Guns Don't Kill People...

...The people who ATF allegedly let get guns illegally - they kill people.

Lies, Damn Lies...

...And NYT/CBS polling.

Well, There's Our Problem.

The beach ball on the left doesn't match the beach ball on the right:



Here is the crux of our national debate:

The Left / Mainstream Media claim the one on the left is too small.
Those of us in Flyover Country think the one on the right is way too big.

Then Run, Damnit!

Chris Christie: I could win the White House.

Religion Of Peace (tm) Watch.

More from the annals of interfaith dialogue and mutual respect:

Jews are Satan:

“Some of you think that I’m just somebody who’s got something out for the Jewish people," Farrakhan said. "You’re stupid. Do you think I would waste my time if I did not think it was important for you to know Satan?

Americans must die because God is great, or something:

When he opened fire, the gunman, identified as a long-term resident of Germany, shouted "Allahu Akbar," according to sources. He fired nine times, killling two and critically wounding two others before the gun jammed and he was subdued by other passengers. While being wrestled into submission, the suspect shouted either "Jihad Jihad" or "Allahu Akbar," sources said.

Religious cleansing In Pakistan:

Militants gunned down the only Christian in Pakistan's government outside his widowed mother's home Wednesday, the second assassination in two months of a high-profile opponent of laws that impose the death penalty for insulting Islam.

"I'll Take 'The Green Economy' For 50 Billion, Alex."

"And the answer is... '928'."

"Alex, what is the total number of Chevy 'Volt' cars sold since it was rolled out in November?"

"That is correct."

'Volt'. The 21st century way to say 'Taxpayer Subsidized Edsel'.

Touch, Out Of.

Only a person who has never had to wait hours in line for the cheerful folks at the DMV, the Tax Office, or the Zoning Department (or, the TSA -ed.) would say something this clueless.

Criticizing public employees is my First Amendment Right. And government taking from my prosperity in order to pay for theirs is not their Right.

TSA MiniTrue.

Paging George Orwell...

The Transportation Safety (ha!) Administration, the people who added 'gate rape' to the national conversation, is apparently spending taxpayer dollars - that is, your money - monitoring social media for criticisms of it's policies and behavior. And getting into Internet pissing contests with those critics. Really.

TSA has long believed the Bill of Rights somehow doesn't exist when it comes to their mission, and this seems to be yet another example of that. TSA approaches us not as free Citizens to be respected, but as threats to be controlled - whether we are at the airport or, now, sitting in front of our computer. The TSA is a national embarrassment, and should be utterly disbanded.

1MAR2011: A followup. This, I think, gets to the heart of the matter:

However, I am deeply concerned by what the response reveled - that the TSA is monitoring social media and engaging in propaganda to promote policy. This is, of course, being done at taxpayer expense and has nothing to do with the purpose of the TSA, which is to protect air transport from terrorist attacks and other dangers.

Mother Nature And Physics: 1.

Urban Idealists and Toilets: 0. Yet again, another profile in LEEDership. And the solution: "8.5 million pounds of bleach either being poured down city drains or into the drinking water supply every year."

For anyone who knows anything about hydrology or engineering, this should come as no surprise. Design of sewer systems, or any other such infrastructure, should be decided on by adults using best engineering practices, not arrested adolescents who are convinced ideology can somehow trump basic physics.

Mother Nature and Reality: 1...

...Idealistic Urbanites and Wishful Thinking: 0. Apparently, a carbon-free, "green" future means "bitterly cold and uninhabitable" buildings. I can't wait.

Hattip: Midwest Conservative Journal.

Interfaith Irony.

Bryan Preston at Pajamas Media notices my (soon to be former) denomination living into a bit of Islam: The Episcopal Church Wages Jihad against Eight Virginia Churches. It's good to see someone outside of Anglican circles finally talking about this, and also good to see the petty sale of Matt Kennedy's church in New York to a Muslim group get some attention. That one incident was pretty much the straw that broke the camel's back for me with respect to the true agenda of The Episcopal Church (tm), and the twaddle they spout about suing dissenting fellow Christians to "protect and preserve our heritage for future generations".

I've been watching this slow train wreck since 2003, and its clear The Episcopal Church (tm) couldn't give a shit about future generations of Episcopalians. They support killing off future generations when producing that generation gets in the way of the lifestyle of the present generation. Nor do they really care about all those who have left in the last 30 years, because the current leadership of The Episcopal Church (tm) apparently sees buildings and property - and their potential resale value - as being "the church". The people in the churches, the same people who paid for those same buildings and property, don't matter. In their loving and tolerant way they're happy to see us go. Were it otherwise, The Episcopal Church (tm) would be focused more on keeping real people and not on keeping real property. Let's be honest - this jihad is all about the money.

The Men Who Stare At Old Goats.

Did a US Army PsyOps team try to use mind-games to influence US Senators? I don't know if they did or not, but what I do know is this - if they did, the list of Senators targeted showed they didn't have much mental material to work with.

The Company You Keep.

Eugenicist Margaret Sanger, founder Planned Parenthood, speaks to a crowd of supporters in New Jersey. Somebody should alert the Southern Poverty Law Center, because the New Jersey Poverty Law Center doesn't exist.

TARP - What Could Go Wrong?

Well, this. If these bozos had been bozos at Freddie Mac, they wouldn't be facing jail time - they'd be getting yet another Federal bailout.

Transparency And Accountability, Hopenchange Style.

If Bush had done this, the howls from The Left / Mainstream Media would wake the Cook County Democrat majority the dead. Endless talk of "shadow government", "secret lobbyist influence", "Nixonian", and "Halliburton", would ensue. Now... nada.

When government tries to hide what it's doing from the public and the press turns a blind eye, we no longer have a free press - we have a propaganda ministry.

I Think, Therefore...

...I can be regulated by the Federal Government.

If this ruling and this twisted logic stand, dear readers, we are no longer free citizens of a free nation, free to choose or, more importantly, not to choose. The 'Commerce Clause' now trumps the Bill of Rights, meaning there are no limits to government's intrusion into our lives. No matter how small or personal, no decision we make will be outside of the bounds of government involvement and bureaucratic control. We will live a limited life, decided for us by an unlimited government.

Is that really how our generation wants to define freedom?

Just like the only way to impose fiscal sanity on Congress is with a Balanced Budget Amendment, we need a Commerce and General Welfare Amendment to restore the Commerce Clause to it's rightful place in the grand Constitutional scheme, eliminating it's utility in expanding government power.

A Scout Is Trustworthy, Right?

The Boy Scouts of America is selling this mini-keychain LED light, which looks an awful lot like one designed by my friend Doug Ritter and sold by Essential Gear.

Does it rip-off Doug? You decide.

Right now I'm willing to give the BSA product folks the benefit of doubt, that they didn't know about Doug's original when they bought the Chinese knockoff. I have faith the BSA will live up to the Scout Oath and Law and do the right thing now that they know about the conflict. Don't disappoint an old Eagle Scout, guys.

The New Ruling Class, Classic Example Of.

Barry organizes the unfortunate; he doesn't, like, interact with them:

White House officials were unable to give a single example of him on these trips interacting, even in private, with a person who had recently lost a job, although they emphasized that they don't know about every person with whom Obama has talked.

What's the point of royalty if you have to suffer... those people? I mean, the unemployed don't hang out in Vail.

Hattip: Instapundit.

No, He's Only MOSTLY Dead.

Classical Values claims Karl Marx is dead. Judging by the actions of the current Administration, and by what is happening in Wisconsin, you could have fooled me.

Seeking The Deeper Meaning.

The Executive Council of The Episcopal Church (tm) recently met, and passed all sorts of VeryImportantRresolutions(tm). Let's see what they're really all on about by reading this presser and playing the 'Episcopal Church (tm) Team Drinking Game'!

Team One, you take a shot of Crown Royal at the words, 'gender', 'sexual', 'orientation', 'government', 'Millennium Development Goals'.

Team Two, you down the Crown at the words, 'Christ', 'Jesus', 'God', 'Lord', 'evangelism', 'Christian'.

Team One... Ready? Good.

"Gender": Take 4 shots.
"Sexual": That'll be 3 more shots, Team One.
"Orientation": Line up 2 more.
"Government": And 2 more after that.
"Millennium Development Goals": 1 last one, Team One.

That's 12 shots each, Team One. Some of you should probably sit down - you're looking a bit wobbly.

OK, Team Two, now's your chance. You only need 13 shots to take the game, and we're talking a Christian church here, so this should be a cakewalk for you guys.

"Christ": Sorry, no matches.
"Jesus": Awwww... nothing there, either.
"God": Nope. Looking like Team Two is getting a bit parched.
"Lord": And another strike-out.
"Evangelism": Nothing there. Sorry. One last chance, Team Two, but it's an easy one and should puts some points on the board. Ready?
"Christian": ...Nothing! Bad luck Team Two. You've been shut out. Next time you play the church side, Team Two, make sure the church you side with is, like, Catholic.

Well, that concludes this episode of 'Episcopal Church (tm) Team Drinking Game'. Team Two, you will be able to get their money back at the package store for the unopened bottles. Team One, we'll get you some coffee and a ride home.

LEED And Idealism: 0.

Nature and Gravity: 1.

I wonder how USGBC will want this little problem factored into the building's life-cycle cost savings? Y'know, all that jack they promise building 'green' will save the Owner?

As an architect, I actually like the idea of 'green roofs', and have since the 70's when I first read about the designs of architect Malcolm Wells. (Back then it was called 'earth sheltered' -ed.) I found the idea of earth sheltering compelling aesthetically, and still do. But nowadays the goal of a green roof' is all about the political, not aesthetic or functional.

Ron Paul Supporters Aren't Born.

They Are Pooped Out By A Giant, Flightless Pig-Duck. Really.

It's a conspiracy, I tell you!!!

Your Weekend LOL.

Actually, it's amazing how well that song transits into C&W.

Chicago Officials Discover Local Polling Places Badly Overcrowded.

Really. This will make counting every vote difficult. And Rahm's future depends on high turnout.

The White House House Hires A Carney, And He's Pretty Funny.

Really:

White House press secretary Jay Carney says the Recovery Act added several million jobs and lowered the unemployment rate. According to Carney, the "goals" of the stimulus package "have been met."

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

UPDATE: Let's do some math. We'll give Carney's claim of several million new jobs added a value of 2.5 million. Knock off the undisputed 100,000 jobs added to the federal payroll since January 2009 (sorry, if it's not in the private sector it doesn't count as "added"), so that makes for a revised 2.4 million number.

Obama's "stimulus" cost you and me (and our kids, our grand kids, our great-grand kids, our great-great-grand kids and our great-great-great-grand kids) $787 billion. (We'll leave off future interest payments just to keep this simple. Besides, Obama doesn't think it counts.)

If we divide 2,400,000 into $787,000,000,000, we get...

$327,976.66. Each job Obama's "stimulus" added cost $327,976.66. EACH JOB. For that, I could add one licensed professional and two interns to my staff for two years. All college grads. With group health coverage.

Yep. We're "winning the future", alright. The future for these folks.

The Tea Party Is Dead!...

...Long Live the Whiskey Party! :

Forget the Tea Party. What we need is a Whiskey Party. It’s going to take a stiff drink and stiffer spine to tackle our nation’s budget crisis. So far, we have few volunteers.

Indeed.

Considering the tin-ears of the Democrats and the political waffling from some the new GOP Congresscritters, I think it will take, ironically, a much stronger elixir than tea to get us fiscally sober.

Baton Rouge Whiskey Party is hereby formed!

Hattip: Instapunit.

Ann Coulter Is Right.

There. I said it. Ann claims New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is the one man who can save the GOP in 2012, and save this country. I quite agree. Spend the hour to watch all of this and I think you'll agree with me - we have our Reagan:




Now, we need to convince him that the other 49 states need him as much as New Jersey.

My Eyes! My Eyes! And You Wonder Why Folks Don't Take Religion Seriously Anymore.

Attempts to change the church to "make it more relevant in today's society" will only doom it to failure. Some classic examples from the Roman Catholic, Episcopal (tm), and other 'mainline" churches:



The church is timeless. It has always been relevant, and always will be. It is society, not the church, that needs to change.

Hattip: Christopher Johnson at Bad Vestments.

Be More... Groveling.

PBS kisses up to Obama (pbuh) for putting almost half a billion dollars in his budget to keep them afloat.

At a time when we are going broke, why are we shelling out $451 million so a few well-off, Lefty urbanites can feel good about themselves? Forty years ago when we had only three TV networks, PBS made sense. In a world of hundreds of channels, is doesn't. PBS/NPR should be sold off and privatized.

Remember when PBS asked, "If PBS doesn't do it, who will?" Well, try:

The Discovery Channel
A&E
Bravo
Fox News
TLC
History Channel
The Food Network
MSNBC
Science Channel
NatGeo
BBC America

These channels on a bad day have audiences exponentially larger than PBS on a good one, and they don't cost the taxpayer a dime.

UPDATE 16FEB2011: To "Lady Liberty", the Paul-bot who deleted her earlier comment here about Ron Paul being the only Republican nominee who can beat Obama, (What does that have to do with PBS funding...? -ed.) let me make two points:

First and foremost, Ron Paul is not, I repeat not, a Republican. Ron Paul is an opportunist. He only became a Republican when nobody gave him the time of day as a Libertarian.

Second, unlike almost all of the GOP propsects, Ron Paul has run for President - again, and again, and again - and has failed - again, and again, and again. Paul has not once registered anything more than an "other" asterisk nationally. So he can beat Obama exactly... how?

If you want to waste your time with Campaign for Losers, go right ahead. The rest of us want to change this nation, and the world. See 'ya!

Is This The Hope, Or The Change?

Under Obama's budget for 2011, federal debt jumps to 102.6 percent of GDP.

The last time that happened we were in a World War. Yes, yes, I know; we're in one again. But Obama doesn't think the enemy really exists, and the treasure he's expending today has little to with winning that war. His ignorance, inexperience, and arrogance are only making it easier for our enemy to bring us to defeat.

UPDATE: Maybe that's the point, considering how differential he is to any Islamic leader he meets. See? See? Americans don't want to harm you! We're not a threat! See?... Or, since he never had to really, y'know, earn any of it in the actions-have-consequences world (private sector), maybe Barry really does think money grows on trees. I mean, it is made of paper...

UPDATE: A bar graph is always helpful:



We owe $60trillion???? The leaders of the current generation have rewritten 'Wall Street' as 'K Street', and repackaged Gordon Gekko for their own purposes: "Greed", when it is redefined as "Entitlement", is now "good". The current Ruling Class are gleefully saddling future generations with the obligation of paying off what they are spending today to pretend the unworkable - the welfare state - works.

Those who have no say in the matter - future Americans - will be enslaved to an obligation to repay that they neither created, nor from which they derived any benefit. Those who are renting the American house today believe they have the right to one helluva national kegger, and don't give a continental damn they're sticking the next occupants with the bill for the beer and the damages.

What is happening right now, with every ticking second, is generational theft. And to your humble blogger's eyes, nothing short of criminal. We need to put a stop to this fiscal insanity. Now. Do not raise the debt ceiling! Pass a Balanced Budget Amendment!

The GOP's "Draconian" Budget Cuts, In Perspective.

Alcohol is involved; you're gonna need it by the time Barry and friends get through with us:

Well, She Is Qualified.

Janet "feeling-you-up-is-not-a-not-a-violation-of-your-Constitutional-Rights" Napolitano is considering a run for the Senate. I think she should run. With Ted Kennedy and Chris Dodd no longer there, the Democrats could really use a Senator with groping experience.

Good Guy: 1.5. Bad Guys, 0.

A New Orleans resident defends himself. As harsh as this is... I say "good". Actions have consequences. Criminals will go elsewhere if they think they will get hurt. Or, maybe not turn to crime in the first place.

Grasping At Straws.

Worshippers of Ron Paul (R-Own Private Idaho) packed CPAC again this year for a few minutes to hear their Lord and Master speak and to vote for him in the straw poll, which Paul won. (It's not like the Paul-bots came to, y'know, actually participate in the rest of CPAC -ed.)

Does this vote mean anything? Nothing more than this: The GOP is such a big tent we even let the clowns and the monkeys in ring three vote. Hells bells, they're not really even part of our circus, and we still let 'em vote.

UPDATE: Someone pointed out that Mitt Romney came in second. That doesn't mean anything, either. Like Paul, he got his folks out to vote. Nothing more. The man who gave Obama the inspiration (and fig leaf) for his 'individual mandate' scheme hasn't got a hope in California of winning enough support to gain the GOP nomination in this political climate, much less the White House. Romney's sudden embrace of conservative concepts like limited government and fiscal responsibility look as unrealistic as they truly are. He ain't Reagan. As one who used to live there, I can tell you that a 'Massachusetts conservative' is a 'liberal' in most of the rest of the country.

In my opinion, if you want to know who the serious GOP candidates are look at those who got 4-6% of the vote in the straw poll, or who didn't participate at all. 2012 is a loooooong way away.

The Very Worst Of Hands.

"Hey, I thought she was mine! I was gonna do her!"

Reportedly said by a male TSA employee and overheard by a female reporter for Time, after she had been given an "enhanced" pat-down at the airport by a female TSA worker. Read it all.

TSA employees don't need to be enrolled in a union; they need to be enrolled in a sex-offender database.

UPDATE: Are "charter airlines" the solution? I dunno, but for that kind of service, convienence, reliability - and to not be groped by my government - I'm willing to squeeze into a 30-seat jet and pay the extra jack.

'Atlas Shrugged' Trailer.

This is one of those epics that, like Lord of the Rings, is almost too big for the big screen; that only your imagination can encompass:



If it wasn't for the fact of where our country is now, and where it is headed under Obama, Atlas Shrugged would, like LOTR, be fantasy. But now it is prophetic. "I Am John Gault!" may well be the theme for Campaign 2012.

Transformational Change!

IMF looking to dump the Dollar as the world's reserve currency.

Very best of hands and all that.

A Suggestion In Stupid.

I've been watching politics for a good part of my life, and I have heard some really stupid ideas tossed out there. But this one takes the cake. According to today's Daily Report, a former East Baton Rouge School Board member wants to abolish the School Board and let school bureaucrats run the place all by themselves.

Say what you want about the School Board - and I have said more than my share - but it is accountable to the people. The bureaucrats on Foster Drive are not. As the last election proved, the people can fire a Board members if they piss us off. We cannot fire a protected civil servant at the public trough.

And maybe that is the point. This new Board seems more than willing to ask questions about the bureaucrat's operations, not leave them alone and limit itself to policy matters only. It makes the bureaucrats and their friends uncomfortable; and I think that is as it should be. Somebody needs to hold them accountable. Like the School Board, school bureaucrats should always remember who they work for.

The Episcopal Church (tm) Adds To The Ranks...

...Of the Roman Catholic Church:

Johnson’s embrace of Catholicism was a natural development after she became pro-life but was precipitated by her pro-choice Episcopalian community’s vocal rejection of her change of heart, she said.

Now we see what all that talk of "diversity", "living in tension", and "agree to disagree", "place at the table" means in real terms: Agree or leave.

Hattip: The MCJ.

(Still) Not Ready For Prime Time Politics.

Ron Paul's disciples prove yet again 1) why they shouldn't be allowed anywhere near political power, and 2) why in a popular electoral process they never will.

Libertarians stand for freedom, including the freedom of speech. The Paul cult is not libertarian - it's a beer hall looking for a putsch.

Close Encounters Of The GOP Kind.

Richard Dreyfuss at the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) Convention promoting his initiative to promote civics in schools:



Yes, the Republican Conservative Political Action Committee. Is Richard having a change of heart? Um, not really. But at least he is willing to talk instead of dismiss. Michelle Malkin, though, isn't impressed.

More on the Dreyfuss Initiative here.

UPDATE More from Hot Air.

Uh, Oh.

Hmmmm: Crack appears in a .45 Springfield Armory XD(M) polymer frame after an out-of-battery discharge.

Adhering To Scripture Doesn't Kill Churches; Out-Of-Touch Bishops Do.

Katherine Schori, de-facto Pope of The Episcopal Church (tm), doesn't like guns:

“The Episcopal Church has been pretty clear in our position,” she said. “We are in favor of reasonable and fair gun control. Weapons of violence should not be freely available to just anyone who wants them.”

And I think pointy hats and croziers should not be freely available to just anyone who wants them, so I guess that makes us even. And what is "reasonable and fair gun control", anyway? What they have in England? China? Cuba?

Mexico has some really strict gun control laws. It must one of the safest places in the world.

Oh, Pha-lease.

This week's Baton Rouge Business Report just hit my desk, and the cover story is about EBR's $1.3 billion sewer improvements. Rolfe and the gang are calling it "The BIG Dig".

Really? Really?

I was working in downtown Boston in the late 80's - 90's when the real 'Big Dig' happened. My wife worked for one of the firms doing design work on the above ground infrastructure. $1.3 billion and digging down a few feet... there is no comparison.

Dial Nine-Wuss-Wuss...

...If you think this incident rises to the level of criminal charges.

For the record, at my office we encourage Nerf guns. If you don't have one we'll gladly supply you with one, and all the the rubber tipped Nerf darts - the ones that whistle when they fly - you want. Call it an office perk. We work in a very high-stress field, and a ten-minute Nerf war every now and again, especially as project deadlines approach, lets folks blow off steam, relax, and have fun at the same time. Beats the alternative, where they come in with a real gun.

As the boss, I really should have one of these.

Hattip: My buddy Shelby at Murdoc Online.

You Can LEED A Scheme To Subsidies, But You Can't Make It Work.

Winning the future with another "green-jobs" success story:

To turn wood chips into ethanol fuel, George W. Bush's Department of Energy in February 2007 announced a $76 million grant to Range Fuels for a cutting-edge refinery. A few months later, the refinery opened in the piney woods of Treutlen County, Ga., as the taxpayers of Georgia piled on another $6 million. In 2008, the ethanol plant was the first beneficiary of the Biorefinery Assistance Program, pocketing a loan for $80 million guaranteed by the U.S. taxpayers.

Last month, the refinery closed down, having failed to squeeze even a drop of ethanol out of its pine chips.

But, think of all the STIMULUS!

Question Of The Week.

Or maybe, of the modern era: Who will defend Mideast Christians? Western Europe won't - they won't even defend Christianity within their own borders. The US is following suit, as fundamentalist Islamists wage a campaign of persecution and religious cleansing against Christians from Pakistan to Algeria. Mideast Christians are the new canaries in the coal mine of nations.

Would these folks step up to the plate to help? Other than issue a press release or two, I wouldn't think so. It would upset their urbane, interfaith-dialogue, and besides - they wouldn't get invited to sit on privy councils if they did.

Since our "mainstream" Western Christian religious institutions (with one notable exception) won't stand up for our Faith, then someone must. Are we that someone?

Inter-Faith Dialogue, 12th Century Style.

An Afghan is to be hanged for converting to Christianity:

An Afghan physiotherapist will be executed within three days for converting to Christianity.

Said Musa, 45, has been held for eight months in a Kabul prison were he claims he has been tortured and sexually abused by inmates and guards.

Mr Musa, who lost his left leg in a landmine explosion in the 1990s, has worked for the Red Cross for 15 years and helps to treat fellow amputees.

He was arrested in May last year as he attempted to seek asylum at the German embassy following a crackdown on Christians within Afghanistan. (Emphasis mine)

You have wonder why this isn't front page news, and why some human rights group isn't making all sorts of ruckus over government-sanctioned religious persecution. Especially since Westerners, many of them Christians, are footing most of the bill for that government. Could it be because the victims are...

Christians?

If Mr. Musa was smart, he would also claim to be gay. The Episcopal Church (tm) would fall over it's croziers to ride to his rescue. But, he actually believes in all that Christianist / Jesusland mumbo-jumbo and is willing to die for his Faith (how quaint), so no one is going to get too upset when he actually does die.

Well, some of us will.

The Best Super Bowl Commercial of 2011.

Tens of millions was spent on some mostly unforgettable commercials this year. VW had a good one with the kid in the Darth Vader costume, but this is the hands down winner - 'Mean Joe House':



And the half-time show? Eeeech. Rap Muzak meets Orwell's '1984', choreographed in 'Pyongyang political rally' style. Fitting, since they tossed in a couple of schills for Obama (pbuh). Only a Fergie wardrobe malfunction could have saved the day.

"Budget The Luxuries First."

Wise advice from Robert Heinlein, and Maine Family Robinson comes up with a pretty good list of which luxuries to budget. And they're not that expensive, either.

One Leader Who Uses Faith To Promote Marxist Socialism Gives Props To Another.

Like anybody cares. Now that those awful Christianists from Jesusland are out of the picture, I guess it's OK to mix church and state.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President.

Tomorrow is Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday. Fred Thompson has a tribute:



In the 1970's, Reagan said America was still a great country when others - like then President Carter - were saying America's time has passed. Reagan gave hope to a hopeful nation. As we seem to be reliving the 1970's, we need to find another Reagan. Now.

Stroum Damage.

Remember way back in 2001 when The Left / Mainstream Media raised questions about George W. Bush appointing donors as Ambassadors? And in 2009 when they assured us Obama (pbuh) wouldn't do that?

As with so much we've been promised about Obama (pbuh), that assurance didn't exactly pan out:

As a supporter of presidential candidate Barack Obama, Cynthia Stroum was a superstar whose financial backing of the campaign landed her a plum diplomatic posting in Europe.

As America's ambassador to Luxembourg, the wealthy Seattle-based businesswoman was a disaster.

According to an internal State Department report released Thursday, less than a week after she quit, Stroum's management of the U.S. Embassy in the tiny country was abysmal. The report says her tenure of about one year was fraught with personality conflicts, verbal abuse and questionable expenditures on travel, wine and liquor.

Read the whole thing.

Will there be criticisms of Obama rewarding fat-cat donors by the same folks who criticized Bush? Don't hold your breath.

One Can Only Hope.

Is Zimbabwe the next Egypt? Robert Mugabe, using the politics of hope and change socialist thuggery and envy, has turned a potential promised land into an impoverished hellhole. It's long past time for Mugabe to go.

"...To Form A More Perfect Union..."

Somebody should tell Team Hopenchange this is not what the Founders were talking about.

Special Relationship? What Special Relationship?

Obama gives up British nuclear secrets to get an arms deal with the Russians. The Brits seem to be a tad upset, but I don't know why - I mean, Barry gave them some nice DVDs.

Time To Eat The Crullers!

According to the Daily Report, Dunkin' Donuts is looking to expand into Baton Rouge. One of the things I still miss about Massachusetts - 17 years on - is Dunkin' Donuts. No, their coffee will never beat CDM, but there is nothing better than a warm cruller on a cold, wintery morning. And we seem to be having rather more of those cold, wintery mornings round here.

Putting It Into Perspective.

Seen on Twitter, Facebook, and making the rounds via email, this was supposedly sent by an Israeli:

"Dear Egyptian Rioters: Please don't damage the pyramids. We will not rebuild. Thank you."

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

What? I'm Supposed To Be Shocked?

Millions of dollars property belonging to the State of Louisiana is missing.
Maybe they should try eBay.

Reporting The Obvious.

According to the 2010 Census, New Orleans lost 3 in 10 people since 2000. St. Tammany parish is now the fastest growing in the state, and East Baton Rouge parish is now the largest. If this were a just world, this guy's Congressional seat would be the one we are slated to lose. But, this isn't a just world.

Brevity...

...Is the soul of good legislation. And this bill to cap all Federal spending at 20.6% of GDP is, in the greater scheme of politics, refreshingly brief.

Yes, it says cap ALL spending. About damn time.

Hattip: Instapundit.

Narrative Check.

Dear readers, The Left / Mainstream Media asks you please re-read their recent memo on civility in political discourse. It clearly says only Tea Partiers and conservatives are narrow-minded, racist, promote stereotypes, and advocate violence against their opponents. It's never Team Hopenchange.

Only a Tea Partier would advocate sending an African-American "back to the fields", or suggest we "string him up" (and his wife, too). Who you gonna believe? Their memo, or your lying eyes:

The A/C Rule.

In a truly just world, the 'A' students end up working for the 'C' students. Why is that just? Because when the 'A' students get to call the shots, they use their smarts to promise us this:


Look at FY 09, 10, and 11. Our bureaucrat boffins said we'd have a deficit of less than $900 billion in 2011 and it would be trending in the right direction. But instead, what we actually gets, this:



Another trillion-plus deficit in 2011.

Remember, just two years ago the flower of academia, the geniuses who were too smart to work in mere enterprise like the rest of us, promised us managed happiness and prosperity forevermore. They had come to save us from, well, us. The oceans would now slow their rise, the Earth would heal, and the world would love us again now that the C-students - those selfish, rich, evil, warlike, incompetent, clinging to guns and faith Republicans - were put in their rightful, subservient, place. Our intellectual betters promised they, and they alone, could control what we mere mortals could not. With their able hands now on the tiller of the economy, unemployment would peak at 8.6% if we only gave them a one-time $735 billion to - shovel at the ready - restart the economy. Remember that?



Well, we gave them the scratch. Unemployment rose past 10% and has remained above 9% ever since. It's nowhere near the 6.8% their genius-inspired graph promised by this time.

Could the 'C' students have done any better? That isn't the correct question. The correct question is, "could they have done any worse"? And the answer is, "no". But we're stuck with the 'A' students at the helm for another two years, until we can send them and their 19th Century Marxist outlook packing back to academia and whatever non-profits they came from. We do have the 'C' students running the House again, so the damage the 'A' students can do in the next 24 months will be limited. But the 'C' students need to be careful - the 'A' students are dumb, but they are not stupid. As Instapundit is fond of saying: "Good job, kid. Don't get cocky." 2012 is ours to lose.

Down In Hyannis Port, A Major Offense.

Ted Kennedy's former office manager stole more than $75,000 from the government.

This is serious; he deserves jail time. It's not like somebody merely drowned in his car...

It's OK To Bring A Knife To A Gunfight...

...If you're a Gurkha. Via Instapundit comes this story about Bishnu Shrestha, a Gurkha soldier who fought off 40 armed men on a train to stop a woman from being raped. He left 3 dead, 8 injured, and 29 with soiled trousers.

We need more people like Bishnu.

(Note: Post fixed. Have no idea what happened.)

You Don't Control The Vertical Anymore. You Don't Control The Horizontal, Either.

You would think The Left / Mainstream Media would have learned from the ACORN scandal. But, no: Planned Parenthood advises a "pimp" how to get his underage, illegal immigrant girls abortions and STD exams.

What will it take for The Left / Mainstream Media to learn it's not 1968? They don't control the public's access to information anymore - the public does.

Shhhh. Don't Tell Katherine Schori.

Some of the folks involved in this new reality show about firearms on Discovery Channel... go to my church. An Episcopal (tm) church. They even serve at Sunday Mass.

Contrary to what Bonnie Anderson would have you believe, not all us 'Piskies are whiny urban wall-flowers.

Watch Sons of Guns on Discovery Channel, Wednesdays 9-10 ET/PT, 8-9 CT.

Indeed.

Now, am I Calvin, or Hobbes? Depends on the day, actually.

Hattip: Visual Consumer and Anne.

Dear Ms. Pelosi: We've Seen What's In Your New Health Care Law Now That You've Passed It...

...And constitutionally, it ain't worth a shit.

The Volokh Conspiracy has much more.

Now is the time at RSR where we do the happy dance.

UPDATE 1FEB2011: Bias? What media bias? The RSR wife had on CBS while we got ready for work, and whatever it is that passes for a morning show never mentioned the ruling. We had it on for an hour and... Nada. Zip. But the hiker who fell 1,000 feet of a mountain in Scotland and lived, got five minutes.

The Left / Mainstream Media know a Constitutional fight over ObamaCare is one they are bound to lose - if not in the Courts, surely in the court of public opinion. It seems their strategy here is simply to ignore it, and hope you do, too.

One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other.

Time magazine this week attempts to equate Barack Obama with... Ronald Reagan.

I don't think so.

Sean Linnane has more. Read it all.

Finally! Using 'Clean Energy' In A Way I Can Support.

Burning up stuff for fun:



From here.

Republicans Believe Every Representative and Senator Should Read The Constitution.

Democrat Chuck Schumer proves why:



The three branches of government are the House, the Senate, and the President?? Geez. Don't they show Schoolhouse Rock in New York?

Why I Can Never Set Foot In Malawi.

I can't help breaking, um, the law.

An Honorable Man.

It is physically impossible for Cajun native and former Kansas City Royals pitcher Gil Meche to ever become a politician. Here's why.

Back when America considered itself an exceptional nation, such a decision would have been expected. Nowadays, not so much.

Obama's SOTU Speech Channels Bush 41. Sort of.

"A million points of trite." Indeed.

Why, Here I Am.

And here's what I was doing in Vegas. I do have other interests besides pissing and moaning about politics and culture, despairing my profession, and highlighting the comic relief that is The Episcopal Church (tm).

Where's Clifford?

Magically Curious Reader: Why, there haven't been too many poster on RSR lately. I wonder why?

Your Humble Blogger: Why, that's a good question, Magically Curious Reader. I'm in Las Vegas, covering the SHOT Show for a friend's website. More later when I get to a real Internet connection.

What Does Public Education Need To Survive These Days?

According to the New York Schools Chancellor, it's eugenics.

Want To Know Why Oil Is $100 A Barrel?

Here's the answer. And a solution: Turn that red to green. Now.

Somebody's Not Getting It.

Like, the President. From this CBS News poll: 77% want spending cut to reduce the deficit, while only 9% want taxes raised.

The American people get it, while Obama and The Left / Mainstream Media (that 9%, I guess -ed.) still think the solution to any crisis is to throw more government money at it. Money the government doesn't have, and we don't, either.

How disastrous have Obama's 'academics not experience' economic policies been to our nation's future? In 2008, when Obama was elected, the Federal debt limit was $11.3 trillion. In a few days, it will exceed $14.2 trillion - a 25% increase in two years. Somebody's got pay that back, and you can be sure it won't be the people who ran up that debt.

CNN Confirms Bush Vindicated: Iraq Had Weapons Of Mass Destruction!

Well, the AK-47 takes a "high-capacity" magazine, and Iraq had lots of AK-47s... From this CNN screed on firearms:

"A high-capacity magazine in effect turns a semiautomatic firearm into a weapon of mass destruction."

The CNN piece doesn't make the case for more gun control. It only proves the two things common to most anti-gun articles: First, that The Left / Mainstream Media have few facts to back up their arguments for taking guns out of the hands of this country's rulers ('We The People' still rule this country, right?), only well-publicized - but isolated - incidents, anecdotal conclusions, and shrill appeals to emotion.

Second, it shows how actually ignorant The Left / Mainstream Media are when it comes to firearms, and it assumes (hopes, actually...) that the rest of of us are as bereft of firearms experience and knowledge as they are. While firms do make a 30-round capacity magazine extension for the Glock, the writers conveniently forget to note that "a high-capacity magazine that held 31 bullets" is non-standard for a Glock. Implication: The Glocks hold "31 bullets". Eeeeevil! The "small sampling" of the "notorious cases" they cite are pretty much all of the notorious psychotic attacks in the US in the last two decades. They note only 11 in near 20 years, in a country the anti-gunners claim are awash in guns. Either the economists who authored this article knew all this and are trying to pump up the emotional punch of their argument, or they don't know what they are talking about. It's an either/or.

But the biggest indication that The Left / Mainstream Media don't know jack about firearms comes from the graphic CNN used to illustrate the evil of high-capacity magazines. What looks to the untrained eye as a pile of spent pistol cartridge cases (implication: high-capacity) is, in fact, a pile of spent cases from a 105mm howitzer. Remember, CNN is supposed to be a "professional" journalistic organization (as opposed to us "amateurs" out here in blogosphere-land). I can understand mistaking a .45 case for a 9mm case, but really. As far as I know (and I was in the artillery for a while), carrying a 105mm howitzer concealed is a bit of a trick. At the very least, you need an oversized coat. You can't pick up 105mm howitzer ammunition at Cabela's or Wal-Mart, and besides, they are single-shot weapons - they don't use "a high-capacity magazine". The last "notorious cases" of mass shootings with artillery in the US were, what?... The Civil War?

If they don't want to look as silly as this article makes them, the gun-scare faction would do well to actually know something about what they fear, and have some solid facts to back up their emotional arguments. They don't, so expect more of the same as The Left / Mainstream Media attempt to leech some kind of political advantage out of the tragic event in Tucson.

UPDATE: Heh.

(Image authorship unknown)

UPDATE: Cross-posted over at The Hayride.

Yes, The End Of The World As We Know It Is Upon Us.

And it's called the 'Forever Lazy':



Hattip: Instapundit, who declares this, "the Mao Suit of the hope-n-change era!"

Have You Now, Or Have You Ever Been, Critical Of A Government Official?

Because, in today's America it could get you a visit from your local sheriff and the FBI.

The Left / Mainstream Media like to remind us, back when they were fighting "The Establishment" in the 1960's, that the actions of the government toward them - police raids, FBI wiretapping, etc. - were tyrannical, antithetical to freedom and liberty, and jack-booted stomping all over the Constitution. But now that they are The Establishment, they've gone all Nixonian, drawn up enemies lists, and justified harassing the opposition on national security grounds. (I wonder, is the case of Mr. Bowler of Greene County, Missouri, an isolated incident? Hmmm... -ed.)

I agree that public officials - indeed, all Citizens - need protection from those who want to do them physical harm. And if someone is a credible threat under The Law, then yes, they should get a visit. But calling your elected representatives to account for their actions (or, inactions) and harming their chances at the polls by dissent, does not rise to that level. Instead, it is the Right of every Citizen (See Amendment, First) in a free society.

If dissent was patriotic in 1971 (Vietnam, Nixon), 1981 (Reagan, Cruise Missiles), 1991 (Gulf War), and 2001 (9/11, Afghanistan), it is still patriotic in 2011.

UPDATE: Related.

A Well Worn Tactic.

Like a jerking knee, Democrats have been trying to delegitimize Republican values by attempting to link the GOP to violent nut-jobs for, oh... at least 151 years. Powerline notes that none other than Abraham Lincoln answered the charge definitively. Someone should put the same to the likes of Paul Krugman and Sheriff Clarence Dupnik.

See No Evil, Eh; Hear No Evil, Eh; Speak No Evil, Eh.

Canadians ban Dire Straits 'Money for Nothing'.

Here is the original MTV classic video of the song that has our neighbors to the with their tuques all in a knot.

But don't be to smug, my fellow Americans - according to The Left / Mainstream Media, nowadays playing something like this Eric Clapton favorite should gain you a visit from the sheriff. Or the FBI.

Abraham Lincoln: Selfish Racist Tea-Bagger.

Really:

“I believe that every individual is naturally entitled to do as he pleases with himself and the fruits of his labor, so far as it in no way interferes with any other men's rights”

Hattip: Instapundt.

Do As They Say...

...Not as they do. When The Left/Mainstream Media lectures the little people - that would be you and me - about "toning down" the political rhetoric and how dangerous "violent speech" is in political discourse, they don't, of course, mean themselves:

Palin Death Wish Tweets Re Tucson Shooting from Legal Insurrection on Vimeo.

Wanting Sarah Palin dead? Well, duh?!? What self-respecting faculty member, journolist, or NGO executive doesn't?

In case all those Lefty defenders of free speech and a free press get the video censored again, here it is as a series of images. There are quite a lot.

UPDATE: But Wait! There's More!

Journalism 101.

Well, it beats having to find those icky facts.

There Are Many Reasons I am Embarrassed To Be An Episcopalian...

...And here is the latest: A Bishop's fear-mongering exercise in demeaning stereotypes about law-abiding firearms owners. I suppose the Rt. Rev. John was talking about himself when he said a while back:

"And so we create a God in our minds and hearts who vindicates our own hateful, demeaning stereotypes of others and the world around us."

UPDATE 12JAN2011: Hey John, how's that making-The-Episcopal-Church-(tm)-relevant-by-blaming-'Sara Palin/conservatives/gun owners' thing going for 'ya? Oh.

Surprise! Democrat ObamaCare Backed Up By....

...A Democrat poll. ObamaCare has already jumped our premiums more than they would have otherwise, as our small-group carrier tries to anticipate the unknown costs of ObamaCare's greater regulation. As small business owner, Obama's "reform" is worse than the problem. If Obama really wanted to help small business (something with which he has no experience), he would scrap this experiment in soft socialism and start over.

Today, This Would Be Blamed On Sarah Palin and Talk Radio.

But back in the day, it was still OK for boys to unabashedly be boys.

When I was a kid (about 11, IIRC), my friend Jackson and I built a mortar using old CO2 cartridges (no less), some black powder we made using a chemistry set he got for Christmas (they even provided us with the recipe in a 'Fun Experiments' booklet), some Black Cat firecrackers, and a copper pipe and pipe cap we found under my parent's house. We fired it several times in the alley behind our houses and, besides some scratches on Mrs. Orr's garage from the impact, no harm came to anyone.

Please note that I still have all my fingers and both eyes, and I have not injured - or threatened - anyone because of their political beliefs or because someone on talk radio ordered me to do so. Further, I gained first-hand practical experience in the disciplines of mechanical engineering, ballistics, chemistry, soldering, and master planning. (The latter refers to us pre-selecting a quickly accessible hiding place when Mrs. Munch came out to see what the hell was going on.)

News Alert: Al Gore Has Been Sighted!

Really.

There's even a catchy theme song.

A Company Of Heroes Is One Less.

Major Dick Winters, Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, passed away earlier today.

UPDATE 10JAN2011: From the Grey Man:

"A man who stood up and hooked up when it counted. May his final jump lead to all he richly deserves."

Indeed.

Today's Required Reading.

Mark Steyn: Dependence Day. Read it all.

The Future Is Lines.

Back in the Bush years The Left / Mainstream Media were all over the President for rising gas prices. Today, not so much.

Gee, I wonder why?...

Profiles In Discouragement.

(Note: This is a personal rant because it's my birthday and this is my site. It involves computers and evil. Skip if you want. -ed.)

Today is my birthday and I had something profound to post, but I forgot what is was. The reason? Windows.

Well, more specifically, Microsoft Windows. I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, HATE Microsoft Windows.

No matter how hard the Windows/PC crowd tries, no matter how hard they infuse their products with Mac-like user-friendliness, they will never be Apple and Macs. Never, ever, ever. Microsoft should change their name to 'Sirius Cybernetics Corporation'. Yes, I'm reigniting a worn, useless-but-to-nerds fight, but I have good reason: I had to get a new computer.

Well I didn't have to. I just wanted my iTunes back and working

About a month ago we had someone hack our network at work. Nothing disastrous, but it messed with the servers and caused a couple of our computers to crash - including mine, which was in the middle of an iTunes update. When I restarted, my iTunes library - music, videos, images, etc., was gone. I needed it back. Bad.

For those who do not know, I live by my iPhone. I keep my memos on my iPhone. I use it to take jobsite photos and videos, and I keep many on there for future reference. I keep all my business contacts in my iPhone. No iTunes, no syncing the iPhone; and yours truly is not a happy camper.

Things then went from bad to Microsoft. First, the office "expert" tried to help - something about "changing my profile to administrator", whatever the hell that is. I created a new "profile" so I could fix the first per his advice, but now everything on my machine was "owned" by the new "administrator profile" - including, apparently, my iTunes data (it still existed, but iTunes couldn't see it). The expert's conclusion: "That's weird..." Our local geek (a friend of my partner) who was over fixing the server, also took a look (for a few more hours) and diagnosed a puny and badly defragmented hard drive. Nothing to be done about it. He prescribed "getting another laptop", and told me to call him when it came in.

Remember, all I wanted was my iTunes back and working.

So I went to the Apple store just before Christmas and priced a MacBook Pro, but my partner was not keen on the idea (too expensive, too much incompatibility...). I ended up with a small, Windows-based HP. It arrived last Wednesday. I called our geek and... nothing. No email, no phone call, zip. Swell. So I set about getting the new HP set up myself (hopefully getting my iTunes back). I've set up all my home computers (including the odd PC), so this shouldn't be rocket science. Worked on it Wednesday night until the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

I was wrong.

My partner finally got hold of his friend the geek, and he agreed to remotely set up my computer with me on the phone. It did not go well. First thing geek says over the phone is I need a "network profile", not a "local profile", and most all of the data - including all of my iTunes data I spent hours getting off backups - would not be recognized by the "network profile" as that profile did not "own" it. "That's not the way Windows wants you to work", I was told. Swell. So I had to - again - dump my iTunes data and reinstall it (and other programs, too), this time logged in under the "network profile".

It has been more than three weeks since my old laptop had its hiccup; more than three days since my new computer showed up, and more than 20 hours of my time wasted on setting up again and again. (Several hours of that time was trying to figure out what button, buried on what setting window, stopped the icons on the screen from enlarging if your fingers hit the trackpad in the wrong way.) Remember, all I wanted was my iTunes back and working.

My wife and I have owned five Macs at home in the last 23 years. The last time we bought a new Mac was last year when our old one crapped out unexpectedly. After the geeks at the Apple Store determined our old one was toast (but the hard drive was intact), they plugged a cable between our old one and the new one we bought, and "migrated" one to the other. When we got the new one home it was just like the one that died - including our home iTunes data. We were sans computer at home for maybe two days.

The major reason my partner was against me getting a Mac laptop for the office is how "expensive" Macs are. (I also suspect his geek buddy doesn't like to fool with them.) If you count up my lost work hours, and what we will pay his geek buddy in all of this, that MacBook Pro is looking pretty damn cost effective.

Remember, all I wanted was my iTunes back and working - and I'm just getting to that point. So, Steve Jobs, I am sorry. I will not make this mistake again.

Just One Second...

...Of Obama's Debt. Since June.

A Winning Game Plan.

Red State points out our best chance to take back this nation from The Left/Mainstream Media: It is time for Social Conservatives and Fiscal Conservatives to come together. I agree. Read it all.

Classical Values has more.

The Left/Mainstream Media, a consistent numerical minority in this nation, has defined us and divided us for far too long for their political advantage. And, we have let them. They have played our fears of each other against us, and turned that into a winning strategy to acquire power. Since they have no new ideas to offer (their true goal of 19th century European bureaucratic collectivism has been repeatedly rejected by most Americans), divide and conquer is the only strategy The Left/Mainstream Media have anymore. It is up to us to ally and take that away. Too much is at stake, since a bankrupt state will soon lose it's morals (see Wiemar, 1932...) and a state without morals will soon bankrupt itself (see California, 2010). Our uniting is their nightmare scenario, which is why they have gone after the Tea Party Movement so hard. They know if we FiCons and we SoCons do come together for more than a photo-op, their secular religion of socialism, progressivism, liberalism, "transformational change" is toast.

Indeed.

Sledding is an art form, not a sport. Even after being back in Louisiana 17 years, I still miss four seasons.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Let's hope it's better than 2010. Though, if the predictions of Frank J. are in any way accurate, 2011 will be, um... "interesting".

UPDATE: Interesting, indeed. When the ACLU, Fire Dog Lake and me all agree on an issue...