thursday already?

this was a rollercoaster week - ups, downs, and way too fast. i'm not gone, will try to post more later.

credit

now i know

(people) can't live and spend like teenagers on spring break with their parents' gold credit card – and neither can their government.

Boy in the Balloon

or, Lead Zeppelin '09

(see also this definition)

God and Scientism

Viewpoint:

There's nothing that's been discovered by scientists which does anything to cast doubt on the existence of God and much that has been discovered which affirms it... Indeed, the more we learn about the human body the more easily one draws the conclusion that it's the product of intentional engineering. The more we learn about the origin of life the more we realize how implausible it is that blind, purposeless forces could have brought it about. The more we learn about the origin the universe and its origin the more compelling does Genesis 1:1 sound.

There is no conflict whatsoever between science and God. How could there be? The conflict we see today is between naturalism (the view that physical nature is all there is) and theism. There is nothing about science that requires its practioners to embrace naturalism. Those who do, do so because they simply don't want the universe to be the kind of place where a God might intervene.

read the rest

NFL

Nincompoops
Fear
Limbaugh

lost in translation?

in venezuela, how do you say "dude that's harsh!"

off topic

snide remark of the 90s: "remember back when mtv played music videos?"

snide remark of the 00s: "remember back when weather channel reported weather?"

payola

TLMC reports:

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)-- The FTC is taking a tougher line on bloggers who accept cash or gifts to tout a company's products or services.

Under revised rules announced Monday, the Federal Trade Commission's 'new ruling'will require bloggers and celebrities to clearly state when they receive cash or "payment in kind" for endorsing a company's products or services.

The changes, adopted on a 4-0 vote, are the first revisions to federal guidelines on endorsements and testimonial advertising since 1980 and the first to target bloggers.
Connections between advertisers and endorsers must be disclosed once the revised guidelines take effect on Dec. 1. The FTC said the stricter disclosure requirement will apply to comments on talk shows, blog posts and on social media as well as in traditional advertisements.

Advertisers and endorsers who fail to disclose material connections, or who make false, misleading or unsubstantiated claims may be subject to fines of $11,000 per violation. The FTC didn't set a specific dollar threshold; instead, it called for disclosure whenever a reward is large enough that it might affect the credibility of the endorsement itself.

If this law requires corrupt politicians (of any party) to reveal the sources of payola they get from lobbyists, including the cash value of the free propaganda they receive from the info-tainment industry, then I'm for it.

Otherwise it's a crock.

speaking of terse

I just received a scam spam; the entire body text of which is as follows:

"I need a confirmation of acceptance to transfer of US$ 21.3 million dollars to you."

Dear Mr. H.C.T. of (large bank) China, please consider this post as my confirmation of acceptance.

let's start with the conclusion

NOFP:

"With its resounding, open, and near unequivocal defense of Polanski, Hollywood and the Left, both American and European, show the true depth of their moral depravity, where they defend and provide open support for a blatant pedophile and fugitive. Together with the ACORN embarrassment and media cover-up, there seems to be no limit to the profound lawlessness and practical indifference of progressives. And no end to the willingness of feminists to barter their principles for "beautiful people" or Democrat politics."

unfortunate

i ate chinese food a week ago, and got a fortune cookie that said "glamour will surround the events of your week."

two days later i got the flu.

tonight i got a fortune cookie that said "a tantalizing opportunity will present itself this week."

any idea what disease i should expect?

;)

olympic special

one small win for rio, one giant FAIL for the obamatons

more shirts

...that would get me fired

you two < U2

some artists are more equal than others

romans, two

bragging on the nieces

i visited my family this weekend, including my two nieces, ages nearly 7 and nearly 4.

as we sat down at the restaurant, both of them opened up cell phones and started pressing buttons. i figured they were just playing on old phones, but my sister said they both have already learned how to text message... !?!

after the older one told me she was texting a friend from school, the younger one said "i'm texting too!", to which the older one said "but mine make sense!"

:D

a week of firsts

pop quiz: each of the following statements contains elements of both truth and untruth. each event was a first, please guess in comments how the rest of each statement varies from the truth.

1. i sat in the second row behind the rangers' dugout for the first time at friday's game
2. i heard "bela lugosi's dead" and "warm leatherette" in their entirety for the first time
3. i was nominated for a grammy award for the first time
4. i ate at dixie house cafe on wednesday night for the first time

answers & explanations here next week sometime after everybody's had a chance to guess.

---

update: with a score of... um, something... local malcontent wins!

1. i sat in the second row behind the rangers' dugout for the first time at saturday's game
2. i heard "bela lugosi's dead" and "warm leatherette" for the first time, but disliked them so much i stopped listening
3. i was nominated for a local emmy award for the first time (as part of a team at work)
4. i ate at dixie house cafe on thursday night for the first time (until this month, they only served breakfast & lunch, not supper.)

#2 was the only unenjoyable item on the list, though it is somewhat reassuring that i no longer like a lot of that morbid kind of music.

toy fail

do not want!

the reclamation of independence

read it. live it.

count me among the "smattering"

If this isn't "the" mark of the beast, it's definitely a practice run:

An implantable chip could allow you to charge purchases or even start your car. It'd be convenient, to be sure. But would it be too creepy?

It's a simple concept, really: You inject a miniature radio frequency identifier the size of a grain of rice between your thumb and forefinger and, with a wave of your hand, unlock doors, turn on lights, start your car...

The problem is, the whole concept is a little geeky for most of us, nauseating for some, Orwellian for a few and even apocalyptic for a smattering of religious fundamentalists.

It's not worth risking the "blue screen of death", even if it uses 666-bit encryption...

mixed reaction

Obama on missile defense:

President Barack Obama on Thursday shelved a Bush-era plan for an Eastern European missile defense shield that has been a major irritant in relations with Russia. He said a redesigned defensive system would be cheaper and more effective against the threat from Iranian missiles.

"Our new missile defense architecture in Europe will provide stronger, smarter and swifter defenses of American forces and America's allies," Obama said in an announcement from the White House.

Anticipating criticism from the right that he was weakening America's security, Obama said repeatedly that this decision would provide more — not less — protection.

"It is more comprehensive than the previous program, it deploys capabilities that are proven and cost effective, and it sustains and builds upon our commitment to protect the U.S. homeland," he said....

The new plan would rely sea and land-based sensors and interceptor missiles intended as a bulwark against Iranian short- and medium-range missiles.

(this) alternate plan would deploy Aegis ships armed with interceptors, giving the military the ability to move the system around.

Another key to the near-term network would be new, more mobile radar used to detect and track short- and medium-range missiles if they were launched from Iran.

In the unlikely event that Obama's statements that "stronger, smarter and swifter defenses of American forces and America's allies" are correct, I'll agree with him.

I definitely agree with Eric Cantor's statement that:

"Our allies, especially Poland and the Czech Republic, deserve better and our people deserve smarter and safer."

And I care not one iota about Medvedev's concern "that the system would undermine the nuclear deterrent of (Russia's) vast arsenal."

peanuts & crackers

Hatless: Carter's comments 'based on senility and/or projection'.

child safety hints

My list of helpful telemarketing hints from five years ago keeps getting hits via google and other search engines. In that spirit of public service, here are some new hints, designed to help today's moms on-the-go.

1) When seated in your vehicle, you may notice that there are several large pieces of glass all around you. These are designed to afford clear visibility to the outside world. When traveling, please use these "windows" to observe the actions and reactions happening all around you.

2) Through all of your vehicle's windows, you might observe other vehicles which appear to be growing larger. You need not be frightened, this is merely a useful illusion, one that indicates you should not get much closer. The speed of this illusion will indicate its importance. Also, it is certainly not safe for your vehicle to move in perpendicular or opposite directions to those other cars at the same time.

3) If you happen to hear a loud sound (such as a "honk"), that is often an indication that a nearby driver thinks that you should get out of his or her way. If it is safe, you should try to get out of his or her way, no matter whether you think the other driver's opinion is justified or not.

4) Please do not be confused by the varied and numerous lights around you; they are designed to help you and your precious cargo travel in safety.

4a) Through the front window, you might observe red lights, either on vehicles or on poles of various design. Please interpret these lights as indications that you need to bring your vehicle to a stop, not as indications of sale specials of limited duration.

4b) Also through the front window, you might observe green lights on poles. These lights generally indicate that it is safe for you to proceed in your travels; please do so in a timely fashion, so that others may enjoy proceeding in theirs.

4c) If you are observant, you will see many other varieties of lights and signs as you travel. Please familiarize yourself with the meanings of these lights and signs, and how to discern which ones represent laws to be obeyed. There are many resources that can help you learn, such as libraries, police and highway departments, and reputable websites. If you refuse to learn, there will be a pop quiz administered by local officers - an expensive quiz that you will fail miserably.

5) Family communication is important, but it is much less important than keeping your children safe. Please refrain from using your cellphone while driving. You might be surprised how difficult it is to communicate over the wail of sirens, or while breathing through a tube.

6) When an event occurs in the back seat which requires your immediate attention, please bring your vehicle to a safe and complete stop out of traffic before attending to that event. If your vehicle continues moving without your full attention, you will soon find your daily routine impacted by unwanted outside events.

(This message inspired by the League of Hurried Shoppers of Southwest Tarrant County.)

don't b flat

just surfing around, i found a quote here*, which accurately describes my opinion of typical american-idol-style singing:

"They (sound awful because they) try to muscle their way through singing as if they were power lifting at the gym!"

(* not an endorsement of the site, just that opinion.)

muslim call to prayer

A passage from either 1 Kings or 2 weeks in the future...

(comments in italics, graphic links are - graphic)

(The false prophets...) called on the name of Baal (Allah) from morning until noon saying, "O Baal (Allah), answer us." But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made.

It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened."

So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them.

When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.

...and a little acorn shall lead them

over the cliff, hopefully...

lies of omission

Did you hear the news of that huge march on Washington?!?!

Why doesn't the Times want you to know the size of the biggest rally opposing the federal government ever? At One Million, was it bigger than Vietnam protest? (The Democrats war?) Bigger than Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream Speech? Bigger than the so-called million-man march?

The more the White House and the New York Times try to ignore the protests - the louder they will be.

9/11

Eight Years Later,
What We Should Remember,
and Commemorate

extry extry!

read all about it! Biblical Headlines Written by Today's Media!

The first one is about the crossing of the Red Sea:

WETLANDS TRAMPLED IN LABOR STRIKE
Pursuing Environmentalists Killed

...and they get better, as do the cartoons

re: You Might Be a Lunatic If...

snadrs mentioned a post to me, entitled You Might Be a Lunatic If..., by Megan McArdle, who received an email that reminded her...

of a lengthy email dispute I had with a liberal commenter/emailer a few years back. After some initial heat, he (she?) calmed down, and we had a fairly reasonable discussion of his/her fears problems with the Bush administration, some of which I shared.

But then my correspondent mentioned that they thought it was reasonably likely that there would be no election in 2008. Not certain, but enough that we should be preparing for it. I think at one point they called it more likely than not.

At this point, I was at a loss. What does one say in the face of an entirely sincere belief that an American system of government that revolted when FDR tried to pack the Supreme Court would, suddenly and for no apparent reason, allow George Bush to cancel elections and appoint himself dictator for life? I mean, other than, "You are a lunatic. An apparently nice and well meaning lunatic. But nonetheless. A barking moonbat."

So I'm kind of dizzy with deja vu when I read this sort of prime-aged poppycock coming from the right of me. When you hear that "some people fear" that an utterly anodyne bill creating emergency response centers "could be used as "concentration camps for political dissidents, such as occurred in Nazi Germany", the correct response is not to repeat that remark, except to make fun of it...

...these things can creep up on you. There was a time when people did not understand the threat that Hitler posed...

...There will be plenty of time, should such camps be proposed, to leap into action and unleash the mighty force of your righteous opposition on the hapless would-be dictator. Premature anti-fascism just makes you history's clown.

I understand the point that none of us should be "the boy who cried hyperbole", and that all citizens should try to rationally discuss political issues, rather than just shout slogans past each other. But I think we should be able to state that our current administration belives strongly in silencing dissidents with whatever means they have available, and - like all bullies - will only be emboldened by any silence of their opponents.

I would also ask Ms. McArdle to please name the specific date, sometime between "plenty of time" and "these things can creep up on you", when it stopped being appropriate to appease Hitler and start opposing him? Would it have been before or after Chamberlain gave his "peace for our time" speech?

And if "premature anti-fascism just makes you history's clown", anti-fascism delayed just makes you the victim of tyrants. There is no bad time to be anti-fascist.

headlines

"Obama wants control of health debate"

Everybody who believes in freedom of speech should be terrified of this concept, no matter what part of the political spectrum they're in.

Of course I suspect that those who screeched loudest about that freedom being taken away during the Bush administration - yet somehow remained unsilenced by it - will suddenly agree with President Hussein's crushing of dissent.

update: today's health care putsch includes the quote:

"Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday the Obama administration is fiercely determined to get a health care overhaul, although he conceded it likely won't happen without "an awful lot of screaming and hollering.""

I assume he means the screams of those dying while waiting in line to receive healthcare. So the logical conclusion is, if we don't want to hear an awful lot of screaming and hollering, we should prevent Obama from pushing this socialist fiasco on us. Right?

post-racial

anchoress:

Our “post-racial” president has managed to take the sting and the scar out of the word in just, what, 9 short months, not because he’s “transcended” race and brought us all together into the sunshine of his love, but because he and his minions, his presscorp, his party and many of his supports have so quickly made “racism” the de facto excuse for his every failing that they have managed to render the word almost meaningless, to the detriment of those people who actually do suffer the real effects of racism, still, in this country.

diversity is divisiveness

go read this expansion of the idea that "those who will not be governed by God will be governed by tyrants."

busyness

looks like september will be busier than usual at work - the frequency (ha!) of posts may slow down here

autopsy

charisma = third world politics. read it all, including this quote:

Obama is going to fix the economy? That’s... like having a mechanic fix your car, when the mechanic’s been a lifelong advocate of hitchhiking and public transportation.

take a look at this one, too.

eulogy

Of Senator Edward Kennedy (Dead - Mass.), Jesse Jackson is reported to have said:

"I knew (Ted Kennedy) for over 40 years. He was an incredible leader whose effectiveness and consistency in the realms of civil rights and health care made him loved and respected by all."

...except Mary Jo Kopechne.

Senator Tom Carper is reported to have said:

"Before coming to the United States Senate in 2001, like a lot of Americans, I thought of Ted Kennedy as one of the most popular, progressive, passionate, and partisan senators."

...as did Mary Jo Kopechne.

Sen. Arlen Specter is reported to have said:

"Senator Kennedy made historic contributions on civil rights, health care, education, the Judiciary, labor law, immigration, and virtually all facets of life in America. Working with him on the big issues of our era was a real privilege."

...but not for Mary Jo Kopechne.

Pres. Obama is reported to have said:

"Even as he waged a valiant struggle with a mortal illness, I've profited... from his encouragement and wisdom."

...unlike Mary Jo Kopechne.

The Kennedy family is reported to have said:

"We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, (as did the Kopechne family), but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever. We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, (unlike the profile of cowardice he showed in the Chappaquiddick) and everyone who stood with him for so many years in his tireless march for progress toward justice, fairness and opportunity for all. He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it."

...unlike Mary Jo Kopechne.

I came to bury Ted, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them.

---

The Anchoress adds:

Given a grim diagnosis in May of 2008, Kennedy managed, with the help of some of the best care available, to see another Christmas, another spring and even another summer. It’s entirely possible that what Kennedy’s death will really do is bring into stark relief the fact that under Obamacare, this overweight 77 year-old man with liking for the drink would probably have faced treatment rationing and an offer for “physician aid-in-dying”. Kennedy’s death will emphasize yet again that our elected “public servants” enjoy one of the best health insurance plans in the world, while they are trying to force something much less comprehensive (and life-affirming) onto their constituents.

stop the madness!

Edited, and without pictures, this post reads:

To the Congress:

The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775.
You have had 234 years to get it right.
It is broke.

Social Security was established in 1935.
You have had 74 years to get it right.
It is broke.

Fannie Mae was established in 1938
You have had 71 years to get it right.
It is broke.

The "War on Poverty" started in 1964.
You have had 45 years to get it right.
$1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor", and all we have to show for it is more poor people lining up for handouts.

Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965.
You've had 44 years to get it right.
They are broke.

Freddie Mac was established in 1970.
You have had 39 years to get it right.
It is broke.

Trillions of dollars were spent in the massive political payoffs called TARP, the "Stimulus", the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009. None show any signs of working.

And finally, to set a new record:

"Cash for Clunkers" was established in 2009 and went broke in 2009! It took good dependable cars (that were the best some people could afford) and replaced them with less-affordable cars, mostly Japanese. A good percentage of the profits went out of the country. And the American taxpayers again take the hit for Congress' generosity in burning three billion more of our dollars on failed experiments.

So with a perfect 100% failure rate and a record that proves that "services" you shove down our throats are failing faster and faster, you want Americans to believe you can be trusted with a government-run health care system?

20% of our entire economy?

With all due respect, are you ******* crazy?

old news

what would be shocking would be if there was a democratic fundraiser who wasn't a crook.

if we ignore him will he go away?

brett's farve-teen minutes of fame were up farve minutes ago:

It seemed everyone and their uncle was talking about Brett Favre yesterday. I promised my listeners I wouldn't. Told them I was tired of the whole on-again, off-again shenanigans of Green Bay's former quarterback turned Minnesota Viking.

However, for an hour yesterday afternoon, I read the current time with a slight twist.
"It's now Favre-fifteen" and "It's Favre-thirty", etc.

When the temperature reached the mid-70's, I announced that it was seventy-Favre degrees.

nausea-inducing

stories
of the
post-
election
downward
spiral

informed and involved

I hope all they have done is to awaken a sleeping giant.

tentacles

and you thought we lived in a free country...

it's not a feature

the un-midas touch...

really...

the cure

take two free markets and call me in the morning.

next time ask

what is hollywood's carbon footprint?

analysis

Conservatives tired of liberals destroying America's foundations, morals, and unborn children. Why won't they compromise?

almost onion-worthy

their title "like a complete unknown" cannot be improved upon.

(heavily edited)

Long Branch, NJ police were called after Bob Dylan was apparently acting suspiciously wandering around the streets.

In 1965 Dylan wrote "Like A Rolling Stone", with its line: 'How does it feel to be on your own, a complete unknown?'

A 22-year-old female officer demanded to see his identification papers. He assumed she would at least recognise the name if not the face... Then she radioed her older colleagues at the police station to ask if anyone knew who Bob Dylan was.

'The poor woman has taken rather a lot of abuse from us. I offered to bring in some of my Dylan albums. Unfortunately, she doesn't know what vinyl is either.'

what style

"michelle's like a programming language from the 80's. no class."

We The People

Vote against the Incumbistani Party!

So many (House and Senate members) are of the Incumbistani Party, which holds its head up high inside the DC Beltway and disdains the vassal State of Electistan that they really don't wish to represent but must as that is their 'duty'. The Emirs of Incumbistan are very, very cozy in their relationship with their respective parties, both of which have worked very hard to make it impossible for a new party to form on even a State to State basis, not to speak of a National basis. As the Incumbistani do have to stand for re-election from time to time, although often in 'safe' districts that their parties have gerrymandered into existence to protect those 'safe' seats, most of that is a rubber stamp affair with those backers who get goodies from the Incumbistani government wanting to show up to continue the goody stream...

Do your trust a bureaucrat more than yourself?

If you don't, then just when do you say: enough is enough?

Read the rest - it gets better.

posters

i can haz thoughtcrime?

free speech at berkeley?!?

that's crazy talk!?!

what's the opposite of rofl?

bailout

blue state, blue city,

blue populace

that's bad enough to trot out the cliche "won't someone pleeeease think of the children!!" (almost)

pics of the day

http://iowntheworld.com/blog/?p=5302

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2009/08/open_thread_347.html

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2009/08/comrade_obamas_2.html

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2009/08/facebook_fad.html

http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2009/08/great-news-riots-breaking-out-nightly.html

http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2009/08/citizen-obama.html

http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2009/08/two-speakers-in-one.html

update:
http://technology.todaysbigthing.com/2009/08/04

engagement

no, not for me. and not for president hussein either...

Les Paul, 1915-2009

most will remember him for pioneering development of the solid-body electric guitar. i'll remember him more for developing multitrack music recording, ranking right up there with raymond scott in my book.

1984

britain is living the nightmare

high five

I just had an idea for a meme:

1. Think of five people who have the same first name who you have known personally in your lifetime. (bonus points for more obscure names.)
   
2. Type their shared first name five times into a list.
3. Write a five-word description of each person after each name. Make it epigrammatic, but not obvious enough to only be one person. Ex: no "wonderful love of my life" for a spouse or "answers the phone at work" for a receptionist.
4. Arrange the list in either (your choice, but say which) chronological or non-chronological order, and number each name accordingly.
   

The example name that inspired this idea was "Tim", so here's my list:

- in non-chronological order -

Tim 1 - tall musician and pathological liar
Tim 2 - cheerful musician and insurance salesman
Tim 3 - teen victim of rare disease
Tim 4 - artist and former drug addict
Tim 5 - polite non-geeky web artist

And keeping with the theme of fives, you should tag five people with this meme. Mine are:

Local Malcontent
Mish Mash
Molten Thought
The Jungle Hut
Wry Mouth

Anybody else reading this is welcome to play along too... :)

Obama cariCATure

Those beady eyes!
Those huge ears!
That air of smugness!
It must be Obama!


Obviously the designer of this banner ad is a RACIST!!!1!!

;)

(i saw this on sitemeter. it's unmodified except for blocked out sponsor name)

non-epic fail

at least it wasn't something big keeping him from office, like a birth certificate...

spicy

the results of the "what spice are you" quiz showed jungle mom to be "cayenne pepper". i'll take her word for it, but i think there was something fawlty about my results...

meteor shower

the perseid meteor shower should be peaking this week. watch it if you can.

oh, and saturn's rings are disappearing...

extremists

i know one when i see one... or three, as the case may be

strike a match

lots of ads on tv and online for dating services ask "who will you find?". odds are it won't be the one in the picture...

blame us first

AP headlines again follow the doubleplusgood styleguide, this time more subtly:

Airspeed systems failed on US jets

The story eventually mentions that the problem occurred on Airbus A330s, which are not built in the US, and specifically with the "sensors made by the European electronics giant Thales Corp".

And no, this is nowhere near as important as the typical anti-American (or anti-freedom, anti-capitalism, or anti-Israeli) propaganda spewed by the AP; it is just another example of how that kind of bias permeates mass media coverage.

true story

i just drove by a tire shop with a big banner out front advertising their blowout sale...

VDH

Three good reads at Victor David Hanson:

The End of Post-Racialism
Our Angry Aristocracy
Lose-Lose When You Talk About Race

jet set

"Last year, lawmakers excoriated the CEOs of the Big Three automakers for traveling to Washington, D.C., by private jet to attend a hearing about a possible bailout of their companies,... but apparently Congress is not philosophically averse to private air travel: At the end of July, the House approved nearly $200 million for the Air Force to buy three elite Gulfstream jets for ferrying top government officials and Members of Congress." The Air Force had asked for one jet as part of an upgrade program, but the House Appropriations Committee added two more at its own discretion.

Algore later added "Since these jets have retractable landing gear. they do not have a carbon footprint."

art fun-ding

lileks punctures pompous po-mo pundit

"...a few art forms we managed to create without (NEA) assistance:

• Jazz
• Blues
• Rock and Roll
• Every movie made in America
• Skyscrapers
• Painting that looks like something
• Sculpture that looks like someone

"

read the rest.

speaking truth to power

here is proof of who is killing our economy

since our representatives couldn't be bothered

please take your time to at least read the highlights of the (ironically-named) health legislation, and don't wait until you're sitting in st. barack's hospital & mortuary.

hate crimes

here's a jackson who, unlike michael, you won't be hearing much about on the evening news (yet...)

nice list

"you could have heard a pin drop"

too bad there are so many occasions for such retorts...

they do both begin with "soc"...

(this list is making the email rounds, i have no idea how old it is)

Why Soccer Is More Popular In Socialist Countries

• Mindless activity is applauded.
  
• No one understands the rules.
• Players, coaches, officials, and fans are 100% devoted to the game, and yet its total (scoring) output is miniscule.
• Workers are prohibited from using the tools - hands - that would let them be more productive.
• The referees wear red.
• Officials often interfere with play in such a way as to limit production.
• Any production is met by celebration completely out of proportion to its objective value.
• Followers are religiously devoted to the system, and resort to violence at any criticism (real or imagined) of either.

living single

one of the best things about living alone is that, if you put something down, no one but you will pick it up.

one of the worst things about living alone is that, if you put something down, no one but you will pick it up.

backlash

AP: "Dems warn GOP of backlash for opposing Sotomayor"

I wonder if that will be anything like the Bork backlash? or the Thomas backlash? or...

have you driven a ford lately

more people may drive one soon

p.s. though i'm less than enthusiastic about several of their recent offerings, i do like one of their ads, where their spokesman says something like "ford has a plan for these tough times. have a showroom full of cars that people actually want to drive. amazing, huh?"

one of these men

...is not like the others

this is a school.

this is a school on liberalism.

any questions?

arm-swinging

scientists only recently figured out why people swing their arms while walking, yet remain confident that their theories of evolution and global warming are true...

2112 fail

obama campaign slogans 2012

transparency = opacity

i do not subscribe to "absence of smoke proves that someone is covering up a fire" conspiracies. it would just be nice to know whether our president should be considered a domestic or foreign terrorist.

F22 cancellation

So Mr. President, just how many jobs will this create?

just one opinion

if you happen to get thirsty at work, and you happen to put a dollar bill in the vending machine, and it happens to be out of any other beverage that you like, and it happens to refuse to return your dollar, and the only available drink happens to be coke zero, and you happen to press that button, and it happens to vend you that coke zero, you might as well just toss it out and write off that dollar rather than subject yourself to coke zero's miserable aftertaste.... gah!

war on terror

the reason the war on terror seems endless is that the left won't let us fight it.

(see also: war on drugs, war on poverty, and most of the vietnam war)

blogging distractions

920 + reaper + komplete + gtx275 = lotsa fun but no posts

the road to illness

health care costs: saving you money by cutting out the middleman! (or not)

Obama at the All-Star Game

Obama threw the first pitch at the All-Star game tonight. Shortly after that:

• Price of hot dogs went up to $29.95.
• Congress set all players' batting averages at .025.
• Balls hit out of the park now called "homeless runs".
• Massive influx of players named Rocko, Luigi, and Lefty.
  
• Nachos and sodas outlawed for not being "carbon-neutral".
• Teams will be disqualified for having any right-handed pitchers or batters.
• Any fans rooting for the home team will be ridiculed by commentators.
• National Anthem: out. Jeremiah Wright: in.
• Sensitivity training requires that "stolen" bases now be called "alternatively-acquired".
• Only fans in odd-numbered seats may stretch in the 7th inning. Fans in even-numbered seats must wait until the 8th.
• Fidel is finally drafted!
  
• Women allowed in both mens' and womens' restrooms. Men allowed to relieve themselves outside the stadium, after getting the necessary permits from the EPA.
• Strike zone expanded by 75 feet to the left.
• The next four World Series will be between the Cubs and White Sox. Each of these games will end in a tie.
  
• Rainchecks: out. Universal Ticket Coverage: in.

Can you think of any more?

dna evidence

we hear much about dna evidence in the criminal courts, but one president has been criminally slandered:

On July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson died at the age of eighty-three. For his tombstone, he listed the three accomplishments he desired most to be remembered: Author of the Declaration of Independence; Author of the Virginia Statutes for Religious Freedom; and Founder of the University of Virginia. Today, many Americans have no idea about his significant achievements but rather, when they hear Thomas Jefferson's name, their immediate response, "Isn't he the president who fathered slave children?"

The charge that Thomas Jefferson fathered a slave boy went back to the time of his presidency, and was given new life in Fawn Brodie's 1974 book Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History. She was proved wrong in the late 1990s by DNA testing on the descendants of both Jefferson family members and slaves which demonstrated that her candidate had no genetic link at all.

health checkup

Reagan, via NOfP:

One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine. It’s very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project. Most people are a little reluctant to oppose anything that suggests medical care for people who possibly can’t afford it.

Now, the American people, if you put it to them about socialized medicine and gave them a chance to choose, would unhesitatingly vote against it. We had an example of this. Under the Truman administration it was proposed that we have a compulsory health insurance program for all people in the United States, and, of course, the American people unhesitatingly rejected this...

All systems are capitalist. It's just a matter of who owns and controls the capital -- ancient king, dictator, or private individual (ed: or the chicago thugocracy currently disgracing dc). We should properly be looking at the contrast between a free market system where individuals have the right to live like kings if they have the ability to earn that right and government control of the market system such as we find today in socialist nations.

also, go read what jungle mom has to say about socialized medicine.

see the usa

via ebay?!?

"General Motors completed an unusually quick exit from bankruptcy protection on Friday with ambitions of making money and building cars people are eager to buy...

GM also announced a partnership with eBay Inc. to test auctioning vehicles online..."

that might work if they set the opening bid low enough. i'm thinking two dollars.

domestic terrorism

where's all the hate crime legislation when you really need it?

Akron police say they aren't ready to call it a hate crime...

Out of nowhere, the six were attacked by dozens of teenage boys, who shouted ''This is our world'' and ''This is a black world'' as they confronted Marshall and his family.

The Marshalls, who are white, say the crowd of teens who attacked them and two friends June 27 on Girard Street numbered close to 50. The teens were all black...

Marshall was the most seriously injured. He suffered a concussion and multiple bruises to his head and eye. He said he spent five nights in the critical care unit at Akron General Medical Center.

The construction worker said he now fears for his family's safety, and the thousands of dollars in medical bills he faces without insurance.

By Any Means Necessary

don't let the title of this post fool you. think of it as "the screwtape blog"...

where there is a corpse

the vultures will gather

somebody's watching me

finally, a somewhat-less-than-annoying geico commercial.

Silly GM

Everybody knows green cars have the worst resale value...

natural gas

i don't have a strong reaction to the natural gas legislation introduced to the senate. i just wish the gasbags would regulate the foul air they usually emit...

before the fireworks

go read:

about Washington
about Freedom
about fighting back
about the way things weren't
about the way things are
about the Republic

and look at some pictures too.

nope, no bias here

RACHEL D'ORO, Associated Press Writer, writing about Governor Sarah Palin's resignation:

WASILLA, Alaska – Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin abruptly announced Friday she is resigning from office at the end of the month, a shocking move that rattled the Republican party but left open the possibility she would seek a run for the White House in 2012.

Palin, 45, and her staff kept her future plans shrouded in mystery, and it was unclear if the controversial hockey mom would quietly return to private life or begin laying the foundation for a presidential bid.

Excuse me?!?! To give some modicum of balance to your leftist drivel, I recommend you refer to other political figures with similar disdain. Examples:

• President Obama, "the blindingly inept socialist puppet"
• Hillary Clinton, "shrill-billy powerbroker"
• Barney Frank, "scandal-wallowing pervert"
• Nancy Pelosi, "botox granny"
• Sheila Jackson Lee, "one-woman freakshow"
• Helen Thomas, "antiquated toad-queen of the press corps"
• Al Sharpton, "racist hypocrite"
• Cindy Sheehan, "pathetic attention hound"
• Jesse Jackson, "racist shakedown artist"
• Ted Kennedy, "the gin-addled never-was of Chappaquiddick"

Also, you might want to stop slandering people and blaming it on "unnamed sources":

"...with unnamed campaign aides questioning if Palin was ever really prepared for the presidency."

"A longtime confidant who spoke on condition of anonymity... counseled the Palins that leaving government was politically unwise, but the governor was resolute."

"...a flurry of speculation among Democrats and Alaska political bloggers that Palin had been drawn into one of the many criminal investigations that have upended Alaska politics in recent years."

"...Palin's move also prompted speculation among bloggers and critics that the governor was facing a looming political crisis or embarrassment."

Late Update: While reading the original article, an unnamed source said that Rachel D'Oro had obtained her journalism diploma in a box of Cracker Jacks, had prescribed excessive amounts of narcotics for Michael Jackson, and is funneling billions of dollars from United Way charities to Ahmenadinejad's nuclear program.

it's funny because it's true

yet again, i hope for change...

Afghanistan operations

B-b-b-but I thought he said troop surges don't work?!?

NAWA, Afghanistan – Thousands of U.S. Marines poured from helicopters and armored vehicles into Taliban-controlled villages of southern Afghanistan Thursday in the first major operation under President Barack Obama's strategy to stabilize the country...

It involves nearly 4,000 newly arrived Marines plus 650 Afghan forces...

The Pentagon is deploying 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in time for the elections and expects the total number of U.S. forces there to reach 68,000 by year's end. That is double the number of troops in Afghanistan in 2008, but still half of much as are now in Iraq.

The second paragraph is telling:

The offensive was launched shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday local time (4:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday, 2030 GMT Wednesday) in Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold and the world's largest opium poppy producing area.

All together now -

NO BLOOD FOR OPIUM!!!