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Friday, December 23. 2016

Image via Never Yet Melted. Grammatically correct, but the message is wrong. Good grammar does not compensate for an erroneous message. (Fact check: Spanish actually has a future subjunctive, but not English. Go figger.)

The Core Values of a Gentleman

Lifestyles of the Rich and Bureaucratic

Like a Candle In Berlin - On the curious habits of the spiritual-but-not-religious:

The reason (I surmise) that so many people claim to be spiritual rather than religious is that being spiritual imposes no discipline upon them, at least none that they do not choose themselves. Being religious, on the other hand, implies an obligation to observe rules and rituals that may interfere awkwardly with daily life. Being spiritual-but-not-religious gives you that warm, inner feeling, a bit like whiskey on a cold day, and reassures you that there is more to life—or, at least, to your life—than meets the eye, without actually having to interrupt the flux of everyday existence. It is the gratification of religion without the inconvenience of religion. Unfortunately, like many highly diluted solutions, it has no taste.

Government Schools Are No Place for Bright Kids

Anti-Israel Activism Comes To Elementary School

Facebook lurking makes you miserable, says study

I've never seen it

How to Be a Stoic - Born nearly two thousand years before Darwin and Freud, Epictetus seems to have anticipated a way out of their prisons.

Failure to Launch: Young Americans Living with Parents Hits 75-Year High

"I felt sick at the thought of something male growing inside me."

Those new service sector jobs, supply and demand - Spanish ham slicing edition

9 Horrific Examples Of Gov’t Waste In 2016, Starting With Feminine Glacier Studies

I Bet You Wanted Tips On Talking Climate Change This Holiday Season

Liberal prof is sick of identity politics

Forward Editor Announces He Hates Chanukah

The Connection Between Work and Dignity

I agree with the general idea, but why do we need mass immigration?

Californians See Their First Pension Cut

Friendliest town in America has Crazy Police Safety Tips: Stay in the House, Lock It, and Have a Happy Holiday - 'Avoid driving alone or at night.'

Chicago Gun Violence So High It Is Skewing National Murder Figures

Violent guns and violent trucks must be banned

What a woman. But more importantly, what a soldier.

How did this guy retire with $37 million after a career in Congress?

Harry Reid Says He ‘Did What Was Necessary’ By Lying About Mitt Romney’s Tax Returns

Scarborough: Bill Clinton’s the last man to complain about a “post-fact” world

Americans who voted against Trump are feeling unprecedented dread and despair

Sheesh. Afraid of the bogeyman?

Election: This guy has a Schadenboner

Linda Greenhouse loves federal government bureaucracies: Invasion of the Agency Snatchers

Schumer Loves Trump’s $Trillion Infrastructure Plan

The ‘fake news’ epidemic that doesn’t get denounced

Truth is no longer necessary for a narrative

Defeated Democrats' new attack line: The Electoral College is racist

Except when they win elections

Draining the swamp: How Donald Trump exiled the political class:

Hedge fund manager Ray Dalio quantified just how much private sector experience Trump's picks have: a cumulative 83 years in the private sector vs. 55 years in either government or military (mostly military). By contrast, Obama's first Cabinet had achieved a cumulative of five years in the private sector vs. 122 years in the government or military (mostly government) before joining his incoming administration. Trump's Cabinet is tilted more toward the private sector than any administration in history, and Dalio predicts this may inject into the economy the "animal spirits" that spurred so much growth in the 1980s.

‘Legacy’: 10 Ways Barack Obama Broke the American System

VDH: The Trump Nail in the Media Coffin:

News outlets such as the New York Times and NBC have no more credibility than most websites or the National Enquirer. Is it any surprise that we are witnessing the funeral for traditional journalism as we once knew it?

Angela Merkel is our strongest ally — but she messed up

Germany deportation headache with North African migrants

No brain required to import terrorists

DHS Gave Somali Muslims Private Tours of Secure Areas at Major Airports

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 07:56 | Comments (27) | Trackback (1)

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"Grammar is correct, but the message is wrong."

Not quite. There is no such thing as an English future perfect subjunctive.

#1 JJM on 2016-12-23 08:12 (Reply)

QUOTE:

"Spirit!" he cried, tight clutching at its robe, "hear me. I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse. Why show me this, if I am past all hope?"

#1.1 Zachriel on 2016-12-23 09:21 (Reply)

misquoted, as usual.

#1.1.1 Will Bithers on 2016-12-23 11:43 (Reply)

It is a progressivist creation: "If you were just to give us everything you have, the future would be perfect."

#1.2 Jim on 2016-12-23 12:49 (Reply)

Yay, female IDF soldier! But American dinosaurs whine that women can't fight....

#2 Retriever on 2016-12-23 08:19 (Reply)

Interpreting objections to women in combat units as 'women can't fight' is nonsensical. Practically anybody can pull a trigger (or manipulate a drone joystick). As a general rule, in order to place women in frontline combat arms physical standards have be relaxed in ways that increase the burdens on the men in those units, in part by taking up slots that would be held by men who could equally share the load. Additionally the presence of women in combat arms units in hostile conditions changes the dynamics of the group in ways that increase the risks, with no added benefit.

#2.1 Christopher B on 2016-12-23 08:53 (Reply)

I actually cannot say it better than you did but let me add a facet that is often overlooked.
The real reason that women "cannot fight" in our military is because the system is such that men are enlisted/drafted with minimal physical requirements and then forced/trained to do what they must do. When women were integrated into the greater military (i.e. not just nurses and admin) they began dumbing down the physical and performance standards because the could not or would not do the work to become competent to meet the standards. It is those women recruits and their standard bearers in congress who keep reinforcing the concept and reality that women cannot indeed "fight". If they could then we wouldn't need to change the standards to meet their feminine needs. Do you suppose the enemy is going to lower their standards or give a soldier a break simply because they are female? (Here, my dear, let me open the door to your APC for you.) This isn't and cannot be another glass ceiling exercise. Either they are all in, in which case they sign up for the draft and start humping their own 70 lb packs, or they are out which means nurses and a handful of admin jobs only. Anything else is just stupid and designed to fail. The feminist don't care if it fails. All they care about is another notch in their anti-male agenda and another glass ceiling shattered.

#2.1.1 IdahoBob on 2016-12-23 10:31 (Reply)

I've never been in the armed forces (something I regret) so my opinions are not arrived at from experience. I generally agree with you, but I think your comments are too narrowly focused on foot soldiers. I think there are plenty of combat roles women can do like drone pilots that don't require strength, are remote, but are still important.

#2.1.1.1 mudbug on 2016-12-23 11:33 (Reply)

I'm an old,old retired career pilot. How old? Round engines only. From what I've seen in news reports and documentaries, a 400 lb bed-sitting computer gamer could be a drone pilot.

#2.1.1.1.1 BillH on 2016-12-23 11:54 (Reply)

You are absolutely right. I have always agreed with that opinion. unfortunately the SJW used that is a camel's nose under the tent. I have come to the conclusion that it will never be possible to apply simple common sense to these social justice issues (re: bathroom laws etc.) because they are always a foil for the bigger agenda. There is no gender based reason that women could not be used in non-combat jobs except that the agenda would always trump common sense.

There is another factor as well. It is common in the military to have stateside jobs and combat jobs where the soldier is rotated to for a year before going back to combat. Ditto for sailors with shore billets vs ship assignments.
Then there is the Marines where every marine is a battle ready marksman.

At this point I am convinced that except for nurses (where the women excel) and admin that all the other jobs should be manned by men who are ready and able to go into combat within hours of any attack on our country. In theory they could be women who passed the rigorous training and testing of a soldier but as we have seen the SJW meme is to first get their nose in the tent and then demand the standards be dumbed down. I simply don't see that ever changing so the choice is either a battle ready military or a seriously undermanned military that may well lose the next big war.

#2.1.1.1.2 IdahoBob on 2016-12-23 14:43 (Reply)

I won't claim that it's possible to integrate women fully into combat roles, but I would caution us against the line of argument that runs something like, "If we allow women in, the men will start behaving differently, and since we can't expect them to control their behavior, let's keep the women out." If our physical standards make sense for a particular combat role, we should enforce them. If there are people in the system (including men) who can't resist the temptation to weaken the standards, let's focus on that problem, which is not the responsibility of the women who are entering. Let them enter, then wash them out if necessary. Same for the old argument that women didn't belong in universities because the men wouldn't be able to concentrate on their studies.

#2.1.1.2 Texan99 on 2016-12-23 12:32 (Reply)

There are a number of jobs a military woman can do. However, sexual harassment charges are likely to go one way only, and i can see the possibility of that ruining a unit. Women can fly aircraft. Women are now missileers, having once been in CINCSAC's "Too Tough To Do" box (2 people locked in the launch control center for 24 hours, spouses concerned about that).

#2.1.1.2.1 Sam L. on 2016-12-23 15:02 (Reply)

True, but for an Israeli man or woman, the hostile conditions that require a combat unit exist anywhere within 1000 miles of Tel Aviv. Outside that perimeter, Israelis can relax a bit.

In any case, the women will be present in or with the combat units in hostile conditions period. The only alternative is to be dead. The Kurds operate under similar conditions.

#2.1.2 JK Brown on 2016-12-23 12:08 (Reply)

the notion is strongly rooted in the mindset of people who think that the only warfighters are still charging up Bunker Hill or are WoW Space Marines and that naval ratings, officers, pilots, aviators, etc., are definitely not "real warriors" and that's not how we did back in the Spanish-American War when we had to carry our horses through the jungle.

Blacks, the Army assured us at one time, were too intellectually dull, lazy, untrustworthy or inadequately motivated to be soldiers and would destroy unit integrity if deployed with white troops, so enough of this PC bullshit integration notion.

#2.2 Will Bithers on 2016-12-23 12:41 (Reply)

"Americans who voted against Trump are feeling unprecedented dread and despair" Our son, like his parents, voted for Trump. He lives in a socially leftist area and during this 2016 election period it became pretty obvious if you didn't vote the way they wanted you were bad. I asked him if he had been to any social events since the election and how things went. He said they openly attacked him and called him names such as racists etc.. He said you aren't allowed to express your views for fear of losing your job. This is what the left has caused and viewing the open hostility for those deemed wrong by the thought police. Disgusting and scary!

#3 JC on 2016-12-23 08:20 (Reply)

Wait. It sounds like your son is surrounded by a bunch of brown-shirted Nazis. But I thought Trump was the Nazi. It's all very confusing....unless you peer through the smokescreen.

#3.1 JK Brown on 2016-12-23 12:11 (Reply)

You can get most of Epictetus for free from Amazon in Kindle format.

#4 Fred Z on 2016-12-23 09:10 (Reply)

Good point. For those who want Epictetus in EPUB or TXT formats, in addition to the Amazon MOBI format, Project Gutenberg: Online Book Catalog will also provide Epictetus at no cost to the reader. Project Gutenberg has over 50,000 out-of copyright books free for the downloading.

#4.1 Gringo on 2016-12-23 13:08 (Reply)

There is a site dedicated to documenting the fake news of hate crimes:

Fakehatecrimes.org

Does an invaluable service to our society

#5 DrTorch on 2016-12-23 09:48 (Reply)

"Like a Candle In Berlin"

I did indeed think there was a valid point to the story until it became a religious hurt butt story. Why would someone happy in their religion feel the need to insult someone happy in their non-religion (unless of course they are Muslim). If you like your religion you can keep your religion. Even if you believe that the non-religious aren't non-religious enough why would you care? It seems that the only reason you would care is self doubt or intolerance. If your religion works for you I say 'good'. If it doesn't look inside yourself for the answer and stop trying to blame others. Bishop Sheen made the incongruous statement "the 1st amendment gives you freedom of religion not freedom from religion". Really!!

#6 IdahoBob on 2016-12-23 10:47 (Reply)

It only seems incongruous. Consider Islamist terrorists. We are not free from their religion.

#6.1 Sam L. on 2016-12-23 15:07 (Reply)

Re: DHS Gave Somali Muslims Private Tours of Secure Areas at Major Airports

So the Department of Homeland (in)Security is giving Somali "community leaders" inside information about airport security. And some leftists still think 9/11 was an inside job! This is insane!

#7 mudbug on 2016-12-23 11:09 (Reply)

BERLIN KILLER KILLED BY POLICE

before any liberals had a chance to Stand By Him

#8 Will Bithers on 2016-12-23 11:47 (Reply)

The reason why women shouldn't be in combat roles (besides the obvious) is so that men have a reason to fight and have something to come home for.

Instead, we have Trigglypuff.

#9 Fjord on 2016-12-23 12:09 (Reply)

"The Connection Between Work and Dignity"

The important thing for men is to separate the work, especially their employment, from their dignity and their self-worth. Work is what you do to earn money to support yourself, and those you choose to take on as dependents. It is very important not to get caught up in the competition, nor the "social norms" that cause you to work more than necessary to satisfy your needs, wants or desires. It's a trap.

And in the end, if you don't own your work, your job will be ripped away from you leaving you with damaged self-worth if you haven't severed that noose.

#10 JK Brown on 2016-12-23 12:26 (Reply)

Liberal prof is sick of identity politics.
From the link:

QUOTE:

What do liberal academics not understand about political correctness?
Two things. One, there are very few Republicans on campuses. And there’s an intolerance and hostility toward Republicans, conservatives, and evangelicals. So liberal academics don’t rub up against other people.

There are very few Republicans EMPLOYED on campus. Faculty and administrators lean very much towards Democrats. However, there are a substantial proportion of students who lean Republican. From Heterodox Academy: Professors moved left since 1990s, rest of country did not.

#11 Gringo on 2016-12-23 12:51 (Reply)

See Thruber on "The Perfect Infinitite"

http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2010/01/thurber-tonight-ladies-and-gentlemens_05.html

#12 rhhardin (Link) on 2016-12-24 11:51 (Reply)

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Friday, December 23. 2016

Friday morning links