Mazurland Blog

Now That The Pie Is Gone

Holiday cuisine is full of stuff we don't eat much through the year. Strange things, some recalling the "waste not, want not" ethos of our immigrant and agrarian forebears. When else do we eat gravy made with diced organ meat? At what other time of year do we eat pies made from a pureed gourd and a half dozen eggs? Or from chopped game meat, suet, and raisins? After Christmas, when will you partake of a drink made of eggs, spices, booze, and cream?

But it's good to recall that, as good as this stuff may taste, none of it is any good for you, at least not the way you lead your life in today's world. The high-fat fare was a real treat for people generations ago, when people only feasted a few times a year. But we live in a food-rich age and even blue-collar workers lead relatively sedentary lives. People regularly dine out on over-sized portions, and think nothing of making their morning coffee a Mocha Frappuccino.

So, now that you've had your fill of turkey and stuffing at least a couple of times, and had pie for breakfast, and "second breakfast", for the last two days, it's probably safe to remind you of where some of this delicious, rich food comes from. Maybe the picture on the left will help you stay on your diet until Christmas.

Thanksgiving Remembrance

Thanksgiving is a day that was set aside by President Lincoln during the Civil War so all citizens could take a step back and thank God for their country, families and our way of life in America.

I sure hope all of Mazurland are enjoying the holdiay, around hearth and home with family.  We're having kind of a mellow day here in NC.

What I want to tell you about actually happened yesterday.  It was Boy Scout Popcorn delivery day,.  One of my co-workers decided the BSA popcorn was too expensive for the family, but spent 15.00 to send some to one of our warriors overseas.  I didn't know she had until we were both in our boss's office to pay for the stuff we ordered on Wednesday.

I went to get some coffee, and she was sitting back at her desk.  And this is what I said to her.

"You did a very nice thing.  You have no idea how much that will be appreciated. Normally those gift packs will go to a warrior who doesn't get a lot of care packages from home, or maybe not much mail of any kind.  I can tell you that at times like Thanksgiving and Christmas, being 10K miles from home and away from all that is familiar to you is very tough. Your gift is going to make someone you never met real happy they did decide to risk their life to protect your family and our country  A gift like this won't ever be forgotten".  

This particular lady, as far as I know--- voted for President Obama. One of 3 out of the 50 employees who actually admitted they intended to.  When I went by her desk a few minutes later, she was wiping her eyes---and she told me "you got me choked up".   I told her she did a patriotic thing and shouldn't be upset, rather proud of herself. No need to get choked up. I also think she's got a bad case of buyer's remorse with that vote.

And so I ask you---While enjoying yourself today---remember the people out there, kids mostly, who are providing us this a peaceful and safe day to give thanks.  It's sure not like that for them---they're in the armpit and asshole of the universe, and life sucks everyday there's people trying to kill you because you fight for freedom.

Eat up, and give your impressions of the day in comments.

Animals Give Up, Join Democrat Party

When I was a Boy Scout in WNY, we used to sing a song about a Bear.  I don't remember any of it except the first verse.

"Out in the woods, there was a Bear, out in the woods, a way out there,

Out in the woods there was a Bear, out in the woods a way out there"

Bears have had it tough as a group, foraging for enough chow to keep them healthy through the winter hibernation period.  I guess some of them have been watching too much TV.   They have decided that they have had enough of fending for themselves, and have decided to join the Democratic Party, so they can get in on riding in the cart that the humans have to pull.   They've even elected a leader,   His name, not so strange, is Bearack Obama

Bearack Obama was elected on a program of  Hope And Change-----Bears Hope to change the way that they get the food they need to live---They have requested Food Stamp EBT Cards, Mother Bears have requested AFDC, and the cubs will qualify for Head Start, and Free School Breakfasts and Lunches.  

Bearack says---Why should we work? Let's follow the example the Human government in America has set for the humans!!!  We are a protected class, and we want some hope and change to come for us!!!

Trail of Broken Promises

From the WAPO @ 0852 this morning

BEIJING -- President Obama directly acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that the prison facility at Guantanamo Bay will not close by the January deadline he set, but he said he hoped to still achieve that goal sometime next year.

Obama refused, however, to set a new deadline.

********************************************************************************* 

Another in a trail of empty promises made to American Liberals.

Gay Marriage? NOPE--But thanks for your vote!!!!!

All Bills on the Internet for the public to see, and the "Most Transparent Administration Ever!"  Well, if you consider obsidian transparent, it is.

This Stimulus Bill will keep unemployment under 8%----I guess if the new math has 10 before 8 on the number line---perhaps Marty can clarifiy.

Look at this 2 trillion dollar debt----I can fix it---If you consider adding 10 trillion to it as "fixing it".

Now "I WILL CLOSE GUANTANAMO BY THE END OF 2009"   NOT.

But, he is young, and black, and charismatic, so the MSM and the Liberals still love him with iconic worship.   The libertarians and independents that voted for him----not so much. 

If you watch video of THE ONE, look closely at his face---there's a definite change in his face--the self confidence that was in his facial demeanor last year at this time is just about gone.  

As I told the wife last night when I told her to look at Barry and see if she noticed it-----Finally, after 11 months in office, he has been whacked between the horns enough to know that he's in way over his head, he's screwing the pooch weekly, and his support is ebbing away quickly daily.  He's poised to lose the Congress to the Republicans, who will stop the Odumbo express dead in its tracks.

Under Covers

A couple of weeks ago, I went out with some people from my running club to a local bar. We caught the early act (the place gets taken over by students after about 10). It was a duo that did covers, one guy on an acoustic guitar and the other who switched between a mandolin and a strat. They were quite good singers, and a lot of fun with the Happy Hour crowd of grad students through middle-agers. They ran through everything from folk and gospel numbers to songs by the Beatles, the Stones, Bowie, and Elvis Costello. And they were pretty good-natured with the loud table near the front (that would have been us), even when I yelled a request for Swedish Death Metal.

I like cover bands, but I like it best when they're not mimics. I'm not one to go see a tribute band. An enjoyable cover has to do something different, add a twist. One of our fine local blues combos does a cover of the Stones' Last Time with a tuba intro followed by a rendition of the song much punchier than the Stones, with the added flavor of a resophonic guitar. Sometimes a good twist can be done by the same artist who did the original. The Beatles put out two different versions of Revolution. The Stones did two different takes on Honkey Tonk Woman. And I like both versions that I've seen Nick Lowe do of What's So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding? (as well as Costello's cover of the same, even though it's similar to Lowe's first shot).

So here's a cover that I've never heard before, though it made the rounds on YouTube a couple of years ago. If you don't recognize it right away, it might be because you're not into hip-hop music. The song is Hey Ya by OutKast, a huge, high-energy hit about 5 years ago. The folky cover of that song went viral and was copied by dozens of YouTubers, kids at high school talent shows, and even had a stint on the TV show Scrubs. I feel sorry for Matt Weddle of the folk combo Obadiah Parker, the poor guy who first did it. He's got some talent and a great voice, but he's still trying to figure out how to cash in on his moment of viral fame. For now, here's a shout-out to you, Matt. Hope this helps. Hey Ya!

[HT - John W.]

Advertising In Post-Racial America

It's been bad news for President Obama for some months. Though his administration has continued (and upped the ante on) the enormous economic stimulus packages begun by his predecessor, these policies have achieved little and indebted the country greatly. The tone he set with his campaign and later his World Apology Tour has brought him the admiration of the European elites, including the Nobel Prize Committee, yet has only earned the contempt of enemies and the dismay of allies. And much of the rest of his foreign and domestic policy agendas have not gotten much past the starting gate. It is early in his term, but it seems the blush has already faded from the bloom of Obamania. But President Obama has one great accomplishment to his credit. I am sure that Brother Hank can verify, from his perch in central North Carolina where the commercial below was made, that President Obama really has ushered in a "post-racial America".

[Note: The duo that made this advertisement loves bad local commercials and proudly advertises that they will make your business its own really bad commercial.]

For Brother Hank

This year, the celebration of Veteran's Day is overshadowed by the recent horrific shootings at Ft. Hood, Texas, and also tainted by the muddled response of our Armed Services (and their Commander-in-Chief) to it and to the disturbing revelations of the systemic breakdown that lead to it. We can only hope that the light that is being shed (and, yes, the heat generated) will result in a reform and curtailment of what seems to be the absurd institutional political correctness that endangers our society and the lives of those we have charged to protect it.

Now, let's take a moment to be thankful to those who have served our country in the Armed Forces over the years. Happy Veteran's Day, Brother Hank!

Dylan Dismantled

I'm thankful that I was born just a few years too late to get on the Bob Dylan bandwagon. While he was definitely part of my time growing up, he'd probably made most of his important contributions to popular music and culture, had gone through most of his controversies, and, in short, was mostly spent as an artist by time I was critically aware.

Don't get me wrong. I tried to get into him when I was younger. I had a copy of his most influential early electric album, Highway 61 Revisited. I think the guy wrote some decent songs, and I even liked some of his "symbolist" nonsense, like Desolation Row, if only for the mood it evoked. But even as a youngster, I had the impression that Dylan was pulling something over on his audience, of which he was not a little bit contemptuous. That's something I never liked in an artist: contempt for his audience. (It's something I'm glad Elvis Costello, for instance, seems to have outgrown.)

And so much later, I put Dylan in his own small niche in my personal musical constellation, and have rarely thought it necessary to revisit my evaluation. To me, Dylan was a smart-ass, a jester, a provocateur, and maybe a bit of a poseur, if not a fraud. He had a small talent as a melodist, and a small gift for lyrical evocation, yet little as a musician (In fact, he was often purposely grating as a singer and player.) He was not a prophet, not even a poet. His best stuff was his small-scale stuff, songs with some sparseness to the lyric, like Lay Lady Lay, Just Like A Woman, I Want You, and Forever Young. The longer attempts, except for a few iconic hits such as Like a Rolling Stone and All Along the Watchtower, wore thin. Who could now call Desolation Row poetry? Who can sit through the thing?

Well, Andrew Ferguson has apparently never had any patience for Bob Dylan. Ferguson is a Senior Editor at the Weekly Standard, and seems never to have been taken in by Dylan. And in this piece in the Weekly Standard, he produces one of the most thorough dismantlings of an artist that I've ever read. Ferguson gives a brief history of Dylan Idolatry, and demolishes much of Dylan's aura. He takes my sense of Dylan's contempt for his audience, and goes farther, saying that "Dylan's fans are the battered wives of the music industry." It's a great read, something you won't regret reading if you have a thought of buying Dylan's new Christmas album. (Actually, just listening to a few of the samples at Amazon should stop you from making that mistake.)

All The News That Fits In Print

By now, I'm sure all of you are aware of the shooting at Fort Hood.  As of right now, 8:00 a.m. on the day after the shooting, the "facts" seem to be:  a single shooter, Major Malik Nadal Hasan, an Muslim army psychiatrist, has shot and killed 12 people, wounded dozens more, and is presently alive and in custody.  Are those facts completely accurate?  Well, follow the chain of events, much of which I am piecing together from memory:

1) Shooting reported with no information
2) Army (or possibly law enforcement) spokesflacks swiftly announce that there is no connection to terrorism
3) Number of dead reported at 7 people with roughly a dozen wounded
4) Reports that one shooter is dead with one more in custody
5) Reports that one shooter is dead with (at least) two more in custody
6) Reports of second shooting in a movie theater
7) Non-Fox MSM swiftly unifies around PC-friendly PTSD diagnosis, apropos of nothing
8) Number of dead rises to 12
9) Dead shooter ID'ed as Maj. Hasan.
10) Maj. Hasan ID'ed as a Muslim.
11) Maj. Hasan ID'ed as a Muslim convert.
12) Maj. Hasan reported to have sympathized with Islamic terrorists, resented pending Iraq (Afghanistan?) deployment, cheered on bombings (so much for PTSD and no connection to terrorism!)
13) Number of dead revised to 13
<I went to sleep at this point, but by morning:>
14) Ft. Hood commanding General announces that Maj. Hasan is alive and in custody, and was the only shooter
15) Maj. Hasan comes from a family of life-long Muslims, and is not a convert
16) Number of dead re-revised to 12
17) 13th victim dies of wounds

So there we are, so far.  Still no definite motive, although now that he's in custody I expect we'll get one soon, depending on how much the government wants to keep under wraps (I don't have particularly high hopes there).  I think several lessons are borne out here:

1) The media (all of it, sorry, not just the MSM) absolutely sucks at its job in a time of major crisis.  Has this always been the case?  I don't know.  Maybe there was a "golden age" where it didn't suck so much, and now they've lost their edge.  This is not to say that anyone else could do it better -- I think it's fair to say that if anyone could do it, it should be the news media (both new and old).  But considering the "facts" that were let fly so quickly, as outlined above, it's frightening how little confirmation of anything was done, and how much speculation, rumor, or misinformation was reported as "emerging fact".  The Punditry, on both sides of the fence, were all to quick to believe the reports from the very Media (MSM on the right, Fox on the left) they deride, as well.  The real lesson here is:  don't believe one red cent that anyone reports as objective fact until well after the smoke has cleared.

2) It's not like most of us who spend time around these parts didn't know this already, but:  the MSM will carry water for Islamic Extremism until the sun burns out.  It always seems like the immediate reaction is "THERE IS NO CONNECTION WITH ISLAMIC TERRORISM", regardless of the amount of information available.  And yes, such a statement, in the complete absence of information, might be technically true (well, vacuously true), it is also true to say "there is no reason to believe the incident is not connected with Islamic terrorism".  It is particularly laughable that the MSM jumped on the PTSD diagnosis at a time when it was thought that there were up to three shooters -- has "group PTSD" ever been an observed malady?  Anywho, apart from the punditry at NRO and other places, even after the (supposedly dead) shooter's name was revealed, I still failed to hear any connections to Islamic terrorism, which is astounding.  How could he have PTSD if he hadn't even been in combat yet?  So far his entire military experience was apparently a string of government-funded medical training fellowships! 

Particularly considering that the "suspect" is still alive, I will be very interested in seeing how things unfold.  Expect the media to paint Maj. Hasan as a victim, and for Pres. Bush to somehow take the blame.  Because Obama, of course, has already ended all wars and made the Ummah love us.  Assuming the reports of Maj. Hasan's "cheering on" of US troop deaths and justification of Islamic extremism bear out, I will be paying close attention to any policy changes the US Military makes to Muslims in its own ranks -- failing to censure (or outright court martial) an officer who cheers on the enemy seems like a pretty big deal to me.

Barry's BS Resume??

From Wikipedia---seems innocent enough.  RE: Barack Hussein Obama

"He transferred in 1981 to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialization in international relations and graduated with a B.A. in 1983".

REALLY?  NO SHIT?  

From antimullah.com

NOBODY REMEMBERS OBAMA AT COLUMBIA

Alan Peters

19 October 2009

Looking for evidence of Obama's past, Fox News contacted 400 Columbia
University students from the period when Obama claims to have been there,
but none remembered him.

Wayne Allyn Root was, like Obama, a political science major at Columbia who
also graduated in 1983. In 2008, Root says of Obama, "I don't know a single
person at Columbia that knew him, and they all know me.

I don't have a classmate who ever knew Barack Obama at Columbia. Ever!
Nobody recalls him. I'm not exaggerating, I'm not kidding."

Root adds that he was also, like Obama, "Class of '83 political science,
pre-law" and says, "You don't get more exact or closer than that. Never met
him in my life, don't know anyone who ever met him.

At the class reunion, our 20th reunion five years ago, who was asked to be
the speaker of the class? Me.

No one ever heard of Barack! And five years ago, nobody even knew who he was
The guy who writes the class notes, who's kind of the, as we say in New
York, the macha who knows everybody, has yet to find a person, a human who
ever met him. Is that not strange?

t's very strange." Obama's photograph does not appear in the school's
yearbook and Obama consistently declines requests to talk about his years at
Columbia, provide school records, or provide the name of any former
classmates or friends while at Columbia.

 
Hank Sez: Things that make you say HMMMMMMMM.

Happy Birthday, Andy!

Today, Mazurland wishes a Happy Birthday to Andy Mazur, son of Brother Marty. While Andy is not one of Mazurland's authors, his varied exploits have been the subjects of numerous Mazurland posts. Since his graduation from High School over four years ago, Mazurland has followed Andy on his many outdoor adventures and has been along on his various idealistic, and sometimes messy, exploits. Today, Andy turns 23. The number 23 is special. For a start, it's prime. It also has a very long list of interesting properties that distinguish it from all the other numbers. But as special as 23 things it already is, Andy is sure to add to that list and make 23 even more outstanding. Here's wishing him the best!

Halloween Revue

Halloween and pumpkins have played a big role in Mazurland from the very beginning. Nearly five years ago, Brother Chris, when he was trying to figure out his blog software, put the image of a pumpkin in his second post to Mazurland Blog. And that was in January. Later in 2005, at Halloween, the pumpkin's identity and the story behind it were revealed. The pumpkin, called Googlie, became the subject of a manhunt (or pumpkin hunt) in December. Unfortunately, his body turned up in a landfill, the victim of bad music. Like any good character, Googlie rose from the ashes in the summer of 2006 and lent some political commentary just before the election. Googlie hasn't been seen much since then. Maybe he only likes to show himself when his party controls Congress.

Halloween itself has occasioned all manner of Mazurland postings, from the religion desk, to our arts and crafts department, with subjects from science to social commentary. And, of course human interest stories. Only occasionally have we let commercial interests interject themselves into our Halloween revelry.

But in all this, we've not lost track of what Halloween is supposed to be about. It's the eve of All Saints Day, the day when we commemorate all those, known and unknown, who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven. 

And now I hear the doorbell again. Time to feed the little devils outside!

Some Friday Fun

In Riverside, It's "Beggar's Night", where the kids try to shake down their neighbors for treats a day early and generally cause mischief in the hood.

Since none of the Mazurland Authors are in Buffalo today, we have a good chuckle, courtesy of  Moe Lane.com, and those stalwart anchors of 70's Rock,  Creedence Clearwater Revival.

A Time For Choosing

Marty and I were in 2nd grade when this speech was given.  It's the best 30 min. of video you will EVER see on the internet. 

Though I deeply respect and admire the man making the speech, what he says to you, based on the last nine months, will scare the living shit out of you. 

Malcolm X once ran into his friend "Shorty" that he had stolen and sold drugs with after he became a Minister of the Nation of Islam. Shorty told him he "didn't pay religion any mind". Referring to the teachings of Mohammed, Malcolm told his old friend, "You need to give it ALL your mind"

Friends of Mazurland---watch the WHOLE THING.  Listen closely. If this doesn't scare you, as he says, As a nation we are finished.  We will force our children into the darkness for a thousand years.

Marine Week/ Jeb F Seagle Day October 25th

 
Sunday, Oct 25th was the 26th anniversary of the liberation of the island of Grenada by US forces.  On that day in 1983, Captain Jeb Franklin Seagle USMCR of Lincolnton, NC and his pilot Captain Timothy Howard were shot down by combined Cuban and rebel Grenadian forces.  

Captain Seagle got his unconscious pilot out of the burning Cobra gunship, as unexpended ordinance still inside the Cobra cooked off all around him.  After dragging Capt. Howard out of danger,and ignoring his  order to let him die and save himself,  Seagle used his radio headset cord to tie a tourniquet around his pilot's nearly severed arm. Captain Seagle then took both officer's pistols and went into the jungle to draw fire away from the crash site, allowing a medevac duster to get down and rescue his pilot. He was captured by Cuban regulars, who executed him and left his body on the beach.

President Ronald Reagan posthumously awarded Capt. Seagle the first Navy Cross for heroism since the end of the Vietnam war in November 1983. Had there been two more living witnesses to this event, he would have received the Medal of Honor.  Capt. Howard lost his arm, but remained on active duty, retiring at the rank of full Colonel, and now lives in Hawaii.

Friday, the 23rd of October marked the 26th anniversary of the homicide bombing of the Marine Battalion Landing Team HQ, 1st BN, 8th Marine Regiment in Beirut, Lebanon.  240 Marines and Navy Corpsmen lost their lives in the blast, including CPL Robert Mercer of Vale, NC which is in Lincoln County.  

Lincolnton, NC was the only township in the United States to lose a native son in both Grenada and Beirut during that week.

October 23rd 1983 was the bloodiest day for the Marine Corps since the 1st day of the battle of Iwo Jima in WW2, and the bloodiest day for the US military since the 1st day of the Tet Offensive in the city of Hue, Republic of Vietnam in January 1968.

The Captain Jeb F. Seagle Detachment #1265 of the Marine Corps League requested and received a proclamation from the City Council of Lincolnton, NC on October 3rd, 2009 which marks October 25th as Jeb F. Seagle Day in Lincolnton in perpetuity.

The Detachment also requested and received a proclamation from the Lincoln County Commission to proclam the week of October 18-25 as "Marine Week" in Lincoln County.

On October 25th, A remembrance ceremony was held at the Lincoln County War Memorial on the Courthouse lawn.

Highlights Below.

This disgusting fat body was the Master of ceremonies---sporting the Joe Cool look . Actually, I forgot to take my sunglasses off.

 
Taps was sounded by Marine Ed House (Major/Retired, Bronze Star Vietnam), who used the same bugle he learned to play as a Boy Scout in the 1930's.  Ed has played taps at over 1100 military funerals. Saluting to his right is Dennis A Brockland, Commandant of the Department of North Carolina

 
Captain Seagle's brother Thom and sister Pat lay the wreath presented by Marine Ray Trevino and Commandant Steve Reep (Master Gunnery Sgt/Retired 33 years, 5 in Vietnam)

Poke!

For Brother Chris. So he knows what he's missing on Facebook.



[HT - Angelina]

Penn State Is The Answer To The Ultimate Question Of Life, The Universe, And Everything

Why? Because it's 42. Well, tied for 42, with one of the campuses of the University of Paris, among the top 500 universities of the world in 2008 as determined by the Center for World-Class Universities, an outfit centered at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. Of course, one can always argue over criteria. This survey seems to be weighted toward the natural sciences and mathematics, and uses quantitative indicators such as research output, number of Nobel Prizes, etc. (I wonder if the White House will open a branch campus.) It's not surprising that Penn State is ranked so highly. It's one of the largest universities in the world. And at least one of its senior faculty members has been around since Hector was a pup. What interested me was the absolute dominance of American universities on the list.

Just the other day, my wife and I were having a discussion about foreign students at American institutions of higher learning. She was opining that foreigners are no longer coming to American universities as they were in the past. I was a little circumspect about her opinion. It reminded me of the famous Yogiism, "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." I offered that maybe there weren't so many undergrads, but American graduate schools, especially in the sciences, are inundated with foreign students. If it is true that American schools have declined in foreign eyes, I can only imagine what their utter dominance was in times past. In the 2008 listing, 17 of the top 20 universities are American. And 38 out of the top 50, and nearly 200 of the top 500 are also American.

America has a wealth of opportunity for higher education. Perhaps a surfeit, according to many observers. The October 5, 2009 issue of National Review has a series of articles on the real problems with American higher education. Many people are spending too much of their time and money pursuing the bachelor's credential, to the ultimate benefit of mainly entrenched university interests. Americans are paradoxically becoming both over-educated and under-educated at the same time. The bachelors degree is becoming a minimum passport of entry to jobs where college level learning is not needed. So many people spend years of their lives and tens of thousands of dollars to gain a ticket to a job that someone could be trained to do less expensively and in much less time. Yet a good portion of these extra years and dollars are often spent on intellectual filler or worse. And the cost of higher education, like that of health care, has for years been increasing faster than the general rate of inflation, and for the same reason: the intrusion of government, with both subsidies and mandates. The National Review series has some serious discussion on all these topics.

But for now, the college degree is viewed as indispensable for those aspiring to higher things. And, for all its problems, America offers the best in higher education. So much so that it can be hard to chose among the options. If you're looking at colleges and universities, for yourself or for your child, Mazurland offered a few years ago a short guide to get you going.

[HT - Boris]es

Make A Difference!

Apparently, ESPN is allowing write-ins for their Heisman Trophy voting. There's a new internet surge of support for the dark horse, Barack Obama. Go here to cast a vote, and to give him the victory he hopes to some day earn!

Who knows? Stranger things have happened...

Things That Have Been Pissing Me Off --Part 1

There's LOTS of things lately, Let's see how many I can get done in the next 45 minutes before I leave work and descend into the 7th level of hell---aka Charlotte Douglas Airport, to pick up Wanda.

The latest in Oba-Mao's radical leftist retards, appointed as Safe Schools Czar, Kevin Jennings.

Author of the Foreward to the book "Queering Elementary Education",  This guy proves his moral balance sheet reads BANKRUPT.  He has publicly lauded an advocate of pedophilia, and is a supporter of the North American Man/Boy Love Association.  

Apparently, now that the President is half Black,  Homosexual is the new Black.  Take a look at Media Matters, if you can before your eyes burn out, and read their torrid defense of the man charged with making our schools safe----A man who encourages predatory relationships between young boys and old men.

There's only 3 things I can say about this situation. 

1. This is a plan by Obambi to show the Homosexual community "See, I put a Gay guy in there and Hannity and the Right won't let go of it".  A DAMN poor excuse for not taking action on "Don't Ask Don't Tell, as he promised the GLBT community during the election cycle.

2. In any Jail or Prison, there is a social ladder. Prisons/Jails are microcosom of the Criminals in our society.  At the top are the white collar criminals (due to intelligence) and the murderers (out of fear).  At the VERY BOTTOM of the letter are pedophiliacs.  Ya got to remember that inmates are Fathers and Mothers too! 

3. On liberal and Conservative Blogs, there has been a flurry of activity by homosexuals on all parts of the political spectrum, who also believe that the appointment of Kevin Jennings in any capacity for Safe Schools is an abomination.  Obambi forgot that homosexuals are PARENTS TOO! 

Robert Gibbs--Presidential Press Moron---WHERE did Barry find this freakin' tool?  He makes Dee Dee Myers look like Walter Cronkite.

Congresscritters who will vote "YES" to a blank sheet of paper.  What the Hell are they thinking?

Senator Baucus can't get his staff to download a 300 page .pdf file in less than 2 weeks.  Makes me want to change my address to MT and apply for a Staff Job.

Rep Louise Slaughter (Wingnut-NY)  announced that is was "Beneath her" to hold town meetings to hear what the citizens in her district that she represents have to say about what she's doing in the Congress. Obviously this ancient bitch thinks that she got 100% of all votes, and therefore whatever she does is just ducky with everyone. 

The "Horror" I saw in my mind this morning when Bill Clinton's head exploded after hearing the news that Barry got the Nobel Peace Prize with only 2 weeks in office---After all, Bill has fleeced people for millions to create his "Global Initiative".  Carter, Gore, Barry, What the F about Bill??  just before his head blew up he thought about that errant splooge on a blue dress. Keeps coming back like a bad penny.

Molson bought O'Keefe and immediately discontinued the production of Old Vienna Beer.  I WANT MY F**KING SPLITS!!!!

Feel free to chime in in Comments about what's pissin' YOU off lately.

HOLY SHUCKING FIT

So... didja hear that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize?  What, are they giving those things away at the  bottom of Cracker Jacks boxes now?  Has the last two years of American politics been some surreptitious reality show, the "game" in which is to destroy one's own country, and the ultimate prize of which is a Nobel Freaking Prize?  Seriously, did I miss something?  The seething hordes still hate us.  The Chinese are less warm at us today than ever.  We're not exactly #1BFFs with the Islamosphere.  Oh, and that whole globaleconomicmeltdownmumblemumble.  So far, the only tangible difference Obama has wrought in the world is that he has put us (let's hope not inexorably) on the path to being just a little more like everyone else in the world.  And for THAT he gets the Nobel Prize?  Slap my ass and call me Suzie!  I could have just instructed my children to stop bathing, and I would have accomplished much the same thing, at least in spirit! 

I suppose the jig should have been up when Carter and Arafat won.  At this point, one would think, the Nobel Peace Prize ought to be considered as much a joke as the Pulitzer.  And in the right circles, sure, it is.  But seriously, Norway, double-yew-tee-eff?

Do Not Blame Barack

I stumbled upon this article at AmericanThinker.com, and it's a great summary of how we got to this point in American politics. It places the blame of the Obama presidency squarely on the average voter, who has been complicit for some time in creating our societal malaise. The piece is titled "Do Not Blame Barack":

"Contrary to what my title indicates, I probably judge Barack Obama more harshly than most reading this page. I don't think he is just a misguided ideologue or merely a creature of expediency. I believe, practically speaking, he is an evil man. That is to say, while he is largely ignorant like so many others, he has developed an affinity for evil. He mistakes it for good.

Yet, to be blunt, Obama doesn't alarm me as much as the average American. To explain why, I'll present something Roman philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero said 2000 years ago when lamenting Julius Caesar's rise to dictator:

Do not blame Caesar, blame the people of Rome who have so enthusiastically acclaimed and adored him and rejoiced in their loss of freedom and danced in his path and gave him triumphal processions . . . . Blame the people who hail him when he speaks in the Forum of the 'new, wonderful good society' which shall now be Rome's, interpreted to mean 'more money, more ease, more security, more living fatly at the expense of the industrious.' Julius was always an ambitious villain, but he is only one man."

It's well worth reading the entire thing. Near the end, the author says that to turn this around we need to increase the "weight of our virtue":

"But if we want to have any chance of winning the war, we must move on to graduate work and fight it on the deepest levels, the spiritual and cultural. We must scrutinize ourselves and evaluate how we have been complicit in empowering the culture that spawns Barack Obamas. We must remember that those of us who are engaged are a minority weighed against an apathetic majority. A few stones however, can be substantial enough to tip the scales against a million pebbles. But this can only happen if we so greatly increase the weight of our virtue that it outweighs the vice that is everywhere."

But the other part of the problem is that we conservatives tend to be too polite. We may be "virtuous" and believe everything the article says. We may even have turned off the TV, stopped buying MSM newspapers, stopped going to movies. Maybe even home schooled. We may be seething inside, but are often too polite to tell others "THIS IS WRONG!" We've been indoctrinated by the PC crowd to believe in moral relativism. That it's wrong to criticize anyone else's "values", or hurt their feelings. We need to learn from our opponents and, as Barack suggested to his supporters, "get in their faces" a bit.

We need to stand proudly and state loudly that yes, there is right and wrong. There is black and white, good and evil. Certain things are simply wrong, and it needs to be said, no matter whose feelings are hurt.

My Kind Of Hybrid

I just discovered a guitar player today named Danny Gatton, thanks to my wife who heard a tribute to him on NPR. So I'm double embarrassed. I play guitar, a little, (actually, precious little these days). But I listen a lot. So how did this guy escape me? Maybe it's because he died a tragic, depressive suicide 15 years ago today. And maybe it's because he was one of those "underfamous" artists, like Eva Cassidy, who were less famous than they should have been in their short lifetimes. It didn't help his that he was averse to touring. But during his time, he became famous in the club scene across the Mid-Atlantic.

His style was "redneck jazz", a mixture of rock, country, and jazz, all delivered with his lightning style of picking on his Fender Telecaster. Gatton was a hybrid picker of remarkable talent. Hybrid picking is something any decent guitar player should know how to do, at least a little. But it's surprising how few players do more than just a little. Hybrid picking mixes finger picking with flat pick styles. The hard pick can give the attack and delivery of chords and strong notes, while simultaneous picking with the three other free fingers increases the speed and range of expression available. And Gatton was a master. He mixed traditional "chicken pickin'" sound with sophisticated jazz, walking bass lines with inventive chord jabs and chord melody. And he could steal the stage from anyone. (He was known as "The Humbler"). If some of what you hear in this video reminds you of Roy Buchanan, it's because they were friends and played the same brand of guitar with similar styles. But Gatton was a much better player. And I can say all of this authoritatively, as a Buchanan fan, after watching about a half-hour of Gatton on the internet.

He left behind a small recording legacy along with instructional videos and YouTube videos.

Another Gun Case

Earlier this week, the US Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of McDonald v. Chicago, which challenges Chicago's handgun ban and their onerous registration process. As you may remember, last June the Supreme Court made its historic Heller decision which ruled that the 2nd amendment guarantees an individual right to gun ownership (at least within the home), and that it is unlawful to ban an entire category of firearms in common use. That ruling, although extremely important, only limited the federal government's ability to enact laws which might infringe on gun rights. The McDonald case will address the issue of incorporating the 2nd amendment against state and local governments. Here is the wording of the question that the Supremes chose to address:

"Whether the Second Amendment is incorporated into the Due Process Clause or the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment so as to be applicable to the States, thereby invalidating ordinances prohibiting possession of handguns in the home."

So clearly, this case will finally resolve the incorporation issue, and gun rights advocates are very optimistic that they will win. But the second part of the question turns out to be a very interesting constitutional matter-- which 14th amendment clause might be used to incorporate the amendment? It turns out that previous incorporation has been done via the "due process" clause, but McDonald's attorney, Alan Gura, along with legal experts from across the political spectrum, have expressed interest in reviving the "privileges and immunities" clause, which has been dead wood since the 1870s. Doing this may allow future courts to open up a floodgate of un-enumerated "rights", which is why many liberals support McDonald, in the hopes that it will revive this clause.

Confused? Here's an excellent summary, from Reason.com, of the case and its constitutional implications. Interestingly, 33 state attorneys general have already come down in favor of incorporation:

"The state attorneys general were also bold enough to bring up a classic gun rights argument that's often mocked by liberal intelligentsia—the idea that weapon rights aren't just about self-defense against crime, but are also about defense against tyranny: The brief states that 'the right to bear arms provides the foundational bulwark against the deprivation of all our other rights and privileges as Americans—including rights that have already been incorporated against the States by this Court.'"

Look for oral arguments to occur early next year, and a ruling in June.

Mirror, Mirror...

People tend to spend less time looking in the mirror as they get older. Which is maybe why Brother Chris, who turns 51 today, is spending less time at the blog he founded nearly 5 years ago. A blog is like a window, where you can show yourself off a bit, but there's a bit of silver backing. Some of the light shines back.

So there's a good chance Chris won't see this post until after his birthday is past. But mirrors can be fun, too. Remember the mirrors in the downstairs bathroom in the house where we grew up? A mirror in front, and a mirror in back that wrapped around the corned. You could see yourself and the room repeated out to infinity. And if the door was open, you could see down the hall, past Marysia talking on the phone at the landing, and out the foyer to the driveway where the mailman was trying to sneak the mail into the slot without the dog chewing it from the other end. Take a look in the mirror. If you look past the old guy staring back at you, you can have a lot of fun observing the world from a different angle.

Happy Birthday, Chris!

Sweet Nauseating Pain

They call it Stormy Monday, and so it is here in central Pennsylvania. The Penn State Nittany Lions got their come-uppance, overrated as they were. The Pittsburgh Steelers lost (which makes my wife very happy, but otherwise darkens even more the mood of my town). And the storms are blowing all over Mazurland. The Buffalo Bills lost. The Buffalo Bulls lost. Rain and hail are raking the streets. Brother Paul may be the only happy Mazurlander after this weekend. His Colts are 3-0.

So what do you do when your mood is dark? How about some Swedish Death Metal Bluegrass?

[HT - Tara]