The Old Secular Cross? High Court to Consider Issue of Church-State Separation
MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE, Calif. -- It would be easy to miss among the yucca and Joshua trees of this vast place -- a small plywood box, set back from a gentle curve in a lonesome desert road. It looks like nothing so much as a miniature billboard without a message.
But inside the box is a 6 1/2 -foot white cross, built to honor the war dead of World War I. And because its perch on a prominent outcropping of rock is on federal land, it has been judged to be an unconstitutional display of government favoritism of one religion over another.
But wait... what's this?
That looks like on of our esteemed congressman from North Carolina (Walter Jones) visiting a FEDERAL cemetary, where many of our military heroes of the past and present are buried. This isn't an attack on Jones, for the record. I just noticed the image on his federal government website. Which raises another question:
WHAT THE HELL IS THAT CROSS DOING THERE? QUICK! SOMEONE GET THE ACLU ON THE PHONE!!!!! MY RIGHTS ARE BEING TRAMPLED!!!!!!!!
We gotta stop the scourge of religious oppression that is occuring at Arlington National Cemetary, for if we don't, we will all be subject to a restrictive THEOCRACY! OH NOOOOOOOOOEEESSSS!!!!!!
Ahem. Anyway. Good morning, everyone. I hate hippies. That is all.
And, just as an aside for new people who may not know, or current people who may need a reminder:
ReplyDeleteOur Policies and Rules.
Good morning, all!
My timing as usual stinks.
ReplyDeleteInfo on Valerie Jerrett, Obama's Olympic's Czar downstairs.....
Well, at least it's not the Star of David. That would mean we are under okupashun.
ReplyDeleteMorning Running Bare. I read this story a few weeks ago. Apparently when the cross was first erected it wasn't on federal property. The area where it is now was annexed rather recently (2000 I believe). The ACLU should be beat down for the amount of cases they take for no reason except to trample on peoples rights.
ReplyDeleteFeel free to repost any Valarie Jarrett stuff here too, JCM. :)
ReplyDeleteFor more background on this woman, see our old post here.
Morning Running Bare. I read this story a few weeks ago. Apparently when the cross was first erected it wasn't on federal property. The area where it is now was annexed rather recently (2000 I believe). The ACLU should be beat down for the amount of cases they take for no reason except to trample on peoples rights.
ReplyDeleteThey occasionally do useful things, but this obsession they seem to have with Christians is downright scary.
I bet if that was a Cresent Moon, we wouldn't even be hearing about it.
Oh please. The Won is on the television again. I changed to a local channel only to see WAB getting off a plane in Denmark.
ReplyDeleteNowhere to Run. Nowhere to Hide.
CC - I tried to post this in the previous thread but it closed.
ReplyDeleteThe graphic on the previous thread is a very good one (as usual). It sents the tone for the forum.
Oh please. The Won is on the television again. I changed to a local channel only to see WAB getting off a plane in Denmark.
ReplyDeleteNowhere to Run. Nowhere to Hide.
Easy to hide. Turn off the TV.
Oh please. The Won is on the television again
ReplyDeleteI can't wait until Fox News starts having "BREAKING NEWS!!!" teasers, saying "PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT SEEN ON TELEVISION FOR SECOND STRAIGHT HOUR. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?"
CC - it sets the tone. PIMF
ReplyDeleteI'm offended by people who find religious symbols offensive. That is all.
ReplyDeleteThe graphic on the previous thread is a very good one (as usual). It sents the tone for the forum.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure CC will be very pleased to hear that. She's incredibly talented. Withut her, this place would look like shit, and be nowhere near as cool.
AtillaTheHoney said...
ReplyDeleteOh please. The Won is on the television again. I changed to a local channel only to see WAB getting off a plane in Denmark.
Nowhere to Run. Nowhere to Hide.
Ohhhh, I hope he gives a speech....his voice is so soothing and wonderful! I could listen to him all day!
/sips more KoolAid
Hurray for the nanny state!
ReplyDeleteState to mom: Stop baby-sitting neighbors' kids
IRVING TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Each day before the school bus comes to pick up the neighborhood's children, Lisa Snyder did a favor for three of her fellow moms, welcoming their children into her home for about an hour before they left for school.
Regulators who oversee child care, however, don't see it as charity. Days after the start of the new school year, Snyder received a letter from the Michigan Department of Human Services warning her that if she continued, she'd be violating a law aimed at the operators of unlicensed day care centers.
robomonkey,
ReplyDeleteThe telescreen is also on, always watching....
///
Running Bare said...
ReplyDeleteI'm sure CC will be very pleased to hear that. She's incredibly talented. Withut her, this place would look like shit, and be nowhere near as cool.
The first graphic I noticed when I first came here was The glass of beer in The Liberty Pub thread. It is welcoming and you have no doubt where you are.
I can't wait until Fox News starts having "BREAKING NEWS!!!" teasers, saying "PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT SEEN ON TELEVISION FOR SECOND STRAIGHT HOUR. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?"
ReplyDelete"Captain Hammer unavailable for comment for the first time ever."
If I may be so bold, but is there another name that CC went by in a former life?
ReplyDeleterobo
ReplyDeleteEasy to hide. Turn off the TV.
C Span. We were waiting for a particular hearing to start
The first graphic I noticed when I first came here was The glass of beer in The Liberty Pub thread. It is welcoming and you have no doubt where you are.
ReplyDeleteShe's got an eye for that sort of thing. These graphics are following us to the new site when it's finished.
I'm glad people are enjoying her work.
Bar Wench provided me with several refills of that graphic last night.
ReplyDelete:-)
If I may be so bold, but is there another name that CC went by in a former life?
ReplyDeleteActually, that's her real name. Her parents were weird, I guess. Her brother's name is Sons of Liberty.
This place is awesome. So, here's a big woof woof from Desert Dog...two paws up, multiple tail wags and a big hooooooowwll too
ReplyDeleteredstateredneck said...
ReplyDeleteBar Wench provided me with several refills of that graphic last night.
:-)
The onion rings were delicious. Sorry that I didn't share them with you. They would have gone well with your libations.
"President Obama's speech to the United Nations has been called naive and even 'post-American.' It was something else, as well: the most extravagant excursion into self-worship we have yet seen in an American leader. Beware of politicians who claim to be 'humbled by the responsibility the American people have placed upon me.' It's a neon sign flashing the opposite. And sure enough, in almost the next sentence, the president allowed that 'I am well aware of the expectations that accompany my presidency around the world.' Really? The whole world pulses with hope and expectation because Obama is president? People in Amsterdam, Sao Paulo and Taipei have a spring in their step because an Illinois Democrat won the White House?" --columnist Mona Charen
ReplyDeleteYessss, He is the One we have been waiting for.
Transcript Arne Duncan Sec. Ed.
ReplyDeleteARNE DUNCAN: I think our schools -- let me walk through this, because
this is a really, really important point. Let me start with the day first.
I think our school should be open 12, 13, 14 hours a day. So it’s not just
lengthening...
Yes. And let me tell you, not just lengthening
obviously the school day, but a wide variety of after-school activities --
drama, art, sports, chess, debate, academic enrichment, programs for
parents, GED, EFL, family literacy nights, pot luck dinners. We attached
health clinics to about two dozen of our schools.
Where schools truly become the centers of the community, great things
happen. So I think we need schools open much longer hours. And by the
way, we don’t have to do this all ourselves as educators. You can bring in
great non-profits, the YMCAs, the Boys and Girls Clubs, mentoring and
tutoring groups to co-locate their services and better serve the community
from the school.
In every neighborhood in our country, you have schools. In every
school, you have classrooms, you have computer labs, you have libraries,
you have gyms, many have pools. Those buildings don’t belong to you or I.
They don’t belong to the unions. They belong to the community. We have
these great physical resources, and we need to maximize it.
The State, the new family church and community all in one.
Dang, I wore a cross on a necklace into a public school the other day.
ReplyDeleteTACKLE THAT GUY !!
Does Arne Duncan have children? Anybody know? Anyone who thinks they can institutionalize their kids for 12 hrs a day 365 days a year should be sterilized.
ReplyDeleteLove from Zeke Emanual.
And by the
ReplyDeleteway, we don’t have to do this all ourselves as educators. You can bring in
great non-profits, the YMCAs, the Boys and Girls Clubs, mentoring and
tutoring groups to co-locate their services and better serve the community
from the school.
Yeah, groups like ACORN!
///
Attila,
ReplyDeleteI read your post on the last thread re: Iran's nuke sites. I don't think there is such a thing as a perfectly unbombable hard target. It's all a matter of degree. Some of the Iranian facilities are out in the open, such as Bushere reactor. Some of it is buried far under ground. That's where these come in:
(reposted from earlier this morning):
Wow! Now here's a good-news human interest story guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
"US Congress quietly approves fast tracking Super Bunker Buster Bomb"
"Congress has quietly approved to fast track the deployment of the BGU-57A/B or Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). The Pentagon plans to rush the deployment of 10 BGU-57A/B "bunker buster" bombs by June 2010. The MOP is so enormous that it can only be delivered by a B-52 or a B-2A. In fact, the B-2 bombers will need to be refitted in order to carry two MOPs.
The MOP weighs in at a whopping 30,000 pounds, it's warhead weighs in at 5,300 pounds and it can penetrate 200 ft (61 m) of 5,000 psi (34 MPa) reinforced concrete, 26 ft (8 m) of 10,000 psi (69 MPa) reinforced concrete, or 130 ft (40 m) of moderately hard rock."
http://reportonarrakis.blogspot.com/2009/09/us-congress-quietly-approves-fast.html
Good news, so long as your name isn't Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, that is.
JCM said...
ReplyDeleteTranscript Arne Duncan Sec. Ed.
In every neighborhood in our country, you have schools. In every
school, you have classrooms, you have computer labs, you have libraries,
you have gyms, many have pools.
She meant to say cesspools.
JCM, why don't they just remove children from their homes completely and keep them at boarding school for 13 years? Maybe even throw in boarding preschool, as soon as they're potty-trained by the visiting social workers.
ReplyDeleteThe message here, IMO, is that you parents are unfit to raise your children, and the state needs to step in and keep them away from your influence for as many hours a day as possible.
gak,
ReplyDeleteArne, he... Former Super of Chicago Schools, member of CAC and friend of Ayers.
JCM - ah - he... Thanks
ReplyDeleteRB, you have mail.
ReplyDeleteDopp
ReplyDeleteThe kids that actually do need supervision would be AWOL from school anyway and the "good kids" would be the ones stuck in the training camps. Yes, there is a problem but the government (who actually created the mess) is not the answer.
doppel,
ReplyDeleteI'm even more cynical, they want one resource for families to be dependent upon. Education, meals, entertainment, recreation... All provided for with continual subtle and not so subtle indoctrination.
In many ways in Duncan's little idea, I find the most frightening thing of this administration.
the government (who actually created the mess) is not the answer.
ReplyDeleteWhich is usually true regardless of the question.
redstate: good point. There are some truly horrible parents out there whose kids need supervision and nurturing. Putting ALL kids in re-education camps is typical liberal overreaching.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad my "baby" is in her last year of public school. It doesn't seem to have done her any harm - today she's presenting the case for gun rights to her Current Issues class.
Kenneth,
ReplyDeleteHow would that be delivered? I don't know of a plane that could carry it (which means nothing, as I don't know anything about weapons - ask me about nail polish and I will win every time)
Re: Arne Duncan and children
Does this remind anyone of Sparta?
jeez
JCM said...
ReplyDeletedoppel,
I'm even more cynical, they want one resource for families to be dependent upon. Education, meals, entertainment, recreation... All provided for with continual subtle and not so subtle indoctrination.
In many ways in Duncan's little idea, I find the most frightening thing of this administration.
It could certainly have the most far-reaching consequences. It reminds of the old Jane Addams settlement houses that were set up to assist immigrants. They actually did a lot of good, to the point where the next generation moved out of the ghetto and succeeded in American life. Somehow I don't think that's the goal of this plan.
ATH: Actually it sounds like something out of "Plato's Republic". When he's describing the perfect society he talks about the raising of children in a government type controlled enviroment. In that enviroment they are taught all that they need to become proper citizens of the "Republic". I remember reading this about 15 years ago on my own. Took me awhile to get through it. After it was properly digested I realized it was a very communist society.
ReplyDeleteYou only need to look to the welfare system to see how a safety net becomes a way of life in just one generation. And now we're into it...what 5 - 6 generations? It is the worst thing to ever happen to the black community.
ReplyDeleteA Childs Game?
ReplyDeleteBarack Obama, like a child playing a game, seems to ignore reality and live in a make-believe world. He goes to international conferences and makes speeches so that (as he imagines) the countries of the world see him as the organizer of a global community; he appears on radio and television to speak and be seen as the leader of the country that he refuses to lead; he wants to talk; he loves to talk. And like the child who plays at being doctor or father or mother, he talks about what he wants. Like a child, he overuses the first person pronouns. All his rhetoric is "I" and "me" and "my" and, sometimes, the inclusive "us" and "our." He wants to be seen and heard. But he doesn't want to do (except to make speeches, and even these are prepared by others, canned, and read from a teleprompter). Those speeches in which he does seem to be taking charge are followed by a child-like loss of interest in the subject. He loses interest in playing that game and goes on to another.
In the meantime, other world leaders, especially our enemies and potential enemies are operating in the real world of economic turmoil, international power rivalry, and horrendous weapons. In these perilous times, made more so by his apparent lack of interest in dealing maturely with real issues, we cannot afford to have a chief executive who abdicates his duties and only plays at being president.
JCM - it's all about getting as many people as possible addicted to the federal teat. People who rely on the government, and resist any effort to reduce those entitlement goodies once they've been distributed.
ReplyDeleteRemember the "OMG the Republicans are trying to take away our kids' school lunches" demagoguery? Just imagine that times ten when the feds are also providing pools and everything else on the taxpayer's dime.
I recall something being said by a Dem before the election, that if they won in 2008, they could make Democratic control permanent just by making over 50% of the populace (and really, we're not that far away) dependent in some way on government handouts, and fully aware of which party controls the gravy train.
Attila,
ReplyDeleteThe article describes the program to refit B2's so they can carry 2 of these babies each. The interesting thing is the MOB program was already funded and scheduled to start delivering product in June 2010. This new funding just approved by congress speeds up delivery of the first 10 bombs (they didn't say when). That has got to concentrate the minds of the thugs in Tehran and Pyongyang.
Paladin
ReplyDeletePlato was a perfect facist.
And I'm convinced Socrates drank the hemlock for the sole reason that it was the only way he could get away from his harridan of a wife and his slacker kids.
Thank you I.F. Stone.
India committed to promoting ties with China: PM
ReplyDeleteIndia committed to consolidate strategic partnership with Russia – need to diversify bilateral trade: Anand Sharma
Nice.
robomonkey said...
ReplyDelete"JCM - it's all about getting as many people as possible addicted to the federal teat."
Personally, I prefer a good old fashioned "boob thread" to a "federal teat" thread, but that's just me.
You only need to look to the welfare system to see how a safety net becomes a way of life in just one generation. And now we're into it...what 5 - 6 generations? It is the worst thing to ever happen to the black community.
ReplyDeleteNot just the black community, but america in general. The "War on Poverty" in America is pretty much just like any other "war on..." thing - The more the government "wages war" on something, the more it increases, rather than decreases. The War on Poverty, the War on Drugs, etc... all abject failures.
Kenneth,
ReplyDeleteGood summary of the situation.
Iran, U.S.: The Intelligence Problem at StratFor.
squatch: Well it makes sense for India to go into agreements with Russia nad China. One, they are the closest trading partners with them, two they all have large markets, and three BHO's administration has totally ignored India in all areas. That last one is a big mistake in my books.
ReplyDelete"I drank what?"
ReplyDelete-The last words of Socrates
"I drank what?"
ReplyDelete-The last words of Socrates
I hope he had on clean underpants.
Not that it would have mattered.
midwestgak said...
ReplyDeleteA Childs Game?
That's about as accurate a description of his behavior as I've seen. Children are born narcissists, and Obama is a grown-up narcissist. I am forever grateful to Kenneth for his analysis of The Won's personality; every day it proves to be more true than ever.
um, guys? This is giving me the creepie crawlies (which is why I read the Washington Examiner - great paper).
ReplyDeleteRe: the author, Tim Worstall. He's a Brit, has his own website about economic stuff, I've read him for a few years now. Tim Worstall
Anyway, look at this.
The American Police Force
Black helicopter guys in Hardin Montana. Virtual offices in Washington DC. Gitmo detainees in the boondocks?
That list of contracts is indicative of what they've been doing. The US military is fighting two wars at present and the entire logistics train is very stretched. So there are a lot of contracts, small stuff, which gets hired out to just about anybody willing to do the work. If you actually run the numbers, around $30 million of contracts since 2004 is $5 million a year or so of total sales. There's competition for this sort of work so gross margins on sales (they're providing goods here, don't forget, not just their labor) tend to be in the 20% range.
So we're talking about a company here with maybe $1 million a year to spend on salaries, profits, overheads and so on. Nice work if you can get it but it's not by any means instant riches: there will be a lot more than just one person eating out of that sum.
So what do I think is happening here with American Police Force? I emphasize again that this is opinion, a piecing together of inherent knowledge and publicly available facts, not proof perfect that this indeed what is happening.
We've a small time operator feeding on the scraps and tail end of the Pentagon's logistics chain: the sort of contracts they've been doing look remarkably similar to what one associate of mine was doing a decade ago. There are myriads of these companies out there at the moment, all scrapping to get these small contracts.
They saw that Hardin, Montana, had built this jail but had no prisoners to put into it. The bonds issued to pay for the jail are in default. So, how hard could it be to construct a story that would fly with the Town Manager?
Running Bare said...
ReplyDeleteYou only need to look to the welfare system to see how a safety net becomes a way of life in just one generation. And now we're into it...what 5 - 6 generations? It is the worst thing to ever happen to the black community.
Not just the black community, but america in general. The "War on Poverty" in America is pretty much just like any other "war on..." thing - The more the government "wages war" on something, the more it increases, rather than decreases. The War on Poverty, the War on Drugs, etc... all abject failures.
The War on Freedom is moving right along though....
Dems Join Czar Wars
ReplyDeleteThe War on Freedom is moving right along though....
ReplyDeleteTrue, but it's only taken them a few hundred years.
Kenneth: Personally, I prefer a good old fashioned "boob thread" to a "federal teat" thread, but that's just me.
ReplyDeleteLook, we're trying to keep abreast of the issues here.
smoke break to read Kenneth's stuff on Iran.
ReplyDeletebbiab
Kenneth: Personally, I prefer a good old fashioned "boob thread" to a "federal teat" thread, but that's just me.
ReplyDeleteLook, we're trying to keep abreast of the issues here.
As usual, the guys have udderly highjacked the thread.
ATH: I saw that story posted somewhere else. It looks more like a tinfoil hat brigade posting and scare mongering than anything else. More a case of connect the dots then anything else. In fact the story you linked is a thoughtful investigation of a story about a private agency taking over as a police force in a small town and employing police state tactics.
ReplyDeletersn,
ReplyDeleteAs usual, the guys have udderly highjacked the thread.
It would behoove us to stop before it becomes a cowtastrophe.
Ok, let's not go tit-for-tat on the whole federal teat thing. ;)
ReplyDeleteIt would behoove us to stop before it becomes a cowtastrophe.
ReplyDeleteNice segue. It really mooooved me.
Gotta hunt some lunch!
ReplyDeleteBBL
Dems Join Czar Wars
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm.. Feingold is up for reelection in 2010.
I suspect we're going to see increasingly more defections from the cult of the Won. His first 8 months have been an abject failure and his approval numbers are dropping like a rock. Who in their right mind would want to hitch their wagon to him?
The Bush tax cuts expire in 2010. (January?) What exactly does that mean?
ReplyDeletegak,
ReplyDeleteYou'll pay more on 2010 taxes, starting Jan. '10 you'll have less in your paycheck.
doppelganglander,
ReplyDeleteObama's personality disorder scares the shit out of me. It seems I'm not the only person to notice this problem:
Sarkozy Sees Obama As Incredibly Naive & Grossly Egotistical
"Sarkozy is furious with President Obama over his Iran speech and his misguided global disarmament obsession. The French President thinks President Obama is incredibly naive and grossly egotistical. Sarkozy is worried about the Western world with such a flawed president leading America."
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/09/sarkozy-thinks-obama-is-incredibly.html
The Bush tax cuts expire in 2010. (January?) What exactly does that mean?
ReplyDeleteWith any luck, yet another reason to vote out the One's apostles in November of 2010.
midwestgak said...
ReplyDeleteA Childs Game?
"Like a child, he overuses the first person pronouns. All his rhetoric is "I" and "me" and "my" and, sometimes, the inclusive "us" and "our." "
Did you see this:
Obama's Speeches-- Obama Mentions Self Nearly 1,200 Times!
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/09/23/dan-gainor-obama-speeches-ego/
It's the Narcissism.
Hello! Love this blog. Looks great!
ReplyDeleteWelcome, loppyd!
ReplyDeleteThanks Running Bare!
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to see so many familiar names.
{loppyd!}
ReplyDeleteWelcome, fruit cups all gone but we the coffee bar is open, what would you like.
The Bush tax cuts expire in 2010. (January?) What exactly does that mean?
ReplyDeleteThat means Obama and the congress are enacting a huge tax increase on the very people they said they wouldn't tax and they will claim isn't really a tax increase. It's Bush's fault taxes will be going up because he signed the tax cut legislation they are going to allow to fade away.
Ain't leftist logic great?
{JCM}!!
ReplyDeleteExtra cream no sugar, please.
Nice to see you!
Well hello loppyd! Nice to see you here. Pull up a chair and help yourself to a beverage of choice (coffee, tea, beer or fermented yak milk).
ReplyDeleteHi Kenneth!
ReplyDeleteGood to see you, too.
JCM is getting me my coffee. :)
Hi, loppyd.
ReplyDeleteNice to see you again.
Likewise, sasquatch!
ReplyDeleteI just added CC to my blogroll.
Ain't leftist logic great?
ReplyDeleteBudgets are only increasing 2 percent instead of 4 this year.
Tax cut.
Kenneth, you totally nailed it. But America has become a nation of narcissists, so I think Obama's personality disorder goes unnoticed.
ReplyDeleteloppyd, nice to see you!
Stephy may need to get out the Webster's again to explain what a tax is to Barry.
ReplyDeleteWhen you take away a decrease it then becomes an increase. No getting around that.
Hi doppelganglander!
ReplyDeleteWhat's the good word?
But America has become a nation of narcissists...
ReplyDeleteThey wouldn't have, if they'd have realized how totally and completely fucking awesome I am.
It's mostly how humble I am. That's perhaps my most amazing quality.
doppel,
ReplyDeletePopular culture is always somewhat narcissistic, and recent trends (ie facebook, twitter etc) push that even further. Maybe that's why the public was so attracted to Obama? But full blow Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which is what Obama has, is a whole order of magnitude worse. This is not going to end well for the USA.
Hiya loppyd. Welcome to our new home.
ReplyDeleteHey LoppyD! Welcome!
ReplyDeleteHi PaladinPhil.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you. I like your decorating style...
Desert Dog!
ReplyDeleteThis is like old home week.
loppyd said...
ReplyDeleteHi doppelganglander!
What's the good word?
FREEDOM!
/Braveheart
loppy!
ReplyDeleteThanks loppy. Was thinking about changing it this week again. Just deciding on what to change it to. :)
ReplyDeleteloppyd said...
ReplyDeleteDesert Dog!
This is like old home week.
_____________________________________________________________
{{{Loppyd}}}
Good to see you found us!
Welcome!
(I so missed the talking bra stories)
AtillaTheHoney!
ReplyDeleteThat nic is in the top 5 best evah.
Welcome {loppyd}. Good to see you.
ReplyDelete{{{eschew_obfuscation }}}
ReplyDeleteGood to see you too!
I was given the heads up that you guys were hanging around here, but I was so busy I had to wait to stop by.
The Talking Bra is baaaack!
Where's PiGuy?
ReplyDeleteHarry situation: What if Reid loses?
They are saying DICK DURBAN or CHARLES SCHUMER as likely replacements....ehhhhhh. Sounds like we are screwed regardless of who's in the big fat chair.
{midwestgak}
ReplyDeleteLikewise!
They are saying DICK DURBAN or CHARLES SCHUMER as likely replacements....ehhhhhh. Sounds like we are screwed regardless of who's in the big fat chair.
ReplyDeletethis is a test...
I failed.
ReplyDeleteHow do I reply?
How do I reply?
ReplyDeleteCopy, Paste, use th Italics html tag...
<*i>some text<*/i*>
Like above, without the *
loppy!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteOr, to be xhtml compliant, use:
ReplyDelete<*em*>sometext<*/em*>
Like so, without the *
Congress syas no to posting health care bill online.
ReplyDeleteloppyd, how are the wedding plans coming along?
ReplyDelete<*i>like this?<*/i*>
ReplyDeletemidwestgak said...
ReplyDeleteCongress syas no to posting health care bill online.
PIMF -says
Shouldn't eat and post at the same time.
doppelganglander
ReplyDeleteThey went well! I'm a married bunny.
{{littleoldlady}}!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I bet you were a beautiful bunny bride! :-)
ReplyDeleteGREAT to see you here!
Yeah, loppy, how was the wedding?
ReplyDeleteThey went well! I'm a married bunny.
ReplyDeletePICTURES!!! WE WANT PICTURES!!!
:)
Kenneth, JCM
ReplyDeleteOk, I've read the stuff on Iran.
The Stratfor article is devasting. There is really no way for a bombing campaign to do much of anything.
However - as I said the other day - and I have no idea how it could be carried out - targeted assissination might be an option.
loppyd, congratulations! Maybe you'll be engaged in other bunny-like behavior soon! ;)
ReplyDelete/eating carrots. What did you think I meant?
The wedding was like a dream come true. The weather was looking iffy, but the sun came out as soon as my dad walked me down the aisle. It was an outdoor ceremony overlooking Little Harbor in Rye, NH. It rained for about 5 minutes during dinner....which was fine because we were in a tent and then WE GOT A DOUBLE RAINBOW!
ReplyDeleteGosh.... what do we call ourselves here?
ReplyDelete"Correspondents" seems a bit formal.
"Committee Persons" just ain't right.
"Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict" .... nah.... too long.
hmmmm....
<*i>like this?<*/i*>
ReplyDeleteYes, but without the * in it.
Welcome loppyd. Another new face. Great to see you here. :)))
ReplyDeleteloppyd said...
ReplyDeleteThe wedding was like a dream come true. The weather was looking iffy, but the sun came out as soon as my dad walked me down the aisle. It was an outdoor ceremony overlooking Little Harbor in Rye, NH. It rained for about 5 minutes during dinner....which was fine because we were in a tent and then WE GOT A DOUBLE RAINBOW!
It couldn't have been any more perfect. I'm so happy for you.
Thanks everyone!
ReplyDeleteI have to hop along and get this house back in order and get some food in the fridge.
It was great to see you all and I will stop by often.
{friends}
Hey y'all - this is realwest - typepad however felt it was more beneficial for me to have a number and took away my name!
ReplyDeleteSome interesting news from Rasmussen:
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows that 28% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-nine percent (39%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -11 (see trends). Republicans have a very slight edge on the Generic Congressional Ballot.
Fifty-one percent (51%) say the President has not been tough enough on Iran while just 30% have confidence in the United Nations’ ability to combat terrorism.
On economic matters, just 26% of workers now report that their employers are laying people off. That’s down from 28% a month ago and 30% the month before, resulting in the second straight monthly improvement in the Rasmussen Employment Index.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
Hi real!
ReplyDeleteYOU ARE LATE!
6p00e55005f9c78834 said...
ReplyDeleteHey y'all - this is realwest - typepad however felt it was more beneficial for me to have a number and took away my name!
_____________________________________________________________
So, do we call you 6-POO now?
(ouch! stop hitting me!)
AND further Rasmussen findings:
ReplyDeleteEighty-three percent (83%) of U.S. voters say legislation should be posted online in final form and available for everyone to read before Congress votes on it. The only exception would be for extreme emergencies.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds only six percent (6%) of voters disagree with this approach while 10% are not sure.
Of those who favor posting congressional bills in their final form on the Internet, 64% say they should be available to the public two weeks or more before Congress votes and 29% favor posting bills one week before a vote. Just four percent (4%) think three days before a congressional vote is soon enough, while one percent (1%) say one day is enough.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/september_2009/83_say_congress_should_post_bills_online_for_all_to_read_before_voting_on_them
‘Unresponsive’ pilot crashes in Indiana as F-16s trail
ReplyDelete(CNN) — A small plane crashed outside of Muncie, Indiana, as military F-16s trailed it Wednesday after its pilot failed to respond to radio calls, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said.
damn.
ATH,
ReplyDeleteBest a bombing campaign can do is slow them down.
However a Osirik type mission won't work, it would have to clear lanes through ground based defense, eliminate the Iranian Air Force, then pound the snot out of every suspected target, do the BDAs and hit everything that might need it again.
It's a major air campaign to do anything at all, 3 CBGs, the 509th (B-2s) out of Whiteman, B-1Bs out of Diego Garcia, and moving strike and fighter wings to Iraq.
Unless Iran does something really stupid and aggressive that's not gonna' happen.
GWB made a mistake in not hitting this early, but with the (D) control in congress he'd never have gotten a Congressional sign off.
Once again with tyrants the pay me now or pay me later law bites again.
Real,
ReplyDelete83%? WOW!
The 6% include every member of congress with a (D)? ;-P
Hey Atilla {Honey}! I'm gonna make up for being late by leaving now - some more chores to do I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteI hope y'all have a great day and that I get the chance to see you all down the road!
Hi realwest, bye realwest. See you later on maybe.
ReplyDeleteHey loppyd!!! Congratulations (this is REALWEST) reads as if it was an absolutely wonderful wedding!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!
And hello to all the other new commenters here,too!
Sorry y'all, but I do have to dash off now!
JCM
ReplyDeleteUnless Iran does something really stupid and aggressive that's not gonna' happen.
If they do anything stupd, I would expect Russia to deal with them.
They do NOT need destabilization in that region.
And donuts to dollars, Russia's intel on Iran is one helluva lot better than ours.
gotta go, meastspace beckons.
ReplyDeleteATH,
ReplyDeleteNo doubt, the Bear has had it's hungry eyes on Iran for a long, long time.
JCM said...
ReplyDeleteAnyone from Israel saying anything ?
If they go quiet...well, who knows.
Shalom
ReplyDeletePost -n- run:
link to here in the end of this post
http://babbazeesbrain.blogspot.com/2009/09/floatin-powa-news-service-house-of.html
FYI
bz
Well look who the cat drug in!
ReplyDelete{BABBA}
sas,
ReplyDeleteIsrael could well be forced into action.
If you take into account the StratFor article I linked above... it might not slow Iran down much.
Ugly box we find ourselves in.
The thugs ruling the Iranian regime won't back down. They know they will loose everything if they appear weak. They may say nice things to Obama, and he's egotistical enough to believe them, but they will not deviate from their goals.
ReplyDeleteKenneth,
ReplyDeleteCorrect, they've ramped up things in the last 6 months.
I'm seriously thinking we'll see a demonstration fairly soon, like 6 month time frame.
If things continue as they are, Iran will get the nukes they crave so much. What happens after that? Who knows? We can hope MAD will work on them as well, but there is no telling with these clowns.
ReplyDeleteWe will see a rush by Saudi Arabia to get nukes as well.....this entire situation is bad, no matter which way you look at it.
Who was that masked woman?
ReplyDeleteUgly box we find ourselves in.
ReplyDeleteAnd now how much do you wish it was Hillary taking that 3AM phone call instead of Obama.
/ducks and runs like a mofo
For apocalyptic fanatics like Ahmadinejad, who believe they must create chaos to bring back their Mahdi, mutually assure destruction is not a deterrent. It's an inducement.
ReplyDeleteHere's an interesting article on the Colombia and Venezula political situation.
ReplyDelete/I am starting to see a lot of similarities between Venezuala and the Soviet Union
HT Rush...
ReplyDeleteCut Republicans out of healthcare!
Let them make do with aspirin and hand sanitizer. Meanwhile, the money we save will pay off the deficit
It's time to dump the dead-end issues that have wasted too much time already. Old men shouldn't be allowed to doze off at the switch and muck up the works for the young who will have to repair the damage. Get over yourselves. Your replacements have arrived, and you should think about them now and then. Enough with the shrieking. Pass healthcare reform.
My response to frakin' socialists like you Mr. Keillor.
Weren't the Twelvers even too rad for the Ayatollah Khomeini? You know you're off the reservation if that mofo thinks you're nuts.
ReplyDeleteGood morning everyone!
ReplyDeleteDearest gak, I hope you see this - thank you very much for that! You have no idea how much I appreciate hearing that - honestly. I like knowing I'm on the right track with these things.
Good morning, CC! You have mail, btw. :)
ReplyDeleteHi CC - You are welcome. What an impact you make with your talent.
ReplyDeletebtw - keep posting, okay? ; )
Ugly box we find ourselves in.
ReplyDeleteAnd now how much do you wish it was Hillary taking that 3AM phone call instead of Obama.
Hillary and Ugly Box in the same comment?
I. Hate. You.
:p
Lunch. dang I missed congradulating loppyd. Seems like more and more folks show up here every day, this is great. Hi BabbaZee - long time no see.
ReplyDeleteloppy dropped by? Is she still "honeymooning"?
ReplyDeleteEvidently she's back red, left to go stock the fridge up with groceries.
ReplyDelete(red) She tied the knot.
ReplyDeletePutin and Latvia ex-PM discuss prospects for bilateral relations
ReplyDelete“The sides noted progress in relations between Latvia and Russia, which is seen from the intensification of the political and economic dialogue between the two countries. The good work of the Latvian-Russian business council headed by Vasily Melnik on Latvia’s part was, specifically, commended. But the economic relations should, certainly, be developed more intensively, and the world crisis suggests giving this much more thought,” Kalvitis said.
Pressing hard are the Reds.
Everywhere.
Oh, but we're getting the Olympics !
Hi guys. Just saw another (?) earthquake reported on TV. This one in Indonesia, but separate and distinct from the earlier one off Samoa. Whole "Ring of Fire"-thing.
ReplyDeleteIf real-life was a movie with Jeff Daniels or Kurt Russell in it, we'd be headed for a catastrophe.
Running Bare said...
ReplyDeleteMy lunchtime was a bust. Might as well screw everyone elses up.
/
THANKS, BABBA!
ReplyDeleteY'all come back now, y'hear?
Magnitude 7.6 - SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
ReplyDelete2009 September 30 10:16:09 UTC
Magnitude 7.6
Date-Time
* Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 10:16:09 UTC
* Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 05:16:09 PM at epicenter
* Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 0.789°S, 99.961°E
Depth 80 km (49.7 miles) set by location program
Region SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
Distances 45 km (30 miles) WNW of Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia
220 km (135 miles) SW of Pekanbaru, Sumatra, Indonesia
475 km (295 miles) SSW of KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia
960 km (590 miles) NW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 8.9 km (5.5 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST= 42, Nph= 42, Dmin=521.5 km, Rmss=1.28 sec, Gp= 47°,
M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=8
Source
* USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID us2009mebz
Magnitude 5.5 - SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
2009 September 30 10:38:54 UTC
Magnitude 5.5
Date-Time
* Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 10:38:54 UTC
* Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 05:38:54 PM at epicenter
* Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 0.717°S, 100.070°E
Depth 104.2 km (64.7 miles)
Region SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
Distances 40 km (25 miles) NW of Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia
205 km (130 miles) SW of Pekanbaru, Sumatra, Indonesia
460 km (285 miles) SSW of KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia
945 km (590 miles) NW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 12.2 km (7.6 miles); depth +/- 5.5 km (3.4 miles)
Parameters NST= 66, Nph= 72, Dmin=158.1 km, Rmss=1.01 sec, Gp= 72°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=6
Source
* USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID us2009meb4
JCM-
ReplyDeleteJumpin jeebus, that's another big one.
NOAA/NWS/West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
ReplyDeleteA strong earthquake has occurred, but a tsunami IS NOT expected along the California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, or Alaska coast. NO tsunami warning, watch or advisory is in effect for these areas.
Based on the location of the event being outside the Pacific Basin, the earthquake was not sufficient to generate a tsunami damaging to California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska coasts. Residents in the Indian Ocean region should refer to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center message.
At 3:16 AM Pacific Daylight Time on September 30, an earthquake with preliminary magnitude 7.7 occurred southern Sumatera, Indonesia. (Refer to the United States Geological Survey for official earthquake parameters.)
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center will issue messages for Indian Ocean countries and other areas of the Pacific outside California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska.
This will be the only statement issued for this event by the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center unless conditions warrant. See the WCATWC web site for basic tsunami information, safety rules, and a tsunami travel time map and table. (NOTE: Travel time maps and tables indicate forecasted times only, not that a wave was generated.)
Iran proposes establishing assembly of heads of Iran and "5 +1" countries: Iranian president
ReplyDeleteThe proposals include establishment of the Assembly of Heads of Iran and "5+1"counrtires, holding discussions. Under the new proposal, three special committees should be established. The committees will submit their decision for approval by the council of representatives of the countries participating in the discussions. After this the Assembly of heads of the countries will discuss the representatives' decision, Ahmadinejad said.
It's My F***ing meeting, dammit !
*pounds gavel*
sas,
ReplyDeleteJust what the Mad Mullahs want.
Meetings, negotiations, talks, blather and nonsense.
Meanwhile he centrifuges spin.
Heading out for a meeting. I will be back before the pub opens. If I am not please keep my usual seat. :)))
ReplyDelete*singing* Acorns roasting on an open fire....
ReplyDelete/don't know how to do the fancy notes that Miss Trixie uses. :)
JCM said...
ReplyDeletesas,
Just what the Mad Mullahs want.
Meetings, negotiations, talks, blather and nonsense.
Meanwhile he centrifuges spin.
Newsflash to Obama & Co. They are laughing their asses off about your pathetic attempts.
JCM said...
ReplyDeleteMeetings, negotiations, talks, blather and nonsense.
Meanwhile he centrifuges spin.
The Sands of Time
I'm sure CC will be very pleased to hear that. She's incredibly talented. Withut her, this place would look like shit, and be nowhere near as cool.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't go that far. LOL
Thank you, Boss; I missed this on my way to reply to the very nice post by midwestgak...Bears fandom notwithstanding.
(Just kidding, gak! I've actually rooted for the Bears before, when the Packers needed them to win, and I didn't even throw up afterwards. ; )
Actual reality keeps interrupting my virtual reality! Darn! I will see you all later on. Time to push some papers, deal with screaming customers, whining employees and lying vendors!
ReplyDelete8 months.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a whopping 8 months.
At this rate, in 2 years the Warsaw Pact will be back in effect and we'll be the ones making the dummy missiles
Oh my - I MISSED LOPPYD! Rats! Come back loppy!
ReplyDeleteCorrespondence Committee said...
ReplyDelete(Just kidding, gak! I've actually rooted for the Bears before, when the Packers needed them to win, and I didn't even throw up afterwards. ; )
You are proof that there is no Bears/Packer rivalry.// : )
(did I say upthread to keep posting? Maybe I should rethink that.)
I have to run off to class in a moment, but I thought I might weigh in on the issue of education raised towards the beginning of the thread.
ReplyDeleteIn his famous book Centuries of Childhood the French historian Philippe Aries described the evolution of the modern conception of schooling as constituting a deliberate attempt to discipline large portions of the population be extending childhood. In the Middle Ages, childhood was thought to end around 12 or 13; at that point one became an "adult" with respect to dress and social demands. One was not a full-fledged adult, but the understanding was that at that stage, one began to put away childish things and focus on adult responsibilities.
The creation of universal schooling coincided with the creation of "adolescence" as a concept. At its heart was institutionalized humiliation of young adults, extending childhood and treating young adults -- now, through the colleges well into their teens and early twenties -- like children. In this setting childish behavior was encouraged.
Why, asks Aries, was this done? His argument is social control. He points out two fascinating parallels. In aristorcratic societies, the laboring underclass is considered childish. It is common to give diminuative forms of names to servants and peasants. In my own research I've seen this frequently. A peasant is never "Johann" -- he is "Hans" or "Hansel," the last being the sort of thing one would call a small child. This sort of humiliation is extended now to all school age children, with the result that they may be disciplined. Moreover, it is the schools, not the parents, who take over this discipline. The goal, suggests Aries, is to prevent children from becoming adults and instead to transform them into permanent adolescents -- never fully adults, irresponsible and thus subject to continued discipline and direction from above.
The second analogy is the army. The rise of public schooling coincides with and is connected with the creation of conscripted armies. In essence, the mandatory military service extends adolescence -- and thus the justification for external discipline -- further. Regimentation, uniforms, the authoritarian attitude of teachers, the systematic humiliation of young adults, are common to both systems. And the behaviors that spring from them -- continued childishness and irresponsibility encouraged by the system -- provide the justification for more discipline and regimentation.
There's more to say, but I have class. Suffice to say, though Aries point is well taken -- the expansion of schooling is not for the child; it is for the state. The state takes the child, substitutes the school for the household, humiliates and infantalizes the student and then subjects him to discipline, the aim of which is not to educate the student, but to make him dependent, pliable, and subserviant to the state.
Two Powerful Earthquakes Leave Islands Reeling
ReplyDeleteOn the island of Sumatra, a 7.6 quake struck Wednesday evening just 30 miles off the coast of the city of Padang, killing at least 75 people and trapping thousands in buildings. Indonesian television stations showed images of flattened hospitals, hotels and houses, burning cars, and terrified residents running in the center of the city. Power and telecommunications were cut, complicating rescue efforts when night fell.
A day earlier in the Samoans, an underwater 8.0 quake triggered a tsunami that struck after dawn, causing at least 89 deaths and destroying villages throughout the islands.
Big 2nd Amend cases will be heard by SCOTUS.
ReplyDeleteHigh court to look at local gun control laws
The court said it will review a lower court ruling that upheld a handgun ban in Chicago. Gun rights supporters challenged gun laws in Chicago and some suburbs immediately following the high court's decision in June 2008 that struck down a handgun ban in the District of Columbia, a federal enclave.
The new case tests whether last year's ruling applies as well to local and state laws.
Kalashnikov Manufacturer Faces Bankruptcy
ReplyDeleteIt produces the most popular automatic rifles in the world but the company that makes the Kalashnikov, or AK-47, is in trouble. It has had to deal with a slump in arms exports and competition from the makers of copycat versions around the world. Now a shady businessman has filed bankruptcy proceedings against the company.
sas,
ReplyDeleteBAILOUT!
/;-P
JCM said...
ReplyDeleteBig 2nd Amend cases will be heard by SCOTUS.
___________________________________________________________
It'll be interesting to see how the 10th amendment (states' rights) is worked into the decision.
sas,
ReplyDeleteA third party can force a Russian company to bankruptcy court?
Redefines hostile takeover.
New thread upstairs!
ReplyDeleteeschew_obfuscation,
ReplyDeleteWill be interesting.
The way I see things, 2nd is an enumerated right in the Constitution, therefore States cannot be more restrictive than the 2nd.
The other is equal protection the 14th. Since the 2nd is a guaranteed right. The 14th applies. I can legally buy and carry handguns easily, while a resident of Chicago cannot. Also my right to own and carry if I travel to Chicago is restricted, none of my firearms would be legal in CA either, my rights are not the same depending on geography, IMHO violating the 14th.
(did I say upthread to keep posting? Maybe I should rethink that.)
ReplyDeleteSeptember 30, 2009 11:46 AM
LOL gak - we're going to have fun this season. : ) (I'm not a trash talker, really...I have a friend in real life who is a Bears fan who calls me every Sunday trying to provoke me, however. LOL)
Oh, Bare...when I make you a template for your convenience in the coffee-deprived morning, we have to make sure people know it's YOU writing, and not me! I can't take credit for that rant! LOL
ReplyDelete