The BRADLEY EFFECT....ever heard of it? YOU WILL! I'll bet OBAMA HAS

"The term Bradley effect or (less commonly)[1] the Wilder effect refers to an explanation advanced as the possible cause of an alleged phenomenon which has led to inaccurate voter opinion polls in some American political campaigns between a white candidate and a non-white candidate.[2][3][4] Specifically, there were instances in which such elections saw the non-white candidate significantly underperform with respect to the results predicted by pre-election polls."

For more on this, click on this link to see this discussed in regard to Obama v Hillary, or click this link, where you can see how this functioned in other elections between Black and White Americans.

Will Americans say they're voting for the Black candidate even if they disagree with his stances just to show they're not racist and then vote differently? What do you think? I think it's sad. WHEN will we get PAST that?

UPDATE: Or MAYBE Americans won't vote for Obama because....................THEY'RE TIRED OF HIM! check this out!

z

Please READ THIS LINK to INVESTOR"S BUS. DAILY...and send it to Dems....it's the best thing I've seen

DO NOT VOTE BEFORE READING THIS LINK...(LINK, GOLF, GET

IT?!)...BUT, SERIOUSLY...THIS ARTICLE IS THE BEST ON OBAMA YET.

You'll see in detail how it's really AMERICA behind the camera waiting for the hit. Even with as little information as he's given (one of his biographers refers to Obama's "charming lack of specificity"), he's leading in some polls (imagine how that fast would change if they read and understood the implications in this link??) today by six points. I know that there are days to go before the election and things will change, but, right now................FORE!!!!!!!! (McCain can't even get a break when he's DOWN in the polls because the news was read like this: "...with McCain gaining a higher percentage of WHITE VOTE!" Oooooh....that WHITE VOTE; McCain gets the BIGOTS, right?

z

BRATWURST in BEIJING?

Globalization..........Oh, BROTHER!!

An Addendum to Mr. Z's China Article (below....check it out)

"Choosing Beijing was a Drastic Mistake"...click on the link and learn why. It goes with Mr. Z's opinion below and gives a good amount of info re: China and internet access/censorship, etc...and more.

LOW WAGE WORKERS LOVE OBAMA? He's a HOOD alright, isn't he!

Is this news supposed to be a surprise? The link shows that low-wage workers want OBAMA! No kidding....when he promises to pay for everything, including their kids' college tuition, higher minimum wage, their healthcare, etc.? AND, he wants the middle class and rich to pay to finance all of that. Why wouldn't they like him? "Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glennnnn..."

"The group, which accounts for nearly a quarter of U.S. adults, views Obama as the more empathetic candidate and the one who most closely shares their values (Z: for details re: those 'values', see above), it said."

Who wants to WORK HARD, be SELF-RELIANT, rely on FAITH-BASED INSTITUTIONS or your neighbor for help when you can have........(drum roll).......THE GOVERNMENT?!!

Robin Hood, by Wikipedia..."Robin Hood is an archetypal figure in English folklore, whose story originates from medieval times but who remains significant in popular culture where he is painted as a man known for robbing the rich to give to the poor and fighting against injustice and tyranny." What happened in Britian then WAS injustice and tyranny....today, there's a little of that here in America, too, but we have opportunity to succeed here. Robin Hood 'lived' in England. In America we're about independence, individuality, working hard for what we get...not robbing the rich. Here, we know the rich EMPLOY us. (don't we?) Here, the Dems consider a 10% increase in earnings, in one year, by any corporation, a 'windfall', and that windfall MUST BE TAXED! Didn't we used to encourage success!? Doesn't this help stockholders? Pension plans?...

By the way...I LOVE the film Robin Hood, so I hesitate to brand Obama as THIS "Hood" but........if Robin were today, I'm thinking he'd be for the people who work hard and achieve just as much as he'd fight against injustice. Don't you?

z

Quotes from a soldier in Iraq...worthwhile reading..

To those of you who already saw my original post and commented, thanks. BUT, my friend whose son wrote the letter asked that I even more greatly cut out the major parts of it for privacy sake........We're sorry, but it has to be cut down to only the quotes below...

Friends and family, ...............deleted...

The insurgency has pretty much had the shit kicked out of it over the last year. To put the final nail in the coffin, we need to get the Iraqi economy back on track and start to turn over more control to the Iraqi security and government services. If we do this in a slow, patient manner, and demonstrate a resolve to stay as long as necessary,there is a better than half chance that Iraq can succeed as a nation without us.

(Z: HERE is the most important sentence of the whole thing:)

Basically, if we want to leave soon, we should say we plan on staying forever. If we want to be stuck here forever we should say we plan to leave as soon as possible.

My overall assessment of this war is that we are slowly winning it, but there are many potential obstacles which could reverse all the gains we've made in the last year.

We take what we learn and use it focus (deleted) in areas where they can have the greatest positive effect.

The soldiers and marines here are much different than when I left. They are young, motivated, and bad-ass. This has been a long, tough, war and most of the fair weather fans are long gone. Everyone under the age of 23 (at least 50%) volunteered after 9/11 with virtual certainty that they would be sent to war.The troops all believe in General Patraeus and they have an incredibly intelligent grip on the complexities of counterinsurgency. They still write stupid rude comments on the walls of the porta-johns, and they still show more venom for whoever their rival unit is than for the enemy.(porta-john comments include 'F the *th Cavalry and their oversized patch.From *th Infantry!' 'How can I F * Cavalry I'm too busy F'ing your Mom!!!' 'Chuck Norris can divide by zero.' 'Army sucks! From USMC 'Hey Marines, thank us for cleaning out Ramadi for you Dickheads! From Army' 'Wash hands before returning to war'!

What we are doing is very useful and is making a difference. Not 'I think it's all worth it, or I feel like we're making a difference.' I KNOW we are. I can physically see the difference in the cities here.

Being here sucks. I hate it when people I know get killed. I hate wearing tons of body armor and constantly scanning people for signs of having a suicide vest. I hate operating on the assumption that every Iraqi I talk to is lying. I hate the culture shock of going from being a ....deleted.... to being (in the) Army. I hate that third world mix of dust, sewage, smashed up concrete, broken industrial landscapes, hopeless urchins playing in the rubble, arrogant gunmen, and burning trash. I hate waking up in the morning. All in all,though, I really am glad I came here...deleted....... This is the most fascinating job I've ever had and it eclipses everything else I've done in life. (My life before was hedonistic and was exactly in line with my core ideals, and I intend to return to that after I finish my current business in Iraq.)

Love, X

(Z: Dear X, I could just HUG you forever, and might when you get home, after your Mom ever lets go!)

God bless my friend's son...and all the guys in Iraq and Afghanistan who feel exactly like he does and all who don't. And, please, some day, let the American media be honest enough to publish something like this instead of constantly publishing things like this link about the dreadful lives of soldiers and their families. (take the time to read it....America just can't do ANYTHING right). Pertaining to the link, I wonder how our poor families did during WWII without email or easy letter service or phone calls. Make America tough enough again, God...we need it. And, with kids like the writer of the letter above, we have a chance.

I hope you all are happy to have read this....I sure am.

JUST IN: From a dear friend in Olympia, Washington who read the above: I don`t remember, did I tell you about a neighbor who just got back from Iraq?? He basically said the same thing ...without all the strong language because he`s an Army Chaplain. He said for me to tell everybody the truth, that we are winning the war, that we are going to be there for awhile yet, AND the people want us there and are grateful that we are. I told him how much I appreciated him telling me everything so willingly, without my asking. He was adamant about telling the people the truth and for us NOT to be afraid
.....WE ARE WINNING! All the neighbors around his house , put little American flags all over his lawn and on the trees and flower beds, welcoming him back. I thanked him profusely and told him how much we appreciate all he and his Buddies are doing for all of us. This was his third tour. xxx ooo AG

z

Mr. Z's China Article...Back by popular demand!

Some of you emailed me asking where Mr. Z's China Olympics article went...it had to go when we were checking to see what had caused all that inaccessibility yesterday; we thought a link might have been causing some problem. SO, since some of you emailed, I thought I'd run it again! I hope to hear a good discussion because it's a worthwhile subject, don't you think?

Why are the Olympics in China?

Although getting little attention in the U.S., the Olympic Games will start in about one week in Beijing. The question is: Why there?

I couldn't understand when the decision was made about six years ago why they had approved Beijing for this year's venue. I don’t have anything against the Chinese people, quite the contrary, but I did believe at that time that the Chinese Government's handling of freedom issues were deplorable and would not change.

Unfortunately, I was right. The government is a totalitarian communist government, and even with the openings in terms of commerce, this country's still the same oppressive state on most levels. The people are still suppressed and have very little freedom. The handling of the Tibet incident several months ago made that very clear to everybody, or so I thought. Many in the West, particularly those in the crowd occupying some of the corruption-prone posts at the International Olympics Committee, don't seem to care what's going on in China as long as they have their job and prestige.

All promises made by the Chinese to the IOC (and the world) were lies. Nothing has changed, and the IOC keeps quiet instead of protesting. Shame on them, and particularly on Jacques Rogge who went in saying he'd be different than the champion of corruption, Senor Samaranch, the last shameless president of the IOC.

Here is a good link to the facts about what's going on in China during these Olympics: (this link has a number of excellent articles on various aspects of this situation..and this will be about the last time I tout a NYTimes article!)

Here is my list of major points which should be addressed...and fixed!:

- Despite all assurances, the internet in the hotels and and the press internet centers will be as censored as normal households are. There are 30,000 censors! HERE IS AN UPDATE; good and bad censorship news from Monday.
-Freedom of the press does not exist. Remember how the journalists were chased out of Tibet when the uprising started? The "Germany House", a hospitality/press center like most countries have at the Olympics will not be allowed to get German newspapers delivered there because they're not censored
- The environmental sins of China have all come to the forefront, recognizable by thick smog and algae at the rowing venue. We can expect serious problems for athletes performing outside.
- Doping is freely available in China, and widespread abuse is expected.

Also, there have been terrorism threats for the Olympics.

On the positive side, the facilities are ready and probably well built.

I wished the situation were different. I believe that China has a great future, but only once the government philosophy/behavior changes, and after they clean up their act in terms of the environment. In terms of the latter, they are at a status where the industrialized nations were 100 years ago. (and, of course, the Kyoto fans think America should pay for China's pollution, even the 15% of the pollution the tradewinds bring here).

And, Friday, the President of China asked that the world "not politicize these Olympics!" Today, Jacques Rogge is saying that the Chinese are allowing access to the extent possible. That's their definition for free access to the internet.

"don't politicize!"? Isn't censorship "political"?

TO BE FAIR, HERE IS AN UPDATE FROM MONDAY A.M. .......maybe there's hope!?
Also..to be even FAIRER....please know that articles leading up to this one, discussing how they were going to manage pollution, said THE GOVERNMENT HAD CLOSED THE FACTORIES DOWN...this link says only "factories have closed down".....yes, but the government closed them. We feel that's an important distinction.

Mr. Z

OOOOH...Obama's people are goooooood

Now Obama's saying McCain's CYNICAL...not RACIST. WHO are his handlers? He knows JUST what words to use, doesn't he? McCain needs some! (see how Obama's deflected HIS race card problem off himself and slams McCain at the same time? WOW!)

"In no way do I think that John McCain's campaign was being racist," Obama said. "I think they're cynical. And I think they want to distract people from talking about the real issues."

(that must be why Obama won't do a Townhall with McCain?)

Obama.............you are SOOOO smoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooth. scary.

z

"I am Z, and I am a BLOGAHOLIC"

Some of us lost our blogs yesterday. We couldn't get into them at all.

I needed a blog! I wondered if the blog bar down the street was open..........I needed A BLOG! "Bartender...give me a BLOG....straight up.." "..oh, and with two olives...."

Emails were flying, advice was given, sitemeter was taken off our sites to see if that would help, it worked for some, not for me. We didn't know if it was Blogger or Internet Explorer. Some got notes from Blogger saying it was a spam problem, I didn't get that note. I got emails from blogger friends advising of what other blogs were down. (thanks!)

Tired friends who work at night (you know who you are) took the time to try to help between getting up and going back to work and even called from their car on the way to work to continue to help. How could I ever thank friends like THAT? One very dear friend was manning BLOG SICK CENTRAL and trying to help us all out even though it was later for her on the East Coast. I even got a call from someone we all blog with now and who's become a friend, someone I've known since my early Frontpagemag days but someone I'd never spoken to before, and there she was on the telephone trying to help. It was so good to talk to her! Other friends wrote us careful instructions on how to do a certain computer procedure which worked for some but not for me...So many were trying to help everyone! Thanks, ALL.

Which is, basically, what prompted me to write this.

We all have 'real friends' in 'real life' and we have full lives (okay, except maybe Ducky). But, this blogging thing has widened that circle and enriched me...it gets to you, doesn't it! Through blogging, we've all met good Americans from all over the country on the blogosphere (yes, even you, Ducky...though you and I've battered each other since early FPM days!). Except for Ducky, we have seen that honorable traditional values are still beautifully championed by many fantastic people. Doesn't it give you hope? It does me. Doesn't this go against the media hype?

Yesterday, at my most bereft, I thought I'd need to start a Twelve Step Program for bloggers without blogs........My husband even brought a glass of red wine up to my computer and me. I'm not sure which needed it more after I'd exhausted everything I could do trying to fix the problem, me or the computer! The drink wasn't enough....I NEEDED MY BLOG!

Thanks to all of you who have become blogging partners, commenting here, accepting my comments at your blogs so graciously, writing me privately, even meeting me at Starbucks (you know who YOU are! I wish all of us could do that..except you, Ducky..just kidding, sort of!), and I'm looking forward to meeting a Florida blogger when she comes to California soon, and another blogger who's moving nearby from another State. This blogging business is an amazing thing. Some of us even pray for each other...how great is THAT? Being in daily contact makes us closer....as conservatives these days, we need to stand together and share thoughts and buoy each other up. And I think it helps. I know it does.

I needed my blog to stay in touch with those of you I don't privately email with or don't talk to on the phone...commenters who come here often, whose sites I visit, people I only 'know' through our blogs. Yesterday was tough! I missed you!

So, now that we're all back, we've had our blog fix and we're feeling better..at least I am. It was nice having you commenting without me, but FRUSTRATING! Thanks for manning the site...

It's good to be back.

z

Time for BLUNT TALK?

Why can't McCain make every speech about his differences in policy from Obama?

Our friend Michael G. Miller sent me this list this morning....he'd like McCain to hit hard on these subjects and I think he makes an excellent point:

I favor low taxes and smaller government while he favors..................

I favor winning the war while he favors.............................

I will appoint Constitutionally faithful judges while he will appoint..................

I am for life while he is for............................................

I believe in traditional marriage while he......................................

I support domestically produced energy and oil exploration while he favors...............................

I will enforce our federal border laws while he.............................................

I will support our ally Israel without compromising their right to existence while he will..........................

I oppose the so-called "Fairness Doctrine," "hate crimes" legislation, earmarks, affirmative action, the ACLU, etc. while he...........................

I support our troops and their mission while he.....................................................

Z: Wouldn't you THINK this kind of straight talk might work? Don't you think most Americans would see what's at stake? Americans are smart and fair and decent, most of them. Here's hoping McCain appeals to that. Enough running scared of RACISM, FEMINISM, etc. People know he's no racist, they know he honors women, they know this..they need straight talk (oh, talk about that, they know he doesn't hate gays, too!).........

Time to get tough. Time to remind people who has experience, who's served this country well, and we don't want a president terrorists like.

Thanks, Michael.