Dusty In Here

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The video tells the story far better than I could.

Malik Stewart and Steve McKee (Credit: Vanessa Schlueter)

Mitchell and Steve McKee (Credit: Vanessa Schlueter)

This kid was doing it all for his dad - he started working out in the summer and wasn't even sure if his dad would be alive long enough to reach his goal - to win the state championship and hopefully give his dad a moment that he would not remember or think of his dire situation. The other competitors all knew about Mitchell's goal, but what made everyone really emotional was when Stewart, who wanted to win a championship just as badly as Mitchell, went to the father to congratulate and hug him.

It's enough to give a person hope for our future.

Attack Kitteh!

Lux at rest - photo courtesy The Oregonian

Seems like this big ol' Himalayan (22 pounder) attacked a baby, scratching the forehead and drawing blood. Dad's immediate response was to kick Lux off the kid. Which apparently set the cat off:

A 22-pound cat named Lux had to be snared by Portland police officers after the owners said the ferocious feline attacked their baby in their Northwest Portland apartment Sunday.

Officers were dispatched to The Yards at Union Station in the 900 block of Northwest Naito Parkway just before 8 p.m., said Sgt. Pete Simpson, a spokesman for the Portland Police Bureau.

Dispatchers stayed on the phone while the couple locked themselves — along with their baby and the family dog — in a bedroom, Simpson said.

Owner Lee Palmer told dispatchers the 4-year-old male cat "has a history of violence," and had scratched his 7-month old son in the forehead.

Palmer said he tried to get the cat off his son: "I kicked the cat in the rear, and it has gone over the edge. He's trying to attack us -- he's very hostile. He's at our door; he's charging us."

The dispatcher asked her supervisor if it was OK to send police on such an unusual call. It was. Meanwhile, on the 911 tape, the cat can be heard screaming in the background.

When officers arrived, they entered the apartment equipped with a dog snare and watched as the large Himalayan darted into the kitchen where it jumped on top of the refrigerator.

Using the snare, officers were able to wrangle the cat (perhaps jealous of said baby?) into a pet carrier.

No one was injured in the fracas, including the baby.

"We are debating what to do," Palmer said Monday. "We definitely want to keep (the cat) away from the baby and keep an eye on his behavior."

According to a cat breeder website, Himalayans, or "Himmies," are "perfect indoor companions but they possess a playful side."

"I swear I have never seen anything like it," Palmer said.

Well, while I don't condone kicking the cat, I can understand. The thing was attacking his kid. If it were me, that cat might have been the first to achieve earth orbit without the use of rockets. Just sayin.'

But calling the cops? Sheesh. Man up, dude. Don't be such a pussy. Yeah, I went there!

Kinky?!?

YouTube link CBS News Link
Naw, just sweet. Take a break from politics, hate and discontent and just enjoy this one.

The story on CBS Evening News was longer and contained more information, namely at the end: the gentleman was asked what job he retired from.

He replied that he felt perhaps all this was atonement - he sold rotisseries.

Really?

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I've seen several stories about this situation on different news programs for the past couple days, and one thing they all seem to share is the lack of someone, anyone, saying: "You know, if I'd have ordered this stuff a week earlier, none of this would have happened."

Yes, I realize that UPS and FedEx said they'd get the package there by a certain date.

Has anyone consulted the terms and conditions posted on both company's sites? They aren't responsible for overwhelming demand and bad weather tying up their air shipments.

Frankly, I have little sympathy for these people. They ordered stuff at the last possible second during the busiest time of the year during winter with all it's problems with disabling storms and expect the best possible outcome? What happens if they send the wrong size/color/whatever?  Talk about your sense of entitlement - it's on display here big time.

So, cry me a river. Maybe next time you'll allow enough time to account for unexpected delays.

Laugh I Thought I'd Die

Surely we've all heard about the fake sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela's memorial service, attended by heads of state from all over the world with this nimrod right beside them as they gave their speeches. Now we find this out:

A man being criticized by sign language experts for providing fake interpretations while standing close to President Obama and other heads of state at Nelson Mandela’s memorial says he becomes violent “a lot” and was hallucinating during the event.

Just the kinda guy you'd want standing next to Dear Leader. Just because, here is a clip showing the faker next to the President - so we know it really happened.


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Now, I realize that the slip up in security is the fault of South Africa's security agency. Fine. However, as far as protecting Dear Leader, our Secret Service - the supposedly finest crack protectors on the planet - failed. How?

They trusted someone else to take care of their own security responsibilities.

Did they check each and every person who was going to be on the stage with Teh Won? Did they ask for complete background info on all these people? Did they verify this information?

Seems obvious they did not.

There are so many ways that the fake interpreter could have killed the President or any other leader that it's ridiculous. Where would we be if he had? What would our Secret Service have to say for itself then?

The point I'm working up to here is to just remember this little incident the next time someone tells you that you should not protect yourself because you should leave that to the police.

Are the cops as "high quality" as the Secret Service? Are they right beside us at all times?

Of course not.

Are we allowed to vet our protectors? Make sure they can shoot straight, can handle a weapon without negligent discharges? Guarantee that they won't show up in the middle of the night dressed in black, carrying military weapons and kill our pets even though they're at the wrong house? Tear the place down and never acknowledge that repairs will be needed?

Of course not.

How about maybe just show up on time when we need 'em?

Nope, can't even do that. What's more, if they don't make it, they aren't responsible. You paid for the service, but if it sucks, you have no recourse. Can't sue. No refund.

We've just seen the A team of personal security blow chunks internationally by trusting someone to take care of their responsibilities.

Why should I allow my right to personal defense to be abrogated in favor of an ineffectual law enforcement system?

So, when someone suggests that is just what we should do, I'm gonna be saying politely "You may piss off, madam/sir. It's my right, my responsibility, and no one is going to do the job effectively besides me."

I may not even be that polite.

Common Sense Has Passed On, Or What Are They Teaching Kids These Days

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A Pop Tart eaten into a silhouette of a gun becomes a gun to school administrators, and a child is suspended. A Derby, KS boy was suspended for bringing a Chuck E. Cheese noisemaker to school.

The actual dangerous weapon threatening our defenseless children.

What we are witnessing, thanks in large part to zero tolerance policies that were intended to make schools safer by discouraging the use of actual drugs and weapons by students, is the inhumane treatment of young people and the criminalization of childish behavior.
Ninth grader Andrew Mikel is merely the latest in a long line of victims whose educations have been senselessly derailed by school administrators lacking in both common sense and compassion. A freshman at Spotsylvania High School in Virginia, Andrew was expelled in December 2010 for shooting a handful of small pellets akin to plastic spit wads at fellow students in the school hallway during lunch period. Although the initial punishment was only for 10 days, the school board later extended it to the rest of the school year. School officials also referred the matter to local law enforcement, which initiated juvenile proceedings for criminal assault against young Andrew.
Andrew is not alone. Nine-year-old Patrick Timoney was sent to the principal's office and threatened with suspension after school officials discovered that one of his LEGOs was holding a 2-inch toy gun. That particular LEGO, a policeman, was Patrick's favorite because his father is a retired police officer. David Morales, an 8-year-old Rhode Island student, ran afoul of his school's zero tolerance policies after he wore a hat to school decorated with an American flag and tiny plastic Army figures in honor of American troops. School officials declared the hat out of bounds because the toy soldiers were carrying miniature guns. A 7-year-old New Jersey boy, described by school officials as "a nice kid" and "a good student," was reported to the police and charged with possessing an imitation firearm after he brought a toy Nerf-style gun to school. The gun shoots soft ping pong-type balls.
Things have gotten so bad that it doesn't even take a toy gun to raise the ire of school officials. A high school sophomore was suspended for violating the school's no-cell-phone policy after he took a call from his father, a master sergeant in the U.S. Army who was serving in Iraq at the time. A 12-year-old New York student was hauled out of school in handcuffs for doodling on her desk with an erasable marker. In Houston, an eighth grader was suspended for wearing rosary beads to school in memory of her grandmother (the school has a zero tolerance policy against the rosary, which the school insists can be interpreted as a sign of gang involvement). Six-year-old Cub Scout Zachary Christie wassentenced to 45 days in reform school after bringing a camping utensil to school that can serve as a fork, knife or spoon. And in Oklahoma, school officials suspended a first grader simply for using his hand to simulate a gun.

link to story

Zero tolerance policies are just an excuse for administrators to avoid taking responsibility for making a decision based on common sense. Not even adults in our court systems are treated with this lack of discretion.

And this is a continuing problem that is getting worse instead of better. The kid with the Chuck E. Cheese toy? 2008. The quote above with all the references to similar situations? 2011. And here in 2013 we find that playing with toys legally on one's property and well away from any sort of school property or activity is now illegal.Apparently there is no Bill of Rights when it comes to school administrators making zero tolerance decisions. Which is to say they don't make a decision, they play Cover My Ass by not using their heads, discretion or logic.

It's not just Dear Leader and politicians staining our lives and freedoms, although it is easier to focus on them. We cannot forget the overreaching desk driving drones that were elected by nobody that are slowly taking over our lives.

Skid Marks in the Tighty Whities

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From Fox News:

Um, talk about the worst interview ever... a marketing video aimed at demonstrating the clarity of the new 84-inch LG HD-TV screen is going viral. But only after the company successfully put the fear of God into its unsuspecting applicants.

LG set up the new screen so that it appeared to be a window when job-seekers walked into an office for an interview. But the scene the applicants witnessed taking place outside? Oh, nothing, just the end of the world. 

About two-thirds of the way through the terrifying stunt, the LG execs would come out and reveal the prank.

Yeah, I'm for thinking I'd be headed for the door, too. I doubt I'd be very happy with any "LG executive" who was trying to explain that it was all in fun.

Give one of 'em a black eye, then laugh and laugh. "See how funny it is now, ya putz!" Yeah, that'd be funny too.

Thanks, Coach

GeneStephenson in1977, photo courtesy KWCH

Highly successful and popular Wichita State University's long time baseball coach has been fired. When Gene Stephenson started as the head coach at WSU there was no baseball program. There was no place to practice or play, no equipment and no uniforms. He started it all from scratch.

Stephenson recently completed his 36th season as head coach at Wichita State after two losses in the 2013 Manhattan Regional, the first tournament appearance for WSU since 2009. His overall accomplishments also include the 1989 National Championship, seven College World Series appearances, 20 Missouri Valley Conference regular-season titles, 18 MVC Tournament titles and 54 All-Americans.Stephenson won more games in 36 years than any other Division I program, and he has a career record of 1,837-675-3 (.731).  He currently sits in second place in number of career Division I victories.

1977. The year I graduated high school. I gotta admit, I sure never noticed him and what he was up to until his teams started winning. I'm not even a baseball fan, but it was fun to watch his teams when they did appear on the tube.

There had been rumbling about his job for the past few years, so it wasn't a complete shock. His current and former players are not happy about this, either.

Perhaps he should have exited while it was his idea, but he's too much of a competitor to quit, and has stated he would still like to coach somewhere.

I wish Coach Stephenson all the best, and thank you, sir.

image goshockers.com

Have Ya Noticed?

How the mainstream media has really been screwing the pooch lately? I mean more so than usual. Heh.

We would not be the only ones who have ascertained this fact.

The editorial cartoonists - even some of the liberal variety, have noticed as well.

This one pisses me off the most, as it outlines the ever present bias in our news media. Every time some idjut does something stupid, why then, it has to be tea partyin,' knuckle draggin,' mouth breathin,' redneck NRA members, radical religious right, Sara Palin lovin,' conservatives. Because we'uns have such a track record, doncha know. Eighteen years ago, hyperconservative Timothy McVeigh blew up the Murrah Building in OKC.

So "our" side is not without blood on our hands, even though it was put there by those who really had nothing to do with how conservatism works. The rest of the nutjobs have had definite liberal leanings. Judge ye conservative whacko until it's proven that is isn't, then don't judge so harshly when it's a liberal? How does that work, anyhow?

Frankly, I could give a rat's behind about the political leanings of these psychos. That they all need to die painful and memorable deaths is something I'm all in on. Never mentioning their names ever again would be another thought. But as long as there are those who'd try to use these acts of terror as triggers to obtain their political ends by destroying my rights, then I've as much use for those statists as I am the psychos who actually committed the crimes. Tar and feathers seems ever so applicable.

Crime Wave!

My little home town has seen it's share of historical crime - shootouts and such - mostly battling it out for the county seat with nearby Ingalls. The Santa Fe Trail ran right by, lots of Indian action in the area, and in more modern times, the Clutters were murdered in Holcomb about an hour away. We've had to deal with a drug problem - meth labs and such, and other recreational drugs can be found.

But we ain't never seen nuttin' like this:

Wasn't me. I swear.

(CIMARRON, Kan.)—

Authorities are looking for a man who robbed a bank in Cimarron Monday.  The robbery happened around 11:40 at the Credit Union of Dodge  City on Main Street in Cimarron.Police say the suspect showed a gun inside the bank and left with an undisclosed amount of cash.  No one was injured during the robbery.The suspect is described as a white male, about 5'10" with a medium build.  He was wearing dark colored plastic sunglasses, a fake beard that covered most of his face and a hooded sweatshirt.The Gray County Sherriff's Office, the KBI and the FBI are asking anyone with any information to contact law enforcement at 620-855-3916.

Bank in this case means the Credit Union. You can imagine how stirred up Facebook is now. Hope "they" catch the SOB - we don't care for this sort of thing in our town, and won't stand for it.

Like I Care

I just heard on the news (and have seen it online as well) all about Kate Middleton's possible slip that she is having a girl.

After the Duchess of Cambridge was given a teddy bear at the appearance by a bystander, a woman in the crowd says she heard the royal say, “I’ll give this to my d-,” before stopping herself. When the woman asked her to confirm what she’d just heard, the duchess gave a very, well, politically conscious reply. The exchange was caught on video!

As far as I'm concerned, this ranks right up there in significance with Justin Bieber's latest hairdo, or what Madonna does next, or for that matter what Lady Gaga is up to. Even less newsworthy might be what the Kardashians think about some issue or another, anything to do with Michael Jackson, Snooki, Alec Baldwin and, and, and.....

I think y'all get the idea.

I realize there are reams of people for whom the Royals' every move is like a drug they just cannot take enough of to be satisfied. Not so much for me.

However, it did remind me of a bad joke. And you know me, I'm more than willing to sacrifice any image of taste that I might have earned by telling these things. So, here goes:

Three pregnant women were at lunch, discussing their conditions. The first, a brunette, started the conversation by saying that she'd heard an old wives' tale that the sexual position used when the child was conceived determined the sex of the baby. Since her husband had been on top, she was going to have a boy.

So, the second woman, a redhead, spoke up and added that she would be having a girl, since she was on top. This prompted the third lady, a blonde, to burst into tears.

After several attempts to settle her down so she could speak coherently, she finally said:

Droughts Have Consequences

Just found out about this today - it's already happened.

Cargill Inc. said Thursday that it will indefinitely idle a Texas beef processing plant that employs about 2,000 people, primarily because of a dwindling cattle supply that is largely a result of drought.

The shutdown in Plainview, Texas, appears to be the first among major U.S. beef processing plants, as the industry's profits have been squeezed due to overcapacity.
"The idea of closing one or more of our major beef processing plants is not a big surprise," said Derrell Peel, a livestock specialist at Oklahoma State University's agricultural extension service. "It's been a matter of who blinks first."

Minnetonka-based Cargill is one of the biggest U.S. beef processors, and Plainview is home to one of the agribusiness giant's five sprawling plants that take in live cattle and ship out boxed beef.

The same economic dynamics that led to Cargill's Plainview closing have sent retail U.S. beef prices soaring the past two years, and no relief is in sight. Peel said retail prices could rise as much as 10 percent this year.

That would be after increases of 6.4 percent in 2011 and 10.2 percent in 2012, according to federal data.

Cattle ranchers can't even begin to rebuild their herds -- a multiyear process -- until the drought subsides. "Right now, [relief] of the drought conditions doesn't look very favorable this year," Peel said.

The Plainview shutdown begins Feb. 1, though Cargill says it will take measures to preserve the plant's "infrastructure" for potential reopening if the U.S. cattle herd rebounds. The plant in north Texas processes 4,500 head of cattle per day.

"While idling a major beef plant is unfortunate because of the resulting layoff of good people ... we were compelled to make a decision that would reduce the strain created on our beef business by the reduced cattle supply," Cargill Beef President John Keating said in a prepared statement.

The U.S. cattle herd is at its lowest level since 1952. "Increased feed costs due to the prolonged drought, combined with herd liquidations by cattle ranchers, are severely and adversely contributing to the challenging business conditions we face as an industry," Keating said.

By idling its Plainview plant, Cargill says it can operate three of its other big beef facilities on a five-day-a-week basis more consistently. Cargill plants in Friona, Texas; Dodge City, Kansas; and Fort Morgan, Colo., will receive cattle that normally would be slaughtered in Plainview.

Cargill doesn't break out results for its myriad meat businesses, though it has noted that its U.S. beef profit margins have been under pressure. Many U.S. beef processors are suffering losses or getting poor returns on the investments, Peel said.

The U.S. cattle herd has been in a long-term decline for years, particularly since about 2007, Peel said. Since then, grain prices have shot up due to structural changes in grain markets, thus precipitously boosting the price of cattle feed.

The 2012 drought, the nation's worst in decades, sent corn to over $8 a bushel. The heart of cattle country experienced its second straight year of very arid conditions, toasting pasture land.

More from the Star Tribune

I've hauled tanks for rendered fat and other liquids down there several times over the years. So, until the beef industry picks up again, Cargill Plainview is right out for us. We do business with the other plants as well, but still. The other plants can take up the slack, and I'm glad Dodge City's plant is one where they plan on expanding production, but transportation costs on that pound of hamburger just went up.

What a mess.

Good Thing

From Gwinnett Daily Post

Now those are some hot doughnuts.

Gwinnett authorities said a Lawrenceville man boosted a Krispy Kreme truck from a Dacula gas station last week, making off with untold quantities of glazed goodness and leading a sheriff's deputy on a high-speed chase across the county.

Police said a Krispy Kreme delivery man was dropping off his wares at an Exxon gas station in Dacula at about 10:45 p.m. Thursday. That's when James Freddy Major, 45-year-old alleged doughnut fiend, showed up and fled in the box truck."(The driver) stated that the male had approached him before he entered the store to start his delivery" and that Major appeared under the influence, according to a Gwinnett County police report.

Within about five minutes, a sheriff's office K9 unit (and later a few police officers) had located the truck headed toward Interstate 85 on Ga. Highway 316. They tried to pull Major over, but he wasn't having it.

"The vehicle then sped up on the interstate and failed to yield to our visual and audibles signals to pull over," one responding officer wrote. "The suspect vehicle then exited the interstate on the Beaver Ruin Road exit and made a left turn, while running the red light on the top of the exit."

Major reportedly ran a few more red lights and forced at least one vehicle off the road, going as fast as 70 mph before fleeing onto Burns Road. Driving erratically and leaving the roadway several times, the Krispy Kreme truck eventually made it to Ferrite Loop, a dead-end cul-de-sac near Cruse Road in Lawrenceville.

Major hit a mailbox before trying to flee on foot."The suspect ... was apprehended by K9 dog bite and officers on scene placed the suspect under arrest," the incident report said.

Good thing Major wasn't dealing with the LAPD. He'd for sure be a Krispy Kritter by now, and reports would include a shot up UPS delivery truck and an ambulance, because of the obvious similarities to the Krispy Kreme truck.. Stolen doughnuts is serious bidness.

RIP Mr. Mayor

Picture from Fox News

Ed Koch passed away at age 88 this morning at 2 am.

He hadn't been in the greatest of health for a while, and I talked about him on September 5 of last year.

Just to reiterate what I said then - he may have been a Democrat, but I really learned to respect him when he was on a morning talk show on the USA network back in the mid nineties. His chutzpah, practical solutions and willingness to sacrifice public opinion for results really made an impression. I doubt the man ever consulted a poll before deciding what to do - an ability few politicians master. He was about as foreign to me as another US citizen could be. He was definitely Jewish - rarely seen out here on the prairie and unfamiliar to me, and he may have even been gay:

Koch was a champion of gay rights, taking on the Roman Catholic Church and scores of political leaders. A lifelong bachelor, Koch offered a typically blunt response to questions about his own sexuality: “My answer to questions on this subject is simply, `F— off.’ There have to be some private matters left.”

I don't care if he was gay or was not. What I do care about is his attitude expressed. It was his business; end of story, no agenda here. I admire that.

The mayor dismissed his critics as “wackos,” waged verbal war with developer Donald Trump (“piggy”) and mayoral successor Rudolph Giuliani (“nasty man”), lambasted the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and once reduced the head of the City Council to tears. 

“I’m not the type to get ulcers,” he wrote in “Mayor,” his autobiography. “I give them.”

It would be easy to dismiss someone with an attitude like that, but the Mayor was successful and essentially, he backed up what he said with results. Very hard to argue with that, as far as I'm concerned.

Yannow those lists of historical people you'd like to all have gathered together for dinner and discussions? Ed Koch would have to be on my list. He'd liven that party up fer sure.

So, I bid you adieu, Mr. Mayor. You "done good."

We Live In Interesting Times

Yes, we are all going to breathe a sigh of relief after Tuesday. We're certainly hoping from relief from the incessant hatred in the ads on tv, the papers full of vitriol, and even the exasperation of dealing with stupid friends who just aren't as politically smart as we so obviously are. Yes, it will all be over, Thank God, and we can get back to our lives and be left alone.

Not so fast, buffalo breath - as Johnny was wont to say to Ed back in the day.

Huh?

What makes you think there aren't legions of lawyers all lined up in critical districts, ready to contest election results if they don't go the way they want? Just for a minute, think on how preparations have been made to find sympathetic judges, crooked clerks and whatever kind of advantages a party might want or need to further their agenda?

Because no one ever loses in this country anymore - we're all winners, don't you know.

Stay Myopic, NYT!

As Massachusetts Governor, Romney Was Often Away

BOSTON — When the ceiling collapsed in the Big Dig tunnel here, Gov. Mitt Romney was at his vacation home in New Hampshire. When the Bush administration warned that the nation was at high risk of a terror attack in December 2003, he was at his Utah retreat. And for much of the time the legislature was negotiating changes to his landmark health care bill, he was on the road.

And so the vaunted New York Times examines just how derelict Governor Romney was as governor of Massechusetts.

I'm sure Mitt was gone when they say he was.

But excuse me, just what in the wide wide world of sports has our current President been doing for the past year or so? Besides all the vacations, golfing, and so on. Where is the equal and fair outrage?

Some of the liberal press have noticed that Teh Won really slipped in the first debate with Mitt. The Times, though, still has him walking on water.

Now We Find Out???

The Obama you don't know

Few if any of his predecessors took the oath of office with higher public hopes for his success than President Obama on Jan. 20, 2009.Millions of Americans hailed his election as an end to partisanship, a renewal of the spirit of compromise and a reinvigoration of the nation's highest ideals at home and abroad.

Above all, as America's first black chief executive, Obama symbolized the healing of long-festering wounds that were the terrible national legacy of slavery, the Reconstruction Era and Jim Crow. We would be, finally, one nation.

But after nearly four years in office, Obama has become a sharply polarizing figure.

His admirers believe he deserves a special place alongside Wilson, the Roosevelts and LBJ as one of the architects of benevolent government.

His critics believe he is trying to remake America in the image of Europe's social democracies, replacing America's ethos of independence and individual enterprise with a welfare state inflamed by class divisions.

In an effort to get a clearer picture of Obama -- his shaping influences, his core beliefs, his political ambitions and his accomplishments -- The Washington Examiner conducted a four-month inquiry, interviewing dozens of his supporters and detractors in Chicago and elsewhere, and studying countless court transcripts, government reports and other official documents.Over the years and in two autobiographies, Obama has presented himself to the world as many things, including radical community organizer, idealistic civil rights lawyer, dynamic reformer in the Illinois and U.S. senates, and, finally, the cool presidential voice of postpartisan hope and change.

With his air of reasonableness and moderation, he has projected a remarkably likable persona. Even in the midst of a historically dirty campaign for re-election, his likability numbers remain impressive, as seen in a recent AP-GFK Poll that found 53 percent of adults have a favorable view of him.

But beyond the spin and the polls, a starkly different picture emerges. It is a portrait of a man quite unlike his image, not a visionary reformer but rather a classic Chicago machine pol who thrives on rewarding himself and his friends with the spoils of public office, and who uses his position to punish his enemies.

This is just the opening paragraphs of a ten part series by the Washington Examiner. Just warning y'all in the TL:DR (Too Long: Didn't Read) category that it will take a while to RTWT (Read The Whole Thing).

Some of this I'd already heard, but some not so much. The press in this presidential election is primarily concerned with Mitt Romney's tax returns - absolutely sure that if he won't show them to us, he must be hiding something. Now that he's released them and it shows he's paid more than he needed to, I hear the sound of crickets rather than liberal pundits saying they were wrong.

Of course I was holding my breath, doncha know....

I think I'd have a major heart attack should MSNBC or for that matter, any of the other liberal letter news agencies did a series of stories like this on Their Dear Leader On a Pedestal Who Does No Wrong.

But, hey! No worries about all the policy failures of the current administration! They've got a new flag, just in time for the hero worship ceremonies! Nothing like a cult of personality rather than a leader!

Ministry of Disinformation

We're being spun - not like that's any news. What is objectionable is that lives are being lost, whether it's guns to Mexico with Gunwalker, or the latest Al Qaeda attack on our Embassy.

By now, you’ve probably heard that U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens, and three other American diplomats were murdered in Benghazi, Libya, coincidentally on September 11th, 2012. I say “coincidentally” because the U.S. media is weaving quite a tall tale in order to prevent any connection to President Obama’s foreign policy, or lack thereof.

How is this fairy tale woven?

Media outlets in the U.S. want you to believe that a Youtube video, posted two months ago, insulted the Muslim religion so much it’s frothing adherents had no choice but to go on a murderous rampage. The video is allegedly a trailer for a movie that apparently doesn’t really exist, performed by actors who swear they didn’t utter the lines in the video, which had offensive dialog dubbed into the clip, then was translated and re-dubbed into arabic with even more offensive dialog, by a man who doesn’t seem to exist, but is a Jewish/Coptic Israeli/Egyptian. The backlash from the video caused immediate protests (two months later) that magically turned violent.

This storyline is so perfect, that any criticism of arming the Muslim Brotherhood to overthrow dictator Mo Gaddafi during the “Arab Spring” is blasphemously “politicizing” this tragic, but predictable outcome for political gain. This is particularly true if you are applying for the job of President and believe you can provide a better outcome.

As they say, read the whole thing. The foreign press is reporting a far different story than what our Administration lapdogs deem it necessary for us to know. Like the internet doesn't exist, and we cannot access any information other than what they want us to see and hear.

We're being spun again. How do you like it?

H/T Kevin

Aurora

Once again, climbing on the soapbox and talking like I know something.....

Of course the shootings at the Century 16 Theaters was a tragedy. And, we can count on anti-gunners to bathe in the blood of the victims, claiming that if we got rid of all the guns, this sort of thing would not happen. And once again, we will counter that overly simplistic argument with the facts that criminals will still have guns, and besides all that, you can't take them away. It's a right guaranteed by the Constitution. End of story, as far as I'm concerned. Of course, no one asked me.

Another fact is that our media and news obsessed world makes instant celebrities out of chickenshit wannabe assassins like James Holmes or Jared Loughner. Perhaps their mother didn't breast feed 'em or something, but they are surely warped individuals who got exactly what they wanted, and while they are mentally aberrant, I have to wonder if they aren't really fairly sane. The sort of meticulous planning that this shooting exhibited showed a fairly organized mind. Murderous, infantile and selfish, sure. Yet he managed to conceive a detailed plan and carry it out.

People like this are going to be around us forever. I wish I had a cure, or a means of detection that didn't infringe upon our personal liberties, but this does not exist. Keeping guns away from you or me wouldn't stop guys like that, unfortunately, nor does it stop MS-13 or other noted lawbreakers.

And we really don't want to muzzle the press when it comes to wallowing in the blood and anguish of the victims, and popularizing the murderers. I think the price we'd pay for stomping on the First Amendment would be more than we'd care to pay.

But one means of defense was denied to the moviegoers. The patrons of Cinemark Century Theaters, who own the Century 16, are not  allowed to carry within their businesses. They maintain "gun free zones."

What this says to me is that the various business owners fear law abiding citizens carrying guns more than they do the thought that someone with ill intent might look at their operations as an opportunity.

Well, too bad. It's our right to defend ourselves and our loved ones. I'm of the opinion that if you deny the average citizen the Constitutionally guaranteed right to bear arms, then By Gawd you oughtta be making damn sure this sort of thing never, ever happens. That means security measures, which also would logically include armed security. So, if one is to be secure in this weird world, people with guns seem to be the best antidote to people with guns. Simplistic as hell, but people without guns are always going to be subject to the predations of those who obtain them, legal or illegal.

I am for thinking that at some point, someone who has passed all the state's requirements for CCW is going to be killed or injured in a similar situation, and they're gonna be connected to some high powered lawyers. After some of these anti-gun businesses are successfully sued (and I have no delusions that this will be easy) for neglecting security after denying it to their customers, I'm for thinking the "gun free zones" might just become a thing of the past, and the odds will tip in the favor of those who want to remain safe and in control of their destinies.

I just don't see any other way out of this box.

Better Outlook

link

Yannow, I think Teh Won is an attention craving moron, particularly when considering his behavior regarding Seal Team Six's assassination of Osama Bin Laden. By jumping on the bandwagon and releasing some pretty sensitive information, he screwed the pooch for the intelligence folks, all in the name of lookin' good and being warlike and tough.

But it's good that the One World Trade Center's construction continues apace, and has made some serious progress in the skyline. Neat video from CBS News, using Earth One time lapse photography.

The smarta$$ in me wonders how long it will be before our President takes credit for this construction.