Coach Roy's Random Thoughts....
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Living in the Past 2012
You might remember that old Jethro Tull song with the funky beat? - "Living in the Past" ????
Isn't that what our present occupant of the White House and his minions are doing again and again?
Isn't that what our present occupant of the White House and his minions are doing again and again?
- Remember the Franklin Roosevelt spent his first term blaming Herbert Hoover for every ill in the nation.He got re-elected twice! That was in the past.
- Remember that Harry Truman won a second term over Thomas Dewey by railing against a Republican Do-Nothing Congress. He got elected too, something else from the past.
- Remember that Mr. Obama won his first election in Chicago by digging up dirt on his opponent. Mr. Ayers helped with that one. He got elected, and that was in the past.
- Remember that Mr. Obama then dug up some dirt from the divorce of his Republican opponent when he ran for the U.S. Senate. He won that one too. (hint: the past)
- I was waiting for the "dirt" on John McCain, but by then it was all "Hope and Change" - McCain didn't have a chance and Mr. Obama didn't need to dig out McCain's dalliances that had been rumored during his time in DC- besides, it was all George Bush's fault - still in the past.
So now two Republican presidential candidates, Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich have suddenly had disparaging information of a sexual nature turn up in the media - at least Newt has the verbal skills and ability to strike back while Mitt Romney plays Obama surrogate on this issue.
And we have conservative republicans attacking former venture capitalist Mitt Romney for providing money to businesses in financial trouble and ex-wives dishing out the dirt about their husband's activities that pale in comparison to some of the past shenanigans in the White House.
The whole primary process this year has
me yearning for the old "smoke filled rooms" where candidates used to be
vetted and selected.
Yup, I can hear that 5/4 beat; "Now there's revolution, but they don't know what they're fighting, Let us close our eyes, Outside their lives go on much faster, Oh, we won't give in, we'll just go living in the past."
You tell 'em Ian
Tinker, Tailor, Rich Man, Poor Man
Those of us who still remember the 70's, will have all those memories stimulated again, now that they've made a theatrical movie of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, the John LeCarre novel about the British Secret Service.
If we think back that far, there was another mini-series in the 70's with a title based on the children's fortune telling rhyme: "Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggerman, Thief, Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief." (The Brits have another version that LeCarre used: "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor").
"Rich Man Poor Man" made stars out of Nick Nolte and Peter Strauss and helped the careers of Susan Blakely, Talia Shire and Kim Darby. It was one of the potboilers that titilated network audiences with all kinds of off screen sex and violence. The scenes of Ed Asner down in the basement baking bread still sticks in my memory.
But still, the overall better of the two stories is John LeCarre's tour de force, directed by John Irvin, about the recalled to duty George Smiley digging among the ruins of the "Circus" - the headquarters of British Intelligence - to uncover a double agent (Gerald) of Moscow Centre, who has ascended into the inner circle of that most secret organization.
George Smiley in my mind, will forever be Alec Guinness, yes Obi Wan Kenobe of Star Wars.
As Smiley, Sir Alec is the epitome of the tired, former top executive of the Circus, forced into retirement by that double agent - Gerald, then called back by a senior member of the government when a suspected defector re-emerges with a story that just doesn't seem to fit the reported events.
Before he was deposed, Smiley's boss, Control, had given all of the suspected candidates for Gerald names from the nursery rhyme - hence, Tinker, Tailor, etc., Smiley eventually figures it all out, and puts everything right.
It took the BBC 7 episodes to unravel the entire story, and it took another 6 part effort by Guiness and Co. (in Smiley's People) to finally wrap up the entire story of Karla and Gerald the Mole.
And now, the movie world is going to try to tell this intricate story in 120+ minutes, and judging from the credits, they've got every character in the book well represented.
At some point, I guess I'll watch the movie on cable, but as I reread Tinker, Tailor, I still see Alec Guiness' masterful portrayal of George Smiley whenever he appears in the book. It will be very difficult to follow the new movie since I'll be looking for the "real" George Smiley who isn't there.
If we think back that far, there was another mini-series in the 70's with a title based on the children's fortune telling rhyme: "Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggerman, Thief, Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief." (The Brits have another version that LeCarre used: "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor").
"Rich Man Poor Man" made stars out of Nick Nolte and Peter Strauss and helped the careers of Susan Blakely, Talia Shire and Kim Darby. It was one of the potboilers that titilated network audiences with all kinds of off screen sex and violence. The scenes of Ed Asner down in the basement baking bread still sticks in my memory.
But still, the overall better of the two stories is John LeCarre's tour de force, directed by John Irvin, about the recalled to duty George Smiley digging among the ruins of the "Circus" - the headquarters of British Intelligence - to uncover a double agent (Gerald) of Moscow Centre, who has ascended into the inner circle of that most secret organization.
George Smiley in my mind, will forever be Alec Guinness, yes Obi Wan Kenobe of Star Wars.
As Smiley, Sir Alec is the epitome of the tired, former top executive of the Circus, forced into retirement by that double agent - Gerald, then called back by a senior member of the government when a suspected defector re-emerges with a story that just doesn't seem to fit the reported events.
Before he was deposed, Smiley's boss, Control, had given all of the suspected candidates for Gerald names from the nursery rhyme - hence, Tinker, Tailor, etc., Smiley eventually figures it all out, and puts everything right.
It took the BBC 7 episodes to unravel the entire story, and it took another 6 part effort by Guiness and Co. (in Smiley's People) to finally wrap up the entire story of Karla and Gerald the Mole.
And now, the movie world is going to try to tell this intricate story in 120+ minutes, and judging from the credits, they've got every character in the book well represented.
At some point, I guess I'll watch the movie on cable, but as I reread Tinker, Tailor, I still see Alec Guiness' masterful portrayal of George Smiley whenever he appears in the book. It will be very difficult to follow the new movie since I'll be looking for the "real" George Smiley who isn't there.
R. Burk Hill: Can Anything Good Come From ...
Rev. R. Burk Hill's Sermon from January 15, 2012.
Based on John 1: 43-51 (Jesus calls Philip, who calls his brother Nathanael)
Based on John 1: 43-51 (Jesus calls Philip, who calls his brother Nathanael)
Download | Duration: 00:20:40
Parsons: Meditation for Organ
Meditation for Organ by Gabriel Dupont.
Recorded 1-15-2012 on the Flentrop Organ, Messiah Lutheran Church, Germantown, MD
Recorded 1-15-2012 on the Flentrop Organ, Messiah Lutheran Church, Germantown, MD
Download | Duration: 00:04:21
Messiah Gallery Choir: Come Follow Me the Savior Spake
The Gallery Choir performs verse 1 and 5 of the Hymn (#688 in the LBW)
Text: Johann Scheffler tr: Charles W. Schaeffer
Music: Bartholomaus Gesius Setting J.S. Bach
Text: Johann Scheffler tr: Charles W. Schaeffer
Music: Bartholomaus Gesius Setting J.S. Bach
Download | Duration: 00:02:03
Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/13/2012
Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/13/2012
Triskadecaphobics Unite!, you have nothing to lose but your freedom to worry - besides things in DC are scary enough.[As usual my comments are in bold type surrounded by square brackets].
Politics (as usual) Department:
Gallup: Conservatives Remain the Largest Ideological Group in U.S.
[Gee, maybe Rush is Right? Again?]
Record-High 40% of Americans Identify as Independents in '11
Americans See Views of GOP Candidates Closer to Their Own
Americans' Economic Worries: Jobs, Debt, and Politicians
DE Officials hand out $131,500 in bonuses
[And this was just in Delaware!]
Del. lawmakers eye minimum-wage hike
(WTW) Democratic lawmakers are planning to introduce a bill in the state Senate that would raise Delaware's minimum wage by a dollar.
[Its an election year, after all]
Vatz: Republican Gov. Haley Barbour: Despicably and Indefensibly Putting Innocent Lives at Risk
(Richard E. Vatz - Red Maryland) Lest you think that all the worst abuses of governmental power are committed by liberal Democrats, take a look at the reprehensible action by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour as he left office. The Christian Science Monitor sums it up this way: "Outgoing Gov. Haley Barbour (R) gave reprieves to 208 inmates, including 14 convicted murderers, prompting Democratic legislators to reintroduce a bill that would curb pardon powers."
Obama to propose merging agencies
[Especially the ones with Republican ties...]
Presidential Election Department:
Morning Examiner: Obama's endless power to appoint (Conn Carroll - Wash Examiner) President Obama’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) released its opinion yesterday justifying Obama’s January 4 “recess” appointments (Richard Cordray to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Richard Griffin and Sharon Block to the National Labor Relations Board). The memo is dated January 6th, but the Department of justice insists it was completed well before Obama made the appointments. The Heritage Foundation’s Todd Gaziano explains why the decision will not hold up in court:
Video: Obama Called Smaller Bush Debt Rise “Unpatriotic”
(White House Dossier.com) The new borrowing requested by the CURRENT president would raise the debt ceiling to $16.4 trillion. The debt stood at $10.6 trillion when Obama took office. That’s an increase of $5.8 trillion, nearly $2 trillion more than the “unpatriotic” figure cited by Obama in the video.Rudy Giuliani: 'What the hell are you doing Newt?'
Video: Michelle Obama Would Like You To Know That The Reason You Don't Like Her Husband Is Because You Are Too Stupid To Know How Awesome He Is.
New Book Claims Obama Complained About Taking Pictures With Troops During Trip to Baghdad
(The Blaze) Author and Rolling Stone contributing editor Michael Hastings’ new book, The Operators, could cause waves for President Obama’s reelection bid — not to mention his already tenuous relationship with U.S. troops — as book excerpts reveal the president was less than enthused to be photographed with troops during a visit to Baghdad.
Law of Unintended Consequences:
Video: Dead People Receive Ballots in NH Primary
(Project Veritas) On January 10th, Project Veritas reporters walked into New Hampshire Polling Locations during the Presidential Primaries, saying dead people's names. We stated the name of a dead person we got from the NH obituaries.
The Media
John Podhoretz, Ann Coulter, Mitt Romney and Real Life Conservatives vs Professional Conservatives
(PJ Media) John Podhoretz - Why are conservatives lining up behind a politician of whom Rush Limbaugh has said flatly: “Mitt Romney is not a conservative” — a sentiment echoed by Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and 2008 Iowa caucuses winner?
Video: Soledad O’Brien Hammers Jodi Kantor Over Her Controversial Book On The Obamas
(MediaIte) Soledad O’Brien welcomed The Obamas author Jodi Kantor on Starting Point Friday morning, and things got a little heated as O’Brien continuously tried to ask Kantor to defend her methodology in reporting the book.
World View
El Presidente Chávez and President Obama
(PJ Media) President Obama is no el Presidente Chávez. It may be extreme to suggest that if reelected and given Democrat majorities in both houses of the Congress he might morph in that direction. However, the U.S. Constitution seems of little importance to him when it gets in his way. Having Venezuela’s Constitution amended to suit his purposes has been easier for Chávez although he also ignores it when convenient. Amending the U.S. Constitution is a difficult task requiring a substantial consensus. Simply ignoring it when it suits President Obama’s purposes has been much easier.
Global What?
[& The Environmental Wackos]
The ‘Green’ Debate: President Obama Praises the EPA for Growing the Economy and GM Refuses to Admit the Volt Was a Flop
(The Blaze) Speaking before a throng of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees on Tuesday, President Barack Obama praised the agency for helping to grow the U.S. economy.
Popular Culture, etc.:
Friday the 13th times three
(Wilm News Journal) But when a Friday the 13th rolls around, a few will stop to peruse her selection of crystals. The objects are said to realign the vibrations of your body with the changes in the metaphysical world, Barbato said.
Religious leaders: Gay marriage a ‘peril’ to liberty
(Wash Times) Nearly 40 religious leaders, including Catholic, evangelical, Jewish and Mormon figures, issued an open letter Thursday that argues that the battle against same-sex marriage is a fight on behalf of religious freedom.
Business
Chamber of Commerce to Obama: You ‘Missed the Biggest In-Sourcing Opportunity’ —Keystone Pipeline
(CNSNews.com) – While President Barack Obama has been touting the importance of “insourcing” jobs into the United States (as opposed to outsourcing jobs overseas), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reminded America on Thursday that Obama recently rejected one of the most prominent and beneficial insourced opportunities: the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry tar sand oil through middle America to refineries on the Gulf Coast and create at least 20,000 jobs.
Union fight pits rights of free speech, private land
(The Washington Times) With a full complement of members after President Obama’s recent recess appointments, the National Labor Relations Board could soon rule on a closely watched labor law case with major implications for property rights, union organizing tactics and even what workers can write about on their company email accounts.
Military Stuff
US stations two aircraft carriers opposite Iran, 15,000 troops in Kuwait
(DEBKA File) US President Barack Obama is busy aligning Middle East allies with the next US steps on Iran. Contributing to the mounting sense in Washington of an approaching US-Iranian confrontation, the Pentagon is substantially building up its combat power around Iran, stationing nearly 15,000 troops in Kuwait - two Army infantry brigades and a helicopter unit – and keeping two aircraft carriers in the region.
[So much for withdrawing the troops]
Panetta: 2 Army combat brigades will leave Europe
(Stars & Stripes) STUTTGART, Germany — Two U.S. Army combat brigades will be withdrawn from Europe as part of a new Pentagon defense strategy that aims to find efficiencies while also shifting more strategic focus to Asia.
[Will be several days away from reacting to events in Middle East and Europe]
And the rest of the stuff:
Links may become inactive after time...my comments still holdThe Weather in Lower Slower Delaware
U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices
Politico's Morning Score Election Cheat Sheet [Remember this is Politico]
Latest NewsBusted
Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/12/2012
Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/12/2012
As the game rolls on -[As usual my comments are in bold type surrounded by square brackets].
Politics (as usual) Department:
O'Malley says he wants increase in sales tax
(Wash Examiner) ANNAPOLIS — Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said Wednesday he would like to raise the state's sales tax by a penny, putting another revenue source on the table in a new General Assembly session expected to produce extensively higher taxes for Marylanders.
[Tax and Spend, Spend and Tax, and a couple of tra la la's
Its how we pass the day away in the merry old land of Annapolis]
Is Obama Courting Dead Voters?
(White House Dossier) An outfit called Project Veritas – run by James O’Keefe, who made the videos that brought down ACORN – ran a little experiment in New Hampshire Tuesday and found that without voter ID requirements, dead people were offered a rare opportunity to participate in the political process.
Presidential Election Department:
Shapiro: Keep Their Feet to the Fire
(Ben Shapiro-CNS News)Assuming Mitt Romney wins the nomination and somehow wins the White House, most conservatives will be ready to box him about the ears as soon as he steps out of line.
KUHNER: Dynamic capitalism is a virtue
(Wash Times - Jeff Kuhner) Mitt Romney has won a major victory in New Hampshire. He is the first non-incumbent Republican to capture both Iowa and the Granite State - a historic achievement. He has the money, momentum, organization and - perhaps most importantly - the air of inevitability going into South Carolina. Barring an unexpected development, the former Massachusetts governor is poised to be the Republican presidential nominee. Mr. Romney will likely be the man destiny has chosen to challenge President Obama.
Limbaugh: Gingrich and Perry Blew It on Bain Attack (Update: Newt Admits He Made a Mistake)
(EIYou know, folks, it is — (laughing) — it is amazing. As I go through the news today, looking at the establishment websites, looking at the conservative establishment, media establishment websites, they're starting to have some regrets about Romney. Really, they are. I have two or three examples here, but there are some creeping doubts now about Romney on the establishment Republican side.
Obama flexing same powers he once criticized
(Wash Examiner) As he eyes re-election, President Obama is increasingly flexing his executive muscle to outflank congressional Republicans, even though he railed against such expansive uses of presidential power as a candidate in 2008.
[and you're surprised? Absolute Power corrupts absolutely]
EDITORIAL: Employment advice for Obama
(Wash Times) President Obama brainstormed at the White House Wednesday at a forum on “insourcing American jobs.” The administration’s greatest political vulnerability is sky-high unemployment. The basic idea that trickled out of the session was America must “bring back” jobs from overseas by raising taxes on companies that invest abroad. That’s a bad idea.
Messina Scolds Slack Obama Donors
(White House Dossier) Obama Campaign Chairman Jim Messina gave President Obama’s supporters a bit of his mind this morning, scolding them in video and email messages for failing to pony up enough cash for Obama’s reelection effort.
[Can't do it all with Arab Money ya know...]
Law of Unintended Consequences:
EDITORIAL: Shariah in America’s courts
(Wash Times) A panel of federal judges has ruled that states cannot protect their courts from jurists who base their decisions on international or Koranic law. America needs better judges.
The Media
In 'Right to Work' Battle, Narrative Trumps Fact on NPR
(PJ Media) On the morning of December 29, I was driving and listening to the radio. A National Public Radio anchor, discussing assorted issues being considered by prospective voters in the New Hampshire primary, described a proposed “right-to-work” law as one that would enable employees to benefit from collective bargaining agreements without having to pay dues to the unions negotiating for them.
World View
Egypt cancels Jewish festival...
(Breitbart.com) Egypt on Wednesday called off an annual Jewish festival in the Nile Delta, which draws Israeli pilgrims every year to the tomb of holy man Abu Hassira.Intelligence study glum on Afghan war, at odds with DOD portrayal
(Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON — The U.S. intelligence community says in a secret new assessment that the war in Afghanistan is mired in stalemate, and warns that security gains from an increase in American troops have been undercut by pervasive corruption, incompetent governance and Taliban fighters operating from neighboring Pakistan, according to U.S. officials.
Global What?
[& The Environmental Wackos]
EPA Gives Activists a New Tool to Pressure Power Plants, Oil Refineries
(CNSNews.com) - Environmental activists are applauding the EPA for releasing greenhouse gas emissions data for large polluters through a new, consumer-friendly Web platform.
[As if they needed a reason to oppose these things....]Obama: EPA Regulations Create Jobs; 'EPA Touches on the Lives of Every Single American Every Single Day'
[Yeah, jobs in Government that hold back real growth...]
Popular Culture, etc.:
Apparently, Someone Forgot To Tell Reality That The Entertainment Industry Was Dying
(TechDirt.com) We hear it all the time: the entertainment industry legacy players insist that the world is ending, jobs are going away, and that they need new laws like SOPA and PIPA or it's all over. That's why SOPA & PIPA are being positioned as jobs bills. Especially popular are the major labels and the big Hollywood studios insisting that they're really doing this not to save their own companies from having to adapt, but to protect the poor, poor indie creator, who is totally being destroyed by those evil online pirates. We hear time and time again about how it's really the "indie" folks who are being decimated.If SOPA's Main Target Is The Pirate Bay, It's Worth Pointing Out That ThePirateBay.org Is Immune From SOPA
(TechDirt) In looking over Eric Goldman's excellent "linkwrap"really about going after one single site: The Pirate Bay. I've actually heard this repeatedly — and from folks heavily involved with the bill itself. The whole point of the bill is to try to take down The Pirate Bay. Now, we can argue back and forth about how pointless that is... but there's something else that seems important: of a bunch of recent SOPA/PIPA stories, it pointed me to a News.com article from last month, about how SOPA was
SOPA foes warn: Not much time left to act
Klavin: Watch Blue Bloods, Damn It!
(Andrew Klavan - PJ Media) If you are a conservative and you don’t watch Blue Bloods, you are a caitiff and a knave. And okay, I don’t know what that means either, but the point is: you gotta watch this show. I know I’ve talked about it before, but it really does deserve repeating. We complain and complain about how the left has taken over the culture, then CBS puts something like this on offer and we’re too good for it or haven’t got time to pay attention.
Radosh: The New York Times Offers Propaganda for the Castro Regime as an Op-Ed
(Ron Radosh - PJ Media) Today’s New York Times runs one of its usual idiotic op-eds from a contributor. It is not quite as bad as the time the paper ran the late Libyan dictator Gaddafi’s op-ed on how the world should deal with Israel, but it comes close.
Business
Amtrak to spend $764M on new locomotives, rail cars
(Wash Post) Amtrak will pay $466 million this year for 70 new locomotives to enhance the speed and reliability of rail service in the Northeast Corridor and invest $298 million on 130 new rail cars to serve the East Coast and Midwest.
[its your money folks....]
Military Stuff
Naval patrols cut pirate attacks by about half
And the rest of the stuff:
Links may become inactive after time...my comments still holdThe Weather in Lower Slower Delaware
U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices
Politico's Morning Score Election Cheat Sheet [Remember this is Politico]
Latest NewsBusted
Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/11/2012
Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/11/2012
So who won in New Hampshire? Was there any doubt? Now, can we go back to trying to unseat BHO and quit trying to prove that the GOP stands for smaller government, and Capitalism. You Know - Something that actually works?[As usual my comments are in bold type surrounded by square brackets].
Politics (as usual) Department:
Farmers Sue Jon Corzine Over Missing Millions
(ABC News) Montana farmers have filed a class action suit against former New Jersey governor Jon Corzine, charging that the failed financial firm run by Corzine stole millions from their accounts to pay off its spiraling debts, and that Corzine's "single-minded obsession" with making MF Global a big player on Wall Street led to the firm's collapse.
[Wow - bad news about a Democrat! from ABC!]
The TSA Posts Its 'Top Good Catches Of 2011' List, Not One Of Which Is An Actual Terrorist
(Techdirt) Everyone loves a good "Best of..." list and with 2011 having just wrapped up, pretty much every site on the web has a few posted. Bruce Schneier points us in the direction of The TSA Blog, which has posted its own self-congratulatory list, "The Top 10 Good Catches of 2011."
Arthur B. Laffer: Class Warfare and the Buffett Rule
(WSJ) The political season has barely begun, and yet we already know that class warfare will be President Obama's key issue in the 2012 general election. It's even reared its ugly head in the Republican primaries, with the candidates trying to paint front-runner Mitt Romney as a cold-hearted capitalist and Rick Santorum proposing targeted tax breaks for the "working class" manufacturing sector.
[I think they call it "crony capitalism?" The primary feature of the fascist (or National Socialist) state? anyway, "Mr. Buffett thinks he and his family can put their money to better use than the government can. I guess he's really not so different from the rest of us after all.]
The Bain Capital Bonfire
(WSJ) About the best that can be said about the Republican attacks on Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital is that President Obama is going to do the same thing eventually, so GOP primary voters might as well know what's coming. Yet that hardly absolves Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and others for their crude and damaging caricatures of modern business and capitalism.
Presidential Election Department:
Obama: Republicans Want to Emulate China, Roll Back Minimum Wage, Prevent Unionization
(Video)
[But I thought he liked China....?]
Obama convenes meeting on 'in-sourcing' U.S. jobs
(Wash Examiner) President Obama is trying to encourage American companies to keep more jobs at home instead of sending them to cheaper labor markets overseas as he seeks to strengthen his economic repertoire and gin up support among middle class voters and unionized workers heading into the election.
[And he really thinks that forcing people to keep jobs in place will work? Look at the past 50 years of Union Thuggery about that!]
Mr. Obama’s 99% — Are We Poor or Just Unequal or Both or Neither?
(PJ Media) In our strange Alice-In-Wonderland 21st-century world, lots of crazy things blur the president’s one percent/99 percentRomney's Granite Statement
(WSJ) Mitt Romney's victory in New Hampshire Tuesday takes him one step closer to the GOP Presidential nomination, especially given the fragmented showing by the rest of the field. The former Massachusetts Governor met expectations in the state where he owns a home, and he will now head to South Carolina with no clear single rival who might unite conservatives.
Morning Examiner: Romney vs the zombie horde
(Conn Caroll - Wash Examiner) ...And the exit polls are even more compelling. Romney won among virtually every demographic polled. He beat Rick Santorum among evangelicals. He beat Newt Gingrich among Tea Party supporters. He beat everyone among those who cared most about beating Obama. The only demographics he lost were college kids (who voted for Paul) and those who oppose the Tea Party (they went for Jon Huntsman).LAMBRO: Romney rivals sound like Democrats
(David Lambro - Wash Times) Mitt Romney is taking a lot of heat from his Republican rivals, who question just how successful he really has been in turning small businesses into major job-creating enterprises.
Law of Unintended Consequences:
2012 Maryland General Assembly Legislative Session Preview
(Red Maryland) The Maryland General Assembly, or as my friend Doug Gill likes to call it the Cistern on the Severn, kicks off its 2012 legislative session today. Here is a run down of the big issues, and how I see things playing out.
[Want to see the Left Wing of the Democrat party in action? watch the guys in Annapolis...]
The Media
Bozell: Unseat These Atrocious Moderators
(Lance Bozell - CNS News) Why must the Republicans keep handing over their debate stage in the primary season to the people who desperately want them all to bumble, stumble and fall on their faces on national TV?
Cantor got it right on Reagan in '60 Minutes' interview
(Wash Examinter) House Majority Whip Eric Cantor sat for a profile with "60 Minutes" correspondent Lesley Stahl last week. It was a mostly constructive exchange except for a minor flap over President Reagan's record on taxes.
[Some of them have been making it up for so long....]
Ron Paul Blasts Morning Joe For Putting Words In His Mouth: ‘I Don’t Know What Your Goal Is’
[Easy - try to get some viewers for (P)MSNBC, and disrupt the GOP as Joe turns into a RINO too]
World View
Senior Natanz executive slain in Tehran, US Navy, Air Force on Hormuz readiness
(DEBKA File) Forty-eight hours after Iran launched advanced uranium enrichment at Fordo, Prof. Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, deputy director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, was killed early Wednesday, Jan. 11 by a sticky bomb planted on his car by two motorcyclists.
Are US, Israel, Saudis united on military action vs Iran?
Iran plans one-kiloton underground nuclear test in 2012
Hamas Seeks a New Patron
(PJ Media) Sensing the rise of Sunni Islamism, Hamas is seeking benefactors other than Iran.
Global What?
[& The Environmental Wackos]
No override of Sharp Park veto No override of Sharp Park veto
(SF Chronicle) The Board of Supervisors could not muster enough votes to override Mayor Ed Lee's veto of legislation that would have compelled the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department to transfer management of Sharp Park to the federal government, if an agreement could be brokered.
Popular Culture, etc.:
College-age bingers down an average of 9 drinks
(SF Chronical) Atlanta — College-age drinkers average nine drinks when they get drunk, government health officials said Tuesday.
Michelle Obama: People Have Painted False Image Of Me Since Barack Said I’m ‘Some Angry Black Woman’
[She's just another one of the women who are always right?]
Business
Sowell: Kodak and the post office
(Thomas Sowell) It is news that truly marks the end of an era when Eastman Kodak is preparing to file for bankruptcy, after being the leading photographic company in the world for more than a hundred years.
Cracks in wings of Airbus A380 spark calls for grounding
I am telling you right now that I will not fly on any Airbus product. They are manufactured by lazy people in socialist nations that sleep more then they work. JD
Military Stuff
CNO: Don't expect more troops, ships in Pacific
(Stars & Stripes) WASHINGTON — The much-heralded U.S. “pivot to the Pacific” doesn’t mean a big influx of troops or ships in the Western Pacific, the Navy’s top officer said Tuesday.
And the rest of the stuff:
Links may become inactive after time...my comments still holdThe Weather in Lower Slower Delaware
U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices
Politico's Morning Score Election Cheat Sheet [Remember this is Politico]
Latest NewsBusted
Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/10/2012
Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/10/2012
On with the show (and the Primary) as the media yahoos all try to tell us what they think happened or is happening, or how we should agree with them because they are oh so smart.... Anyway, its Dad's 93rd Birthday.[As usual my comments are in bold type surrounded by square brackets].
Politics (as usual) Department:
MIX: Government employees’ free speech on trial
(Wash Times) From Ohio to Wisconsin to California, state budget battles over extravagant union privileges grabbed headlines and flooded airwaves throughout 2011. This year, however, the fight to restrain public-sector union bosses has shifted to a new venue. Tuesday, the Supreme Court weighs arguments about the limits of union officials’ power to spend compulsory union dues on politics.Blatant power grabs have murdered our republi
(Salisbury Times) If it wasn't obvious to you before, last week's events should make it crystal clear: the American Republic is gone. King Obama, faithful to his promise to ignore Congress if he doesn't get his way, trampled the constitutional separation of powers and appointed the head of the unconstitutional Consumer Protection Bureau without senate confirmation or a single hearing even as the senate remained in session to prevent such an appointment.
27 Congressmen to Court: If Individual Mandate's Unconstitutional, Strike Down All Obamacare
(CNSNews.com) – Twenty-seven members of Congress, including House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas), have signed an amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the entire Obamacare law if it finds that the individual mandate provision is unconstitutional.
Obama's Chief Of Staff Cancels The Daley Show After One Year
(Matt Sheffield - CNS News) Remember how President Obama brought in Bill Daley a year ago to be his chief of staff in order to boost his credibility with the business world?
Well, that experiment is over.
Will Obama’s Inexperienced, ‘Controversial’ Deputy OMB Director Heather Higginbottom Take Jack Lew’s Place?
(Big Government.com) With less than a month to go before President Obama is required by law to submit a budget to Congress (February 6th), Mr. Obama’s decision today to make Jack Lew White House chief of staff leaves deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget (OM
Carroll: Morning Examiner: Battle for capitalism
(Conn Carroll - Wash Examiner) There may be some formalities left in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida, but the stage for the general election is now set and two stories yesterday almost perfectly previewed what the next 10 months are going to be about.
VERNUCCIO: No time for advice and consent
(Wash Times) On Wednesday, President Obama infuriated Republicans and threatened to spark a constitutional crisis when he announced he would make four recess appointments during a “pro forma” session of Congress. A pro forma session occurs when Congress “gavels in and gavels out” every three days but is not technically on recess.
Presidential Election Department:
POLL: Americans, 2-1, fear Obama re-election...
(US News) When it comes to how Americans view President Obama going into the new year, there appears to be very little spirit of Auld Lang Syne. Instead, according to the new Washington Whispers poll, many voters aren't forgetting what they dislike about Obama and want him out office.
GOP Goes Negative, Hits Obama's 'Pixie' Dust
(US News) Paul Bedard's Washington Whispers: Using the Tuesday New Hampshire primary as an opening to slam the White House, GOP officials Monday turned negative and personal against President Obama, belittling his vacations, fancy fund-raisers and magical "pixie dust" they say he used to con voters in 2008.
Peterson: Obama fires opening election-year salvo
(Wash Examiner) In his first campaign speech of the election year, President Obama defended big government and condemned Republicans' "brand of you're-on-your-own economics"
Rick Santorum: If Obama Isn’t Defeated, then the America We Know Will Be Gone
(PJ Tatler) GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum rallied with supporters at Jillians in Manchester, NH Monday night. The former senator from Pennsylvania, wearing his now trademark sweater vest, seemed buoyed by the energy he is seeing on the campaign trail, and was joined by his family at the event.
Law of Unintended Consequences:
The Media
Herman Cain Defends Rick Santorum’s ‘Black People’ Comment On The View
World View
Pedophilia Added to Greece’s Recognized Disability List
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek disabled groups are angry at a government decision to expand a list of state-recognized disability categories to include pedophiles, exhibitionists and kleptomaniacs.
Iran: Latin visit, American’s death fate push limits
(The Washington Times) Tensions between the United States and Iran reached new heights Monday, as Iran’s president met with Venezuela’s leader amid reports that Tehran has issued a death sentence on a U.S. citizen accused of spying for the CIA.
Global What?
[& The Environmental Wackos]
Interior Secretary Stresses Job Creation From Tourism — As He Bans New Uranium Mining Out West
(CNSNews.com) - Slammed by western-state lawmakers for banning new uranium mining near the Grand Canyon — and the jobs it would create — the Obama administration on Monday stressed the role of tourism and leisure in job creation.
Popular Culture, etc.:
How I Learned About Courage From an Arab Marxist and About Cowardice From Western Phony “Liberals”
By Barry Rubin - A little man stood on the stage in a British university hall, meticulously dressed, looking just like the scholar that he was. To look at him you would think he was the embodied stereotype of timidity. It was 1980. Iraq had just invaded Iran and I was in Exeter, England, at an academic conference. Though I hadn’t realized it before arriving, the meeting was sponsored by the Saddam Hussein government.
Business
Our Masters in Washington
by Roger Kimball Why is it that congressmen are allowed to invest on the basis of insider knowledge when the same behavior would bring down the scrutiny of the SEC on us plebs?
Military Stuff
Rockets to flatten Osama bin Laden Pakistan hideout
(Stars & Stripes) Next month, in an event slated to take place before a sandstorm of news media cameras, Pakistani officials say they will flatten the Pakistani house where for years, Osama bin Laden eluded capture — until he was killed last May by U.S. Navy SEALs, according to the U.K.'s Sun.
And the rest of the stuff:
Links may become inactive after time...my comments still holdThe Weather in Lower Slower Delaware
U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices
Politico's Morning Score Election Cheat Sheet [Remember this is Politico]
Latest NewsBusted
Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/9/2012
Coach Roy's Reading List for 1/9/2012
Now that we've survived The Simpsons parody of Glenn Beck (and their host network, Fox) we can get back to serious stuff....[As usual my comments are in bold type surrounded by square brackets].
Politics (as usual) Department:
Rep. Allen West: House and Senate GOP Leaders ‘Sold us Down the Road’ on Payroll Tax Cut
(CNSNews.com) – Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), a Tea Party favorite, talking about the deal to extend payroll tax cut brokered by House leadership and the White House, said that the GOP House leadership had caved in to Senate GOP leaders, who “sold us down the road” for “pathetic politics” in the form of a two-month extension.“I was very upset about what happened with this payroll tax cut extension,” West told WMAL radio station in Baltimore, Friday morning.
The Maryland Model (part two)
(Monoblog) As you should recall, I distilled the idea behind the Colorado Model liberal Democrats used to take over that state into four simpler M words: money, message, media, and mobilization. In this part I assess the overall shape conservatives here in Maryland exist in regarding these four issues – and we definitely need to do some work!
The Maryland Model (part three)
In truth, though, this part won’t be based strictly on the Maryland Model. It’s actually going to be a critique of a presentation I ran across, one which is presumably some sort of PowerPoint presentation translated to Scribed for the purposes of disseminating. Called Become a Force Multiplier: 5 Simple Tasks for American Activists, it addresses many of the issues we will face in 2012 with a particular focus on Big Labor’s aspect.
Presidential Election Department:
Really?': Chris Christie Slams Protesters Chanting 'Christie Kills Jobs'
(MediaIte) During a Sunday evening rally in Exeter, New Hampshire for Mitt Romney, New Jersey governor Chris Christie was interrupted by demonstrators chanting “Christie Kills Jobs.”
O'Conner: Axelrod-Style ‘October Surprise’ Comes Early: Newt’s SuperPAC Attacks Romney From Left
(Big Government) With the New Hampshire Primary just three days away, a Super PAC affiliated with Newt Gingrich has released a devastating film attacking Mitt Romney’s days at Bain Capital labeling him “more ruthless than Wall Street.” The film, called “When Mitt Romney Came To Town,” features multiple men and women who had lost their jobs and in some cases their homes, due to the corporate decisions of Romney’s investment firm.
White House threw secret 'ALICE IN WONDERLAND' bash...
(NY Post) A White House “Alice in Wonderland” costume ball — put on by Johnny Depp and Hollywood director Tim Burton — proved to be a Mad-as-a-Hatter idea that was never made public for fear of a political backlash during hard economic times, according to a new tell-all.
[Barack in Wonderland....spending our money]
Barone: Thoughts on the Meet the Press/NBC/Facebook debate
(Michael Barone - Wash Examiner) We got more tussle, as my Examiner colleague Philip Klein points out, and a whole bunch of dumb questions in the Meet the Press/NBC/Facebook/Union Leader/Channel 7 debate (are these things improved by having more sponsors? No) this morning.
Where's the tea party?
(Vogel - Politico) New Hampshire might seem like ground zero for a tea party offensive.
Promises, Obamises.
(Chics on the Right) Video of BHO's signing statements....
Law of Unintended Consequences:
FEDS GROUND 'BIRD PLANE' WHOOPING CRANES THINK IS THEIR MOTHER...
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ten young whooping cranes and the bird-like plane they think is their mother had flown more than halfway to their winter home in Florida when federal regulators stepped in.
The Media
Klavan: How The Media Makes Us Stupid
(PJ Media) There are times these days watching the news when I feel I know less when I am finished than when I began. The people who ask the questions seem consistently to ask the wrong questions or to ask them in such a twisted and tendentious way that no possible answer could lead a viewer or reader any closer to the facts of the matter.
The land of make-believe
(Politico) But the contest isn’t: Mitt Romney is holding onto his apparently huge lead over rivals in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary, and is looking so strong going into South Carolina’s primary two weeks from now that his advisers privately talk up hopes for a 3-0 sweep of the opening contests - and a quick kill to win.
Olbermann Announces He Will Be ‘Running’ Current’s Election Coverage After NH
(MediaIte) The enigmatic feud between Countdown host Keith Olbermann and his network, Current TV, has ended, not with a bang, but with a Sunday announcement that the fiery liberal provocateur has agreed to anchor the network’s election coverage following Tuesday’s New Hampshire Primary, which isn’t quite the network’s preferred outcome, but close enough.
[But nobody will watch anyway....]
World View
Generals' early handover to Islamists wrecks hopes for New Egypt
(DEBKA File) Washington and Jerusalem were dismayed to discover last week that Egypt's transitional military rulers (SCAF) were preparing to drop the reins of government and hand them over - lock, stock and barrel, including the armed forces - to civilian rule, i.e., the Muslim Brotherhood, at the earliest opportunity
Global What?
[& The Environmental Wackos]
MICHAELS: A sustainable depression
(Patrick Michaels - Wash Times) If the Dow fell 85 percent, most folks would call that a depression. So why doesn’t that apply to the “sustainable” energy business - mainly solar and wind power - where shares have fallen an average of 85 percent to 90 percent, even excluding the bankrupt Solyndras, Evergreens and Solons? This depression is global, hitting Chinese Suntech, the world’s largest producer of solar panels, as well. Suntech has seen its shares plunge 88 percent.
Popular Culture, etc.:
Catholics Beware: ‘The ‘Devil Inside’ Trashes the Catholic Church
(John Nolte - Big Hollywood) The new “found footage” horror entry, “The Devil Inside,” has plenty of problems as a stand alone film. My colleague Christian Toto points out many of them here. Reportedly, Paramount purchased the exorcist story for somewhere around a million dollars, which means that even after the costs associated with advertising, profits will be pouring in after only one weekend. Good for them; the marketing was better than the film. What’s new?
Cell Phone Execs Sorry About Giving 11-Year-Old Girl A Phone Number Last Used By Escort Service
(Jane Dolugh) After your phone dies, do you ever wonder where the number goes? I mean, sure someone else gets use of it, but usually the overlap between previous owner and new owner isn’t horrendously awkward or anything. You would think. And yet, sometimes, those two customers are the last two people on earth who should share digits.
Business
Clown Cars: The Disastrous Results of Lawyers, Not Gearheads, Running the Auto Industry
(Big Government.com) For years, the lawyers have not been able to resist instructing the auto industry. Since Ralph Nader began tinkering in the sixties, cars have gone from iconic to ridiculous. We have seen great cars like the Impala turned into a tiny little go-cart filled with airbags and other safety equipment. While I do not begrudge those of us who like safety equipment (after all, that’s why God created Volvos), I long for some of the breathtaking muscle cars of my youth–the proud beasts of an era gone by.
Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against eBay Because Of The Way Its Auctions Work
(Techdirt.com) It seems you can find people to file a class action lawsuit against just about any crazy thing these days. The latest, as pointed out by Eric Goldman (with the complaint embedded below), is someone filing a class action lawsuit against eBay claiming all sorts of violations for the way eBay's auction system has always worked. Here's the basic issue. eBay developed a rather clever system back when it launched to handle bidding. You don't just put in your next bid — you put in what's supposed to be the maximum you're willing to bid on an item. But the auction system itself always goes for the highest bidder's lowest increment above the second highest bidder. If that sounds confusing, let's take the language from eBay's own site
[Huh?]
DIAMOND: Gun control kills jobs
(Richard Diamond - Wash Times) Ever since Barack Obama was sworn in as president, the economy has misfired. Jobs remain scarce and the market has yet to recover the value it had prior to the 2007 crash. Though Mr. Obama’s policies have unintentionally given a major boost to an industry he hates - firearms - even this one bright spot hasn’t necessarily translated into new employment.
Military Stuff
By 2016, Defense Will Increase by $50 Billion and Other Spending by $7 Trillion
(Big Peace) It looks like the nation’s national security may soon take it in the shorts, a repeat of the 1990s but worse. Then, defense spending declined in real terms by a cumulative $300 billion from 1993-2000. At the same time, the major procurement accounts were under-funded by fully 40% according to a senior defense department official in a speech from December of 2000.
Cargo drone makes debut in Afghanistan
(Stars & Stripes) The U.S. military is testing a revolutionary new drone for its arsenal, a pilotless helicopter intended to fly cargo missions to remote outposts where frequent roadside bombs threaten access by road convoys.
A shrinking military budget may take neighbors with it
(Stars & Stripes) WASHINGTON — Military spending has transformed the faded farmlands of northern Virginia into a land of glass-block office parks, oversize homes and sleek cars. Average household incomes there are among the highest in the United States.
Defense cuts unlikely to hurt Calif. economy
[It cant get much worse]
And the rest of the stuff:
Links may become inactive after time...my comments still holdThe Weather in Lower Slower Delaware
U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices
Politico's Morning Score Election Cheat Sheet [Remember this is Politico]
Latest NewsBusted