could also potentially provide outlets for the sale of DRM-free songs as well. The record labels want that type of flexibility, which Apple has been reluctant to provide.

Adjusting the digital music distribution model is becoming more crucial than ever: The Associated Press reported Thursday that album sales fell 9.5 percent in 2007. "

Technorati Tags: DRM, Music, News, Sony BMG

The Big Lie

One of the advantages of having a week-day off is being able to watch some of the morning news shows. This morning MSNBC showed a bit of an interview with John Edwards' wife. Now, she seems to be fairly personable and I would expect her to have nothing but good things to say about her husband. But I just about choked on my corn flakes when she talked about how her husband was all about returning power to the people, that they understood sovereignty belongs to the people.

In my opinion, Edwards is a purveyor of a most pernicious cradle-to-grave statism. Not to pick on him, most of the other candidates in both parties will increase the size of and power of the federal government, given the chance. If you want a government that tells you what you can eat, what kind of light bulbs you can use, how your hard-earned money should be spent, then these are your guys.

I worked for a Canadian company for quite a number of years and went up to Toronto on a pretty regular basis. Conversations with my Canadian colleagues were always interesting. They touted the benefits they received such as a $1,500 annual stipend for each child to be used for education, although every single one of them admitted to using it for other things. They were either blind or ignorant of the fact that the government was not giving them anything. They were simply putting back into one pocket what they had been taking out of the other pocket. Most of these guys were in a 60% tax bracket. And none of them were rich. But their government was taking care of them and "giving" them such wonderful benefits.

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

Technorati Tags: Politics, Statism

Former Illinois Governor Ryan denied plea, must report to prison

Too bad, so sad. The guy who did more to cripple the Republican Party in Illinois than any Democrat has to report to prison while his request for an appeal is considered.

"The U.S. Supreme Court has turned down former Gov. George Ryan’s request to stay out of prison on bail while the court decides whether to hear his request for an appeal. That means Ryan must report to the federal penitentiary in Oxford, Wis., Wednesday to begin serving his 6 1/2-year sentence for corruption."

Technorati Tags: Corrupt Politicians, Governor Ryan, Illinois, Current Events, Politics

Ministry Bassist Paul Raven Found Dead at 46

Sad news:

"Ministry's bassist Paul Raven was found dead today [October 20th] in a private home in a small French village on the Swiss border. Initial reports indicate Raven's passing was due to a heart attack. Raven (known also for his work with Killing Joke, Prong) was in Geneva working with French recording artists Treponem Pal on their new release, with Marco Neves, Ted Parsons (Prong) and members of The Young Gods.

Born in Wolverhampton UK on January 16, 1961, Paul Vincent Raven established himself with his work in the seminal post-punk/industrial group Killing Joke when, in 1982 he replaced the original bassist for the band, recording and touring with the group throughout its most commercially successful period, performing on Fire Dances, Night Time and Brighter than a Thousand Suns. Throughout his extensive career, Raven participated in other collaborations including Prong, Murder, Inc., Pigface, Godflesh.

Most recently, Raven was nominated for a 2006 Grammy for Best Metal Performance for his work with Ministry's Al Jourgensen, with whom he had begun working with in late 2005 on the 13th Planet release Rio Grande Blood. After a 2006 World Tour with Ministry, Raven helped Jourgensen and Prong's Tommy Victor pen the September 18, 2006 Ministry release The Last Sucker, Ministry's final studio release.

States Jourgensen: 'I am in total shock. The world of music is a sadder, emptier place. Not only was Raven an extraordinary talent, but one of my closest dearest friends. Our condolences and prayers go to his immediate family. He will be truly missed by artists, musicians and his fans the world over.'

'The one consolation is knowing Raven's already hooked up with the right people and started a new project in the After Life. God's speed, Raven. Rest In Peace, you fucking pirate.'

Raven's newest project, Mob Research, featuring members of Warrior Soul and The Mission UK, and schedule for release on 13th Planet Records in 2008, was in the final mixing and mastering phases at the time of Raven's sudden and unexpected passing.

A memorial dedicated to the Life and Art of Paul Raven can be found at www.thirteenthplanet.com.

H/T Metal Underground

Technorati Tags: Music, Obituaries, Ministry, Paul Raven

Miscellaneous Rant

I hear the lunatic fringe on the Left scream about the 'war' in Iraq being about oil. The price of crude has hit $90 a barrel and I'm still paying close to $3 a gallon at the pump. I guess someone forgot to tell the generals their true purpose over there. And when do I get the personal pipeline from the Iraq oil fields to my garage?

Technorati Tags: Iraq War, Politics, Crude Oil, Gas Prices

British actress Deborah Kerr died on Oct. 16 in Suffolk, eastern England

She appeared in one of my favorite films, Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison which also starred Robert Mitchum.

From Newsday - "LONDON - Deborah Kerr, who shared one of Hollywood's most famous kisses while portraying an Army officer's unhappy wife in From Here to Eternity and danced with the Siamese monarch in The King and I, has died. She was 86.
Kerr, who suffered from Parkinson's disease, died Tuesday in Suffolk in eastern England, her agent, Anne Hutton, said Thursday."

Technorati Tags: Film, Deborah Kerr, Obituaries

A Question of Strategy for Pro-Lifers::By Frank Pastore

 I am unapologetically opposed to abortion. I choose not to engage in semantic tap-dancing and am not afraid of the "anti-abortion" tag. I look forward to the day when the legal sanction of infanticide known as abortion ends.

What I would like to see before that day comes is to see the Child and Family Services departments of states flooded with Christian families lining up to be foster and adoptive parents.

One of the criticisms leveled at the "pro-life" side which stings is that they only seem to care about unborn life. Unfortunately,  this has a bit of the ring of truth to it.  Churches should be offering seminars on how to navigate the foster care and adoption processes. Christian families should be adopting the unadoptable and fostering children in crisis. This is not the job of the state. It is our biblical duty as Christians.

A Question of Strategy for Pro-Lifers

Technorati Tags: Abortion, Adoption, Pro-Life Strategies, Biblical Duty

No Rock And Roll Fun: Sony BMG chief: ripping your own CDs is stealing

 "When questioned by Richard Gabriel, lead counsel for the record labels, Pariser suggested that what millions of music fans do is actually theft. The dirty deed? Ripping your own CDs or downloading songs you already own.

Gabriel asked if it was wrong for consumers to make copies of music which they have purchased, even just one copy. Pariser replied, "When an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song." Making "a copy" of a purchased song is just "a nice way of saying 'steals just one copy'," she said."

With people like this at the helm is it any wonder that the recording industry is in deep, deep trouble? Please, someone buy them a clue! They are going to have to come to terms with current (and future) technology and devise  practical, viable, economical methods of marketing and delivery or they will not survive.

: Ripping your own CDs is stealing

Technorati Tags: SONY, Idiocy, Music Downloading

H/T No Rock and Roll Fun

Real Discrimination

"Imprisoned Pastor's Health Failing – VOM Sources
On September 24, The Voice of the Martyrs received reports that Pastor Zhang Rongliang's health was failing, and if he is not released, he would die in prison. According to contacts in China, "Pastor Zhang must be carried from place to place by two men supporting him. He does not walk well on his own. He openly questions whether he can finish this sentence. If he is not released, there is a good chance that he will die in prison." Pastor Zhang still has four years remaining of the seven-and-a-half year sentence he received after his arrest in 2004. He already had previously spent 12 years in prison for his faith during five separate detentions. He experienced harsh torture, including electric shock, during his previous prison terms."

I doubt that many Christians in the United States have any idea what it really means to suffer on account of our faith. We get bent out of shape because nativity scenes are banned on government property or some 2nd rate "celebrity" makes a profane comment on an awards show. We whine about the media bias against people of faith and then do everything in our power to confirm their worst suspicions.

Technorati Tags: Faith, VOM, Persecution

Someone(s) You Should Know

I ran across a couple of blogs that I think might be of interest to some. The first one is

Age of Hooper (The)

His pictorial/video post on anti-war demonstrations is great.

The next one is

The Republic of Dave

I first became aware of Dave Nalle from his political commentary and book reviews on Blogcritics.org.

Technorati Tags: Politics, Blogging, Blogcritics.org, Commentary, Dave Nalle, Age of Hooper