The reason for the season

it's not what you think.....

so anyway, twenty years ago today, the Berlin Wall fell. Because of this:



h/t to Ace (actually DrewM.) for the linkage.

There was more to this, but it's gotten late early again.

more soon

The "Ragin" Gay Marriage debate

with a twist (it's old)

[Written on 22SEP09, and discovered in the "Drafts" folder this evening. I know, I know: blog it whilst it's fresh.]

so anyway, Ragin' Dave of Four Right Wing Wackos fame is having a debate with one of his readers over the whole "gay marriage" dealio. Dave is firmly on the side of science, whilst Mr.Sellers has taken the "cultural" approach. Guess who is winning? Do go read the whole thing.

As an aside, I agree with Ragin' Dave's position on the subject, but I Just.Don't.Care.Enough. about the issue to be passionate about it. That said, I have a view of the whole "gay marriage" issue that's a little different from Dave's and Mr.Sellers.

I've often wondered why the "civil union" option was considered just right out amongst the gay marriage proponents. It seems perfectly plausible to me.

Define "marriage". To most people, it conjures up visions of a couple, at the alter, swearing vows to each other before a preacher / priest / what-ever. In short, a union "blessed" by the church.

But let's look at what you have to do to get "married": first, you have to go to your local government and get a "Marriage License", an approval from the civil authorities to get hitched. Second (for most folks) you need to find a member of the clergy to perform (sanctify?) the marriage.

Let me offer a personal example: me and TheMissus™. We chose to be wed in a small private ceremony by a Justice of the Peace, as neither of us are church-going types (TheMissus™ is of the atheist vein; and as for me, I'm a recovering Southern Baptist and just don't go near the stuff). By the popular definition, we're not married, but have a civil union: endorsed by the State, but not "blessed" by the church.

So why is the "civil union" option so objectionable to the proponents of "gay marriage"? Hell if I know. Legally, TheMissus™ and I are just as "married" as if we were wed by Cardinal Glick in front of the Buddy Christ statue. Why this kind of "civil union" is not good enough for the "gay marriage" crowd, I'll never know.

more soon

This is good

start with Reagan, then bashes Pelosi: what's not to like?

so anyway, VL of WaxLips fame brings us the good stuff:



This vid will probably blow out the blogger template (again) but it's just that good.

In other news, I exercised the franchise today (I voted not just "No", but "Hell NO") on a county school millage proposal. And, in a further declaration of my inherent freedom, I managed to continue my tradition of consuming not one, but two Cheesy Double Beef Burritos from Taco Bell. I've never felt better.

but that's another story for another time.

The long, steep, slippery slope to Socialism

Constitutional relevance notwithstanding.....

so anyway, back to Susan's most excellent comment from a few days back:

".....the Constitution has been trampled on and ignored for a long, long, time.

Take a look at what House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) had the honesty to admit, when questioned by Judge Andrew Napolitano recently.

Napolitano's question: “Where in the Constitution is the federal government charged with maintaining people’s health?”

Clyburn’s answer: “There’s nothing in the Constitution that says the federal government has anything to do with most of the stuff we do.”

Did you get that? "WITH MOST OF THE STUFF WE DO". You think this is something new? You think Bush was doing something unprecedented? Ha! It wasn't new with Bush and it isn't new with Obama."

Spot on. This situation has been festering for roughly one hundred years. Smitty, of The Other McCain fame makes the point:

We've a century-long bout of Constitutional illiteracy from which we're awakening. The root of every evil before us can be traced to willfully ignoring the advice of our Founding Fathers. About the only thing the Progressives can note with validity is that we've been steering this course these many decades and administrations. They can claim precedent.

I do not propose that our Country is descending into Socialism because of the election of (MMM MMM MMM) Barack Hussein Obama (MMM MMM MMM). No, our newly minted President is just the latest and most virulent installment of the legacy of FDR / LBJ / Jimmy f'n Carter / William Jefferson (Blythe) Clinton. President Obama is only an accellerant to the process.

We fcuked up: we could have had a Fred Thompson / Sarah Palin ticket that would have stomped the opposition into a bloody puddle. But I digress.....

I do so hope that Smitty is right and that we, as a Nation, are awakening. Anecdotally, I see just the opposite happening: family and friends waiting on the next "government program" to make life just ... "swell" ... It sickens me

we'll have more words on this topic soon

"It's been a day that I'll be digesting for a while"

read the whole thing, even if you've "been there, done that"

so anyway, tonight, I had intended on posting on Susan's excellent comment from the other day, but this caught my eye and forced me to re-live some experiences from my past.

.....where there was a pretty horrific two-vehicle accident. One was an Escalade or other big GM SUV with a smashed front end. The other was a Nissan Altima smashed on the passenger door.

There was no one in the SUV, but several people standing around the Altima; I rode up and asked if everyone was OK. A bystander said "No."

So I parked, pulled off my gloves and helmet and went to the driver's door where a woman was crying but seemed OK. Her passenger was sitting still.

I went around to the passenger window, and cut away the side airbag. The passenger was still in his seat, his head to the side in a way that made me pause. I grabbed the back of his head and chin to hold his head steady, and he gasped twice, then was silent. The driver was tugging on his shoulder, calling his name and I pushed her away and told her to sit back and be still.

I held his head with my left hand and felt for a pulse in his throat with my right and got nothing. Wrist, nothing. hand on his chest, nothing.

I took a breath and told myself I was just anxious and tried again. Nothing. hand on his chest, no rise or fall. Eyes half open and rolled back, a line of spittle from the corner of his mouth. I checked my watch, opened my pocket and took out the gloves and CPR shield and opened them and put them on the car roof.

Read the whole thing. And ask "What would I do?" Phone it in? Or do something meaningful? Congratulations to Marc for doing what he could; despite the outcome, he made a difference in someone's life. Instead of reaching for his cell phone, he reached in and touched someone. Well played, Sir.

After all, it's all about adding value to the lives of others.

Myself, I've been in similar situations and I know what Marc is feeling right now. Have you ever done CPR, for real? Do you know what that first or second compression feels like as the cartilage breaks away? The ARC dummy is a far cry from what it's like in the real world.

What can you do? Get the training, CPR, First Responder, whatever. And Act! when called upon. Just.Do.It. Then act when you can.

h/t to The Sanity Inspector over at Protein Wisdom

more soon

Scooped! In my own backyard!

I should be so ashamed, but yet.....

so anyway, VL of Wax Lips fame has scooped a story right in my own backyard. Apparently, the mayor of Detroit (Rock City) wants to spend $3,600,000 of so-called "Stimulus Money" to execute an "emergency demolition" of the Michigan Central Station.

Sad, really. It's such a magnificent building. I've never been inside, but on my infrequent trips into the heart of Detroit (Rock City), I've often marvelled at the structure, and regretted it's decline. Check me if I'm wrong, but I believe that it was the Michigan Central Station where a corpse was found frozen in a pool of ice, earlier this year. It was all over the inter-tube web-net thingies at the time.....still checking, please hold.

On one hand, I should be ashamed of Wax Lips scooping a story out of my (extended) backyard. Then again, she's reading Treehugger.com so I don't have to. Win / Win, in my book.

Read the whole thing (and watch the YouTube clip, it'll break your heart to go from then to now)

more soon

A Republic....if you can keep it

we're approaching Epic Fail

so anyway, I tossed about some random thoughts whilst walking the Wonder Poodle™ this evening.

First, the Ben Franklin quote:

In 1787, shortly after the close of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, a woman interested in the proceedings approached Benjamin Franklin. "Well, doctor," she asked, "what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" The venerable champion of American liberty replied, "A republic, madame, if you can keep it."

If you can keep it....if....

Then, the Reagan quote:

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."

Both prior quotes play into something Ace said yesterday:

As a practical matter, the Constitution is no longer much of restraining force on the actions of the government, except for a few key areas beloved by liberals. "Constitutional law" is now really mostly about political power. If you have the power to do it, you can do it.

Unconstitutional laws in the advance of the socialistic welfare state never pass, for if they pass, none dare call them unconstitutional.

A less-ridiculous question would be "Should members of Congress at least take the question of a law's constitutionality seriously?" Should they at least pay lip service to the Constitution any more?

What a long, strange trip it's been.

Our Country, the one where you and I grew up, is fading fast and will soon be gone. We, you and I, will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.

more soon

Happy Diwali

I may be a few days late....

more soon

The "Balloon Boy" Fiasco

something's not right with this whole situation

so anyway, I first picked up on the "Balloon Boy" fiasco via DrewM's post over at Ace's place a little after 3:00 this afternoon. I was AFK for about 90 minutes and followed the story on the radio.

By the time I sat back down, the balloon had landed but the boy, Falcon Heene, was not on it. He was later discovered hiding in the attic above the Heene's garage, safe and sound. Which is A.Good.Thing., considering what the other outcomes might have been. Anyone who followed the story, especially those of us with children, spent several hours this afternoon playing out the really, really bad possibilities.

Ace opined this evening that it was a probably a publicity stunt, as the Heene boys have posted a music video on YouTube, and this was to garner attention to their "boy band".

Late this afternoon, I surfed around the various news sites and noticed a recurring theme: all of the "news" sites were quick to point out that the boy's family (the Heene family) had been on ABC's "Wife Swap" program and ABC was bringing the family back for upcoming episodes "by popular demand".

And the Heene family just "happened" to be in the news today. Curious.

Ace has a point: it probably was a publicity stunt. But not for the Heene brother's "boy band".

My take on this is that it's a publicity stunt foisted by ABC or the Heene family.

I mean, really: the Heene family just "happened" to be in the news today? What are the odds? Thinking back to my affliction for detective fiction ( Chandler, Hammett, Spillane, et al; they would all be so proud of their pupil) there are three questions that every gum-shoe has to ask: Motive? Means? Opportunity?

ABC has a program that their trying to revive? Motive. The Heene family is known for "odd behavior" (as are me and mine, but we will never, ever be on TV)? Means. A couple of weeks prior to broadcast date? Opportunity.

Or spin it this way: the Heene's compensation for appearing on ABC's program is tied to the show's ratings? Motive. The Heenes just happen to have a rather large helium balloon in their back-yard? Means (and/or Opportunity). Just a couple of weeks prior to broadcast date? Opportunity.

Anyhoo, I glad the kid is safe and sound. I can't wait to see the clips of him on Letterman's show. On second thought, I can wait.

more soon-ish

I demand a re-count

are you fcuking kidding me?

so anyway, WTF? President (MMM MMM MMM) Barack Hussein Obama (MMM MMM MMM) has won the Nobel Peace Prize?

For What? What has he done? TOTUS has some insight:

"....(he) won this award for his speeches. I mean, after nominating himself for the Nobel Prize for Peace two weeks after entering the office of the Presidency, let's face it, it isn't like he had anything to show for it."

VL of Wax Lips fame makes a good point:

OK. The Nobel Peace Prize Committee has now officially shed its last scintilla of remaining credibility.

Insolublog asks (again) "What the hell is wrong with everybody?"

Bruce McQuain is making book over at Q and O:

I wonder what the over-under is for the number of times he mentions himself in the acceptance speech?

I am, and will remain, completely gobsmacked.

Ace and the crew are all over this. Drew M. makes with the snark:

Fearless prediction...Obama will be named the MVP of the World Series and the Super Bowl. He will win an Oscar and be named Homecoming King and Queen at several high schools and colleges across the country.

I'll wager an inch-tall stack of quarters that his face will be on our currency within a year.

more soon

B.O.H.I.C.A., Part the Second

I thought we covered this?

so anyway, it looks like Harry Reid (D-NV) is going to foist a "Dirty Sanchez" on the American people:

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is weighing a plan to bring the final health care bill to the floor without a public option -- making it much easier to get the 60 votes needed to prevent a Republican filibuster -- and then adding the provision later as an amendment.

The public option amendment would be there waiting, but the 60-vote test would technically be on a bill without the government plan. Then moderate Democrats could drop out for the vote on the public option, which requires just 51 votes for passage.

h/t to Ace for the quotage.

It also looks like the Senate RINOs are on board with this, which leads Stacey McCain to opine:

"....As if, until today, Republican Senators were a formidable phalanx of conservative stalwarts standing on guard to defend our liberties against the unconstitutional schemes of the Left?

Are we talking about the same Republican wussies who endorsed Charlie Crist in Florida? The effeminate weaklings who supported John McCain for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination? So far as anyone can tell, there is not a single Republican in the Senate who possesses a sound brain, a straight spine and a functioning set of testicles.

Emphasis mine, of course.

So it looks like B.O.H.I.CA. will run it's course, thanks to Harry Reid (D-Outer Space) and the "asleep-at-the-switch" RINOs in the Senate. Wankers. Wankers, one and all.

"Senate GOP Senate Jellyfish Caucus", indeed.

more soon.

The Half-Century Mark

here's to another 50 years

so anyway, today is Robert Stacey McCain's 50th birthday. Even Chris Muir of "Day by Day" fame noticed.

All I ever got for my birthday is Che Guevara's execution for my fifth birthday, and for my 47th birthday this Friday, NASA is going to blow siht up on the Moon. How cool is that? Granted, it's not "Nuke The Moon" cool, but imagine sharing a birthday with John f'n Lennon. I take what I can get.

more soon

Rio

there is not a Duran Duran video embedded in this post

so anyway, it looks like the 2016 Summer Olympics will be held in Rio de Janeiro, despite the President investing his personal clout and the authority of his Office in an attempt to secure the Games for his "hometown" of Chicago. It has been interesting to watch both sides spin this in opposite directions.

I agree with Ace:

Frankly very few of us even realized Chicago was in the running for the 2016 Olympics (long time in the future, eh?) until a week and a half ago.

RTWT, it's a different angle on the whole mess.

The Olympics lost their "shine" with me when they started letting professional athletes compete. I don't like change, but you knew that already.

As for people making political hay out of this, I'm merely a spectator. That said, whilst walking the dog this evening, I did come up with this:

MMM MMM MMM
Barack Hussein Obama
He almost had the Olympic Grail
but ended up with Epic Fail
MMM MMM MMM

More soon

UPDATE: I finally watched the video that all the cool kids (see also: Blogroll) have been posting today:



Shamelessly lifted from Stop the ACLU

UPDATE, part The Second: S.Weasel has an opinion on the whole affair:

.....I assumed he had it in the bag before flying out to accept the honor (which was tacky enough, but just inside the bounds). To prostrate THE OFFICE OF MY COUNTRY’S PRESIDENT before the international gang of midget wrestlers that is the Olympic Committee, and to do it ON SPEC?! AND FAIL?!

Her pictures speak louder than words, as per her usual. Go ye therefore, and see for yourself.

The snark line of the day

I almost spilt my crystal goblet recycled plastic mayonnaise jar of Val-U-Rite vodka over this one.

so anyway, Ace has come up with the snark line of the day with this little gem:

In related news, Ted Kennedy has now been sober for a full two weeks.

Spot on, Sir.

thatisall

An interesting question

shoutin' out to "Anonymous" from Chula Vista

so anyway, I've moved this post to the comments of my previous post, where it should have been in the first place.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

more soon.

Credit where it's due

or, as the behavioral psychiatrists would say, "catch them doing something right"

so anyway, lately, I've been heaping some much-deserved bashing on my "so-called" U.S. Representative, Mark Schauer (D-MI-07). Today, it looks like he did the right and proper thing in voting to have all of ACORN's Federal Housing funds cut off. John Lott has the list of the House members who think under-age forced prostitution is just fine and dandy. Sure, Schauer could have been one of the hand-full who voted "Present", but for today (being Constitution Day, and all) I'm willing to cut Schauer some slack. Today, and today only.

For today, I feel like I am being "represented" in Washington. Thank you, Rep.Schauer.

The regular Schauer-bashing will resume in full force at sun-rise tomorrow, unless he surprises me and does the right thing some more times.

Curiously, I've been thumbing through my well-worn copy of The Constitution, and I can't find any mention of "Federal Housing funding" or anything remotely similar. Looks like I have some research to do.

More soon.

Finally, a Representative with some stones

not to be confused with my "so-called" Representative, Mark Schauer

so anyway, there's apparently a Congressman who hasn't surrendered his stones to Nancy Pelosi:



Representative Joe Wilson, R-SC is my hero for today. His official website is "off-line" at the moment ('though I can't imagine why...something about a "server overload" or some siht), but when it come's back up, drop by and tell him "thanks".

And here I was thinking that all congress-critters were spineless, snivelling wankers like Mark Schauer. My bad, I guess.

As far as the video goes, Nancy looks like she's about to pass a stone, and Slow Joe Biden looks like he's waiting for his pudding (with sprinkles).

more soon-ish

Subtle, but Blunt

Noel wields the velvet hammer

so anyway, I'm late to the "Van Jones goes Under the Hope-n-Change Bus" party, and I'm just starting to read the re-acts about the 'sphere. Noel over at Cold Fury sneak in some excellent snark in his post on Dear Leader's speech to TheChildren™. Subtle, yet spot on:

Just because Democrats have conspired to keep schoolkids trapped in union schools and now want to lecture their captives and just because Obama sends his own kids to private school in Washington while removing that choice from other DC kids and just because Obama won’t release his own school records which show how he got straight A’s in “America Sucks 101″ and just because he and cop-killer Bill Ayers spent years on “education reform” which largely consisted of funneling money to Communist front groups and just because “How can I help my Leader?” has the whiff of fascism about it because in America leaders are supposed to serve the people and not vice versa, that’s no reason to keep your kids from watching the President’s speech.

But his math skills are.

With unemployment at 10%, he spent $30 Billion dollars to create one Green Job–and now he’s fired the guy!

Embolding, mine. Do go read the whole thing.

Steve Irwin, Remembered

three years ago, today

so anyway, 04SEP is the third anniversary of Steve "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin's death. The link is to the Wiki entry on Irwin, which I found to be (surprisingly) even-handed.

For most of us, our first introduction to Steve Irwin was via this now-classic FedEx commercial:



I love that commercial. "Priceless" as all the kids say.

Equally priceless is this vid of Steve explaining his passion:



Rest in Peace, Steve.

Town Hall smack-down

I wish my "representative" had the stones to actually face his constituents

so anyway, over at Ace's place, Krakatoa has posted the must-see, feel-good video of the week:



I had planned on attending a town hall on the BOHICA debate, but my so-called "representative" Mark Schauer (D-MI-07) is very busy hiding under Nancy Pelosi's desk and can't be bothered with such things. As in, announcing his "conference call town hall" ex post facto, and then assuring everyone that it was a smashing success.

I have to congradulate Rep. Baird: at least he had the balls to actually face his constituents.

more soon

She's done it, again

I like it

so anyway, S.Weasel has outdone herself, once again.



Do go read S.Weasel's post for the full effect.

thatisall

Does this mean I'm exempt from taxes?

'cause I sure as Hell don't have any "representation"

so anyway, I've been checking the website of my so-called US "Representative" every couple of days for the past few weeks to see when he was going to have a "town hall" meeting on the BOHICA (Barack Obama's Health Insurance Coverage Act, for the uninitiated) debate. The way I figured it, as a victim of the Obama economy (as in, unemployed since May) I would go down to the demonstration to get my fair share of abuse.

I've been checking the official website of so-called "Representative" Mark Schauer (D-MI-07) regularly since the Congressional recess started, to see when he was holding his town hall meeting. Imagine my surprise when I checked his site yesterday and saw this headline:

Schauer to host telephone town hall tomorrow to discuss health care reform

8-12-2009

Color me stunned. I checked the browsing history on both computers here at Casa de Miguel, and I had indeed checked Schauer's schedule three times the week of 01-07 AUG 09, twice the week of 08-14 AUG 09, and on Sunday 16AUG and Tuesday 18AUG.

Wanker. Spineless, snivelling wanker.

I wonder what Mr.Schauer has considered for employment after the third Tuesday of January 2011, because he's not going to be a congressman after that date.

Hell, maybe I'll run for his seat. Can you run for congress using an assumed name?

thatisall. more soon

Beyond Viral

can we do this? Yes, We Can!

so anyway, by now I'm sure everyone has seen this:




This little gem has been making it's was through the blogosphere for almost a week now, it has indeed "gone viral" on the inter-tube web-net thingie. But we can do so much more.....

Nearly every right-of-center blog that I frequent has had this pic or some variation thereof posted, and that's great. We're getting the word out.....to those who pay attention to the blogosphere....and practically no one else.

We all know people in real life who are "plugged in" to the political and social upheaval going on in our Country, but who wouldn't think of reading blogs, evah! We need to take the viral action to the streets.

I propose a simple plan: let's take it to the streets. Get this image out there, where everyone can be exposed to it, not just the bloggers and their readers.

Here's how it works:

1. Download a copy of the poster. It shouldn't be too difficult to find one that suits you, you're welcome to lift it from Supply Side Politics (I shamelessly lifted it from Moxie, she has a link to Doc Weasel's excellent .pdf of the image.
   
2. Print it off, and go find a color copier (one that you can use discreetly) and make as many copies as you feel you need / can afford.
3. Put the picture up anywhere it will be seen by a lot of people.
4. Repeat as often as necessary

A couple of words of caution: do not post this on any traffic signs or utility poles, as doing so is illegal in most jurisdictions. Private property (other than your own) is right out as well.

If possible, use a DIY color copier to avoid having the clerk freak right out; although, it would be all kinds of big fun to walk into the Kinkos here in The People's Republic of AnnArbor (AKA Moscow on the Huron) and drop this on the counter and ask for one hundred copies on card stock. Good times.....but I digress.

We can do this.

More soon.

B.O.H.I.C.A.

just a thought....

so anyway, it occurred to me this evening that our old friend "BOHICA" can have yet another meaning. Yes, yes, I know, we've known and come to love the classic definition of the term "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again" but, as Spock would say, there are always possibilities.

Such as this: BOHICA - Barack Obama's Health Insurance Coverage Act. Different words, same result.

Fill in the blanks in the comments. More soon.

Sounds like a plan

I'm in

so anyway, via Mike of Cold Fury fame we find The Gunslinger's most excellent "We The People" Three Point Plan. A taste:

"We The People" is a non-partisan group of patriots who are extremely concerned by what is happening to our country before our very eyes.

We certainly blame Øbama and the Democrats. But we acknowledge that without the spineless, and often corrupt cooperation of the Career Republican Politicians, a lot of what has already gone wrong would not have happened.

Øbama may be the worst President in history, but he is standing on the shoulders of the avarice, ambition, greed, selfishness and corruption of many generations of grasping, out-of-touch, power-hungry, dirty-dealing, elitest, self-serving CAREER POLITICIANS of both parties. And what they have created, or allowed to be created under their noses has made possible Øbama's rushing freight train to perdition.

Read the whole thing.