August 11, 2011
The Osama Bin Laden Dead Cat Bounce
Since the death of Osama Bin Laden, I've seen bits and piece on the Internet that suggest that Progressives and Mr. Obama himself are perplexed and frustrated that sending Bin Laden straight to Hell resulted in only the briefest PR bounce for Mr. Obama. Of course, Mr. Obama can't understand why every American isn't continually singing his praises, saying on more than one occasion, and with substantial indignation, "you [meaning the American people] ought to be thanking me" for this or that.
What is interesting and more than a little disturbing is that I've yet to see anyone touch on the reason. It's not rocket science; it is common sense. Perhaps that's why Mr. Obama and his Progressive sycophants—and the Media (but I repeat myself!)—can't "get" it. So as a public service, to whatever degree trying to convince Progressives of common sense and the truth is a service (it's probably like trying to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig), I explain why Mr. Obama's "accomplishment" accomplished only a dead cat bounce. First and most importantly, rational Americans see the accomplishment not as Mr. Obama's, but as our military's, most specifically as the accomplishment of SEAL Team 6. They also appreciate all of the other military and intelligence assets who worked diligently for years to make the successful raid possible. Those who are well informed know that Mr. Obama dithered for so long to authorize the strike while our warriors sat, ready to go, awaiting his order. His dithering set the strike back a full day, increasing the risk of discovery and the risk that Bin Laden could have been tipped off. While Mr. Obama is due some credit as CINC for this raid, most people see his authorization not as evidence of military or leadership brilliance, but as the very least any American President should do in the same circumstances, yet Mr. Obama dithered for a day! Imagine the PR fallout if his dithering caused the mission to fail. It's not hard to figure out: If you're the CINC, you ruthlessly pursue America's self-identified, deadly enemies and you have no hesitation in taking them out. This is the default position, the baseline, the absolute minimum required of any American President, yet Mr. Obama and his followers expect a massive PR bounce because Mr. Obama did the minimum? Because he simply did his job, though only after considerable indecision? Indecision about getting Osama Bin Laden? As I write, I'm shaking my head in amazement that I have to explain this. I doubt that those for whom I am trying to explain are capable of accepting this little bit of reality. What do you, gentle readers, think?Posted by: MikeM at 09:57 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
A Cadillac Volt? The Horror!
A Cadillac—Volt? The Horror! Apparently it's alive! According to Fox News (here), Cadillac is planning to resurrect a 2009 concept car then known as the Converj, but in 2014. The concept car received great reviews at the Detroit Auto Show in 2009, but those reviews were based on highly polished sheet metal under lights on a reviewing stand.
According to Fox, the new car, which may have a three letter name like other sporty Cadillac (might I be so bold as to suggest the BZZ?) would use the Volt's powertrain "possibly with better acceleration to suit the Cadillac image." The original was not brought to market for what sound like entirely rational reasons: "First, GM could not make a profit at the low volumes the Converj had been planned for. Second, product planners were concerned that the greater weight and additional luxury features of a Cadillac would cut its electric range and performance--reducing its appeal, much as the Lexus HS 250h has sold in lower numbers than expected for Toyota's luxury arm." For a bit of reality about the potential market for EVs, read my recent post EV Follies for August 10, 2011 (here). Rationality is obviously in very short supply at GM these days: "Apparently, both concerns have been resolved. One reason for resuscitating the Converj, says our source, is that CEO Dan Akerson is 'all about profit.' The 2012 Volt lists at $39,990, and tops out (before dealer markup) at less than $50,000. If some Voltec cars could be sold not for $45,000 but, say, $60,000, that might enable GM to make money on its first generation of Voltec cars. Or, perhaps more realistically, to lose less money on the technology--until a less-costly second generation can be rolled out."Posted by: MikeM at 09:13 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Slutwalk Feminists: Too Dumb to Survive
The chronically confused pseudo-feminists behind the dim notion of "Slutwalks" have offered up some of the least effective self-defense tips ever offered to man or woman-kind.
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 06:04 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Lawsuits, Criminal Probe Dog Obama DOJ
Citizens of two countries seek out legal redress for the crimes and edicts related to Gunwalker.
Go here to Pajamas Media for the story. Mike Adds: As with everything else Bob has been writing on the Gunwalker scandal, this article is very much worth your time.Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 11:18 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Radical Leftists Openly Plot Terror Attacks on Financial Centers. Obama Does Nothing. Media Ignores.
We've learned in recent days from such noted Constitutional scholars as Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) that peacefully protesting the government and asking them to undertake such radical tasks as spending within their means and acting within the Constitutional boundaries our Founding Fathers envisioned, amounts to terrorism.
Specifically, they are quoted as saying:Like you, I view the peaceful demands for rational spending restrictions to be the exact same thing as suicide bombing, the sawing off of heads, or crashing airliners into skyscrapers... other than the fact that that viewpoint is certifiably insane. That said, the media and progressive left (but I digress) certainly seemed to nod along with the suggestion, even when they didn't dare vocalize it. The rhetoric was ratcheted down, but the underlying vitriol remained, when Standard and Poor downgraded the nation's credit rating from AAA to AA+, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and Presidential adviser David Axelrod were quick to again try to blame the Tea Party. Clearly, Democrats and the bobblehead media view any threat to the nation's credit or economic straits—no matter how farfetched or ill-conceived—as the equivalent of a terror attack. So why aren't we hearing anything from the White House, Senate, House of Representatives or the editorial pages about the "days of rage," "occupation," and "revolution" targeting the heart of the nations financial sector? A list of aligned terrorist groups (using the democratic definition) wants to Occupy Wall Street, and advocates the physical occupation and gridlock of our nation's financial nerve center... attempting the exact the same trauma on the U.S. financial markets as the late terrorist Osama Bin Laden did when he chose New York's financial district and the nation's leadership in Washington, DC as his primary targets. US Day of Rage is one site promoting a takeover of Wall Street on September 17. Their message is as muddled as the logic of adopting a name synonymous with violence that birthed a terrorist group. Maybe they hope to attract bomb-builder and Obama mentor Bill Ayers as guest speaker. Some in the media are noting the incredible lameness of the "cause," it's incoherence, and it's likelihood of failure. That's fair. But terrorist attacks are terrorist attacks, and those who commit them are not deemed to be terrorists only if they succeed. If the Tea Party can be considered terrorists for merely standing up for traditional American values and fiscal common sense, then radical terror groupss attempting to interrupt the financial markets are most certainly worthy of being shot on sight by police. I'm sure even our Vice President would agree.
"We have negotiated with terrorists," an angry Doyle said, according to sources in the room. "This small group of terrorists have made it impossible to spend any money." Biden, driven by his Democratic allies' misgivings about the debt-limit deal, responded: "They have acted like terrorists."
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 10:08 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Quick Takes, August 11, 2011
ITEM: Ready For Prime Time: Go here for a list of ten sci-fi predictions that actually came true. From landing on the moon to credit cards, it's an interesting reminder of how much we take for granted.
ITEM: How To Encourage Job Creation: Punish Success! That would seem to be precisely what Mr. Obama intends if one watches what he is doing rather than listen to what he is saying. The invaluable Mona Charen agrees. See what she has to say here. ITEM: Military Thoughts: Active duty milbloggers have to be very careful about what they say. Go here to the Mellow Jihadi for thought-provoking questions and comments about our current—and future—place in the world. ITEM: Does He Get It? Does President Obama understand the world-wide threat to the existence of western civilization? Does he have any real idea of the danger, and if he does, any idea how to respond. Everything he has said and done to date would suggest that the answer is an emphatic "no." Go here to Pajamas Media for an excellent article on the subject by the invaluable Michael Ledeen. ITEM: They Walk—Swim?—Among Us! Go here to Fox News for a brief video showing what appears to be a UFO resembling—are you ready for this—the Millennium Falcon of Star Wars fame on the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Chewie, speak to me! ITEM: Louis Renault Award, Obamacare Division: I'm shocked, shocked! I just can't get my mind around the idea that Obamacare not only will not save money, but will cost a very great deal more than Mr. Obama has claimed! How can this be possible? Go here to find out the latest outrage. You know, I'm almost tempted to think that Mr. Obama actually lies to us! ITEM: I Can See It Now: The executives of a major, international automotive accessory conglomerate are sitting around a massive table in their opulent boardroom… Chairman of the Board: "Sales of our little green pine smelling thingies and fuzzy dice are through the roof month after month—(applause and cheers)—but the question remains: What's our next accessory triumph?" Executive #1: "Chromed silhouettes of naked, reclining women?" Executive #2: "Nah, that only works on semis." Executive #3: "Bobbleheads?" Executive #4: "Nah. We tried that with Obama and got our bobbleheads handed to us." Executive#5: "I have it! Large multi-colored testicles made of plastic! We'll hang them from the rear of pickup trucks! All: "Brilliant! Genius! Bonuses for everyone!" And the rest, as they say, has been history, until a woman was cited by a Bonneau, SC police chief for displaying her testicles (uh…), and now, plastic truck testicles have become a symbol of First Amendment free expression. God bless America! I mean, if your truck can't display its testicles, what's the Constitution for? Go here to the Volokh Conspiracy for the story. ITEM: Mr. Obama's Seven Deadly Sins. We can hope that the public will think similarly in the voting booth. Go here for an interesting and informative list. ITEM: We're Not Even Halfway There Yet! So said Mr. Obama in his momentous recent speech. Which one? Er, you know, the one where he said something about something or other…you know, the one where he talked about class warfare…what's that? He does that whenever he opens his mouth? Well, yeah, but what's your point? Anyway, Mr. Obama was blaming George W. Bush again and apparently suggesting that we're not halfway to the midpoint of an eight year term. Hmmm. Please Mr. Obama, keep saying that sort of thing, please? Go here for the take of the boys at PowerLine. ITEM: Donuts Are Good For You! This was particularly true at a Dunkin' Donuts in Rockaway, NJ until recently. Why until recently? Well, it seems that not only could you get yummy donuts and hot coffee, an attractive employee by the name of Melissa Redmond was also selling her own special brand of sugar on the side! Some fuddy duddy called the cops, and now all you can get are donuts. Go here for yet another urban tragedy. ITEM: Girls and Guns! In QTs last week, I wrote about the heavenly sight of Helen Mirren firing a Browning .50 machinegun in an evening gown in "RED." There is just something about a woman who knows what she's doing firing a serious firearm. Go here for another brief peek. Thanks to Eric for the heads up! ITEM: An Abyss? We're not raising the debt ceiling, we're making a deeper debt abyss. So says the invaluable Mark Steyn in a prescient article written before the credit downgrade. Must reading: here. ITEM: Natural Selection At Work: For those who doubt the veracity of Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution, go here for conclusive proof. Yes, he shot himself in the pee-pee with a pink gun. How do you explain that to the emergency room doctor? ITEM: Everything The Dems Would Like You To Know About Economics Under Bush Is Wrong. Go here to an important article by the invaluable Byron York that explains precisely why whenever Mr. Obama's lips are moving to blame George W. Bush for his own economic illiteracy he's lying. But you knew that, right? ITEM: The Tea Party Did It! That is the newest Dem. talking point, first run up the flagpole by David Axelrod. It was the Tea Party that was responsible for the downgrade of America's bond rating, the first in history. Let me see if I have this straight: The Tea Party, a loose confederation of diverse Americans whose only real message is small government, adherence to the Constitution and low spending, is responsible for the berserk spending binge of Congress and Mr. Obama? I suppose when a man with no accomplishments of any kind can be president, why can't black be white, day be night, up be down, and the group of people primarily responsible for imposing any degree of fiscal sanity are responsible for the opposite. The Dems are absolutely out of ideas. Integrity—did they ever have any? Bonus: go here for the invaluable Jennifer Rubin's take. ITEM: Other Than That Mrs. Lincoln, How'd You Like The Play? Once again, as if any additional evidence was necessary, we see the lunacy of Obama economic policies. Remember when Mr. Obama released 30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve? Wasn't that a brilliant, stimulative policy? Not so much. In fact, a bit more than a month later, gas is 10 cents per gallon higher than it was before the release of oil. Sigh. Go here for the whole story. ITEM: Who Knew It Was That Easy? Alfred E. Neuman of Mad Magazine, the "What, me Worry?" chap had it right after all. According to former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan and every Media talking head's favorite billionaire Warren Buffett, America has no debt problem at all! Why not? Because we can print as much money as we want! We have the paper and the ink! Hmm. That didn’t work so well for the Weimar Republic, if memory serves. Go here for the lunacy. ITEM: Brilliant! The brain is endlessly fascinating. Go here for ten things you probably didn't know about the brain. ITEM: Common Sense. Sarah Palin is an idiot, some backwoods hick with too many children. Every sophisticated self-styled elitist knows that, right? Yeah, not so much. In fact, after reading this, you might wonder why anyone ever allows the elite to tell them anything at all. ITEM: Louis Renault, Wisconsin Division: I'm shocked, shocked! Yes, who'da thunk it? Who could have possibly imagined that when union thugs were removed from the budgeting equation, a city or state could save millions, even billions of dollars? Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker for one. Go here to see the mayor of Milwaukee try to suggest that saving at least $11 million dollars is somehow a bad thing. I'm shocked, shocked! ITEM: What? Is Mr. Obama actually stupid? I tend to think it's a combination of socialist fascism and stupidity, but on the other hand, wouldn't one expect stupid people to be drawn to Socialism and Marxism? Food for further thought may be found here at the Wall Street Journal. ITEM: Yes, It's The Seminal Sexual—Er, Non-Sexual--Er, Slutty—OK, so no one really knows what it was, but it's called the "Slutwalk," and it took place in San Francisco (surprised?). It's about protesting about being called a slut while simultaneously demanding the sisterly liberation of being a slut, or something. Oh yes, and it's a protest against rape, which as we all know, everyone thinks is just the sweetest thing. Anyway, go here to Pajamas Media where Zombie provides a blow by blow account with many photographs, some of which will not provoke immediate mental trauma. And with that bizarrely informative link, I must once again thank you for stopping by and encourage you to drop in again next Thursday for another edition of Quick Takes! Keep on slutwalkin'!Posted by: MikeM at 12:14 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
August 10, 2011
EV Follies for August 10, 2011
As regular readers know, I've been following the fortunes—such as they are-of the two electric vehicles—EVs—currently on the market: The Chevy Volt, which is a very expensive pseudo hybrid rather than a pure EV, and the Nissan Leaf, which is a pure EV, running on internal battery power or nothing, and considering the range limitations of these vehicles on battery power, nothing is the rule rather than the exception. If you wish to probe about in the archives to read my scribblings, type "Chevy Volt" into the site search feature on the right hand side of the CY home page.
Presented for your approval: A round up of recent information on these vehicles. Consumer Warning: It will not tend to make you burn with a touchy-feely desire to rush right out and buy a Volt or a Leaf. #1: Volt Sales Skyrocketing! Jonathan Last at the Weekly Standard (here) tells us that Chevy sold 281 Volts in February and thus far, not quite 2700. On the other hand, Chevy is planning to ramp up production to 5000 per month to keep up with—demand? Did they say "demand?" So they did. On the other hand, in the Age of Obama, spending is saving, flushing money down the toilet is stimulus, we've had a "Summer of Recovery" that wasn't, and leadership is done from behind, so I suppose it makes sense to produce 5000 units per month of a car that is only selling 281 per month. I had no idea that's what demand was. Good thing we have people like Mr. Obama, Mr. Geithner and Mr. Bernanke to explain these complex things to us. #2: A brief story in the Telegraph (here) outlines one of the most powerful reasons not to buy an electric car: battery replacement cost. Apparently only 680 EVs have been purchased in England thus far in 2011 despite a government grant of approximately $8,152 (today's conversion rate) for each EV. The biggest problem, though, is that the Leaf's battery might need to be replaced, according to Nissan, "after a few years," depending on how it's used. Chevy is claiming that Volt batteries will last 10 years and cost anywhere from $8000 to $10,000 to replace, this on top of a MSRP of about $41,000 (not including $7500 government rebate or $2000+ for an optional fast charger), however, 10 year is almost certainly hopenchangey wishful thinking. Nissan is being far more honest than Chevy, but their numbers are even worse. In the UK, a Leaf sells for $50,545, minus the government grant of $8,152, it's still a hefty $42,393. But the best part is that the Leaf battery, which is comprised of many smaller cells, will cost $31,618 if all the cells have to be simultaneously replaced (a virtual certainty). It's possible I'm making math mistakes here, I am an English teacher after all, but my currency converter tells me that these numbers are accurate, at least today. If that's so, why would anyone want to buy a Leaf, particularly in England? Replacing the batteries is 75% of the MSRP of the car! #3: Popular Mechanics has recently completed a long term driving test of a Leaf, and in this article, provides a cautionary tale applicable to state of the art EVs. What's up? Starting with an indicated 28 miles of range, the author headed for work, slightly less than 28 miles distant, but quickly discovered that an indicated 28 miles was more like—a whole bunch less in real world driving conditions. The upshot is he was able, by chance, to find a friendly Nissan dealer who allowed him to charge—for two hours (?!)—providing just enough charge to make it to work. Reminder: The commute was lengthened by more than two hours so that the author could just barely make it—in maximum slow, pamper the battery mode—to work. Remind me again why I ever thought of buying a Leaf? Oh, that's right: I never have thought of buying a Leaf! Whew! That was a close one! #4: Smacked in the face by environmental reality! Our pal Rob at PACNW Righty (here) has a great article on these issues, which includes cost analysis and the eco-realities of building and demolishing EVs and hybrids. Be sure to read the entire article, including the "emotional" section. Car ownership is a complex matter, and issues of resale value, fuel savings, and reliability often take a back seat to more frivolous matters such as sex appeal, prestige, and in the case of the Volt or Leaf, greenie street cred. This is a good thing for those who plan to buy such vehicles, as they will surely never save money by purchasing a vehicle significantly more expensive than conventionally powered, far more flexible vehicles. The Continuing Verdict: The technology just isn't sufficiently advanced to make such vehicles commercially viable. Massive government tax credits and grants alone make that clear, but the reality that such vehicles will not save their owners a dime, short or long term, should bring this experiment to a rapid close. I suspect that will be the case should Mr. Obama be retired to the links in 2012.Posted by: MikeM at 12:24 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Interest Clairvoyance
Just a few thoughts, gentle readers, on a rather remarkable but little reported factoid. Mr. Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, recently announced that he would keep interest rates very low for the next two years. Does this sound remarkable? It should. Consider:
(1) The Fed virtually never makes long-range prognostications. Until now, Fed Chairmen have understood that the economy is prone to unforeseeable changes, and planning more than a few months ahead is foolish. The necessity of corrections is a reality that can't be predicted. (2) Market forces beyond Mr. Bernanke's control can, and likely will, force interest rates up. The multi trillion pound wheel of the credit downgrade has already started rolling downhill and Mr. Obama and his economic cronies remain stolidly behind it, pushing for all they are worth. (3) Artificially trying to keep interest rates low could have most unfortunate effects on the economy. (4) The economy is—how to put this gently—unstable. One of the primary reasons businesses aren't hiring and building is because of this instability. They have no idea what the Obama Administration is going to do from minute to minute let alone two years hence. What Mr. Bernanke has said makes as much sense—and has much in common with—Soviet five year plans. (5) The performance of every one of Mr. Obama's high-level economic appointees has been less than inspiring. In fact, Christine Romer, first chair of Mr. Obama's Council of Economic Advisors recently said that the American economy is "pretty darned f***ed." Ms. Romer, recently (thankfully!) retired from government service, was one of the primary architects of that f***ing. This is known as "irony." (6) One might be forgiven for thinking that rather than being the Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States of America Mr. Bernanke is the shadow chairman of the Obama reelection committee. Unlike Mr. Bernanke, I can make a prediction that will almost certainly come to pass: If Mr. Obama is re-elected, even if interest rates remain low, American businesses will not celebrate by means of hiring and expansion. They will realize, then as now, that our economy is in fact, "pretty darned f***ed," and that Mr. Obama is the primary economic porn film actor. This too is commonly known as irony.Posted by: MikeM at 12:18 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
August 09, 2011
Typical Leftist Wants to Introduce Us to the Reeducation Camps
Via SayUncle, proof that the violent totalitarianism the pervades leftist ideology remains deeply rooted in their fragile psyches:
Like Chance, I'd invite Mr. Wells and any assembly of his friends he can muster to try to make his fantasy a reality.
Many times I've riffed on a dark, delicious fantasy about rounding up Tea Bagger types and sentencing them to green re-education camps for minimum one-year terms. Not to punish per se but to expose these contemptible morons to facts, to truth, to the way things really are and how they're being played by the rich, and the fact that Boomers have taken almost everything and that diminished lifestyles and economic security are being bequeathed to Genx and GenY for decades to come, and that the best is definitely over.
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 09:55 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
We're With Stupid
Or should I say, that I'm stuck with him until impeachment, his criminal trial, or his electoral defeat.
I'm sure everyone is rolling their eyes about the possibility of impeachment and a criminal trial, but you're not counting on his intellect the way that I am:Every bit of available evidence suggests that Barack Obama is every bit as dumb and arrogant as he appears to be. We're pressing forward with our Gunwalker investigation, and it appears more and more likely that fellow conspirators are going to turn against Eric Holder, Janet Napolitano, other agency directors, prosecutors, and the White House to save themselves from criminal prosecution for their roles in facilitating hundreds of murders. Is our President a man evil enough to sacrifice the lives of citizens in two nations to push a policy goal? Read the evidence—or witness the on-going cover-up—and come to your own conclusions. I'm rather fond of the mental image of ex-President Obama behind bars and facing trail in a Mexican courtroom. Luckily for us, he's just unintelligent enough to put himself there. Update: Via sue in the comments, another biting dissection of Obama's alleged intelligence:
How many times have we heard it said that Mr. Obama is the smartest president ever? Even when he's criticized, his failures are usually chalked up to his supposed brilliance. Liberals say he's too cerebral for the Beltway rough-and-tumble; conservatives often seem to think his blunders, foreign and domestic, are all part of a cunning scheme to turn the U.S. into a combination of Finland, Cuba and Saudi Arabia. I don't buy it. I just think the president isn't very bright. Socrates taught that wisdom begins in the recognition of how little we know. Mr. Obama is perpetually intent on telling us how much he knows. Aristotle wrote that the type of intelligence most needed in politics is prudence, which in turn requires experience. Mr. Obama came to office with no experience. Plutarch warned that flattery "makes itself an obstacle and pestilence to great houses and great affairs." Today's White House, more so than any in memory, is stuffed with flatterers. Much is made of the president's rhetorical gifts. This is the sort of thing that can be credited only by people who think that a command of English syntax is a mark of great intellectual distinction. Can anyone recall a memorable phrase from one of Mr. Obama's big speeches that didn't amount to cliché?
That's one part of a harsh assessment. Make sure you read the whole thing.
It has become obvious, in a sense that cannot be denied, that Obama is a fundamentally stupid man. He has all the equipment, all the training, would probably do well on all the tests -- but it doesn't come together and produces no worthwhile results. He knows all the buzzwords, and how to get them across. He easily impresses crowds and onlookers so long as the questions don't get too detailed. But he can't turn any of this into action. Everyhing he touches, without exception, falls to pieces. He has no single political success to his record. His administration is one endless Gobi, lifeless and bare. Compared to Obama, even Warren Harding, the last man on everybody's list, looks like a beleaguered giant. What we have in Obama is the stupidest man who ever sat in the Oval Office.
Mike Adds: I'd quibble with the author in only one respect: there is no evidence that Mr. Obama has done well on academic tests, or that he would do well on such measures. I have no doubt that at least some of the people with whom I attended college would recall that I was quite good at test taking in general, but there appears to be not a soul who could say the same about Mr. Obama. In fact, there seem to be very few people who recall Mr. Obama doing what one does in college: attending classes, writing papers, etc. For an actual college student, college is more than a full time job, and when one is absent from work, so to speak, it is quite obvious. I rather suspect that his inability to test well, perhaps even to complete classes, is the reason that his undergraduate and graduate transcripts are protected by walls of security that would provoke envy in the CIA. Not the sort of thing one sees with the truly intelligent.
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 02:24 PM | Comments (11) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Dear London
It seems your quaint and artificial veneer of civility is falling away, as adults trained to be spoiled children by your culture seem intent on burning their neighborhoods—and just about anyone else's—to the ground. It seems that they are a bit put-out because they aren't getting their "fair turn" sucking on the government teat.
At least that is what your fellow socialists claim. Tell me... how is that working out for you? Specifically, I mean the part where these leeches rip apart and destroy your homes and livelihood, as your prim little government tells you to stand aside and not dare hurt the poor dears. Are you still liking the wussification of your nation, and the acceptance of violence, now that it is your world on fire? Despite the best efforts of our current president and his criminal Attorney General, we don't do that here. We have a response for looters. From our perspective it's called "outbound fire."
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 10:46 AM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
The Fit Has Hit The Shan
The economy is going so well that the host of one of the most popular radio morning shows in our rather large market area spent at least a good half hour this morning talking about his disaster preparation plans, and stocking up for survival with like-minded families.
The few callers to the show had an interesting mix of reactions. Some thought he had clearly gone off the deep end, and very bluntly stated—almost directly—that " it can't happen here." Others thought he was very much on the right track. It was interesting to listen to the host calmly insist such preparation is a form of insurance, which is a sentiment I share. You have home insurance, car insurance, medical insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, flood insurance... all designed around the theory that it just makes sense to be prepared as you can be for those eventualities. Disaster preparation is nothing more than an insurance to make sure that your family has access to food, water, and shelter in the even of natural disaster or economic turmoil that could interrupt our normal just-in-time supply chain. Quite frankly, you're rather a bad provider if you don't think ahead for your family's security. I think he made the right call.Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 08:20 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
A Letter From The Teacher, #13: New Year's Resolutions
Anytown High School, Any State, USA
To: Bob, My Most Steamed ColleagueFrom: Mr. English Teacher
Re: What Teachers Know Dear Bob: Well, it's that time again. Just four days from now, we're back in in-service classes and a week beyond that, the kids return. I've been working, as you know, most of the summer on preparing for this year, and I've been in my classroom for the last week—and I will be there all of this week—getting things ready. I wonder why people think teachers spend months laying around and soaking up sun in the summer? I can't ever recall having done that. You? Anyway, most people make their new year's resolutions in late December, but I make mine in early August. I worried a great deal about last year. I just didn't ever feel settled. The year seemed to be passing by very rapidly and always just beyond my grasp. I worry that I didn't do all that I could have done. I worry that I didn't teach the right things in the right ways. I worry that I didn't demand enough of the kids. I've always believed that the art of teaching lies in mastering the small things, the details. So here are my top ten resolutions for the new year. May it be better and more productive than the last.
Posted by: MikeM at 12:20 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Rhetoric vs. Reality
Perhaps the most obvious sign of Mr. Obama's narcissism is his obvious belief that his words have magical powers. He has almost certainly used "I" and "my" more frequently and blatantly than the sum of all presidents before him. He surrounds himself with fawning sycophants, fake Grecian columns, the great seal of Obama, tells members of his party that they can't fail because they have him, travels to Cairo to show Muslims his glory, travels to Germany to show Germans and Europeans his glory, plays golf and vacations like there is no tomorrow and throws a massive, command performance birthday bash for himself—charging as much as $38,000 each for the privilege of attending—while the nation's economy is melting down in unprecedented fashion before a horrified world. He actually said that his reception of the Democrat nomination would be recorded by history as the moment that the seas began to recede and the planet began to heal! Yet all of that pales in significance compared to the narcissism of a man who firmly believes that what the nation—what the world—needs is yet another teleprompter reading from The One.
America is, more than anything, an idea. It is a set of beliefs and values that bind together peoples from all over with the world because they believe that only in America, only in a nation where individuals truly have inalienable rights, where there exists the rule of law, and where the government exists to ensure equality of opportunity, only there can they live in freedom. Only there do they have the opportunity, with the sweat of their brow, with their intellect and abilities, to thrive, to prosper and to instill the American ideal in their children. When enough of the residents of this nation no longer believe, when enough of those who live within our borders no longer see any advantage in being known as an American, America is over. Our financial problems are a symptom. That we have allowed ourselves to fall into this abyss, and to continue to dig, indicates that many of us have abandoned the idea of America, if indeed they ever embraced it. Yet it is not too late. One of the most significant powers of the presidency is, as Teddy Roosevelt said, the Bully Pulpit. Our president can use the power of that pulpit to persuade, but only if he too believes in America. He does not. He believes only in the Socialist worker's paradise that, after the fundamental transformation of America through his brilliance, will exist.Posted by: MikeM at 12:18 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
August 08, 2011
Words, Like Light, Illuminate Much
There is a lot to be revealed by a man, in the words he uses, and why. Words can be used to hurt, they can also be used to free.
After a busy week, I finally had a chance to catch up on some of the news, so much of the media spinning darkness into their own version of truth. Yet there are those beacons of light out there, those who are not afraid to speak up as what what is is important about our country, what we can lawfully and with honesty, hopefully get back. It's a country which was once governed for us, by us, with openness and debate. It was a house in which We The People could speak, not the rampart its become, like one of those fortresses of the Middle Ages, planted with stakes against truth and against the liberty in which to question and be given the answer is the right of man. We need to turn up the light to lay the words bare for examination. Words of the Constitution. Words that could have been scribed in blood, in which you can not just see, you can hear those that fought and died for those freedoms, there in a volley of fire and the diminishing thunder of hooves. Better that, than to be cloistered away in walls of our own making, with only the far away sound of circumvented wind, carrying hollow words that that fly away as dust, without weight.
Brigid
Posted by: Brigid at 08:16 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Dow Down (Bumped) Closes -624.24 (-5.45%)
This isn't pretty.
The JI">Dow Jones Industrial Average has plummeted to begin the trading day after the nation's credit was downgraded from AAA to AA+ by Standard & Poor's after the market closed Friday. Keep your fingers crossed, folks, that this is just a downgrade and that we aren't headed for a complete collapse of the economy as the Cloward-Piven-Obama left so giddily hopes it is. Update: 10:15AM Down-down-down: Dow at -242.11. Update: 10:30AM Dow at -343.15 Update: 11:00AM Dow at -347.84. Stabilizing? I'm going to try not to look again until noon. Update: 1:59PM G U L P! Dow at -445.85, and now below 11,000.
Update: 4:00PM Dow closes at -624.24 (-5.45%), but soon hits -633.17 (-5.53%) and continues to fall after hours.
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 04:01 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Yeah. Right.
He has to. Otherwise, it might interfere with really important matters, like using taxpayer-funded transportation to attend two fund-raising events tonight to raise cash for his reelection campaign.Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 01:16 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
S&P Now Downgrades Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
The hits just keep coming:
Expect the Obama Administration and their Democrat allies in Congress and the Media to now do the very best they can to utterly destroy Standard and Poor's. They don't know how to solve problems nor do they care to learn how to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again. They just intend to shoot the messenger (again), while reassuring Turbo Tax Timmy he's doing a great job on the way to default.
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services on Monday downgraded the credit ratings of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and other agencies linked to long-term U.S. debt. The agency also lowered the ratings for: farm lenders; long-term U.S. government-backed debt issued by 32 banks and credit unions; and three major clearinghouses, which are used to execute trades of stocks, bonds and options. All the downgrades were from AAA to AA+. S&P says the agencies and banks all have debt that is exposed to economic volatility and a further downgrade of long-term U.S. debt. Their creditworthiness hinges on the U.S. government's ability to pay its own creditors.
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 10:30 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Another D O W N G R A D E Possible in Just Months
While our favorite trolls continue to sippy-cup and regurgitate whatever talking point excuses the lefty elites trot out to explain away Standard & Poor's downgrading of the U.S. credit rating from AAA to AA+, the credit agency warns again that if reckless government spending isn't reined in, our debt crisis may force them to lower our credit rating yet again.
You can repeat the basic economic facts on a middle school level as many times as you would like, and it will not matter. Congress was given horrific power when allowed to spend without a requirement to balance the budget every year. We are now so deep in debt as a nation that there is no way—even with 100% taxation of the so-called "rich"—that we can ever raise taxes high enough to bring in enough revenue to offset spending. We must slash spending, and deeply, including the sacred cows of Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. But progressive ideology demands followers to believe that:
The U.S.'s new double A+ rating "could go down more in a time frame of six months to 24 months," to double-A, depending on government action to cut the deficit, John Chambers, managing director and chairman of Standard & Poor's sovereign ratings committee tells FOX Business senior vice president and anchor Neil Cavuto in an interview on FOX News Saturday. That means the U.S. government effectively has until at least February to find additional cuts to meet S&P's demand for at least $4 trillion in total deficit reductions over the next decade. The debt ceiling deal cuts $917 billion over the next decade and at least $1.5 trillion from a new bipartisan super committee in Congress by November. For the first time in history, Standard & Poor’s downgraded the U.S.'s vaunted Triple-A rating to double A+ after the market's close on Friday night, a rating it has held at S&P since 1941.
- Government is the best mechanism to accomplish _______.
- If the _______ government program isn't working, providing more money to _______ is the solution.
- There will always be enough money to fund _______, we just need to raise taxes to pay for it.
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 08:40 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
August 07, 2011
The Wages of Progressivism
Mob violence—in Wisconsin? The birthplace of modern Progressivism? The state that until recently successfully resisted allowing its own citizens to lawfully carry concealed weapons? Wisconsin indeed, as Bob noted in his post titled "Just One More Reason To Carry A Concealed Weapon."
It would be tempting to observe that Progressivism has been less than a civilizing, positive influence in Wisconsin. Consider that union thugs disrupted the traditional Governor's opening of the Wisconsin State Fair, and the bizarre, Mad Max-like attacks on white fair goers by gangs of rampaging black thugs (oops! I mean: "disaffected youths of color expressing their legitimate grievances against the oppressive radical Tea Party power structure"). Yes it would be easy to say all of that and more, but this post is primarily a reminder of the realities of carrying concealed weapons, a practice that I suspect, given the behavior of unions and certain disaffected youths of color—to say nothing of Democrat politicians—will be much on the minds of rational, responsible residents of Wisconsin these days. For those who would like to do more in-depth reading on the issues raised in this article, may I be so bold as to suggest a five-part series I wrote entitled "Me? Own A Gun?" The series explores not only the philosophical, but the moral, legal and practical issues in considerable depth. For that series go to these links: Part 1Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5 WHY CARRY A CONCEALED WEAPON? The short answer is because evil exists and it can and will attack anyone at any place and time. Evil recognizes no boundaries, respects no persons, no race, no gender, no national origin. Evil exists to destroy, to humiliate, to maim and kill. It cannot be reasoned with or appeased. It must be confronted and obliterated. Anyone taking the links in the first two paragraphs will become acquainted with evil, and if they are wise, will realize that those innocents thrown to the ground and brutally beaten as they were leaving the Wisconsin State Fair certainly didn't expect to be attacked that night, nor did they do anything to provoke those attacks. That's the nature of evil, and evil is particularly likely to manifest itself in crowds, but we'll deal with that shortly.
Posted by: MikeM at 10:26 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
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