Irony, it is what the cows coming home to roost are having for dinner.

Former NSA contractor Snowden’s disclosures have been “cataclysmic” for the eavesdropping agency, Richard Ledgett, who leads a task force responding to the leaks, said in a rare interview at NSA’s heavily guarded Fort Meade headquarters.

In the more than hour-long interview, Ledgett acknowledged the agency had done a poor job in its initial public response to revelations of vast NSA monitoring of phone and Internet data; pledged more transparency; and said he was deeply worried about highly classified documents not yet public that are among the 1.7 million Snowden is believed to have accessed.

He also stoutly defended the NSA’s mission of tracking terrorist plots and other threats, and said its recruiting of young codebreakers, linguists and computer geeks has not been affected by the Snowden affair – even as internal morale has been.

“Any time you trust people, there is always a chance that someone will betray you,” he said.

– source: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/exclusive-cataclysmic-snowden-affair-nsa-032218664.html

Wow. The irony there is so dense you can cut it with a knife. It is nutrient packed and as strong tasting as Vegemite. Good stuff, that irony.

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Outer Limits of the sleepy town of Police State

I am thinking it is already too late.  We are officially in the outer limits of the city of Police State.

So we have a list that is nothing new, except the last entry, but bears repeating often:

Attempts to ban or tightly regulate arms owned by citizens

(You can find your own links to this – thousands of them)

 DHS stockpiling ammo (1.6B rounds)

http://news.investors.com/politics-andrew-malcolm/020813-643707-obama-homeland-security-vast-ammunition-purchases.htm

 DHS buying automatic weapons (7000 full auto)

http://pjmedia.com/blog/misfire-joe-bidens-shotgun-vs-rifle-comments/?singlepage=true

http://www.infowars.com/dhs-buys-7000-full-auto-assault-rifles-calls-them-personal-defense-weapons

 DHS purchasing drones capable of tracking moving and stationary targets and determining armed/unarmed status, capable of painting a target with IR laser from 60,000 feet (read that in the unredacted RFQ)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57572207-38/dhs-built-domestic-surveillance-tech-into-predator-drones/

http://politechbot.com/docs/dhs.uav.drone.specification.030113.html )

DHS purchasing 2700 light-armored tanks

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/03/obama-dhs-purchases-2700-light-armored-tanks-to-go-with-their-1-6-billion-bullet-stockpile/

 Next come the lists of people, their weapons, their beliefs, their affiliations, their acquaintances, etc.

You think I’m joking?  The drones, tanks, and automatic weapons don’t cause you to be uneasy?  You’re a sheeple if they don’t.

Let’s see where those items get placed.

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Shooting like…

… a girl.  In one of the least proudest moments our president is shooting like a girl.

No, that’s an insult to girls.  Sorry girls.

He shoots like a beginner.

The President had stern warnings for anyone who would p-shop the image of him during one of his all-the-time gun-luvin’ outings.

“This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.”

I was shocked, SHOCKED when I saw the sacrilege against our Savior-in-Chief Obama over at Ace of Spades.  It was a travesty, I tell you.  See the travesty below?  He’s gonna try to shoot BUGS.  Bugs Bunny is an American icon… you can’t shoot Bugs.

The guy can’t even do a PR gun shoot properly.  He didn’t bother to learn where to place the butt of the gun, I highly doubt he got a clay target while at the horizontal, and his center of gravity is all wrong.  I’ve seen many many long-time shooters and this guy ain’t one of them.  So I’m kind of insulted when he claims to be a gun-lover.  No, really insulted.

See the original below.

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An interesting side note.  G00gle is handling Breitbart as if it were a malicious website.  Yeah, Breitbart is about as suspicious as they come.

Clever.  What next?  The NRA website?  Iowahawk?  Hookers and Booze?

Think what an honor it would be for G00gle to care enough to try to shut you down.

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There, did you see that just now? THAT is what I’ve been watching for…

There’s the power grab I’ve been watching for.

“I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won’t hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover.”  – North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue in her overt bid to overthrow your right to be represented – next comes taxation without that representation, in her eyes.

With honeyed words and an oily demeanor the usurper will sidle forth, eager to take control of your lives – just for the good of everyone, you understand.

No, Bev, what we ought to do, rather than your suggestion of suspending elections, is calmly and rationally tell Congress to grow the hell up and do their goddamned jobs like they swore to do.   – Dr. Lemur

Interesting ow her suggestion of a two year suspension just happens to cover the next election cycle, isn’t it?

****

Ok, the cut-n-paste section is a bit long here but there is a reason…  Pittsburgh inmates are getting 42″ plasma tv’s.

The money comes from the “Inmate Welfare Fund” – proceeds from the jail commissary used by the inmates.

Onorato administration officials who wouldn’t be interviewed on camera or allow the televisions to be photographed, argued in a statement that it’s not the public’s money.

“No taxpayer dollars or county funds are being used to purchase the televisions. The inmates are purchasing the televisions to replace old or broken sets. The decision to purchase the TVs was made by a committee that consists of jail personnel and inmate advocates.”

“The point of being in jail is not to mistreat people or make them feel worse and resentful,” Marion Damick, a committee member, said.

It’s not?

Yes it is.  I want prisoners to feel worse.  I want them to hate prison.  I want to chain them to… wait, no, I don’t want tha… wait, yes I do.  I want them to never want to go back, ever.

Where’d the idea come from that there should be anything enjoyable about being incarcerated on the public’s dime?  Sure they may have bought those TVs with “non-public” money but while they are getting free room and board they ought to be paying for every cent of it.  If that deal sounds like it sucks, stay the hell out of jail.

A very good friend of mine was in jail for a while, and yes, I can still say that.  He never wants to go back again and has become a completely different person.  I’d say jail being a suck-ass place to be was probably one of the best things to ever happen to him, as he’s a fine human being that I’m proud to call a friend.

****

Now… (said slowly) I’ll bet… that she looked up the color of the reporter’s skin before bitching about his racist transcription of Obama’s intentionally dropped G’s in his Congressional Black Caucus speech…  She did so purely out of curiosity, I’m sure.

****

The good news is that liberals are good for Mother Earth.  Yes, tiny little cannisters filled with life-saving albuterol and nasty evil CFC’s are still pure evil and must be stamped out.  If a few asthmatics are killed along the way, that’s a price we’re willing to pay, because Green is Always Better.

Give it time, and the government will want to tax the rich for $14,000 for every man, woman, and child to pay for $7,000 funerals and “give” those away, too.  Hell, why not?  We’re going to be doing something similar with health care soon.  Tax for more than the amount, pocket the difference – it’s the political way to pay for all the things that can’t be justified.

****

Zombie Reagan will not run.  It’s on Drudge.  Sorry Stoaty…

By the way, have I plugged for Stoaty lately?  No?  Go buy Stoaty’s Zombie Reagan shit at her Zazzle store, and check out her other cool stuff.  Buy extras.

For the hearing impaired, use this handy visual that she hand-crafted to navigate to her site.

Seriously, think about what I just said, stop clicking on that graphic, realize it was BS, and follow the hyperlink above, okay?

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It is as if Anton Chigurh Hit Me with an Airgun.

Update #2:  Not a fan of french politicians but this guy seems to have been determined guilty until proven innocent.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn feared that one of his political opponents would pay a woman more than $1million to say he raped her, it emerged today.  – Main Online

Yeah, ok.  I’ll tell you what improves your chances even more – don’t be known as a womanizer – or even better yet… don’t be one!  But if you have a history of being a horny perv it doesn’t help your case.  See below for my stance on unnamed accusers being able to make a claim that is nearly undefensible, especially if the sex was actually consensual beforehand.  It’s a lesson to all of us guys – be careful and try not to be a horndog.

But it does stretch my imagination that someone could be that prominent of a figure and be stupid enough to sexually assault a woman as she claims.  I don’t think he’s a stupid man.

****

Update:  I am intellectually erect.  The fourth fundamental type of passive electronic isn’t far off in the future.  Memristors, and the HP guys think they’ve got them licked.

Memristor cells can also be built using exceedingly small fabrication processes. Using a grid of nanowires whose crossing points form the memristors, Williams told The New York Times that HP Labs has working devices with three-nanometer memristors that switch on and off in about a nanosecond and could store 20GB in a square centimeter.

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Alert reader mrmacs left a link in a comment today.

“Friday on CNBC, Bill Clinton gave an interview that is causing some unrest on popular news sites today. When asked if there is a role for government in terms of ensuring that the information out there is accurate, he replied, ‘Well, I think it would be a legitimate thing to do. … If the government were involved, I think you’d have to do two things … I think number one, you’d have to be totally transparent about where the money came from. And number two, you would have to make it independent. … let’s say the US did it; it would have to be an independent federal agency that no president could countermand or anything else because people wouldn’t think you were just censoring the news and giving a different falsehood out. That is, it would be like, I don’t know, National Public Radio or BBC or something like that, except it would have to be really independent and they would not express opinions, and their mandate would be narrowly confined to identifying relevant factual errors. And also, they would also have to have citations so that they could be checked in case they made a mistake.’ His statements have elicited responses ranging from a Ministry of Truth a la 1984 to discussion of genuine concern about internet rumors and falsehoods.”  

– slashdot – http://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/05/16/182220/Bill-Clinton-Suggests-Internet-Fact-Agency

The most dangerous man in the world, except one, because at least Clinton was smart and savvy.  I loathe him but I gotta give him credit, he was able to lead worth a damn unlike the current Pied Piper we have in the White House.

Go back and look at this part again:

…because people wouldn’t think you were just censoring the news and giving a different falsehood out. That is, it would be like, I don’t know, National Public Radio or BBC or something like that…

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Yes, I know the lions share of reported rapes are just that.  But not all, and the mere accusation is enough to f*ck up some poor bastard’s life.  You can’t take the innocent until proven guilty fella and trash his life regardless of the outcome of the trial.  Whether he’s innocent or guilty he’s hosed.  The anonymous accuser thing is a bad idea folks.

****

Ok, you need some happy stories.

Non-profit Panera Called a Success.  A huge round of applause to FARK for having that link where I could see it.  In spite of all the good results I still have faith in human nature.  (Boy that sure pisses off Cruel Wife when I say that all caustic-ally and cynically like I do.)

Here’s a guy with the balls of a tiger.  Building your own levy around your own house rather than give in.

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Historically speaking…

Historically speaking, talk of this sort always leads to control of a population.  Total control.

Best we nip this in the bud right now.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says terrorists will continue to look for U.S. vulnerabilities, making tighter security standards necessary.

“[Terrorists] are going to continue to probe the system and try to find a way through,” Napolitano said in an interview that aired Monday night on “Charlie Rose.”

“I think the tighter we get on aviation, we have to also be thinking now about going on to mass transit or to trains or maritime. So, what do we need to be doing to strengthen our protections there?”

If this is the cost of my safety, I’ll take my chances with the terrorists.

Two conclusions can be drawn – one, she is a vile totalitarian or two, she is one of these people who is so convinced of her personal powerlessness that she should never be in a position to wield power, because she’s got no natural aptitude for leadership.

Either way, this is bad.  Very bad.

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Why the Shared Lies?

Why are the rest of us sane people allowing lies to stand?

I’ll give you an example or two.

Big Sis Says Patdowns to Become the Norm

Why have we allowed security to be tightened on every single person when we all know damn well that followers of Islam have a much higher percentage of folks willing to engage in terrorism?  Setting underwear on fire, explosives in body cavities, toner cartridge bombs, flying planes into buildings, car bombs, homicide bombers, beheadings, torture (and please don’t even try to equate waterboarding with burning, sledgehammers, and woodchippers, that’s another lie I won’t be a part of)

Illegal Immigrants Aliens

1. Why call them immigrants?  Immigrants come here legally.  Aliens do not.
2. Why do we not say “With the legal avenues to get a green card, why sneak in?”  The answer being that there are not enough green cards given out isn’t a valid excuse.  It IS WHAT IT IS.
3. Why have we allowed voting, licenses, rentals, medical, etc. for people who are breaking the law?
4. Why do we tolerate the statements “We’ve been here for years and been good citizens, kids in school, pay our bills” when the real question is “Why are you here illegally?”  I don’t much care about your life here because you’re here illegally.
5. Why do we allow people to make the argument that “These are jobs that wouldn’t get done”?  That’s bullsh*t.  That’s totally ignoring the fact that they’re still here illegally.

Know why we live in such a peaceful society?

Because our moral code generally doesn’t allow for violent lawlessness.  We don’t require bribes at every single level of our government as “that’s just the way we do things” such that it costs people twice as much just to go get groceries or travel in certain areas.  We don’t generally do whatever notion takes our fancy because our religion says we can.

Pick whatever exception to that you’d like, but it’s just another shared lie when people try to draw moral equivalence to genital mutilation, shootings/beheadings/dismemberments, honor killings, retribution, and generally we frown on targeting innocents, women, and children.

Don’t bother to tell me that we bomb families in Afghanistan – that happens because Taliban forces hide behind the skirts of women and little children like cowards.   I defy you to find me one country that puts as much emphasis on making sure there isn’t collateral damage.

Health care.

Tell me all the reasons why we should have universal health care, tell me sob story after story.

The lie is that we owe it to others.  NO we DON’T.  You can’t fix everyone’s problems like politicians (and a lot of people think).  If we could do that then we would have the resources to make this a perfect world and I assure you, we do not.  Not close, and it would never be equal – some would pay lots and others would pay nothing.

In the final analysis two questions must be answered:  (1) Is there anything at all in the Constitution that says one citizen must be taxed to pay for another citizen’s health care?  (there are many many things that could be substituted in for “health care”, and (2) Assume that the answer to #1 was “yes”, is there any way you can pay for it and Social Security – itself unconstitutional – and Medicare/Medicaid?

The third question is a bit harder, colder, but still a valid one.  What moral imperative do *I* have to care for *you*?   Seriously.   Walk into a restaurant and say “I don’t have a nice car and can’t hardly afford a bad one either, so I want you all to take $20 out of your wallets and put the money in the bag I have here.”  You wouldn’t get very far.  So why is it ok to tax people to pay for other people’s Cash for Clunkers, or First Time Buyer’s Credit, or TARP/bailout money… the list gets quite long.  If you go back to the restaurant example, how many people would say “I don’t know you, go screw yourself?”

They would be completely within their rights to do so.  But apparently not if the Federal Gov’t decides to make that transaction on your “behalf”.

Lie #4:  Progressive taxation is anything but unfair.

Where’d the idea come from that success should be penalized?  Who came up with the idea that rich=evil?  Ten percent across the board is almost never heard.  Think about why that is.  Pressures come from both top and bottom to stop that kind of thinking but it’s really the only one that makes a lick of sense.

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Wanna See Something Funky?

Update:  Why would the WH budget office have the authority to allow or deny NOAA publishing worst-case scenario estimates?

In documents released Wednesday, the national oil spill commission reveals that in late April or early May the White House budget office denied a request from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to make public the worst-case discharge from the blown-out well.

This was supposed to be such a transparent Administration, too

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By Executive Order (see below) Obama set up a commission to investigate the BP spill handling.

Wall Street Journal reported on it yesterday and it is drastically different than that, today.  Luckily a Lemur I know passed both copies to me (see PDF).  The Right hand column is yesterday’s article.  The left-hand column is today’s article.  I submit them for your comparison, not for dissemination of news.

Do you notice a difference?  Makes you wonder if the WSJ got a phone call.

WSJ Hops – Report On Obama Gulf Handling – 100610

Given that he had the power to pick-n-choose a Hope-n-Change supportive crew, I imagine Obama was truly pissed about this article….

Bolded text below is my emphasis…

Obama’s Executive Order

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

May 22, 2010

Executive Order– National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1.  Establishment.  There is established the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling (the “Commission”).

Sec. 2.  Membership.  (a)  The Commission shall be composed of not more than 7 members who shall be appointed by the President.  The members shall be drawn from among distinguished individuals, and may include those with experience in or representing the scientific, engineering, and environmental communities, the oil and gas industry, or any other area determined by the President to be of value to the Commission in carrying out its duties.

(b)  The President shall designate from among the Commission members two members to serve as Co Chairs.

Sec. 3.  Mission.  The Commission shall:

(a)  examine the relevant facts and circumstances concerning the root causes of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster;

(b)  develop options for guarding against, and mitigating the impact of, oil spills associated with offshore drilling, taking into consideration the environmental, public health, and economic effects of such options, including options involving:

(1)  improvements to Federal laws, regulations, and industry practices applicable to offshore drilling that would ensure effective oversight, monitoring, and response capabilities; protect public health and safety, occupational health and safety, and the environment and natural resources; and address affected communities; and

(2)  organizational or other reforms of Federal agencies or processes necessary to ensure such improvements are implemented and maintained.

(c)  submit a final public report to the President with its findings and options for consideration within 6 months of the date of the Commission’s first meeting.

Sec. 4.  Administration.  (a)  The Commission shall hold public hearings and shall request information including relevant documents from Federal, State, and local officials, nongovernmental organizations, private entities, scientific institutions, industry and workforce representatives, communities, and others affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, as necessary to carry out its mission.

(b)  The heads of executive departments and agencies, to the extent permitted by law and consistent with their ongoing activities in response to the oil spill, shall provide the Commission such information and cooperation as it may require for purposes of carrying out its mission.

(c)  In carrying out its mission, the Commission shall be informed by, and shall strive to avoid duplicating, the analyses and investigations undertaken by other governmental, nongovernmental, and independent entities.

(d)  The Commission shall ensure that it does not interfere with or disrupt any ongoing or anticipated civil or criminal investigation or law enforcement activities or any effort to recover response costs or damages arising out of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, fire, and oil spill.  The Commission shall consult with the Department of Justice concerning the Commission’s activities to avoid any risk of such interference or disruption.

(e)  The Commission shall have a staff, headed by an Executive Director.

(f)  The Commission shall terminate 60 days after submitting its final report.

Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  To the extent permitted by law, and subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary of Energy shall provide the Commission with such administrative services, funds, facilities, staff, and other support services as may be necessary to carry out its mission.

(b)  Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.) (the “Act”), may apply to the Commission, any functions of the President under that Act, except for those in section 6 of the Act, shall be performed by the Secretary of Energy in accordance with guidelines issued by the Administrator of General Services.

(c)  Members of the Commission shall serve without any additional compensation for their work on the Commission, but shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, to the extent permitted by law for persons serving intermittently in the Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707).

(d)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(1)  authority granted by law to a department, agency, or the head thereof; or

(2)  functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(e)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA

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Big Brother Wants to Feel Your Pain.

It sure feels to me like the police want warrant-less searches when they think they ought be allowed to paw through prescription records.  Looking for painkillers they say.

Sheriffs in North Carolina want access to state computer records identifying anyone with prescriptions for powerful painkillers and other controlled substances.

The state sheriff’s association pushed the idea Tuesday, saying the move would help them make drug arrests and curb a growing problem of prescription drug abuse. But patient advocates say opening up people’s medicine cabinets to law enforcement would deal a devastating blow to privacy rights.  http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/09/08/669723/lists-of-pain-pillpatients-sought.html

Those of you who know me know that my neck is… uhm… uh… kind of screwed up.  Yes, there are days when painkillers are needed and I thank God whenever that is an option, rather than having to just suffer through it.  When you are in enough pain to immobilize you, time does not pass, and every moment is an eternity.  We’re not talking about a headache or a sprained ankle here.  I’m lucky in that a lot of days it is at a tolerable level and I can get by.  No, I’m not “all better” and probably won’t ever be like I was, but I’m better off than I was before these latest procedures.

Yes, there are lots of people who fake it.  Yes, there are lots of sphincters who turn around and sell the stuff for an ugly obscene amount of coin.  But the problem is, there’s an awful lot of nice people who really are in pain.  I’ve been in the pain clinics getting procedures done on my neck and I have seen those people – and your heart bleeds for them.  They aren’t just older folks – young, middle-aged, old, men and women of all walks of life.  I listened for a half hour while the woman in the bed next to me sobbed, asking them to make it stop.  They could not just bump the person in the procedure room and told her they’d get her in there as soon as they possibly could.

My point is that doctors are already scared that police are going to be watching them through the DEA and if you add the process of following people based on their prescriptions they just aren’t as likely to treat people who have real need and should be treated.

This… this part though, makes me call bullsh*t.

Sheriffs made their pitch Tuesday to a legislative health care committee looking for ways to confront prescription drug abuse. Local sheriffs said that more people in their counties die of accidental overdoses than from homicides.

For years, sheriffs have been trying to convince legislators that the state’s prescription records should be open to them.

“We can better go after those who are abusing the system,” said Lee County Sheriff Tracy L. Carter.

If we’re concerned about accidental overdoses (save the people) then why would we in the next breath state that we can better go after those who are abusing the system?  In short order they go from saving victims to presuming guilt, which was the issue for the police all along.

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VAT – Baby Steps to Socialism

Update 3:

If they meant to bleep all the Mohammed remarks, they didn’t do it for the first five minutes…

Somewhere, some Islamist is sharpening his knives, ready to right a wrong so everyone can get back to being peaceful.

Comedy Central’s “South Park” included a representation of the Prophet Muhammad as a character this week despite a radical Muslim group’s warning that its producers could be killed.

Muhammad appeared on Wednesday night’s episode of the cartoon with his face obscured by a black box, since Muslims consider a physical representation of their prophet to be blasphemous. Last week, the character was briefly disguised in a bear costume. When that same costume was removed this week, Santa Claus appeared.

The bear costume had angered the New York-based group Revolution Muslim, which posted a message on its website saying that producers Trey Parker and Matt Stone had insulted their prophet.

The message included a gruesome picture of Theo Van Gogh, a Dutch filmmaker murdered by a Muslim extremist in 2004 after making a movie about a woman who rejected Muhammad’s teachings. The message said the “South Park” producers would “probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh” for airing the show.

The posting included Comedy Central’s New York address, as well as the address for Parker and Stone’s California production studio.

They keep saying things like “so-and-so insulted my prophet”.  Get over it already, you guys are getting really tiresome with your overinflated sense of importance to the rest of the world.  Join the 21st century with the rest of us.

Good for Matt Stone:

“I think Comedy Central totally ——- pussed out. Now, they weren’t any different than anyone else, so it’s not like you can single them out. But I think it would’ve been an important statement for one media outlet in America to stand up. That was one of my most disappointing moments as an American–the American press’s reaction to the Muhammad cartoons. It was completely wimpy. Cartoonists, people who do satire–we’re not in the army, we’re never going to be ——- drafted and this is our time to stand up and do the right thing. And to watch the New York Times, Comedy Central, everybody just go ‘No, we’re not going to do it because basically we’re afraid of getting bombed’ sucked. I was so disappointed.”

Note:  I censored those words in Stone’s commentary/interview for deliberate humorous effect.

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Update 2: Cool engineering hurdle aside, this thing is creepy enough to make me wince.  A humanoid robot mouth.

Soon it will be marketed in “Linda Lovelace” and “Mary Carey” models or you could purchase “choreography paks” to emulate your favorite star.

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Update:

Will never be my favorite graphic because frankly it’s kind of lame.  But I just wanted to do it and get it out of my mind.  Thanks to cbullitt for posting about eco-tards and their ability to perform high-visibility eco-epic-FAIL deeds of immense stupidity.  That came out clunky as hell, but you get the idea.

Fight the eco-tards – take back Earth Day.

http://patriotshop.us/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=480

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I have a solution to the there-isn’t-enough-high-quality-recycle-able-paper-to-make-toilet-paper-with problem…

Recycle the toilet paper!  Duh.  So THERE, Cheryl Crow… bet you didn’t think of THAT, didya?

Or just create more screaming trees.  (about 1 min and 30 sec into the video is some of the funniest tree-death skit material ever)

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Regarding the consideration that Obama is waffling on (not really, he is going to push for it) the idea of imposing a VAT:

“And before, you know, I start saying ‘this makes sense or that makes sense,’ I want to get a better picture of what our options are,” Obama said.

He said his first priority “is to figure out how can we reduce wasteful spending so that, you know, we have a baseline of the core services that we need and the government should provide. And then we decide how do we pay for that.”

Obama does this time and time again… play-waffling to deflect criticism until he’s got his feet under himself.

Seems that we have vast fundamental differences between what he thinks government should provide and what I think gov’t should provide.

[…] you know, we have a baseline of the core services that we need and the government should provide…

Government should provide a stable place for commerce, a military, and a body of limited government.  THAT IS IT.

And this guy is sworn to uphold the Constitution.

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The MimeSweeper Reincarnated.

cbullitt swore it needed more than one barrel so I’m willing to go halfway – two large-bore barrels in an over/under arrangement.  Yes, there’s one trigger.  Pull the trigger and both go off.  Half measures in Lemur’s mind are wasted measures.

I’ll add in the mime-endangering stuff later after the Sweeper is done.

*****

Obama Hits at Tea Partiers

President singles out conservative movement at DNC event, saying they should ‘thank him’ for cutting taxes

In the same vein that the guy who claims he’s doing you a big favor getting rid of your lead-based paints in your garage also dumps nuclear and bio waste out on the grass in your back yard.  Gee thanks ever so much.

Obama, you’re such a clueless (or uncaring) putz.  And at other times the guy just seems stupid – like at any moment he’s going to dial up a Rabbi and ask where he can get a good kosher ham sandwich.

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Oh Pish…

While we’re worrying about the health care thing, this has been going on for a long time but it makes it no less wrong:

One problem facing all the state proposals is that federal law generally trumps state law.

States are proposing things against the new Health Care Reform voted in, and you see statements like that.

Should there not be much more bristling at this sort of talk?  Yes, yes, I know it has been this way a long time, but the federal government was only supposed to have powers given to it explicitly, not have any powers it wants that were not explicitly taken away.

Such consequences are what Lincoln set in motion when he laid the idea of State’s sovereignty in the ground so many years ago.

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Let’s use California as an example of the griping, even though it is other states involved in the story… because there are states that are griping and are going to SUE THE US GOV’T OVER THE HEALTH CARE BILL.  Oh, won’t this be fun?

States that sued:  The states that sued are Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington, McCollum said in astatement on his office’s Web site.

This is significant because ONLY ONE REPUBLICAN VOTED FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM (a Louisiana turncoat from New Orleans – surprise, surprise).

Some states look like they were drug in – Louisiana, Florida, and Texas, for example.  Louisiana looks a teensy bit bad because they had the one Republican turncoat but had a Democrat vote against, too.

Note:  By “drug in” I mean that they’d rather not even had this issue at all and really would rather they didn’t have to sue to get their rights back.

Washington, Colorado, and Michigan – you look like crap, you guys – you can vote in people that won’t listen to you but when it comes time to pony up the bucks you sue against the Fed because it’s a crappy law.

Another state which I think would love to sue but won’t, at least until they find out how much they personally will have to spend would be California and their 34 Democrats to 19 Republican seats – not a one of those democrats voted against the bill..

Louisiana 6-1, Republicans.

Florida 15-9 (1 vacant), Republican.

Texas 20-12, Republicans.

Pennsylvania 11-1 (1 vacant), Republican.

Nebraska 3 Republicans.

Alabama 5-2, Republicans.

Idaho 1-1, tied.

Utah 2-1, Republicans.

South Carolina 4-2, Republicans.

South Dakota 1 Democrat (Stephanie Sandlin – who voted against the bill)

Virgina 6-5, Democrats.  (Two dems voted against so I don’t know what to think)

Michigan 8-7, Democrats. (Michigan has Stupak, which is humiliating)

Colorado 5-2, Democrats. (One dem against – bad show you jerks)

Washington 6-3, Democrat. (One dem against)

Well, I won’t say I have respect for a single one of the 39 Dems that voted against HRC.  I got burned by Stupak already.  For all I know, those 39 just didn’t get their palms properly greased like Stupak did.

Give California time – sticker shock just hasn’t set in – they’ll start bitching once people stop accepting their IOU’s.  By roughly 56%, Californians helped pass this sumbitch of a law by virtue of the idiots they voted into power.

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They think that Obama/Demo-Care will take away our freedoms.  Oh pish.  How could government-run health care possibly take a way our freedoms?

I didn’t have the heart to even post 15 and 16, which are so bone-chilling, so hair-raising, so terrifying – based on the effect that they will have on pharmaceuticals and device makers – that I can’t put it on a family blog.

Europe is just amazed how we can be happy with our current medical care system and slap each other on the back about how civilized their systems are.

Simple fact – more gets innovated and developed in the US through our way of doing things than anywhere else.  The world greatly benefits from our pharma system.  They had best hope this doesn’t put a crimp in that, or they’re going to have two choices:  (1) pay lots more for drugs, or (2) be more blatant about stealing the recipe and reverse-engineering/making knock-off drugs.

With thanks to By David Hogberg…

2. You are young and healthy and want to pay for insurance that reflects that status? Tough. You’ll have to pay for premiums that cover not only you, but also the guy who smokes three packs a day, drink a gallon of whiskey and eats chicken fat off the floor. That’s because insurance companies will no longer be able to underwrite on the basis of a person’s health status. (Section 2701).

Makes me want to do all three things myself….

5. You are an employer and you would like to offer coverage that doesn’t allow your employers’ slacker children to stay on the policy until age 26? Tough. (Section 2714).

TWENTY-SIX???

6. You must buy a policy that covers ambulatory patient services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment; prescription drugs; rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices; laboratory services; preventive and wellness services; chronic disease management; and pediatric services, including oral and vision care.  You’re a single guy without children? Tough, your policy must cover pediatric services. You’re a woman who can’t have children? Tough, your policy must cover maternity services. You’re a teetotaler? Tough, your policy must cover substance abuse treatment. (Add your own violation of personal freedom here.) (Section 1302).

And that is the ONLY way this could even hope to be set up without being so obvious to even the lowest cretin that it cannot work.  Someone has to pay a disproportionate amount if other’s aren’t going to pay their share.  Simple fact of life.

11. If you are a physician and you don’t want the government looking over your shoulder? Tough. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is authorized to use your claims data to issue you reports that measure the resources you use, provide information on the quality of care you provide, and compare the resources you use to those used by other physicians. Of course, this will all be just for informational purposes. It’s not like the government will ever use it to intervene in your practice and patients’ care. Of course not. (Section 3003 (i))

What’s he talking about?  Anyone ever tells you that the government will not use information it has if it decides the need exists, look at Japanese internment in WWII.  If that information is there, it WILL be used by someone who feels they have a right or need to it.

12. If you are a physician and you want to own your own hospital, you must be an owner and have a “Medicare provider agreement” by Feb. 1, 2010. (Dec. 31, 2010 in the reconciliation changes.) If you didn’t have those by then, you are out of luck. (Section 6001 (i) (1) (A)).

Like… is #12 permanent?

14. You are a health insurer and you want to raise premiums to meet costs? Well, if that increase is deemed “unreasonable” by the Secretary of Health and Human Services it will be subject to review and can be denied. (Section 1003)

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Con-Census?

Received my census form today.

Cruel Wife and I had a heated discussion about it.

My stance boils down to this:  Article 1, Sec. 2…

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons

Taxes and representation are the key words there.

The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years

Ok, got it.  Enumerate means to count and we do this every ten years.  We’re good.

Last part…

in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made… (blah blah blah)

Done.

The only sticky part might be the “as they shall by Law direct”, but the other part is pretty clear – they use this information to tax and to determine the number of representatives.

So where’s the argument?  It is this…

Question 1:  How many people were living or staying in this house, apt., or movile home on April 1, 2010?

Not bad.  Ok.  Four.

Question 2: Were there any additonal people staying here April 1, 2010 that you did not include in Question 1?

Huh?  First it asks me how many people and then it asks me how many people, as if I couldn’t answer #1 right the first time.

Q3:  What is this residence – home, apt., mobile home?  What does it matter?

Q4:  Telephone number.  I don’t want to talk to you.

Q5-9. Provide information about each person living here.  M or F?  Age and D.o.B? Hisp., Latino, or Spanish origin?   What race?  You don’t need to know but if you really must know, we’re all ****ing Martians, hundreds of years old, and we drink the blood of babies.

Q10.  Does this person sometimes live somewhere else?  You don’t need to know that either, in order to meet Article 1 Section 2.

It asks that for every person in the household.  My gov’t does not need to know this.

Cruel Wife says “I know a lot of people who use Census information to do genealogy research on their families.  And what harm is there?”

ONE – Our gov’t does NOT NEED TO KNOW who lives in my house, their names, ages, or race.  Do they somehow tax more if there’s more whites than latinos in my home?  Do we get two more representatives if there’s an extra black person living there?

TWO – It is NOT THEIR JOB to track our family trees.

THREE – The constitutional basis is the need to ENUMERATE.

I had to point out to Cruel Wife the link between Obama wanting tight conrol over the census (personal involvement), Obama’s ties with ACORN, ACORN was going to be involved in Census-taking.  ACORN was terribly suspect when it came to voter registration for the presidential election cycle in 2008.  Do you really trust a system that tries to get them to count people to determine taxes/representation?

For a nonpartisan organization such as the Census, ACORN’s political connections are also troubling. Last year, the Obama campaign paid ACORN $800,000 to register voters and do other work. ABC News’ Jake Tapper caught Obama campaign officials in numerous attempts to hide Mr. Obama’s past connections with ACORN. Mr. Obama also gave ACORN money when he served on the board of the Woods Fund in Chicago. For all the work that he has done for ACORN over the years, Investor’s Business Daily called Mr. Obama “ACORN’s Senator.“

Cruel Wife, bless her kind and trusting heart, can’t see how anyone would/could do something with that data to our detriment.  It’s her kind heart that balances out my cynical and deeply mistrusting heart.  But cataloging people is the first step to controlling them and influencing them in ways that would surely upset them if they realized.

Boil it down – all you need do is to put down the name of the head of the household (which they already had because you’re the head) and how many people live there.  That is it.

Note:  ACORN has long since died but the desire to manipulate the data and control the information about as many people as possible has not.  ACORN will rise again, however, under a different name.  Those people aren’t going to just go home – they feel a need to be involved, a need to control, and a need to be “needed”.

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