January 27, 2010
SOTUS 2010
Random, real time stream of consciousness thoughts on the State of the Union speech. Now mercifully hidden below the fold.
Other reactions here, here, here and Wonderduck has one of the healthiest and well grounded SOTUS night posts right here.
more...
Random, real time stream of consciousness thoughts on the State of the Union speech. Now mercifully hidden below the fold.
Other reactions here, here, here and Wonderduck has one of the healthiest and well grounded SOTUS night posts right here.
more...
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January 05, 2010
Economic Indicators
In the comments to an earlier post Steven Den Beste asks how the Christmas rush went at UPS last month.
Specific numbers are, of course, proprietary. However, volume was down a bit overall. It seemed that we had a little more volume going to the stores than last year. It also seemed that residential deliveries were down a bit from last year. Both of these observations are subjective and as I was completely uninvolved in any deliveries this year (for the first time in 16 years) I was in a poor position to gauge, but that was certainly the way things seemed to be rolling. I suppose this makes sense last year the retailers were a bit panicked by the crash and consumers hadn't groked the gravity of the situation, whereas this year consumers are looking at the job market with fear and retailers desperately need to clear inventory for tax purposes.
Even to the extent these observations are accurate they may not be typical. Southeastern Virginia got quite a kick in the teeth with the closing down of the meat packing plants, paper mill and sawmill in Isle of Wight County as well as several businesses (trucking companies for instance) dependent on their operations. This happened right before Thanksgiving.
It's also hard to get a good feel for the overall picture because volume was deperessed for several days due to weather delays.
Interestingly, despite the lower overall volume, we had what was, I believe, our heaviest day ever in our building. This was due to the backlog of stuff that had been delayed by the big snowstorm arriving all at once, on what would have already been the heaviest day of the year.
Cardboard tsunami.
All in all not terribly encouraging, but not quite the disaster some had feared. As an aside, the last two days have been exceedingly hectic, due again to dealing with the backlog of weather delays
Specific numbers are, of course, proprietary. However, volume was down a bit overall. It seemed that we had a little more volume going to the stores than last year. It also seemed that residential deliveries were down a bit from last year. Both of these observations are subjective and as I was completely uninvolved in any deliveries this year (for the first time in 16 years) I was in a poor position to gauge, but that was certainly the way things seemed to be rolling. I suppose this makes sense last year the retailers were a bit panicked by the crash and consumers hadn't groked the gravity of the situation, whereas this year consumers are looking at the job market with fear and retailers desperately need to clear inventory for tax purposes.
Even to the extent these observations are accurate they may not be typical. Southeastern Virginia got quite a kick in the teeth with the closing down of the meat packing plants, paper mill and sawmill in Isle of Wight County as well as several businesses (trucking companies for instance) dependent on their operations. This happened right before Thanksgiving.
It's also hard to get a good feel for the overall picture because volume was deperessed for several days due to weather delays.
Interestingly, despite the lower overall volume, we had what was, I believe, our heaviest day ever in our building. This was due to the backlog of stuff that had been delayed by the big snowstorm arriving all at once, on what would have already been the heaviest day of the year.
Cardboard tsunami.
All in all not terribly encouraging, but not quite the disaster some had feared. As an aside, the last two days have been exceedingly hectic, due again to dealing with the backlog of weather delays
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November 21, 2009
My Hat is in the Ring
With the wave of citizen activism sweeping the country in this time of crisis I can no longer sit idle.
I hereby announce my candidacy for the seat in the United States House of Representatives that will represent the unassigned congressional district of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Among my qualifications:
As I am currently homeless, I am able to meet the strict residency requirements for a congressional district that has not existed since 1935.
My legislative experience is, likewise, nonexistent.
I have no degree at this time.
*I will also work to protect "you" (my constituents) from the existential threat of the Dero who even now conspire against our democracy.
*I oppose listing the Mothman as an endangered species due to the principle that PEOPLES SAFETY MUST TAKE PRIORITY!
*I oppose deportation for the Bat Child as he is a natural born citizen.
*I support composting toilets.
* I support the teaching of the number eleventy in our schools.
THEREFORE
I hereby announce my candidacy for the seat in the United States House of Representatives that will represent the unassigned congressional district of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Among my qualifications:As I am currently homeless, I am able to meet the strict residency requirements for a congressional district that has not existed since 1935.
My legislative experience is, likewise, nonexistent.
I have no degree at this time.
ON THE ISSUES
*As
your Representative...whoever "YOU" are....I pledge to work tirelessly
to reduce the deficit through budget policies that are flexible...yet
firm....bendable yet straight...and FAIR TO EVERY AMERICAN! *I will also work to protect "you" (my constituents) from the existential threat of the Dero who even now conspire against our democracy.
*I oppose listing the Mothman as an endangered species due to the principle that PEOPLES SAFETY MUST TAKE PRIORITY!
*I oppose deportation for the Bat Child as he is a natural born citizen.
*I support composting toilets.
* I support the teaching of the number eleventy in our schools.
NO ONE IS MORE OBJECTIVELY QUALIFIED TO LEAD NOTHING THAN THE BRICKMUPPET!!
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October 22, 2009
Dialup SUCKS! But there are far more hideous things to have to deal with.
Via Cdr Salamander, some powerful perspective from Penn Gillette.
Do watch the whole thing.
Do watch the whole thing.
In the last few years, I've lost friends over similar conversations that had many of the same elements. Patronizing condescension, backhanded compliments and finally....the ultimatum. I know what he's going through...and it is very very hurtful.
I should note that Beck, while certainly bit of a loon, is very civil with his guests and lets them talk even if he disagrees with them. This utter departure from current opinion journalism procedures ought to be encouraged rather than boycotted.
UPDATE: Related item here. Though, thankfully, not as related as I previously thought.
I should note that Beck, while certainly bit of a loon, is very civil with his guests and lets them talk even if he disagrees with them. This utter departure from current opinion journalism procedures ought to be encouraged rather than boycotted.
UPDATE: Related item here. Though, thankfully, not as related as I previously thought.
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September 27, 2009
Something That Has Bugged Me for 5 Months
Normally, unless it's just a couple of quick links with little commentary, I put Politics type posts under the fold.
Not today.
I've fitfully tried to write this post since back in May when It began as a collection of capsule reviews of various films and TV episodes I'd seen at a friends house in Northern Virginia. However a brief conversation we had that afternoon is far more important..and frankly has been difficult to blog about.
Now my friend and I have a lot of shared interests and we tend to agree on a lot considering the considerable differences in our world view. He doesn't believe in the second amendment, nor the tenth amendment, and is for all sorts of restrictive zoning regulations....yet he calls himself a libertarian. Despite this intellectual incoherence he is a good man and I have developed a great deal of respect for him over the years. His views on matters of govt were likely formed from his upbringing in the urban Northeast, specifically New York City, where life is so interconnected and dependent upon public services that the notions of individualism, and self sufficiency range from being understandably alien to simply not being understood in quite the same way these concepts are in the rest of the country. I really think that the culture in that part of the U.S. is rather more different from the rest than is generally appreciated. My worldview, formed in the coastal southeast, is likely just as weird to him.
However, such differences in perspective as his and mine (and there are at least half a dozen distinct examples of this sort of regional outlook not to mention the myriad of ethnic perspectives) are one of the things that have given the US such a robust ability to deal with issues...but perhaps not for much longer.
You see, at some point during the evening the conversation turned to my experiences in school and I related that for the second time my being allowed into an upper level course was being questioned...that is for the second time in a couple of years I had a fellow student in one of my classes ask how a person with my beliefs was ALLOWED to attend an upper level class.
No really....
The specific example of college idiocy discussed is not really relevant and so is hidden behind this spoiler tag
My friend was quite appropriately appalled and we marveled at the ability of the myrmidons to miss the point of college. I joked that I had obviously missed my political correctness codebook...
....and at that point everything changed....
My friends mood changed, he gave me a stern look and told me that amongst his progressive friends, anyone who used the phrase "Politically Correct" was considered to be a bigot because they want to be able to say such things as 'ni**er' and 'fa##ot'. He went on to say that he agreed and anyone who used the phrase...he thought less of.
Now I should have said that on the rare occasions that I find anyone spouting such passive agressive Orwellian fucktardery I think much less of them.
But I didn't....I've known this guy too long and known him to be too good a person for that.
So, I defended my position but he cut me off and flatly said that he was not going to debate this....it is a sign of bigotry, and racism.... the end.
I almost walked out...
Being called a racist comes under fighting words.
If it had been nearly anyone else it would have ended right there, but I've known him for over a decade. He is a genuinely good guy.
His "advice" however, is not just wrong, it is destructive.
Here is why....
Courtesy is a very desirable impulse...but when it is enforced by government it is not genuine courtesy....it becomes Political correctness and that is just about the greatest threat to the nations discourse there is. While not quite as bad as it was a few years ago college is like walking on eggshells and its getting worse again. A viewpoint, an opinion, a word is declared intolerant..to protect someones feelings of course...the list expands because "feelings" are fragile things, especially if one loses an argument. Racial slurs are beyond the pale of polite conversation but now we have people looking for "code words" This is a power play...to control the floor and shut down debate. It is a testament to how far we have come that Americans, by and large are disgusted by racists, so much so that calling someone a racist is the equivalent of slaping them with a glove....but without the opportunity of a duel to clear their name...racists are quite properly pariahs in polite society. This gives the truly vile a tool in Political Correctness the number of "code words" and taboo viewpoints expands until finally....talking about POLITICAL CORRECTNESS defines one as a racist homophobe.
One could simply acquiesce and call it what it is, an Orwellian mind game to declare opposing viewpoints double-plus-ungood...of course in a matter of months my friends progressive acquaintances would inform him that the words Orwellian and double plus ungood are...well...the language of racists and homophobes...
This has been going on on for decades and a whole generation of students and now voters has learned to keep their heads down on this. Noted racist Dave Barry has some no doubt deeply offensive observations.
This has larger implication for our civics....
Infamous homophobe Gay Patriot has some thoughts about how this fear mongering is used to stifle political debate.
One result is that people who are worried by charts like this
....this
and people who are give the Pyongyang creeps by this...
...this...
...or this...
..are racist.
Now people who have been concerned about ACORN, an organization with ties to vote fraud, the mortgage crisis and...child prostitution....well those people are racists.
So..what do we call the actual racists now?
I suggest acorns.
The price of this fear driven newspeak is to cheapen the real atrocities and stifle freedom of expression. It is so pernicious, so pervasive that my friend, who quite rightly laments the Hayes code and CCA in casual conversation, made this post possible.
We can't communicate with each other or learn from one another if we are forever walking on eggshells.
Political correctness is a plague, a pestilence and it is frankly un-American. I walk on eggshells enough of the time at school. I'll damn well say political correctness if I please.
Just not when I'm around my friend apparently.
UPDATE: Well, the fellow read the post and sent me a long and thoughtfull missive via E-mail that included thoughts along the lines of: "How could you have thought I mea...Oh wait I guess I DID say that!" He pointed out that he managed to express almost the opposite of what he meant to say due in part to sleep deprivation. He also had other thoughts on the use of political correctness as a means to dismiss an argument, and the fact that the whole tone of such conversations has become depressing. His E-mail was quite well thought out and thought provoking....but being an idiot I lost it while deleting birther spam. NEXT TIME USE THE COMMENTS.
On a lighter note: What we had watched is not germane to the post but can be seen here
more...
Not today.
I've fitfully tried to write this post since back in May when It began as a collection of capsule reviews of various films and TV episodes I'd seen at a friends house in Northern Virginia. However a brief conversation we had that afternoon is far more important..and frankly has been difficult to blog about.
Now my friend and I have a lot of shared interests and we tend to agree on a lot considering the considerable differences in our world view. He doesn't believe in the second amendment, nor the tenth amendment, and is for all sorts of restrictive zoning regulations....yet he calls himself a libertarian. Despite this intellectual incoherence he is a good man and I have developed a great deal of respect for him over the years. His views on matters of govt were likely formed from his upbringing in the urban Northeast, specifically New York City, where life is so interconnected and dependent upon public services that the notions of individualism, and self sufficiency range from being understandably alien to simply not being understood in quite the same way these concepts are in the rest of the country. I really think that the culture in that part of the U.S. is rather more different from the rest than is generally appreciated. My worldview, formed in the coastal southeast, is likely just as weird to him.
However, such differences in perspective as his and mine (and there are at least half a dozen distinct examples of this sort of regional outlook not to mention the myriad of ethnic perspectives) are one of the things that have given the US such a robust ability to deal with issues...but perhaps not for much longer.
You see, at some point during the evening the conversation turned to my experiences in school and I related that for the second time my being allowed into an upper level course was being questioned...that is for the second time in a couple of years I had a fellow student in one of my classes ask how a person with my beliefs was ALLOWED to attend an upper level class.
No really....
The specific example of college idiocy discussed is not really relevant and so is hidden behind this spoiler tag
My friend was quite appropriately appalled and we marveled at the ability of the myrmidons to miss the point of college. I joked that I had obviously missed my political correctness codebook...
....and at that point everything changed....
My friends mood changed, he gave me a stern look and told me that amongst his progressive friends, anyone who used the phrase "Politically Correct" was considered to be a bigot because they want to be able to say such things as 'ni**er' and 'fa##ot'. He went on to say that he agreed and anyone who used the phrase...he thought less of.
Now I should have said that on the rare occasions that I find anyone spouting such passive agressive Orwellian fucktardery I think much less of them.
But I didn't....I've known this guy too long and known him to be too good a person for that.
So, I defended my position but he cut me off and flatly said that he was not going to debate this....it is a sign of bigotry, and racism.... the end.
I almost walked out...
Being called a racist comes under fighting words.
If it had been nearly anyone else it would have ended right there, but I've known him for over a decade. He is a genuinely good guy.
His "advice" however, is not just wrong, it is destructive.
Here is why....
Courtesy is a very desirable impulse...but when it is enforced by government it is not genuine courtesy....it becomes Political correctness and that is just about the greatest threat to the nations discourse there is. While not quite as bad as it was a few years ago college is like walking on eggshells and its getting worse again. A viewpoint, an opinion, a word is declared intolerant..to protect someones feelings of course...the list expands because "feelings" are fragile things, especially if one loses an argument. Racial slurs are beyond the pale of polite conversation but now we have people looking for "code words" This is a power play...to control the floor and shut down debate. It is a testament to how far we have come that Americans, by and large are disgusted by racists, so much so that calling someone a racist is the equivalent of slaping them with a glove....but without the opportunity of a duel to clear their name...racists are quite properly pariahs in polite society. This gives the truly vile a tool in Political Correctness the number of "code words" and taboo viewpoints expands until finally....talking about POLITICAL CORRECTNESS defines one as a racist homophobe.
One could simply acquiesce and call it what it is, an Orwellian mind game to declare opposing viewpoints double-plus-ungood...of course in a matter of months my friends progressive acquaintances would inform him that the words Orwellian and double plus ungood are...well...the language of racists and homophobes...
This has been going on on for decades and a whole generation of students and now voters has learned to keep their heads down on this. Noted racist Dave Barry has some no doubt deeply offensive observations.
This has larger implication for our civics....
Infamous homophobe Gay Patriot has some thoughts about how this fear mongering is used to stifle political debate.
One result is that people who are worried by charts like this
....this
and people who are give the Pyongyang creeps by this...
..are racist.
Now people who have been concerned about ACORN, an organization with ties to vote fraud, the mortgage crisis and...child prostitution....well those people are racists.
So..what do we call the actual racists now?
I suggest acorns.
The price of this fear driven newspeak is to cheapen the real atrocities and stifle freedom of expression. It is so pernicious, so pervasive that my friend, who quite rightly laments the Hayes code and CCA in casual conversation, made this post possible.
We can't communicate with each other or learn from one another if we are forever walking on eggshells.
Political correctness is a plague, a pestilence and it is frankly un-American. I walk on eggshells enough of the time at school. I'll damn well say political correctness if I please.
Just not when I'm around my friend apparently.
UPDATE: Well, the fellow read the post and sent me a long and thoughtfull missive via E-mail that included thoughts along the lines of: "How could you have thought I mea...Oh wait I guess I DID say that!" He pointed out that he managed to express almost the opposite of what he meant to say due in part to sleep deprivation. He also had other thoughts on the use of political correctness as a means to dismiss an argument, and the fact that the whole tone of such conversations has become depressing. His E-mail was quite well thought out and thought provoking....but being an idiot I lost it while deleting birther spam. NEXT TIME USE THE COMMENTS.
On a lighter note: What we had watched is not germane to the post but can be seen here
Lucky Star
Secret Saturdays
K-ON
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1916)
Guin Saga
Yozakura
Kimeko DZ
Queens Blade (a show refreshingly devoid of any pretensions of respectability)
Asura Crying
Mazinger Z
Samurai Shinkenjur
Detroit Metal City
if you care. more...
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August 26, 2009
Ted Kennedy 1932-2009
I just learned about the Senators passing. I started to write something but after a quick look around I scrapped my post when I realized that I could not improve in any way on this post by Steven Den Beste, which I will quote in full....
I don't think there's ever been an issue on which I agreed with Ted Kennedy. But I do believe he loved this country, and tried to serve it to the best of his ability, and tried to change it for the better.
I believe he was misguided, but I don't believe he was evil. I think he was a patriot.
We should all remember that we can deeply disagree with our fellow citizens without hating them.
Sincerest condolances to the family and friends of the Senator.
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July 05, 2009
Oh Golly....Look at That
source unknown
source unknown
Oh boy....I'd missed this. Actually I'd heard about it but put it in the same bin with the insane rantings of the birth certificate truthers.Alas, I was wrong. There is a movement to repeal the 22nd Amendment. Now that Obamas's in office we don't need no steenking term limits.. In fact HJ Resolution 5 was one of the first bills brought before the current congress.
Too much can be read into this of course, there is no indication that its gone very far, but, as Neo points out, it puts the Governments position on Honduras in a rather different light.
It certainly doesn't do a damned thing to set peoples minds at ease. I think it's a bad idea all round but it seems particularly ill conceived regards timing. Why would they do that now?
Too much can be read into this of course, there is no indication that its gone very far, but, as Neo points out, it puts the Governments position on Honduras in a rather different light.
It certainly doesn't do a damned thing to set peoples minds at ease. I think it's a bad idea all round but it seems particularly ill conceived regards timing. Why would they do that now?
UPDATE: No seriously, It seems politically stupid and likely to give ammo to the opposition. WTF?
UPDATE2: Unrelated....but the above .gif is appropriate to this. Waugh...Waugh I say.
UPDATE2: Unrelated....but the above .gif is appropriate to this. Waugh...Waugh I say.
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June 29, 2009
Weirdness In Honduras
The Honduran military has overthrown President Zelaya and shipped him to Costa Rica....but...it does not appear to actually be what we normally think of as a coup.
Fausta explains...
It seems that the President of Honduras ordered the military to administer a plebiscite to amend the constitution in a manner directly in violation of said constitution. The amendment in question? He wanted his term limits removed. As I understand it, the military refused to carry out illegal orders, the congress more or less impeached the president with the blessing of the supreme court....and he was removed....but not imprisoned or killed.
The fact that Chavez is deeply upset is reason enough to pause and reflect on whether our governments condemnation of this action is not wrong headed (though it is perhaps, understandable). Military ousters of civilian governments, particularly in Latin America, are worrisome as they often lead to a very dark place. However, it does not appear that this is a military takeover as they reportedly acted on a congressional and supreme court request and the elected legislature has appointed a successor....from the same party as the ousted president.... Also, the military does not seem to be running the country.
Whenever a military overtly "assists" in the transfer of power in any capacity beyond security, it is good and proper to be skeptical, but this doesn't seem right now to be anything but the institutions of a republic working as designed.
And yes, I'm thawing out the crow....just in case.
Fausta explains...
It seems that the President of Honduras ordered the military to administer a plebiscite to amend the constitution in a manner directly in violation of said constitution. The amendment in question? He wanted his term limits removed. As I understand it, the military refused to carry out illegal orders, the congress more or less impeached the president with the blessing of the supreme court....and he was removed....but not imprisoned or killed.
The fact that Chavez is deeply upset is reason enough to pause and reflect on whether our governments condemnation of this action is not wrong headed (though it is perhaps, understandable). Military ousters of civilian governments, particularly in Latin America, are worrisome as they often lead to a very dark place. However, it does not appear that this is a military takeover as they reportedly acted on a congressional and supreme court request and the elected legislature has appointed a successor....from the same party as the ousted president.... Also, the military does not seem to be running the country.
Whenever a military overtly "assists" in the transfer of power in any capacity beyond security, it is good and proper to be skeptical, but this doesn't seem right now to be anything but the institutions of a republic working as designed.
And yes, I'm thawing out the crow....just in case.
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June 13, 2009
Bulletresistant Boddices Bear Belongings and Buttress Babes Bosoms against Belligerents!
Dita Von Teese call your office!
Tactical Corsets!
Every girl should have a tactical corset!
Yes indeed ladies! Shake off the tyranny of the purse! The one true path to freedom and independence is through tight-lacing!
Discuss....
Tactical Corsets!
Every girl should have a tactical corset!
For too long, women have had to compromise practicality for beauty. Men got pants with cargo pockets and built-in knee pads, women got clothes whose only built-in feature was cuteness. But why should men get all the high-speed low-drag tactical toys?
Tactical gear is no longer an all boys club. Tactical Corsets bring female operators MILSPEC features like MOLLE modular pouch attachment webbing and self-adjustable quick-release buckles in a load-bearing carrier designed to support the female form. And we're just getting started.
Yes indeed ladies! Shake off the tyranny of the purse! The one true path to freedom and independence is through tight-lacing!
Discuss....
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March 26, 2009
Necessary Debunkery
Ugh! 2 politix posts in a row....
.... and this one has to stay above the fold due to the need to stamp out a bit of asshattery.
OK Kids, this will come as a shock to some of you but the President of the United States did not read the Irish PM's speech...in its entirety...thanking himself in the process.
The story seems to have begun with a rather muddled AP report.
More on this here. (Via The Instapundit)
Sad that we need the UK's Telegraph to put this to rest.
The Science Babes observe that it is sadder still that so many of us have to play cleanup for our own 2-didgits over this and stuff like the idiot birth certificate story.
I mean it's not like there are not real things to get upset about.
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March 24, 2009
Press Conference Two
An attempt at live blogging the presidents second press conference.
Has been moved where it belongs...below the fold.
more...
Has been moved where it belongs...below the fold.
more...
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March 20, 2009
Above the Fold
OK. I have very little time right now but this needs to be said.
Give the POTUS a break.
The other night the President made a self deprecating comment about his bowling score. In the process he offended some people. It was not a politically correct comment and was inartful for a political leader to utter.
For one thing the fact that the President tried a self deprecating remark is a major improvement over the mini Parthenon of his nomination speech.
This kerfuffle should be given a rest.
Many of us on the right are making the bleedingly obvious point that if Bush , McCain or Palin had said this it would be run into the ground by the press incessantly. Well yes...and it would be wrong...and you know what?We would say so.
This flubbed bit of self deprecation is a non issue.
He has made some cringeworthy faux pas over the last few days and like many of my friends my face is often embedded in my palm over them. But he is our president and this is an exceedingly trivial issue.
There are quite a few issues pertaining to policy that we can, and must oppose him on...I have and I will.
However it is not good to be playing the "gotcha" game and crowing about hurt feelings over a joke. This is stupid and bad for the country.
Political correctness is a bane of our nation and its corrosive effects on free speech need to be fought tooth and nail...including here.
Yes it is delightfully Karmic crow over this and give the Dems a well deserved dose of their own poison, but it is unfair to the office and bad for the country to hound our President over trivialities. It also cheapens our outrage over the many very real, nontrivial issues we have.
I am no fan of the current resident of the White House, but Barak Obama is the President of the United States...he has taken the weight of the world onto his shoulders on our behalf. He damned well deserves not to be hounded over PC trivialities for the good of the nation.
God knows there are enough substantive issues to oppose him on .
Give the POTUS a break.
The other night the President made a self deprecating comment about his bowling score. In the process he offended some people. It was not a politically correct comment and was inartful for a political leader to utter.
Big
Effing
Whoop
Effing
Whoop
For one thing the fact that the President tried a self deprecating remark is a major improvement over the mini Parthenon of his nomination speech.
This kerfuffle should be given a rest.
Many of us on the right are making the bleedingly obvious point that if Bush , McCain or Palin had said this it would be run into the ground by the press incessantly. Well yes...and it would be wrong...and you know what?We would say so.
This flubbed bit of self deprecation is a non issue.
He has made some cringeworthy faux pas over the last few days and like many of my friends my face is often embedded in my palm over them. But he is our president and this is an exceedingly trivial issue.
There are quite a few issues pertaining to policy that we can, and must oppose him on...I have and I will.
However it is not good to be playing the "gotcha" game and crowing about hurt feelings over a joke. This is stupid and bad for the country.
Political correctness is a bane of our nation and its corrosive effects on free speech need to be fought tooth and nail...including here.
Yes it is delightfully Karmic crow over this and give the Dems a well deserved dose of their own poison, but it is unfair to the office and bad for the country to hound our President over trivialities. It also cheapens our outrage over the many very real, nontrivial issues we have.
I am no fan of the current resident of the White House, but Barak Obama is the President of the United States...he has taken the weight of the world onto his shoulders on our behalf. He damned well deserves not to be hounded over PC trivialities for the good of the nation.
God knows there are enough substantive issues to oppose him on .
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March 18, 2009
How Very Fortunate We Are
For the benefit of those with lives or weak constitutions, the hyper-partisan hyperlinks are below the fold....For the benefit of everyone, there's this...
more...
Artist Unknown
more...
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March 10, 2009
Capitolism
Yes Brickmuppeteers, a new word is born.
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March 08, 2009
OK This Crap Needs to End NOW
As anyone who has perused this blog at any length is aware, as a citizen I am NOT an advocate, fan or booster for the current President.
However....
He IS the President and he is damned well due the respect, even in disagreement, that Americans who are not hyperpartisan douchebag putzes accord a holder of that august office. (Just as Bush was.)
I was going to do a normal below the fold politics post on the cacophony of fail currently emanating from the oval office when I discovered that this piece of excrement had arrived in my inbox.
However....
He IS the President and he is damned well due the respect, even in disagreement, that Americans who are not hyperpartisan douchebag putzes accord a holder of that august office. (Just as Bush was.)
I was going to do a normal below the fold politics post on the cacophony of fail currently emanating from the oval office when I discovered that this piece of excrement had arrived in my inbox.
The video is short (2:28 ) and purports to show the different level of regard the USMC has for the previous and current Commander in chief.
Two points:
One....It is quite probable that these were cherry picked speeches. No indication is given of what sort of ceremony the two speeches were for, they may have had different solemnity levels and the different commands may have had different standing orders for their troops.
Two...The United States Armed Forces, while in uniform, do NOT, must NOT play politics. That leads down a trail which ends in blood. Happily, we have a pretty damned professional officer corps whose oath is to uphold the constitution, not any party, so I don't actually see this happening short of an actual suspension of the constitution.
While it is perfectly OK (and IHMO right now necessary) to criticize our President. This video manages at a stroke to disrespect the office, disrespect a man who has taken the weight of the world on his shoulders on our behalf AND dishonor the Marines of Camp Lejune by painting them as disloyal.
This line of attack is libelous, seditious crap and Brickmuppet Blog unequivocally and without reservation condemns it.
UPDATE: I sent this to several Milbloggers a few others.Sent it to some of the Volokh conspirators because I wonder if the video would constitute a violation of the Hatch Act.
UPDATE 2: I'm behind the curve on this one, Greyhawk comments
UPDATE 3: I am off base, this doesn't even come close to a Hatch Act violation. To clarify, I wasn't concerned that the Marines in the vid were violating the Hatch act in any way, but I failed to make that clear. I thought that the vid might have been produced by a servicemember, but even if it was it is merely in poor taste, not any violation of the Hatch Act. Thanks to all those who responded and set me straight.
My opinion of the merits of the video still stands.
One....It is quite probable that these were cherry picked speeches. No indication is given of what sort of ceremony the two speeches were for, they may have had different solemnity levels and the different commands may have had different standing orders for their troops.
Two...The United States Armed Forces, while in uniform, do NOT, must NOT play politics. That leads down a trail which ends in blood. Happily, we have a pretty damned professional officer corps whose oath is to uphold the constitution, not any party, so I don't actually see this happening short of an actual suspension of the constitution.
While it is perfectly OK (and IHMO right now necessary) to criticize our President. This video manages at a stroke to disrespect the office, disrespect a man who has taken the weight of the world on his shoulders on our behalf AND dishonor the Marines of Camp Lejune by painting them as disloyal.
This line of attack is libelous, seditious crap and Brickmuppet Blog unequivocally and without reservation condemns it.
UPDATE: I sent this to several Milbloggers a few others.Sent it to some of the Volokh conspirators because I wonder if the video would constitute a violation of the Hatch Act.
UPDATE 2: I'm behind the curve on this one, Greyhawk comments
UPDATE 3: I am off base, this doesn't even come close to a Hatch Act violation. To clarify, I wasn't concerned that the Marines in the vid were violating the Hatch act in any way, but I failed to make that clear. I thought that the vid might have been produced by a servicemember, but even if it was it is merely in poor taste, not any violation of the Hatch Act. Thanks to all those who responded and set me straight.
My opinion of the merits of the video still stands.
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February 20, 2009
Worry...
While I was focusing on being a good student, any children that I might conceive* were just indentured.
This post is a buzzkill and involves the P-word so I've moved it under the fold and put a sad girl in snow in its place...
more...
This post is a buzzkill and involves the P-word so I've moved it under the fold and put a sad girl in snow in its place...
more...
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
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February 15, 2009
Oh my....
I'll just leave this here....
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February 09, 2009
Obama's First Press Conference (tentative liveblog)
The speech was decent Obama boilerplate.
The first question was pretty decent, but Obamas answer is astonishing.
He is using Japans failed stimulus plan from the early 90s to SELL the stimulus plan.....making the argument that the Japanese didnt spend enough. He also dismisses the argument that FDR did more harm than good with the new deal saying something to the effect that "I thought these arguments were settled"...well they have been, FDR DID damage the economy.
Update: More here. Buy a good book on the subject here.
He is still talking...answering question one.
Question 2:
What is your policy towards Iran.
Answer: Iran is "unhelpful". (duh!)
There is little substance in the answer, but that is not necessarily bad. One does not lay ones cards face up.
Still talking....rambling really. Mainly "We are going to act differently"
Question 3:
Bipartisanship question "Where did you screw up?"....kind of silly question.
Answer : fairly rambling but decent...from a purely partisan perspective.
He does point out that there are substantive ideological differences.
He slams the Republicans on deficits...a fair cop to be sure.
Imperial "I" should be replaced with "We".
His infrastructure speech is still going on...no one is arguing about schools.
Question 4:
What should people do with the stimulus checks...spend or save. (actually a lucid if misdirected question)
Answer: Blames banks.....actually.. Obamas response here is pretty rational so far. If we don't make anything of value...people won't give us money. Of course he is not answering the question that was asked.
Oh good...he is answering the question now...bad habits like subprime mortages must stop in the long term....(well duh).
Question 4: How much more expensive will this get?
Answer: TARP 1 was underegulated. ramble..ramble...stutter...
Oh here we go..basically... 'We won't know till later'.
Question 5: How will we know if this is working?
Answer: 4 million jobs created...unemployment drops. (straightforward and to the point). Capital will thaw....again a straight answer. Housing values stop falling...again straightforward answer...but blinkered as the housing markets are still overvalued. Timetable...next year.
Question 6: 2 part:Will you rescind the "don't photograph the coffins" policy.
Do you have a timetable for Afganistan.
Answer: He dodges the photo question....
Re Afganistan:
He acknowledges the troops efforts in Iraq...finally. He has a laundery list but no timetable. He points out that Afganistan was a safe haven that brought the attacks of 9/11/01. Finally....He has no timetable...good.
Question 7: the NEXT bailout...what strings will be attached?
Answer: Mainly defers to his tax dodger treasury secretary.
Question 8: Garret reffers to a Bidenism I'm not familliar with. "30 percent likelyhood of failure"(!?!?) What do you do if it doesn't work?
Answer. They are trying to cove all bases and deal with the big complicated tasks.
Question 9: Baseball steroid use...
Answer: Sad...the POTUS is understandably caught flatfooted at first by this idiot question. Recovers quickly ....don't take shortcuts....(gee that could apply to the stimulus bill too)
Question 10: Helen Thomas.....Is Pakistan harboring "so called" terrorists. Does any nation in the Middle East have nukes?
Answer: Pretty logical and straight answer...no speculation on nukes. More nuclear disarmament.
Question 11: (Huffington Post has a WH correspondent.!?) Will you prosecute the Bush Administration?
He isn't going to answer as he has not seen the legislation in question. The intel community is painted with a broad brush...unfairly.
Question 12: How will you ever get the Republicans on board?
Answer: His answer seems to be its the DC culture...certainly a defensible point....but he is painting the differences as minor...they surely are not.
He is hitting the Republicans where they are most vulnerable...spending and deficits...but this in essence means that they behaved like Dems for a time.
WOW...he wants to fire bad teachers and use charter schools...we can certainly work with him on that point.
He is painting the economists position as near unanimous....it is not of course.
Post Speech....
I have to agree with the commenter who posted while I was liveblogging...we are screwed...The stimulus bill is a huge mess and likely to do terrible, terrible damage. Obama is from a social and educational background that is unable to acknowledge or even comprehend this. There were bright points to be sure, except for the HuffPo question he was about as straightforward in his answers as one could ask...even if his conclusions are worrisome and his blowing off the Huff Puffy leaves me hope that we will not descend into the politics of blood that the likes of Pelosi seem to want.
My head hurts.
The first question was pretty decent, but Obamas answer is astonishing.
He is using Japans failed stimulus plan from the early 90s to SELL the stimulus plan.....making the argument that the Japanese didnt spend enough. He also dismisses the argument that FDR did more harm than good with the new deal saying something to the effect that "I thought these arguments were settled"...well they have been, FDR DID damage the economy.
Update: More here. Buy a good book on the subject here.
He is still talking...answering question one.
Question 2:
What is your policy towards Iran.
Answer: Iran is "unhelpful". (duh!)
There is little substance in the answer, but that is not necessarily bad. One does not lay ones cards face up.
Still talking....rambling really. Mainly "We are going to act differently"
Question 3:
Bipartisanship question "Where did you screw up?"....kind of silly question.
Answer : fairly rambling but decent...from a purely partisan perspective.
He does point out that there are substantive ideological differences.
He slams the Republicans on deficits...a fair cop to be sure.
Imperial "I" should be replaced with "We".
His infrastructure speech is still going on...no one is arguing about schools.
Question 4:
What should people do with the stimulus checks...spend or save. (actually a lucid if misdirected question)
Answer: Blames banks.....actually.. Obamas response here is pretty rational so far. If we don't make anything of value...people won't give us money. Of course he is not answering the question that was asked.
Oh good...he is answering the question now...bad habits like subprime mortages must stop in the long term....(well duh).
Question 4: How much more expensive will this get?
Answer: TARP 1 was underegulated. ramble..ramble...stutter...
Oh here we go..basically... 'We won't know till later'.
Question 5: How will we know if this is working?
Answer: 4 million jobs created...unemployment drops. (straightforward and to the point). Capital will thaw....again a straight answer. Housing values stop falling...again straightforward answer...but blinkered as the housing markets are still overvalued. Timetable...next year.
Question 6: 2 part:Will you rescind the "don't photograph the coffins" policy.
Do you have a timetable for Afganistan.
Answer: He dodges the photo question....
Re Afganistan:
He acknowledges the troops efforts in Iraq...finally. He has a laundery list but no timetable. He points out that Afganistan was a safe haven that brought the attacks of 9/11/01. Finally....He has no timetable...good.
Question 7: the NEXT bailout...what strings will be attached?
Answer: Mainly defers to his tax dodger treasury secretary.
Question 8: Garret reffers to a Bidenism I'm not familliar with. "30 percent likelyhood of failure"(!?!?) What do you do if it doesn't work?
Answer. They are trying to cove all bases and deal with the big complicated tasks.
Question 9: Baseball steroid use...
Answer: Sad...the POTUS is understandably caught flatfooted at first by this idiot question. Recovers quickly ....don't take shortcuts....(gee that could apply to the stimulus bill too)
Question 10: Helen Thomas.....Is Pakistan harboring "so called" terrorists. Does any nation in the Middle East have nukes?
Answer: Pretty logical and straight answer...no speculation on nukes. More nuclear disarmament.
Question 11: (Huffington Post has a WH correspondent.!?) Will you prosecute the Bush Administration?
He isn't going to answer as he has not seen the legislation in question. The intel community is painted with a broad brush...unfairly.
Question 12: How will you ever get the Republicans on board?
Answer: His answer seems to be its the DC culture...certainly a defensible point....but he is painting the differences as minor...they surely are not.
He is hitting the Republicans where they are most vulnerable...spending and deficits...but this in essence means that they behaved like Dems for a time.
WOW...he wants to fire bad teachers and use charter schools...we can certainly work with him on that point.
He is painting the economists position as near unanimous....it is not of course.
Post Speech....
I have to agree with the commenter who posted while I was liveblogging...we are screwed...The stimulus bill is a huge mess and likely to do terrible, terrible damage. Obama is from a social and educational background that is unable to acknowledge or even comprehend this. There were bright points to be sure, except for the HuffPo question he was about as straightforward in his answers as one could ask...even if his conclusions are worrisome and his blowing off the Huff Puffy leaves me hope that we will not descend into the politics of blood that the likes of Pelosi seem to want.
My head hurts.
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January 20, 2009
Good Luck and Godspeed President Obama!
Fair winds and following seas President Bush.
Fair winds and following seas President Bush.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
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January 19, 2009
Some Quick Thoughts on the Outgoing Administration
My feelings on the outgoing administration are rather mixed to say the least. His actions have left us with a large deficit, a huge government intrusion into the private sector (though in fairness he did try to prevent the financial debacle, and was ignored).and he expanded government more than any president since Johnson.
He also was dealt several terrible hands which he played as well as could be expected. He did not have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight when making tough decisions with no happy solutions available. He recognized that a huge part of Americas vulnerability stemmed from the fact that we had given the impression that we had a glass jaw or would not fight at all. He has put that at least to rest.
I am largely alone amongst conservatives in concluding that Bush was right on the immigration reform idea and path to citizenship for those illegals willing to learn the language and integrate. (Where he failed on immigration IMHO was not there but in border enforcement.)
Bush also did more on the soft power front than any previous president, ranging from fighting AIDS and poverty in Africa to sending Hospital ships and Amphibious ships around the world to provide aid. He gets no credit for this as he is one of the most unfairly maligned Presidents in history.
There is much to disagree with this guy about, but the venomous, insane, fanatical hatred and contempt directed at him by the left is disgraceful, and very nearly as creepy as the near cultlike adoration and worship many of these same people have for his successor.
A mixed bag indeed but his failures can be fixed. If , on the other hand, he had not kept the country as safe as he did these last 8 years the cost would have been far greater than any of his missteps have been.
More thoughts, some rather less qualified in their praise, from the Anchoress, AJ Strata, CDR Salamander, Gay Patriot and....the Dali Lama.
He also was dealt several terrible hands which he played as well as could be expected. He did not have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight when making tough decisions with no happy solutions available. He recognized that a huge part of Americas vulnerability stemmed from the fact that we had given the impression that we had a glass jaw or would not fight at all. He has put that at least to rest.
I am largely alone amongst conservatives in concluding that Bush was right on the immigration reform idea and path to citizenship for those illegals willing to learn the language and integrate. (Where he failed on immigration IMHO was not there but in border enforcement.)
Bush also did more on the soft power front than any previous president, ranging from fighting AIDS and poverty in Africa to sending Hospital ships and Amphibious ships around the world to provide aid. He gets no credit for this as he is one of the most unfairly maligned Presidents in history.
There is much to disagree with this guy about, but the venomous, insane, fanatical hatred and contempt directed at him by the left is disgraceful, and very nearly as creepy as the near cultlike adoration and worship many of these same people have for his successor.
A mixed bag indeed but his failures can be fixed. If , on the other hand, he had not kept the country as safe as he did these last 8 years the cost would have been far greater than any of his missteps have been.
More thoughts, some rather less qualified in their praise, from the Anchoress, AJ Strata, CDR Salamander, Gay Patriot and....the Dali Lama.
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