Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader admires bloggers who are true advocates for a cause. (And without meaning to be too glib, it is easier to admire those bloggers who advocate causes with which your Maximum Leader agrees.) Bloggers like Charles Johnson who have suffered personally for their tireless advocacy respected by your Maximum Leader.

Another blogger who is a tireless advocate for Americans taken hostage is our blog-pal, Rusty Shackleford of the Jawa Report.

Rusty first started writing about Roy Hallums last November. Shortly after Roy was abducted in Iraq. Roy’s family has contacted Rusty frequently and will sometimes contribute information and comments on Rusty’s site.

Your Maximum Leader recommends that you go over to The Jawa Report and read the updated entry concerning the release of a video of Roy Hallums. Rusty was far ahead of the mainstream media on this, and he continues to report all the information available.

And pray for Roy Hallums and his family.

Carry on.

Wow… I have been laughing my ass of guys, this is great stuff. Unfortunately, I don’t think the bulk of the readership really knows what good friends you two are.

I am to the point that I don’t even argue gun rights anymore especially with the M of A. The way I reckon’, soon as he kilt his firsz deer owhn hiz frunt porch wid a gun, the argmunt was over!

But I still like to hear the arguments being made and you two do a fine job!

I tend to agree with the ML I think that the pre-Clinton Democrats kept trying to go for the whole ball of wax at once (Like Feinstein banning them all) and realized that it wouldn’t work. The Clinton and Post-Clinton gun strategy is to do it incrementally. They start with “Assault Weapons” and move from there. Its a good strategy (for their purposes) but doesn’t address the issue as “Assault Weapons” are used in a fraction of the deaths.

Speaking about Deaths
All gun deaths (Murders, suicides and accidents) accounted for 29,573 Americans in 2001 (could not find 2003 data so deal with it) and its interesting to note that about 16,000 , over half, were suicides.

The reason I bring this up is that it seems to me, the good folks on the other side of the isle are really concerned with American dieing needlessly. That is good thing and I don’t knock em for it.

I am just curious as to why they don’t go after the low hanging fruit? Do they not realize that in 2003 the National Highway Transportation and Safety folks report that 43,220 people died in 2003 in auto-related incidents?

Why does Diane and Co write legislation to reduce all speeds to 10MPH and ban any car that goes over 50. It would save a lot of lives.

Each year about 400,000 people die of Smoking related cancers and other complications.

Yet politicians talk out of both sides of their mouthes about Tobacco because both sides receive huge sums of money from the Tobacco lobby!

If Diane Feinstein and Charles Schumer really cared about people so much why aren’t they distancing their Parties from Tobacco and writing legislation to ban cigarettes?

That’s all

No wait…

ML you are not kidding! every time the M of A mentions that Laffer Curve I do get scared (intellectually). I keep thinking, “isn’t that some Hall of Fame pitcher’s famous throw” that I should have heard about.

Back to the Trenches…

Here’s an article about Redskins Linebacker Lavar Arrington. I’ll draw your attention to the third paragraph.

Last year, after Arrington served under his fourth defensive coordinator in four years, the linebacker posted a description of the Battle of Thermopylae — where the Greeks made a heroic stand against the Persians in 480 B.C. — to mark the start of a new era.

Who knew he was a history buff. How many linebackers think Greece is something that comes out of bacon when you cook it?

from www.misleader.org, 8/5

President Bush has promised to prosecute those who leak sensitive classified information, saying, “We can’t have leaks of classified information.”[1] Attorney General John Ashcroft said, “leaks of classified information do substantial damage to the security interests of the nation.”[2] Ashcroft promised swift prosecution of leaks, saying, “Until those who, without authority, reveal classified information are deterred by the real prospect of productive investigations and strict application of appropriate penalties, they will have no reason to stop their harmful actions.”[3] But according to a new report, the Bush administration is refusing to prosecute a top Republican who leaked classified information. As the Washington Post reports, “Federal investigators concluded that Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) divulged classified intercepted messages to the media when he was on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.” The Post also reports, “Though the FBI and the U.S. attorney’s office pursued the case, and a grand jury was empaneled … the Justice Department decided to forgo a criminal prosecution.”[4]

Also, AP reports Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL) apparently divulged classified information about how many terrorist attacks have been thwarted, and about a terrorist threat on an Indiana community.[5] Harris is the woman who as Florida Secretary of State helped deliver the election to President Bush. There is no word on whether the Bush Justice Department will investigate Harris.

Sources:
1. “German Leader Reiterates Solidarity with U.S.,” Whitehouse.gov, 10/09/2001.
2. “ATTORNEY GENERAL ASHCROFT ANNOUNCES INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE TO REVIEW WAYS TO COMBAT LEAKS OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION,” U.S. Department of Justice, 12/14/2001.
3. “Letter from Attorney General John Ashcroft to The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert,” Federation of American Scientists, 10/15/2002.
4. “Investigators Concluded Shelby Leaked Message,” Washingtonpost.com, 8/05/2004.
5. “Woman at centre of Bush 2000 Florida win sorry about non-existent terror plot,” CNEWS, 8/04/2004.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader wanted to let his loyal minions know that he will be taking a long weekend from the blog beginning immediately. He shall return next week.

But before he goes he cannot pass up the opportunity to make an observation.

Oh how Ally teases your Maximum Leader. First she says how much she adores your Maximum Leader. And just a few paragraphs before she mentions her “physical abundances.” How she teases your Maximum Leader. And all the while she denies that she is a tease…

And for Outer Life… Hey! This is notice that there will not be much posted here for the next few days.

And while there is certainly more tht should be said, your Maximum Leader will just leave for a few days. He will likely be watching all of the Lord of the Rings movies this weekend… That means he will not have much time to blog…

Happy New Year my minions. See you in 2005.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader has been, as have we all, horrified at the scope and scale of the destruction caused by the earthquake and resultant tsunami in the Indian Ocean. As so many others have noted, the loss of human life is so staggering as to be nearly unfathomable. One person killed, or two, or three, or perhaps a few tens of people we can grasp mentally. But when you start to talk about numbers going over 100,000 - and possibly more than 200,000 when the final counts are done - the numbers become just a statistic. A number on a page.

Your Maximum Leader and his family have made a contribution to the International Red Cross. Your Maximum Leader also encourages minions to donate to the organization of their choice. Other charities are UNICEF, Oxfam, and this comprehensive list at The Command Post.

Your Maximum Leader fears that the final death toll from this disaster will be over 250,000. When one considers that many small islands around Sumatra and along the Indian coast haven’t yet been heard from; and the full extent of damage and loss from areas that are accessible hasn’t been fully assessed the toll can only increase dramatically. And one would have to figure that privation and disease will start to take their toll as well.

This may well be the most horrible natural disaster to strike in your Maximum Leader’s life. He is hard-pressed to recall any disaster as widespread, or as lethal.

Your Maximum Leader’s prayers are with those who suffer in Asia as a result of this catastrophe. And his hopes are with those who bring relief.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader has read a number of articles all talking about the “sixth sense” wild animals may have concerning natural disaters While over 100,000 people have been killed by the tsunami, very few wild animals have been killed.

Your Maximum Leader wondered what the animals know that he doesn’t. Interestingly enough, the Velociman wondered the same thing. Albeit from a perspective your Maximum Leader couldn’t replicate.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader, aside from the feelings of compassion for the victims and survivors of the Asian Tsunami, has some other comments to make on this disaster.

Some of the science concerning what has happened is fascinating. The Earth’s rotation itself may have been affected. And islands around the earthquake area may have actually moved.

Scientists also are reporting that while there will be aftershocks, they do . One hopes this is a minor blessing.

And, outside the science of the tsunami there is the politics. Much hay has been made concerning the “stingy” comment from Jan Eegeland of the United Nations. At the time the comment was made the US had contributed $15 million to disaster relief. At the time the comment was made, that $15 million represented the largest donation from a western nation to date. The US has now donated $35 million to relief. President Bush pledges more money and other aid.

Your Maximum Leader was stung by the “stingy” comment. As were many others. That comment showed a number of things. First off it showed the insularity of the world in which so many UN officals live. They don’t understand anything outside their organization, and they only see the UN as an altruistic world-government-in-waiting that only needs more money from rich countries to solve the world’s problems. The second thing it showed was a stupendous ignorance of how the US appropriates money. In case you didn’t know, the President or Secretary of State don’t just take money out of the Treasury and spend it. It is appropriated by Congress. It can only be appropriated by Congress. Every year the Congress appropriates money for the USAID (United States Agency for International Development) for disaster relief. Money is also appropriated for other departments to be spend for disaster relief. It is this previously appropriated money that is being spent now. Additional funds will need to be voted on and approved by Congress. And in case commentators didn’t know it, Congress is not in session right now. Our nations law-makers (and money appropriators) are on holiday and will not be back until around January 10. This limits the amount of money the United States has to allocate to relief at this point.

Do not fear, we will donate more. We will be the leader in this effort. Just as we always are. In 2004 nearly a quarter of all money given in relief for natural disasters came from the US. We are the largest donor in these situations. We may have been a little slow to act, but we are in it for the long haul.

And all this talk of relief by governments doesn’t even begin to count the millions that will come from normal Americans donating their own money from their own pockets to help those people around the world they’ve never met, seen, or in some cases heard of before. We are the most generous people in the world, and we rarely get credit for it.

Now your Maximum Leader mentioned that we may have been a little slow on the uptake. Well, your Maximum Leader feels that President Bush was too slow in making some sort of statement of compassion. He doesn’t feel that the President doesn’t feel compassion for the suffering (as was implied by Matt Lauer on the Today Show this morning). The President and his staff probably wanted to wait and get more information before speaking publically about what the US response would be. While that may be a smart move tactically, it was not a smart move from the perspective of image-building. The President should have made some brief remarks sooner and said that details of the US response would be forthcoming.

Your Maximum Leader does not doubt that the role of the US will be great in this relief effort. He only hopes that the full role of the US will be appreciated when all is said and done. Unlikely, but he still hopes.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader, in his never ending quest to bring you all the Elvis news that is fit to print, presents for you this article from today’s Washington Post: Elvis, One for the Money.

The opening part of the article is the best part. The new owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE), Robert Sillerman, plans on increasing marketing efforts in “under-Elvised” areas of the world. Your Maximum Leader loved that. “Under-Elvised” As far as your Maximum Leader is concerned, the whole world is a little “under-Elvised.” We need more Elvis. Young Elvis. Leather-clad Elvis. Fat Elvis. Elvis-the-dad. Elvis-the-Karate-student. Elvis-the-lover-of-many-women. You name it, we need more of it.

Of course, you should read the second part of the article which deals with Elvis the “sellout.” As with so many things about him, Elvis was the first great sellout. Of course, he was also the first great rock star. The first “A” list performer to do Vegas regularly. He was the first in so many things, it somehow seems appropriate to remember him as the first great sellout.

But Elvis is a complicated figure. A complicated tragic figure at that. Your Maximum Leader heartilly recommends Peter Guralnick’s fabulous bio of the King. (Vol 1 and Vol 2) If you read them, you can make up your informed mind on Elvis.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader was pleased to learn that someone out there is still reading this blog. Ever since he asked the porn site to de-link Nakedvillainy your Maximum Leader has seen his inflated traffic numbers drop back to their normal levels… It was nice to dream.

Anyway. Your Maximum Leader wrote yesterday concerning a misleading headline about Stone Age stores. Today he sees he got a note in his villainous e-mail from minion Norm over at Quantum Thought. Norm writes:

Ifthere are indeed Old Stores just coming to light then serious problems now exist. I am of course talking about back taxes. Do these Ancient Peoples think we are fools. There is no escaping the compounding of taxes that will have to be calculated and appropriate penalties computed. This slacking of fiscal policy cannot be tolerated. Please forward a complete listing of all “Stores” involved, square footage, inventories, and present ownership with complete address and tax identification numbers to Quantum Thought Internal Revenues, Egyptian Dept. Middle Eastern Enforcement Division.

Norm, your Maximum Leader salutes you for the vigour with which you keep up with tax collection laws. In the Mike World Order there is surely good work in “store” for you.

And dear minions, don’t forget to check out Norm’s blog, Quantum Thought. The Chinese Monkey Dancer is sure to entertain.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader asks you all to contemplate this headline: Archaeologists Find Egyptian Stone Age Stores

What pops into your mind? Wal-Mart? Target? (Or for the more afluent minions, Neiman Marcus?)

Would you have though for one moment that the article would really be discussing graneries? Like the ones Joesph built for Pharaoh? Would you really? Come on! You were thinking retail outlets. You all were wondering if some neanderthal woman was going to find a stone age store and look around for a nice bag to match her skins. Or, if it was a neolithic Sears, a set of those new-fangled flint arrowheads for that nice guy that knocked her up last winter. You know you were thinking that.

Could the misleading headline be the result of some editor thinking that no reader would know the word “graneries” if they saw it in a sentance? Did the editor know what a granery was? Humm.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader would like to doff his bejeweled floppy hat and salute the Acidman at Gut Grumbles on the 3rd anniversary of his blog.

Although your Maximum Leader doesn’t always link to the Acidman’s posts, or mention them nearly enough, he reads Gut Grumbles a few times a day. Indeed, the reason the blog is listed as “Acidman” rather than “Gut Grumbles” on the blogroll is so that your Maximum Leader reads it first as he scrolls down his blogroll.

And allow your Maximum Leader to write something else while he is talking about the Tall Dog at Gut Grumbles. Rob is the most open and honest blogger I read. He opens his soul and lets us read it. Not many people do that. I certainly don’t. He has earned my respect without ever having met him.

I hope I can get down to Georgia sometime and meet him. I’ll buy the beer.

Happy 3rd anniversary Rob. I hope for many more.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader, as loyal minions should know, is an Elvis man. He likes to keep up with goings-on concerning “The King” in the news. So imagine his interest when he read this headline: Man Auctions Water From Cup Elvis Used.

Huh?

It seems Mr. Jade Jones of Belmont, NC just made $455 by selling water from a cup from which Elvis purportedly drank in a 1977 concert.

Your Maximum Leader, who is an Elvis fan afterall, is all for people buying and selling their Elvis related stuff. But really now… Water? Deep frozen then transferred to a vial? $455? That is a little much.

But speaking of Elvis artifacts… Your Maximum Leader has a rule concerning Elvis-stuff. It cannot cost more than $25 (US). With the exception of Elvis CD box sets, nothing Elvis related your Maximum Leader owns cost him more than $25. This rule has been an albatross around his neck however. You see, your Maximum Leader would love to purchase the perfect Velvis. (Velvet Elvis Portrait that is.) The Velvis must be of “The King” circa 1976. He should be dressed in a jumpsuit (American Eagle jumpsuit or Aztec Sun jumpsuit preferably) and he should be sweating profusely. A general blue-tint to the work is also acceptable. Yor Maximum Leader has been looking for the perfect Velvis for years. But everytime he finds a suitable contender, it is more than $25. Once, while traveling through Missouri, your Maximum leader found a near perfect Velvis. It was hanging on the wall of the Jesse James Hideout and Saloon, off I-70 roughly in the middle of the state. Your Maximum Leader haggled with the proprietor of the establishment. But, sadly, the proprietor wouldn’t part with it for $25.

The search continues.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader must be in a rather base frame of mind today. Why? Well who really knows why, but in keeping with the bodily needs theme he has going he’ll refer you all to the contemplations of the Poet Laureate.

Your Maximum Leader can give the Big Hominid a two word answer that explains the urine droplet on top of the urinal.

Magic Droplet.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader, once, lived in an apartment building. (Okay, upon reflection make that twice.) And while a denizen of that apartment building, he noticed a very attractive asian girl living in the twin building across the street. Our schedules were dissimilar so we never passed each other. But your Maximum Leader would generally spy her walking out of her building to her car, or sometimes talking on a cordless on the balcony. Once, your Maximum Leader found himself standing in a long queue next to this girl. He wondered what to say.

Well, if you Maximum Leader were Kilgore Trout, he may have chosen to blog an open letter to her.

Alas, your Maximum Leader wasn’t so inspired.

Carry on.