We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
Gasp!
CBS New York Exposes…Unregulated Dinner Parties! - See more at:
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/09/gasp-cbs-new-york-exposes-unregulated-dinner-parties/#sthash.kQ4sJCq7.dpuf
I am medically self-insured, to an extent. I am responsible for a $20,000 two-year deductible on all medical expenses, and after that my quite inexpensive major medical (aka "catastrophic") insurance kicks in.
Much to my surprise, it turns out that many both large and small businesses use this same model, as do many large unions. In most of those cases, however, the business or union covers the costs of the deductible, and brand-name insurance companies administer the policies for a fee.
Today a record 61% of covered workers are in a self-insured plan,
according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's 2013 survey, up from 49% in
2000.
Democrats clearly want, as a step towards single-payer, one-size-fits-all medical insurance controlled by them. As usual, they want control "for our own good", of course.
My approach would be to deregulate medical insurance, and to let a million flowers bloom.
One
reason that many Americans believe Medicare does not contribute to the
deficit is that the majority thinks Medicare recipients pay or have
prepaid the cost of their health care. Medicare beneficiaries on average
pay about $1 for every $3 in benefits they receive…However, about
two-thirds of the public believe that most Medicare recipients get
benefits worth about the same (27%) or less (41%) than what they have
paid in payroll taxes during their working lives and in premiums for
their current coverage. - See more at:
http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2013/09/the-problem-2.html#sthash.4KIgRJ0U.dpuf
Medicare
beneficiaries on average pay about $1 for every $3 in benefits they
receive - See more at:
http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2013/09/the-problem-2.html#sthash.4KIgRJ0U.dpuf
There are some things in life which are observable, and conform to rules which we may be capable of determining. There are other things which are observable, don't necessarily conform to rules, but often are postulated to be rules.
Empirical evidence often suggests certain actions may yield desired results, because a rule exists supporting this action. We were told the stimulus would yield, at a minimum, $1.25 for every dollar spent. This multiplier has been seen before, is measurable (to a degree) and conforms to Keynes' prediction of a multiplier. Many people claimed the return on stimulus would be much higher - upwards of $1.75! But Keynes' 'rule' of a multiplier, just because it was observed, isn't necessarily a rule.
The truth is, we spent far more than we gained in GDP over the last 5 years. There is a reason for this. While a multiplier may exist, and probably does, the factor may vary. More importantly, it is likely to take place if stimulus is focused on productive activity, not consumption. We have spent the last 4 years pushing consumption, telling people to buy homes, cars, food or anything at all. Keep the access to money cheap and available, provide support ot everyone. But here are the results. It's true this data is for the G-7, but a quick review of data in the US shows just as bad a return on dollars spent.
In the 20 years prior to Bush's final year and Obama, the average deficit was roughly $253 billion. In the last 5 years it was $1,215 billion. Over 5 years, we spent $6 trillion more than we collected in taxes to generate....$800 billion in GDP growth. That's a return of 13 cents on every dollar of deficit. In the previous 20 years, GDP grew by $5.57 trillion compared to $5.069 trillion in deficit for a return of $1.10 on each dollar of deficit. At some point, the Keynesians have to admit defeat.
Some economists predicted a slow economic recovery. Even Krugman did. But sometimes you can be wrong, even when you are absolutely right. It's all in the context. Krugman is great at twisting context to suit his needs.
(It's worth noting the link to the Money article may go some way toward explaining why it's so easy to get food stamps these days. But then again, there are many different ways to look at poverty, which means how we address it needs to improve.)
For months, I was trying to explain to my wife a vocal affectation younger members of the office staff employ. I've noticed it for about 2 or 3 years, and its use is growing, not diminishing. I can't mimic it myself, and trying to explain it to her only left her more confused than before. I asked my boys if they were aware of it, but since I couldn't explain it well, they just shook their heads.
Then, on CBS' Sunday Morning program, a short piece was delivered on "Vocal Fry". That's it, I pointed out to my wife. I don't have the CBS piece, but here is a very clear example of the speech pattern.
When I first heard it, I thought "that's someone trying to be a Valley Girl," but the tone is lower rather than higher, as it is in Valleyspeak. I assumed, like Valleyspeak, it would be a fad and go away. Its use has grown substantially, however. Today, apparently, it is used as a means of sounding either authoritative or sexy. I think it sounds lazy. I don't think I'm judging harshly, oftentimes when this voice is used, the person provides a blank stare along with it. Clearly it began as a derisive or insulting voice, though now it's just commonplace.
Once, an anxious parent wrote into Liberman’s blog to complain that a Ph.D. daughter populates her speech with uptalks, as do her doctor/lawyer peers. Could Liberman point to any research proving the “negative effects” of this feminine affectation? “You're certainly entitled to your crotchets and irks, just as your adult daughter is entitled to her prosodic preferences,” Liberman responded. “But in order for the two of you to get along, something's going to have to give. And realistically, it's you.”
It's not just women doing it, either. Many of the young men in my office are beginning to use it, one young fellow outside my office speaks exclusively in vocal fry. Is it an affectation? Perhaps it started out that way, but it's becoming a standard.
I don't agree with Liberman's response. Sure, I'm getting old and young people are doing things I don't like or agree with. Most of it I can live with. But as a parent, I don't have to accept anything, even from an adult son/daughter. My father will still comment on behaviors of mine he dislikes, and I accept his point of view, even if I don't always agree with it. More often than not, though, I realize he's got a point. Even as adults, we can still learn, and we should learn, from our parents.
Have you heard it, and if so, what was your point of view?
As the earth continues its petty refusal to cooperate with the warmists, we've been having loads of fun watching them get more and more desperate. We've recently had terrorism, violence, war, $80 trillion in damage and the North Pole turning into a picturesque lake officially linked with AGW, and then I noted in my post last Sunday how they're also elevating the scare tactics.
Today's clever ruse is brought to you by the good folks at RealClearPolitics, and a nice — if not downright informative — piece it is. It's always good when some science guy does his best to dispel misinformation.
It's a pretty straightforward process. He gives one page for each of the ten main scientific controversies of our day. Yes, Virginia, evolution is real. Yes, animal testing is necessary. Yes, embryonic stem cell research is important. No, vaccines don't cause autism. Yes, 'alternative' medicine is (generally) bunk.
That last one, however, only gets ½ point because of a personal story. My mom fell off a horse when she was 9 and suffered a small neck pain for something like 55 years. She tried everything, from neurologists to acupressure, as well as a couple of chiropractors. One day a friend mentioned some old semi-retired guy who had performed some chiropractic miracle on a friend of hers. My mom went to see him. After the second visit, she was cured forever.
And no, Virginia, the Hadron Collider won't cause a black hole to gobble up the earth. And, I'm sorry to say, cold fusion is pure bunk. Nuclear power, however, is quite safe. Finally, yes, GMOs, or genetically-modified organisms (food in this case), are perfectly healthy.
Oops, wait, I forgot one. It was slipped into the #9 slot and I accidentally clicked past it.
Climate Change Is Largely Manmade
As it clearly states:
But in truth, among scientists who study the Earth's climate, there is no controversy whatsoever. The rise in global temperatures over the past few decades is undoubtedly caused by human activities.
Uh, hold on a sec, will ya? Something about that is ringing a bell.
(thinking)
Oh, right, that "past few decades" part. The past few decades is how long it's been since it has warmed up. I remember now.
But an excellent try, nonetheless, RealClearPolitics, and a big gold star for the 8½ items you did get right. As I said, it's always admirable when someone steps up to the plate and tackles the tough ones.
Even if it is only a fake-out to couch the real message.
- Qatar wants to build a gas pipeline thru Turkey to Austria. -It also has to go thru Syria -Assad in Syria has said no, it will hurt Russia (Gazprom’s gas monopoly in the EU) -Putin has accumulated a large share of Gazprom -France wants the gas, but must first overthrow Assad
Daughter
of Reverend “God Damn America” Wright and 12 other Democrats are
charged with embezzling $16 million in Federal health grants that should
have gone to AIDS charities and other programs for the poor and needy. -
See more at:
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/09/13-democrats-charged-with-embezzling-16-million-in-federal-grants-for-aids-charities-and-other-needy-programs-rev-wright-daughter-among-those-charged/#sthash.gVHGh18t.dpuf
President Obama meets with his advisers on this most serious of issues
As far as I can tell, roughly 95% of both the MSM and the blogosphere still believe wholeheartedly that Assad gassed his own people. There are just three eensy little problems with this:
1. He gave the UN inspectors complete run of the place in their investigation. Compare that to Iran giving the UN nuke inspectors extremely limited access.
2. He was already handily beating the rebels back and thus had no reason to throw himself into the spotlight and incur international wrath.
3. al-Qaeda has long expressed its strong desire to use chemical weapons against the West and the Syrian branch has been caught red-handed with Sarin gas in their possession.
You know how those crime shows are always focusing on motive?
And there's a secondary meme that's evolved in recent days that I believe is off the mark. This blurb from the Washington Times incorporates both:
While saying he sympathizes with current public distaste for more war, President Obama on Friday made the case that the U.S. must live up to its global responsibilities, and for the first time raised the possibility that additional military action — beyond what’s on the table now — may be necessary if Syrian President Bashar Assad uses chemical weapons again.
In my opinion, it has nothing to with a 'distaste for more war' and everything to do with the following. Even site favorite James Taranto is on board the 'Assad Did It' bandwagon, and, as sharp and focused as he is, he seems to have completely overlooked the one key word in his column here. Let's see if you can spot it:
There are reasons to suspect that the effort may be losing rather than gaining momentum. Congressmen respond to their constituents, and the Washington Post reports (with a Fox Butterfield twist): "Americans widely oppose launching missile strikes against the Syrian government for its alleged use of chemical weapons, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll that finds little appetite for military action across the country despite a growing drumbeat in Washington."
Alleged. And, James, if something is only alleged, then only a total moron would take such devastating and possibly far-reaching action on it. Far-reaching, that is, if you count Iran closing down the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation.
The bottom line is that Americans don't like going to war over an alleged anything.
Another media-driven misconception that's been there from the start is that the rebels are 'moderates' and thus are the good guys. Kerry's used the word "moderates" in every speech he's given on the subject. But such is hardly the case.
Secretary of State John Kerry's public assertions that moderate Syrian opposition groups are growing in influence appear to be at odds with estimates by U.S. and European intelligence sources and nongovernmental experts, who say Islamic extremists remain by far the fiercest and best-organized rebel elements.
And here's yet one more meme the protectionist media is pushing, the 'reluctant' president:
The most amusing part of the entire drama, of course, is watching the squishy liberal media dance around the issue. Saddam Hussein gasses 250,000 Iraqi Kurds, Bush wants to stop him, and that's a bad thing. Assad gasses his people, Obama wants to stop him, and that's a good thing. Gosh, I wonder what the difference in those two wildly-opposed attitudes could be?
Then you throw in the doubt of who really gassed the citizenry and, if it actually was al-Qaeda, now you're saying we should fight on the side of al-Qaeda?
As to why all of this is taking place, let's just ask science:
In the name of al-Qaeda, we thank the infidels of the West for removing the largest obstacles in the path to attaining our glorious future World Caliphate, where Allah (Peace Be Upon Him) shall reign supreme forevermore.
Up to this point, our righteous path has been blocked by Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Bashar al-Assad of Syria. Thanks to the combined efforts of America's military, the European Coalition, NATO and America's right-wing bloggers, we have already disposed of three of these obstacles, with only one left to go. Although Iraq was briefly in Western hands, it shall soon be ours once again.
Our special thanks go to sites such as Hot Air and PJ Media, who encouraged us at every step in both Libya and Egypt. Their constant praising of us as "rebels" and "freedom fighters" was especially encouraging to the troops in the field.
A blogger by the name of Walter Russell Mead recently wrote a very important article titled Why Syria Isn’t the Big Story This Week, which a number of bloggers, including Instapundit and Hot Air, linked to.
...to punish a bloodstained government for its use of chemical weapons against its own people.
Yes, that's who did it, Mr. Mead, as Assad's most mortal enemy, the Israeli Mossad, will helpfully corroborate.
He then goes on to describe how, even though the world might be in flames next week and you'll be paying $12 a gallon the week after that, the 'real story' was India's economy.
Again, we thank the West deeply for its support, praise be to Allah.
As for Syria, after our first successful gassing of the citizens (their martyred souls shall rise to Heaven, praise Allah!), the present plan is to wait until the perfunctory bombing begins, then stage another attack, blame it on Assad, then watch the bombing escalate to the point where he must relinquish the kingdom.
Even if the bombing fails to dispose of this tyrant, he will still be tremendously weakened, and we should have control of every city except Damascus within a few years.
Understandably, Bird Dog usually takes a while to get into gear the morning after a trip, so here are a few goodies to tide you over if he's a tad late.
Pic: Just back from his vacation, the big guy feels fresh and invigorated.
As I've noted in past NASA posts, I've been a huge fan of the space program from the beginning, and have watched all of the major launches over the years. When Story Musgrave and his valiant crew fixed the Hubble back in '93, I was hitting the sack at 9 in the evening and getting up at 3 to watch it live.
The problem is that they've had half a century to deal with the first problem, and that ol' 'treadmill routine' just isn't cutting it. And they're just as clueless — if not just as helpless — with the second problem.
So it's actually kind of sad to see articles like these floating around, misleading people into thinking that whole 'space exploration' business is doable at this point in time:
It was 1973 and I was working at a high-end stereo shop in Keene, NH. Owning a 12-string, I was obviously very intimate with guitar-tuning. This was the dawn of PC chips, remember, and suddenly one came out that could 'read' audio frequencies. It occurred to me that you could incorporate twelve of them to look for a specific frequency and send a plus or minus signal to a mini-servomotor attached to each tuning key, telling it to turn one direction or the other. You'd strum the guitar once and they'd all kick into gear.
Alas.
And we have a fun new twist on the global warming front. You've been told that violence and terrorism and war and 98% of all species dying off and continent-destroying hurricanes and all the rest are going to be a direct result already happening now, as they attempt to scare you into believing. But this guy takes it to the next level.
Sensing such dangers, most people have an instinctively negative reaction to climate geoengineering. The reality, however, is that unless we deal seriously with the climate change problem (which we are not) the siren call of geoengineering will grow. And, when we get to the point where burgeoning concentrations of greenhouse gases are causing undeniable catastrophes -- tornados, hurricanes, droughts, coastal flooding, wild fires, mass extinctions -- on a scale orders of magnitude larger than we are experiencing today, the temptation to seriously consider a technological fix will become irresistible to many.
Since it's Sunday and we're just horsing around, I'll run through his little list, just for practice:
Tornadoes — We're currently at a 10-year low in twister activity — despite an ever-mounting rise of 'killer carbon', CO2.
Hurricanes — Also at an historic low, and some global climatologists are now starting to think that warmer waters reduce the number and strength of hurricanes.
Droughts — Our current drought is nothing compared to the barn-burner of the Dust Bowl 30's.
Coastal Flooding — Ah, you can always tell somebody who grew up in a landlocked state. It's like he's never even seen an oceanside beach. He's picturing the entire surrounding land mass as being at or near sea level, whereupon a few-feet rise in ocean level would devastate everything for miles around. Yet San Francisco, for example, surrounded on three sides by water and obviously one of the first to be washed away, is 15 feet above sea level.
Furthermore, I-
Hold on, this just in:
DATELINE 5/23/2033 (UPI): San Francisco Tourists Shocked At What They See
"I couldn't believe it," said Betina Wilkenson from Flatbush, Arkansas. "We drove all the way out here to kick back on the beach, and there's at least 10 less feet of sand than in the brochure!" Longtime resident Bud Ferris is also upset. "When we moved here back in my youth, there was at least fifty feet of sand running down the water. Now, after all this global warming, we're lucky if we've got forty feet!"
San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom II vowed to take corrective measures. "We long ago outlawed gasoline-powered vehicles, so the obvious next step is to outlaw electric vehicles, since energy is energy and it's obviously all bad."
When asked about the state resolution of 2028 that converted the great agricultural valley into the clean-energy Big Valley Wind Farm, he scoffed. "That wind stuff is okay when it comes to charging up your laptop or cellphone, but a car? Forget it."
Where we we? Oh, right.
Wildfires — We have definitely seen bigger and bigger wildfires in recent times, and will continue to do so. And it has everything to do with poor brush management and the poor clearing of old timber and not maintaining a proper airborne fleet and nothing to do with the weather.
Mass Extinctions — As I point out in my own AGW treatise, the funny thing about the "species dying off" meme is that we have absolutely no friggin' idea how many species there are. So, if you don't have a starting number, how do you know when there are "less"?
But the real point is that there isn't any reason to think masses of species will die off simply because it gets a bit warmer. Colder, yeah, but warmer? And for those on the cusp who actually do die out, a lesser species will find the warmer temp a boon and flourish. Nature's real big on that 'balance' stuff.
On a personal note, however, I have to thank the AGW crowd for giving me the opportunity to write the above 6,531-word dissertation, one of my finest pieces. They also gave me the opportunity to create an entire new environmental movement. So thanks, global warming crowd.
Our fearless leader should be back from the exotic land of Italia today and should be back at the helm tomorrow.
Interesting News
Well, I always like to get the sad news out of the way first, so our first article this morning is about that Israeli spy bird that was caught by Egyptian authorities a few days ago as it tried to peck out its report on a miniature telegraph: Stork Detained as Spy in Egypt Found Dead
That's the third Israeli spy bird that's been captured in the last few years, by the way. One's first impulse might be to think, "Geez, won't those Israelis ever learn?" — until you stop and ponder how many of their spy birds haven't been caught.
Say, how about a geographic question? Like the U.S. has the bald eagle, there's a country which has a unicorn as its national symbol, and another has a fiery Chinese dragon. Which two are they?
Glenn Reynolds seems like a fairly reasonable guy, doesn't he? Honestly, one of the most baffling things I see in the blogosphere is when he occasionally jumps up on this soap box:
Meanwhile, can we (1) fire university administrators who don’t understand free speech, and see that they’re forever blackballed in academia; and/or (2) return the drinking age to 18 where it belongs?
Because if there's one thing this country really-really needs, it's more drunken teenagers on the road. If this is one of those goofy Libertarian things, please cancel my subscription to Libertarian Gazette immediately.
It's 1923 and you're a pilot for the United States Airmail Service. You're flying one of these across the country:
But wait. Not only do you not have GPS, but you also have to fly at night. Remember all that "nor gloom of night" stuff? Well, here you are.
This is, of course, supposed to be a scathing indictment of California squandering money on lavish pension plans and the like — and that might very well be true and Harvard would be the better choice. Except that: The cheat goes on at Harvard
Cheaters never win — but they get into Harvard!
Nearly half of the school’s incoming freshmen admitted to cheating on homework, exams or other assignments in their young academic careers, according to a survey by the Ivy League institution’s student newspaper.
So, hmm. Move to beautiful sunny California and make lots of money, or hang out with cheaters in frigid Massachusetts and make less money. Tough choice!
"If the first hurricane fails to appear until after 8 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time Sept. 15, this will be the most hurricane-free first half of a season since satellites began tracking the storms in 1967, he notes in an e-mail."
We're also at a 10-year low in tornado activity.
But a good try, nonetheless, Popular Science. Keep up the good work. We all need a break from reality now and then.
Like I said, sad.
And speaking of profound sadness...
Political News
Into each life a little rain must fall.
Yes, even here in the happy-go-lucky political section we occasionally have to face some cold hard facts and admit that not everything coming out of Washington these days is all peaches and cream.
Worse, I have terrible news here about two of everybody's favorite Washington characters.
Even worser, they're both women. So brace yourselves.
Hope you all had a great week and are looking forward to a relaxing Saturday. Bulldog back again, providing morning links because Doc Mercury was busy howling at the moon late into the night. Something about that salt air...
Leftist media hates censorship, unless it's their censorship. Media Matters seeks to quiet Joe Kernan and have CNBC spend more time discussing the perils of AGW. If CNBC could just get some viewers, what they say might be worth censoring. 42,000 signatures is important, because, you know, it's a consensus.
I do loves me a Big Mac every once in a while, but how will raising the minimum wage affect Mickey D's? I will not pay $17 for a Big Mac (I paid only $5.50 a week ago). A $15.00 minimum wage will only make it more difficult for the poor to feed themselves.
The problem with anyone feeding themselves is that everything they eat will kill them. When I read articles claiming "Collard Greens May Cause 85% of all Colds!", or articles about things that cause cancer (or almost any disease) my inner skeptic is aroused. For example, recent studies linking meat to Alzheimer's. Note the key word in this, and virtually every other title of this nature. Could. One of my favorite sites utilizes an acronym, MMC, for these articles. May, Might, Could. In fact, the article on red meat even points out:
Dr Marie Janson, of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “This study suggests that during Alzheimer’s, iron could accumulate in an area of the brain that is critical to memory, but it is not clear whether this build-up might be a cause or consequence of the disease."
Correlation does not imply causation. If we study football statistics, we can see that teams which take a knee win an overwhelming amount of the games. A new headline: "Studies Show Quarterbacks That Genuflect Win 90% of Games". A new strategy I hope the New York Giants adopt because, after all, science proves it works.
In this case, however, the word "May" carries an entirely different meaning. You take your Molly, or any hard drug, you take your chances.
Apparently, the bar scene isn't even all that safe these days. Guess you take your chances anywhere.
Even the dead don't get much peace. I grew up near Jim Thorpe, this is about the most excitement they've had, well, ever.
Moving a body is contentious, and so is patent and copyright law lately. I'm not sure where I stand on the issue. Jeffrey Tucker's view is a Libertarian stance, which someone once explained to me this way: "If I light a match, then someone else lights another match from mine, and this fire is passed from person to person, who owns the fire and why should we limit ownership rights?" Too simplistic for my taste and there is a role for patents and copyrights, but perhaps in the modern media economy the length or application of them should be reconsidered. After all, can we honestly say the one-click shopping Jeff Bezos patented is deserving of one?
Tucker made the following comment, which is informative:
How important are playbooks in sports? They are gold. And yet they are not covered by "intellectual property" law. You can't copyright, patent, or trademark them. Every team is free to steal what they see every other team doing. Mass thievery? Nope. It's called information anarchism and its makes for a vibrant and dynamic game that is ever evolving and changing. It just works.
Speaking of mass thievery, or at least some form of it, several people asked about Bitcoin the other day. Here's a primer, and another. I'm no expert on the concept of crypto-currency, but I know a good idea when I see one, and this is one which has got the digerati very excited. Bitcoin, oddly enough, could serve as a new reserve currency, which is one reason why the US government is concerned by its growth and use. The US has benefited from being a reserve currency for years, and it's one reason the growth of our money supply has not yet led to rampant inflation.
One place where there has been rampant inflation is in Peyton Manning's performance on the football field. Against a defense that was supposed to be very good, Peyton threw 7 TDs, a feat performed by only 5 people before, and not since 1969. It's one game, but what a game it was. Sadly, it was a precursor to this heart-rending annual event.
Speaking of aerial attacks, it's interesting that Obama won election in 2008 on an anti-war platform. But it's 'just politics' that part of his platform in 2012 was anti-war-with-Syria.
He also won with a jobs-creation platform. Sure, jobs have been created. But not as many as are actually being originally reported due to downward revisions and people dropping out of the workforce. Or maybe that's not the real cause of our unemployment woes. Perhaps the decline of working actors could have been limited with these.
To make matters worse, Obamacare is causing jobs to be reduced to less than 29 hours per week, and his administration is lying about the impact.
Few of the unemployed and part-time worksers are likely to buy this. Too expensive. It's odd, too, as far as I'm concerned. Tablets and smartphones? Yeah, sure. Glasses and watches? I guess there's a niche for this stuff. The people I see wearing Google Glasses just look like they're trying to be digital hipsters.
Finally, because I promised Doc lots of pictures of fluffy puppies...have a great weekend!
That's too bad. He's always been a fave. Looking over the twelve Connery movies in my collection, I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite, but I have a particular fondness for The Rock because he was pretty old by that time but still kicked butt.
Yep. When a Christian hits the button on his suicide vest and murders 37 innocent civilians, the last words out of his mouth are always "Thank God!"
Everybody knows that.
On the subject, although the author doesn't mention Sarah Palin by name, he continues her theme of "Let Allah sort them out": Syria is Allah's war, Mr. Obama
“When I meet a gay person, I have to distinguish between their being gay and being part of a lobby … If they accept the Lord and have good will, who am I to judge them? They shouldn’t be marginalized. The tendency (to be homosexual) is not the problem. They are our brothers.”
So it's nice to see him dumping all that silly, outdated 'morals' and 'ethics' stuff. And if 2,000 years of Catholicism gets washed down the drain in the process, well, there's no stopping progress.
On the entertainment scene, I thought the best news recently was the Repubs finally taking a stance on the televised debates issue. As you might remember, I covered all 279 televised debates last year, and one of the ever-current memes was the spin the liberal debate moderators had put on the previous night's event. So this was refreshing to read: Republicans look to change structure of campaign debates
During an hour-long deep dive into the growing use of food stamps in America, Fox News highlighted “the new face of food stamps.”
That new face is a pina colada-sipping, lobster-loving lothario named Jason Greenslate.
Fox News’ cameras joined Greenslate on one of his grocery shopping expeditions. With his Electronic Benefit Transfer card (EBT), the vehicle for food stamp benefits, Greenslate purchases sushi, lobster and coconut water.
Some of you economic majors out there might be able to pry apart the one, tiny little flaw in this otherwise great piece of right-wing propaganda.
Food stamps are $200/mo. After buying the expensive sushi, lobster and coconut water, he had just used up half of his monthly allotment in one day.
The implication of the article, of course, is that he does this every day, never quite explaining how one can live like a king by spending half his monthly allotment for one meal.
In other words, just like the rest of the MSM, Fox News thinks you're an idiot, and certainly the blogger who wrote the article fits that description to the letter.
These awards aren't handed out to just anybody, y'know.
Political News
Finally! After all that ugly stuff up above, it's always nice to hit the political section where good news always abounds.
And here's a fun recap of recent presidential pets:
I have two pets, by the way. Well, they're not exactly 'mine', but they visit me regularly. The male is Oscar and the female is Periwinkle.
Ah, modern green technology. Here, those clever Brits have built a 'green' building that not only houses tenants, but also replaces your electricity-hungry stove by providing its own hot plates for your cooking convenience!
Inlet Carved Across Fire Island by Sandy 
On September 11, Another Pilot Died in His Seat
Understandably, Bird Dog usually takes a while to get into gear the morning after a trip, so here are a few goodies to tide you over if he's a tad late.
Our fearless leader should be back from the exotic land of Italia today and should be back at the helm tomorrow.
seeks to 
Interesting News