Is it just me, or have we become emboldened?
Friday, July 31, 2009
Cash for Clunkers
While more and more people are learning about the government's "cash for clunkers" program, few realize that the idea came from a science fair project. (3rd runner up)
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Beer Summit
Only the obvious questions: Are we sure the professor can handle a few beers? Second, why beer? The president isn't what you'd call a regular guy. And Professor "do you know who I am?" Gates -- wouldn't he most likely be a wine snob?
I kid, of course. It's beer because Barack wants to appear to be a regular guy.
Will the Obama charisma overpower Sgt. Crowley? I expect not. There is actually a chance that this is a teachable moment; if only Obama and Gates put aside their disdain and listen.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Cancel the Celebration
Just an observation - A year and a half ago, they kept early-calling a recession. Now they're early-calling a recovery. What's changed? (oh yeah, that)
But snap! Obama mocked the story. This goes to show what can happen when you try to guess the emperor's wishes. Remember Newsweek: It's not a recession. It's an opportunity.
Not the Onion
Saw this at NRO but I didn't follow the link; so sure was I that it must be some kind of Onion parody. But no, it's real:
The al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, a coalition of Palestinian militias in the West Bank, said in a statement released to a Jerusalem-based journalist that it was “very upset” that it featured in the film starring Baron Cohen’s homosexual fashionista alter ego.
“We reserve the right to respond in the way we find suitable against this man,” it said. “The movie was part of a conspiracy against the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.”
Cue Twilight Zone music. That responding in "the way we find suitable" is scary, huh? So how do martyrs respond to ridicule? We'll sue!:
The group condemned the use of the interview with Mr Abu Aita. “This was a dirty use of our brother, Ayman, and we don’t accept that the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades is part of the film,” the statement said.
Mr Abu Aita claims that he was tricked into appearing in the film and that he is no longer involved with the Martyrs’ Brigades. He has threatened to sue Baron Cohen. “This man, I think he is not a man,” Mr Abu Aita said. “He is not saying the truth about me. He lied.”
He lied, oh and also, I'm not a member any more. Right now we're trying to find a good Jewish lawyer that will work with us. Good luck with that.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
What Bugs Me
On cap-and-trade, he's got a monstrosity on his hands. He presents a bill in which you want to auction off pollution rights—you can argue it's a good or bad idea—and create a market. Instead, his people in Congress give away almost 90 percent of the permits as patronage and political favors.
So he's got a disaster on his hands as a result of the reality of what is in the bills. You can hide it all in rhetoric, but once it gets in legislation, you can't hide anymore.
See that's what bugs me. It's taking money that I will eventually pay and giving it to somebody else's cronies, or using it to buy support for things I don't want.
Hunting
One day Sven and Ole were Deer Hunting, and they got lost. Sven tells Ole "wait, don't panic I learned what to do in case this happens. Your supposed to shoot up into the air three times and someone will hear you and come with help,"
"Okay" said Ole. So he shoots three times into the air. They both wait an hour and no one shows up. So they shoot three times again and still no one shows up. Bewildered they try this again, and again, for the next couple of hours.
Ole starts to look a little worried, then he shouts "It better work this time, were down to our last three arrows!"
Monday, July 27, 2009
I Apologize
I think most people realize that Obama's "apology" wasn't really an apology. He might be right about this being a teachable moment, but I'm not sure he realizes that it's the Harvard professor who needs the education. Via Newsbusters, Brit Hume nails the apology thing:
BRIT HUME: Well, I think Robert Gibbs didn't add a lot, probably trying not to add a lot on this -- on this issue, but, you know, what's striking about this is the president was clearly trying to get this over with, put the firestorm out, and yet, in the end, he couldn't bring himself to actually apologize for himself.
This president who travels the world apologizing for his country couldn't quite apologize for himself. He spoke of not calibrating his words perfectly. He suggested he didn't mean to malign the -- the police officer in question or the Cambridge police department. But he said they acted "stupidly." If you say something like that, you obviously malign them.
So, in the end, this controversy may be nearing an end, but if he had made an outright apology and said he never should have waded into it in the first place, and it wasn't -- shouldn't have been a question of calibrating words; he shouldn't have said any words -- if he'd said that, it would be over. Yet here we are, talking about it still. I don't think he got the -- the job done.
Obama's apologies on behalf of the United States have always been apologies on behalf of those (mostly) dead white European types; he's never apologized for Obama's America. That kind of talk doesn't really move us forward, does it?
Here's hoping that when President Palin gives her first speeches as president on foreign soil, she'll be able to resist the temptation to bash the Obama administration. (even though there might be much to apologize for)
***
From one of the greatest movies ever made, A Thousand Clowns:
SANDRA MARKOWITZ: So, Murray, which job did you get?
MURRAY BURNS: . . . Now, picture if you will: I am walking on East 51st Street about an hour ago, practicing how to say "I am sorry" with a little style . . .
SANDRA: Sorry for what?
MURRAY: Oh, anything . . . just rehearsing . . . Uh, well [clears throat . . . You know how it is when you're walking down the street talking to yourself, how suddenly you say something out loud?
SANDRA: Uh huh . . .
MURRAY: So I said, "I'm sorry," and this fella walking by, a complete stranger, he looks up a second, and he says, "That's alright, Mac," and he goes right on! [laughs] He automatically forgave me! I communicated! Now, 5:00 rush hour in midtown you could say, "Sir, your hair is on fire," and they wouldn't even hear you. So -- I decided to test the whole thing scientifically. I just stood there on the corner of 51st and Lex saying "I'm sorry" to everybody that came by.
"I'm so sorry, Sir."
"I'm terribly sorry, Madam."
"Say there, Miss. I'm sorry."
Of course, I got a few funny looks, but I swear, Sandy, 75% of 'em forgave me! Something had happened to all of them for which they felt somebody should apologize. It was fabulous! I had tapped into some vast reservoir. I just said, "I'm sorry," and they were all so generous, so kind . . .
SANDRA: Murray . . .
MURRAY: Yeah, Sandy, I could run up on the roof right now, and holler, "I'm sorry!" and a half-million people would holler back, "That's okay, just see that you don't do it again!" [laughs]
SANDRA: Murray, you didn't take any of the jobs . . .
MURRAY: Uh, Sandy, uh, I, uh . . . I'm sorry. I'm very sorry.
SANDRA: [Silence]
MURRAY: Well, dammit, lady, that was a beautiful apology. I mean, you gotta love a guy who can apologize so nice. I rehearsed it for over an hour.
SANDRA: [More silence]
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Send Doughnuts
Cambridge Police Department
125 Sixth Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
125 Sixth Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
OK, maybe that's silly. But you could e-mail a short expression of support.
I Know My Rights!
You can see why we needed Obama at this point in our history, right? When our country has sunk to the level where white men with guns have the gall to openly investigate the report of a break-in in broad daylight. Well, that's just going too far.
(aside- what a trip: one day you're doing your job, same-old, same-old; the next day, the president of the United States is calling you stupid)
Fortunately, we've gotten the attention of the smartest man to ever walk the planet. Now all that remains is for Obama to outline exactly how to act when investigating the report of a crime in progress. Obviously, point number one will be to leave if a suspected burglar says, "This is my house." Only the real homeowner could say that.
I kid of course. Excuse the language, but this is nothing more than douchenozzlery. It's not a black thing; white folks do it too. Some people are just too smug and self important to realize what they owe to the men who put on a bullet proof vest every morning to go out into unknown situations to protect and serve. At a minimum, we owe the police cooperation. Period. Henry Louis Gates is the one who acted stupidly, not officer Crowley. (and I'm supposed to let the man who calls Crowley stupid take charge of my health care?)
That being said, maybe it's a good idea to put Mr. Gates on a do not investigate list. Obviously, Mr Gates knows his rights and will be able to assert them over the next burglar who forces in his front door.
***Update:
Our president blathers on:
"I have to say I am surprised by the controversy surrounding my statement, because I think it was a pretty straightforward commentary that you probably don't need to handcuff a guy, a middle-aged man who uses a cane, who's in his own home," Obama said.
Oh really? So it would probably be ok not to handcuff these guys either:
All murders, and the 58 year old, the same age as Henry Louis Gates, killed two people. Maybe it's the cane. If they tell you they need a cane, can they skip the handcuffs?
Obamacare for Thee, But Not for Me
If Obamacare was a good thing, everyone would want it, right? Well, among those who know it best, um, not so much:
In the health debate, liberals sing Hari Krishnas to the "public option" -- a new federal insurance program like Medicare -- but if it's good enough for the middle class, then surely it's good enough for the political class too? As it happens, more than a few Democrats disagree.
On Tuesday, the Senate health committee voted 12-11 in favor of a two-page amendment courtesy of Republican Tom Coburn that would require all Members and their staffs to enroll in any new government-run health plan. Yet all Democrats -- with the exceptions of acting chairman Chris Dodd, Barbara Mikulski and Ted Kennedy via proxy -- voted nay.
In other words, Sherrod Brown and Sheldon Whitehouse won't themselves join a plan that "will offer benefits that are as good as those available through private insurance plans -- or better," as the Ohio and Rhode Island liberals put it in a recent op-ed. And even a self-described socialist like Vermont's Bernie Sanders, who supports a government-only system, wouldn't sign himself up.
"I'm a socialist; I'm not crazy."
Not unrelated: my brother got a hip joint replaced this morning - by a talented doctor who works hard and cares for his patients. He would still be talented if he worked for Obama, but it's nice to know he will benefit personally from doing a good job this morning.
If you need any work done, maybe now would be a good time to get on it, before your doctor gets forced to work for the same people who brought you the Department of Education.
RNC Ad
Personally, I would have sped up the legal-disclaimer spiel at the end. It's the best part of the real drug ads - "may cause drowsiness, headache, explosive diarrhea, gout, dropsy, the Mondays, and cause your head to explode. Please call your doctor if you have any of these conditions or your toes turn blue..."
Course, their intent was to bring those drawbacks to your attention; unlike the real ads.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Moon Landing Faked
Seen the new Google Maps of the moon? Pretty cool, butit looks like a slip-up may have let the cat out of the bag.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Those Crazy Japanese
You distract them with the Jello box, I'll go poop behind the TV.Japanese inventors have come up with a device they claim can detect how a dog is feeling from its bark.
The Bowlingual Voice, by Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy, analyses a dog's bark and translates the findings into human words.
The gadget focuses on the detection of six emotions, including sadness, joy and frustration, alongside a repertoire of spoken phrases such as 'play with me'.
Bowlingual Voice will go on sale for £129 in Japan from next month and is a more technologically advanced version of a basic model launched seven years ago.
The gadget, which will be sold initially only in Japan, consists of a microphone which is placed around the dog's neck alongside a hand-held unit operating device.
When the dog barks, the microphone records the sound and sends the data to the owner's hand-held device which then 'translates' it into what the dog is apparently trying to say.
Too Important to Read - Just Pass It
You don't think the president would actually lie about being able to keep your private health insurance, do you? Maybe he should be saying, "you'll be able to keep your private health insurance in much the same way the stimulus bill created jobs."
Heritage, regarding Obama's conference call with leftist bloggers:
During the call, a blogger from Maine said he kept running into an Investors Business Daily article that claimed Section 102 of the House health legislation would outlaw private insurance. He asked: “Is this true? Will people be able to keep their insurance and will insurers be able to write new policies even though H.R. 3200 is passed?” President Obama replied: “You know, I have to say that I am not familiar with the provision you are talking about.” (quote begins at 17:10)
This is a truly disturbing admission by the President, especially considering that later in the call, Obama promises yet again: “If you have health insurance, and you like it, and you have a doctor that you like, then you can keep it. Period.” How can Obama keep making this promise if he is not familiar with the health legislation that is being written in Congress? Details matter.
We are familiar with the passage IBD sites, and as we wrote last week, the House bill does not outright outlaw private individual health insurance, but it does effectively regulate it out of existence.
The dark lord has authorized the use of Jedi mind control techniques. 
Monday, July 20, 2009
I Got the Shot
With all the Reuters and AP photogs hanging over balconies and climbing under pianos in order to get Obama-with-halo shots; you mean to tell me none of them could get the obvious shot offered here?:
Not to worry though, Photoshop to the rescue:
Bing Test
I've wasted way too much time searching for this shirt:
It's worn here by the actor Nick Nolte, taking time out for a fan photo on his way to a charity event, most likely.
Google has been no help in my quest, so I thought I'd give the much hyped Bing a try. Results? Well almost better:
The search continues.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
They Might Be Giants
RIP Walter Cronkite. These guys, say what you will about the stories they covered, these guys never had thrills going up their legs. Or if they did, they kept it to themselves.
While looking for this cover, I came across another one that gave me pause. Can that really be the same Ron Howard? Seems so long ago.
Just Halt It, OK?
Daylife photos; the banner caught my attention, the caption is what got me though:
Children hold a banner for visiting U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton at a Greenpeace climate rescue
station in Mumbai July 18, 2009. The group was
asking Clinton to stop climate change.
What? there is such a thing as a "climate rescue station"? Who knew?
Also, I ran across evidence that the pain pills are still working for her:
Friday, July 17, 2009
ACU Goes Jesse Jackson
Politico has the story of how David Keene of the ACU does political shakedowns à la Jesse Jackson:
The American Conservative Union asked FedEx for a check for $2 million to $3 million in return for the group’s support in a bitter legislative dispute, then the group’s chairman flipped and sided with UPS after FedEx refused to pay.
For the $2 million plus, ACU offered a range of services that included: “Producing op-eds and articles written by ACU’s Chairman David Keene and/or other members of the ACU’s board of directors. (Note that Mr. Keene writes a weekly column that appears in The Hill.)”
The conservative group’s remarkable demand — black-and-white proof of the longtime Washington practice known as “pay for play” — was contained in a private letter to FedEx , which was provided to POLITICO.
The letter exposes the practice by some political interest groups of taking stands not for reasons of pure principle, as their members and supporters might assume, but also in part because a sponsor is paying big money.
In the three-page letter asking for money on June 30, the conservative group backed FedEx. After FedEx says it rejected the offer, Keene signed onto a two-page July 15 letter backing UPS. Keene did not return a message left on his cell phone.
The American Conservative Union did issue a press release stating support for Federal Express, and claiming that it's just their chairman who disagrees. Um, sure. Glad you cleared that up ACU, so it's only your chairman who is a prostitute. OK folks, nothing to see here, go about your business.
via
Stimulus Dollars at Work - A Priest, a Plumber, and a Rabbi Walk Into a Bar...
Drudge links to a strange sources-sought:
This is a sources sought notice and not a request for quotations. The purpose of this announcement is to seek qualified contractors with the capability to provide presentations for The Department of Treasury, Bureau of the Public Debt (BPD), Management Meeting with experience in meeting the objectives as described herein.
The Contractor shall conduct two, 3-hour, Humor in the Workplace programs that will discuss the power of humor in the workplace, the close relationship between humor and stress, and why humor is one of the most important ways that we communicate in business and office life. Participants shall experience demonstrations of cartoons being created on the spot. The contractor shall have the ability to create cartoons on the spot about BPD jobs. The presenter shall refrain from using any foul language during the presentation. This is a business environment and we need the presenter to address a business audience.
So hey, I'm all over this one. I've got the money-gone cartoon down, I just need to work on the dollar bill with wings flying off into the horizon. (OK so maybe that head is a little scary, but it was on-the-spot)
Darn it, Drudge ruined everything, so they modified the RFI to "never mind" status. (and after I did all that work -- I was even working on the no-foul-language clause)
Actually, I do government contracting. And I've seen no increase in RFQ's in my field. Course, mostly I work for Department of Defense so I don't expect a lot from the Obama administration. (until he gets us into a war, that is) I do know that the SBA is working hard, and that some people are getting help from the stimulus. Like that cartoonist. Most likely they had someone in mind for this contract. But we ruined that.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Karl Rove in the WSJ
That Karl Rove piece on the stimulus whacks the nail on the head. The money isn't going out the door. We continue losing jobs. Plus, with every hopey-changey idea we go deeper in debt:
So what's a president to do when the promises he made about his economic stimulus program fail to materialize? If you're Barack Obama, you redefine your goals and act as if America won't remember what you said originally. That's a neat trick if you can get away with it, but Mr. Obama won't. His words are a matter of public record and he will be held to them.
When it came to the stimulus package, the president and his administration promised, in the words of National Economic Director Larry Summers, "You'll see the effects begin almost immediately." Now it's clear that those promised jobs and growth haven't materialized.
Joe "Gee, we didn't know it was this bad" Biden is sure there's nothing wrong with the stimulus package. How could there be? They spent many long hard moments skimming parts of it before ramming it down our throats. If there were any flaws, certainly brief perusals would have found them.
Sarah Reads My Mind
Have you read Sarah Palin in the WaPo? No, not the usual article about her second cousin's dog groomer getting drunk at a picnic; it's an op-ed by Sarah Palin, re- Cap and Trade. Favorite bit:
In addition to immediately increasing unemployment in the energy sector, even more American jobs will be threatened by the rising cost of doing business under the cap-and-tax plan. For example, the cost of farming will certainly increase, driving down farm incomes while driving up grocery prices. The costs of manufacturing, warehousing and transportation will also increase.
The ironic beauty in this plan? Soon, even the most ardent liberal will understand supply-side economics.
The Americans hit hardest will be those already struggling to make ends meet. As the president eloquently puts it, their electricity bills will "necessarily skyrocket." So much for not raising taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year.
That is the silver lining: that the Change and Hopists have to live in this economy with us. They can't opt out, and you can expect them to notice when their utility bills start growing.
Read the article. This is why Sarah Palin is being attacked long after the presidential race is over - she gets it. They're afraid of debate.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Nancy Pelosi
Didja see the picture of Nancy on Drudge? I won't repost it here because I have a pretty good idea of what she's metaphorically crushing in that clinched fist. From DayLife though there's these:
Ha-ha
"Oh I'm just so happy to be here with you."Almost forgot, best Daylife photo of the day:
Calling John Connor
Is it too late to disable Skynet?
From Fox News:
It could be a combination of 19th-century mechanics, 21st-century technology — and a 20th-century horror movie.
A Maryland company under contract to the Pentagon is working on a steam-powered robot that would fuel itself by gobbling up whatever organic material it can find — grass, wood, old furniture, even dead bodies.
Robotic Technology Inc.'s Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot — that's right, "EATR" — "can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment (and other organically-based energy sources), as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable," reads the company's Web site.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Russians and Puppies
Liz Cheney in the WSJ, being as right as right can be:
There are two different versions of the story of the end of the Cold War: the Russian version, and the truth. President Barack Obama endorsed the Russian version in Moscow last week.
Speaking to a group of students, our president explained it this way: "The American and Soviet armies were still massed in Europe, trained and ready to fight. The ideological trenches of the last century were roughly in place. Competition in everything from astrophysics to athletics was treated as a zero-sum game. If one person won, then the other person had to lose. And then within a few short years, the world as it was ceased to be. Make no mistake: This change did not come from any one nation. The Cold War reached a conclusion because of the actions of many nations over many years, and because the people of Russia and Eastern Europe stood up and decided that its end would be peaceful."
Which reminds me, have I posted any puppy pictures lately?
The truth, of course, is that the Soviets ran a brutal, authoritarian regime. The KGB killed their opponents or dragged them off to the Gulag. There was no free press, no freedom of speech, no freedom of worship, no freedom of any kind. The basis of the Cold War was not "competition in astrophysics and athletics." It was a global battle between tyranny and freedom. The Soviet "sphere of influence" was delineated by walls and barbed wire and tanks and secret police to prevent people from escaping. America was an unmatched force for good in the world during the Cold War. The Soviets were not. The Cold War ended not because the Soviets decided it should but because they were no match for the forces of freedom and the commitment of free nations to defend liberty and defeat Communism.
Exactly. Now one more:
It is irresponsible for an American president to go to Moscow and tell a room full of young Russians less than the truth about how the Cold War ended. One wonders whether this was just an attempt to push "reset" -- or maybe to curry favor. Perhaps, most concerning of all, Mr. Obama believes what he said.
Thank you, Liz. Nail, head, hit right upon. And thanks to Mr Beasley for acting as the visual aid that got everyone to read the post.
Another Quiz
Here's one I think you guys will do well on. It has a bogus greenhouse gas question, which you have to grit your teeth on... plus it's got the super big controversial question: re Pluto. (which again, I answered what they wanted to hear; not what I knew in my heart to be right)
A side note, Obama's electoral percentage could have been matched by those scoring 8 out of 12 or less. I'm not suggesting he was elected by those people, just that that Pluto denying hoard could have elected him.
Snub? I Dunno
It would appear that either President Obama is being snubbed by Russians, or is introducing our guys to Medvedev. I've watched it several times and can imagine it going either way. This may be one of those things where you see what you want to see.
Well, not just anything that you want to see; I tried several times to imagine this as showing Al Franken with his foot caught in a lawnmower, but it didn't work.
Monday, July 13, 2009
TOTUS Woes
Midway through his speech on urban and metropolitan policy in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building this afternoon, one of his two small glass prompters came crashing down, hitting the wood floor and crashing in many pieces. It made quite a ruckus.
“Oh, goodness,” a startled President Obama said. “Sorry about that, guys.”
He then proceeded on with his remarks, “To pull our economy back from the picnic table laughing yo-yo tape found split recovery shoe lace nation's history.... kitty cat bingo shiny football swimming pool.... ”
It went on like that for over an hour, at which point reporters and spectators began ambling out.
Uff da!
Chris Matthews contributing to a water shortage by causing many to shower unnecessarily:
You're just yucky Chris.
Fewer Abortions
President Obama told Pope Benedict XVI at a Vatican meeting that he
would work to limit how many abortions take place each year in the
United States, according to a Vatican spokesman.
But don't forget:
"I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby," Obama said.No, the baby-punishment quote wasn't specifically about abortions; but it says a lot about the president's attitude.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
The Horse is Dead
But that won't stop me from beating him:
Also, don't know if I'm the only one who's noticed, but those pain pills seem to be working out pretty well for Hillary:
(this one not photoshopped)and the horse takes another kick to the kidneys:
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The World Laughs
Muammar Gaddafi, or possibly it's Bob Dylan, is giving President Floaty-change bunny ears.
***Update- Welcome Redstate, and Yiddish Report readers, yes it's a photoshop, as is this one. (identified most often by a small "LJ" in the bottom right corner, except when I forget, which is often) But isn't it more fun to guess anyway? This one for instance... Let's call this one a photoshop too, though I'm sure Hillary has got it in her.
Slowly the Halo Tarnishes
Bad enough the MSM published Obama's ogle-photo. They have the huevos to follow it up with this photo of Michelle? Sheesh, the honeymoon must winding down. Wind faster, I say.
Also, good news - Obama granted the pope an audience. And more good news: Pope Benedict gave Obama an ethics guide. What an optimist.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Lessons in Being European
"No, I was looking at her sandals. I thinkMichelle has got a pair like that at home."
Notice: Sarkozy can look without appearing to be looking. Imagine the commotion if that had been GWB though. (that Obama was ogling)
Ze Magic, She is Gone
Obama is at the G8 and America gets respect again. Course, we no longer let our own self interest get in the way, so yeah, we're easy to deal with.
Roe v. "Those we don't want to have too many of"
From Newsbusters, a bit of truth slips out in a NYT interview with Ruth Bader Ginsburg:
In a July 7 New York Times Magazine article ("The Place of Women on the Court") apparently scheduled to appear in its July 12 print edition (based on its URL), Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told the Times's Emily Bazelon that "at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of."
Who is this "we" Ginsburg refers to?
Alleged reporter Bazelon did not follow up on this astounding admission.
I continue to be amazed at minority support for liberal Democrats.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Matryoshka Dolls
They're called Matryoshka dolls, or Russian nesting dolls. See, inside Medvedev is a smaller Medvedev, which contains a smaller Medvedev, and on and on. And inside Obama... Oh nooooo!
The New Senator from Minnesota
Not only was he once a high-school wrestler*, not only does he give the Democrats a filibuster-proof majority, the new Senator from Minnesota can eat an entire Pop-tart without chewing. What a guy.
* Tired of several ranting detractors trying to shout down Howard Dean at a New Hampshire rally on Monday, Al Franken cleared the air by knocking them down. Not rhetorically, mind you. He aimed himself at one of the cacophonous critics and charged. "I was a wrestler so I used a wrestling move," Franken said.
The New York Post details the brawl, which makes Howard Dean's "I Have a Scream Speech" look like a Dennis Kucinich peace-in. "The tussle left Franken's trademark thick-rim glasses broken, but he said he was not injured. Franken -- who seemed in a state of shock and out of breath after the incident -- was helped back to his feet by several people who watched the tussle. Police arrived soon after. 'I got down low and took his legs out,' said Franken afterwards."
Franken says he body-slammed the heckler -- a Lyndon Larouche supporter -- in the name of freedom of speech. "People should be able to assemble and speak without being shouted down," he said.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
I had to do it. Only the eyes have been changed:
"Yes, you see that's the beauty of it -- the saw is too weak to cut the steel shackles, but strong enough to cut through flesh and bone.
Heart Tugging
This is why we show the dead respect, regardless of any differences we may have had.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
OK, except for Castro, and he only deserves derision because he continues to claim, wrongly, to be alive.
Voodoo Doll
Look, I know it's creepy, but I'm just doing the tasks I'm assigned by Sarah Palin and the RNC. If you've got a problem, take it up with them.
Actually, in the first draft of this, it was even creepier - I bugged his eyes by about 35%. Lucky for all of us, Photoshop crashed and I started from scratch. (the evil grin is his, I didn't mess with his face at all)
Health Care
Ripped in its entirety from the Dissident Frogman:
Disclaimer: I have an acquaintance within the French national health care insurance system. This is my source. What you're about to read is true.
Socialized health care is just one step on the Road to Serfdom—though a dramatic one. And a deep dive down the Bureaucratic Twilight Zone of the Absurd. Take France for instance:
The much vaunted1 French “free”2, mandatory, state-run health care insurance may reimburse any patient’s second hearing aid if, and only if he is blind.
Get that? Socialistzed health care means that you will be allowed to hear only if you can’t see3. I mean, hey, you can’t have it all—there are other people waiting, you know. Selfish bastard.
And of course, the poor deaf and blind soul may get that if he first obtained the bureaucrats’ authorization to get said second hearing aid. We can’t have any sort of self-medication going on, can we?
- By the French state and it's lackeys. Oh, and by the myriads of civil servants who get paid off of it.
- It's not free, of course—quite the contrary actually, as soon as you realize that you, your family, friends, employers and every single working citizen pay for it every month, all their lives and for a ridiculously small return, unless you happen to be deaf and blind, or terminally ill. (the amount you'll get for dental or ophthalmologic care is so low that it's insulting—I personally won't even bother returning the required forms to get reimbursed)
- Provided you happen to have two ears, and be afflicted by deafness congenital or acquired. One should note that in this particular context, one-eyedness doesn't seem to make a difference in the State's health care arithmetic. Whatever the affected side.
Superstar Glamor
Up until now, I've been a little perplexed by the media's claim that Michelle Obama is dazzling the international community with her "superstar glamor". Frankly, I just couldn't see it. Her theme seems to be "lots of colors, then some more colors".
But then I saw this fantastic outfit and I have to concede she does sometimes get it right. It wouldn't surprise me one bit find couches available in this fabric in the near future.
Three's Company Too
Remember how perky and fun Joyce DeWitt was on Three's Company? She was my favorite character after Suzanne Summers. Well, oh how the mighty have fallen, but enough about Suzanne Summers, this post is about Joyce DeWitt, who just earned the Nolte shirt for conduct unbecoming a driver. Yes, Demon Rum has claimed another celebrity. 
Nolte Shirt: AccomplishedUh-oh
Bet this story fades fast:
WASHINGTON, July 6 (Reuters) - To fairly divide the climate change fight between rich and poor, a new study suggests basing targets for emission cuts on the number of wealthy people, who are also the biggest greenhouse gas emitters, in a country.
Since about half the planet's climate-warming emissions come from less than a billion of its people, it makes sense to follow these rich folks when setting national targets to cut carbon dioxide emissions, the authors wrote on Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Whoops:
photo via
Monday, July 06, 2009
Yellow Teeth?
Is it just me, or does every second website these days have a "Get Whiter Teeth Now" advert on it? Tell you what, I'm getting tired of it. Anyway, my method is much cheaper, and it can whiten up those gums too!
I don't have to explain, do I, that the Krylon ® folks probably don't condone this use of their product?
Bush Faux Pas
MOSCOW (Reuters) - In a slip of the tongue, U.S. President George Bush described Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday as president, echoing the widely held view that he remains Russia's most powerful man. President Bush, famous for his low intelligence said, what? wait a minute. We're sorry, what we meant to say was- "In a slip of the tongue, U.S. President Barack Obama described Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday as president," thereby executing a clever and playful jab at Putin, who remains Russia's ultimate decision maker.
Head Scratcher
There seems to be a clerical mutiny in Iran but it's not getting much noticed:
Iran’s biggest group of clerics has declared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election to be illegitimate and condemned the subsequent crackdown.
The statement by the Association of Researchers and Teachers of Qom is an act of defiance against the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has made clear he will tolerate no further challenges to Mr Ahmadinejad’s “victory” over Mir Hossein Mousavi.
Also, related? For 5 or 6 days now I haven't been able to access Fars News Service. I thought they might be blocking access so I tried proxies in Europe and Asia but they also give: "server not responding." Could they be under a denial of service attack? I suppose maybe. They have always been 100% behind Ahmadinejad, that's for sure. So who knows?
Compuserve Gone?
Can it be? Is CompuServe actually gone?
The original CompuServe service, first offered in 1979, was shut down this past week by its current owner, AOL. The service, which provided its users with addresses such as 73402,3633 and was the first major online service, had seen the number of users dwindle in recent years. At its height, the service boasted about having over half a million users simultaneously on line. Many innovations we now take for granted, from online travel (Eaasy Sabre), online shopping, online stock quotations, and global weather forecasts, just to name a few, were standard fare on CompuServe in the 1980s.
This was the first almost-internet; though really, it was just one huge bulletin board. You had to pay extra to do things like buy a plane ticket, but buying a plane ticket was much slower than calling the airline. In fact, it was slower than calling the airline and booking in a foreign language, with a drunk ticket agent, who refused to answer the phone.
About the only thing you might want to do on CompuServe was chat with someone across the country. But there was real novelty in that, at the time. Nobody would want that old system today, but it was one of the first steps down the path that brought us the ability to watch performing goats and mimes in almost any city, keyboard cats, lip syncing kids, and Obama photoshops. Keyboard cat, play CompuServe on outa here.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Cold Hearted
It's not bad enough that you've been electrocuted, and lay smoldering on the tracks. Then, after you've cooled, they're going to go through your wallet.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Homeopathic ER
If homeopaths ran the emergency room. Just science fiction, but who knows? It might beat Obamacare.
Happy Fourth of July
“The real democratic idea is, not that every man shall be on a level with every other, but that every one shall have liberty, without hindrance, to be what God made him”
-Henry Ward Beecher
Have liberty, hot dogs, and pie.
Friday, July 03, 2009
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Good News?
Or maybe great news, the WaPo somehow found the stones to publish criticism of Obama (re: his Virginia "town hall" meeting on health care):
In the stage-managed event, questions for Obama came from a live audience selected by the White House and the college, and from Internet questions chosen by the administration's new-media team. Of the seven questions the president answered, four were selected by his staff from videos submitted to the White House Web site or from those responding to a request for "tweets."
The president called randomly on three audience members. All turned out to be members of groups with close ties to his administration: the Service Employees International Union, Health Care for America Now, and Organizing for America, which is a part of the Democratic National Committee. White House officials said that was a coincidence.
The most dramatic moment came from Debby Smith, 53, of Appalachia, Va., who was near tears as she described for Obama her fragile health, including a recently discovered [kidney] tumor for which she cannot get treatment.
Woo-hoo. If you don't let him get away with stage managing and manipulation, there's not much left. This remarkable mania has been managed from the beginning; going all the way back to those first fainting victims at his rallies.
And regarding Debby Smith, has she run out of money? Or does she refuse to spend her own money for her health care? If she has no money left for health care, shouldn't Medicaid be taking care of her? There's a government run health delivery program - Medicaid. If it doesn't work, why should we expect that turning the entire industry over to the government would be any better?
Anyway, I'm skeptical of Debby's self reported health problems. She says her health prevents employment, but she volunteers for Obama. Legislation by anecdote is dangerous. Remember that SCHIP example kid from Baltimore? Turns out the kid went to a private school and the family wasn't undergoing financial hardship. If Debby Smith does have serious health issues, I'm sorry, but history says that this is most likely smoke and mirrors.
And regardless, under our present system, you have many treatments available. Under the NHS, you get:
Thousands of kidney cancer patients are likely to lose out on life-prolonging drugs.
The NHS rationing body, NICE, has confirmed a ban on three out of four new treatments.
It has reversed its position on just one, Sutent, which will now be allowed for patients with advanced cancer. But campaigners who fought NICE's original blanket ban said this was not enough. They said some patients with heart problems cannot tolerate Sutent.
Kate Spall, head of the Pamela Northcott Fund campaign group, said the ruling meant that fewer than half of newly diagnosed patients would be eligible for therapy.
How many anecdotes can you get from that group of patients?
Mark Levine has a good list of NHS and Canadian system shortcomings here.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Still Kicking
And the threats of replacing him with a cat haven't accelerated the toilet training one bit.
Tweet Aggregator
Due to many requests, well one, here's a Tweet Aggregator header. (for those of you who want to aggregate, and have a clue as to how to do it, and want to use it, feel free) (click to enhugeinate)
Don't Expect One Here
Read on NRO that they're getting a tweet aggregator. This is just a guess as to what the heck a tweet aggregator looks like. I think I'm going to forgo the little monster myself.
The Stink Eye
Drudge had a spread on the "evil eye" the President has been giving lately, but Drudge got it wrong. That is the stink-eye, pure and simple. And I know where he picked it up.
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