jonnyrancher

ACORN and the SEIU have deep roots in Southern Nevada; Rory Reid (the senator's son and gubernatorial candidate) heads the Clark County (Las Vegas) Commission (I'll bet the Dallas Cowboys are still registered to vote in Las Vegas); Harry Reid has won several elections by under a thousand votes.

Harry Reid will win in a squeaker.

Where To Begin?...

2010-04-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

There is too much to talk about.

Obamacare: Week 1...

2010-03-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704100604575146002445136066.html

Avatar = Pocahontas...

2010-02-28T16:01:00.000-08:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/26/avatar-and-pocahontas-get_n_478845.html

Oh, Marie, My Heart Is Broken...

2010-02-27T19:01:00.000-08:00

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/02/27/report-marie-osmonds-son-commits-suicide/?test=faces

Greater Than Thou...

2010-02-26T21:02:00.000-08:00

"Shockingly, half of all Americans have below-average IQs. They vote too...By no imaginable standard can a politician be considered a great "communicator," or even an adequate one, if he is unable to persuade voters of average-or-below intelligence to back his policies."

-James Taranto

ACORN To Change Its Name...

2010-02-22T19:40:00.000-08:00

http://biggovernment.com/mvadum/2010/02/22/acorn-crime-family-renames-new-york-chapter/
Just as I thought they would [here.] You'll note my suggestion came months before the James O'Keefe/Hannah Giles "prostitution" sting; months before the sh*t hit the fan.

Bill Clinton Is Faking It!...

2010-02-11T18:54:00.000-08:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_bill_clinton
I'll bet that snake-in-the-grass is faking the chest pains so he can be around the nurses.

Obama's State Of The Union In One Sentence...

2010-01-28T19:12:00.000-08:00

"We need to rise above fear, hesitation, and partisan politics--to give the government all the power it needs to solve all our problems."

-Alex Epstein

OK, three:

"He is ideologically overambitious, to an even greater extent than Clinton was in his first term. And he is as arrogant and inflexible as George W. Bush's harshest critics accused him of being."

-James Taranto

Obama Uses Teleprompter -- To Speak To 6th Grade Class...

2010-01-24T20:49:00.000-08:00

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/
You know, instead of Hollywood showering Barack Obama with love and money, perhaps they should teach him how to memorize a script.

Che Guevara Was A Murderous Thug...

2010-01-23T22:52:00.000-08:00

http://biggovernment.com/2010/01/23/che-guevaras-history-first-time-as-tragedy-second-time-as-greeting-cards/

Unworthy of our accolades or esteem.

What Obama Needs...

2010-01-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

What a difference a year makes. One year into his presidency, Barack Obama's poll numbers have cratered, he's toxic on the campaign trail, his agenda is stalled and likely dead in congress...The list of woes is lengthy -- and, according to the president, all George W. Bush's fault. (Victor Davis Hanson has more here. So does Mark Steyn.)

The president needs something big to turn things around. He needs an assassination attempt. Please note: I am in no way advocating same. I am just saying an attempt would turn his numbers around. Since he can't do any more television (the president has been "over-exposed" for months), it's one of the few remaining options for boosting his plunging popularity.

The attempt, preferably in late-September/early-October, would provide countless hours of breathless, and completely appropriate, sympathetic media during the crucial days prior to the 2010 elections.

And, in a Reagan-homage, he can joke to the doctors, "I hope you're all Marxists"

Good Riddance, Camelot...

2010-01-19T22:06:00.000-08:00

The whole thing was built on blood-money, anyway.

Scott Brown wins Massachusetts special election to replace the late Edward M. (Teddy) Kennedy. Mary Jo Kopechne was unavailable for comment.

First They Came For The Bankers...

2010-01-15T22:40:00.000-08:00

"As for the politicians, it's so much easier to blame bankers, deplore their bonuses, tax them, regulate them, accept their campaign contributions and then bail them out while you talk about "change" and "responsibility."

-Wall Street Journal

I Want My Acronyms Capitalized...

2010-01-13T22:11:00.000-08:00

I don't care what the styleguide at the NY Times says, I'm tired of seeing uncapitalized acronyms like"Nafta" and "Nasa." It should be "NAFTA" and "NASA." Each of the letters in question signify the first letter of a proper name and require capitalization. I submit, in denying these letters their rightful capitalization, they are being disenfranchised. They are being cheated out of their time-honored and thoroughly appropriate capital letter status.

How about this? "Capital Acronyms Now" or "CAN." We can rally in the street...

"CAPITAL ACRONYMS NOW-CAN-CAN
CAPITAL ACRONYMS NOW-CAN-CAN
CAPITAL ACRONYMS NOW-CAN-CAN"

"_____ Internet Security Is Currently Performing Background Tasks"...

2010-01-08T23:13:00.000-08:00

That's why I am paying you! Get off my screen!

How Tiger Can Redeem Himself...

2009-12-31T11:54:00.000-08:00

Islam: the last refuge of the scoundrel.

Extinction Is In The Natural Order Of Things...

2009-12-16T18:43:00.000-08:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704541004574599981936018834.html
You can't have life without death; and when the market speaks (yes, nature is a marketplace,) it's time for you to go.

Ben Bernanke: Person Of The Year?...

2009-12-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1946375_1947251,00.html
It's probably because Time magazine didn't want to put Barack Obama on the cover -- for the 44th time.*

*I don't actually know how many times Barack Obama has been on the cover of Time; nor am I going to look it up. That's my commitment to you, Dear Reader: research when I feel like it.

Everybody Talks About The Weather, But Nobody Does Anything About It...

2009-12-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

You know why Mark Twain's famous quip is funny? Because we CAN'T do anything about the weather. This notion that we humans, with the stroke of a pen, no less, can tinker with the climate is the height of both arrogance and stupidity.

An Objectivist Thanksgiving...

2009-12-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

"Ayn Rand described Thanksgiving as 'a typically American holiday' whose 'essential, secular meaning is a celebration of successful production. It is a producers' holiday. The lavish meal is a symbol of the fact that abundant consumption is the result and reward of production.' She was right."

-Debi Ghate

(I sure wish I'd seen this two weeks ago!)

Green = Red...

2009-12-08T22:02:00.000-08:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB40001424052748703558004574581673107794380.html

This Is Why Some Lawyers Make $1000+/Hour...

2009-11-22T07:46:00.000-08:00

You know those internet user agreements, with the "I Accept" or the little box you check indicating you agree to the terms and conditions? This is from one of them. Dig this little morsel:

"4. FEEDBACK
You hereby agree and acknowledge that any ideas, suggestions, and feedback that you may provide relating to the Licensed Software Product ("Feedback"), may be used by ____ and its licensors to improve and/or enhance functionality of the Licensed Software Product and/or any other ____ products and accordingly, you hereby grant ____ and its licensors, a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide right and license to use, reproduce, disclose, sub-license (without restrictions), distribute, modify, create derivative works of, and/or otherwise exploit any such feedback without any limitations whatsoever."

In other words, if you contact us with a great idea, we'll steal it, get rich off it -- and there ain't a damn thing you can do about it.

Your Car Does Not Have One Of These...

2009-11-21T20:06:00.000-08:00

" ...but since you will inevitably face a mechanic who knows you know nothing at all about your car, here’s a short list of parts that your car does not have. Hopefully, this will save you embarrassment, if not money.

Defibrillator
Maypole
Blinker Fluid Reservoir
Crisper
Carbuncle
Mine Sweeper
Ionic Transmographer
Semiautomatic transmission
Time Portal
Solar Interferometer
Martin Landau Roof
Starter Pistol
Cheese Filter
Irradiator
Electric Slide
Clown Vent
Serling Rod
Catatonic Converter
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Aorta
Jimmy Hat
Snooze Alarm
Iambic Pentameter
Proton Torpedo Valve
Picnic Gasket
Litter Box"

-Carl Kozlowski

"Your Stupid Minds! Stupid! Stupid!"*...

2009-11-20T23:03:00.000-08:00

"For the sake of political expediency [in the matter of trying alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York City federal court,] Obama and Holder are refusing even to make a pretense of respect for due process. If KSM & Co. are convicted and put to death, America's critics and enemies will point to Obama and Holder's assurances in arguing that the defendants were subjected to sham justice. Nice work restoring America's moral standing, Mr. President."

-James Taranto

*Anybody know what movie thats from?

Ferrell Tops "Over-Paid" Actor List...

2009-11-18T20:00:00.000-08:00

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ibd6a20f7ac9abaefc40fa034513ce3c0

Trying KSM In NYC Will Backfire On Holder, Obama...

2009-11-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

"With this one step, Mr. Holder is giving al Qaeda a ghastly incentive: to focus more of their attacks on American civilians on American home soil. "

-William McGurn

Prosecuting Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (it'll be "persecuting" by the time the circus, oops, trial starts) in federal court, as opposed to military tribunal is a huge mistake. Wait until terrorists take a couple of schools hostage, demanding the release of Khalid Sheik Mohammed. Security will be too heavy in New York City, so the terrorists will have to pick a school out of the way. Like in your neighborhood.

Read this, too:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704431804574539370097275800.html

See No Terror; Speak No Terror; Hear No Terror...

2009-11-14T11:52:00.000-08:00

In what appears to be slavish (suicidal?) devotion to politically correct multiculturalism, U.S. Army brass chose to ignore alleged Fort Hood gunman (OK, "gun-person") Major Nidal Hasan's ties to radical Islam. [ METAPHOR ALERT ] Rather than address the ticking time-bomb in their midst, the can was kicked down the road: Major Hasan was promoted and transferred to a new facility; and 14* people are now dead as a result.

And this differs from the Catholic church's shuffling of pedophile priests how? Would that this country were as outraged by the former as they were about the latter.

*OK, 13 people and an unborn child.

Blind Eyes = Dead Americans...

2009-11-14T08:37:00.000-08:00

http://townhall.com/columnists/CharlesKrauthammer/2009/11/13/medicalizing_mass_murder
Attorney General Eric Holder famously called America a "nation of cowards" in matters involving race. Since everyone ignored the warning signs of Major Nidal Hasan's commitment to radical Islam for fear of being labeled anti-Muslim, it appears we have a military of "cowards," as well.

Fort Hood Gunman Major Nidal Hasan (OK, "Alleged")...

2009-11-11T17:31:00.000-08:00

The trial will probably REALLY set him off. With everyone in the courtroom insisting he is the victim, Hasan will be screaming, "NO, I'M A TERRORIST! SERIOUSLY! I. WANT. TO. KILL. YOU!" Only to be patronized and coddled by the attorneys, etc. "Your honor, as you can see, Major Hasan is clearly in denial about the suffering he endured during the Bush administration's "War on Islam" -- Withdrawn! -- Your honor, it's only natural that the stress of a possible deployment to his holy land would cause his anxiety to reach such a fevered pitch. Throw in the psychic toll of possibly meeting his Muslim brothers on the field of battle and, your honor, what we have here is a soldier in need; Hasan's actions, while deplorable, were a cry for help." Meanwhile, Hasan is taken away in chains screaming, "I'M A TERRORIST, YOU MORONS! I AM NOT KIDDING!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE???!!!"

Maybe it's best he didn't deploy, Hasan couldn't even pull off a suicide mission. I am glad this prick survived. Paradise on hold, Major. Perhaps if Muslims treated their women differently they wouldn't have to die to get laid!*

*I am reasonably certain I heard that line somewhere. It's much too clever for me to think up. I Googled (tm) it and came up with nothing. Well, this blog came up, but beyond that, mere variations along the line of, "All I said was, I'm dying to get laid."

"The Road From Serfdom"...

2009-11-10T20:22:00.000-08:00

http://american.com/archive/2009/november/the-road-from-serfdom
"In spite of its monumental failure to bring social peace and material abundance, socialism is enjoying something of a renaissance. "

The Motive That Dare Not Speak...

2009-11-09T22:53:00.000-08:00

"Still, with a bit of stretching, adherents of Maj. Hasan-as-war-victim theme found a substitute of sorts—namely the fears allegedly provoked in him by his exposure, as an army psychologist, to the stories of men who had been deployed. The thesis then: Maj. Hasan's mental stress, provoked by the suffering of Americans who had been in combat, caused him to go out and butcher as many of these soldiers as he could. Let's try putting that one before a jury."

-Dorothy Rabinowitz

Pity The Poor James Dean Fan...

2009-11-08T20:32:00.000-08:00

They have just three films to obsess over. Elvis fans, by contrast, can spend a lifetime (and a fortune) culling the King's vast catalog of music and film. Even Marilyn Monroe fans have a wealth of material by comparison.

The Astrological Ties That Bind...

2009-11-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_8
Bram Stoker's famous vampire novel "Dracula" reportedly was inspired by Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, or as he was more commonly known, Vlad III the Impaler.

Bram Stoker and Vlad III the Impaler share a birthday: November 8.

I wonder if/when Stoker knew that.

Robbin' Robin...

2009-11-07T17:55:00.000-08:00

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005277/bio
"When Burt Ward was asked to give a speech at Harvard about his role on "Batman" (1966), he brought the original costume, said to be valued at half a million dollars. Some students came up to him dressed as security guards and told him they would keep the costume safe. Then in the middle of the speech, one student stood up and asked, "When is a costume not a costume? When it's stolen." The lights dimmed and the students grabbed the costume and made off. After snapping pictures with one another in the cape, they later called Ward and gave the costume back. The ringleader of the gang? Harvard Lampoon editor, Conan O'Brien."

Say "No" To Communism...

2009-11-07T01:25:00.000-08:00

"There is little public awareness of the large-scale atrocities, killings and human rights violations that occurred in communist states, especially compared with awareness of the Holocaust and Nazism (which led to far fewer deaths).
Political violence under communism had an idealistic origin and a cleansing, purifying objective. Those persecuted and killed were defined as politically and morally corrupt and a danger to a superior social system. The Marxist doctrine of class struggle provided ideological support for mass murder. People were persecuted not for what they did but for belonging to social categories that made them suspect."

-Paul Hollander

Labradoodle?...

2009-11-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

http://labradoodle-dogs.net/
What's next? Saint Berdoodle? Rotwoodle? Pit Boodle?

California, There They Go...

2009-11-01T08:14:00.000-08:00

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-voegli1-2009nov01,0,825554.story

"The Men Who Stare At Goats"...

2009-10-31T08:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234548/
This probably got the green-light in the bad, old George W. Bush days; back when it was cool to sneer at all things American. I don't know that this film "sneers at all things American," but given that the cast listing reads like the donor list of the Democratic National Committee, and given Hollywood's incessant braying about the evils of the "military-industrial complex" and their "Halliburton/Abu-Ghraib" view of the U.S. military, it's a safe bet this film is another hit-piece; and even if it isn't, Hollywood has done nothing to reverse the perception that they "sneer at all things American."

Increasingly, Americans view their military as their government's only capably functioning entity. The military often polls much higher in approval than either congress, government in general, or the media; and with tens of thousands of our troops currently stuck in Afghanistan waiting for instructions from His Ditherance, this film strikes a sour note at an inopportune time.

"The Men Who Stare At Goats" is sooo 2008; I expect it to be a domestic box-office flop.

D.O.A.?...

2009-10-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

I was watching an episode of Land and Order and in it the police officers came upon a dead body. One cop shouts over to the other, "He's D.O.A."

No, officer, he's "D.O.Y.A." Dead on your arrival.

"We Are Being Governed By Callous Children"...

2009-10-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703363704574503631430926354.html
Sometimes I think Barack Obama will be the last president of the United States of America.

"Pardon Me, But Your Sycophancy Is Showing"...

2009-10-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/gordon/143951
"What is it about Barack Obama that causes such cringe-inducing butt-kissing?"

Good question.

"Narcissistic Rage In The White House"...

2009-10-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/10/narcissistic_rage_in_the_white_1.html

"The Post-Gracious President"...

2009-10-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704335904574497780846099654.html
"Whenever he must make a difficult decision, Mr. Obama complains it's Bush's fault."

Soupy Sales (1926-2009)...

2009-10-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/editorials/soupy_sales_ZUMi9n4Vt4xyjOOetSFGPN
"On New Year's Day 1965, needing to fill a minute before the end of his live program, Sales improvised a bit in which he told his young viewers to reach into their sleeping parents' wallets and send him "those little green pieces of paper."

When an outraged parent complained, Channel 5 suspended him for a week. But his viewers had gotten the joke from the start -- and, far from hurting him, the incident only enhanced his reputation.

He'll be missed. RIP."

I wonder what his real name was? It doesn't say in the above article. I'm gonna look that up...

"What's More Selfish Than Your Personal Freedom?"...

2009-10-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

In a Law and Order: Criminal Intent episode, detective Goren (played by Vincent D'Onofrio) is egging on an altruistic suspect by calling him selfish. The suspect can either go through with his planned organ donation and go to jail or not give the organ and remain free. As the suspect is leaving the room Goren shouts, "What's more selfish than personal freedom?"

"What's more selfish than personal freedom?" None of your business, comrade!

Baseball Season Should Have Ended Weeks Ago...

2009-10-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

I understand why they are doing this: All parties want to milk the television revenue for as long as possible, but games are being snowed out and we're looking at a near-Halloween World Series. The other night it was 34 degrees in Yankee Stadium - Excuse me, "The New Yankee Stadium."

Besides, I just can't get into football until baseball is through...

Rush, Race, And The NFL...

2009-10-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

"Personally, I’m a little mystified why Rush [Limbaugh] would want to own part of a football team. Oversized, preening and pampered athletes set in strictly defined roles and running elaborately orchestrated “plays” designed by a full bureaucracy of coaches seems, frankly, I dunno…unAmerican. Quite unlike the other football, where there are no plays, few coaches and wide latitude for individual initiative and improvisation. (How did we get stuck with the collectivist top-down heavy sport?)"

-Mike Flynn

Great cartoon [here.] And Mark Steyn eviscerates [here.]

"The Unearned Touchdown"...

2009-10-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

Unearned Run:
Noun - a run scored as a result of a fielding error, not counted in figuring a pitcher's earned run average.

Football needs something like this. We'll call it the "Unearned Touchdown" or "UTD." Whereas the unearned run in baseball heaps scorn upon the defense, the UTD would be an offensive offense; the result of a botched play that, somehow, results in a touchdown. Like the quarterback recovering his own fumble and lateral passing to a receiver who laterals to a running back who then scores a touchdown. (Of course, after every UTD, a coach could always pull a Pee-Wee Herman.) The UTD would still be worth six points and you could still kick an extra-point or go for the two-point conversion, but the UTD would be viewed through the same lens that dismisses the unearned run: "Yeah, but, Boomer, these were Unearned Touchdowns. Each one sloppier than the last. If I'm Coach Reevenscheimer,..."

Football coaches, like their baseball counterparts, will take points any way they can get them; earned, unearned, who cares? A touchdown is a home-run is a touchdown. But we, the viewing public, need more ways to sneer at those who entertain us; more ways to tear down those we have built up. The UTD is right up our vindictive alley.

How Did "Getting Your Clock Cleaned"...

2009-10-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

Get to be "getting your clock cleaned?" As in, "getting your a** kicked?"

I'm gonna look that up...

The Lifestyles To Which They'd Become Accustomed...

2009-10-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

"New York [city,] one-thirty fifth the size of the U.S., employs fully one-seventh as many civilian employees as the federal government. "

-Wall Street Journal

Jesus Christ!

War Is Peace, Freedom Is Slavery, Ignorance Is Strength...

2009-10-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jhudnall/2009/10/14/the-new-counter-culture-liberty/

Intolerance is tolerance.

"Let’s Take Back Columbus Day"...

2009-10-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=24369&news_iv_ctrl=1021

Wind Farm Interferes With Doppler Radar...

2009-10-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

http://www.meteorologynews.com/2009/04/13/windmills-interference-causing-problems-for-doppler-radar-signals/
So, not only are these giant turbines chopping birds to bits, they are now interfering with "arguably one of the most critical tools at the disposal of the National Weather Service."

And this is how we plan on powering the future? Sun, wind, and rainbows?

Any energy conversation that does not include nuclear is unserious.

The Nobel Peace Prize And Life In A Cocoon...

2009-10-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

http://pajamasmedia.com/victordavishanson/nobelitics/
"Norway is, in other words, the Hollywood nation. Imagine it is as the son or daughter of a movie star, one who grew up in Malibu, and feels so terribly about it that he lectures the U.S. about everything from global warming to George Bush’s assorted sins—confident that he will never have to work at Ace Hardware, and never have to live near South Central LA. That’ sums up Norway...Effort and intention, not achievement, matter to these pious Europeans."

-Victor David Hanson

Former UN ambassador, John Bolton, thinks the Nobel Peace Prize will be an albatross around Obama's neck.

One Per Family...

2009-10-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

We see it on every coupon we redeem: One per family. Would that this were true in Washington and Hollywood. How many Baldwin brothers do we need? How many Al Gores and George W. Bushes must we suffer through?

Be it show-business or politics (but I repeat myself,) there should be but one representative per family. One bite of the proverbial (golden) apple.

"Make Mine Freedom"...

2009-10-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

http://nationaljuggernaut.blogspot.com/2009/09/this-cartoon-seemed-far-fetched-in-1948.html

Nobel "Appease" Prize?...

2009-10-10T16:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/017/056lfnpr.asp?pg=1
"Unilateral American concessions and offers of unconditional engagement have moved neither Iran nor Russia nor North Korea to accommodate us. Nor have the Arab states--or even the powerless Palestinian Authority--offered so much as a gesture of accommodation in response to heavy and gratuitous American pressure on Israel. Nor have even our European allies responded: They have anted up essentially nothing in response to our pleas for more assistance in Afghanistan...With all the bowing and scraping and apologizing and renouncing, we couldn't even sway the International Olympic Committee. Given the humiliation incurred there in pursuit of a trinket, it is no surprise how little our new international posture has yielded in the coin of real strategic goods.''

-Charles Krauthammer

Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize...

2009-10-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5981JK20091009?sp=true
Oh, to be a fly on Hillary's wall...

I thought he'd win the Oscar first.

7 Secrets Only 2 Living People Know...

2009-10-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.cracked.com/article/147_7-secrets-only-two-living-people-know-for-some-reason/

Chicago Olympic Bid Fails...

2009-10-03T15:30:00.000-07:00

http://pajamasmedia.com/victordavishanson/change-and-hope/
Whatever international goodwill President Barack Obama may have accrued has been squandered by his self-aggrandizing sense of entitlement. His star-studded, whirlwind personal appearance in support of Chicago's Olympic bid comes to naught: Chicago is rejected in first round balloting. Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 games.

The president is a lawyer; and, generally speaking, lawyers don't ask questions they don't already know the answer to. One would think lawyer/presidents would be especially shy about gambling with their prestige in an arena where the outcome is uncertain. That's something only a cowboy would do. How could he fly all the way to Copenhagen -- at what cost to taxpayers? -- without a guarantee? Arrogance. That's how. He's been reading his own press clippings.

Many believed the election of Barack Obama would boost world opinion of the United States. Instead, it's the return of "the ugly American." Only this time, "the ugly American" is king of the beautiful people.

Reverend Al Sharpton Hosts Wrestling's "WWE Raw"...

2009-09-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

Al Sharpton is to Christian ministry what professional wrestling is to the world of sport. Throw in Sharpton's history of hoaxes and you have a match made in heaven.

"Obama’s Atomic Bomb: The Ideological Clarity Of The Democratic Party"...

2009-09-26T22:44:00.000-07:00

http://www.theobjectivestandard.com/issues/2009-fall/obamas-atomic-bomb.asp

What About Obama's Speech At The U.N.?...

2009-09-26T22:07:00.000-07:00

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/arrogantly_foolish_un_speech_BTkCiZXcSg1dS35N7LuN6I

Canada Boycotts Ahmadinejad's U.N. Speech...

2009-09-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090923-710232.html
Three cheers for Canadian prime-minister Stephen Harper. Seriously.

"Earn BIG $$$ The NEA Way"...

2009-09-23T22:09:00.000-07:00

http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2009/09/earn-big-the-nea-way.html

Plastic "Cutlery?"...

2009-09-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

It should be called plastic doesn't-cutlery.

"Unmars"...

2009-09-06T22:24:00.000-07:00

-verb (used with object)
1. to unearth on Mars; dig up on Mars.

Example: "NASA surface-rovers unmarsed several boulders."

2. to uncover or bring to light by search, inquiry, etc. on Mars.

Example: "The detectives unmarsed new evidence."

See? Stereotypes Are Dangerous...

2009-09-04T23:44:00.000-07:00

"It was supposed to be a simple formula. Win over the health care industry shepherd, and the Republican will follow like sheep. But it didn't work.

What seems to have gone wrong can be described as a failure of the imagination: Obama's administration just never believed Republicans would stand up for their limited government principles if that meant opposing business interests. They were apparently assuming that Republicans and conservatives could be won over by winning over "business interests," as if free market and anti-government positions were just rhetorical cover for policy making at the behest of business. "

-John Carney
The Business Insider

"The Same Person Who Said You Had Class, Jimmy"*...

2009-08-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

(Do you know what movie that's from?) Read this about Ronald Reagan and Ted Kennedy [here] and contrast it with what we're seeing today.

*It's a Tom Hanks line in "That Thing You Do." A delightful film Hanks wrote, directed and starred in. It was the first time I saw Charlize Theron. [ SPOILER ALERT ] I looked at her the way she looked at the dentist: Mesmerized.

Quest To Measure Kilogram With Mathematical Certainty...

2009-08-26T21:16:00.000-07:00

http://www.canada.com/technology/Canada+joins+quest+define+kilogram+with+mathematical+certainty/1928827/story.html

This is one of my many problems with the metric system: They're not even done yet! Talk to me when you're finished measuring one of your basic units of measure! Till then, I'm using pounds....

Edward M. Kennedy 1932-2009...

2009-08-26T18:04:00.000-07:00

Teddy Kennedy. Teddy Kennedy. Teddy Kennedy. Teddy Kennedy.

Where do you start? How about here?

Sen. Arlen Specter Agonistes...

2009-08-21T23:08:00.000-07:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204884404574362710783725126.html
"One who is engaged in a struggle."

After opportunistically - stupidly? - switching parties, long-time Pennsylvania Democrat turned Republican turned Democrat senator Arlen Specter is in the fight for his political life. Even if he wins the tough primary fight he's in, he'll still have to face Republican Pat Toomey; a strong, viable, and well-financed opponent; and do it in a year that is shaping up to be horrible for Democrats.

It couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Pass the popcorn...

Is Obama Already A Lame Duck?...

2009-08-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/08/19/stiletto-obama-lame-duck/

Could Uber-Rich Be Killing Obamacare?...

2009-08-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

Think about it: When the world's billionaires and royalty (and TV stars and tyrants) get sick, where do they go for treatment? It's not Pyongyang. It's not Cairo. They come to the United States of America; where innovation and comfort live.

Perhaps it's the world's wealthy who are trying to sabotage the president's health-care, excuse me, health-insurance reform. Perhaps it is they who are poisoning the president's prospects (I couldn't resist!)

Whispering: But don't tell the president. He doesn't need any more reasons to hate rich people.

Sheiks, Eurocrats, and international pop-stars want no part of what passes for health-care in their countries; the super-rich and powerful fly to Boston, not London for care.

Brett Favre Is Now A Viking?...

2009-08-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not interested enough in this story to look anything up*, but his record in the Metrodome - or whatever the hell they're calling it these days - was horrid! Ask any gambler: Going against Favre on the carpet was money in the bank!

Why the Vikes would sign up for this is a mystery.

*I wish Favre would go away. He has emptied my reservoir of goodwill.

President Dinkins...

2009-08-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204683204574356241709682828.html
The above link is for something else; I just wanted to use the title before anyone else. I am in no way trying to compare President Obama with New York City's first African-American mayor, the one-termer, David Dinkins.

Who, it must be noted, paved the way for Rudy Giuliani.

"Deal Or Die"...

2009-08-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bigx/2009/08/12/fox-announces-new-reality-series-deal-or-die/#more-203266

"Health Care Reform" Is "Kelo," Writ Large...

2009-08-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

The message of the Supreme Court's infamous Kelo v. The City of New London decision, which allowed governments, through eminent domain, to take private property and transfer it to those who could provide higher tax revenue, seems to be, "What's good for government is good for you." Ergo: Shut up and do as you're told!

A similar philosophy guides the current "Health Care Reform."

Pelosi And Reid Will Be Replaced In A Year...

2009-08-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-naw-pelosi-hoyer-health11-2009aug11,0,4079175.story
As Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi denounces those protesting the proposed government take-over of the health care industry as "un-American," she continues to dig her own grave. Meanwhile, those conservative Democrats that Rahm Emanuel so carefully cultivated for the '06 House mid-terms, whose elections made the liberal leadership possible, are worried about their political future. With good reason: Being tied to the unpopular and erratic Pelosi, who continues to characterize regular Americans exercising their 1st Amendment rights as Nazis, etc., will be a tough sell in the Heartland. Look for Pelosi to be replaced by this time next year.

Meanwhile, prominent Leftists, like Markos Moulitsas, of Daily Kos fame, are screaming for Harry Reid's scalp. "Ram it through; you've got the votes!," "If not now, when?," cry the liberal-Left. Yet Reid is ham-strung by moderates in his own party (Republicans don't have the votes to stop anything.) Look for Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to replace the charismatically-challenged Reid by this time next year.

Deniro, Pacino: "Righteous Kill"...

2009-07-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034331/
You'd have to pay me - handsomely - to even watch it on cable. I'm sure it's boiler-plate action-shtick (say that 5 times fast;) with Deniro playing Deniro and Pacino playing Pacino.

Eat The "Rich"...

2009-07-16T06:58:00.000-07:00

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/07/15/shouldnt-the-surtax-be-called-the-doctor-tax/

"The Goode Family"...

2009-07-11T06:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1183569/
As much as it pains me to recommend something on ABC/Obama, "The Goode Family" deserves our support. "The Goode Family," you recall, is the Friday night (check local listings) animated series that takes aim at a family of environmental extremists. The show is funny, well-written, and is the bravest thing on network television. (I know. That's like being the tallest midget -- Can I say "midget?")

That a project like "The Goode Family" got the green-light, at all, is a minor miracle. With its savage needling of liberal sacred cows, it makes for some entertaining viewing; and if ever there was a group of people in need of some "savage needling," it's the environmental movement.

Support "The Goode Family."

Obama In Ghana...

2009-07-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fgw-obama-africa11-2009jul11,0,6654920.story
Ghana is one of the few success stories on the African continent; and Capitalism/rule-of-law are the reasons why. Now that we know where Obama's sympathies lie (Ahmadinejad; Castro; Chavez; Zelaya,) he's probably trying to talk them out of democracy.

"The Law Triumphs In Honduras"...

2009-06-29T21:01:00.000-07:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124633015879271647.html
Q: Why does Capitalism thrive in the West and fail elsewhere?

A: Clearly delineated property rights and the rule of law.*

The Honduran military is acting in accordance with their constitution. There is no "coup." The real coup would take place if President Mel Zelaya were to stay.

("Mel Zelaya?" Sounds like a restaurant: "Melzelaya.")

*Generous nod to Hernando de Soto

Cognitive Dissonance...

2009-06-28T22:31:00.001-07:00

http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jdboreing/2009/06/27/some-lessons-from-the-movies-i-was-born-a-poor-black-child/#more-167030

Farrah Fawcett (1947-2009)...

2009-06-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000396/
I should have posted this before the Michael Jackson obituary; since she died first. (Damn, I forgot Ed McMahon.)

I always liked Farrah -- I had her poster. (You know the one I'm talking about.)

Read this: "Farrah's Brainy Side"

Michael Jackson (1958-2009)...

2009-06-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-michael-jackson-dead26-2009jun26,0,2152435.story
Michael Jackson was a power-house. We won't see his like for quite some time.

Wow! A world without Michael Jackson...It's gonna be weird.

Lead, Mr. President...

2009-06-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124588821030550761.html

Where's PETA?...

2009-06-17T19:14:00.000-07:00

http://tv.yahoo.com/daytime