Star Wars...minus Canada

Canada today announced that it would "opt out" of the U.S. National Missile Defense (NMD) program. In the announcement, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin said Canada would not support the "weaponization of space" and hinted that U.S. NMD may lead to an arms race (which it will).

Flag of Cowardice or Intelligence?

I've already covered NMD several times on the 3rd cent...please read Star Wars: Attack of the Rouge Nations and National Missile Defense Deficiency.

My favorite part about Canada's decision was the response by the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Paul Cellucci:

"I'm perplexed over Canada's apparent decision to allow Washington to make the decision if a missile was headed toward its territory. Why would you want to give up sovereignty? We don't get it. We think Canada would want to be in the room deciding what to do about an incoming missile that might be heading toward Canada."

So let me get this straight: the United States is worried about some rogue nation or communist state nuking...ahem...Canada? I've lived too long (and I'm only 23).

His Holiness

Every Methodist here at the 3rd cent wishes Pope John Paul II a quick and full recovery from his illness and tracheotomy. the 3rd cent does not share the morbid death wishes of a certain individual wishing to see the Holy Father die so he can witness the procedure of installing a new pontiff...

WA - SJM 8009

Here's something interesting for all the Washingtonians out there...a Joint Memorial before the Washington State Senate (which received a committee hearing yesterday) will, if passed, ask President Bush and the U.S. Congress to split Washington into two separate states:

SJM 8009 is an interesting read, even though it will never go anywhere...check it out.

Mansfield

I have not had enough time to fully write my post on Dennis Mansfield (I get so mad I have to stop for a little while and collect myself...).

In the mean time, please read this piece of "truth." It comes from the Keep the Commandments Coalition of Boise which Mansfield has led and actually been arrested for.

He is the big guy on the left...

It is titled "The Truth About Gay Marriage and Civil Unions" in Idaho.

God Damn F***ing Seniors: Part II

Well, it looks like the 3rd cent was not the only liberal blog to pick up on the USA Next/AARP ad silliness. In fact, so many blogs picked up on it, the issue and the ad were featured in CNN's Inside Politics.

CNN tried to find the ad on the American Spectator site, but it had been removed. This intrigued CNN, so they contacted USA Next, the creators of the ad. CNN we got a statement from Charlie Jarvis, the CEO of USA Next, and he said the ad was a "test".

Apparently, he wanted to see how liberals would react, whether they would "engage in the debate on the very important issue on Social Security or whether they would just run screaming". Jarvis went on to say: "Sadly the left are proved and chose anger and explosiveness about a simple image rather than dealing with the details of a critical issue."

HA! USA Next was trying to initiate a debate on the issue of Social Security by running the ad they ran (you can see it below)? I guess I don't have enough common sense to understand that logic...

Debacle of a Blog

FYI: Our friend Ike has resurected the Daily Debacle, "America's #1 source for really lame news," from the depts of oblivion...and in funny fashion. Check it out here.

God Damn F***ing Seniors

Apparently, because the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) is rightfully concerned about President Bush's "fix" to Social Security, the neo-con goons are striking back. I saw this ad on the Drudge Report and the American Spectator:

Yes my friends, the members of the Greatest Generation hate our troops and love gays getting married. Is this the neo-con version of elevating the debate on Social Security and how they plan to rebut the AARP in their efforts?

Self-parody at its finest.

Funny thing is, you click on the ad and it just goes to the USA Next homepage. No effort to even argue the case that the AARP is anti-troops and pro-gay marriages. I guess that wouldn't be common-sensed enough...

Touching the Face of God

NASA has announced that the Space Shuttle Discovery will mark the return to manned American space launches on or shortly after May 15. The Space Shuttle Atlantis will follow with a July 12 launch.

I've always been a sucker for space flight (big surprise to those who know me). I could look at images from Hubble 24/7. I can't wait for the shuttle to fly again...God Speed Discovery.

Semper Optima

The United States Navy commissioned the USS Jimmy Carter (SSN 23) Seawolf-class nuclear submarine today. The Jimmy Carter is the third and final sub of the Seawolf class and is the most heavily armed, technically advanced, capable and quiet submarine in the U.S. fleet.

Now some of the more "common-sensed" of you may think that as a liberal, I would dislike new $3.2 billion submarine. Quite the contrary.

The Jimmy Carter can deliver special forces teams to combat theaters undetected and tap undersea cables to eavesdrop on the communications passing through them; all this to provide incredible intelligence opportunities otherwise impossible.

And if push comes to shove, it can single handedly destroy a small country that happens to develop a nuclear weapon. Good Hunting USS Jimmy Carter.

Clash of the Bean-Picking Titans

On Tuesday's Lou Dobbs Tonight on CNN, Dobbs clashed with Idaho Senator Larry Craig over a bill Craig is supporting regarding illegal/migrant agricultural workers.

Dobbs is a native of Rupert, Idaho and their discussion occasionally digressed to an argument over who did the most back-breaking farm labor as a kid, and who knew Jack Simplot more...it's pretty damn funny.

You can read the transcript here. (unlike the FOX News Channel, CNN provides complete transcripts for every one of their programs...part of their "unfair and unbalanced" approach to reporting I guess)

Clash of the Titans
vs.
Who is the more common man?

Good News / Bad News

The Good News: Radical Neo-Conservative Dennis Mansfield will not run for the 1st Idaho Congressional seat in 2006.

The Bad News: Radical Neo-Conservative Dennis Mansfield may run for another elected position such as Idaho Lt. Governor in 2006.

I'll elaborate more Mansfield tomorrow...peace.

National Missile Defense Deficiency

So, it turns out a test of the U.S. missile defense system (NMD) failed today because a interceptor missile did not launch from its island base in the Marshall Islands. The NMD interceptors failed a similar test last month with the same problem.

So, what does this mean to you and me? Well, first of all, the American taxpayers are out $85 million give or take. Secondly, it gives serious doubts to the viability of the NMD system working in a crisis (a crisis which is "more likely" now that the North Koreans say they have a nuke). Finally, and most importantly to your humble Slingshizzle, I was right when I post Star Wars: Attack of the Rogue Nations last April. Give it a look-see.

But then there's the Pentagon, always optimistic. This problem with the program (the interceptor not launching from its silo) would be a relief for program officials because it would mean no new problems had been discovered with the missile. Thank God...

V-DAY

Happy V-Day to all the 3rd cent readers out there.

If you are in the Moscow Metropolitan area, head down to the Idaho Commons today and buy a clay vagina (mine is a red flower) or a V-Day rose for that special someone to support the Vagina Monologues.

While you are there, you can get a hold of a ticket to the Monologues, they are March 3-5 at 7:00pm in the UI Hartung Theater. Tickets cost $7 for students and $9 for the public.

Let's drink to Idaho Statute 18-8004

Congressman C.L. "Butch" Otter's campaign director for his 2006 Idaho gubernatorial campaign, Jason Lehosit, resigned Friday after he was arrested for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (as defined in Idaho Statute 18-8004) Wednesday. His blood-alcohol content was recorded at .20, over twice the legal limit of .08.

Because Lehosit has had two prior convictions for DUI, he was charged with a felony.

Coincidentally enough, Otter himself was convicted of DUI charges in 1993 while he was Lt. Governor (and was re-elected by the people of Idaho two more times as Lt. Governor and three times as Congressman).

Otter released this hilarious statement about the incident:

"It's true for me and everybody that works for me, there are consequences for your actions. I believe in personal responsibility, not just in public policy, but in private life as well."

I want everyone to guess what the consequence for Otter's DUI conviction was…think large and crazy…it will be wrong.

I'm back, and with unbiased help...

That's for the outpouring of support from my two faithful readers. I apologize for the great lapse in my blogging, I've been occupied with other far less interesting things lately, but I now plan to blog at least 3 times a week, so stay tuned!

And now, for my unbiased help: I'm taking a lead from the White House press room and getting an objective reporter to cover certain events in the life of our democracy. Let me introduce:
Dem O'Crat,
3rd Cent Correspondent

He smells a little, and you don't want to see him in the morning (believe me), but he's a lot better than Jeff Gannon, former White House "reporter" for Talon News/GOPUSA.com. Let me explain. Whereas Jeff Gannon asked the President on Jan 26th:

Senate Democratic leaders have painted a very bleak picture of the U.S. economy. Harry Reid was talking about soup lines, and Hillary Clinton was talking about the economy being on the verge of collapse. Yet, in the same breath, they say that Social Security is rock-solid and there's no crisis there. How are you going to work -- you said you're going to reach out to these people -- how are you going to work with people who seem to have divorced themselves from reality?

Dem O'Crat asked me this morning:

Why are particular individuals so inconceivably ridiculous?

He needs to lay off the thesaurus, but he's on the right track...