Perhaps Not What the Photographer Intended

This is brilliant photography, because it works no matter what you think of The Annointed One. (But it works better if you think of Him as I do.)

Bush Left Us In A Deep Hole

But nothing like the one The One is digging.

Zobama Tonight

Heh.

Working Hard

Or hardly working.

You Can’t Get There From Here

But the internet can.

Enter a domain name in the “Remote Address” box and click “Proxy Trace”.

Pretty entertaining, in a geeky sort of way.

Shh! Don’t tell the Code Pinkos!

The One, apparently in blind squirrel mode, is keeping up the Predator attacks inside Pakistan.

“This last year has been a very hard year for them,” a senior U.S. counter-terrorism official said of Al Qaeda militants, whose operations he tracks in northwest Pakistan. “They’re losing a bunch of their better leaders. But more importantly, at this point they’re wondering who’s next.”

U.S. intelligence officials said they see clear signs that the Predator strikes are sowing distrust within Al Qaeda. “They have started hunting down people who they think are responsible” for security breaches, the senior U.S. counter-terrorism official said, discussing intelligence assessments on condition of anonymity. “People are showing up dead or disappearing.”

Herbert W. Obama

Remember this so you can make conversation in the soup lines.

In the Great Depression, President Herbert Hoover raised marginal tax rates to 63%, and went on a deficit spending binge. He also signed the Smoot-Hawley tariff, which helped turn a recession into the Great Depression by triggering a trade war with other countries.
Obama is on the same path. His deficit-exploding $800 billion stimulus package blocked 97 Mexican truckers from U.S. roads. That NAFTA violation “caused Mexico to retaliate with tariffs on 90 goods affecting $2.4 billion in U.S. trade.” The CBO admits that the stimulus package will actually shrink the economy in the long run.

Dear Barry

It’s time for another installment of America’s best advice column.

Dear Barry:

Our 12 year old son Tyler is developmentally disabled. Tyler’s learning center has a Special Olympics program and we (along with his teachers) have been encouraging him to participate. Every time we bring it up to him, however, Tyler pushes back and becomes very withdrawn. We love Tyler very much and don’t want to force him into it, but we think the Special Olympics would be a terrific experience and help him conquer his shyness and introversion. Do you have any suggestions for helping him get past this fear?

Jean and Ted in Westmont

Dear Jean and Ted:

As you know I am a big fan of the Special Olympics program, and all the good things it does for young Mongoloid-Americans like your son. Nothing inspires more than the sight of these heroic young tards hilariously giving it their all in the arena of friendly athletic competition. Extra-chromosome? More like extra-awesome! That’s why I recently volunteered, on the advice of my damage control team, as an equipment manager for the U.S. Special Olympics bowling squad. At first I wasn’t sure how I would feel about polishing other people’s balls for a change, but I think those tards really appreciate what I’ve done for them. Lately they started calling me “Special O.”

Expect a Run on Brazilian Bananas in San Francisco

Lines will form outside Whole Foods.

Guess Who Said This

“The Wall Street bailout is starting to look like the most expensive tax-supported fiasco in history.”

The Ides of Texas

Dr. McLeroy, the young-earth creationist in charge of the Texas Board of Education is not only trying to destroy science in the classroom and replace it with his narrow, loony version of Christianity, but thinks that scientists are atheists, pastors who support sound science are “morons”, and parents who teach the truth to their kids are “monsters”. Here’s a quote from a book he admires:

The Greek word translated as stupid is moron, where we get our word for a mentally dull and sluggish person. In my judgment, only morons—more than 11,500 morons in this case—could sign a letter maintaining that the “timeless truths of the Bible” are compatible with the billions of unpredictable aberrations of evo-atheism. What do these apostate morons celebrate at their Sunday services, the lies about humanity’s origins told by Moses, Jesus, and Paul? (p.57-58)

The science song: Algore to the left of me, jokers to the right…

We’re living through the Flat Earth days again. The evidence is pouring in, 100% in favor of evolution. There really is just as much evidence for it as there is for a round earth. Yet a few are clinging desperately to their fables. Well, that way be dragons.

Banana Republicdom, Here We Come

John Hinderaker points out the insanity of Pelosi’s position.

Wells Fargo didn’t want any TARP money, but the government forced it to take more than $5 billion worth, so Wells Fargo employees who receive bonuses would be subject to Pelosi’s proposed tax. Say you’re a teller at a Wells Fargo branch in Minnesota and you’re married to a lawyer who makes $250,000 this year. You get a $10,000 bonus for your good work during 2008. The government steals it all (90 percent federal plus 8.5 percent state plus, unless it’s included in the 90 percent, 3 percent Medicare). That is simply insane.

If the Pelosi bill is actually enacted into law (which I still think is doubtful) and upheld by the courts, there is no limit to the arbitrary power of Congress. In that event, we have no property rights and there is no Constitution–no equal protection clause, no due process clause, no impairment of contracts clause, no bill of attainder/ex post facto law clause. Instead, we are living in a majoritarian tyranny.

Peter Robinson spoke to some people who have seen Banana Republics up close and personal. They argue that Comandante Obama is moving us that direction, and fast. Peter has a hard time arguing with them.

“It starts with a cult of personality,” the Cuban explained. “One man declares himself the jefe, the caudillo, the big leader.”

Had Obama attempted to instigate something like a cult of personality? The American found the charge impossible to refute. During the campaign, Obama had failed to advance a genuine agenda, instead campaigning on “hope” and “change.” In effect, he had asked Americans to turn the nation over to him on blind faith. He would, he promised, transcend racial and partisan divides in his very person.

Remember: It can happen here.

Get Beat by a Computer at Chess

and watch how it does it.

YouTube Diplomacy

The Obamateur Hour continues. The Bush administration had a frustrating lack of clarity in its Iran policy. But sending a video? Words fail me.

For nearly three decades relations between our nations have been strained. But at this holiday we are reminded of the common humanity that binds us together.

Yeah, nothing like bombing our civilians and killing our troops to “strain” relations, huh Barry?

Charles, at LGF, put it well:

The mullahs are laughing today, knowing that Barack Obama will do nothing to stop them from gaining the ultimate weapon. This isn’t just ill-advised, it’s disastrous. Barack Obama just hung a huge “Kick Me” sign on America’s back.

Well, I’m sure He’ll show ’em. If Iran nukes Israel He’ll put some stern comments on Ahmadinejad’s FaceBook page.

At this rate The Messiah is going to do the impossible: He’s going to make me long for the days of the Nasty Little Man.

Update:

Mark Steyn says not to worry. The video probably won’t work in Iranian VCRs.

Another Update:

Just for the record, I chose the title for this post before Drudge did. Or at least before I saw his page. A case of (obvious) parallel development.

For a Guy Who Walks on Water This is Pretty Clumsy

Good grief. If we keep track of every witless remark the Messiah makes we’ll sound like those Bush-deranged Berkeleyites with the “Somewhere in Texas there’s a village missing its idiot” bumper stickers on their Priuses.

Except that we won’t be exaggerating.

The first appearance by a sitting president on “The Tonight Show” may well end up being the last.

President Obama, in his taping with Jay Leno Thursday afternoon, attempted to yuk it up with the funnyman, and ended up insulting the disabled.

Towards the end of his approximately 40-minute appearance, the president talked about how he’s gotten better at bowling and has been practicing in the White House bowling alley.

He bowled a 129, the president said.

“That’s very good, Mr. President,” Leno said sarcastically.

It’s “like the Special Olympics or something,” the president said.

It’s maybe at least the last time he goes on TV without his security blanket.

Update:

Priceless. (And I updated the “security blanket” link, above.)

Not Everybody Obama Throws Under the Bus

necessarily belongs there.

The handful of souls who championed the firm’s now-infamous credit-default swaps are, by nearly every account, long since departed. Those left behind to clean up the mess, the majority of whom never lost a dime for AIG, now feel they have been sold out by their Congress and their president.

“They’ve chosen to throw us under the bus,” said a Financial Products executive, one of several who spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals. “They have vilified us.”

Read the whole thing before you get your undies in a twist over those “bonus” payments, too.

They say what is missing from this week’s hysteria is perspective. The very handsome retention payments they received over the past week were set in motion early last year when the firm’s former president, Joe Cassano, was on his way out the door. Financial Products was already running into trouble on its risky credit bets, and the year ahead looked grim. People were weighing offers from other firms, and AIG executives feared that too many departures could lead to disaster.

So AIG stepped in with an offer to employees of Financial Products. Work through all of 2008, and you’d get a lump payment in March 2009. Stick around through 2009, and you’ll get paid through 2010. Almost all other forms of compensation — bonuses, deferred payments and the like — have vanished.

“People are trying to do the right thing,” the same Financial Products executive said. “Guys have worked their [tails] off to try to get value for the taxpayer. This isn’t money that’s being advanced to us. People have performed the work and done it exactly as we asked them to do.”

Not that there aren’t heads which should roll for this mess. I could think of a couple to start with. And we all know where the buck stops.

OK, cut the laughing.

Outrage OTD

The Pentagon’s worst wounds are self-inflicted ones. Like giving a citation to Congressman John Murtha. What in the name of Sulphorous Hell were they thinking?

John Murtha deserves no such award. He has routinely and deliberately undermined the United States military, slandered servicemen serving in combat, and caused irreparable damage to our international reputation. While serving as a Representative from Pennsylvania, Murtha called Marines from 3d Battalion, 1st Marines “cold blooded killers” who “murdered innocent civilians.” Before an investigation into the Haditha incident was even conducted, Murtha went on numerous television news programs and announced that the Marines “went into houses and killed women and children.” He said, “There’s no question in my mind about what happened here. There was no gunfire, they killed four people in a taxi…24 people were killed.” When asked specifically if he claimed that innocent civilians were intentionally executed by Marines, he said, “That’s exactly what happened.” Not content to slander those Marines directly involved, he went on to claim that if these Marines were not punished, “other Marines would say well I’ll do the same thing.” Murtha then continued to use this incident to lobby for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq, citing it as evidence that our military was incapable of winning the war.

You can sign a petition to urge the Navy to correct this error.

To “Tacky” we can confidently add “Clueless”

Except that Clueless wasn’t one of the movies.

Alas, when the PM settled down to begin watching them the other night, he found there was a problem.
The films only worked in DVD players made in North America and the words “wrong region” came up on his screen. Although he mournfully had to put the popcorn away, he is unlikely to jeopardise the special relationship – or “special partnership”, as we are now supposed to call it – by registering a complaint.

Let’s just keep asking: What would the press have done if Bush had pulled such a gaffe?

Update:

Mark Steyn has a great idea.

When the President and his Teleprompter visit London for the G20 summit in a couple of weeks, it would be a tragedy were Barack Oprompta to rise for his big speech to find nothing but the words “Wrong Region” flashing on his screen (although I’m sure the Queen would be very polite and string along and make all the swells stand up and join the toast to “Ron Region”, whoever he is).

What Pelosi Knows and Won’t Admit

While Pelosi, Obama, and just about every other Washington low-life complains about “business jets”, Pelosi likes them just fine as long as the taxpayer is footing the bill.

Bill Garvey wrote an op ed for the NYT, explaining why private airplanes are a good idea, that was severely edited for space. Here’s the whole magilla.

Here’s a reality check: Envision a rectangle 11 feet long by four feet, nine inches across. Now, stand in the center, scrunching down so the top of your head is no more than 57.5 inches from the bottom of your heels. That’s the cabin area of those riding in a Citation CJ1, which together with its predecessors, comprise the most populous model — by far — of business jet in the world.

The part that The One misses is how much he is talking down an American industrial success story.

And here’s the thing: The aircraft and their systems are, for the most part, made here in the U.S. of A., by union and non-union workers, in places like Wichita, Cedar Rapids, Savannah, Phoenix, Indianapolis and Cincinnati. And they’re prized throughout the world. In 2007, half the business jets delivered by U.S. manufacturers went to foreign buyers who paid more than $3 billion for them. Manufacturers elsewhere, including in Japan and Germany, have tried to compete, but they were so utterly trounced by American ingenuity and craftsmanship that they simply gave up.

There are foreign-made business aircraft to be sure; for example, Falcon Jets made in France by Dassault are highly regarded. But even those are stuffed with American-made avionics, engines, subsystems and interiors. Indeed, Dassault’s largest facility in the world is in Little Rock, Ark., where 2,285 people work completing Falcon interiors and readying them for delivery. In further acknowledgment of America’s business aviation leadership, Brazil’s Embraer is right now building a business jet production plant in Florida, and Honda another in North Carolina.

Ask the Expert

When Will Obama Seek Help

for His teleprompter dependency?

A laughing Mr Obama returned to the podium to take over but it seems the script had finally been switched and the US president ended up thanking himself for inviting everyone to the party.

Laura Ingraham wondered on her show yesterday if he gets special massages to treat his Tennis Match Neck.

Update:

JammieWearingFool posits the rhetorical question:

Imagine if George W. Bush had such a crutch and pulled a monster gaffe like this. It would be played 24/7 on television until the end of time.

For some strange reason, the networks refuse to release video of this great moment in hilarity.

Update, March 26, 2009

It turns out that there are two very good reasons why the networks did not release any video. The first is that only print pool reporters were allowed, so there was no video to release. The second is that the reported gaffe never happened.

“Then it was Cowen’s turn, and he was in for a surprise. ‘We begin by welcoming today a strong friend of the United States,’ he said–then stopped in surprise as he realized he was reading President Obama’s speech off the teleprompter. ‘Why don’t these things work for me?’ he asked, as the crowd roared. ‘Thank you for having us. Who said these things were idiot-proof?’ Then he got his bearings and gave the same talk that he delivered in the East Room.  When he ended, at 8:12, Obama stepped to the microphone and said, ‘First, I’d like to say thank you to President Obama…(much laughter). Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, everybody.’ Then we were escorted out.”

The Messiah and his faithful dog, Manfred, are gaffe machines. No need for anybody to invent moments that never were.

As Befits the Day

A Swift idea:

A Modest Proposal to Prevent the Pernicious Warming of our Fair Globe.

Let us consider: As a consequence of global warming, in nearly all places on our planet the last killing frost of the spring is occurring earlier, and the first killing frost of the fall happening later, than was customary in the past. This lengthened season of growing, combined with a general increase in rainfall, and an over abundance of carbonation within the air, has so encouraged and expanded the growth of plants as to fill the stalls of grocers everywhere with such an abundance of fruits and vegetables that must perforce have the most unfortunate results — to wit the gestation of further multitudes of unwashed, uncouth, and ill-mannered hordes of noisy unwanted and unnecessary personages to infest our world with their brutish countenances, bestial customs, and unattractive complexions.

Just Whose Side is Obama On?

For crying out loud, now Teleprompter Guy wants to disarm pilots.

The Washington Times editorial:

Now President Obama is quietly ending the federal firearms program, risking public safety on airlines in the name of an anti-gun ideology.

The Obama administration this past week diverted some $2 million from the pilot training program to hire more supervisory staff, who will engage in field inspections of pilots.

A New Hope

And here I thought I found Paganini moving

Do You Live in California?

If you also own a gun then you probably know that concealed carry in this state has become an impossible den of corruption. One of the few sane people in Sacramento is trying to fix that.

Please do the following: Go to this link to find your state legislators, if you don’t know who they are already, and ask them politely (by both phone and letter) to support AB 357, Assembly Member Knight’s CCW Reform Bill. It would turn California into a “Shall Issue” state, bringing it in line with states which have already found that liberalized concealed carry permits result in lower crime. The bill itself is available as a PDF. Here’s an excerpt:

Existing law authorizes the sheriff of a county, upon proof that the person applying is of good moral character, that good cause exists, and that the person applying satisfies any one of certain conditions, as specified, to issue a license for the person to carry a concealed handgun, as specified.
This bill would delete the good cause requirement, and require the sheriff to issue the license if the other criteria described above are met.

And then get your friends and family to make a phone call and send a nice note of support, too. It’s guaranteed to be a local phone call. Although calling both their District office and their Sacramento office would be a swell idea.

Hint: Using the word “liberalized” may make it more palatable for some of the more “liberal” members. Mostly, though, they need to get lots of calls, faxes and letters.

Update:

More background info, should you need it, from Sean Bonner.

A “Few” Tea Parties

The MSM valiantly shills for Obama, still basking in their electoral victory and completely blind to how they have destroyed their own credibility.

Check out some of the photos on Instapundit. And this:

Cincinnati reader Jeff Riley was at the protest and emails: “I was thrilled at the turnout here in Cincy, however I wasn’t thrilled with the lack of coverage by the local media. Trust me on this, during the Bush Adminstration when they had 4 people show up at the local Federal Building and protest against the war they were all over it. When 3500 (estimated) people show up to protest the bailout they just shrugged. People were pissed and are realizing that the media is doing much more that shilling for Obama, that they are willing participants in the propaganda effort. Every time they do so they lose a bit more credibility and people are turning them out and getting there news elsewhere.”

AWNAA

This legislation was proposed last December, but I missed it. Buttle’s World regrets the delay.

How Britain Lost the War

By appeasing the enemy.

The active involvement of radical British Muslims in the Afghan insurgency has led senior officers to claim that they are engaged in a “surreal mini-civil war” in Afghanistan. And yet, for all the compelling evidence that British-based Islamist radicals are actively participating in a jihad against Britain and its coalition allies, the Government, together with those who have opposed our involvement in the War on Terror from the start, seems determined to give the Islamist radicals the benefit of the doubt.
Even when incontrovertible proof is found that British Muslims are aiding and abetting the enemy in Afghanistan and elsewhere, the Government’s instinct is to try to cover up their involvement, for fear of further inflaming Islamist sensitivities.

Can you imagine, seventy years ago, Britain worrying about “German sensitivities”? Trouble is, this Islamic threat is much greater, and more likely to succeed, than the Nazi threat ever was. In fact, it has obviously already won in Britain.

Don’t think it can’t happen here. I’m looking at you, Obama voters.

Update:

Posting entire blog articles into my comments is not something I want to encourage, but I’ll link here to someone who sees signs that the British Army may, at this late date, want to turn defeat into something less like defeat. (In the future, please post a link in the comments instead of the whole article.)

Darwin and the Tree of Life

Something the BBC is still good at, and for, is documentaries. Richard Attenborough wrote and hosted a well-produced look at Charles Darwin’s work, it’s impact on history and on science.

Charles, at LGF, has assembled the YouTube links where you can watch it.

Highly recommended.