Bosworth Field Redux in Colorado

King Barry I as Richard III:
A teleprompter! a teleprompter! My kingdom for a teleprompter!
 

Lehrer as Catesby:
Withdraw, my lord; No teleprompter for thee.

When Pigs Fly

What I received from Virginia when I registered for an absentee ballot.  I'm a bit pissed that the Virginia election commission shares emails of folks who register, but I have a junk mail filter for trash like this:

 

Thank you for taking time to vote absentee.  Virginia voters like you will be responsible for the future direction of our country.  Turning Virginia blue this year means sending leaders to Washington who put what’s best for our families ahead of their own political agenda, and turning back the Republican effort to undo the progress we’ve made together over the past four years in health care, women’s rights, rebuilding the economy and ending the war.

This election is a choice between two visions for our country.  Democrats want to continue the policies that have served us so well: investing in education, infrastructure and support for the middle class to grow our economy while reducing our debt responsibly.  Republicans offer a different vision, but one we’ve seen before: cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans and asking the middle class and the needy to foot the bill through cuts to Medicare, Social Security, education and other priorities that create jobs and opportunity.

Listed below are our Democratic candidates running to make life better for Virginia families.  Before you mark your absentee ballot, please refer to the candidate web sites to read about them.

I urge you to join me in supporting these outstanding Democrats.  For your vote to count, be sure that your absentee ballot reaches the Electoral Board by 7 P.M., Tuesday, November 6.

 As I said . . . when pigs fly.
 

Biden advises . . .

. . . against the raid on Bin Laden.

In advising the president against the SEAL raid that killed Bin Laden, Joe said it wasn't worth the risk. Quoth Joe:

“He knew what was at stake, not just the lives of those brave warriors, but literally the presidency.”

A SEAL's life, sending Bin Laden to hell and the president keeping his job.  In the cosmic scheme of things, which of those doesn't belong?  Advice like Joe's is exactly why Bin Laden was around to execute 9/11.

Naples Italy . . .

. . . 00:00 a.m. 01 JAN 2012

Buon Anno!

U. S. 5th Fleet to Iran . . .

. . . Blocking the Straight may not be in your best interests.

Capiscono?

Donald Trump . . .

. . . Ross Perot redux?

Sayeth The Donald:

“Around the middle of May I’ll be able to do whatever I want and I could run as an independent,” Trump said in a web video he record. “If the Republicans pick the wrong person I would, in fact, seriously consider running.”

If Trump runs, he will split the independent and conservative votes and guarantee Obama's re-election.  It's dead certain that Trump won't gain a significant number of Obama voters.

I believe in on person,  one vote - not one person deciding the outcome, and that's exactly what a third party candidate always does.  Perot single-handedly elected Clinton. Trump can do the same for Obama.



Trump and Perot have more ego than common sense.

Green . . .

. . . at ANY cost?

The U.S. Navy was just directed to buy 450,000 gallons of biofuel instead of standard JP-5.  The bio fuel is made from waste cooking oil and algae.

We're all for green, right?

Yes, to an extent. 

But then there's this:

1.  The bio fuel costs $16.00 per gallon, 4 times the cost of standard jet fuel.  This little purchase will cost 7$7.2 million instead of $1.8 million.

2.  Solazyme, the company that is supplying the biofuel uses a refinery that was subsidized with U.S. "stimulus" funds - to the tune of $22 million.

3.  The "strategic advisor" to Solazyme, T. J. Glauthier was on Barry O's transition team.

4.  Glauthier also worked on the energy-sector portion of the 2009 stimulus bill.

5.  There are plans in place to spend $510 million on this fuel over the next three years.  Simple math tells me that is a waste of $382 million.

I understand that we need to transition from fossil fuels.  However, with the world economy in the tank and the U.S. facing an unsustainable debt load, can we afford to pay four times the price for anything? 

I also understand that development of alternatives requires support - but not EVERYTHING needs to be backed up by Uncle Sam. 

Let me put it another way.  Are YOU willing to start spending $16.00 per gallon for gasoline so that this industry can grow?

Will Ferrell . . .

. . . belongs in this group?

Really?

Winner of the Mark Twain Prize for comedy?

Really?

1998 – Richard Pryor
1999 – Jonathan Winters
2000 – Carl Reiner
2001 – Whoopi Goldberg
2002 – Bob Newhart
2003 – Lily Tomlin
2004 – Lorne Michaels
2005 – Steve Martin
2006 – Neil Simon
2007 – Billy Crystal
2008 – George Carlin
2009 – Bill Cosby
2010 – Tina Fey

Random quote . . .

. . . with more than a little truth.

Blogging isn't writing.  It's graffiti with punctuation.

When the debate is lost . . .

. . . slander becomes the tool of the loser.

The theory that Republicans - especially white Republicans - oppose Obama only because of his race, and support Cain to prove they are not racists is simply reprehensible.  I expect lickspittles like Bashir and Olbermann to don their cheerleading panties, but I was surprised at Gregory.

One of the things about Herman Cain is, I think that he makes that white Republican base of the party feel okay, feel like they are not racist because they can like this guy.  – Karen Finney, MSNBC Analyst to Martin Bashir, MSNBC host.

White voters support Cain to show they aren't racist. “I think when [members of the Tea Party] can vote for a Herman Cain and hear him say the things that he says they feel like, ‘Well, you know, I can, I support this guy and...so it shows that I’m not racist and I’m supportive.  – Rep. Elijah Cummings, (D) Maryland to "Meet the Press" host David Gregory.

Cain is popular with Republicans because it "hides the racist element" of the party. – Janeane Garafalo, out of work actress to Keith Olbermann, fired MSNBC host.

On the 99 Percenters:

The 53% Guy presented a rather tough message to the "Take Wall Street" crowd, and a "Confessed Liberal" answered him on "The Daily Kos."  While Confessed is an accomlished debater, and presents some interesting arguments, the end game of his philosophy troubles me.

(In sotto voce:  While I would rather remove my appendix with a dull spoon than provide a link to the Daily Kos, I had no alternative in this case.)

In his argument, Confessed says this:

I want everybody to have healthcare.  I want lazy people to have healthcare.  I want stupid people to have healthcare.  I want drug addicts to have healthcare.  I want bums who refuse to work even when given the opportunity to have healthcare.  I’m willing to pay for that with my taxes, because I want to live in a society where it doesn’t matter how much of a loser you are, if you need medical care you can get it.

On the surface, I agree with a part of this argument.  However, I disagree in the strongest terms to the slippery slope leading to the endgame - pure Marxism.

Perhaps “Confessed” would prefer this: Every employer transfers all employee salary to the Federal government. The ENTIRE payroll. 100%. Then we trust the government to dole it out according to who “deserves” it. Drug addicts, criminals, the “lazy bums” he describes. Everyone.

That sounds extreme, but it is simply a logical extension of the model he embraces. The test of “Confessed's"  philosophy is whether  or not he would agree to that model – especially with his salary.

How about it, "Confessed?"  Are you willing to ante up in toto?  Are you willing to go all in? 

I doubt it.

For Brennig . . .

http://www.wimp.com/sublimefighter/

Yeah, I know they're French, not British, but it's a mind calming couple of minutes.

Ethics . . .

. . . and morals

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Those who make statements like this one in order to feed the news outlets have neither.  Unless there is a legitimate legal or moral principle involved, these people are nothing more traitors to their employer.

The true translation of that statement is: "If my boss heard about this, I would be fired."

Atten . . . HUT!

. . . Hand . . . SALUTE!

Our television watching here is limited to the Armed Forces Network. Since nothing much was on, I watched the changing of command for the Commander, Joint Chiefs of Staff. As you might expect, the ceremony for the highest ranking member of the United States Armed Forces is pretty spectacular. However, when all of the flags passed in review, all of the military on the reviewing stand rendered a proper salute. The civilians did also by holding their hands over their hearts. All but one, that is. Guess who. (Hint: he's from Chicago)

--------------------------------

Yeah, I know.  I'm on a single track lately, but with 2012 coming up, I have simply had enough of this empty suit and his minions. 

Up. To. Here.

On an AFN "commercial" Lt. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe, reflected on the fact that his father flew a B-27 during the 2nd World War. 

Nevermind that there never was a B-27.  We had the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell, B-26 Martin Marauder and B-29 Superfortress.

Forgotten lines or sloppy script writer?

From Fox News:

A group of corporate and labor leaders advising President Obama is calling for sweeping and urgent changes in government policies, from liberalized immigration and less restrictive regulations to a more business friendly tax system and greater spending on infrastructure.

Of course, the goal of this is to provide some type of stimulus to our faltering economy.

Less restrictive regulations?  Definitely, but diametrically opposed to Barry's desire for government to control all.  After all, the government is vastly smarter than we are - at least in Barry's world.

More business friendly tax system?  Of course, but contrary to Barry's general philosophy of soak the rich, soak those bad corporations, and bring down Wall Street.

Greater spending on infrastructure?  Sure.  We need it, but can we afford it?

But how does liberalized immigration help mitigate the problem of one million unemployed construction workers?

In Brad Thor's new book, "Full Black," he repeats an observation of undetermined parentage: "A democracy can exist only until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury."

Sadly, we seem to be travellers on that path.

News . . .

. . . flash

Al-Qaeda joins those questioning legality of U.S. killing of citizen Anwar al-Awlaki


Question away.  In the meantime, keep looking up.

Governor Moonbeam . . .

. . . strikes again.

California Governor Jerry Brown on Saturday signed a bill giving illegal immigrant college students access to state-funded financial aid, the second half of two-part legislation known as the "Dream Act."

The oft-used "we're a nation of immigrants" argument is irrelevant here.

 Yes, we're a nation of immigrants.  I am not a Native American.  However, my ancestors - all of them, as I can best determine - entered this country legally.

The word "illegal" has a meaning.  It means we should be compassionate.  It does NOT mean that we should offer up the keys to the homestead to everyone who sneaks in the back door.

And we wonder why we're going broke?

Another one . . .

. . . bites the dust.

Anwar al-Awlaki was (apparently) reduced to pig food this morning.

Of course, he's been "killed" before, according to the Yemeni news.

I suspect that this time it's real.

Poke the bear at your own risk.

There are surveys . . .

. . . then, there are things like this:

Interesting way to form a question, don't you think?

YOU NEED NOT HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN OR EXPERIENCED THE ACTIONS. During your last 30 workdays at your duty location what do you estimate the chance that the action below COULD have happened?