Welcome...

...to the new Ex-Donkey Blog. Feel free to look around. I've just finished setting up all the furniture.

Don't forget to update your links and bookmarks. Tomorrow we'll start business as usual. But right now, since I've finally got the kids in bed, I need to go and set up my new flat screen TV.

Hey, a guy's gotta have priorities.

Posted by: Gary at 09:00 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Goodbye Blogger...

It's been almost exactly seven months ago to the day that I decided to just go ahead and start a blog of my own. Unfortunately, I had no idea how. Enter Blogger. Yep, easy as one, two, three...and I was publishing.

Over time, I got comfortable and really had no reason to make a change. Sure the server went down from time to time and I had lost a post or two before I could save it, but I got over it. I was even used to the fact that having the word 'blogspot' in your URL can be perceived by many as a kind of cyberspace training wheels. Don't get me wrong, there are many excellent blogs hosted by blogspot, but they tend to be the exception rather than the rule. Just keep clicking on "next blog" in the upper right corner and you're just as likely to hit a "clog" (advertisement page) as you would a decent site.

Recently, I was contacted by Steve the Llama Butcher. He called me down to his private office to "make an offer I can't refuse". I entered the dimly lit room and Steve motioned for me to take a seat. After I kissed his ring out of respect, I sat down. Steve leaned back in his leather chair, put both feet up on his mahogany desk and asked if I would like to make a move. He was inviting me to join the "family" of Mu.Nu. Of course the "Commission" needed to formally approve his nomination of me, but he assured me that it was not much more than a formality because they were familiar with his standards and his endorsement carried much weight.

I was intrigued. I really had little knowledge of this strange place known as Munuviana. Explaining to Steve that I was the cheapest sumbitch East of the Hudson River, I inquired what it would cost me. Steve simply chuckled as he scratched behind the ears of the cat seated on his lap. "Nothing", he said, "It's absolutely free." I was more intrigued.

Then I asked him how difficult it would be as opposed to the very user-friendly Blogger. I embarrassingly admitted that I'm as comfortable using HTML as a one-legged man is jumping on a trampoline. He described the ease and greater versatility of the Movable Type publishing format and before long I was hooked. Then he muttered something unintelligible like one day I may be called upon to perform a service for him but that such a day might never come...yadda, yadda, yadda. I couldn't concentrate. I was too excited.

So there you have it. I have just finished loading up the moving van and effective tomorrow, the new Ex-Donkey Blog will officially launch. I expect to leave this old site up indefinitely (at least a stripped down version of it, anyway). Until then, this is "goodbye" to Blogger. It's been real.

Posted by: Gary at 04:38 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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When Giant Venomous Centipedes Attack!

Oh man, look at THIS ghastly thing. Some guy in Britain found this in his home. Aaron Balick hears some rustling behind the TV and he figures its a mouse. He goes to investigate and lifts up some papers and finds Mr. Creepy Crawly.

"Instead, when I lifted the papers, I saw this prehistoric looking animal skitter away behind a stack of books." He trapped the 9-inch-long creature between a stack of books and put it in a plastic container.

Turns out these things are indigenous to South America. Go figure. They estimate that it stowed away aboard a ship.

Now take a close look at these Kouhuns. You know those nasty critters that Jango Fett sent with Zam Wessell to assassinate Padme in Attack of the Clones?

Almost the same length, these guys average about 11.5 inches. And much of the movie was filmed in England. Hmmm. Makes you wonder. I think the special effects guys at Lucasfilm have some 'splaining to do.

Posted by: Gary at 03:20 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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So Long Cindy...

The 15 minutes are over. Cindy Sheehan has packed up her little wooden crosses and is moving on, leaving behind this parting shot:

"I look back on it, and I am very, very, very grateful he did not meet with me, because we have sparked and galvanized the peace movement," she said. "If he'd met with me, then I would have gone home, and it would have ended there."

But then actually meeting with Bush was never her intention - publicity was. And she got it in spades.

Now I don't think for one minute that we have heard the last of her. She has pledged to continue on to Washington D.C. and continue her activism. But the context for her future rants can no longer be framed as a grieving mother desperately wishing to look into the eyes of the President for justification of her pain. Because as we all know now, that was just pretense.

No, Mrs. Sheehan will continue to be vocal and she'll continue to get camera time. But going forward she'll be marginalized as just another voice in a crowd of incoherent moonbats shouting "Bush Lied". She'll be in good company, though.

hat tip to: Polipundit

Posted by: Gary at 02:37 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Consumer Confidence Strong...

Linked via Viking Pundit, this press release paints a much different picture than people like Paul Krugman would have you believe.

“Consumers appear to be weathering the steady rise in gas prices quite well,” says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board’s Consumer Research Center. “In fact, consumers’ confidence in the current state of the economy, and particularly in the labor market, has propelled the Present Situation Index to its highest level in nearly four years (125.4 in September 2001). Expectations continue to suggest more of the same for the remainder of this year.”

Consumers’ overall assessment of ongoing conditions was considerably more favorable in August. Those claiming business conditions are “good” increased to 29.8 percent from 28.7 percent. Those claiming conditions are “bad” slipped to 15.1 percent from 16.7 percent.

Sorry, Paul. Wrong again. Those damn Bush tax cuts for the rich at work again!

Posted by: Gary at 10:08 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Redneck Hot Tub...

My brother emailed this to me today. Actually the concept itself isn't all that bad. Although I'd imagine the keg would produce warm beer.

What grosses me out, however, is the brown water. Ewwwww.

Could use a few Miller Lite babes as well.

Posted by: Gary at 10:01 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Tolkien Geek Update...

I have a new post up about the Prologue to Fellowship of the Ring.

Something to tide you over...

Posted by: Gary at 09:00 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Gobs and Gobs of good news out of Iraq...

But you won't hear the MSM report it. Which is why we are lucky to have Arthur Chrenkoff. I'm serious, when you see how long this post is, you'll feel like "man, I'm getting tired of reading about all the good stuff going on in Iraq" - if you're a Liberal, that is.
;-)

h/t: The Jawa Report

Posted by: Gary at 04:57 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Here we go again...

A Republican in the White House. Must mean poverty is up! And of course, the MSM are reporting just that.

But wait one second, Jayson at Polipundit - a stats guru in my book- lends some clarity and perspective to this story.

Posted by: Gary at 04:40 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Sorry for the light posting...

I'm detecting a major funk in the blogosphere today anyway. The hurricane is dominating the news. There's not much else going on. People are winding up their summers and getting the tots off to school.

I'm swamped all around as well. Work's a bear. Domestic life is insane right now. But fear not. The new and improved Ex-Donkey Blog will launch soon. New and improved you say? Yes, and all will be cleared up by tomorrow night.

Also, Tolkien Geek is ramping up for this weekend. A post on the prologue of The Fellowship of the Ring will be up by Thursday the latest.

Posted by: Gary at 02:00 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The Iraqi Constitution - Reasons For Optimism...

As layed out by H-Bomb at Ankle-Biting Pundits.

A possible 85% turnout for the October ratification vote? Wow. Imagine even only a 65% turnout. Man, that would steam the Left.

Posted by: Gary at 12:16 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Wiggles Live! Review...

Courtesy of Robert the Llama Butcher. He does a much more thorough job than I could. Have to agree with him on Capt. Feathersword. He really does steal the show. I mean, the guy was able to do a full land-on-his-feet somersault off a small trampoline! How do you compete with that?

The Captain better watch his step or he may find himself ending up being the next Pete Best.

Posted by: Gary at 08:35 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Newsflash: Canadian Criminals Use Unregistered Guns...

That's right. Despite a mandated gun registry, a massive bureaucracy to maintain it and more regulations than you can shake a stick at, gun-toting criminals are still going on a rampage in Toronto.

So the Canadian taxpayer is footing the bill for the government to make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to own firearms and to gather tons of information about them so they can be "tracked" and "monitored", and it turns out that the criminals aren't cooperating by registering their guns. Who'd have thunk it?

Hello?!? This is the same predicament the U.S. would find itself in if it had a national handgun registry (which is a major goal of the anti-gun lobby). As an editorial in the Edmonton Sun explains:

Back in late 1994, when then-justice minister Allan Rock first unveiled the gun-control program, he declared, "This tough new gun-control program will improve public safety and also send a strong message that the criminal misuse of guns will not be tolerated."

Eleven years later, the Liberals are suddenly worried about gun crime because Toronto has been blitzed by gun violence. In a more sane country, Toronto would realize that the gun registry has been exposed as an expensive waste of money and would punish the Liberals for lying to them by voting them out. And the Grits would shut down their useless registry and put the money into actual police officers fighting crime.

I'm not a member of the NRA. I'm not a gun owner. And it's quite conceivable that I will never own a gun in my whole life. By if ever do, I'm guaranteed that right by the second amendment (for now). This isn't an especially big issue for me, but even people who don't think they have a personal stake in these kinds of policies need to oppose them - if for no other reason than it's a ridiculous waste of money and resources.

Posted by: Gary at 04:55 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I Hate Your Blog...More Please!

Over the long weekend I got a comment on a post that focused on a story the MSM wouldn't report on - specifically that the military has exceeded it's recruitment and re-enlistment goals. The guy basically went into a very detailed rant criticizing my criticism of the Liberal media and listing a whole bunch of Conservative media outlets (broadcast and print) - as if I have it backwards and the MSM really is "mainstream" and exists to counter the Conservative media. But I digress...

I found it odd that the person who left the comment let me know that although he reads my "idiotic blog" all the the time, he hates it. (BTW, if you plan on leaving a lengthy comment on a post, I strongly suggest you peruse the comment policy outlined in my FAQ section before you even start because if it doesn't comply, I will eliminate the result of all your valuable time and effort with the one click.) What I can't understand is why someone would read a blog when they find the content so "idiotic" that it angers them? I don't seek out Liberal blogs so I can read things that piss me off (although once in a blue moon I will pop over to DemocraticUnderground for a laugh). I assume he has a blog since he has a blogger ID but I didn't bother to check because I couldn't care less. So why come back for more? I figure it's one of five reasons:

1. The guy is big Diane Lane fan,
2. Subconsciously he really sees the wisdom of my writing and doesn't want to admit it,
3. He's hoping one day I wake up and post something like: "Everything I've written over the last seven months is crap! I'm a Liberal now!"
4. He likes to check out what the "other side" is saying so he can try and catch me in an inconsistency and undermine my credibility, or
5. He's not secure enough in his own beliefs and is concerned that Conservative blogs like mine are effective in convincing people that Liberal ideas are wrong.

I'm sure he would say it's reason #4. Personally, I think it's reason #5. But regardless of which one it is, the fact is that ideas themselves persuade or don't persuade on their own merit. The average person with half a brain can make up their own mind about them. Of course, you have to first give the average person the benefit of the doubt that they have half a brain - something Liberals are usually loathe to do (after all, don't they believe that 62 million morons were "duped" into re-electing Bush?). If what I write on this blog doesn't conform to common sense, then I'm not going in influence anybody's opinion.

Anyway as far as this blog goes, it is what it is. Read it or don't. Agree or disagree. But don't act like it's my fault that don't have anything better to do than to keep coming back so you can get yourself all bent out of shape.

Posted by: Gary at 11:36 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Phony Photos At Camp Sheehan...

Looks like a very touching moment with Cindy Sheehan and her "supporters" caught on film, eh? Well go over to Little Green Footballs and get a look at the "big picture" when you zoom out and see what a sham this staged event really is.

Pathetic. Of course, I like Reverend Al's presence in the photo. Gives it that special touch.

h/t: Conservative Grapevine

UPDATE: 8:30am
Now Crazy Aunt Cindy is having delusions of grandeur, if you go by this quote:

"I'm just so honored that the universe chose me to be the spark that has set off a raging inferno."

Umm...okay. You know, sometimes medication can help in these situations.

Posted by: Gary at 06:48 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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French Morale At An All-Time Low...

So say the results of this poll. Sucks to be them, huh?

Bulldogpundit weighes in:

"Perhaps the least shocking result was that 98% of the respondents attempted to surrender to the pollster before questioning began and volunteered to work in armament factories for their new masters."

LOL!!

Posted by: Gary at 10:57 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Almost there...

I've still got some tweaking to do on the new site but overall I'm satisfied with the layout. For now, that is.

Official Launch: September 1. It's not too early to update those links!

In the meantime, fresh content still going up at the old Blogger site.

Posted by: Gary at 08:20 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Dueling Rallies...

Camp Casey has competition. Pro-war demonstrators are busing in to offset the witch in the ditch, Cindy Sheehan, and her minions.

There also were some heated moments at the pro-Bush rally when Bush supporters mistakenly identified two people as war protesters. The two walked in with a sign that read "Say No to War — Unless a Democrat is President."

Many Bush supporters only saw the top of the sign and believed the men were war protesters, so they began shouting and chasing the pair out. One man tore up their signs.

Based on that particular sign, I'd say it sounds like the guys at Protest Warrior are there. Bravo!

Posted by: Gary at 11:04 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Diane Lane Photo of the Week...

Posted by: Gary at 07:08 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Makin' Some Progress On The New Site...

OK, so I've burst a few blood vessels in my right eye.

Got a lot of linky stuff set up and the most important junk moved over. The sidebar fattens up where there are no posts yet. That will go away over time.

Still some tinkering to do.

Posted by: Gary at 11:54 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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