Story.
Increase in number of Scouts due to allowing female Scouts, modernising the uniform, updating Merit Badge activities with such things as snowboarding and abseiling, and installing Bear Grylls as Chief Scout.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
"Terminally Stupid" Walking Dead
Kurt Schlichter's opinion, over at Big Hollywood:
The problems with ‘TWD’ come in two flavors. The least annoying – yet still annoying – are the liberal Hollywood assumptions that permeate the stories. The second is the fact that the characters act like such utter idiots that it actually suspends the suspension of disbelief – for example, a “shocking” sequence at the end of the premiere (Caution: Light Spoilers Ahead!) actually caused me to burst into laughter.
One set of annoying liberal assumptions is about religion. Last season, we saw how the brutal wife-beater was – wait for it – one of those crazy born-again types. Naturally, his wife’s version of Christianity in the premiere is a twisted, weird form of it unfamiliar to anyone who actually knows and hangs out with born-again Christians. Her religion only manifests itself when the writers want to creep out the audience with gothic freakiness – and not the good kind. Note that though the story takes place in Georgia, this weirdo appears to be the only one with any kind of pre-existing interest in religion.
Then there’s the stuff about guns. The dozen or so survivors in the little band seem to have plenty of guns. It’s just that the hero and his cop buddy have decided no one else gets to have any. The rationale is that the others are “untrained.” Let’s leave aside the fact that there aren’t a whole lot of Southern folks who don’t know how to shoot – though this band seems nearly entirely urban except for one redneck guy.
The liberal premise is that firearms are to be reserved to an elite is obnoxious – in fact, one key sub-plot in the premiere is that they took the gun belonging to one woman away, and refused to give it back to her even after she was nearly eaten because she was unarmed. I can’t abide a zombie flick that would earn the Brady Campaign’s seal of approval.
Maybe they could solve the training “problem” by actually training the civilians, but that never seemed to occur to the self-appointed leaders. In fact, the two cops don’t seem interested in preparing the civilians at all. Instead, they spend most of their time talking about their feelings. It’s agonizing.
Read the whole thing, as they say.
The problems with ‘TWD’ come in two flavors. The least annoying – yet still annoying – are the liberal Hollywood assumptions that permeate the stories. The second is the fact that the characters act like such utter idiots that it actually suspends the suspension of disbelief – for example, a “shocking” sequence at the end of the premiere (Caution: Light Spoilers Ahead!) actually caused me to burst into laughter.
One set of annoying liberal assumptions is about religion. Last season, we saw how the brutal wife-beater was – wait for it – one of those crazy born-again types. Naturally, his wife’s version of Christianity in the premiere is a twisted, weird form of it unfamiliar to anyone who actually knows and hangs out with born-again Christians. Her religion only manifests itself when the writers want to creep out the audience with gothic freakiness – and not the good kind. Note that though the story takes place in Georgia, this weirdo appears to be the only one with any kind of pre-existing interest in religion.
Then there’s the stuff about guns. The dozen or so survivors in the little band seem to have plenty of guns. It’s just that the hero and his cop buddy have decided no one else gets to have any. The rationale is that the others are “untrained.” Let’s leave aside the fact that there aren’t a whole lot of Southern folks who don’t know how to shoot – though this band seems nearly entirely urban except for one redneck guy.
The liberal premise is that firearms are to be reserved to an elite is obnoxious – in fact, one key sub-plot in the premiere is that they took the gun belonging to one woman away, and refused to give it back to her even after she was nearly eaten because she was unarmed. I can’t abide a zombie flick that would earn the Brady Campaign’s seal of approval.
Maybe they could solve the training “problem” by actually training the civilians, but that never seemed to occur to the self-appointed leaders. In fact, the two cops don’t seem interested in preparing the civilians at all. Instead, they spend most of their time talking about their feelings. It’s agonizing.
Read the whole thing, as they say.
Treasure Blog: Viking Ship Burial, Ardnamurchan, Scotland
Smaller and less ornate than the more famous Sutton Hoo ship burial, which was a Saxon, rather than Viking, ship burial.
Of course, as an archaeological dig that is centuries old, there isn't much left, with the sword and axe buried with the warrior nothing but masses of powdery rust. An artist's conception of how it would have looked:
Just looking at it I'd think that the man was probably a notable warrior but not any sort of king or other leader, since the grave goods are at a minimum and no precious metals such as gold or silver are present in the grave. Or perhaps this is how Vikings buried their common warriors?
Of course, as an archaeological dig that is centuries old, there isn't much left, with the sword and axe buried with the warrior nothing but masses of powdery rust. An artist's conception of how it would have looked:
Just looking at it I'd think that the man was probably a notable warrior but not any sort of king or other leader, since the grave goods are at a minimum and no precious metals such as gold or silver are present in the grave. Or perhaps this is how Vikings buried their common warriors?
Zombie Math
Seems like most of you watched the season premiere of The Walking Dead, One of the questions I keep seeing is How come they don't have any guns? Why don't they just bust into a gun shop?
Ok, let's use Charlotte, NC for our arithmetic example. Let's estimate that, if you total all the guns available in Charlotte gun shops, pawn shops and sporting goods stores, that you end up with a total of 10,000 firearms. Presume that the merchants didn't sell any of them during the zombification crisis, just left them in the stores for survivors (*rolls eyes*)
Charlotte has a population of 731,424 people. If the zombie plague carried off 90% of the population (and good riddance to a lot of them, frankly) that leaves 73,143 people who'd probably like to have a gun or two. Or three. And lots of ammunition, too.
Do the math. A lot of people will be left without guns.
Yeah, you say, but lots of houses have guns in them, probably. They should just go house to house and look for guns.
Yes, that's true, a lot of houses will have guns in them. They'll also have zombies in them, around them, near them. Clearing and securing houses is dangerous enough when you have guns and can shoot at will, but when you're creeping around quietly trying not to draw the attention of the zombies, it becomes a nightmare. Here at the start of season 2, the survivors in Rick's group only have six able-bodied men to do this house-clearing, with only two of them trained in police work such as house-clearing. After three or four houses there will probably be a couple of casualties, men bitten by zombies or accidentally shot/killed by comrades.
Thus the wisdom of being prepared in advance of the disaster. After the disaster is too late.
Ok, let's use Charlotte, NC for our arithmetic example. Let's estimate that, if you total all the guns available in Charlotte gun shops, pawn shops and sporting goods stores, that you end up with a total of 10,000 firearms. Presume that the merchants didn't sell any of them during the zombification crisis, just left them in the stores for survivors (*rolls eyes*)
Charlotte has a population of 731,424 people. If the zombie plague carried off 90% of the population (and good riddance to a lot of them, frankly) that leaves 73,143 people who'd probably like to have a gun or two. Or three. And lots of ammunition, too.
Do the math. A lot of people will be left without guns.
Yeah, you say, but lots of houses have guns in them, probably. They should just go house to house and look for guns.
Yes, that's true, a lot of houses will have guns in them. They'll also have zombies in them, around them, near them. Clearing and securing houses is dangerous enough when you have guns and can shoot at will, but when you're creeping around quietly trying not to draw the attention of the zombies, it becomes a nightmare. Here at the start of season 2, the survivors in Rick's group only have six able-bodied men to do this house-clearing, with only two of them trained in police work such as house-clearing. After three or four houses there will probably be a couple of casualties, men bitten by zombies or accidentally shot/killed by comrades.
Thus the wisdom of being prepared in advance of the disaster. After the disaster is too late.
Monday, October 17, 2011
V-Man On Occupy Wall Street
I call myself a one percenter not because I am insanely wealthy, but because I cannot relate to the insanely wealthy trustafarians currently enjoying a nice autumn camp out with no worries. Also, their retarded, unwashed aunts and uncles.
I spent six hours in a crawlspace yesterday. In a crawlspace on the Sabbath, two months after I had a fucking heart attack, in order to pay my rent. One should never have to spend a weekend day in a crawlspace without at least the luxury of a 14-year-old boy to bury. At least there's memories there. Possibly video.
Go, and read the whole magnificent thing.
I spent six hours in a crawlspace yesterday. In a crawlspace on the Sabbath, two months after I had a fucking heart attack, in order to pay my rent. One should never have to spend a weekend day in a crawlspace without at least the luxury of a 14-year-old boy to bury. At least there's memories there. Possibly video.
Go, and read the whole magnificent thing.
I Hear the Sound of Possums Screaming
"Fruit of the future? Brits' taste for the exotic sees soaring sales of persimmons overtake mangoes and pineapples."
Persimmons.
We used to have a persimmon tree in our yard in Florida. My dad was the only member of the family that ate them. If you eat them before they're fully ripe you'll regret it, they have an astringent quality when unripe that will pucker your mouth up. Possums, of course, love persimmons. Naturalist John James Audobon noted this when he painted possums, placing them within the branches of a persimmon tree:
We used to have a persimmon tree in our yard in Florida. My dad was the only member of the family that ate them. If you eat them before they're fully ripe you'll regret it, they have an astringent quality when unripe that will pucker your mouth up. Possums, of course, love persimmons. Naturalist John James Audobon noted this when he painted possums, placing them within the branches of a persimmon tree:
Why Don't You Just Go Load 16 Tons of #9 Coal, Then, Braggart?
A story about weapons confiscated at the Statue of Liberty.
One boastful Canadian doesn't apparently feel the need for weapons:
"I have two fists - one of iron and one of steel. Who needs Mace?" said a man who identified himself only as Roger, of the Rocky Mountain region of western Canada. He was surprised by the rigorous screening, much like an airport, with screeners asking visitors to take off their belts and shoes.
One boastful Canadian doesn't apparently feel the need for weapons:
"I have two fists - one of iron and one of steel. Who needs Mace?" said a man who identified himself only as Roger, of the Rocky Mountain region of western Canada. He was surprised by the rigorous screening, much like an airport, with screeners asking visitors to take off their belts and shoes.
Today's Musical Interlude
The instrumental version of Chris Isaak's Wicked Games. Not as often heard as the regular version, it was featured on the Wild At Heart soundtrack.
Today's Poll
In my travels around the blogosphere, I often see horrendous examples of bad grammar, bad spelling, and bad word usage. I don't usually mention these in blog comments, and I especially don't do so to try and score debate points or "win" the debate. Still, I often wonder if sometimes a blogger should be corrected privately via email; I have done this in the past, and it's usually accepted graciously. What do you folks feel about it?
(This post was provoked by a blog post elsewhere that made the tenant/tenet mistake.)
(This post was provoked by a blog post elsewhere that made the tenant/tenet mistake.)
Birds Gotta Fly, Fish Gotta Swim...
...and Gurkhas gotta chop off heads.
A Gurkha station in Afghanistan who chopped off the head of a Taliban casualty to prove identity has been cleared of wrongdoing.
Trivia: blog post title came from the title of a Gilligan's Island episode. Sherwood Schwartz, producer of Gilligan's Island, obviously got the title from the song shown above.
A Gurkha station in Afghanistan who chopped off the head of a Taliban casualty to prove identity has been cleared of wrongdoing.
Trivia: blog post title came from the title of a Gilligan's Island episode. Sherwood Schwartz, producer of Gilligan's Island, obviously got the title from the song shown above.
Just Sayin'
If life in the US is as bad as the OWS people describe, how come I never see Sally Struthers in a TV commercial standing next to a starving kid from Nebraska?
They Like Zagnut? Who Knew?
There's going to be a Bigfoot hunt in the nearby Uwharrie National Forest, and Zagnut plays a role.
More about Zagnut (if you've never heard about it) here. Apparently they're popular with troops in Afghanistan because they don't have easily-melting chocolate as an ingredient.
More about Zagnut (if you've never heard about it) here. Apparently they're popular with troops in Afghanistan because they don't have easily-melting chocolate as an ingredient.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
My Sympathy For Your Plight...
...is in low supply.
Over here in the US, because of the actions of men your government allowed to train in your country, old women in their 80's have to take off their incontinence pants to get on an airplane, as do babies in diapers. Recently a woman who'd had a mastectomy had to prove it to TSA agents.
So Abdul, I don't really give a shit that you have to take your turban off, you Muslim bastard.
Over here in the US, because of the actions of men your government allowed to train in your country, old women in their 80's have to take off their incontinence pants to get on an airplane, as do babies in diapers. Recently a woman who'd had a mastectomy had to prove it to TSA agents.
So Abdul, I don't really give a shit that you have to take your turban off, you Muslim bastard.
Today's Musical Interlude...
The music from the movie The Monster Squad, composed by Bruce Broughton:
My favorite section starts around 8:30 and lasts until 9:10, the "vortex" scene in which Frankenstein's Monster departs. Broughton definitely had his Tchaikovsky groove going for that segment.
Where did classical music go during most of the 20th century? Who knows, or even cares. The composers were writing for each other or for academics, mostly, with a few exceptions such as Rachmaninoff. They certainly weren't writing for the listening audience. People that wanted to hear lush, sweet melodies that were common in the Romantic era and typified by Tchaikovsky or Grieg or Dvorak, had to watch Hollywood movies, because that is where that sort of music found its home during the 20th century while the classical composers engaged in circle-jerking.
My favorite section starts around 8:30 and lasts until 9:10, the "vortex" scene in which Frankenstein's Monster departs. Broughton definitely had his Tchaikovsky groove going for that segment.
Where did classical music go during most of the 20th century? Who knows, or even cares. The composers were writing for each other or for academics, mostly, with a few exceptions such as Rachmaninoff. They certainly weren't writing for the listening audience. People that wanted to hear lush, sweet melodies that were common in the Romantic era and typified by Tchaikovsky or Grieg or Dvorak, had to watch Hollywood movies, because that is where that sort of music found its home during the 20th century while the classical composers engaged in circle-jerking.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Which Walking Dead Character Are You?
I'm Dale:
Only 7 questions. Unfortunately Merle Dixon isn't one of the possible results.
update: take the quiz here. Sorry for not linking it earlier. Not that anyone reads my sorry shit anymore, anyway.
Only 7 questions. Unfortunately Merle Dixon isn't one of the possible results.
update: take the quiz here. Sorry for not linking it earlier. Not that anyone reads my sorry shit anymore, anyway.
Friday, October 14, 2011
"So 1100 Men Went In the Water...
...316 men come out, sharks took the rest, June the 29th, 1945."
49 of the 316 still survive, and told their experiences to students at Blue Ridge Community College.
Survivors.
And yes, I'll throw in that chilling, immortal scene from Jaws:
49 of the 316 still survive, and told their experiences to students at Blue Ridge Community College.
And yes, I'll throw in that chilling, immortal scene from Jaws:
Bill Whittle On the Protesters
I have to disagree with him, though. He thinks it can be done in 3.5 day increments, I think the lesson can be best driven home in a single 30-day period once in a person's life. 30 days of subsistence-level existence, with no electronic toys to play with? A definite attitude adjustment.
h/t Smallest Minority.
h/t Smallest Minority.
I've Been Watching...
the 1977 BBC version of Bram Stoker's Dracula, featuring Louis Jourdan as the Count. It's the most faithful version of all, although it takes a few liberties here and there. (I was watching it on YouTube, so got it in 10-minute increments).
Here's the first segment, if you wish to watch it yourself:
Here's the first segment, if you wish to watch it yourself:
Thursday, October 13, 2011
It's a Win-Win Scenario!
Victor Davis Hanson on Obama's heavy use of Predator drones and Hellfire missile strikes:
For Pres. Barack Obama, the Predator drone avoids former candidate Obama’s past legal objections by simply blowing apart suspected terrorists without having to capture them — and then to ponder how and where they should be tried. With a dead, rather than a detained, terrorist, civil libertarians cannot demand that Obama honor his campaign pledge to treat suspects like American criminals, while conservatives cannot pounce on any perceived softness in extending Miranda rights to captured al-Qaeda killers.
h/t Weasel Zippers.
For Pres. Barack Obama, the Predator drone avoids former candidate Obama’s past legal objections by simply blowing apart suspected terrorists without having to capture them — and then to ponder how and where they should be tried. With a dead, rather than a detained, terrorist, civil libertarians cannot demand that Obama honor his campaign pledge to treat suspects like American criminals, while conservatives cannot pounce on any perceived softness in extending Miranda rights to captured al-Qaeda killers.
h/t Weasel Zippers.
Where'd the Cornerstone Get Off To?
I distinctly remember it being here at one time, they even wrote about it...
The cornerstone of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City can't be found.
In this age of cocksure, know-it-all-the-science-is-settled arrogance, it's a bit humbling, isn't it, that a cornerstone could go missing like that?
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Might get lost if you aren't paying attention, though.
The cornerstone of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City can't be found.
In this age of cocksure, know-it-all-the-science-is-settled arrogance, it's a bit humbling, isn't it, that a cornerstone could go missing like that?
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Might get lost if you aren't paying attention, though.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
4:00 A.M. Hotel Phone Calls
"Do you guys have any, like, Viagra, like, a machine that sells it?"
"No, ma'am. Viagra is a prescription drug and isn't dispensed over-the-counter."
"You don't have, like, anything?"
'No, ma'am."
*click*
"No, ma'am. Viagra is a prescription drug and isn't dispensed over-the-counter."
"You don't have, like, anything?"
'No, ma'am."
*click*
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
My Name Is Iñigo Montoya...
...You want a sequel? Prepare to die.
Apparently Mandy Patinkin isn't a go for a Princess Bride sequel.
Apparently Mandy Patinkin isn't a go for a Princess Bride sequel.
Pin the Tail On That Donkey...
...and listen to him bray.
Mr. Attorney General, you have made numerous statements about Fast and Furious that have eventually been proven to be untrue. Your lack of trustworthiness while speaking about Fast and Furious has called into question your overall credibility as Attorney General. The time for deflecting blame and obstructing our investigation is over. The time has come for you to come clean to the American public about what you knew about Fast and Furious, when you knew it, and who is going to be held accountable for failing to shut down a program that has already had deadly consequences, and will likely cause more casualties for years to come.
Operation Fast and Furious was the Department’s most significant gun trafficking case. It related to two of your major initiatives – destroying the Mexican cartels and reducing gun violence on both sides of the border. On your watch, it went spectacularly wrong. Whether you realize yet or not, you own Fast and Furious. It is your responsibility.
Sincerely,
Darrell Issa
Chairman
Save Me, Mr. President! Don't Throw Me Under the Bus!
h/t Sipsey Street Irregulars.
Mr. Attorney General, you have made numerous statements about Fast and Furious that have eventually been proven to be untrue. Your lack of trustworthiness while speaking about Fast and Furious has called into question your overall credibility as Attorney General. The time for deflecting blame and obstructing our investigation is over. The time has come for you to come clean to the American public about what you knew about Fast and Furious, when you knew it, and who is going to be held accountable for failing to shut down a program that has already had deadly consequences, and will likely cause more casualties for years to come.
Operation Fast and Furious was the Department’s most significant gun trafficking case. It related to two of your major initiatives – destroying the Mexican cartels and reducing gun violence on both sides of the border. On your watch, it went spectacularly wrong. Whether you realize yet or not, you own Fast and Furious. It is your responsibility.
Sincerely,
Darrell Issa
Chairman
h/t Sipsey Street Irregulars.
Occupy Charlotte: The Usual Gang of Commie Symps and Useful Idiots
Charlotte's own muckraking journalist Tara Servatius does the work that the Charlotte Observer isn't prepared (willing?) to do:
The Charlotte Observer did a fabulous job of painting the Occupy Charlotte protesters who descended upon the city this weekend as your righteously disgruntled, average-guy neighbors next door.
They aren’t. If they really do plan to camp out and continue their protest for a year (a length of time that conveniently coincides with the re-election of Barack Obama, which is their real goal) the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department better brush up fast on who these people really are.
While there were no doubt well-intentioned, useful idiots who showed up for the protests this weekend, the leaders of Occupy Charlotte, per their own website, are following a well-known, hardcore, anarchist communist playbook. The founders of the Ruckus Society, whose materials the Occupy Charlotte protesters have linked to on their website and suggested their followers follow, played a major role in the planning of the violent, destructive Seattle occupation of 1999.
Seattle protesters did $3 million of property damage, caused $17 million in lost sales due to the violence and looting and cost Seattle and surrounding cities over $10 million, $7 million of which was due to extra policing costs to control violence by protesters.
No surprise there, given that the founders of the Ruckus Society are self-avowed communists dedicated to the overthrow of capitalism using violent means.They first achieved fame for putting spikes in trees so loggers who harvested them would be impaled. They seriously hurt several people. They were also leaders in the radical anarchist environmental movement.
Click the link to read the rest.
The Charlotte Observer did a fabulous job of painting the Occupy Charlotte protesters who descended upon the city this weekend as your righteously disgruntled, average-guy neighbors next door.
They aren’t. If they really do plan to camp out and continue their protest for a year (a length of time that conveniently coincides with the re-election of Barack Obama, which is their real goal) the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department better brush up fast on who these people really are.
While there were no doubt well-intentioned, useful idiots who showed up for the protests this weekend, the leaders of Occupy Charlotte, per their own website, are following a well-known, hardcore, anarchist communist playbook. The founders of the Ruckus Society, whose materials the Occupy Charlotte protesters have linked to on their website and suggested their followers follow, played a major role in the planning of the violent, destructive Seattle occupation of 1999.
Seattle protesters did $3 million of property damage, caused $17 million in lost sales due to the violence and looting and cost Seattle and surrounding cities over $10 million, $7 million of which was due to extra policing costs to control violence by protesters.
No surprise there, given that the founders of the Ruckus Society are self-avowed communists dedicated to the overthrow of capitalism using violent means.They first achieved fame for putting spikes in trees so loggers who harvested them would be impaled. They seriously hurt several people. They were also leaders in the radical anarchist environmental movement.
Click the link to read the rest.
Sunday, October 09, 2011
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Why Gridlock Is a Good Thing
Supreme Court Justice Scalia's viewpoint, over at Patterico's Pontifications.
Very few countries in the world have a separately elected chief executive. Sometimes, I go to Europe to talk about separation of powers, and when I get there I find that all I’m talking about is independence of the judiciary because the Europeans don’t even try to divide the two political powers, the two political branches, the legislature and the chief executive. In all of the parliamentary countries the chief executive is the creature of the legislature. There’s never any disagreement between them and the prime minister, as there is sometimes between you and the president. When there’s a disagreement, they just kick him out! They have a no confidence vote, a new election, and they get a prime minister who agrees with the legislature.
The Europeans look at this system and say “It passes one house, it doesn’t pass the other house, sometimes the other house is in the control of a different party. it passes both, and this president, who has a veto power, vetoes it,” and they look at this, and they say (adopting an accent) “Ach, it is gridlock.” I hear Americans saying this nowadays, and there’s a lot of it going around. They talk about a disfunctional government because there’s disagreement… and the Framers would have said, “Yes! That’s exactly the way we set it up. We wanted this to be power contradicting power because the main ill besetting us — as Hamilton said in The Federalist when he talked about a separate Senate: “Yes, it seems inconvenient, inasmuch as the main ill that besets us is an excess of legislation, it won’t be so bad.” This is 1787; he didn’t know what an excess of legislation was.
Go read the whole thing.
Very few countries in the world have a separately elected chief executive. Sometimes, I go to Europe to talk about separation of powers, and when I get there I find that all I’m talking about is independence of the judiciary because the Europeans don’t even try to divide the two political powers, the two political branches, the legislature and the chief executive. In all of the parliamentary countries the chief executive is the creature of the legislature. There’s never any disagreement between them and the prime minister, as there is sometimes between you and the president. When there’s a disagreement, they just kick him out! They have a no confidence vote, a new election, and they get a prime minister who agrees with the legislature.
The Europeans look at this system and say “It passes one house, it doesn’t pass the other house, sometimes the other house is in the control of a different party. it passes both, and this president, who has a veto power, vetoes it,” and they look at this, and they say (adopting an accent) “Ach, it is gridlock.” I hear Americans saying this nowadays, and there’s a lot of it going around. They talk about a disfunctional government because there’s disagreement… and the Framers would have said, “Yes! That’s exactly the way we set it up. We wanted this to be power contradicting power because the main ill besetting us — as Hamilton said in The Federalist when he talked about a separate Senate: “Yes, it seems inconvenient, inasmuch as the main ill that besets us is an excess of legislation, it won’t be so bad.” This is 1787; he didn’t know what an excess of legislation was.
Go read the whole thing.
Rumsfeld In Japan
Long line of fans waited to get their copies of Rumsfeld's book Known and Unknown, much to the Stars and Stripes' writer's disgust.
Well, it's a Navy base, and Rumsfeld was a Navy guy before he went into government. That probably accounts for a lot of it.
They had to find a stand-up desk for Rumsfeld to sign books at, since he doesn't like sitting:
Well, it's a Navy base, and Rumsfeld was a Navy guy before he went into government. That probably accounts for a lot of it.
They had to find a stand-up desk for Rumsfeld to sign books at, since he doesn't like sitting:
State Department To Samir Khan's Family: Sorry 'Bout That
The US State Deparment has telephoned the family of Al Qaeda propagandist, US traitor, and recipient of the Hellfire Kiss of Death, Samir Khan, and offered condolences for offing him.
An official from the U.S. State Department has called the Charlotte family of al-Qaida propagandist Samir Khan to offer the government's condolences on his death in a U.S. drone attack last week in Yemen, according to a family spokesman.
"They were very apologetic (for not calling the family sooner) and offered condolences," Jibril Hough said about the Thursday call from the State Department to Khan's father, Zafar.
The phone call came a day after the family released a statement through Hough that condemned the "assassination" of their 25-year-old son - a U.S. citizen - and said they were "appalled" that they had not heard from the U.S. government to discuss their son's remains or answer questions about why Khan was not afforded due process.
Rusty over at the Jawa Report has more.
An official from the U.S. State Department has called the Charlotte family of al-Qaida propagandist Samir Khan to offer the government's condolences on his death in a U.S. drone attack last week in Yemen, according to a family spokesman.
"They were very apologetic (for not calling the family sooner) and offered condolences," Jibril Hough said about the Thursday call from the State Department to Khan's father, Zafar.
The phone call came a day after the family released a statement through Hough that condemned the "assassination" of their 25-year-old son - a U.S. citizen - and said they were "appalled" that they had not heard from the U.S. government to discuss their son's remains or answer questions about why Khan was not afforded due process.
Rusty over at the Jawa Report has more.
If You're Not Reading Sipsey Street Irregulars...
...you're missing out on some great reporting on the Fast And Furious scandal:
It Is Nice To Be Loved. I Make My Second Clinton "Enemies List."
Why Obama's Flacks Bullied A CBS Reporter."
CBS: Deputy AG received detailed Fast and Furious briefing. Apparently the dog didn't eat HIS homework.
Leahy plans Fast and Furious hearing with Holder. (I wonder if people know that Patrick Leahy Is Eric Holder's Bitch?)
And more. Go. See. Bookmark it and add it to your RSS feeds.
It Is Nice To Be Loved. I Make My Second Clinton "Enemies List."
Why Obama's Flacks Bullied A CBS Reporter."
CBS: Deputy AG received detailed Fast and Furious briefing. Apparently the dog didn't eat HIS homework.
Leahy plans Fast and Furious hearing with Holder. (I wonder if people know that Patrick Leahy Is Eric Holder's Bitch?)
And more. Go. See. Bookmark it and add it to your RSS feeds.
Friday, October 07, 2011
Martin Sheen On the Strange Road To Santiago
A fascinating interview with actor Martin Sheen, who is featured in the new film The Way, which documents travelers on the old Catholic pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella in northern Spain.
A marvelous interview, conducted by the most intelligent of the conservative talk-radio hosts, Hugh Hewitt. I hadn't realized that Sheen is a devout Roman Catholic. Hewitt allows Sheen the opportunity to apologize to George W. Bush for the insensitive "white-knuckled drunk" comment that Sheen made during Bush's term of office, and Sheen graciously does so.
I have to say that, having lived in Spain and being interested in the Way of St. James myself through books such as James Michener's Iberia and Paulo Coelho's The Pilgrimage, I might actually be tempted to see this movie, although I indicated in a very recent post that I'm not incline to reward actors whose politics I dislike with my entertainment dollars. Maybe I'll make this movie an exception.
A marvelous interview, conducted by the most intelligent of the conservative talk-radio hosts, Hugh Hewitt. I hadn't realized that Sheen is a devout Roman Catholic. Hewitt allows Sheen the opportunity to apologize to George W. Bush for the insensitive "white-knuckled drunk" comment that Sheen made during Bush's term of office, and Sheen graciously does so.
I have to say that, having lived in Spain and being interested in the Way of St. James myself through books such as James Michener's Iberia and Paulo Coelho's The Pilgrimage, I might actually be tempted to see this movie, although I indicated in a very recent post that I'm not incline to reward actors whose politics I dislike with my entertainment dollars. Maybe I'll make this movie an exception.
FEMA? We Don't Need No Steenkin' FEMA!
The self-reliant and proud residents of North Carolina's Outer Banks, which were hit by Hurricane Irene last month, don't really need the federal government's assistance, and they certainly don't want it.
Unlike the citizenry of New Orleans, the residents of the Outer Banks weren't raised in a culture of dependency, so they aren't looking to Washington to help them out. They're pitching in and helping each other, just as they always have, and just how Americans are supposed to.
Unlike the citizenry of New Orleans, the residents of the Outer Banks weren't raised in a culture of dependency, so they aren't looking to Washington to help them out. They're pitching in and helping each other, just as they always have, and just how Americans are supposed to.
I Won't Spend My Money On Your Agitprop
Hollywood finally begins realizing that politics in films can hurt the bottom line.
On Sept. 23, Morgan Freeman went on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight to proclaim that Tea Party opposition to President Obama "is a racist thing." The timing wasn't ideal, considering Dolphin Tale had opened that day and the film was tracking particularly well among conservatives, many of whom the star had suddenly maligned.
While only 627,000 people saw Freeman on CNN that night, millions soon viewed the clip as Drudge Report, Twitter, Facebook and other digital outlets turned it into a viral sensation -- not difficult given how partisan and personal politics have become in this run-up to the 2012 presidential election. "He belongs on my 'no pay, no watch' list after his latest, nearly hallucinatory raving," wrote one commenter on a conservative media site.
With Dolphin Tale opening with a strong $19.2 million that first weekend and finishing No. 1 with $13.9 million in its second, the financial impact of Freeman's comments is hard to quantify. But they did have an effect. In a far-ranging poll Penn Schoen Berland conducted for The Hollywood Reporter of 1,000 registered voters to gauge moviegoing tendencies of Democrats vs. Republicans, it's clear political allegiances have shifted entertainment viewing habits. Jon Penn, the firm's president of media and entertainment research, says that before Freeman's words, interest in Dolphin Tale was considerably higher among conservatives and religious moviegoers than among liberals. After the remarks, 34 percent of the conservatives who were aware of them, and 37 percent of Tea Partiers, said they were less likely to see the film -- but 42 percent of liberals said they were more likely. (Five days after Freeman's remarks, 24 percent of all moviegoers were aware of them.)
In fact, overall, 35 percent of Republicans and 45 percent of Tea Partiers consider a celebrity's political position before paying to see their films, compared with 20 percent of Democrats.
Many exhibitors say privately that they cringe when a star waxes politically just before one of their movies opens -- like when, seven weeks before Contagion, Matt Damon attended a Save Our Schools march where some attendees compared Republicans to "terrorists." Videos of Damon mocking conservatives for their fiscal policies spread like wildfire on the Internet.
"Of course it impacts box office," says Landmark Theatres owner Mark Cuban. "You just hope that for every member of one party that no-shows because of comments, another buys a ticket for the same reason."
If a particular actor, director or even writer has a problem with people like me and can't refrain from making it part of his/her film, then I'll certainly acknowledge the contempt shown by not supporting it with my entertainment dollars.
How say you? Do you go to movies (or buy music, or books) based on the politics (or lack of it) by the people involved with it?
Let's have a poll.
On Sept. 23, Morgan Freeman went on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight to proclaim that Tea Party opposition to President Obama "is a racist thing." The timing wasn't ideal, considering Dolphin Tale had opened that day and the film was tracking particularly well among conservatives, many of whom the star had suddenly maligned.
While only 627,000 people saw Freeman on CNN that night, millions soon viewed the clip as Drudge Report, Twitter, Facebook and other digital outlets turned it into a viral sensation -- not difficult given how partisan and personal politics have become in this run-up to the 2012 presidential election. "He belongs on my 'no pay, no watch' list after his latest, nearly hallucinatory raving," wrote one commenter on a conservative media site.
With Dolphin Tale opening with a strong $19.2 million that first weekend and finishing No. 1 with $13.9 million in its second, the financial impact of Freeman's comments is hard to quantify. But they did have an effect. In a far-ranging poll Penn Schoen Berland conducted for The Hollywood Reporter of 1,000 registered voters to gauge moviegoing tendencies of Democrats vs. Republicans, it's clear political allegiances have shifted entertainment viewing habits. Jon Penn, the firm's president of media and entertainment research, says that before Freeman's words, interest in Dolphin Tale was considerably higher among conservatives and religious moviegoers than among liberals. After the remarks, 34 percent of the conservatives who were aware of them, and 37 percent of Tea Partiers, said they were less likely to see the film -- but 42 percent of liberals said they were more likely. (Five days after Freeman's remarks, 24 percent of all moviegoers were aware of them.)
In fact, overall, 35 percent of Republicans and 45 percent of Tea Partiers consider a celebrity's political position before paying to see their films, compared with 20 percent of Democrats.
Many exhibitors say privately that they cringe when a star waxes politically just before one of their movies opens -- like when, seven weeks before Contagion, Matt Damon attended a Save Our Schools march where some attendees compared Republicans to "terrorists." Videos of Damon mocking conservatives for their fiscal policies spread like wildfire on the Internet.
"Of course it impacts box office," says Landmark Theatres owner Mark Cuban. "You just hope that for every member of one party that no-shows because of comments, another buys a ticket for the same reason."
If a particular actor, director or even writer has a problem with people like me and can't refrain from making it part of his/her film, then I'll certainly acknowledge the contempt shown by not supporting it with my entertainment dollars.
How say you? Do you go to movies (or buy music, or books) based on the politics (or lack of it) by the people involved with it?
Let's have a poll.
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Yet Another UK Homeowner Arrested For Shooting Criminals
This sorry shit was supposed to cease once the Coalition government came in. Guess we see how good that pledge was.
A watchmaker has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a suspected burglar was allegedly shot in the leg during a botched raid in a quiet rural village.
The man, named locally as clock repairer Malcolm White, who is in his sixties, is believed to have caught two raiders trying to steal his new Audi from outside his £420,000 home in Whitbourne, Herefordshire, last night.
Mr White lives in a four-bedroom Tudor property called 'Stocking Gobbetts' which sits next to St John the Baptist Church and was bought for £420,000 in 2007.
He is a horologist - a clock repair and maintenance specialist - and is believed to carry out work on church clocks, including the one next to his home.
Residents in Whitbourne, where he has lived for four years, described Mr White as a 'softly spoken' and 'gentle-natured' man.
Yet deep down inside, this man is A SEETHING CAULDRON OF HATE!!!!!111!1!1!
Geez. Old guy's probably never been in trouble with the law in his entire life. They should give him a medal instead of arresting him.
A watchmaker has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a suspected burglar was allegedly shot in the leg during a botched raid in a quiet rural village.
The man, named locally as clock repairer Malcolm White, who is in his sixties, is believed to have caught two raiders trying to steal his new Audi from outside his £420,000 home in Whitbourne, Herefordshire, last night.
Mr White lives in a four-bedroom Tudor property called 'Stocking Gobbetts' which sits next to St John the Baptist Church and was bought for £420,000 in 2007.
He is a horologist - a clock repair and maintenance specialist - and is believed to carry out work on church clocks, including the one next to his home.
Residents in Whitbourne, where he has lived for four years, described Mr White as a 'softly spoken' and 'gentle-natured' man.
Yet deep down inside, this man is A SEETHING CAULDRON OF HATE!!!!!111!1!1!
Geez. Old guy's probably never been in trouble with the law in his entire life. They should give him a medal instead of arresting him.
No High-Speed Chases Anticipated
A tragic tale of beard cuttings by rival clans in Amish country.
Members of the Amish community in Ohio are being investigated by the sheriff's department after several homes were broken into and the beards and hair of fellow Amish people were chopped off.
Four different sheriff's departments - Jefferson County, Carroll County, Holmes County and Trumbull County - reported similar incidents this week involving hair cutting, with reports of groups of Amish men yanking victims out of their homes by their beards or bursting into their homes and attacking them with scissors.
The Carroll County Sheriff's Department reported the Amish men referred to themselves as being part of the 'Bergholz Clan'.
Detectives in the area were said to be gathering evidence from buggies and horse trailers believed to have been used in connection with the assaults.
Wow, it's like the Amish version of Crips and Bloods!
Members of the Amish community in Ohio are being investigated by the sheriff's department after several homes were broken into and the beards and hair of fellow Amish people were chopped off.
Four different sheriff's departments - Jefferson County, Carroll County, Holmes County and Trumbull County - reported similar incidents this week involving hair cutting, with reports of groups of Amish men yanking victims out of their homes by their beards or bursting into their homes and attacking them with scissors.
The Carroll County Sheriff's Department reported the Amish men referred to themselves as being part of the 'Bergholz Clan'.
Detectives in the area were said to be gathering evidence from buggies and horse trailers believed to have been used in connection with the assaults.
Wow, it's like the Amish version of Crips and Bloods!
Obama Not Throwing Holder Under The Bus...Yet
Holder must have pics of the President fucking a kid, or something.
h/t Weasel Zippers, again. If this keeps up I should just redirect my blog over there.
h/t Weasel Zippers, again. If this keeps up I should just redirect my blog over there.
That's My Bocephus
Going to punish Hank Jr, ESPN? Two can play that game.
“After reading hundreds of e-mails, I have made MY decision. By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You (ESPN) stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment
Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It’s been a great run.” -- Hank Williams Jr
h/t Weasel Zippers Headlines.
“After reading hundreds of e-mails, I have made MY decision. By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You (ESPN) stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment
Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It’s been a great run.” -- Hank Williams Jr
h/t Weasel Zippers Headlines.
Headline of the Day
"Charges Dismissed For Baby Rat Eater."
Which could mean an infant that eats rats, or a person that eats baby rats. The story makes it clear that it's the latter, but the headline isn't at all clear. It's very similar to Johnny Carson's old "baby doctor" routine.
Which could mean an infant that eats rats, or a person that eats baby rats. The story makes it clear that it's the latter, but the headline isn't at all clear. It's very similar to Johnny Carson's old "baby doctor" routine.
Fat Cat Rich Guy...
...should have been giving iPods away, instead of making people buy them.
Well, shit, isn't that the sort of thing that the Wall Street Protesters are protesting? The obscene wealth of the rich, and how it needs to be redistributed?
Well, shit, isn't that the sort of thing that the Wall Street Protesters are protesting? The obscene wealth of the rich, and how it needs to be redistributed?
Adding Insult To Injury In Texas City, Texas
An 11-year-old boy got hit by a car while walking to school in Texas City; when the police arrived, they ticketed the boy for walking along the wrong side of the road.
That's pretty hardcore, if you ask me. I wonder if, when a woman is raped in Texas City, the cops ticket the victim for indecent exposure?
That's pretty hardcore, if you ask me. I wonder if, when a woman is raped in Texas City, the cops ticket the victim for indecent exposure?
Navy To Base Cruisers In Rota, Spain
Story.
Once upon a time we had submarines based there. When I lived in Rota from 1984-1987, there were no US ships homeported there. Don't know if they'd have to add infrastructure or not.
I loved living there, though.
Once upon a time we had submarines based there. When I lived in Rota from 1984-1987, there were no US ships homeported there. Don't know if they'd have to add infrastructure or not.
I loved living there, though.
Samir Khan's Family's Statement
The family of Samir Khan, an Al-Qaeda propagandist who was killed earlier this week along with Anwar al-Awliki, has issued a statement about his death:
The Khan family's statement, released Wednesday:
We, the family of Samir Khan, in our time of grief and mourning, request that the media let us have our peace and privacy during this difficult time.
It has been stated in the media that Samir was not the target of the attack; however no U.S. official has contacted us with any news about the recovery of our son’s remains, nor offered us any condolences.
As a result, we feel appalled by the indifference shown to us by our government.
Being a law-abiding citizen of the United States, our late son Samir Khan never broke any law and was never implicated of any crime. The Fifth Amendment states that no citizen shall be 'deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law' yet our government assassinated two of its citizens.
Was this style of execution the only solution? Why couldn’t there have been a capture and trial?
Where is the justice? As we mourn our son, we must ask these questions.
Sincerely,
The Khan Family
Remains? Well, maybe we can scrape something up:
Hi, Ma, I'm Back! Didja Miss Me? The Missile Sure Didn't!
More here.
The Khan family's statement, released Wednesday:
We, the family of Samir Khan, in our time of grief and mourning, request that the media let us have our peace and privacy during this difficult time.
It has been stated in the media that Samir was not the target of the attack; however no U.S. official has contacted us with any news about the recovery of our son’s remains, nor offered us any condolences.
As a result, we feel appalled by the indifference shown to us by our government.
Being a law-abiding citizen of the United States, our late son Samir Khan never broke any law and was never implicated of any crime. The Fifth Amendment states that no citizen shall be 'deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law' yet our government assassinated two of its citizens.
Was this style of execution the only solution? Why couldn’t there have been a capture and trial?
Where is the justice? As we mourn our son, we must ask these questions.
Sincerely,
The Khan Family
Remains? Well, maybe we can scrape something up:
More here.
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Hitchens On Awlaki and Samir Khan
I think it is important to watch for symptoms of sheer degeneracy like this — picknose wannabe murderers lurking in their parents’ basement — because there is evidence that such things (like the use of small children to carry suicide bombs) arouse revulsion even among those who otherwise wish us ill.
"Picknose wannabe murderers lurking in their parents’ basement."
LOL. I wish I had that command of invective in my repertoire.
"Picknose wannabe murderers lurking in their parents’ basement."
LOL. I wish I had that command of invective in my repertoire.
Can't Sell Your House? Light a Candle.
No, not a votive offering to St. Jude, the Patron Saint of Lost Causes, but instead The Scent That Sells.
Cooley wanted to give sellers a simple tool that can save them from losing as much as a quarter their home's value.
He wants homes that smell inviting - no yesterday's fish, no dog hair, no lingering tobacco smoke.
To create that atmosphere Cooley, in conjunction with the Old Wilmington Candle Co., created a candle that cleanses the air without leaving a telltale aroma.
He calls the candle "The Scent That Sells."
"Five years ago there was not much of a need for this," Cooley said. "Now, we have to have solutions for every house problem."
The candles go for $26 apiece, which is a bit dear for a candle, but if it helps sell your home in this godawful market, I guess it's money well spent, isn't it?
Cooley wanted to give sellers a simple tool that can save them from losing as much as a quarter their home's value.
He wants homes that smell inviting - no yesterday's fish, no dog hair, no lingering tobacco smoke.
To create that atmosphere Cooley, in conjunction with the Old Wilmington Candle Co., created a candle that cleanses the air without leaving a telltale aroma.
He calls the candle "The Scent That Sells."
"Five years ago there was not much of a need for this," Cooley said. "Now, we have to have solutions for every house problem."
The candles go for $26 apiece, which is a bit dear for a candle, but if it helps sell your home in this godawful market, I guess it's money well spent, isn't it?
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
They Probably All Look Alike To Joe
I wonder if Joe thinks that Van Jones is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy?*
Joe Biden, the cornucopia of gaffes.
*"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man." –Joe Biden, referring to Barack Obama at the beginning of the 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Jan. 31, 2007. source.
Joe Biden, the cornucopia of gaffes.
*"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man." –Joe Biden, referring to Barack Obama at the beginning of the 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Jan. 31, 2007. source.
Where's the Black Occupy Wall Street Protesters?
They look pretty white to me. Whiter than, say, the typical Tea Party crowd.
Not that I'm suggesting that they're racist, or anything like that...
What do you bet they'll have to bus in some knee-grow protesters before too long?
h/t Instapundit.
Not that I'm suggesting that they're racist, or anything like that...
What do you bet they'll have to bus in some knee-grow protesters before too long?
h/t Instapundit.
Meanwhile, At Blackbeard's Flagship...
another archaeological expedition is underway to recover, preserve and catalog artifacts.
Budgetary concerns and hurricane season make for a very small window each year in which expeditions can work.
Budgetary concerns and hurricane season make for a very small window each year in which expeditions can work.
Monday, October 03, 2011
Don't Forget To Pay the Whore, Dear
Hollywood celebrities: their lives are just different than ours are.
They say that things can sometimes become stale in a marriage.
But it is unlikely that many people resort to hiring prostitutes after just a year like American Pie star Jason Biggs, 33, and his wife Jenny Mollen.
The actress, whose biggest role was as minor character Nina Ash in TV show Angel, wrote a lengthy blog about their sexual escapades on website The Smoking Jacket.
Can you imagine the pillow talk?
You're a dirty filthy little whore...hang on, I was referring to my wife, although come to think of it, you're a dirty filthy little whore, too...
They say that things can sometimes become stale in a marriage.
But it is unlikely that many people resort to hiring prostitutes after just a year like American Pie star Jason Biggs, 33, and his wife Jenny Mollen.
The actress, whose biggest role was as minor character Nina Ash in TV show Angel, wrote a lengthy blog about their sexual escapades on website The Smoking Jacket.
Can you imagine the pillow talk?
You're a dirty filthy little whore...hang on, I was referring to my wife, although come to think of it, you're a dirty filthy little whore, too...
USS North Carolina Celebration, Wilmington, NC
Yesterday marked the 50th year since the battleship USS North Carolina (BB-55) came to Wilmington as a museum ship. To mark the occasion, the admission prices were rolled back to 1961 levels.
The Wilmington Star-News has a fine gallery of photos of the event, plus historical photos from 1961, and even old news stories. Click this link to see the gallery.
Here's one of my favorite photos:
"Ya Think He's Part of the Gator Navy?"
The Wilmington Star-News has a fine gallery of photos of the event, plus historical photos from 1961, and even old news stories. Click this link to see the gallery.
Here's one of my favorite photos:
Sunday, October 02, 2011
50 Years In Wilmington, NC
That's how long the battleship USS North Carolina has been part of Tarheel State history.
That's fully as long as I've been alive.
That's fully as long as I've been alive.
Saturday, October 01, 2011
Yassuh, Boss, Dat Be Some Finger-Lickin' Good Chicken
That would be Obama Fried Chicken in Beijing.
Here's the sign, with Barack Obama looking rather Chinese with slanted eyes and a toothy grin:
Here's the sign, with Barack Obama looking rather Chinese with slanted eyes and a toothy grin:
More On Samir Khan...
...Charlotte's own erstwhile resident and the latest recipient of the Hellfire Kiss of Death:
On Friday, at the Charlotte mosque where he used to attend weekly prayers, worshippers talked of Samir Khan's violent end only as the last to leave started heading for the parking lot.
A circle of friends gathered around Khan's younger brother, Usman, who got a final hug before declining a reporter's request for an interview and climbing into his car.
Khan spent his early years in New York, but moved to Charlotte with his family in 2004.
After moving to Yemen, apparently two or three years ago, he began producing "Inspire," an English-language magazine for al-Qaida.
In an early edition, Khan wrote, "I am proud to be a traitor to America."
Enjoy your virgins, Sammy.
On Friday, at the Charlotte mosque where he used to attend weekly prayers, worshippers talked of Samir Khan's violent end only as the last to leave started heading for the parking lot.
A circle of friends gathered around Khan's younger brother, Usman, who got a final hug before declining a reporter's request for an interview and climbing into his car.
Khan spent his early years in New York, but moved to Charlotte with his family in 2004.
After moving to Yemen, apparently two or three years ago, he began producing "Inspire," an English-language magazine for al-Qaida.
In an early edition, Khan wrote, "I am proud to be a traitor to America."
Enjoy your virgins, Sammy.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Hmm...D'you Think If You Shot a Muslim With Jew Ashes...
...he'd end up in Muslim hell?
A pair of Alabama conservation enforcement officers think they've come up with the perfect way for avid hunters to honor their loved ones for eternity.
Officers Thad Holmes and Clem Parnell have launched Holy Smoke LLC, a company that will, for a price, load cremated human ash into shotgun shells, and rifle and pistol cartridges.
It's the perfect life celebration for someone who loves the outdoors or shooting sports, Parnell says.
PSH in 3...2...1...
A pair of Alabama conservation enforcement officers think they've come up with the perfect way for avid hunters to honor their loved ones for eternity.
Officers Thad Holmes and Clem Parnell have launched Holy Smoke LLC, a company that will, for a price, load cremated human ash into shotgun shells, and rifle and pistol cartridges.
It's the perfect life celebration for someone who loves the outdoors or shooting sports, Parnell says.
PSH in 3...2...1...
Good Riddance To Bad Rubbish
Looks like we got a big Al Qaeda fish this morning, congratulations to the Obama administration.
Seems like Obama has had better luck killing Al Qaeda guys that Bush did. Bush got the one guy in Iraq, whatzisname, and cleared out Saddam and Sons, but seemed to lose interest after that. Obama, as crappy as he's been on the economy, won't go down as useless as Jimmy Carter because at least Obama hasn't hesitated to kill America's enemies abroad.
update: They took out Samir Khan, too?
HUMPBOT TIME!
Robot libido by sabotage
Seems like Obama has had better luck killing Al Qaeda guys that Bush did. Bush got the one guy in Iraq, whatzisname, and cleared out Saddam and Sons, but seemed to lose interest after that. Obama, as crappy as he's been on the economy, won't go down as useless as Jimmy Carter because at least Obama hasn't hesitated to kill America's enemies abroad.
update: They took out Samir Khan, too?
HUMPBOT TIME!
Robot libido by sabotage
Thursday, September 29, 2011
I Do NOT...Er...Um...He Does NOT!
"How to tell if a politician really tweets."
Oh, that's easy. Just reply to the tweet and make a wild accusation, e.g., Congressman X visits glory holes at Interstate Highway Rest Areas.
Oh, that's easy. Just reply to the tweet and make a wild accusation, e.g., Congressman X visits glory holes at Interstate Highway Rest Areas.
Speaking of Object Lessons...
...check this fellow out.
I have no idea if that's a legit video; if it is, the guy needs to spend a few days in church thanking the Deity that he's still alive to review his incredible stupidity.
I have no idea if that's a legit video; if it is, the guy needs to spend a few days in church thanking the Deity that he's still alive to review his incredible stupidity.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
This One I'm Conflicted On.
"Milkshake Attack Meets Bullets In Return"
Two teens told Wilmington police that they were shot at after throwing a milkshake at a car while on 17th Street on Tuesday night.
The 16- and 17-year-old boys reported that they were stopped at a traffic light at George Anderson Drive shortly before 10 p.m. when they thought it would be funny to throw a milkshake out their SUV’s window at a car beside them in the turn lane, according to a press release from the Wilmington Police Department.
That vehicle pulled behind their car and shot at them several times before speeding away, the teens reported to police.
Officers found four bullet holes in the SUV’s rear hatch and one in the rear panel.
OK, as a responsible gun owner I know what I'm supposed to say: that minor criminal mischief does not justify using deadly force in return. No one's life is worth the satisfaction of retaliating for someone's act of immaturity.
Still, at the same time, no one was hurt. The teens' vehicle was shot in a way that endangered no one inside, which may have been blind luck, but just as easily could have been intentional, a very pointed object lesson. Maybe the two teenagers involved will think twice before repeating their stupid behavior.
It's not fun to have objects thrown at one's car, especially at speed. I once had an egg hit my windshield while I was driving about 35mph, and until I realized it was an egg splattered on the winshield I thought someone was shooting at me. At a traffic light one evening I had trash thrown into my open window from the car next to mine. And late one night as I drove to work some 20 years ago, something more serious happened:
Work was a dozen miles away, and my route was along what was then a country backroad, unlit by streetlights. I was the only car on the road that night, until a car pulled out directly in front of me from a side road, forcing me to slow down. It was a Camaro, with loud music playing. The Camaro made no attempt to come up to the speed limit, and seemed to be intentionally trying to force my car to drive to a speed dictated by the Camaro. When I could safely pass I began to do so, only to have the Camaro speed up to prevent it. I fell back behind the Camaro again, at which point he began braking and slowing again. I made a second attempt to pass, only to have the process repeated. Stuck again behind a slowing and braking Camaro, I pulled out the Smith & Wesson 640 that I kept in my briefcase, rolled down the driver's side window, transferred the 640 to my left hand, and, aiming the gun at the sky above the Camaro, cranked off a single shot. The driver, no doubt watching in the rear view mirror, saw the flash and heard the gunshot, and stomped on the accelerator, deciding that the game he was playing was not worth getting shot over. He was quickly out of sight ahead of me, and I had no further encounters on my way to work.
So, was I justified in shooting? You tell me. It's possible that the Camaro was simply driven by a stupid teenager, with no malice in his heart other than making me late for work. Maybe his intentions were more serious. We'll never know. I never saw the story mentioned in the newspaper or on TV, so he obviously reported nothing, nor did I.
You have to make the best decision you can, based on the information you have available to you as it occurs. Having a gun along increases the number of options available to you in a crisis situation, but does not make the choice of options any easier on your conscience.
Two teens told Wilmington police that they were shot at after throwing a milkshake at a car while on 17th Street on Tuesday night.
The 16- and 17-year-old boys reported that they were stopped at a traffic light at George Anderson Drive shortly before 10 p.m. when they thought it would be funny to throw a milkshake out their SUV’s window at a car beside them in the turn lane, according to a press release from the Wilmington Police Department.
That vehicle pulled behind their car and shot at them several times before speeding away, the teens reported to police.
Officers found four bullet holes in the SUV’s rear hatch and one in the rear panel.
OK, as a responsible gun owner I know what I'm supposed to say: that minor criminal mischief does not justify using deadly force in return. No one's life is worth the satisfaction of retaliating for someone's act of immaturity.
Still, at the same time, no one was hurt. The teens' vehicle was shot in a way that endangered no one inside, which may have been blind luck, but just as easily could have been intentional, a very pointed object lesson. Maybe the two teenagers involved will think twice before repeating their stupid behavior.
It's not fun to have objects thrown at one's car, especially at speed. I once had an egg hit my windshield while I was driving about 35mph, and until I realized it was an egg splattered on the winshield I thought someone was shooting at me. At a traffic light one evening I had trash thrown into my open window from the car next to mine. And late one night as I drove to work some 20 years ago, something more serious happened:
Work was a dozen miles away, and my route was along what was then a country backroad, unlit by streetlights. I was the only car on the road that night, until a car pulled out directly in front of me from a side road, forcing me to slow down. It was a Camaro, with loud music playing. The Camaro made no attempt to come up to the speed limit, and seemed to be intentionally trying to force my car to drive to a speed dictated by the Camaro. When I could safely pass I began to do so, only to have the Camaro speed up to prevent it. I fell back behind the Camaro again, at which point he began braking and slowing again. I made a second attempt to pass, only to have the process repeated. Stuck again behind a slowing and braking Camaro, I pulled out the Smith & Wesson 640 that I kept in my briefcase, rolled down the driver's side window, transferred the 640 to my left hand, and, aiming the gun at the sky above the Camaro, cranked off a single shot. The driver, no doubt watching in the rear view mirror, saw the flash and heard the gunshot, and stomped on the accelerator, deciding that the game he was playing was not worth getting shot over. He was quickly out of sight ahead of me, and I had no further encounters on my way to work.
So, was I justified in shooting? You tell me. It's possible that the Camaro was simply driven by a stupid teenager, with no malice in his heart other than making me late for work. Maybe his intentions were more serious. We'll never know. I never saw the story mentioned in the newspaper or on TV, so he obviously reported nothing, nor did I.
You have to make the best decision you can, based on the information you have available to you as it occurs. Having a gun along increases the number of options available to you in a crisis situation, but does not make the choice of options any easier on your conscience.
Not Yer Usual Pit Bull Story
In Carnegie, Pennsylvania, a pit bull named "Cobain" ran to get his master, Lassie-style, when he discovered an old woman who had fallen into a ditch.
In journalism you have your dog bites man scenario, which is deemed to not be newsworthy, while the man bites dog story is very newsworthy. In this case you have the dog doesn't bite woman scenario, which wouldn't be newsworthy, either, until you note the breed involved: Pit Bull Doesn't Bite Woman is, in fact, newsworthy.
In journalism you have your dog bites man scenario, which is deemed to not be newsworthy, while the man bites dog story is very newsworthy. In this case you have the dog doesn't bite woman scenario, which wouldn't be newsworthy, either, until you note the breed involved: Pit Bull Doesn't Bite Woman is, in fact, newsworthy.
Headline of the Day
"Man ‘murdered neighbour with a chair leg for making fun of his man-boobs’"
Sorry, no pic of the moobs.
On the bright side, UK gun control worked, since Mr. Brown had to kill his tormentor with a chair leg.
Sorry, no pic of the moobs.
On the bright side, UK gun control worked, since Mr. Brown had to kill his tormentor with a chair leg.
Today's Poll
Which has more teeth, the Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis...or a possum?
Here's Giada:
Here's the possum:
And here's the poll:
(possum pic found here.)
Here's Giada:
Here's the possum:
And here's the poll:
(possum pic found here.)
Well, Dude, Look On the Bright Side...
...at least it was a negligent discharge, not a premature ejaculation.
A man on a first date here in the Queen City had a gun accident in a South Park parking garage.
Yet another one of those magical handguns that goes off by itself. Don'tcha just hate it when they do that?
A man on a first date here in the Queen City had a gun accident in a South Park parking garage.
Yet another one of those magical handguns that goes off by itself. Don'tcha just hate it when they do that?
Ha Ha! Just Joking!
Don't you ignorant wingers know a JOKE when you hear one? Ha ha!
As happens whenever a Democrat is caught red-handed saying something either incredibly stupid or incredibly bigoted, the backpedaling begins as soon as the shit hits the fan:
"I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover," Perdue said.
"The one good thing about Raleigh is that for so many years we worked across party lines," she continued. "You want people who don't worry about the next election."
Well, I think we know at least ONE politician who'll have to worry about the next election, since she barely squeaked into office in 2008, and that only because of Barak Obama's coattails. Those coattails don't exist anymore.
As happens whenever a Democrat is caught red-handed saying something either incredibly stupid or incredibly bigoted, the backpedaling begins as soon as the shit hits the fan:
"I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover," Perdue said.
"The one good thing about Raleigh is that for so many years we worked across party lines," she continued. "You want people who don't worry about the next election."
Well, I think we know at least ONE politician who'll have to worry about the next election, since she barely squeaked into office in 2008, and that only because of Barak Obama's coattails. Those coattails don't exist anymore.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Hmm. Didn't he Meet Jesus, the Palestinian Carpenter's Son...
...in a famous scene from that movie?
Based on the novel by Lew Wallace, the period drama revolves around Judah Ben-Hur (Heston), a Palestinian nobleman [bold font by Big Hollywood] who is enslaved by the Romans, engages in one of the most thrilling chariot races ever captured on screen, and even encounters Jesus Christ.
Ya think Mahmoud Abbas or Hamas would claim Jesus or Ben-Hur as Palestinians?
Based on the novel by Lew Wallace, the period drama revolves around Judah Ben-Hur (Heston), a Palestinian nobleman [bold font by Big Hollywood] who is enslaved by the Romans, engages in one of the most thrilling chariot races ever captured on screen, and even encounters Jesus Christ.
Ya think Mahmoud Abbas or Hamas would claim Jesus or Ben-Hur as Palestinians?
Now That's a Revenue Stream I Can Get Behind...
...so to speak.
ALBANY, Ga. -- Officials in Albany, Ga., say the city's ban on saggy pants has generated nearly $4,000 in fines in less than a year.
City Attorney Nathan Davis says 187 citations have been issued and $3,916 in fines collected since the ordinance went into effect Nov. 23, according to the Albany Herald.
ALBANY, Ga. -- Officials in Albany, Ga., say the city's ban on saggy pants has generated nearly $4,000 in fines in less than a year.
City Attorney Nathan Davis says 187 citations have been issued and $3,916 in fines collected since the ordinance went into effect Nov. 23, according to the Albany Herald.
Yet Another White House Gaffe
Well, hell. Anyone could make that mistake. Colorado and Wyoming are both rectangular-shaped western states, and they're neighbors, and...
Here, see for yourself:
No, The OTHER Rectangular One.
I wouldn't point these out, but for the fact that, had it been done by the Bush White House, or one of the Republicans running for President in 2012, the MSM would point to it as proof of...something. Retardation, I suppose. Well, sauce for the goose...
h/t Jammie Wearing Fool
Here, see for yourself:
I wouldn't point these out, but for the fact that, had it been done by the Bush White House, or one of the Republicans running for President in 2012, the MSM would point to it as proof of...something. Retardation, I suppose. Well, sauce for the goose...
h/t Jammie Wearing Fool
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