Right As Usual

I'm watching a public television program about the Tuskegee airmen, and my husband and I are talking about our recent past. We lived in Pittsburgh during the early 70's - at that time, newsboys hawked papers on the corners of the East Liberty streets (where the University was located).  My husband said, "I didn't realize that the Courier was a Black paper". I remember the Post-Gazette and the Courier being sold on the streets.  Pittsburgh was the first city I had ever lived in that had street vendors. Share

I got a new phone today (Droid) and have been playing with all afternoon. In't she purty? Share

The principle of Social Justice, as practiced by the Catholic Church, is often misunderstood. One of the key principles of Catholic social thought is known as the principle of subsidiarity. This tenet holds that nothing should be done by a larger and more complex organization which can be done  as well  by a smaller and simpler organization. In other words, any activity which can be performed by a more decentralized entity should be. This principle is a bulwark of limited government and personal freedom. It conflicts with the passion for centralization and bureaucracy characteristic of the Welfare State. So, that principle is why bulking up the State's taxation system, to forcibly take money from those that have earned it, to give to the poor, is NOT within the limits of charity. It ain't charity if you act like Robin Hood.  And, despite the presence of Friar Tuck, Robin Hood didn't act like a Christian. Share

I was sent this in an email from a very dear friend.  No, it's not PC, but it is funny. ATD : At The Doctor's BFF: Best Friend Farted BTW:  Bring The  Wheelchair BYOT:  Bring Your Own Teeth CBM: Covered By Medicare CUATSC: See You At The Senior Center DWI: Driving While Incontinent FWB: Friend With Beta Blockers FWIW:  Forgot Where I Was FYI: Found Your Insulin GGPBL: Gotta  Go,  Pacemaker  Battery Low! GHA: Got Heartburn Again HGBM: Had Good BM IMHO:  Is My Hearing-Aid On? LMDO: Laughing My  Dentures  Out LOL: Living On Lipitor LWO:   Lawrence  Welk's  On OMMR: On My Massage Recliner OMSG: Oh My! Sorry, Gas. SGGP: Sorry,  Gotta  Go P TTYL:  Talk To You Louder WAITT: Who Am I Talking To? WTFA: Wet The Furniture Again WTP: Where's  The Prunes ? Share

If you go to this link,  you'll find one of my favorites, on the ridiculousness of America's wanting to be an Imperial Power. how the hell did we end up with our fingers in every bowl of soup from Bahrain to Brazil? It's because we're not content to sit around on our behinds while the entire planet collapses without us. If we actually did kick back in our hammocks for a ten-year rest, the Middle East would explode, Taiwan would get swallowed by China and France and Germany would probably be at each other's throats again. Hell, if we took twenty years off it wouldn't surprise me to look at a map and see nothing but a giant swath of China red covering all of Europe, skulls & crossbones covering all of Africa, and nothing but a green patch with the words "Forbidden Zone" where the Middle East used to be. We're the only thing keeping the planet from reverting back to an early 1800's style plunder, war, and rampage philosophy. If you want to p...

Sigh. I wonder if this is how the remnants of the Roman Empire felt as they saw the Visogoths gathering on the horizon. I fear we're in for a tough time of it for many years to come.  As many of the civilizations start to crumble (Europe, Russia - assuming that you consider that a civilization, at this point, perhaps the USA), what will be the end result for our children and grandchildren? What skills will they need?  Where will they get their education?  What rulers will hold sway over their lives? How can we prepare them to not only survive, but to keep the flame of literacy and culture alive until the dawn of the next Renaissance? It does look bad: Abroad, the implications are clear. Russia's economy is now considered an "extreme risk" by the UK risk-assessment group Maplecroft. Criteria include terrorist threats, the rule of law, and the regulatory and business environment. Street violence was virtually unknown in Russia prior to the 1990s but occasio...

OK, it's definitely snide.  It's over-the-top hyperbole.  It's REALLY funny. Forget all that stuff we were saying about knives and gunfights and enemies and hanging Joe Lieberman in effigy, killing Henry Hyde, etc.; that was just our typical, high-spirited use of metaphor. Putting aside all the smashed plate-glass windows, the “Days of Rage,” and the photoshopped pictures of %$#@BUSH#$@! as the love child of Dracula and Hitler; we’re just a bunch of pot-smoking, fun-loving pacifist draft-dodgers at heart. This violence thing — we don’t really mean it, and you know it.   You, on the other hand, could be sitting on the sofa in your living room in your jammies, watching  Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm  with your dozens of dogs and children, slurping a Shave Ice and snuggling with the old ball and chain you’ve been irrationally tethered to for the past 20 years, and we would know — we would just  know  — that under the cushions you’ve got an AK-Uzi with 47 ro...

Lest I be accused of cherry-picking the text, I'm taking it (and the video) from the Huffington Post, a VERY left-wing news organization. I have come here tonight as an American who, like all Americans, kneels to pray with you today and will stand by you tomorrow Well, to be more honest, he DIDN'T kneel. He talked about Judge Rolls (appointed by Bush), and, in doing so, may have undercut prosecution of his killer under federal laws - by implying that his presence was off-the-job. ... was on his way back from attending Mass, as he did every day, when he decided to stop by and say hi to his representative. He mentions several people who were helpful to others in the crisis, including We are grateful for petite Patricia Maisch, who wrestled away the killer's ammunition, and undoubtedly saved some lives. Who he didn't mention was several other people who provided help in disarming Loughner. Maisch, 61, effectively disarmed the shooter as several men pounced on him a...

Let's begin by saying that we can disagree without flinging hate around.  ALL of us.  We are capable of it. When I was a kid, discussing politics with friends, neighbors, and family was common.  Although occasionally the discussion would get heated, nobody died, was assaulted, or even refused to speak to each other ever again. That changed in the 1960's - and I'm ashamed to say, that although I was not one who shouted down speakers, I did little to stop those who did.  That's really when the politics of hate began (at least, in public). It's an Alinksy tactic (and, before, a tactic of the Communist Left - the Old Left). If you don't know Alinsky, I suggest that you learn more about him,  He is the man that developed most of the strategies of the current Left, and a hero to Hillary Clinton (she was offered a job with him after graduation from law school). CORRECTION to the above - she was offered a job with Alinsky BEFORE law school. Alinsky also ...

I enjoyed this - it's an illustrated primer of the REAL history of the "climate of hate" - and it WELL precedes the current crime. I urge everyone to see it - and soak up visually just how vicious the liberals are, when they want to be.  The important thing to remember is that this hate is NOT coming from a fringe - it is coming from open, organized groups, highlighted on the news (as "funny", "cutting edge", and "speaking truth to power"), and NOT condemned by the MSM. While you're looking around, check out this site.  The money quote: When one crazed or ideologically obsessed gunman named Jared Loughner  starts shooting in Arizona, people condemn him and start bemoaning the state of their society. How about a place with ten million people like that who are treated as heroes?  Share

I loved this; it caused me to laugh out loud.  A brief excerpt: Every poll shows that the major concerns of the American people are federal spending, the exploding deficit, and — above all — jobs. Jobs, jobs, jobs: This is what the public is worried about. In a word, the big issue is: jobs. So the Obama administration, displaying the keen awareness that has become its trademark, decides to focus like a laser on: health-care reform. Read more:  http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/01/v-fullstory/1992746/dave-barrys-2010-year-in-review.html#ixzz1AjeEu5vI Share

As usual, Ace has the goods Share

This link is about the recent tragedy in Pakistan, where a decent man, who wanted to pardon a Christian who'd been (wrongly) accused of blasphemy, was killed - and the man who did it was greeted on his release with flowers and praise. Here's an alternative explanation to the story. These people are crazy. They live in a world that most Europeans left behind when Hieronymus Bosch hung up his paintbrushes -- a world that most contemporary American leave behind somewhere around first grade. I remember well the panic we all felt that year trying to escape some particularly unpopular girl's "cooties." After another year, however, the terror subsided. We began to lead rational lives.  Not so in the great Islamic Republic.   The phobias, irrational fears, superstitions, and delusions that most cultures would ascribe to madness are part of daily life.   The place is a lunatic asylum. Thank god they live on the other side of the world. But of course, as 9/11 showed, that...

I teach in a school, and am constantly reminded that frugality is becoming a lost virtue.  This article reminded me of the extent to which that quality formerly reached. In my own life, I waste money all the time - most of us do.  We buy snacks we don't need (and add to our weight problems), splurge on  toys and entertainment, pay too much because we're in too big a hurry to bargain-hunt, buy convenience foods, and incur charges for doing all that on credit. It's sloppy money management.  And, although I do make an effort to watch my spending, I'm guilty of wasting money in many ways. When I hear people talk about how broke they are, and how "someone" needs to give them money, I do question their need, if they have cable, ready-made snacks, junk food, and cell phones in their house. BTW, all of the above are LUXURIES. Share

Egypt has Muslims willing to offer themselves as human shields to protect the Coptic people at Mass. Well done - they have reached out in a way that will lead us to begin to heal and trust them. What a beautiful story. Share

I have some advice for the new Freshmen Congress – particularly those that have an “R” after their name. You can't afford to make any ethical mistakes. Any. For, you know that the “D” people will be out to cut you down – especially those of you who show any promise of performing at a higher level. So, with that in mind, I'm suggesting that you follow my Tootsie Rules (so named, due to the MANY careers derailed after fooling around with a Tootsie). Don't fool around – with either amateurs OR professionals. If your sex life sucks, either live a chaste life, or, WHEN caught (you WILL be caught, you know), admit everything outright. Admit you're a dog. Admit you've failed your marriage. Admit you've fallen short of your own ethical standard. Then, either: Let your wife divorce you – be prepared to give up just about everything, financial and otherwise. From that point on, actually stay celibate – use a testosterone inhibitor, if you have to –...

Kevin D. Williamson has a cogent take-down of ALL the reasons that Traver is not the man to head the BATF - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. He also argues that the agency should be eliminated - personally, I like the idea.  It's functions could be taken over by the FBI, and the agents could be re-assigned to either FBI, ICE, TSA, or other agency - or, if the agent's record indicates it, released to the open job market. Share

Surprisingly readable, and fascinating in the aspects that haven't been covered by the traditional media.  I've been reading an electronic copy from the online public library (BTW, a great way to read books.  The downside is that the choices are OVERWHELMINGLY liberal - VERY few conservative books, no matter how high on the best-seller lists). Joan takes a look at the way that politics is covered in election years.  She points out that coverage is driven by the electronic media - TV, cable, and the like, so much so, that the print reporters and the convention delegates are treated as "extras" in the show that elections have become. Share