A Sensible Word About Gay Marriage

First time I heard anyone besides me make this argument.

First of all, fools, the courts in California are not the enemy. Courts do not legislate, no matter what Sondra Sotomayer thinks. Courts decide, based on the rule of law, whether legislation passed by the voters or enacted by elected legislators is constitutional and valid. That’s what the court in California did: affirming the constitutionality of a measure Democrats in California passed in large numbers while electing Dr. Utopia president.

Yes, fools, DEMOCRATS, not Republicans, are to blame for Prop-8.

No matter how many times Tom Hanks and the Hollywood crowd tries to tell you differently, Dr. Utopia won California by a healthy margin in 2008. Prop-8 passed on the same day by a healthy margin. 85% of Dr. Utopia’s black supporters also voted for Prop-8, more than any other group who supported the measure. 95% of those black voters in California are Democrats.

Democrats, Democrats, Democrats.

That's the way to put the smack down on them, Hillbuzz!

Just Another Job an American Won't Do

This bothers me - I'm a rabid Cleveland Indians fan. Just watched Major League last week (it's a Rite of Spring).



So, when it appears that Americans are displaced from jobs by Columbian players, primarily to save money, it's time to take action.

Check out these links to the story, the original post about the Yuma League, the news story, and a followup post on VDare.

Pay special attention to the money issue - it's another variant of the same issue that other fields overrun by these "temporary workers" have been pretending isn't a problem.

Why Conservatives Are Complaining About the National Debt Now

I get it. Many people I know are saying

What is the BIG deal about federal spending right now? Didn't George Bush already spend like a drunken sailor?

My apologies to sailors who have imbibed too much.

Well, I found this video that explains it all rather nicely, and doesn't overburden you with numbers - just a low-key presentation of the recent history of the national debt.

Just Because You Call a Tail a Leg...

...doesn't make it a leg - Abraham Lincoln, on the folly of substituting wishes for reality.

The post by Spengler (David Goldman) in First Things, skewers the wishful thinking of many of the Obamaniacs.

has given us cosmetic solutions that we might call civitaplasty, turning a terrorist gang into a state; fiducioplasty, making a bunch of bankrupt institutions look like functioning banks; creditoplasty, making government seizure of private property look like a corporate reorganization; matrimonioplasty, making same-sex cohabitation look like a marriage; and interfecioplasty, making murder look like a surgical procedure.

There is a consistent theme to the administration's major policy initiatives: Obama and his advisors start from the way they think things ought to be and work backwards to the uncooperative real world. If reality bars the way, it had better watch out.

I'm all for positive thinking. But, the end result should bear some resemblance to reality.

And the smoke-and-mirrors makeover of our economy doesn't.

Diversity Training - Does It Work? Does It Matter?

I've found a great post on diversity training. The amazing part is what it has found out about the results - after training, the numbers of women, Black men, and Black women in high positions actually fell, not rose.

We Are So Scre**d

I know many students in high school take various social studies courses. At my school, students take Civics & Economics. So, I assumed that they actually learned something about how our economy works.

I read this post today, and, after the final tests, I'm going to survey them as to their understanding about the American system - in short, I'm going to ask them to state "What is Capitalism?" Given the level of understanding of the students whose answers are below, I'm more than a little fearful of what they'll write:

In January, for instance, I surveyed 50 recent high school graduates, now all in college or on their way. To the question, "Define capitalism in 10 to 20 words," here are some of the written responses, not atypical:

"Capitalism is making the most money for the government and having the government control the people."

"Capitalism is the money that is in the government. It is when the government controls all the money."

"Capitalism is based on a money-hungry nation, seeking to establish power through money."

"Capitalism is when an economy is based on the needs of the people."

"Capitalism is when the government takes a bigger role in the economy and controls more things."

"Capitalism is when the government is the only one deciding laws and regulations."

"I have no clue what capitalism is because I've never paid any attention to politics or the world around me until this year."

"Capitalism is everything that makes our government run properly."

"Capitalism is how the government is run. It is the government system."

I just hope the kids at my school have had the benefit of good teaching.

I hope. Because otherwise, I truly fear for the stability of my retirement.

Just Like The Fonz

Some of us may remember "Happy Days" - no, I don't mean before the election - it's OVER, so move on. Happy Days was a sitcom, viewed in the 80's, but set in the 50's. There was a very funny episode where The Fonz, the ultra-cool greaser, has to admit that he was wrong.

And he can't. He tries "I was Wr-----", but the words won't come out. He finally settles for a variation - "I was not right".

Obama is The Fonz - incapable of admitting an error. Sister Touldah points to a column in the National Review by Rich Lowry on that very topic. The money quote?

there Obama stands, bravely holding his flanks against straw men on all sides.

"Remember Me"

As you head into Memorial Day, take the time to watch this.

Then tell a vet or active servicemember that you love them, you appreciate them, and that you always will.

Danny, Michelle, and David, Thank You.

The 5 Tat Commandments

This is funny.

"If You Go Any Further, You Will Die"

What is London like, now that there are many Muslims from other countries?

Has it become an Islamic paradise, filled with the richness of Muslim learning and intellectual philosophy?

Nah.

On Holocaust Memorial Day 2008, a group of just under 100 people—Londoners and a few visitors —took a guided tour of the old Jewish East End...

The tour was abruptly terminated when the group was pelted with stones, thrown by “youths”—or to be slightly less evasive, in the current euphemism of Fleet Street, “Asian” youths. “If you go any further, you’ll die,” they shouted, in between the flying rubble.

A New Yorker who had just moved to Britain to start a job at the Metropolitan University had her head cut open and had to be taken to the Royal London Hospital at Whitechapel, causing her to miss the Holocaust Day “interfaith memorial service” at the East London Central Synagogue. Her friend, Eric Litwack from Canada, was also struck but did not require stitches. But if you hadn’t recently landed at Heathrow, it wasn’t that big a deal, not these days: Nobody was killed or permanently disfigured. And given the number of Jewish community events that now require security, perhaps Her Majesty’s Constabulary was right and these Londoners walking the streets of their own city would have been better advised to do so behind a police escort.

Read the rest- it's both chilling and reminiscent of Holocausts past. I never thought I would see mobs in a modern state screaming "kill the Jews" - but it is happening today.

The Buck Stopped THERE

Say what you will about Truman (and the man did have his flaws, errors, and mistakes), it didn't kill him to be out of step with the crowd (Obama could take a lesson from him).

Truman was a typical man of his times - early twentieth century - a go-getter, decisive, untroubled by action, and not over-burdened with worry about others' opinions of him. He was the antithesis of modern politicians, such as Jimmy Carter, John Kerry, and Barack Obama, all of whom demonstrate Hamlet-like traits of blowing with the wind of others' opinions.

Truman had confidence in what he knew and believed. He had no pretensions to intellectual posturing; but he wasn't cowed by highly educated "experts". The State Department couldn't bully him into not recognizing Israel - it must have driven them CRAZY. Think of the State Department's groupthink mentality at that time - there WERE Communists in the Dept. - the Verona Papers, released when the Soviet Union collapsed, prove that decisively. Those who weren't members of the Party often shared similar philosophies - bowing to world opinion, eschewing moral imperatives for expediency, towing the "good liberal" line. State was a gathering place for effete elitists, who revelled in the atmosphere of the Ivy "in crowd".

How they hated him - and how he disdained them.

The Enlightened Redneck

OK, I LOVED the video on this site.

Go - I'll wait. Then come back, and tell me how much you loved it.

Freaky Bear

I really enjoyed the sense of humor of the person that mashed this up:

Military Rights Voting Project on Facebook

From Wikipedia:

The U.S. Census Bureau lists 3,140 counties or county-equivalent administrative units in total. There are on average 62 counties per state.

What the Military Rights Voting Project (MVRP) has to do is make sure that all of them have in place procedures to:

• Handle military voting registrations and absentee ballots in a timely manner.
  
• Send out absentee ballots in time for overseas/military mail to be received, marked, and returned. It would be great if any person with a .mil email address could be sent their ballot electronically.
  
• Allow electronic registrations from any resident with a .mil email address.
  
• Work with the military to allow bulk, non-postmarked handling of military ballots.
  
• Count the votes.

Now, that doesn't seem to be that difficult. But, it will take some planning and coordination.

I need help. I can't do it all by myself, at least as long as I have to work for a living. Here's what I need:

1. Forward information about MVRP to everyone you know, via email, posting on Facebook sites, face-to-face contact, whatever. If you have contact with families in the military, or know someone who does, even better. Get the message out, and let those who, like us, want those who fight for democracy to be able to experience it as well, step up to the plate.
   
2. Technical assistance. If you have experience with setting up online registration (name, address, city, state, county, contact info), even better.
   
3. Volunteer to be point person for your state. Be the person who makes sure that every county is contacted, and that the rules for handling the paperwork at the county board of elections is uniform.

That's all I can think of now. I'll gladly accept any suggestions.

Was it a Tax CUT, or a Tax Credit?

The money that is showing up in most people's paycheck - isn't that SPECIAL! President Obama loves the little people so much, he just yearns to give us FREE MONEY!

Or is it?

Face it, if you believe that this money is FREE, you've been duped. It represents less withholding, which, for the math-impaired, means that you're gonna owe Uncle Sam MORE money next April 15th.

Don't believe me? Think it's sneaky Right-Wing propaganda?

Check out this. Go to the AP link, and see for yourself.

Why Jon Stewart is an Idiot

Bill Whittle delivers the spanking Jon Stewart so richly deserves here. It's 17 minutes long, and SO worth it.

Why Prosecuting Lawyers for Their Advice on Torture is Wrong

This isn't going to be a long post. I simply urge anyone who truly believes in the "rule of law" to read this link, and think about the consequences of what Obama is planning to do.

This isn't the first time this situation has come up - that a successor has brought his predecessor's supporters up on criminal charges. Let me remind you of one singular case:

After Henry VII ascended the English throne at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, he set the date of the start of his reign earlier than the battle and threatened the supporters of the defeated Richard III with treason. Men who had defended the "rightful" king were being accused of offences against the usurping king. (from BBC News)

After some back-and-forthing, Henry VII capitulated, and the men were released. How does this apply today?

Those who give their loyalty and advice to the previous ruler may not be prosecuted for those actions. That, in essence, is what the lawyers who were asked their opinion about torture were doing - giving their legal opinion. They may NOT be prosecuted, even if that advice was in error.

Obama's supporters want to see heads roll - they are Madame Defarge and her allies, eager to see the "enemies of the people" led to the guillotine. Obama has put the CIA and the military off-limits to prosecution. He had to give the mob SOMEONE - he chose the lawyers as the ones who would be least liked.