Rook's Rant

To the stats:

• Wind:  12 mph N Gusting up to 20 mph
• Humidity:  32%
• Temperature: 68° F
• Total Distance: 20.14 miles
• Elapsed riding time: 01:21:45
• Top Speed: 20.0 mph
• Average Speed: 14.7 mph
• iPod: George Winston - Shuffle of the 4 Seasons Albums.
• Wind: 10 mph NNW
• Humidity:  35%
• Temperature: 63° F

I had originally planned on going all the way into Moose Lake but the wind gusts kicked my ass. So I went 10 miles into the wind, and 10 miles back. Now I have some food in my toaster oven which I can smell as I type this. Oh, the reason for the weather stats before and after is because of the quickness to the change of weather as the sun sets. I have to say, by the time I actually pulled up to the front door, the wind was completely gone. However, I am sticking with weather.com's stats.

So, when I bring up a new entry page, there is automatically some funky HTML code inserted that I do not see when in the Rich Text editor. I did not copy it, so I can not show what it is. But it looks funky. I just delete it because it makes no sense. It does not affect my publishing of any entries, so I am fine there. I will try to see if I can get it to return and then I will publish it for you all to see.

Here it is:
<div nuan_tabactive="true" id="nuan_ria_plugin"><object id="plugin0" style="position: absolute; z-index: 1000;" width="0" height="0" type="application/x-dgnria"><param name="tabId" value="ff-tab-1" /><param name="counter" value="41" /></object></div>

Anyone have any idea as to what the hell this is all about?

Okay, managed to get Movable Type upgraded. Not a whole lot has changed other than the icons in the tool bar for editing.

Okay, I upgraded to Movable Type 5.14. Of course, once I got the upgrade installed, I learned that Movable Type 5.2 was released 4 days ago. Sheesh. So I am just getting ready to upload and upgrade 5.2. Please be patient with me.

Like anything else needs to be said? Just watch and be blown away!

Seriously, I should be doing my morning routine: write in my journal, read my morning meditation books, read my horoscopes, and have my usual one on one discussion with God, telling him how he is screwing things up here on Earth. He never listens, of course. What do you expect? He is God, after all.

Anyway, instead of doing my usual morning routine, I made all my chess moves over on GameKnot, then started reading my feeds. On the top of my feed list is Balloon Juice, which is always good for a good rage or a good laugh. This morning it was a good laugh.

I have been thinking for quite some weeks now that the Republican Party is dissolving. As I was perusing my usual blogs this evening the thought once again popped into my brain. Not more than a moment later, I found myself reading Booman Tribune:

If you think white working class guys in Ohio are lining up to vote for the "plutocrat married to a known equestrian," you are quite mistaken. Ask them who is better on the economy and they will tell you 'Obama.' This is evidence that the GOP is no longer a national party.

More and more I find myself believing the Republican Party is dying. They have lost too many moderates, too many sane conservatives, and are now left with the rabid, extreme right wackos who have not a clue on how to be a professional, rational political party.

Whether you are Democrat or Republican, Progressive or Conservative, the bottom line in being a successful political party is realizing that you have to be competent, intelligent leaders that know how to run a country. It is in this manner that one derives power organically. But to run a political party simply for the power without regard to competent leadership means the eventual death of the party.

I am not a believer in "Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely." That being said, I do believe seeking power for the sake of having power does corrupt. I want a leader who's reason for running is because he believes he can do a good job. Mitt Romney is obviously not running because he believes he can do a good job. He has not shown that he believes he is a competent leader. He is running because he believes he is entitled to be President. Nothing more, nothing less.

So too the Republican party in general. They no longer present themselves with the belief of their competence at leadership. They simple believe they are entitled to be the political party in charge. And towards that end they created  propaganda machines in the forms of Right Wing Talk Radio and Fox News. Not to disseminate truth, but to simply use lies and distortions to convince intellectually lazy people that the Republican/Conservative party is the party of leadership when in actuality they are incompetent.

The Republican Party was doomed the moment the Iron Curtain collapsed. Do you really think it is simple ignorance that drives Romney to embrace the concept of another cold war with Russia? No. The people desperate for power who now advise Romney are from a time of conservative dominance in our government. The stand against Communist Russia was all consuming. It's collapse meant the removal of conservatism's claim on leadership. It's reason for existing collapsed. With the co-option of the Republican party by the extreme conservatives, it's collapse was inevitable.

Now, do I really need to say that I stole it from Alternate Brain, seeing as they stole it from someone else?

To the stats:

• Total Distance: 10.29 miles
• Elapsed riding time: 00:41:04
• Top Speed: 26.9 mph
• Average Speed: 14.9 mph
• iPod: America - America's Greatest Hits.
  
• Wind: 15 mph W
  
• Humidity:  22%
• Temperature: 73° F

A quick run after having gone over a week without getting on the bike. It hurt to push myself, with my legs complaining something terrible about all the work they were doing after a long layoff. Too bad. Besides, I actually did exercise during the week. I took some good 15 minute walks twice a day at work. So, as far as I am concerned, my legs can shut the hell up.

Must feel good to get some revenge after Mitt goes around bad mouthing the former President.

Okay, just so you know: NSFW.

Really. Mitt did not commit a gaffe. He spoke the truth. Behind closed doors, granted. But none-the-less, it was truth as he believes it. A gaffe is not an extended, intentional speaking of the truth. The video is not a gaffe. It is Mitt showing himself as he truly thinks.

Show me, anyone, anywhere, at anytime recent or in the past, anything that is even remotely similar to what Mitt did in that video.

This is something unique. No - blond in the lap, forgot to mention Poland, that depends on what your definition of is is - gaffe. There is no precedence. NONE.

Pundits can go on all they want about gaffes not making a difference. This is going to make a difference because it is not a gaffe.