COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Join The hardcore at the Elephant, Saturday Night Shootout

70 comments:

  1. That's me in the back, on my bicycle. Kinda dusty back there; I think I need a beer. Just to wash down the "Trail Dust," no know, Podner?

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  2. Ain't That Dusty!

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  3. Three ba mui ba's and I'll be walkin Beside my bicycle.

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  4. put some 33's on the bar, a few packs of chesterfields and a hoochgirl or two.

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  5. Great actors,great movie,great story...

    Where would you ever get that cast from today? I don't think you could.
    Tom Selleck and Robert Duval do good westerns, and throw in Sam Elliott and you've got a good start.
    But "The Magnificent Seven" hot damn.

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  6. Baby-Sans!

    They mighta just been "shinin me on" (I was totin a locked and loaded M-14) but I got the impression that the Vietnamese were the only foreign people that ever liked me.

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  7. They were prolly shinin me, but I'm pretty sure they were the only ones I ever liked. Of course, I was 20, and Boom-Boom was ten dollars.

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  8. Did I ever tell you all about my one-eyed trottin horse? Meanest, most worthless refuge from a dog-food factory never lived. Damned horse tried a different way of Killing me, every day. Damned horse stayed awake all night, every night, just dreaming up new ways to maim my pre-pubescent ass.

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  9. POLITICS incubates all manner of gaffe, scandal and humiliation , and then there are those rarified doozies that become classics at I.M. speed.

    Hello, Representative Mark Foley, here’s your special membership pin and thanks for joining Washington’s “What On Earth Was He Thinking?” Caucus.

    The illustrious club includes a special “Sex Scandal” subcaucus that features, among others, Wilbur Mills (D-Tidal Basin), Gary Hart (D-Monkey Business), Bob Packwood (R-Senate Elevators) and, of course, Bill Clinton (D-Oval Office).

    Mr. Foley, the six-term Republican from Florida, gained slam-dunk admission Friday when he resigned from Congress and apologized to his family and the people of his state over reports that he sent sexually explicit messages to underage male pages.

    Note the inclusion of the terms “sexually explicit,” “underage,” “male” and “page,” in addition to the tidbits tidily extracted from the instant messages that ABC News reported were exchanged between Mr. Foley and his 16-year old, er, friend:

    “Do I make you a little horny?” Mr. Foley reportedly asked under the log-in name “Maf54.”
    Teen: “A little.”
    Maf54: “Cool.”
    Mr. Foley gets double bonus points for his helpful if imprudent use of electronic mail, which made it so easy to spread around the mirth and amusement and — oops, scratch that, we mean genuine sadness and compassion. This is Washington, after all.

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  10. Tak'n about westerns...here's on helluva site I now go to for info, highly recommended..

    Great Site

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  11. Who is your webhost, Rat?
    Fast:
    ---
    Site Stats for bridleandbit.com:
    Traffic Rank for bridleandbit.com: 664,338 (67,507)

    Speed: Average (51% of sites are slower), Avg Load Time: 1.7 Seconds

    Other sites that link to this site: 222
    Online Since: 18-May-1999

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  12. E-Mails! What is about E-Mails that turn supposedly Sane men totally Batshit Crazy? er, Stupid. What the hell?

    You want to instruct your minions to break various and sundry federal and state laws that are guaranteed to send you away for a thousand years? Use a Fuckin E-Mail! You want to talk dirty to an underage, boy, page? Use a Fuckin E-Mail. Sheesh!

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  13. Doug remembered as I guess many of you did, but it's DR's site, a compliment to his magazine.
    It is as comprhensive a site on horses as you'll ever find.

    HT to a man who can do that and contribute so much to this..thanks DR.

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  14. Rufus,

    they get to Washington and begin to believe they're invincible.
    They have people fawning all over them, telling them how great they are..they lose touch with reality.
    At least a good many do.
    I mean Wilbur Mills, Chairman of Ways and Means and one powerful dude brought down by Fannie Fox, the Tidal Basin Bombshell...
    Just imagine Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings with todays press ...

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  15. Maybe I am too old fashion, but at least those guys were taken down by babes. You may go through hell but you can get out of that. How do you tell your wife you are a swish?

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  16. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  17. I guess you're right, Habu; it's just as simple as that.

    I blame the parents. How could anyone let their 16 yr old child hang around with that bunch of riff-raff and scum?

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  18. Well, guys the tech online management crap is handled with hired help. I do not inerfere, much.
    Performance counts.
    Do what you do, do it well, Delegate the rest, if it works, pay the folk above normal and don't look back and nor revisit the issues.
    If performance suffers, stay on the problem, 'til it's not a problem.
    Grow at 14%, have income of about the same come from the Inet, in publishing, after 24 years, you'll be a okay. Ahead of the curve, anyway.

    No one else has the Institutional memory, for what that's worth.

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  19. I'm guessing that's worth about 14% a year. :)

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  20. Alexa is a cool service, aye, doug?

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  21. Kim Zigfeld publishes the Russia blog La Russophobe. He posted this this afternoon:

    ..."Apart from direct frontal assaults on the Georgian regime, Russia is also seeking to destabilize it by fomenting armed conflict in various regions of unrest, particularly Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Here Russian hypocrisy is truly breathtaking; Russia utterly rejects Chechnya’s claim to independence and righteously bellows whenever any outside nation is thought to be supporting Chechnya’s claims. Yet, Russia has no problem in fomenting discord within Georgia, seeking to encourage similar regions to break from the Georgian fold.

    The spy scandal is unfolding in the immediate wake of NATO’s decision to begin “intensive dialogue” with Georgia over its admission to the NATO family, the final phase of negotiation before membership is granted. Obviously, once Georgia becomes a full-fledged member of NATO it will no longer be possible for Russia to attempt direct military intervention in Georgian affairs, so it is not surprising to see Russia reaching deep into its bag of evil tricks in a last-gasp attempt to unseat Georgia’s government and forestall admission.

    The very notion of democracy, much less its practice, is under direct assault in Russia today. The Kremlin has seized control of all national television media, ended popular election of local officials, destroyed national political parties and is even beginning a program to teach Russian Orthodoxy in public schools. The Western democracies must increase their vigilance in order to forestall the forces of authoritarianism from seeping outside Russia’s borders and infiltrating the nations of the former Soviet bloc. It is very clear now that Russia has no intention of letting those nations go without a fight."

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  22. 2164....well she heard it throughthe grapevine..imagine her horror.
    " Hi and good morning DC, this is Ed Goober with drivetime up date..well it seems Rep. Mark Foley a randy Florida Republican has been buggering an underage male page. Ok this goes out to Rep Foley"...

    Dropkick me Jesus through the goalposts of life
    And over end neither left nor the right
    Straight through the heart of them righteous uprights
    Dropkick me Jesus through the goalposts of life.

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  23. Yeah, I just discovered it.
    Have you known about it forever?

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  24. Does anyone like the new format at hugh hewitt?

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  25. Talked about that a BC, a while ago, duece.

    The Cossacks Ride, but it did not fit the "Plan"

    Putin's Russia
    The signs are all there.

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  26. I have been aware of many things, doug.
    Forever though, that's a while,

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  27. Those Cossacks will lead the fight against the Mohammedans, just let 'em run, or nuke them, first.

    I'd let 'em run, 'cause we not nukin' anyone, first.

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  28. Rufus,

    The parents are the type that want the reflected glory of having a son or daughter "in the halls of Congress. They are the enablers of the pedophiles and Monica thongers. I bet my pet goat that Monicas Mom asked her about Bills dick, and she wanted every detail..no shame just give me fame.

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  29. Putin told the group -- the Cossacks do not stand for a particular ideology, they stand for keeping Russia together. "They have always been striving and fighting for the wholeness of Russia," Putin said. The word in Russian that Putin used for "wholeness" -- the word that thrilled his listeners -- was tselostnost.

    On my own visit to Russia in May, I drove out to Veshenskay from Rostov-on-Don for the start of this year's Sholokhov festival, spending the night at the cottage of a Cossack widow, Lena, who plied me with okroshka, a chilled soup combining kvass (a sour malt beverage) with sour cream, potatoes, cucumber, dill, and boiled egg.

    The town is situated on the high south bank of the Don. The river, as it does every spring, had flooded the brush and groves of willows and poplars. A cuckoo sounded in the distance, and doves flitted about. In the late-afternoon sunlight one could glimpse flashes of fish breaching the water's surface. Fishermen boast of their hauls of carp, perch, catfish, and pike; and even though hunting is now banned, this is still elk, boar, and wolf country. From the shore, the town's main square is framed by the golden spire of an Orthodox church and a statue of the heroes of Tikhiy Don, the young Cossack Grigory and his lover, Aksinia.

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  30. Awe come on DR, just one little tac nuke first, just one ...

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  31. Habu,

    Gamblers Anonymous - Anyone who would bet their "Pet Goat" on anything needs to consider the "possibility," you know?

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  32. I mean, Your Pet Goat?

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  33. That's just Sick!

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  34. Genemums, my pet goat' plumb worn out. G'nite. And, G'nite P'Tater, Wherever you are.

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  35. And, you too, Mz "Honeysuckle."

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  36. This line always does it for me, doug, from that story
    "Surrender life to motherland, soul to God, and honor to nobody!"
    The Cossack creed.
    Let 'em ride!

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  37. Gerst's new book is about how open we are to spies:
    Chinese Foremost, but we are spyless and clueless for the most part.
    First came Church, then Bill, now the spineless, spyless Republicans, promising never to indict a domestic spy again.

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  38. You'd probably enjoy "Love and Honor," 'Rat.
    I'm usually a slow reader, but I sped through that.
    France, USA, and Russia.
    Back when we had smart folk like Ben Franklin on our side.

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  39. Rack time, guys. I never sleep for more than three or four hours at a time. Thanks for a good week.

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  40. Likewise, Deuce.
    Sleep well Ruf, in spite of the Bud.

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  41. The Bear is growlin and graspian,

    it wants to eat the whole Caspian;

    when it has all the oil,
    we'll be just its foil,

    and fighting not to end up a has-been.

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  42. Yep, eyelids sagg'n, head nodd'n..all sign of a brain gone dead....good rest gents, enjoyed the company.

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  43. thanks for a barrel of laffs, don't let bed bugs bite--

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  44. TKS,
    On CNN, Today
    09/30 03:00 PM
    At 5:30 p.m., EST, I'm scheduled to appear on CNN to talk about the world's creepiest congressman.

    "And I'd like to remind CNN viewers that I have a book that has nothing to do with sicko members of Congress, entitled

    Voting to Kill: How 9/11 Launched the Era of Republican Leadership

    ...That May Come Crashing Down Because of Twisted Predatory Congressmen from Florida's 16th District."

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  45. He said Foley told him it was an innocent exchange. Shimkus said he warned Foley not to have any more contact with the teenager and to respect other pages.

    Democrats charged Reynolds did far too little and said more digging should be done.

    "Congressman Reynolds' inaction in the face of such a serious situation is very troubling, and raises important questions about whether there was an attempt to cover up criminal activity involving a minor to keep it from coming to light before Election Day," said Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Karen Finney.

    New York Democrats hoping to unseat Reynolds blasted the congressman, saying they call into question the Republican's values.

    "Mr. Reynolds knew about these allegedly inappropriate e-mails from a fellow congressman to a minor for months and didn't lift a finger," said Blake Zeff, a spokesman for the state Democrats.


    Foley & Reynolds sittin' in a tree
    Next thing you know one had to pee
    Foley got excited, he was goin' to see
    Just how other men pissed, for free

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  46. Send me your length,
    it'll set me free.

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  47. "It looks to me that it was more important to hold onto a seat and to hold onto power than to take care of our children," Mahoney said. "I think that's wrong. I think that's what's wrong with Washington."

    The House Page Board investigated the allegations late last year, but Foley was not honest when he denied improper conduct with the teenager, the committee's leader, Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois, has said.

    Rep. Thomas Reynolds of New York, head of the House Republican election effort, said Saturday that he told Speaker Dennis Hastert months ago about the e-mail concerns. Hastert's office said aides referred the matter to proper authorities last fall but were told the messages were only "over-friendly."

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  48. You know, you put it down on paper, and Hastert and Frist are just fine. But, somehow, neither of the two has ever said much of anything memorable or inspirational or leaderly. Just an impression.

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  49. OTOH, 5% of people are corrupt, in any field. As Larry Sabato said today, 5% is just about the number of corrupt congressmen, too. It just "seems" worse.

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  50. Was a loyal Republican voter my whole life. Always in the minority, waiting.

    The opportunity of a life time comes, and we get a Foley. Mr Hastert has his deniable real eatate "deals". Values improved with Federally funded freeway exits.
    Indian gaming payoffs and unfunded liabilities up the gazoo.

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  51. Frist=Uninspiring
    Rather have him as my Doctor than my Senate Leader.
    Rather have my Jooish Doctor than him.

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  52. 'Sides, the son is a big time Corporate Lawyer so when I git rich and famous I'll have "connections."

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  53. The Intercollegiate Studies Institute released a depressing report this week entitled “The Coming Crisis in Citizenship.” It contained the results of a civics survey conducted on our nation’s college campuses.
    Freshmen and seniors were asked a variety of basic questions about American history, government, economics, and international relations. Among seniors, the average score was a miserable 53.2 percent.
    This was only 1.5 percent higher than the average for freshmen. Fewer than half of seniors knew that the Declaration of Independence includes the words “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal . . .
    “ So today’s students are entering college with staggering levels of civic illiteracy, and our universities are utterly failing to educate them.
    It may be wildly fanciful to expect contemporary academics to respect the heritage of Western civilization.
    But can we at least ask that they not ignore it?

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  54. " As having diligently disclosed in the Prospectus of our recent Initial Public Offering, we believe there are at least 38 ways of saying "I" in Chinese.

    It is important that we master all the ways of addressing oneself in Chinese because our users depend on us to address every one of their daily queries."
    ---
    Clinton shoulda been Chinese:
    He could be self-referential in 38 different ways even before he starts fabricatin.

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  55. Foley shoulda read this Gal, mighta cooled his jets:
    "Finders Keepers
    Wednesday, September 13, 2006
    Men are easy. I mean, fundamentally, they have a penis that protrudes from their body, accompanied by a big shrinky-dink red sac.
    To give them an enjoyable eight to ten minutes, you just need to do some sort of rubbing on the protrusion, tugging on the rest, and you're good. "

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  56. Craigslist Prank Goes Too Far 9.20.06Seattle web developer Jason Fortuny posted a fake sex ad to Craigslist, then turned around and published all of the full responses online.

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  57. So this Fortuny person outed a few pervs. He did not steal those e-mails. How e-mail makes one "immune" from consequence, by reason of what?
    Phone messages can be reciorded, if one party to the conversation desires. E-mail is even more public, hell it is public. If you type it, do not be surprised to read it, somewhere you did not expect.
    Those fellows should have kept their fingers off the keys and in their pocket.

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    You can use these days. The premises are grim and the location is chosen with care in the USA!
    S military computers and defense contractors, according to PR Week.
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