- Lindsay Lohan at The Whitehouse

I'm not much of a celebrity watcher because I don't really buy into that stuff. I don't think anyone is so special. Give me a choice between looking at an anonymous beautiful woman and Joy Behar and I'll take the beautiful woman any day (who wouldn't). I don't want to be famous and I don't admire people just for being famous. I'm sort of Donald Trump's polar opposite.

But the picture above seemed striking to me. It's human train-wreck Lindsay Lohan at the Whitehouse Correspondent's Dinner. If you ask me I think she's taking that whole 'Twilight' thing just a little too seriously. Either that, or she should really see a doctor.

- Obama's Empty Suit

I was just scratching something down about this story : "Obama has held more re-election fundraisers than previous five Presidents combined as he visits key swing states on 'permanent campaign", when I discovered that Charles C.W. Cooke has just done the same in the corner. So let me just say the thing that he isn't saying.

We on the right have long believed Obama to be an empty suit raised to great heights by affirmative action, and his lack of threatening West African hostility. He has always seemed to us to be a pretty face, empty of any ideas that haven't died on the vine in the 1970's, and guided by a teleprompter to do nothing except win elections. It's not like he has demonstrated any skill at doing anything else.

Well I think the story linked above supports that view. While he goes out and spends four years running for office, the bureaucracy that's been put in place beneath him by his progressive handlers mismanages the country on it's own. The EPA is trying to make crucified examples of the energy industry, the Justice department is institutionalizing injustice, domestic policy is set by the AFL_CIO and foreign policy by the Islamists and internationalists who all want to see America "brought down a peg" on the international stage.

In the meantime the President goes on talk shows, and makes inflammatory speeches on college campuses.

I think he has failed on a scale that's enormous even for a liberal. He's borrowed 5 Trillion dollars, and once the Supreme court gets done undoing his two legislative achievements, he'll have nothing to show for it, but a long list of defendants in Bankruptcy court who used to be campaign contributors, and one dead middle eastern guy buried at sea. Had he placed a 100 Billion dollar bounty on Osama bin Laden's head, we could have saved the 4.9 Trillion.

- Eric Holder: America's Enemy

If congress actually does "cite" Eric Holder for contempt, I'm convinced that he'll frame the citation and hang it on its wall like a diploma. Surely he'll be proud of it. He is obviously filled with contempt. He has contempt for Congress, the Constitution, American values, the American voter, and any other institution that by law or tradition, restrains his power and the power of the executive.

The source of this citation is the "Gunrunner" scandal where the ATF broke the law and shipped hundreds (maybe thousands) of guns to Mexico illegally through criminal channels to be used in that country's drug wars. The hope was that progressives could use evidence of those guns abroad to achieve a political goal in gun regulation. And when it all blew up in their faces and a Border patrolman ended up dead, it was Holder who seems to have done his best to hide it all from Congress.

Then there is DOJ goal of impeding the Voter ID movement. This is a blatant political issue and looks ridiculous to average voters who can't drive too closely to an airport without getting a mandatory full cavity search. Forget what it says about how stupid the DOJ believes Americans are.

Then there is the DOJ's willingness to bring suit against Arizona for doing their job for them. They have begun enforcing a federal immigration law that those of a progressive stripe would prefer not be enforced at all. We've all recently read Justice Roberts asking Obama lawyers the questions that we wish the press would ask. (At least someone did.)

Add to that the fact that the DOJ has stated that they are unwilling to address any voting rights issues that don't specify the victim as 'black', their apparent desire to push Miranda rights onto the battlefields of the mid east by giving detainees civilian trials, and their needless intrusion into the politics of the Trayvon Martin killing, and something becomes very clear. That the DOJ under Eric Holder has many interest, but none of them have to do equality under the law or protecting the principle of "Justice".

It's a dangerous thing to accuse politicians of criminality. The opposite of politics is not consensus but violence, so arguing about things politically is a least bad option. And when you accuse people of being so partisan that they are not just skirting the edges of the law but are in wonton violation of it, you open the door to all sorts of ugliness. But reluctant as I am to ever cast the first stone on any topic (since my own sins are so great) I have to admit, If ever there were a political figure who looks like an out and out criminal to me, it would have to be Eric Holder. I have no specifically indictable information with regard to the Attorney General. But he's had a hand in so many public mud-pies that I have to believe he's got some dirt under his nails someplace.

He may have covered his tracks well enough to stay out of jail, but at this point I think it would be a service to America if someone started looking for some. I believe the Eric Holder is an enemy of the interests of America. And although it may not be directly, he's up for reelection this fall just as his boss is.

- That's Really T.M.I. Joe

"The President Has A Big Stick"

(All of the things you're thinking right now are racist)

- Hedge Fund Cheerleading

I don't generally have a lot of mental bandwidth available for the websites who spend their time either trashing Wall Street, or ridiculing it. I read the headlines in zerohedge just to make sure I haven't missed anything outside my wheel house, but that's about it.

but I have to admit, I found this particular Dealbreaker piece quite funny:

Hedge Funds Perform Better And Cost Less Than Previously Thought, Say Hedge Funds

And this is by far the best comment:

Don't quite get the point of the whole "hedge funds are evil because their fees are too high!" argument anyway. Seems like if you don't like paying 2-20, the solution is to not invest in something w a 2-20 fee structure.

I don't like travelling by bus, but I don't sit around bitching about the existence of the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

- The Seven Deadly Sins Map

An old favorite updated for 2012 numbers.

- Obama Makes 'Farming" Illegal...

...for anyone under 18.

OK, that's overstating it a little. But who they're trying to save here is really beyond me. Is there some union that want's to eliminate the competition or something?

(The photo above is from one of my all time favorite films - "The Cowboys" with John Wayne, which would be made impossible thanks to this new Obama regulation.)

- The 2012 Message

- Yellow Is The New White

Every once in a while I see something that reminds me just how horribly distorted and ugly this election is going to be. I expect that from the Times and the left, but the right has apparently learned those lessons as well. As proof I offer the following Drudge Headline:

Mexicans Flee Obama Economy

I'm not saying there isn't a story there. But I think it gives a window into how yellow all journalism has become in America. Maybe it was always that way, but even so... it's going to get more yellow over the next few months. Future generations will be able to use the news data from the next few months as examples of English language propaganda as oblique as anything the Stalinists ever produced.

- The NRA And Hunting

The NYTimes has discovered that hunting poor defenseless animals might not be so bad after all, so long as it's done in a 'socially responsible' manner. What does 'socially responsible' hunting look like? Well first, the hunter has to be part of a minority group that votes reliably Democrat. Many sins can be forgiven by liberals so long as the person involved is part of the right ethnic, racial, or gender group and can be counted on not to deviate from the herd opinion.

Second, the hunter must focus on Gaia and the role of whole earth in their hunting endeavors. A flea, is a dog, is a child, is a voter goes the Democrat mantra. The carbon footprint of the hunter (socially responsible game harvester) involved must be kept to a minimum, and the hunter must declare themselves a supporter of the man made global warming fantasy that represents such a big source of government revenue for Democrat party campaign contribution bundlers.

Third, and by far the most important, is that the hunter must have nothing to do with that most evil of all lobbying groups, the National Rifle Association. The NRA, as any reliable reader of the Times knows, is a compilation of Hitler, Goering, Pinochet, and Satan rolled into a single lobbying firm and dropped down onto K street with a fist full of Koch brother's cash and a desire to do as much harm as possible. They are the single most hated organization in the entire liberal sphere.

If you aren't already a member of the NRA, that alone should send you out to join.

The thing that liberals really hate about the NRA is that they're so effective. They have ranked up success after success on both the federal and state levels. Liberals, as you know, are driven by the desire to command the "idiot public" on how to live their lives, but an armed populace won't obey. And that's the REAL reason liberals so despise the NRA, because that's the NRA's only agenda.

I'm an NRA member. It's the only political organization I belong to, and the only political organization that will ever get any money from me. And the reason that's so is because it's the only political organization that has made it clear that it's interests are my interests. If they get everything they're after then it means that I will be allowed to protect myself, and my family. I won't have to worry about the government deciding that I'm no longer 'socially responsible' enough for them. That's what the NRA does. They don't want power for themselves, they want it for me. That's why I joined.

I'm a hunter too. And every time I go into the field without a government representative hot on my heels to inspect my every footprint for 'excess environmental impact' I know that I have the NRA to thank, either directly or indirectly. That the NYTimes managed to find someone who doesn't feel that way doesn't surprise me. there are a lot of people out there who can't seem to connect cause and effect. Any copy of the Times will show you several.

- Be Suspiscious Of This Story

NJ Father Records Teachers Bullying His Autistic Child

I don't put anything past the Cherry Hill Public School Teachers, but Stuart Chaifetz is a shameless narcissist who wants everything he does to result in legislative action.

He's an interesting psychological case. He's very interested in politics, and has come down on the liberal side of virtually all issues. But he's at least as interested in expanding his own notoriety. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that this is all some bizarre form of Munchhausen syndrome where he's doing anything he can to cast himself and his family as victims.

I don't know any of the details of the case. But since it's him, and he has already established himself as being willing to wildly misrepresent facts to support his political views, I'm suspicious. And I think you should be too. It should also be interesting to see what happens now that he's biting the hand that indirectly feeds him - the NJEA, the mighty teachers union that dominates so much politically in Trenton.

He's very well known in NJ as an anti-gun, anti-hunting, animal rights devotee, so he's clearly not the most lucid thinker. This might be one of his two times per day that he has the right time, but as a rule I'd bet against it. He's already done all he has to to shatter any credibility on anything that he ever had with me. Some people deserve the benefit of the doubt, but no one listens to the guy on the traffic island even when he says something that makes sense.

Personally, I think he's nuts - and if you look him up on Youtube, you'll probably agree with me.

- Call Me Speechless...

... that the NYTimes lied about Walmart:

Many Of The Bribery Allegations Against Wal-Mart May Not Be Illegal

- Blogger Changes (Suck)

Excuse my slightly rougher than average formatting. "Blogger" has changed it's publishing tools which has made it substantially more difficult to do anything. I'm managing, but I have to spend so much time figuring out the new tools that I have none left for editing.

Things were fine before, but I guess someone at Blogger has got that Microsoft Mantra in their head, where they periodically throw away everything their user base has learned by reinventing it all. This keeps it 'fresh' and 'improved' for the people who do it for a living, but for the rest of us it's just a pain.

I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually. What choice to do I have?

And remember , if it's not broke... fix it.... and then fix it again before your users figure out how to make it work. Then once everyone thinks it's all just about perfect, throw it all away and start from scratch with a few more fixes. Sometimes I really hate you software guys.

- Obama's Retirement

A question occurred to me today while I was listening to the radio in the car. I heard that cold play song viva la vida. I won’t recount the lyrics here… look em up. But it seemed to me that it’s really the perfect song for the Obama administration. He’s a smart-ish guy who learned all the wrong lessons and was largely a puppet on a string. The perfect front man for a class warfare - success = villain, failure = victim, worldview.

Anyway, I was listening to the song and wondering what Obama would do when he reenters the ‘private sector’ after being an (imshallah) one term president. He’ll have speaking gigs for a few years, will sell some books and such. He’ll end up wealthy that’s for sure. All presidents do, and I don’t see why he should be different on that score. He won’t have to worry about making a living.

But he’s still a young man. He’s got lots of time left. And his ego is far, FAR too big to be content sitting on the beach with Michelle or going out on his boat with reverend Wright and the boys from the union hall. So what do you think he’ll do?

Remember, this is not Bill Clinton, a popular if somewhat scandalized two term centrist Democrat. No one will EVER consider him for a position that doesn’t involve intentional polarization. WorldBank? Nope. UN? Hah! He’s no more popular overseas than he is here. But he’s going to have to do something. And I can’t see him building houses and trying to broker deals with the North Koreans.

A man might not have to work to live, you he still has to work. We all need to do things. We need to be productive. The idea of retirement is not to stop being productive, but to be productive instead at things that you don’t have to worry about making money at anymore. So what is Obama going to do? Take his lifetime secret service detail and go organize riots on the south side of Chicago? I’m sorry, I don’t see it. And it’s the only thing he really has any experience for.

The only thing I can think that might work for a while is that he can get himself elected governor of Illinois. But unless I’m mistaken even that has term limits. He’ll barely be in his 60’s when that job runs out too. Then what? Revolutionaries and fatty foods notwithstanding, he’ll be around for 30 more years or maybe more.

That’s when the real crisis will come for Barak H. Obama. That’s when all his character flaws will come out. So far I think he’s been fairly exemplary in his personal life. Married to the same woman for years. An interested and active father. He’s not a drunk or a wake and bake type or that would have come out long ago. His whole life has been about achieving a set of political goals.

But when you take away the rabbit some dogs just won’t run anymore, even if the dog catches it, which the President of the United States certainly has. So it’s going to be interested to see how he fills his days.

- The Walmart Sham Prosecution

The thing about a political prosecution like this one is that they do tend to enforce a certain degree of accounting rigor. The money will still change hands. How do you imagine you get a building permit in Mexico? Jeez... how do you imagine you get one in NJ?! But going forward the next company will do better at making sure it's accounted for in a way that an anti-business Department of Justice (like this one) who is being told to "find a damned villain" in time to influence the election, won't be able to find the money. That's really all this Walmart business is about.

%%%%%%%%%%UPDATE%%%%%%%%%%

To commemorate this stupid story, I'd like to refer you all to a story an old friend told me a few months ago:

How The World Really Works
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

- Madoff - MF Global Parallel

If the logic of the Bernie Madoff resolution is valid, (where clients who unknowingly made money had to return it because Bernie made it illegally) then MF Global clients should be able to get cash back from JPMorgan. The only differences here (In my view) are political.

- Nancy Want's An Amendment

She wants to amend the constitution to give congress the power to limit free speech. Video above ... (I wish)

- I'd Like To Hear Robert VerBruggen Apologize

Maybe it's partly my residual annoyance with National Review, who recently fired a friend of mine for stating politically incorrect facts. But since the drama surrounding the death of Trayvon Martin began, National Review's Robert VerBruggen has taken a stance that seemed to me to be unfairly critical of George Zimmerman.

Verbruggen is certainly pro second amendment, and I got the impression that he was afraid that this was one of those circumstances where the current state of second amendment law would be weakened by events on the ground. Given the way the media reported the tragedy in the early stages, I can certainly understand VerBruggen's reluctance to jump in the foxhole with George.

But now that the actual (and physical) evidence is surfacing which supports Zimmerman's version of the events, I hope VerBruggen will be big enough to recant his initial take.

Like I said, Robert VerBruggen is typically one of the good guys when it comes to second amendment rights. It seems to me he made the perfectly understandable mistake of believing a news media, who were intent on dragging a race and anti-gun issue into a story where it probably didn't belong. But National Review on the whole is a little short of pro gun voices these days. For every Kevin Williamson (staunchly pro-gun) there is a Clifford May (mildly anti-gun). So I for one would very much appreciate hearing Robert revisit his take on this story.

I don't know the man at all. I've only read his work. And I certainly don't mean to be impolite about it. In truth, I don't expect him to particularly care one way or the other how I personally feel on the subject. Except to say that if I feel this way, then there are certainly others in the pro-gun community who feel this way too, and if Mr. VerBruggen and National Review are interested in keeping their ears, it probably wouldn't hurt.

- Betting Against Europe

I'm very busy today so I just have one quick note.

I think anyone who is 'worried about Europe" is making a strategic mistake. I think they are underestimating the lengths that Europe's leaders (if you have a better word for them I'm open) will go to in order to keep Frankenstein's EU monster alive.

Germans can get upset. They can hold elections. They can have protest marches and riots. It won't matter. The people running the EU will do whatever it takes... I mean that literally... they will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to keep the EU together. They don't care about cost. They don't care if it looks 'impossible' to the pedestrian accountants and financiers.

Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy - none of it matters. They will pay any price. They view it as a existential battle. And the Fed will give them all the clandestine help they need. All of that debt duration will be transferred to the central banks by hook or by crook. There is no end game here, because they have no intention of ever letting the game end.

The rest is just ex-post justification and positioning.

- Talking Sense To Animal Rights Nuts

Every autumn I take a group of guys out to a hunting preserve called Wingpointe in Hamburg Pennsylvania, to do a little Pheasant hunting. It's a great place and offers a top shelf service. It's perfect for Wall Street guys with enough shooting experience to get a little taste of what it's like to do some actual hunting. I've been going there for years now.

Pheasant aren't native to this area and don't do well when released into the wild because of all the hawks and coyote's. Let them go and in just a few days they're food for something else. So at Wingpointe they release farm raised bird the morning you go into the field with the dogs, and hopefully you can get to them before the coyotes do. since they're not native to the area you aren't changing the natural environment by killing them, so the State of Pennsylvania considers this slaughtering farm animals. So you can go almost any time of year (there is no 'season') and shoot as many birds as you're willing to pay for.

Regrettably, in recent months Wingpointe has attracted the attention of a group of Animal Rights activists who have taken to hanging around the place trying to goad the staff and patrons into some sort of violence by shoving a video camera in their faces. The director of the group then posts the video on Youtube as evidence of what he calls the 'sickness and corruption' of Pennsylvania.

He only makes an absolute minimum of sense but he's not really trying to. He's just trying to get all the right catch phrases into his video so that the high school kids who watch it on Youtube will all think it's a terrible thing he's trying to prevent and how brave he is to do it. If I'm not mistaken, they had a truck parked just outside the entrance of Wingpointe while we were there last autumn. I'm pretty sure I waved to them as we drove past. With any luck that annoyed them back.

since Bob Barker (yes the price is right guy) has donated 1 million dollars to their group, they've bought a bunch of unmanned mini-drones to fly their video camera over the facility and take picture of the activities that they can't get a look at from the road. Last time they did it, someone (either a patron or staffer) shot the drone down. They're flying over a wing shooting facility so what did they expect?

Anyway, seeing that video on Youtube today prompted me to send a note to Cindy who runs the office out there, to ask how much it costs to come out there for a day of 'unmanned aerial drone shooting'. She knew I was kidding but sent me a response anyway.

What Wingpointe has done in response to this intrusion, is have themselves declared an FAA approved heliport which prohibits any automated flying for a distance of three miles. They then spoke to their neighbors (all hunting fans - of course... it's Pennsylvania) and they agreed to prohibit access to their property for the animal rights nuts. So now the whackos are stuck sitting in their vehicles on the public road, and doing their best to be intimidating and annoying to the customers as they drive past them at 25 mph.

There is nothing illegal about what Wingpointe does at all. You might not think it's 'hunting' because it isn't exactly fair chase, but even if that's so, at worst it's a no more than an exhausting way to slaughter farm animals. And what this animal rights nut in the videos refers to as 'victims' I refer to as 'dinner'. It just doesn't strike me as that big a deal. And I don't think reasonable people will argue the point.

You might not like the idea of shooting farm raised birds. OK, fair enough. I'm certainly willing to discuss it with you if you like. I'll explain my position and you can explain yours and if it turns out in the end that we disagree, I'll respect your right to feel that way so long as you do the same with me. So long as reasonable people are involved, not everything needs to end in a shouting match.

And that's the thing about this narcissistic crazy person running this animal rights group. He thinks the only way to persuade people is with propaganda videos showing how he's capable of annoying people so intensely that he can incite them to violence. It seems to me that if he really believed his position was a rational one he'd be out there arguing it calmly in the free market of ideas. Instead he's hiding behind a tree with a video camera trying to get embarrassing video.

So on one side you have him and guys like him doing what they do - engaging in narcissism invading people's privacy and shooting embarrassing videos. And on the other side you have guys like me - arguing a point calmly and rationally.


You decide who's making sense here.

- Killing Black People For Sport

Ann Coulter is more great schtick than great thinker. But some would definitely argue that we have enough thinkers on the right. They would say we need someone who can throw a punch, or an elbow or whatever, like the liberals do. Someone who can distort their words like they do ours. Someone who isn't afraid to respond to their condescension and rudeness in kind. That's Ann.

She's a one woman counter to liberal media bias. And she's written something I mostly agree with:

We don't know the facts yet, but let's assume the conclusion MSNBC is leaping to is accurate: George Zimmerman stalked a small black child and murdered him in cold blood, just because he was black.

If that were true, every black person in America should get a gun and join the National Rifle Association, America's oldest and most august civil rights organization.

Apparently this has occurred to no one because our excellent public education system ensures that no American under the age of 60 has the slightest notion of this country's history.

I say mostly because as you can see, I've been arguing that very thing for years:

Ruining The Sport of Killing Black People

Otherwise though, I'm right there with her.

- Not A Monster

This is a clip from GBTV (which I don't have and have never seen) but it does show the John Derbyshire I know, instead fo the monster that the entire left and many on the right would like to depict him as.

And a little more:

- Now That's A Big Shark

This is one for all the outdoors-men who read this blog. I talk a lot more about hunting than fishing, but in terms of total hours since my birth I've probably spent more time on the latter. I also have a fair amount of experience with the Sea of Cortez, where I've had a number of fishing trips. And every one has been a placid, sun filled event filled with catching tons of Bonito and Mahi Mahi.

But my buddy Tim once got caught in a storm there in a 36 foot sailboat - miles from the nearest port. He described it as being the scariest night of his life, and there was more than one time when he was moments away from going over the side in a raft.

Had he seen this, he might have felt differently.

There are sharks there of course, I've seen them snorkeling, along with truly monstrous Manta rays who use it as a breeding ground. I once saw one of those which was about 25 feet across. But they're harmless, and even a little curious. Nothing like the monster above.

I had a 6 foot long black tip reef shark give me a little trouble once while snorkeling. It appeared out of the distance with unbelievable speed, came within a few feet of me, looked me over very closely, and then disappeared with the same speed. The thing was so fast that had had it wanted to take a bite of me there was literally nothing I could do to prevent it except never go in the ocean again.

I prefer not to think about monsters like this being down there at all. The fear is simply too primal.

- Obama ... WTF?!

Let me make sure I understand. Obama's plan is to send government unemployment checks to people who are employed?! How exactly is this not being viewed as a blatant attempt to use taxpayer money to buy votes and corrupt the election process?

Good god, we really have slipped off the cracker.

- Enviro-Dissapointment Has Arrived

If I made a single 'hard and fast' prediction about the future back in 2008, it was that the higher energy costs brought on from Green Energy policies would raise unemployment and slow the economy. And when they did, it would cause the Green Movement to collapse like the house of cards it's always been.

That day has now arrived.

You can read my prediction here:

Get Ready For Enviro-Disappointment: 8/7/2008

And if you do, I'm sure you can imagine why I find this piece from today so satisfying:

"Renewable" energy subsidies have become an unaffordable feel-good luxury.

- I'm A Black Jew At A Nazi Klan Rally

You gotta give it to Ted Nugent, the man has a real way with words.

- Watch The Mallet Rise....

And let the pounding begin...

New Gallup Poll: Romney Up 5 Points Over Obama

To paraphrase Timmy Geithner on the lack of a Democrat budget, we on the right may not have our own story, but we know we don't like yours.

- Blaming Energy Speculators ... Again...

What thin gruel Obama is. He's giving yet another speech blaming speculators for high gas prices. It's such an old story (and utterly baseless accusation) I don't have the strength to respond to it.

If there is someone out there doing something illegal Mr. President then charge them. Don't just stand there giving us the same baseless innuendo without any evidence. Name names you shallow demonizing A-hole, bring charges. Otherwise, go get a new damned villain.

I'm too tired of writing the same essay over, and over, and over, and over again so here is what I wrote before:


Blame The Speculators - 5/8/2008


Don't Blame The Speculators Part: 91,887,545 - 3/6/2012


Blaming speculators ... Again - 3/16/2012


Let The Witch hunt Begin - 1/31/2011


It's Not Illegal, But That won't Stop Bernie - 8/19/2011


Obama Blames Speculators - 4/22/2011


Someone Stole My Prosperity - 3/9/2010


Inmates And The Asylum - Part 2 - 7/6/2008


There are about a dozen others which mention the speculator issue but aren't specifically about it. You can see why I'm so tired of talking about this.

And of course, Obama didn't take any questions from the press. How could he dare? Even the press corps knows that this isn't the fault of speculators. (The same speculators that have driven the cost of natural gas to all time historic lows.)

I'm so sick of this guy.

- Taking Your Income Off Shore

Because the headline on Drudge right now says "Record Number of Citizens Renounce Citizenship" and also because my buddy Rob asked me about it yesterday, I thought I'd relink this research I did on expatriating your income.

A Presumption of Tax Guilt
Frustrations In Taking Your Earnings Offshore

- Don't Fire Bob Beckel !!!

The Video Above is NOT WORK SAFE

I'll confess, the Fox show "The Five" is one of my guilty pleasures. And for those of you who are also fans you know that Bob Beckel is a co-host of that show. He's a solitary boomer liberal on show where he is surrounded by conservatives and conservative dominated chatter.

In the video above, he slips up and swears on Live TV on an episode of Hannity. He was so busy arguing that he didn't hear the director (or whoever) saying that they were back on the air.

In spite of his politics, I think there are things about Bob which are very admirable on a personal level. Bob is a recovering addict, and he talks about that process from time to time publicly. From where I sit, the fact that he has reached rock bottom and come back from it has given him a personal humility that most liberals don't posses. And I think that goes a long way toward building his character, and making his political views tolerable. He's not perfect, who among us is? But I think he's going the right way.

His confusion in the above segment was obvious. And if it were Anthony Wiener, or Ed Schultz making that same mistake I'd say fry em. But Bob is obviously doing his best and is therefore entitled to a slip up or two. It's my understanding that he doesn't take these political arguments personally and that he's actually a very nice guy.

Anyway, I don't think he should be fired at all. I think if all liberals were like Bob the world would be a better place. Maybe not much better, but better. and I've had my fill if political purges lately.

And if you're reading this Bob, then I'm sure it's for the first time. So you should know that I'm an extreme right wing Anti labor union, gun nut, who is a Hedge Fund portfolio manager, and who couldn't disagree with you more with regard to politics.

But just because we disagree doesn't mean we have to hate each other.

- A Perfect Liberal Story

With the possible exception of a government subsidy, this story has everything that liberals love. The technology was totally fictitious but no more so than an America powered solely by windmills and solar panels. And that's no reason not to love the tale. For liberals, as you know, things don't have to be realistic or economically feasible as much as they have to be "bold visions of the future". Think of this as an early effort in "green technology".

And don't doubt for a minute that had Jerry Dean Michael had launched his automotive effort in 2009 (along with a sizable Democrat campaign contribution) he'd have gotten a Billion dollar subsidy from the energy department.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you a tale from the 70's that even I had never heard of (compliments of an obscure mention in The Corner):

The New 70 mpg DALE.

- Teacher's Union Election Corruption

Today is election day in NJ for School Board members, and an interesting dynamic has emerged that I wanted to make mention of. These are all local elections, and the job of School Board Member is a volunteer position that comes with no compensation. So the campaigns don't look exactly like normal political campaigns.

There are usually a couple of politically involved parents running - by no means professionals, and usually talked into it by a friend in the PTA or something. They're usually active, well intentioned moms with kids in the district who are anxious to help but that don't know the first thing about contract negotiation or budgeting. Then there are the pros.

The teachers unions, for reasons that should be obvious, make it a critical issue to have a number of people on every school board in the state. And since they can spend VAST amounts of money on the election process, the people with the best ads and the robo-calling and the largest signs and billboards, are always union plants.

In our area, the Freehold Regional School district, the main union plant is a woman named (I kid you not) Bonnie Sue Rosenwald. When asked about her career by the local paper she declined to answer, but her son is a teacher in the district, as is her daughter and her daughter in law, so she's got three members of the family whose livelihood depends on her towing the line on all Teacher's union issues. (with three teacher children what do you imagine the odds are that Bonnie sue was once a Dentist?)

She'll probably win of course - the Union plants almost always do. They are the only people with the kind of resources required to do it. But it's the people you don't know and haven't heard of, who actually stand a better chance of doing the right thing for NJ's public schools. They may not be any more competent that he Bonnie Sue Rosenwald's of the world, but at least they aren't so obviously a part of Teacher's union corruption.

So if you see a bunch of big signs and great advertising, or if you get a robo-call from a school board candidate, remember, these are the people that the union wants you to vote for. And no organization is more responsible for the deplorable state of Education in America, than the mercenary Teacher's unions.

- Fundamentally Transforming Argentina

I was talking to my brother about some family stuff a few weeks ago, and somehow this blog came up. He mentioned that he had a favorite quote of mine, which came from something I scratched down about how an "occupy" mob had 'seized a house' in Brooklyn with the intention of refurbishing it, only to leave it ruined and worthless. The line was this:

"The reason the world doesn't already work the way that liberals wish it would, is that the world doesn't work the way that liberals wish it would."

That's really all I should have to tell anyone about this situation.

My career on Wall Street started on the JPMorgan commodity derivatives desk where Argentina was one of our clients. In the process of working with them, I got a window into the yin and yang of Latin American politics.

While there is a little variation based on personalities etc, as a rule countries like Argentina tend to vacillate from thieving ex-miltary right wingers with secret bank accounts packed full of nationalized oil revenues (you know... for a rainy day), to idealistic but completely incompetent college professors who try to wish reality into something new, while they struggle mightily to find their own A-holes with two hands and a map.

Clearly the situation hasn't changed in Argentina in the last 20 years. And I'm more than a little disturbed at how similar that story is to our own current political outlook.

- Racist NewsFlash!!!

In reaction to his falling poll numbers President Obama accused Mitt Romney of being the most bigoted racist in the history of bigoted rich white racists.

He explained to the Univision TV crew that "apart from being a kitten torturing racist who likes to take away old people's medical care for fun, he's also a white bigoted racist who hates all people of any color. Even people whose color is white."


"Oh... and he's a racist."

When told that a member from the Romney campaign denied the charge a leading Democrat Staffer called it a "dogwhistle denial" and that it constituted "proof that he's really a racist".





This is going to be a very long 6 months.

- Who Could Have Seen This Coming?

A Woman Named Fellony has been Arrested On Felony Battery Charge Following a Bloody Indiana Bar Attack

For the record, I don't think this has anything to do with race in particular, just lowbrow stupidity. There is a porn actress who also goes by the name of Felony but I think she's white (For those of you wondering, I saw her give an interview during the Charlie Sheen flame-out and the name stuck in my head.) In fact, that might be even worse because she probably gave herself the name.

What this is really about is the stupidity of a woman (the suspect's mother) who thought that the name Fellony would be clever. Why not name her "Crack Whore"? How about the name "Chlamydia"? Maybe "Bendamustine" would be a fun name - at least I don't suspect anyone would make fun of them in middle school.

In the end it's probably all Frank Zappa's fault.


Bad Baby Names

- You And What Army?!

This raises an interesting question.

Suppose the SCOTUS strikes down Obamacare, but the executive branch follows that up with a statement that claims that they dispute the authority of the Supreme court to "strike down" laws referring to commerce. And while they will allow Obamacare to be rescinded under the law, they intend to use an executive order to allocate resources and put into place the 'infrastructure' for the law anyway. Congress (well.... the house) will respond with an uproar and say "you can't do that!", and team Obama will respond to them with "We're doing it anyway!".

What then? What do we do when the executive branch says that they know best and they don't care if our antiquated processes are trying to obstruct their actions? Impeachment? Well it's not like there were any real consequences to the last impeachment, so if I were Obama I'd say "Go ahead - have a blast! Impeach away." The press will be on his side...they always are. So maybe he doesn't need "no stinking laws" to fundamentally transform America. Maybe eliminating the constraints on the power of the federal government is the fundamental transformation he had in mind from the start? (Students of our antiquated traditions will know those constraints on Federal power as "The US Constitution")

The point is, our entire system of law and order is based on the idea that actions have consequences. But the entire philosophy of progressive liberalism is built around the idea of eliminating the consequences to bad actions. In the end, the two are totally incompatible. It would be a real tail event - meaning that it's VERY unlikely things would go this way. But Obama can have Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck rotting in Gulags by Valentines day if he's prepared to ignore the law to do it. And if he's ignoring the law, then there is no reason he can't do whatever he feels like to "fundamentally transform" America.

And if he is, I wonder if we have it in us to stop him.

- Charles Murray: Coming Apart

I have nothing but the greatest respect for the work of Charles Murray, who I have referred to in these pages as "a real intellectual". I just finished reading the book which they discuss here, and I disagree with him on one basic principle which I think might (MIGHT) undo his pessimistic outlook.

Watch the video to hear his side, but when you come to the part about how the elites are all but universally liberal, that's where I take exception. He right for now, but I don't believe he'll be right forever. Right now the elderly liberal elites are all boomers and a product of the 60's. They were love children, and the me generation of the 70's. But the generation which follows them is considerably more conservative.

What's more, without the hard and fast cultural liberalization (which is being slowly unwound by the internet and cable news), those generations are growing more conservative with time. Guns and abortion are cultural battles that have been won by conservatives. We've taken a respite, but over the long term, conservative (ie. Friedman-esque) economic policies are winning out as well. And as the generations after the boomers become elderly, they will learn and mature. They will not remain devoted to preserving their own immaturity, like the boomers have been.

It's my position, that America is like an alcoholic and the Obama administration is rock bottom. We may not be getting healthier yet, but we've identified and admitted the problem. Over time, generational time in this case, we'll get better - one day at a time. Demographics and the very long term political trends support my view, not Dr. Murray's.

But listen to his view anyway. The book is so packed full of hard data that it's not a particularly easy read. I'd recommend it anyway of course, but John Grisham it's not. You can probably get the gist of it from just the interview.

- Turn That (Unemployment) Chart Upside Down

I've gotten the impression from past conversations, that the "unemployment rate" is one of those things that the general population thinks Economists make more complicated than it has to be. "Just tell us what the rate is!" I've had people say to me.

The truth is, it's not that easy, but until very recently, no one was interested. Now everyone seems to be aware that there are birth/death issues, seasonality adjustments etc. And while those issues are designed to add accuracy (and do if responsibly used), in the current environment they just distort the real economic activity.

The point I most mean is the "labor force participation" statistic. The idea is that when someone is unemployed but is no longer looking for a job, they are not providing any additional "demand for work" (technically it's "supply of labor") so they must be removed from the pool. In literal terms this makes sense, but is easily distorted.

I think this zerohedge post goes a long way toward illustrating the problem, and the way the distorting effect of the reporting method that has crept in over time.

- Like Cheap Veal: Part Deux

And this isn't Joe Biden either, this is the guy that yells at Joe Biden.

Please dear god, please oh please, don't let there be a naked 14 year old girl tied up in the trunk of Mitt Romney's car.

- The Defenestration of Derb

John has taken time out from the bliss that is Bendamustine to throw up an impromptu blog on his home page. There isn't a comment section or anything, but it's a chance for him to address some of the many questions he's gotten about this whole National Review thing.

I personally am still annoyed at the way the right is addressing this issue (and shall continue to be so long as Jason Lee Steorts is using it as an excuse for trying to convince everyone how smart he is). I expect the left to take every opportunity to demonize individuals and to distort the facts, but I expect better on the right. For the record, the people who I like and respect the most at National Review, have chosen not to publicly weigh in on this topic. I assume it's because their view differs with that of the boss, but you never know. Maybe better to leave me with my illusions on that score.

Anyway, John sent me a not asking me to link his page, which of course I'm happy to do. If one of you guys who still has access to Freerepublic (I've been banned for my own little brand of heresy) can throw up a link there I'm sure he'd appreciate it too, and feel free to Facebook link it as well.

I offered my own criticism of Derb a few days ago which as I consider it, seems more and more fitting. Here is it from the comments section of an older post:

If he has one flaw it's something I suspect may be more common among the British who are a very practical people. To my ears it comes off as a degree of emotional tone deafness. But he's so polite that I think sometimes people mistake his good manners for empathy. It reminds me of that line from Lawrence of Arabia:

"With Lawrence mercy is a passion, with me it's just good manners. I leave you to decide which is the more reliable motive."

When it comes down to treating individual people decently whatever their color, I'd put John Derbyshire's manners up against anyone elses passion on the topic any day.


He may not think it fits exactly, but I'll bet he enjoys the Alec Guinness reference.

- Immoral Government Healthcare

In trolling the local papers of my rural youth, I noticed that an ex-girlfriend of mine died a little while back. We only dated for a short while, many many years ago, but I find that her death has had quite an impact on me. She didn't die from a car crash or a some other accident - she died from complications related to pneumonia. She was very young to go from an illness like that, but there it is. Some people buck the odds in a bad way. And I guess it's reminded me how close on my heels father time actually is.

If she had continued to drink and chemically entertained herself like she did way back when I knew her, I can't imagine her health was the very best. That sort of thing will wear you down over time. We were very young and the young can be irresponsible about that sort of thing. When she died she was divorced and had two kids. The last time I spoke to her she was married and pregnant with the first. I thought pregnancy had "straightened her out" a little, but from here it looks like that straightness probably didn't take.

This is the first person I was close to that died from something that's thought of as a part of being old. It's also why I suspect she was probably old before her time. I hadn't seen or spoken to her in... god knows. Certainly more than 25 years. So when I remember her now she's still frozen in time at that moment of perfect youth. I still see her as this wild reckless beautiful thing who didn't know what the future held for her and didn't really care. She was one of those people for whom 'Monday' was as distant as forever, and she wasn't going fret over it until she absolutely had to. It usually doesn't last, but that's the kind of thing that can be appealing when you're still young and indestructible.

Anyway, when I knew her she was poor and uneducated, and things never changed much for her. Her last job was as a staffer in one of those tree nurseries that sell landscaping decorations to homeowners with green thumbs. My cousin owns one in South Carolina, and does pretty well with it. But she just worked at one. Like many people, she never made any money. And now that she's died, her daughter is a poor and uneducated single mom, and her son is a fugitive from the law. Her family like mine, wasn't exactly the Waltons.

I don't mean to dump on her. Her family was even more deeply dysfunctional than mine was, and she was even more troubled by it. For her life was about finding a way, any way at all, to make the pain of getting out of bed in the morning tolerable. And with all that, she was a sweet girl with a generous spirit, who never did anyone a bit of harm that she could find a way to avoid. She may have been her own worst enemy, but she was also most certainly her only one.

Thinking about her death has got me pondering how I might go. At 19 we all think we'll live forever but we won't. None of us. And I've gotten to the age now when I know there will be a period at the end of my sentence. I'm not panicked about it. I probably have nearly as much time in front of me as behind, and I'm in excellent condition - especially for my age. but I confess, these days the end isn't totally unconsidered.

So all this is kind of making me wonder, how do you imagine yourself dying? What circumstances do you imagine will be involved in your end? I'm guessing that very few of us will be in our upper east side mansions with our team of physician/former playboy bunny attendee's close at hand, mightily fending off deaths final grasp. That may be the fantasy, but it almost certainly won't be the reality. So what do you imagine the reality for you will be?

Do you picture yourself reclining in a government run facility, burning through all the pain medication and medical treatment our collective descendants can afford? Do you think that last few minutes of staring up at a hospital ceiling panel will be worth the years of damage done by bankrupting your next four generations of grandchildren to pay for it? Does that seem like a good trade to you?

I'm not asking a policy question here. I don't mean to talk about death panels or euthanasia. Let's exclude that question for a moment, and talk about the morality of the broader issue. Do you think it's OK to pay so much for so little - especially when the person getting the bill has no choice about it? Because someone has to pay for all of it, even if it isn't you. My point is, I think the very idea of government run healthcare system is an immoral proposition because it takes away the choice. It forces people who haven't been born yet, to pick up the tab for people who have no interest in looking out for their interests. The consumer is a person in their most desperate hour of need - disinclined to moderation, and the payer is a person who can't complain because they haven't been born yet. It's a perfect recipe for the immoral use of force.

For myself, I always imagined I'd die alone. I'm not ripping off Captain Kirk; I just figured that anyone who really knew me would be long gone (and probably be doing a little dance) by the time I died so they would be disinclined to make it any easier for me. I figure the best I can hope for is maybe a Catholic nun who doesn't know me and therefore doesn't know any better, to help me on my very last bit of business. I hope it's somewhere warm - I've had my limit of snow. Maybe some central American poverty ward somewhere run by Catholic charities. If I'm dying I'll probably have other things to worry about than the decor.

But one thing I really don't imagine myself doing, is sucking the last drop of water out of the well for myself. I'll go with the odds. If they tell me I have a 50-50 chance of beating whatever it is, I might take the shot. But if the only option is to extend illness - then I think I will very likely refuse treatment. Call it what you like. But I think I'd rather give my daughter a better shot at safety and security, than rob her future to give me just a few more years of withering and age.

It would feel wrong of me to participate in a system like Medicare, which I think is immoral. I've been unemployed and penniless in the past. I've borrowed money from my family, and from my girlfriends, (all of which I paid back) but I've never taken a penny of unemployment. In my mind the government takes it from me by force without my consent. And I'm not going to give them my blessing for it after the fact by using it. Just because they are immoral doesn't mean I have to be. I kind of imagine being the same way about Medicare. I didn't ask for it, and just because the government has robbed me to pay for it doesn't make it right for me to use it.

Anyway, that's my thought on it - today anyway. You know how these things are; I may feel differently when it comes to it. But here, in exceptionally healthy middle age, that's how it looks to me. So as far as I'm concerned they can take away my Medicare, and it wouldn't phase me. And given how poorly the government does anything, it probably won't be worth much by the time I qualify for it anyway.

I think it would be the next perfectly immoral act to steal the from future generations by running up the debt, and then denying the service it promised to pay for with it. It's exactly what I'd expect from government. Eventually.

- Community Escalator...

Al Sharpton was a household name when Glenn Beck was still just a little alcoholic (I kid because I love). And yet we hear from member fellating Dana Milbank that Sharpton's current dream is to model himself and his influence after Beck's recent success. And we hear from Al that Washington's power players are lining up to listen to him.

That Glenn Beck has managed to conquer his personal demons (or at least chain them in the basement) and then rise to such a level of influence over America's public dialog is a great testimony to his character and his skill. You may not like the guy's politics or his style, but he has to my knowledge never lied or distorted the facts to gain personal acclaim (as Al did with both Tawana Brawley and the fictitious Duke Lacrosse rape) or rallied a mob to get someone killed because of their race (as Al did with his 'white interlopers') comment.


That Al Sharpton is being treated as anything but an outcast and criminal is shameful. And is as strong a testimony I've ever heard toward the argument that America is rotting from the inside out. It says to me that we are a morally corrupt people uninterested in justice or the rule of law, and are already learning to live with mob rule.

- The Stay At Home Mom Vote

That Michael Ramirez is a national treasure.

(look over there... rich people!!! lol)

- Here's Your Honest Dialog...

The description reads:

There's just no getting around it -- you're a racist. Everyone...from your neighbor to your congressman to the alternative weekly newspaper knows you are. Instead of tiresome repeated denials, why not just admit to your imaginary hate crime by clearly labeling yourself for all to cast stones of judgment. By removing this question of doubt, you allow everyone to move forward onto friendlier topics of conversation -- like gay marriage.

I think something like this makes a very important statement. Remember, virtually all black people think you're a racist already anyway so it's no shock to them to see you wearing this. If it turns out you know someone who is black and doesn't think you're a racist, this won't convince them. And if it starts to catch on, then we can finally put an end to most unfounded and widest spread leftist accusation in politics.

- Like Cheap Veal...

I was listening to Sean Hannity on the radio yesterday as I drove into the city to meet some friends. He had some woman on trying to defend Hillary Rosen's obnoxious comments directed at Ann Romney.

For all I know Ann Romney tools around Boston on a broom. I don't know her and I don't really know anything about her. I don't know Hillary Rosen either. But listening to the woman who was trying to defend her, I came to a realization.

The Democrats and the progressive left have nothing but contempt for America, the American voter, and the American way of life. They think we are a boorish, stupid people whose only merit is that we have them to tell us what to do. They see our traditions as silly, our faith as superstition, and our values as bigotry. Some of them hide it better than others, but this is precisely how they feel about us.

And an attitude like that does not win elections.

Cheap Veal. You can call it my official election prediction post. I think Obama's gonna get pounded like cheap veal.

- The Derb Returns Fire

John's response to both his supporters and his critics.

In all honesty I think I've taken this whole thing very poorly. I think his critics on both the left and the right have tried to portray him as a monster, and nothing could be further from the truth. People can say what they like about me and it rolls off me like rain off a duck, but when my friends or family are attacked I take it very personally.

As is clear from his response, I really shouldn't. He's a big boy. And I'll bet dollars to donuts that his next book on the topic (I'm only assuming) will sell huge.

He's become a sort of Martin Luther for the age of political correctness.

- Since I'm Busy Being A Racist...

I'd just like to say how much I like this story. Jon Lovitz (for those of you who don't remember) is a B-lister who was famous for his time on SNL.

For all I know he's a huge anti-gun Lib. I honestly have no idea. I don't know the first thing about his politics which I think speaks to his good judgement - preventing me from learning by keeping mum about it. He's an actor after all.

Anyway... three girls were bullying the daughter of a friend of his so he decided to make them famous for it. Good for him. Finally, social media as a force for good. So I'm putting up a flattering photo of him - he deserves it.

And for his sake, I hope Morgan Fairchild is as impressed with his behavior as I am.

- Holder & Obama Have To Delay This Trial

I feel like I've barely written about anything else lately, but I have one more point on the Zimmerman inquisition trial. From what I've read, George seems to be on some pretty stable ground in Florida. If it happened the way he claimed and involves physical evidence and witnesses, then it will be very difficult to get him convicted.

So this becomes a very tricky issue electorally. If he's convicted, then the black population sees it as "justice" but the "White- Latino" population (as big and broad a demographic as the media needs it to be) sees this as a travesty and responds to the Al Sharpton's and Black Panther's of the world by rushing out to vote against Obama.

If he's acquitted at trial, then there is a real potential for a race riot (especially since Holder won't arrest the instigators) and that will have negative election consequences as well. If it's all tossed after a transparent and public hearing based on Florida's "stand your ground law", then the black community loses faith in team Obama's ability to deliver the white man to their version of justice. This idea was certainly a component of his strong support from the black community last time around. (He might not have said it, but they attributed a lot of things to him that he never actually said and I believe that this is one of them.)

It's beginning to look to me like there is no upside to Obama in getting this settled before the election, and potentially grave downsides - even if you discount the residual damage and mayhem that would come with a riot. I'm sure they would prefer to avoid something like that, but if it could mean certain reelection for Obama then half the south would be burning come September. It's a question of priorities.

So I think Holder et al. are going to try to push the dates back on all this - at least past October. I have no idea how likely that is. I know there are a lot of procedural issues that can be brought into play for the trial if necessary, but I don't know how many apply to the 'hearing' that the papers say George has a right to request.

Meanwhile Rick Scott and the Florida Republicans will probably be more focused on the "fair and Speedy" portion of the legal system. I suspect that since this is a state issue, they will have their way.


So here we are again... coming into the elections, everyone watching the courts in Florida.

- Tyson?... Really?!

The (almost certainly liberal) journalist who asked Mike Tyson his opinion on the Trayvon Martin shooting should have recognized that he really isn't doing the racial grievance lobby - a left leaning group if ever there was one - any favors.

- Linked Out

I'm not a member of Linked In. Like all social networking applications, it's devotees are fanatical. But I'll pass thanks. I don't like the idea of being so exposed.

I understand how it might be useful for the guys just breaking into the business and don't have much of a network yet. But my friends in the business are all mid to high level guys so they are mostly skeptical too. My one friend Rob calls it an indicator of unemployment. When someone get's fired (which happens an awful lot lately in my world) the first thing that happens is they ping everyone they've ever met on Linked in. So he uses it to determine which firms are cutting back and in which areas. (There is probably a trade in that data now that I think about it.)

But since my networking skills were always relatively poor, I remain convinced that it would be less use for me. Everyone always thinks I'm very smart, but I'm not particularly likeable. And people only do favors for people they like. To get a referral from LinkedIn requires getting favors. And in the age of Obama, just being profitable isn't worth what it used to be - politics is more important than it ever was.

With that said, I think I get it. The idea of Linked-In is to replace the role of headhunters, some of whom can be abysmal both for the employers and applicants. (One particularly reprehensible headhunter called the Broadreach Group - which came across for me more like condescending coke addled prep school kids than anything else - immediately springs to mind.)

For employers they charge painfully high fees, and most don't know enough about the business to provide any value added filtering at all. So beyond the lowest level jobs they're nothing more than an expensive clearinghouse for resumes - so I'm not surprised that someone would want to do away with them.

And evev though they aren't paying the fees, from the applicant point of view if can be just as bad. Most will only send you to the people who interview everyone so after you deal with one headhunter you've dealt with most by proxy. But many of those that have other contacts aren't much better.

An applicant has two resources, time and ... let's call it determination. On the latter, you don't want to hear no 1,000 times before you hear yes. So you really only want to talk to those people who have a reasonably good chance of hiring you. But headhunters can be notoriously wasteful of both of these applicant resources.

I had one headhunter which would send me to all his best clients for low level operational or technology positions, even though they didn't want or need someone as senior as me. His thinking was that when it came down to marketing he could use my resume to establish his credibility, even though it did nothing but waste my time.

There are others, although fewer than you would expect, who are complicit in the 'researching shopping" that some firms use. Those firms interview everyone "just to see what they're doing", and knowing this, the headhunters make a point of sending by anyone who has built a strategy that sounds unusual or hard to categorize.

Anyway, I see how there is a market for something like LinkedIn, lord knows it's an inefficient market. But I still can't get comfortable with it. Word of mouth has been the thing to get me most of my jobs, and although many (maybe most) headhunters are awful, I do know a few who I've come to rely on and have relationships with. There are still people out there whose word means something.

At present it looks like I won't be changing jobs for a while, if I'm doing any hiring I'll go to people I know. So for the time being, I'm staying Linked - Out.

- As "Impartial" As The OJ Trial

George Zimmerman to be charged with some damned thing. They aren't sure what yet.

In a related story, community activist Eric Holder praised Attorney General Al Sharpton for his work within the black community.... no wait... that's right isn't it?

- It's About Fairness

Since it's come up....

They want to get their 'fair share' of something they don't know how to use, only how to consume.

- It Is Redistribution

A few weeks (or was it days - it's been tough sledding recently) ago, Frithguild made mention of 'the big lie'. This is the political tactic of simply claiming that a tax isn't a tax, a fine isn't a fine, a penalty isn't a penalty, redistribution isn't redistribution, and that the poposed policy does not do, exactly what it's desigend to do. The President is doing it again. In fact, without the big lie, this President probably wouldn't have all that much to say.

The thing I hate about this is that if it were a Republican, the press would NEVER let him get away with the big lie. But since it's a Democrat the press simply repeats his claims by rote. And people then believe it.

the onyl way to counter 'the big lie' is to be as determined about spreading the truth, and Team Obama is about spreading the wealth. So... here are the facts about the Buffet Rule:

1. It won't raise any money because the rich would rather hide their money than let Obama take it.

2. It's not "fair" because the money has already been taxed once at the highest corporate tax rate in the world.

3. It IS redistribution. There really isn't any other way to say that.

4. "The Rich" who President Obama want's to punish for their success, already pay most of the taxes in dollar terms and on a percentage basis. Their regular rate is already higher than the rate on the poor, but as mentioned in item 1, they would rather hide their money than pay it.

5. It will hurt the economy and job growth (at least it would if it had even a remote chance of passing.)

Obama has been singing this song for years and America hasn't been interested. He knows it won't pass. Even he can't be that obtuse. So the question arises then - why is he still saying it?

The answer is that he knows that the people in the bottom income bracket, those people who contribute nothing and live off government largesse, are highly motivated by envy. They don't so much care about having more themselves (or they would go get a job) as much as they care about taking something away from the other guy who does.

That's Obama's primary constituency... the slackers... the losers. The people who aren't interested in getting ahead and are perfectly content to be behind so long as someone else does the work of pulling their cart. And Obama knows that if he demonizes "the rich" those slackers will get off the couch long enough to go down to the polls and vote for him.

These are the people who Obama thinks would be best to decide the future direction of the country. This human ballast. And whatever problems you may have with Mitt Romney, if you don't go out and vote for him, this is exactly who will.

- Gee I Wonder What Would Happen....

To a white Republican Attorney General who refused to arrest and prosecute someone because they were white.

- The Firearms Illiterati

I should really find a way to teach a class on Firearms for urban liberal journalists. In an attempt to make them sound scary they tend to make utter fools of themselves.

A "Sawed Off Assualt Weapon With Military Grade Bullets"?! WTF is that? What a tragic joke.

This laughable media firearms moment was brought to you by Rocco Parascandola of the New york Daily News. He seems to think that simply having ammunition near a baby's crib should be a felony. Why isn't important I guess - so long as you're scared.


From longtime reader Matt: (linked from the address in the comment section)

The Journalist's Guide to Writing About guns


%%%%%%%%%%UPDATE%%%%%%%%%%

Apparently it was the cops who came up with that idiotic phrase (a reflection no doubt of too long working for Mike Bloomberg) because another paper also used it verbatim, and tossed in some "cop killer" bullets to boot.

Plenty for Firearms stupidity to go around I guess.

- The End Is ... Far?

I maintain that the American flirtation with the progressive vision is a generational thing and that we'll be done with it as a serious political movement once we're done with the boomers. There is a strong sense of non-linearity to this argument, like when an immune system fights off an illness. You win some days and lose others, and you maybe never really defeat it entirely. But if you're lucky you reach a point where it's held in check at a level low enough to not do you any serious harm. That's my hope anyway, but I confess that forecasting the long term output of non linear feedback mechanisms is not an easy gig.

There are lots of people I respect who disagree with my view. They all say we're, doomed, doomed, doomed... Doomed. But there is a lot of ruin in a nation, and Rome went on for a 1,000 years after the Gallic legions crossed the Rubicon.

My point is, I don't hear no fat lady.

The millennial generation has begun to learn that the progressive vision, as represented by venture capitalist in chief Barak Obama, doesn't jive very well with reality.This may be small potatoes, but if it's dark enough even a tiny flicker of light is welcome.

And it's been pretty dark lately. And if you'll recall, It was hardly a secret, but I did predict that this would happen.

- Here's A Little Good News

Reprehensible nutjob Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe is in critical condition in a Singapore hospital.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, 88, is fighting for his life in a Singapore hospital after handing over power to Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Ordinarily this would be a reason to cheer. It's tough, even in Africa, to find someone who has done as much to replace civilization and wealth with misery and despair as Robert Mugabe. But the harsh truth of Africa is, it probably won't mean much to the people on the ground. It will just mean another military coup, and another round of political purges, and more misery for the people who haven't already fled.

To quote that Leonardo DiCaprio movie, TIA.