Sunday, May 21, 2006

In the Hot Seat with Brooke

Brooke is a poster that is familir to most of us. She is one of a handful of people listed on John "Communit" Brown's Klan watch section. I do not know if she has also had the pleasure of a visit from Anum Muhktar or Ducky . American Crusader was almost disappointed that Ducky did not visit his site.

Trolls

1 What are trolls and is a person who disagrees with a post a troll ? There have been times Jason Pappas and I have disagreed with each other.
2 Certain blogs seem to be troll magnets and I am surprised others have less trolls then I do. The title of your blog and the Mad Zionist should ensure a steady stream. However, this blog with a generic title does seem to be a troll magnet. What has been your history with trolls.
3 The term Neocon seems to be a liberal slang term for evil jewish Republican, all six of us. Liberals have used it to describe Reaganites like Mark Levin and myself a Rudy Republican . What is your definition of the term Neocon ?

Immigration Follies

4 It seems as if some localities encorage law breaking. The mayor of Burlington VT declared his city a safe haven for illegal aliens. What is going on at the local level ?
5 There is some talk about elimination of the code of law that allows any child born in the United States automatic citizenship. The net result is twenty one years later the child can file for an automatic visa for their parents with no waiting period. Should this law be changed ?
6 What is your position on reduced citizenship time for military personel ?
7 Should Universities that admit illegal alien be denied research grants and student
aid ?

Aftermath of 9-11

8 Do you think that the News medias editing of film on 9-11 allowed the conspiracy theories to grow. The image of the plane smacking into the WTC has not been shown for a while.
9 Does the media select odd photos to run on the front page. The pictures from Abu Gharib were run for days. Yet I do not recall pictures of beheadings and people slamming into concrette.Do you notice this or is it my perception ?
10 In the after math of 9-11 the media ran with the Islam is the religion of peace hundreds of time ? Part of me was shocked at flight 93 when Muslims were shown stabbing people. Where are the movies about Beslan and the Achile Lauro ?
11 Are you concerned the first 9-11 film will be made by Oliver Stone ? I hope he does not place conspiracy BS in the film.

Women and blogging

12 There is a perception that political blogs are mostly male. However our community has several outstanding female bloggers . The media seems to think that the only women's issues are abortion and more abortion ? Is the entire notion of womens issues a media construct ?
13 Are there issues you would like to blog on but do not think the audience is interested in ? I did a post on comodity economics and found out that there is an interest in such an odd topic.

Liberals, Commies and Fellow Travelers

14 What has happened to the Democratic party ? Where are the Pro American Patriotic
liberals of the old school ?
15 Does it seem that the current crops of Democrats are more concerned about the opinions in the UN and the salons of Europe the national security ?
16 Recently, I have been flabergasted when a friend who is a lawyer asked what is wrong about working with Communists if they are for peace ? I asked him if he would echo the same sentiments about the KKK or Nazis and he walked away. Have some on the left forgotten the disasters Communism created ?

Personal Fun

17 Do you play video games ? If so what are your favorites ?
18 If we were casting for the show Blog survivor who would you cast as a candidate ?
My money is still on Nanc because she knows when to clean house and when to use diplomacy ?
19 Do you play a musical instrument ?
20 What type of music do you listen to ? Do an artists political views alter your purchases. I will not see a movie with Sean Penn, Danny Glover and a few others.
21 Have you ever driven a snowmobile ?
22 Do you enjoy scenic drives in the country. I can not put my finger on it but I enjoy waterfalls . I went to a couple yesterday and found some odd areas almost like a Bayou in VT
23 People who bring cell phones in theatres should be fined, flogged or scorned ?
24 When you go on a trip do you micro plan or like to have spontaneous adventures ?
25 Blogs come and go are there any blogs that have gone RIP that you miss ? Are there promising newcomers

24 comments:

Always On Watch said...

Beak,
12 There is a perception that political blogs are mostly male. However our community has several outstanding female bloggers . The media seems to think that the only women's issues are abortion and more abortion ? Is the entire notion of womens issues a media construct ?

Can't wait to see Brooke's response on that one!

nanc said...

beak said, "My money is still on Nanc because she knows when to clean house and when to use diplomacy"

you forgot the relentless part...

greet the day!

beakerkin said...

AOW Security is not a male issue.
It is insulting to women to exclude them from the mix.

Nanc add relentless.

Anonymous said...

Since politics involves so many issues important to women, philosophies, economics, security and education policies, well duh!

tmw

Brooke said...

Beak- I will get to work and post the answer later today!

nanc said...

personally - i'd like to be excluded from as many areas as possible - that way my limits will be known and heeded with the greatest of thought and care.

anybody want to buy a bridge?

Anonymous said...

Nanc- I can't see you limited by some artificial determinations! Sorry, keep your bridge.

tmw

Brooke said...

I'm famous now; Beakerkin has decided that Yours Truly is worthy of an interview! I shall do my best to answer his questions thoughtfully!

Trolls

1. In my opinion, a troll is not necessarily a person who disagrees with a post, but rather, a person who makes insulting or inflammatory remarks to the blog host and his/her guests, with the intention of hijacking the post or blog in general. It seems that some people cannot handle disagreement, so they try to shut down anyone who dares to poke a hole in their cute little bubble world.

I welcome civil discourse on my blog. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

2. My history with trolls... Well, there was John Brown, of course, who now has me listed under his 'klan watch.' I've had spammers, if they count (I'm not sure that they do.), and before I came to Blogger, I had a site over at Bloghi. One of my posts there, made in January, is still a troll magnet. It has 650 comments now, and is nowhere near the original topic of the post. It even got comments today!

3. I do not think that Republicans now are what they were 50 years ago, or even 20, during the Reagan era. Republicans now are what the Democrats used to be, and they will continue down the slippery slope.

I believe Zell Miller said of the Democratic Party, " I didn't leave the Party, the Party left me!" So too have the Republicans left their conservative base. A NeoCon is someone who has returned to those traditional views: That our country is the greatest on Earth, that our military is the finest, and that we should not be afraid to use it when necessary. Fiscally, the GOP is a nightmare. The government has it's claws into too many aspects of our daily lives; everything is taxed and regulated. I would like to see a return to the conservative view that a man does best when he keeps more of his own money and is left alone to his own devices; his success or failure is his own.

Immigration Follies

4. At the local level, I think that towns like Burlington are using this as another way to take a swipe at the current administration, just like when they were passing "resolutions" against the war. I think it is nothing more than political immaturity.

5. Hmm. No. I think that if you are born here, you are a citizen. However, a woman (or man) using the baby as an anchor is also unacceptable. Therefore, I would change the law to this: A baby born in the US is a US citizen, but that citizen cannot be held responsible for his/her parent's illegal activity. The parent have these options. They can surrender the child to a legal relative or to foster care, and he/she can remain in the US. The illegal will always be deported. If the parent is unwilling to do this, they can take the baby with them when deported, with the option of the child returning to the US in the aforementioned option at any time, or whenever he/she wishes as an adult. The parent may apply for legal immigration. Whether or not it is achieved is not factored on the legal son/daughter. No automatic VISAS.

6. I am all for this. In my opinion, being a soldier is a great sacrifice, and proves loyalty to this country. I would suggest after a background check, if a foreigner wishes to enlist in the military he/she may do so for a mandatory four years, during which they will be taught English and given citizenship classes during and after Basic Training. At the end of four years, they are a citizen.

7. Absolutely. All illegals should be deported, period. If a foreign national wants to come over on a student VISA, he/she may do so with a scholarship/aid/grant from their own country.

Aftermath of 9-11

8. Yes. People have short attention spans (myself included) and need constant reminding of the truth. Without it, our minds wander, and conspiracies get started. IMHO, World Trade Center images should be shown far more often than they are. I have a GIF tribute to 9-11 on my blog, and someone actually said that it's racist, because it shows the planes hitting the buildings, the wreckage, OBL and Palestinians celebrating in the streets. Apparently, this person thought that portraying our enemies as Middle Easterners is bad... Too bad for them that it is true!

9. Oh, I've noticed it, and it enrages me. The liberal media (and yes, it is) hates this country. This is a two-sided coin: On one side, the media hates the right and any excuse to make them look bad is OK, no matter what the cost and truth be damned. On the other side, the media is so caught up in the PC movement, it believes that we are somehow picking on everyone else (like Muslims) and therefore everything is our fault, and that we've got attacks like 9-11 and beheading coming to us.

10. Again, the PC infatuation is to blame, and if they have to ignore the stark facts to support it, then so be it. Islam is NOT the "religion of peace" that so many claim it is, and even a cursory read of the Quaran or a little research into Mohammed's life proves it. I was not at all shocked at the hijackers stabbing people; these are mild attacks compared to the barbarity that goes on daily. Stonings, repression of women, "honor" rapes/killings, beheadings, taqiya...The list goes on and on.

As for Achille Lauro and Belsan... I don't know. I wish those films would be made.

11. I am concerned. I am not an Oliver Stone fan, and I have heard conflicting stories about what that film will contain. It's big-name quality also concerns me. I hope it is an accurate representation of what happened, and I hope that people go to see that story, rather than "the Oliver Stone Movie," or "the Nicholas Cage flick about 9-11."

Women and Blogging

12. We do indeed have a lot of outstanding women bloggers, as well as outstanding male bloggers!
The media tends to focus on abortion, and in particular the "pro-choice" side is touted as the women's rights argument, with women who are pro-life shrugged away as backwards or nutty. Abortion is wrong, and ought to be illegal, period. The "choice" comes before one is pregnant, when the option of birth control is available. Even the poorest of women have the option of Planned Parenthood for birth control, as the facility dispenses it on a sliding scale based on income, a poor woman can walk away having paid very little for contraceptives, if anything at all.
There are indeed tons of women's rights issues, none of which seem to concern the media.
That NOW says nothing on the suffering of women in third-world countries, and Islamic countries in particular is very telling about the true motives of "women's rights" groups. Can you imagine literally being the property of your husband, and being treated as an animal? Where is the media on these issues?

13. Oh, I don't know. I might be a little ADD on this issue; I just blog on whatever catches my interest that day. I could probably go on about cross-stitching, but that would be a little boring!

Liberals, Commies and Fellow Travelers

14. The Democratic party has started to spiral into an abyss of moral relativity. It's unrecognizable compared to what it was in FDR's time. The old-school liberals, like Zell Miller are few and far between, and when they dare to speak out they are given the politically equivalent label of "Uncle Tom." The Republicans are now what the Democratic Party used to be.

15. The current crop of Democrats are not that far removed from the socialists of Germany or France. They pander to the UN (Anyone remember John Kerry's "Global Test?"), and would be happiest in the EU. I think that that is their vision for this country; to turn us into a Mexican/Canadian/American union, and then join that conglomeration with the EU.

16. They have totally forgotten. Those folks remind me of Neville Chamberlain, waving his peace treaty with the Nazis in the air. Some governments are evil, plain and simple, and cannot be worked with.

Personal Fun

17. I don't usually play video games, but I do (did) have a few faves from when I was in school... Resident Evil (one and two), Tetris, and Silent Hill, and the original (nes)Super Mario Bros. and the (nes) Legend of Zelda.

18. Ooh, I hate survivor, but if I were casting for blog survivor I'd have to pit Anum, John Brown, Weasel and Ducky against Nanc, Elmer's Brother, Always on Watch and Mr. Beamish. I'd watch that one!

19. Yes, the flute. Badly!

Brooke said...

20. I am eclectic when it comes to music. As a rule, I don't listen to "gansta" rap, and I don't listen to country that often, but it's OK.
My favorite right now is Michael Buble and Haylee Westenra. I listen to the Dan Klass Podcast, and I hardly ever miss Glenn Beck's radio show. He's on Headline News also now, but his radio show is far better.
Politics do indeed influence my purchases. I will not see a Gary Busey (not hard to do, he sucks), Billy Zane, Sean Penn, or Susan Sarandon movie. I will not listen to Good Charlotte, or the Dixie Chicks. To a lesser degree, I cannot watch a Tom Cruise movie; he has ruined the suspension of disbelief. I can't see the character he's playing! All I see is placenta boy jumping up and down on Oprah's couch.

21. No. I live in Southwestern Ohio; we only get one or two good snows a year. I consider that more than four or five inches. Around here, if it snows more than an inch, folks think the white death is coming, and you can't get milk or bread for days.

22. I like scenic drives, but unfortunately I don't get to take them that often anymore. With three kids under five, one of them usually starts whining, so if my hubby and I want to get out into the country, we've got to find a babysitter. Plus, I'm on a bit of a budget as far as gas goes, being a stay-at-home mother. I love seeing a ratty old barn, and I love bridges and forests. There is a park close to where I live that has a forest trail along a large creek, and halfway through there is a small 4' waterfall with a pool under it. It's the best place ever to go have a lunch and go wading.

23. We take ours for child-care reasons, in case the babysitter calls. It is kept on vibrate and not answered in the theatre. Anyone who inflicts one of those damn polyphonic rings and inane conversation on the moviegoers should have to reimburse the crowd for their tickets, and then be barred from theatres forever! If they cannot make reimbursement, they should be flogged, and ridden out of the theatre on a rail.

24. I do a little light planning. I like to figure out the one main thing that should happen in a day, and let the rest fall as it may. Folks that have an itinerary down to the minute are nuts!

25. I miss American Crusader and hope he makes a speedy recovery! I also miss Iran Watch, and wonder what happened to him!
F.B. Jones is promising, provided he can get his computer fixed, and Florian looks promising, too.

There it is! Whew!

beakerkin said...

I am wondering about Mr Beamish or Warren as video game heroes. My avatar would be in the mix as well.
I guess AOW could also be featured in that game.

Always On Watch said...

Beak,
I guess AOW could also be featured in that game.

Ooh, yes! I'm laid up with my back right now, but I can live vicariously in the virtual world.

Always On Watch said...

Brooke,
Duck is a fine troll, but trolls who hijack a posting are a different breed of troll. We need a new name for them.

Since 9/11, I haven't played a single video game. I used to be hooked on Jeopardy!, the computer-game version.

I love seeing a ratty old barn, and I love bridges and forests. There is a park close to where I live that has a forest trail along a large creek, and halfway through there is a small 4' waterfall with a pool under it. It's the best place ever to go have a lunch and go wading.

Sounds delightful! Back to a simpler time.

That NOW says nothing on the suffering of women in third-world countries, and Islamic countries in particular is very telling about the true motives of "women's rights" groups.

It boggles the mind until one analyzes the true agenda.

Great interview, Brooke!

Anonymous said...

That would be a cool game, my son would love to play!

tmw

elmers brother said...

Good One Brooke, you're the 'wo-"man"

Anonymous said...

Good interview, Brooke and Beaker!

tmw

Dan Zaremba said...

Very interesting Brook (ex. C-Mom I believe ;-)).
Kudos to Beak for smart questions (as always).

nanc said...

#25 - i about jumped out of my skin when a lady's purse in front of me "meowed" one day - i was going to turn her into the peta people until she dragged her phone out an answered it. people. cats.

great interview and answers!

Dan Zaremba said...

BTW, My blacklist of Hollywood starts prevents me from going to the movies.
Are there any good people left there?
I think only Danzel Washington, Clint Eastwood and ... this is it.
Oliver Stone ..what a ..%$#^&*

Always On Watch said...

Beak is a supreme interviewer!

Anonymous said...

AoW- That he is! He's got a real knack for it!

tmw

nanc said...

i believe iran watch is american crusader as somebody else pointed out in the last couple of weeks. someone else will have to take up the mantle.

American Crusader said...

ducky said..."obtuse"

Was the "Shawshank Redemption" playing on TNT last night?

Magnum PI is still a pretty good guy, but in general, I don't base my viewing on the personal lives and political decisions of most actors. I even watched "Dead Man Walking", even though it was highly overrated.

Great interview

beakerkin said...

Ducky

What you fail to note is that I am a different animal then the rest with the probable exception of Freedom Now. I am the rare Cold War Liberal. The Democratic Party of John " Fellow Traveler " Kerry have been far too acomodating towards your kind. I do not work with or trust commies or any other enemy. I am pro America and do not apologize for that fact.

My social positions take a back seat to defense.

Brooke said...

Thank you to Beak, AoW, Nance and EB!

Missing Link, I am indeed the former C-Mom.

Two other decent movie stars: Mel Gibson and Gary Sinese.

Eyes All Around: I cried when the Sci-Fi Channel remade Dune with Sarandon. Totally ruined.

Ducky, I find that when I am in an existential mood, the IFC channel's Short Films usually isn't too bad. I hate voiced-over translations, and find that subtitles are far superior in foriegn films. Unfortunately, I seldom get to sit through one unless I watch it very late at night. I am trying to find L'Inferno, a 1911 Italian silent film based on Dante's Inferno. It is almost impossible to get locally; I may have to break down and make an internet purchase. Unfortunately, some idiot removed the organ music that it was usually paired with in the theatre, and the DVD doesn't even give it as an option. Instead, it is set to Tangerine Dream, which does not match the style of the film at all.

Sorry, I didn't mean to blather.

Nanc, I check out the post on Iran I made today... Truly scary.

Thanks again, Beak, for your time!