Sitting In My Blind Waiting For The Perfect Shot, And...There It Was - An 8-Point Princess.

Princess Beatrice at today's Royal Wedding:


-photographer unknown.

An Internet meme is born.

King Barry I, Or Hugo Chavez II?

Team Hopenchange thinks their agenda is just too important to let that Rule Of Law thing get in the way.

THE core question for next 18 months:

It all boils down to this: Are we to be a constitutional government with three distinct branches, or a single executive entity that makes policy, carries it out and decides for itself whether it's constitutional or not?

That's what the next presidential race is really all about.

Indeed it is.

Today's Required Reading.

The Case against President Obama's Health Care Reform: A Primer for Non Lawyers, Cato White Paper No. 32

Miss USA Meets TSA

Yes, Susie, as a Citizen in Obama's America, you have to go through this.

His Sister Was Bit By A Moose Once.

No, reali:



From here. Of course.

Bible Thumping.

My friend Christopher over at Midwest Conservative Journal shows why those who are unfamiliar with Scripture - because they usually don't believe a word of it - should not use it to make a point. Christopher, who does know Scripture, uses it convincingly to make his point.

How Much Of A Lightweight Is Barack Obama?

This much: He just coughed up his birth certificate. Why? Because of pressure from Donald Trump. Donald. Freakin'. Trump. The leader of the free world just got beat by a pompous blowhard with bad hair.

No wonder Kadaffi/Qaddafi/Gadaffii/(insert your spelling here) is still in power. Let's see how long it is before we get Barry's college records, too.

A Modest Proposal.

Like it or not, the Congress will have to raise the debt ceiling. I don't like it either, but yes, they will. If they don't, the President will have the ability to almost unilaterally cut spending necessary to keep us under the ceiling. And you know what he will do - muck up things the average, not-that-much-into-political-tussles American will notice and get angry about - close National Parks, stop Social Security payments to Granma, stop paying the troops, stop paying out creditors, etc., etc. Fiscally irresponsible in the extreme, yes, but it makes great Alinskyesque political theatre. Especially with The Left / Mainstream Media pushing White House talking points without question.

But, as this article points out, raising the debt isn't going win any points for Democrats with the average Joe and Jane. They (the Democrats) don't want to be the ones holding the bag here, either, especially with so many vulnerable seats in 2012.

Which gives Boehner, Ryan, Rubio, (Rand) Paul, etc., a golden opportunity to cut a deal. Not a promise for a few billion off here or there, but something big.

(Crapgamevoice) You know... a deal deal. (/Crapgamevoice) Like...

Tell Pelosi, Reid, etc., that the GOP will vote to raise the debt ceiling say, $1 trillion, if the Democrats agree to vote out a Balanced Budget Amendment to the States. There are several already introduced into the Congress this session . It takes two-thirds of the Congress to vote on a proposed Amendment before it goes to the States, so support from moderate/conservative Democrats is essential for the two-thirds number. Most States already live within such constraints, and I think they would be more than pleased to have the Feds do the same.

Whatever happens, the GOP can not let this opportunity go by and get a pittance (a few billion here and there) in return. That is not what they were sent there to do, and they will fare almost as bad as the Democrats in 2012 if they come out of this with a few lumps of coal in their bag.

If the folks on Capitol Hill want to do something like this, they better act fast.

OK, Can We PLEASE Move Onto The Important Things Now?

Here is Barack Obama's birth certificate.

There are a LOT of failings of our current President that point to his lack of fitness for the job. His place of birth has never been one of them. The 'Birther' issue has distracted us from highlighting the real problems before this nation. It has given attention to a malignant fringe strata in our body politic, and in so doing has handed our opponents an issue with which to poison Independents against those of us who argue for fiscal sanity and limited government. Because of 'Birthers', our ability to convince the critical middle to align with our point of view is now that that much harder.

The 'Birthers' should, if they have any honor - and any understanding of politics beyond a high-school civics class level - admit they were wrong and then STFU. But if I know them, they won't.

UPDATE: Well, that didn't take long.

What If Brittany Spears Had Directed 'Lord Of The Rings'?

Sippican at Borderline Sociopathic Blog for Boys accidentally found out while scouring the InterTubes. It ain't pretty:

So, How Are Those "Green" Jobs Working Out?

Obama's promised land of milk and windmills may not be so promising after all. In the scad of adverts in my inbox this morning was one from a company offering to do LEED certification for buildings - a "green job" if there ever was one. I get (and trash) these all the time, but this one was a bit different - it was offering a hugely reduced, flat rate to do LEED certification on any building of any size. It was substantially less - like, half - than we paid a for a LEED consultant just a year ago. (We have only done one LEED building, and we - and our banker - pray we never have to do another.)

Is This What We Have Come To????...

I hate to post something like this, but it must be seen. MUST. A woman, who turns out is transgendered, is savagely beaten - enough to cause seizures - and appears to have chunks of her hair ripped out while the employees in a suburban Baltimore McDonald's mostly stand by and laugh. Several even tell the two women who beat the third to leave quick because the police are on the way. The store manager made a half-hearted attempt to break it up but only one person - a middle aged lady - tried to actively intervene, and got punched in the process.

The inhuman savagery, violence, and lack of restraint is stunning, as is the idea that those teenagers thought such was appropriate for whatever the third had done. Equally stunning is the inhuman reaction to those who who witnessed the event, who seemed more interested in having something for their Facebook page than having any compassion for the victim.



UPDATE: Much more here. This is being considered a "hate crime". While I don't believe "hate" is a crime, if there ever was an example of a "hate crime", this is it.

Barack Obama: An Expensive Empty Suit.

Literally.

Happy Birthday, Bill.

Still looking good at 447. Don't believe me? Take it away, Kenneth:

Question Of The Day.

If TSA can't screen alleged pedophiles from their own ranks, how can they screen terrorists from our skies?

A TSA screener in Philadelphia, who gets paid by Janet Napolitano to touch other people's junk, now finds himself under arrest for allegedly possessing and distributing kiddie porn.

Remember this when one of Janet's blue-gloved minions insists on feeling up your daughter or son.

RUN-EPA

Just in time for Earth Day, dear readers, we are pleased to present government-funded Prius Rap:

Nothing But Comrades, Or, I'm Glad I Have A Lawn Mower.

Besides being one of the most sacred days in the Christian Faith, today is also one of the most sacred in today's Marxist Faith: It's Earth Day.

So in celebration, take it away, Mr. Byrne:



For our Marxist friends today is really a toofer - since it's also Lenin's birthday. With May Day just around the corner, and the birthday of Pol Pot (an early advocate of combining spread-the-wealth with back-to-nature) on 19 May, I guess this is the 'holiday season' for Marxists.

Yin/Yang.

Apple Computer:

Good: Apple named least "green" tech company. Companies exist to make things and provide services, not be butt-kissers for busy-body moralists. That doesn't mean dumping old SE30's in the Bay is OK - it means they shouldn't have to require employees wear all-natural, free-range, fair-trade skivvies because the Natural Resources Defense Fund or Al Gore thinks it's a nifty idea.

Bad: Apple is tracking you via your iPhone and/or iPad. I'm sorry, but what do they need this for? And, who will try to get their hands on it?
(cough) The government via lobbying by busy-body moralists (cough).

Scotty, This Is Schrodinger...

...We're almost ready to beam up the cat.

Wait till some Ron Paul/Alex Jones/911 Truther/Birther types look at that ominous machine and realize this was done... in Tokyo... before the quake. The conspiracy theories, they shall fly. UPDATE: Wouldn't be the first time.

Remember When The Left Thought Big Business Making Huge Profits Was A Bad Thing?

Nowadays, it seems to depend on which friends Big Business keeps. I bet the standard-issue Lefties won't be rioting because General Electric - one of Obama's most reliable Big Business supporters who seems poised to make buckets of cash off the government's "green" regulations and restrictions, saw it's profits jump 77%.

In the Era of Hopenchange, crony capitalism is bad - unless they're your cronies. And success is not measured by what you do anymore - but by who you know in government.

UPDATE: Concrete proof of that last point.

A Story That Is Sure To Generate, Um, A Lot Of Traction.

I predict this will be the most read article on the 'Net this week:

Yes, men really can make it longer: study.

Actually, I think this will be the most read article this month. No, wait... This year.

And The Ones Who Couldn't Tell An Umbrella From An AK-47 Will Get, What? An Award?...

The Burlington Mall in Burlington, Massachusetts - a place I frequented often while living in the Tax State, was evacuated today because two - not one, but two - Massachusetts Morons couldn't tell the difference between an umbrella and a "short-barreled rifle".

The poor sod who was just trying to keep dry felt so bad he came forward to the police. Will the idiots who wasted everybody's time because they couldn't tell a Totes from a Tavor do the same? It's Massachusetts - don't hold your breath.

Will The Left / Mainstream Media Now Worry About The Feelings Of The 'Christian Street'?

French (yes, he said French -ed.) fundamentalist Catholics destroy Andres Serrano's infamous 'Piss Christ' to protest "blasphemy".

While I find Serrano's work repugnant, I find the response in Avignon equally repugnant in a free society. The litmus test here is how The Left / Mainstream Media react/spin this story. Will we hear lots of there-are-limits-to-free-speech lectures from them, just like we did when the 'Arab/Muslim Street' went nuts after the Danish Cartoon kerfuffle? Don't hold your breath.

They Came From "Shangri-La"...

...And 69 years ago today these 80 men flew into history.

Next year in Jerusalem!

A very Happy Passover to our Hebrew friends.

Burnin' Down The Garage, Part II; Or, Bringing Back The Firebird.

Remember the story the other day about a garage fire in Connecticut, wherein a Government Motors 'Volt' - Obama's vision of a "green" auto future - was suspected of causing the fire? Well, dear readers, seems it caught fire again.

Today's Helpful Hint.

Don't bring a machete to a pocket-knife fight.

UPDATE" A friend noted that this proves, once again, it's not the size of your blade but what you can do with it. OK... So why do the ladies always go for the guy with the broadsword and not the one with the Swiss Army Knife? Even one with the larger, locking blade SAK? Um... metaphorically speaking, of course.

UPDATE: Maybe now is a really good time to mention that I have one of these. And if a great blade is important to you, you should have one, too. And I'm not speaking metaphorically.

Steve, Jobs Killer.

According to the deep thoughts of Jessie Jackson, Jr. (D-Luddite Heights), the Apple iPad is killing the First Amendment. Really. I presume he'll be proposing legislation to protect newspapers and printers from this evil. Maybe he can amend his bill protecting 8-track tape makers from cassettes.

The Grapes Of Spong.

This being Palm Sunday, I think it's a good time to note the progress the Liberal wing of Anglicanism has achieved in the UK:


One Rev. Dr Giles Fraser thinks all that "whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" is a bunch of hooey. So, Giles... what's the point?


The parish of Holy Trinity / St. Mary's, Guildford, apparently gets in touch with their inner Himmler, posting this bit of inclusive indaba dhimmitude on their website:



Some are saying the site was hacked, and have alerted the parish. Yet, the cartoon remains...


An electrician in the UK is facing the sack for displaying a palm-frond Cross on his dashboard. That's where mine is today. I thank my lucky stars (and stripes) that I don't live in the UK today.


Hattip to The MCJ.

UPDATE: In a related note, the grapes of "diversity": The 12th-Century Boys practice some interfaith dialogue and religion-of-peace cultural understanding in London. I don't know if Rowan Williams would approve, but I know he sure as hell won't protest.

UPDATE 18APR11: Well that didn't take long - the cartoon is gone. But have no fear, dear readers, there is something called "screenshot", and I have one. In case they want to get all Orwellian on us.

Bad Actor: Port Of Call New Orleans.

Actor Nicolas Cage was arrested in New Orleans last night on domestic abuse and disturbing the peace charges. Sounds like he was studying for a role as an NOPD police officer.

Post title reference is here.

Forget Carbon Footprint - Electric Cars Can Reduce Your Building Footprint, Too.

Ruling Class Irony Alert! Garage with two recharging electric/hybrid cars burns down; the cars are suspected culprits. Gee... I wonder how much carbon was put into the atmosphere by that garage going up in flames?

2008-2012 is looking more and more like 1976-1980 every day. Back then it was 'Pintos' going up in flames - now it's Obama's 'Volts'.

The Vanishing 50 Million.

Back in 2005, the United Nations Environment Programme predicted that global warming would create 50 million climate refugees by 2010. It was repeated by the The Left/ Mainstream Media as gospel, proof that "we have to do something" - e.g., more government control over our lives.

2010 is now past, and someone took a look at the UN's claim. Not only was the UN off by, oh... 50 million, they have tried to disappear the prediction now that is makes the UN and the chicken little AGW cult look like fools.

Read the whole thing. And remember this next time you hear some "expert" on TV or radio claiming dire consequences because of "global warming" "climate change".

UPDATE: Oh, wait... it's now 50 million by 2020. Geez. These people are starting to sound less like scientists and more like end-of-the-world types when they wake up the day after they predicted the end of it all.

We're Too Good To Call You Racist, Ignorant, Rubes Names.

If you consider yourself a conservative, or believe in individual liberty, or believe government isn't the answer but the problem, The Episcopal Church (tm) hates you:

But here they are, the nutcases, parading in prime time as if they were a legitimate alternative in a deeply divided nation that is struggling with huge and vexing issues.

Thanks to Rupert Murdoch, they even have their own television network to legitimize streams of vitriol, conspiracy theories, fears, rages, and suspicion. In the brave new world of leveling-by-Internet, anybody can say anything and claim to be an authority.

Who's to say a website is packed with lies or useful information? For example, I followed the thread of a comment by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., criticizing Tea Party folks for threatening other people's free speech. By the time his original words had fanned out to two dozen right-wing websites, they had morphed into a preference for terrorists over Tea Partiers.

Here is the "comment" by Sen. Lautenberg to which the Rev. Ehrich apparently alludes. Listen to the linked video closely.

“They [Tea Party Republicans] don’t deserve the freedoms in the Constitution, but we’ll give it to them anyway.”

Two points here:

First, in 2006 Lautenberg voted to preserve habeas corpus, a constitutional right, for Guantanamo detainees. So yes, Rev. Ehrich, Sen. Lautenberg does believe Islamofascist terrorists, who are trying to kill us in the name of their God, are more deserving of the blessings of our Constitution than his fellow Americans, like myself, who disagree with his politics but want to kill no one.

Second, and more foundational to this whole national debate, is the Senator - as do most of The Left / Mainstream Media - seems to think our Rights come from government. Government "gives" them to us; and government can take them away. We conservatives and Tea Partiers - who the Rev. Ehrich implies are the "bigots who burn, shoot and shout" - believe as our Founders did: Our Rights are derived from our Creator (whoever or whatever we may believe that to be). They cannot be taken away (only repressed), and the whole reason our government exists is to secure those Rights. This is the core of the American experiment. This is also a point Rev. Ehrich misses entirely, or ignores because he believes, as does Sen. Lautenberg, in the Monarchist / Marxist notion that Rights come only from government.

Speaking Truth To Idiots.

Chris Christie answers questions from The Left / Mainstream Media about education:



Gee, I thought it was us heartless Republicans who give up on the poor. Christie, as usual, nails the problem. Nails it. Where is this kind of clarity, spine, and plain speaking in the current crop of GOP goofs and ankle-biters who think they are qualified to be President? I pray he runs in 2012.

A Lightweight Snack.

As Louisiana Republican, I can assure you we don't eat our young like Caroline "I Hate Republicans" Fayard claims. But, as my buddy Scott quite ably shows, we will make a tasty meal out of a clueless member of the Democrat nobility. Tripe Fayard, anyone?

Tax The Rich!!

Well, tax those who, after they leave government service, parlay their time into influence-peddling, get-rich-quick schemes helping big corporations and NPOs manipulate the levers of government power for their own good. If we want to break the government/corporate/non-profit revolving door in Washington - which is breaking our financial backs - we need to take the profit out of it.

To that end, Glenn Reynolds has a modest proposal that I think just might work:

A 50% surtax on anything earned within five years after leaving the federal government, above whatever the federal salary was. Leave a $150K job at the White House, take a $1M job with Goldman, Sachs, pay a $425K surtax.

Personally, I'd go 75% for the first five years, and 50% on the next five years.

A Century of Perfection.

The greatest pistol ever designed, John Browning's Colt M1911, turned 100 years old at the end of last month.

In this humble shooter's opinion we should never have dropped the M1911 or it's .45 ACP round in favor of kissing-whiny-European-butts adopting the 9mm Parabellum as a NATO standard.

If you do not have an M1911, get one. And learn how to use it.

But Where Are Tina Turner and Mel Gibson?

Yes, Thunderdome exists.



Notice the yellow railing - safety first!

From here. Where else?

From Eternity To Here.

Instapundit pointed out this book today Losing Our Religion: The Liberal Media's Attack on Christianity. The assault on Christianity by The Left / Mainstream Media from outside is nothing new, and not the biggest reason we are losing our religion. The biggest reason is the assault on Christianity by those inside our churches. Can you say "Kate Schori" and "John Spong" boys and girls? I knew you could.

Mood Swing. Or, Why 2011 Is Looking A Lot Like 1979.

The Left / Mainstream Media may think the 2010 election was an aberration, a temporary bump on their way to their statist paradise, but they need to look at the Wisconsin Supreme Court race this past Tuesday - it says something entirely different.

A few months ago the GOP-majority Wisconsin Senate, in order to get control of runaway state spending in the Badger State (and defund one of the The Left's biggest cash cows, public sector unions) scheduled a vote on limiting public sector collective bargaining and automatic deductions of union dues from public paychecks. The GOP majority had the votes and the backing of the Governor, Scott Walker, who was elected in 2010 on the Tea Party wave. But Democrat Senators, desperate to keep the Benjamins flowing from the special-interest group (unions) which funds much of the Democrat machine, fled the state to keep the vote from happening. And Big Labor turned on the pressure, staging well-organized protests, threats, and a takeover of the state capitol in Madison. Even President Obama tried to influence the outcome by carrying the union's water.

But in the end, the GOP played hardball politics like the Democrats and got both items passed. Big Labor and the Democrats went nuts, and swore retribution. That is why the Supreme Court election is important.

To show their muscle via power politics, and put another reliably union vote on the Supreme Court when Gov. Walker's bills came up for challenge, Big Labor decided to make an example of conservative Justice David Prosser's reelection. So lots of union money and organization were put behind Democrat JoAnne Kloppenburg, an assistant attorney general in Wisconsin, and the race was turned into a referendum on what the governor and Senate had just done. It seemed like money and a political machine would carry the day again for The Left / Mainstream Media.

But, something odd happened. It appears Kloppenburg lost. But even if she had won, it would have been by the the thinnest of margins - 10ths of a percent. So the lesson to take away here, dear readers, is this: Big Labor has no muscle anymore. Wisconsin was, until recently, a reliably blue state. If the unions and the rest of The Left / Mainstream Media can not, when they put forth maximum effort, soundly defeat a nebbishy jurist under these circumstances, where can they? And if Big Labor loses that guaranteed income they rely on (other states have done, or are doing, what Wisconsin has done), when can they?

Unions were once a good and needed thing, but I think they have outlived their usefulness. We no longer live in a Marxian world of set classes (in America, we never really did), where one side has all the capital and one side doesn't. Hell, nowadays a fry-clerk at McDonald's can open up an E-Trade account if they want. That economic mobility is in no small measure due to the efforts of unions in the past. But today such mobility is a given in most all segments of the American economy - an economy dominated by white-collar jobs, not blue-collar ones. If that is the case, are unions even necessary in 21st-century America for workers to have a voice?

ObamaCare Hope vs. ObamaCare Change.

If you really believed a government take-over of health care was going to make it simpler and more efficient, you are an idiot. I'm sorry, but there is no easier way to put it. And you deserve a future standing for hours in a crowded waiting room for someone to deliver unto you your "right" to "affordable, quality" health-care.

Every other government-run, socialized health care scheme ever tried by man has turned into a bloated, bureaucratic program that protects itself first and the patient second. ObamaCare is turning out to be just more of the same. I am 52, and I do not want some government bureaucrat making decisions about my life based on what the government can afford anymore than I want an insurance clerk doing the same based on the company's profit margin.

ObamaCare needs to be completely scrapped. We need to return patient choice to, well, the patients.

A Word From The Management.

We at RSR always appreciate hearing from our readers, either in the comments or by email. Yes, even the ones who suggest we perform some anatomically difficult exercises with a 2x4. That said, know this: If we are interested in something you have to say enough to post on it, we will either 1) link to it, or 2) post your comments directly.

We DO NOT utilize guest bloggers, nor will we post solicited articles.

So please, please quit asking or sending us your screeds on (fill in the blank) that you are convinced the blogworld must see. If they're that important to the future of this nation/planet/Ron Paul, get your own damn blog. Leave our inbox alone.

Thank you.

Pinky And The Brain.

"What are we going to do today, Brain?"

"What we do every day, Pinky. Try to... AUDIT THE FED!!"

But... But... If David Letterman and Jon Stewart Say So It Must Be True, Right?

If you get your news via the Mainstream Media and your values via Hollywood, you KNOW the problem with politics today is fat cat lobbyists and their big money fund-raising organizations skewing the process. And since fat-cats, lobbyists, and big-money are all "Republican", then the problem must be Republicans.

Think again.

The Grapes Of Fake But Accurate.

It appears much of Travels with Charley, fiction writer John Steinbeck's romantic, solo-across-the-country travelogue, wasn't that at all. It was, in fact, a lot of fiction.

Travels with Charley was a book I read young (a gift from my mother) and it is what put the travel bug in me. Because of Steinbeck, I have always been a tad disappointed in my wanderings across the US. The romantic in me hopes to find similar characters and places, yet never I quite seem to have the experience. Now I know why - they don't exist.

UPDATE: I know, I know, if I want to experience characters nowadays I should stop at this store when I travel. Is it really that bad, people? Really?

John Edwards Was Right.

There are Two America's - the America that works, and risks, to produce the goods and services we want, and the America that produces nothing and risks nothing themselves, but wants to tell the producers what to produce an how they should do it. When the latter America exceeds the former America, decline and decay are inevitable.

In the Unites States today, the latter now exceeds the former:

More Americans work for the government than work in construction, farming, fishing, forestry, manufacturing, mining and utilities combined. We have moved decisively from a nation of makers to a nation of takers. Nearly half of the $2.2 trillion cost of state and local governments is the $1 trillion-a-year tab for pay and benefits of state and local employees. (emphasis mine)

Glenn Reynolds notes: "To a certain crowd, this isn't a bug, but a feature." Indeed.

Indeed.

Something to be thankful for.

Today's Required Reading.

Beyond the Welfare State. Read it all.

"The American People Did Not Send Us Here To Fail."

Speaking truth to power. Somebody needs to chisel that over the over the front door of the US Capitol.

Dogs And Cats, Living Together.

One Lynette Wilson, writer of this story for the Episcopal News Service, must not want to byline there again. Buried in her story about mission work in Honduras (which is why I went to the story in the first place), was this:

Mike Miller was raised Baptist; Kim Miller was raised Roman Catholic. They found common ground to worship and were married in the Episcopal Church. The are members of Church of the Redeemer, in Tallahassee, Florida, which is part of the Gulf Atlantic Diocese of the Anglican Church in North America. (emphasis mine)

You Anglicans/conservative Episcopalians out there will want to read that again. Yes, it said "Anglican Church in North America" in an article in 'Piskie Pravda that didn't mention the words "property" or "lawsuit".

And no, it's not April 1st.

Short Answer: Yes.

Scott at The Hayride asks: Does Caroline Fayard Represent Today’s Louisiana Democrats?

Why We Should Never, Ever Invade Iran.

Revealed: The new Iranian multi-function, semi-autonomous, stealth weapons platform (and pleasure service device).

Just Following Orders.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-CNN) makes a point:

He told the group to make sure they label the GOP spending cuts as "extreme."

"I always use extreme, Schumer said. "That is what the caucus instructed me to use."

And Democrats spending money we don't have hand over fist is what, exactly? It sure as hell isn't sound fiscal policy. If I were Speaker Boehner, I'd label it "malfeasance".

Nanny State vs. Meand U.

Real March Madness:



Hattip: Hot Air

"The Consummate Management Consultant".

This is why I wouldn't vote of for Mitt Romney for dog catcher, much less President:

In his opinion, without the Massachusetts plan the federal individual mandate plan wouldn’t have garnered acceptance and gotten through. “It was huge,” Gruber says, to have the Massachusetts plan to point to. And without it, he thinks “it’s likely” ObamaCare wouldn’t have become law.

Having lived there, I can assure you the old axiom is true: A "Massachusetts conservative" is a liberal in the rest of the country.

Arnie Sings.

Well, sort of:

The New Civility...

...Louisiana Democrat style:

“I hate Republicans. I hate Republicans,” Fayard said, drawing some nods and voices of approval from the crowd.

“They are cruel and destructive. They eat their young. They don’t think. They don’t allow people to think. They are bullies.”

How nice. How civil. How toning-down-the-rhetoric.

And for the record, Republicans don't eat their young - my kids are still quite healthy and growing, and are well past their pedo-cannibal prime. But Republicans will eat a young lawyer in the governor's race, no matter how much money daddy puts behind her or how many Obama missionaries are brought in.

And Caroline, just to let you know I don't hate you. Hate implies what do matters to me. It doesn't. I ignore you. You are simply not worth hating.

Hattip: The Hayride.

Life Imitates Punk Rock.

After the events in London yesterday, this seems de rigueur. So, take it away, Sid and Johnny:



Mark Steyn gets to the heart of the human right the protesters are upset about.

Like, Who Cares?

Katie Couric is leaving CBS Evening News. In the age of cable/satellite/Internet, does anybody even watch anymore?

If Kate's looking for a money-making gig, she seems well qualified for one career I can think of. (Hint: It's just like the first one, but it pays less and there are more wardrobe changes.)

Oh God It's Friday.

It's really, really hard to parody something that's already a parody of itself (my theory as to why there are so few Obama impersonators -ed.), but this parody comes close to making the mark. While equally nasally, the 'Dylan' cover is actually bearable.

If you really must see and listen to the original, it is here. But be forewarned - you will most likely be stuffing kitty litter in your ears and ripping out your eyes with knitting needles before it's over.

Egomagination.

Remember when The Left / Mainstream Media would lambast Big Business as a bunch of "fat cats" not paying their "fair share"? That was then. This is now. In Obama's America, taxes are for the little people - not his friends.

Those Peace-Loving 12th Century Boys...

...Practice interfaith-dialogue and mutual respect again. This time in Ethiopia.

Imagine if this kind of thing happened every time there was even the slightest rumor some Muslim insulted Christianity. Bet NPR would notice.

Did The Episcopal Church (tm) say anything? Are you kidding? They have more important priorities.

Rebranding.

A Lefty Universalist with a funny collar suggests the Anglican Church of Canada should dump the soooo un-hip 'Anglican' thing in favor of a new name. His suggestion, and I am not making this up: "The Episcopal Church of Canada".

I'm in favor of this. It allows the ACC to finally admit it's true calling - which has nothing much to do anymore with Anglican Christianity - and cement it's alliance with The Episcopal Church (tm), their secularists-at-prayer allies south of the border. And, it allows those in the Great White North who still believe in traditional Anglicanism to identify themselves without confusion.

Hattip: The MCJ.

UPDATE 24MARCH2011: Episcopalians: A winning team! Or, not.

If You're A Slacker With No Ambition, Uncle Sam Wants You!

And he will pay you really, really, really well for it. With our money, of course. In the real world, f*#king off all day on Facebook would get you a pink slip. But in Obama's government, it will get you up to $115,000.00 a year. Beats working.

A government job: Produce nothing, collect a check. It you have ever met a FEMA employee/"associate", you know exactly what I mean.

I Need A Pickup

It has been a particularly miserable day in a particularly miserable week. (Mommas, don't your babies grow up to be architects.) A morale booster, plaese.

There. That's better.

(NOTE: This is the greatest video ever crafted by the hand of man. Which means it is, 1) a very 'guy' video, and 2) NSFW. You have been warned.)

Yes, And I "Unexpectedly" Didn't Win The Powerball.

Home sales "unexpectedly" tank big fall.

These days, when change doesn't go the way The Left / Mainstream Media hoped it would go, the prefix "unexpected" or "unexpectedly" is automatically attached to it as if the news is some great surprise. WTF, over? Did the Ruling Class really expect the government takeover of the mortgage industry and the transferring of a couple trillion dollars from the productive sector to the non-productive (read: government) would actually bring prosperity?

Only an idiot, a socialist, or government bureaucrat (sorry, he repeats himself -ed.) would actually expect that. Even us rubes in flyover country know better.

This Was Either A Really Stupid Idea Or Something That Should Keep Us Awake At Night.

13 illegal aliens in a van with altered government plates were arrested yesterday. They were all wearing Unites States Marine Corps uniforms.

And all named 'Perez'. Almost sounds like a Monty Python sketch. Or a Tom Clancy novel.

Meanwhile, Somewhere In The Arctic...

...BWHAHAHAHAHA!!!

(Oh yes - NSFW.)

Seven Minus One Is... Carry The Politics... Six.

The Louisiana Legislature is in session for a few days of once-a-decade redistricting. We understand it's progressing something like this.

"Is There Any Wine Sweeter Than The Tears Of A Hippie?"

Tamara over at View from the Porch explains why she has had a big, dumb grin on her face for the last three days. I'm smiling, too.

Has All This Recent Protesting And Regime Change And Shooting At Leaders Led Some Arabs To Think Outside Of The Box?

And I mean, waaaaay outside the box? Maybe. But hindsight is always 20/20. Foresight is the tough one, especially if you may - literally - lose your head in the process.

Fun With Tornados.

RAF Tornados messing about in the Falklands. And, at about 2:30, one of the best examples of extreme ironing I've seen.

Veri-twaddle?

Amity Shales thinks a Harvard education is more about the bragging rights, and really isn't worth it.

I don't know about that (on the whole, I tend to disagree), but what I do know is this - in the early 90's I had an opportunity to attend the GSD, and turned it down when I they told me the five-figure cost for just a year (the time for a master's degree for someone already licensed). Instead, we decided to start a family and move back to Louisiana. I have never regretted the decision to pass up wearing Crimson, nor do I hold any grudge against my colleagues who went on to the GSD.

Instead, I ended up with the greatest kids in the world. And, to me, that's worth all the alumni 'Veritas' afghans and student loans you could ever give me.

Just A Man, His Skis...

...And a jetpack.



Add one of these, and you take biathlon to a whole new level.

Hattip: Instapundit.

Sammy Hagar Tries To Out-Sheen Charlie.

Really:

Hagar laughs and goes on to explain that a passage in the book described as a dream in which he is contacted by aliens from outer space in California was, in fact, reality.

The tale describes how the beings tapped into his mind through a wireless connection.

"It was real," Hagar told the reporter, according to the story on MTV's Hive website. "They were plugged into me. It was a download situation ... Or, they uploaded something from my brain, like an experiment."

This, boys and girls, is why you should never, ever, ever, do drugs.

Saturday Morning Palette Cleanser.

(notes on) biology

I tried to do something similar in Coach Bryson's biology class, but that was back in the Stone Age (the Carter Era) - we didn't have high res-digital cameras and video editing software . Back then, we had to flip the notebook pages really fast by hand, so my dream of a best animation Oscar for 'Godzilla vs. Mrs. Petrie' (my English teacher) was never realized.

Hattip: The Borderline Sociopathic Blog for Boys.

The Episcopal Church (tm) Advances Their Top Priority.

The quest to remake a Christian Church into a sexual identity advocacy group with funny outfits, loads of money and marketable property, takes another step:

In a historic meeting, nearly 200 Episcopal Church General Convention deputies gathered here March 18 to begin a churchwide consultation on same-gender blessings.

And, fellow 'Piskies, if you think they are even pretending to base this twaddle in anything, y'know, Scriptural... from that Bible thingy... think again:

When evaluating materials proposed for blessing same-gender relationships, the SCLM says, they "must above all be consistent with the implicit theology and ecclesiology of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer"

Since when did the Book of Common Prayer become equal to the Bible? Is it now, an Even Newer Testament?

One other thing, dear readers - take a look at the images at the link. The lower image shows three African-American women, implying that this well-intentioned heresy effort has support across diverse groups. But look at the image of the overall gathering - notice anything interesting? Those three African-Americans appear to be the only ones in the crowd of 200. I've seen more racial diversity at Tea Party events.

UPDATE: I actually threw away 5 minutes of my life and went through the high-res image all blown up, and, there do appear to be two more definite, and one maybe, African-American women in the crowd in the background - and one man. But even with that, my 'whiter-than-a-Tea-Party-rally' conclusion seems confirmed.

Metaphor.

New Jersey elementary school renamed for Barack Obama closed due to lack of enrollment.

Heaven And Html.

Yeah, this is funny:


They're often varying shades of #736F6E.

From here, of course.

Which Is The Hope? Which Is The Change?

Food prices increase most in 36 years.

Housing starts see biggest drop since 1984.

(singing) Car-ter days are here again.... (/singing)

Do As Igoe, Not As I Say.

Richard Fernandez looks at my profession and concludes, if you want to know about the future don't ask an architect. As an architect, on the whole I couldn't agree more.

The starry-eyed Corbusian impulse to "remake" man by remaking cities, a movement that was driven far more by ideology, romance, and elitist guilt than by necessity or demand, failed utterly. It crashed under the weight of it's own totalitarian arrogance and lack of real understanding of the problem, since most of the people creating solutions for the working poor were, well, members of the ruling classes and had never been poor themselves. It especially failed here America for three reasons, I think. First, Americans, unlike Europeans, tend to value individual freedom more than we value collective security. When we look in the mirror we see "me", not "we". Or, at least, we used to, anyway. Second, we didn't have an entrenched aristocracy per se, especially one whose opinion the masses were conditioned over centuries to follow. We like the fact we have don't have a paternalistic ruling class determining our outcome. Or, at least, we used to, anyway. And third, unlike Europe we have the space to escape urban decay and start over, and have traditionally valued the freedom to make that choice when we had the means. Or, at least, we used to, anyway. Hence, the rise of American suburbia and exurbia - Wright's 'Broadacre City' became our solution instead of Corbu's 'Radiant City'. We started 'Learning from Las Vegas', and we liked what we saw. Or, at least, we used to, anyway.

I think the "green" movement, which is all the rage in architectural circles these days, will go the same way as the Corbusian movement of the last century, and for much the same reasons. It is ideologically driven with an apocalyptic, totalitarian bent, it is elitist in the extreme, and those wanting to impose it have little understanding of, or experience with, how they want others to live. Without restrictive laws and government regulations imposing this or banning that, or handing out tax-payer funded grants and subsidies to favored groups and solutions, the "green" economy we hear so much about would, if people were given a choice, never come to pass. That is why those who advocate "going green" want to limit personal choice as much as possible (buy only this kind of light bulb, or that type of toilet, or use this kind of window) and why, like those before them who advocated Corbu's outlook, they mostly ignore the wants, needs and values of those they claim to be helping.

Cause And Effect.

In a larger sense, these two stories are quite related:

The Dayton Police Department is lowering its testing standards for recruits.

Police in Roanoke, Virginia, shut down a shopping mall because they mistook an umbrella for a rifle.

OK, everybody, watch very, very closely. There may be a test. (Though failing it will not be held against you -ed.)

This, is a rifle:


If you carry one of these through a department store you look like Machine Gun Kelly.

This, is an umbrella:

If you carry one of these through a department store you look like Gene Kelly.

Any questions?

Profiles In... In... Um... Well... Winning The Future! Yeah, That's It.

Japan has been devastated and nuclear fallout may headed our way. The Mid-East is aflame and the rebellion in Libya is being brutally crushed. America is out-of-work and our nation is broke. We have to bum rides into space from the New Soviets Russians.

But your worries are over, dear readers, because President Obama has made his picks for The Final Four.

Sleep soundly tonight.

In The Eye Of The Censor.

What is the purpose of Art? Well, the Lefty ACLU, in defending a recent exhibit at The Smithsonian that offended the values of some on the Right, put it this way:

One of the primary purposes of art is to challenge and provoke and question. Inevitably that may offend some and cause others to cheer. Debating works of art, as opposed to censorship of those deemed controversial, is what a free society should support.

But when the art offends, challenges, and provokes, and/or questions the values of The Left/Mainstream Media, well, well, well... all that goes out the window.

So much for a free society - at least in the art world.

Hattip: Roger Kimball at Pajamas Media, via Instapundit.

The Ides Of March

Today, if you're named Julius I wouldn't let a let a guy named Brutus get too close. Just 'sayin.

Separate But Equal Yesterday, Separate But Equal Today, Separate But Equal Forever.

Jesse Jackson - the new George Wallace. Really.

A little background: SUNO - Southern University in New Orleans - is a mostly African-American college that is part of the separate public university system originally created for African-Americans during Louisiana's Jim Crow era. It is right next door to the University of New Orleans, and SUNO has a graduation rate of only 5% in six years. (UNO's is four times that, but still an anemic 21%)

In an era of threadbare budgets, the notion of having two universities next to each other doing the same thing is ludicrous, and Governor Jindal is right to want to merge the two.

But the controversy brings up another point that puts Jesse Jackson arm-and-arm with the former Alabama governor: Separate-but-equal is dead. Why, in 2011, any government has two separate university systems, effectively based on race, is beyond me. The Southern University system's continued existence is, to your humble blogger, an affront to everything I understand Dr. King worked for.

If Jackson, or anyone else for that matter, wants to start or fund a private university based on race, or religion, or national origin, I'm all for it so long they are accredited and don't take public funds. It's a free country. Here's an idea: Jindal could sell SUNO to Jackson and his Rainbow/PUSH group for $1, and let them take it private. Heck, give them the unspent FEMA money to get it going. If Jackson and his friends truly think a segregated university with a 5% graduation rate is an asset to the Crescent City, then let them prove it.

UPDATE 15MAR2011: The Louisiana Board of Regents, the folks who oversee all public colleges in the state, voted today to recommend the merger. Good.

A Happy Story.

Something to make you smile on a Monday. Precision, discipline, and a "Quigley" are involved.

Remember That Thou Art Dhimmi, And To Dhimmi Thou Shalt Return.

An Episcopal priest in St. Louis is “Giving Up Church for Lent.” In it's place, the Rev. Steve Lawler wants to "deepen his understanding" by practicing...

(you get one guess here, dear readers)

That's right! He wants to practice Islam from now until Easter. Really.

Come to think of it, giving up The Episcopal Church (tm) for Lent is a nifty idea. I think I'll head on over here and "deepen my understanding" of the Anglican Communion of North America from now until Easter. Heck, I may make my penance permanent and not return to the Katie and Bonnie Show. Not like they'd give a damn, nor would I be missed.

Hattip: Christopher Johnson at The MCJ.

A New National Anthem?

I could live with this.

Short And Sweet.

It's Lent, so here is my annual response to the Presiding Bishop's Lenten message. To wit:

No, they're not;

Yes, we are, but you can blame your environmental do-gooder buddies and government manipulation of the free market for it;

And what part of this...

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

...do you not understand??

The only thing travelling light here, madam, is your theology.

Maybe We Should Start Ducking.

In Obama's America, one third of what Americans receive to live on comes in the form of a government check or freebie. One third.

Is a public handout really the way to grow the economy? Is free money now new American Dream? Let's let the Circle Jerks put it in perspective:

A Billion Dollars Is a Tradgedy; A Trillion Dollars Is Merely A Statistic.

Think back, dear readers, to the heady days of the 2008 presidential campaign. Remember when candidate Obama and his devotees on the Left / Mainstream Media called W's deficits fiscally irresponsible and unsustainable? Remember how they promised that Obama would put our financial house in order, if we but believed in a whole lot of vague, generic promises of hope and change we can believe in?

Well, here's what that hope and change we can believe in looks like in real terms:

In 2007, Bush's irresponsible and unsustainable deficit for the fiscal year was $244 billion. In a year.

Last month - yes, I said month, President Obama ran up the the deficit $233 billion. Two hundred thirty-three B-I-L-L-I-O-N dollars.

In a month. (And it was the shortest month of the year, too! -ed.)

If you read further in the article, you'll see Obama and his buddies say that they will accept no more than $6 billion in domestic spending cuts next year. A 0.00193% reduction. Yep. That's Hopenchange leadership for you.

We're not only going to hell in a hand basket, Obama is borrowing the hand basket from the Chinese.

A Tale Of Two Newsletters.

Compare and Contrast:

The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana.

The Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina.

Now, dear readers, see if you can tell which diocese is growing, and which is not? Which diocese is embracing the "doing-a-new-thing" pop theology of the national church, and which is holding to more traditional Christian values (and running afoul of the Committee for the Promotion of Vice and the Prevention of Virtue national church leadership because of it)? Bonus points: There is a connection between the answers to the two questions. See if you can figure out what it is.

PERSONAL NOTE: For those who know me, please know that I will not, alas, be riding in the Krewe of Hermes parade tonight in New Orleans - that's the one mentioned in the Diocese of Louisiana newsletter. Work and personal matters prevent my sorry butt from gracing the back of a horse. Next year...

Million Dollar Lunch.

Speaker at lunch today was a woman who worked at Sun Records in Memphis back in the 1950's, and was there on 4 December, 1956, a tectonic moment in American music. In celebration, some Carl Perkins:



That's right, kids. Elvis did it second.

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'.