Saturday, February 28, 2009

Promise Kept?

Obama Plans to Roll Back 'Conscience' Rule Protecting Health Workers Who Object to Some Types of Care - washingtonpost.com: "The Obama administration's move to rescind broad new job protections for health workers who refuse to provide care they find objectionable triggered an immediate political storm yesterday, underscoring the difficulties the president faces in his effort to find common ground on anything related to the explosive issue of abortion.."

If Obama keeps going at this rate, he will soon have one handful of decisions I agree with. Yahoooooo!

Friday, February 27, 2009

Warning Shots

Preston on Politics: Democrats target Democrats - CNN.com: "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Call it a shot fired across the bow, or simply a stern warning to congressional Democrats: Power corrupts, and we are watching your every move. And if we think you are no longer representing the interests of your constituents, we will try to defeat you next year.

A Republican threat? Good guess, but no.

This is what Democratic activists are telling lawmakers of their own party, and they have formed a political action committee to raise money and help galvanize support for Democratic primary challengers in 2010..."

Yeah, well, everyone has to be honest-- except Obama, Obama nominees, and anyone within Chicago city limits. Riiiggghhhttt. I am holding my breath and my checkbook on that one.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Transparency In Government, Episode 1

Newsmax.com - Top U.S. Generals Forced to Sign Secrecy Agreement: "WASHINGTON -- They long ago pledged honor and duty to country, but this year their spoken word was not enough.

Top Pentagon generals and admirals had to sign a letter promising to keep defense budget details secret if they wanted to work on the military's fiscal plan.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates set the rule, requiring for the first time that each military and civilian official helping prepare the budget sign a non-disclosure statement, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said Wednesday.

The entire Joint Chiefs of Staff signed, promising not to leak information while the budget was being put together. Gates also signed, as did all the high-ranking civilian defense officials working on the budget document, Morrell told a Pentagon press conference.

'He wants to create an environment in which the best possible budget can be built,' Morrell said of Gates. 'And he believes the only way to do that is to make sure that we are doing this in utter and complete secrecy until that budget is rolled out.."

Fashion Sense And Nonsense

the fashionable first lady the world’s been waiting for…waiting for her to pay for her fashions : NO QUARTER

"The media’s favorite punching bag, Sarah Palin, seems to be criticized for everything she does, short of breathing. No scratch that, people have criticized her for that, too. But, for some reason, Michelle Obama is *the First Lady we have been waiting for* and can do no wrong…even if she is wearing clothes she didn’t pay for. Instead of criticism for wearing clothes she didn’t pay for, she is deemed a fashion icon.

The media, and Obama goons dug through Sarah Palin’s trash looking for dirt to discredit her. She was attacked for wearing clothes the RNC paid for, for the campaign trail. Even though Obama erected fake Greek columns, and threw 12,000 flags in the trash, Palin was attacked for $150,000 in clothing the RNC purchased to clothe her family, because they didn’t have anything decent enough to wear, as the world watched..."

Magic Car

"Rinspeed sure has a few odd vehicles in its stable — just look at the company's transparent car, or its underwater convertible. Now Rinspeed is rolling out the diminutive iChange in time for the Geneva Motor Show, which the company bills as "the world's first car whose body adapts to the number of passengers on board," and everything from the shape-shifting seats (shown first in the gallery below) to the ignition is controllable with an iPhone..."

That might get those car sales rolling.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

BO's Union Lies

Media Matters - O'Reilly latest to advance UAW pay falsehood: "Summary: On his radio and television shows, Bill O'Reilly advanced the falsehood that 'the average autoworker now makes 70 bucks an hour.' In fact, a recent Barclays Capital analysis reportedly found that the average U.S. autoworker is paid 'an average of $55 an hour in wages and benefits...'"

What The GOP Should Have Said

... in response to non-State of the Union State of the Union non address that disrupted television last night: Bobby Jindal Lays a ... : NO QUARTER

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

GIs Oppose GI Bill

This position is not as counterintuitive as it seems at first glance. Here's a sample: Vet Groups Want Cap on New GI Bill: "WASHINGTON -- Just a few months after securing a historic, multibillion-dollar increase in veterans educational benefits, some veterans groups may ask Congress to wipe out part of what they gained.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the American Legion are among groups considering asking lawmakers to place a cap -- $13,000 per year has been suggested by the IAVA -- on tuition aid for veterans. That's far less than would be available in many states under a new GI bill for post-9/11 troops but is enough to cover virtually all public college costs, advocates of the limit say..."

Read the post for a more detailed explanation.

You Deserve Nothing

Read the whole post; these excerpts give a taste. Tuesday: Nuthin’ for Money « The Confluence

"...Dakinikat has also been having some WTF? moments. I encourage you to read up about this stuff. Knowledge is power. Right now, the media is so busy trying to tell us how totally awesome Obama is that the public may not realize that he doesn’t know what he’s doing but Tim Geithner does. Geithner is doing everything in his power to prevent the bank shareholders from losing too much money and surrendering control of their insolvent banks to the government even if that means that taxpayers lose 90% of their investment in the bank. But when it comes to Social Security, the investment you made over the years will not be protected. The post-partisan, non-Democrats in charge are looking for a way to not have to replace the billions of dollars the movement conservatives borrowed from the Trust Fund over the years and YOU will be expected to take a loss.

Sweeet!

There is a very disturbing psychological warfare being set up in the media right now to make us believe that there is no money left for us and we deserve to have no money, while the bankers are innocent bystanders who simply bought shares in banks and they need to be bought out. When that happens, all that money transferred to banks like Citigroup will be in private hands and there will be no money left to pay back the Trust Fund. Oh, sure, they’ve tabled the idea of “reforming” Social Security for “fiscal responsibility”, or so they say. But you can be sure that someone will be working on the awful conundrum that is the legacy of the Bush years: how to convince the taxpayer to voluntarily screw themselves so the wealthy and well connected don’t have to suffer?

Call me an old, working class, uneducated, sino-peruvian lesbian but I ain’t stupid. We is being robbed."

Return Of The Fainting Ladies

Obama’s Homeless Woman Is Actually Real Estate Investor | The Lie Politic

"...During Obama’s campaign to promote his stimulus package, he staged an event with a woman, Henrietta Hughes, who, as it turns out, appears to be anything but truly needy. Henrietta was given an audience with Obama to beg for a home. When aid was provided via the offer of free rent by an opportunistic politician, the liberal press spouted that Henrietta was actually given a free home and implied it came from Obama. The lie has propagated through the liberal media and, quite honestly, it nauseated us because it was so obviously staged and such a distorted lie. Well, as it turns out, the lie didn’t end there..."

Monday, February 23, 2009

Attacking Social Security: Step One

Democrats Resisting Obama on Social Security - NYTimes.com

"WASHINGTON — President Obama is eager to seek a bipartisan solution to ensure the long-term solvency of Social Security, people who have spoken with him say, but he is running into opposition from his party’s left and from Democratic Congressional leaders who contend that his political capital would be better spent on health care and other priorities.

Mr. Obama considered announcing the formation of a Social Security task force at a White House “fiscal responsibility summit” that he will convene on Monday. But several Democrats said that idea had been shelved, partly because of objections from House and Senate leaders..."

Protecting The Guilty

Theft of a couple of Anglachel's paragraphs follow. Be sure and read the post and follow its links. Very informative. Anglachel's Journal: Fine Distinctions:

"...With every day that passes, it becomes more difficult to draw the "fine distinctions" Geithner et. al. want us to pretend exist between saving financial systems, which we need and is our proper concern, and saving their rich buddies' asses for their bad investments, which is not our concern even as their idiocy has become our problem. The dire warnings over the "moral hazard" of simply devaluing home loans made during the bubble no longer sound so convincing when we watch the deliberate moral hazard of protecting the prerogatives of Wall Street in lieu of enacting anything approaching a rational fix to the financial system...

"...Thus, we are left with the economic policy (such as it is) being handed over to the crooks and liars who got us into this mess in the first place because there is no reason not to. There's nothing The Precious wants to do with the economy or the financial system (like expand the New Deal), so whatever Little Timmy and Gucci Gang want to do is fine by him. The political opportunity presented by the economic crisis, well documented by people like Krugman and Roubini, is being frittered away for lack of political vision..."

Friday, February 20, 2009

Racist Stimulus

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Clyburn: Opposing the stimulus is racist or something
"...You’ll remember Clyburn as the guy who blamed racial tensions between Obama and Hillary during the South Carolina primary on … Mike Huckabee. Needless to say, his charge is patently false: If there’s any demographic Bobby Jindal’s obviously out to get, it’s those damned pesky Cajuns. Exit question one: What are the odds that fiscally conservative Republicans would oppose a trillion-dollar spending bill? Truly, only racism can explain their shocking stance. Exit question two: Is Clyburn suggesting that Palin’s off the hook since there are no black people in Alaska? Exit question three: Does this mean the beta-male minority in New York can accuse David Paterson of trying to harm them personally with his policy stances? Exit answer: Yes.."

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Katrina Stimulation

Job creation, retention benefit from stimulus bill expected to be lowest in 2nd District - Breaking News from New Orleans - Times-Picayune - NOLA.com: "WASHINGTON -- In projecting the job benefits from the giant stimulus bill signed into law Tuesday by President Barack Obama, the White House says the 2nd Congressional District that includes New Orleans will receive the lowest job employment benefit among the 435 nationally.

The White House says it is a formula-driven number, reflecting the district's population loss since Hurricane Katrina and lower unemployment numbers than the national average. The district includes most of New Orleans and parts of Jefferson Parish..."

Responsibily And The Bailout

Yes, institutions must be responsible for their gawd-awful behavior but so must the individuals involved. If you are one of the "Flip This House" speculators and got burned-- hey, not my fault. If you were delusional enough to think you could afford a $500k home on a fast-food salary, that's not my fault either. So when you ask for my tax money, even though I do feel your pain, play nice. Now, in the arena of social responsibility, contemplate:

Housing and Responsibility : NO QUARTER: "...I would call on President Obama to be more specific by what it means to be responsible:

1. not fathering children out of wedlock…70% of African American newborns are borne to a single parent, 50% of Hispanics, 30+% of Caucasians. The two-parent family is the strongest and most effective social program ever designed!!

2. will abortion on demand promoted via the Freedom of Choice Act lead to greater responsibility? It is beyond naive to think that FOCA will lead to anything more than increased promiscuity and further destruction of the two parent family. How can Obama truly believe this Act will promote any degree of increased responsibility? This Act is pure politics placating the far left wing of the Democratic Party.

3. keeping your kids in school. Let me remind him again that 50% of inner city students are high school dropouts.

Homeownership is a privilege, not a right. Neither privileges nor rights come without responsibilities!! Responsibilities are not words or platitudes, they are actions and disciplines practiced everyday!! I am more than willing to help, but I have no interest in throwing good money after bad.

LD"

A reminder... most bloggers, me included, post stuff that they do not necessarily agree with (oh, the tangled web we weave when first our prepositions precede). Typically, I post items I think are interesting and/or moderately provocative. I will not be yelling "Fire" in this theater just to generate comments or traffic. So before some of you send me those life-threatening emails, contemplate the points raised above and rather than reacting viscerally, ask yourself if the points are valid or are they simply incendiary? Then, I guess you can shoot at the messanger. (Btw, I am absolutely pro-choice and pro-death penalty, so...)

Karma Rhodes

Schadenfreude: Randi Rhodes canned again and her radio station too « Not Your Sweetie

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Upward Blame

MAYOR VIRG BERNERO OF LANSING MICHIGAN TEARS FOX ANCHOR A NEW ONE - HILARIOUS!!!

Another View On Media Bias

Our World As We See It

"... If President Bush & Laura had gone off on an expensive weekend vacation while the power was off in Kentucky and the "So Urgent"stimulus bill awaited signature, the press would be over it like flies on horse crap. But no, he's already much to bored with hanging around the White House. What a crock of classless crap that phony turned out to be. As if we didn't see it coming. And how about the cost of flying Air Force all around the country just for dinner? Didn't anyone tell him that there’s a recession going on?

The Dynamic Duo's extravagance, especially at this time, is appalling. I knew we were in for quite a show when The One took Air Force One from Andrews to Williamsburg, then chastises others for using much smaller corporate aircraft. But even I never imagined the extremes we have already seen. How about them flying off in Air Force One to a Chicago School to read story books to the kiddies?

If Bush had gone to that school and flown back to Texas and took a weekend at Camp David in the first month, the press would have obliterated him as they did anyway!

Obama is not being paid to be cool. He is being paid (extremely well, in view of the perks of the office) to govern. In any normal work situation, someone who acts the way he does in the first few weeks on the job would be shown the door...."

If you haven't been to this blog, give it a look. Some really good photography in addition to sharp opinion.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Another Example Of Sorry Journalism

Two videos, one stupid and irritating and sexist, the other-- what journalists are supposed to do. I post. You … uh … : NO QUARTER

There Are Still Nuts Out There


Image via Wikipedia
Box Turtle Bulletin » FRC: Lesbians Led To Octuplets’ Birth
Everyone’s talking about Nadya Suleman. She was the California single mother of six who gave birth to eight more. These octuplets were a result of fertility treatments. Comments have been all over the map. Pro-lifers questioned her decision but praised her for giving life to six more children. Ta-Nehisi Coates, on the other hand, asks us to imagine the reaction if she had been a black woman. Meanwhile, the Onion recoiled, “Uh oh. Eight Aquariuses living under the same roof for the next 18 years—yikes...”


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Union Villains?

Tuesday: GM dumps retiree health care « The Confluence: "...Or, GM could stop thinking in the present like it has been doing since the first oil crisis and turn out cars and trucks that are actually energy efficient and well designed. It could stop hiring CEO’s who live in the moment and oppose universal healthcare until the enormous cost of it threatens to bring down their industry. They could stop blaming labor for all of their problems.

Did you ever notice that whenever there is a crisis in an industry, it’s always labor’s fault for demanding too much? They’re damned it they work with no protection and damned if they work with it. If they get laid off these days, they get blamed for the cost of unemployment. Industry would work so much better if the damn workers would just show up, do their jobs for free and go away when they’re not needed any longer.

But NOooooOOOoo. Now we learn that the unions enjoy privileges that most workers do not. We can all point our fingers at them and say, “They are getting more than we are. That’s not fair!” instead of saying, “Which bozos were in charge in the past 30 years who allowed this to happen?...”"

Misleaders To Be Punished

From the Better Late Than Never Department:

Bill Seeks to Punish Those Who Mislead into War: "U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., introduced legislation that would impose fines or prison time on presidents or executive-branch officials who 'knowingly and willfully' mislead Congress to gain authorization to use U.S. military forces. The Executive Accountability Act was introduced last week and is co-sponsored by Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-HI. If passed, the act would apply only to current and future presidential administrations and executive branches. The act calls for fines or up to 10 years in prison for leaders found guilty of misleading Congress in order to get authorization to go to war."

GI Bill Improvements

Veterans Report - New Bill to Improve Post-9/11 GI Bill "Rep. Bob Filner, D-Ca. introduced a bill (H.R. 950) to remove the requirement for veterans to take at least one class on-campus to receive the monthly housing stipend under the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. This would make the stipend available to all eligible veterans who attend school on a greater than half-time basis. According to reports, the bill doesn't change the tuition and fees payment rate, which is tied to the highest in-state tuition rate for undergraduate level studies. However, this change will ensure that the new Post-9/11 GI Bill will provide equal benefits for vets who are unable to attend traditional classroom college courses. Read more details on the Military Education Blog."

Monday, February 16, 2009

Teachers And The Economy

The Pygmalion Effect : NO QUARTER: "...In short, Mr. Schiller was stating what I learned lo those many, many years ago. Except he was now applying it to the President’s negative words and fear mongering about the economy.

This is what he had to say:

“President Barack Obama has turned fear mongering into an art form. He has repeatedly raised the specter of another Great Depression. First, he did so to win votes in the November election. He has done so again recently to sway congressional votes for his stimulus package.

“In his remarks, every gloomy statistic on the economy becomes a harbinger of doom. As he tells it, today’s economy is the worst since the Great Depression. Without his Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he says, the economy will fall back into that abyss and may never recover.


“This fear mongering may be good politics, but it is bad history and bad economics.”

How true. How true. How true."

That, perhaps, explains Obama's many successes as a community organizer and, and, uh, uh, has he actually had another job?

People will live down to your expectations, especially students.

What Are The Odds?

"French, British Nuclear Submarines Collided in Atlantic Ocean:" Bloomberg.com: U.K. & Ireland

No Car Czar

AFP: Obama to set up task force on crippled US auto industry: "WASHINGTON (AFP) — President Barack Obama will not now entrust a 'car czar' with restructuring US auto giants but will launch a presidential task force on the crippled industry, an administration official said.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and White House economic advisor Lawrence Summers will oversee the task force, the official said, a day before General Motors and Chrysler must submit restructuring plans to the government..."

The purpose of committees is to find a way to share the blame.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

More Bailout Blues

Sunday: “They think we are chumps” « The Confluence
"...Johnson pulled back the curtain on the Obama administration’s economic team. In short, it it chock full of financial industry insiders. He also shares a short clip of someone from JP Morgan who is discussing bonuses. Essentially, they are just going to change the name from “bonuses” to “retention awards”. See? Doesn’t that sound better? Those bankers and brokers are not getting bonuses. Nooooo. They are getting awards for staying on. I mean, it’s obvious. No one in their right mind would want to work in this poisonous environment so we have to reward these people for sticking it out.

Johnson also critiques Geithner’s baliout plan and specifically his speech. He praises Geithner for recognizing that the bankers are at fault and should be ashamed of themselves. But then Geithner delivers the equivalent of a slap on the wrist to the bankers by suggesting (because no one really knows what the plan is yet) that he isn’t going to nationalize the banks. Nationalizing is such an unAmerican concept that no one wants to utter the word. We are trapped by our own cultural mythology. Or are we? The fact is that nationalizing has the biggest downside to the people most culpable for the demise of the financial industry in the first place - the bankers. But we can’t do it for fear that we will be commies. How conveeeeeenient..."

Friday, February 13, 2009

Lest We Forget

Cannonfire: "...Davey, your compatriots in Obotland have proven themselves to be the most zealous, overbearing and downright obscene cyber-stalkers in the history of the internet. (Incidentally, I still get daily hate messages, although they no longer come from that Chicago address.)

The disgusting behavior of the Obama campai..gn cannot and will not be forgotten. If such behavior is forgiven or rationalized, it will be repeated.

And now, Davey, I see that you too have become a 'racist,' for you have dared to criticize He Who Must Never Be Dissed. Under the new rules -- let us call them the Kos rules -- anyone who treats Barack Obama as just another corrupt politician stands damned as a born bigot, indistinguishable from David Duke..."

Comment Of The Day

Amateur Hour : NO QUARTER: "Back in the early 80s (it seems so long ago, now!), I read an insightful little book by Dr. Nathaniel Branden called “The Psychology of Romantic Love.” The nugget that hit me is that an intimate relationship can only flourish if neither partner needs it. He proposed that to have a good relationship, the partners must first be able to come to grips with their “existential aloneness.”

I think you touched on this concept, Pat. A President must NOT need the approval and love of the citizenry. To need them puts boundaries on the ability of the leader to lead and to make the decisions — often painful ones — that must be made. To have that need puts the leader in a one-down position in the relationship between the leader and the led.

Stan Davis
Lakewod, CO"

Coulter Complaint

Via Simply Left Behind: Ann Coulter Subject Of Election Fraud Complaint -- Courant.com

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Retail Sales Up

Bloomberg.com: Economy: "Feb. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly halted a six-month slide in January, an advance that may not be sustained after the number of Americans collecting jobless benefits reached the highest on record.

The 1 percent gain in purchases reflected higher gasoline prices and more spending on clothing and food, the Commerce Department said today in Washington. Excluding cars, the gain was 0.9 percent. The Labor Department reported that 4.8 million people are now collecting unemployment insurance..."

All I had to do was buy a Sony XBR6 and the entire economy begins to rebound. Just think what would happen if I actually traded my truck in.

Today's "Get Over Yourself" Moment

Open Left:: We Made Them Do It On the Stimulus

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Wow. Just Wow.

Comment Of The Day: Eldercide?

Jake Tapper Kills Bambi : NO QUARTER: " Comment by marie3548 | 2009-02-10 10:55:46

Heard about this on Foxnews this morning Bill and Meghan talking about this flying under the radar this needs immediate action from everyone.

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/8345
Just How Low Have Democrats Sunk – Is Killing Seniors Now Not Beyond Limits?

SNIP-
To paraphrase Martin Niemöller:
First they came for the elderly, but I was not elderly, so I did not care.
Then they came for the disabled, but I was not disabled, so I did not care.
Then they came for the infirm, but I was not infirm, so I did not care.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to stand up.

The so-called “Stimulus Bill” has in it a provision to establish a “National Coordinator of Health Information Technology.” The Coordinator would primarily establish cost cutting guidelines that doctors would be bound to follow or face penalties determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

A lot of the health policies that somehow made their way into a package that’s purported to deal with “economic stimulus” were written with the advice of Tom Daschle (no, evil doesn’t just walk away). Daschle’s book on health care states that seniors should sacrifice advancements in care so that resources can be spent primarily on the young. The free market system that values and encourages advancements for young and old alike has no place in the heart of a man who, were it not for a matter of back taxes, would have fancied himself the Grinch Who Stole Healthcare

That resilience in fighting disease has helped save the lives of many tens of thousands who’ve received dire prognoses from doctors is of no interest to Daschle. Nor is the fact that smart Europeans do not just give up. They seek alternative treatments, something that do in part because of the fact that their standard medical system is too inadequate to be relied upon.


Obama’s team of despots has turned a Stimulus Bill into a Kill the Elderly bill


And instead of using those views to gain acceptance to a mental institution of his choice, Tom Daschle wants them enacted as policy. We already know who was receptive to his views; some man who promised hope and change and who did not tell us that those involved killing seniors and the very ill.


Obama’s team of despots has turned a Stimulus Bill into a Kill the Elderly bill. And the Democrats in the Senate, including Ben Nelson, Bill Nelson, Joe Lieberman, Arlen Specter and the two nitwits from Maine are too stupid or too reckless to put up a fuss. We, as citizens of the United States of America, can’t be. Our nation was founded on better morals than this.


The Democrats have declared war on the elderly. And they will suffer the shame of history as a result.
These are not compassionate people. These are not good people. These are despicable and outrageous beasts and the time has come to finally call them what they are.

Everyone needs to call, fax, email their senators about this.
U. S. Senate
Melt the lines!
Toll free capital switchboard numbers are:
800-965-4701
800-828-0498
Call/fax/email your senator about this!

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_mccaughey&sid=aLzfDxfbwhzs
Ruin Your Health With the Obama Stimulus Plan: Betsy McCaughey

Commentary by Betsy McCaughey"

Monday, February 09, 2009

Stimulating Headlines

The Confluence thinks the simulus package is a Fraud - Stimulus - Sex-ism - All Rolled Into ONE,while Charlotte Front and Center says American Taxpayers Do Not Want "this" Stimulus Bill.Now if all that doesn't suit you, just reread Anglachel's post from a few days ago and discover that the banks are getting a grand return on their investment. Us? Not so much. So what's not to love --if you are a bank.

Distraction alert: watch for an all-out O'rchrestrated media blitz/distraction over A-Rod's big muscles.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

A Difference Betwixt Man And Woman

I received this in an email; it is slightly profane. But it does demonstrate one of the most significant differences between men and women. It would be well-advised to abstain from liquid refreshment while reading this.

"Pocket Taser Stun Gun, a great gift for the wife. A guy who purchased his lovely wife a pocket Taser for their anniversary submitted this:

Last weekend I saw something at Larry's Pistol & Pawn Shop that sparked my interest.. The occasion was our 15th anniversary and I was looking for a little something extra for my wife Julie. What I came across was a 100,000-volt, pocket/purse-sized taser. The effects of the taser were supposed to be short lived, with no long-term adverse affect on your assailant, allowing her adequate time to retreat to safety....?? WAY TOO COOL! Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home. I loaded two AAA batteries in the darn thing and pushed the button. Nothing! I was disappointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button AND pressed it against a metal surface at the same time; I'd get the blue arc of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs. AWESOME!!!

Unfortunately, I have yet to explain to Julie what that burn spot is on the face of her microwave.

Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it couldn't be all that bad with only two triple-A batteries, right? There I sat in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently (trusting little soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh & blood moving target. I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat. But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised. Am I wrong? So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, and taser in another. The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water. Any burst longer than three seconds would be wasting the batteries . All the while I'm looking at this little device measuring about 5" long, less than 3/4 inch in circumference; pretty cute really and (loaded with two itsy, bitsy triple-A batteries) thinking to myself, 'no possible way!' What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my best...? I'm sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head cocked to one side as to say, 'don't do it dipshit,' reasoning that a one second burst from such a tiny little ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad.

I decided to give myself a one second burst just for heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and . .HOLY S!%*#T . . . WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION . . . WHAT THE HELL!!!

I'm pretty sure Jessie Ventura ran in through the side door, picked me up in the recliner, then body slammed us both on the carpet, over and over and over again. I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position, with tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position, and tingling in my legs? The cat was making meowing sounds I had never heard before, clinging to a picture frame hanging above the fireplace, obviously in an attempt to avoid getting slammed by my body flopping all over the living room. Note: If you ever feel compelled to 'mug' yourself with a taser, one note of caution: there is no such thing as a one second burst when you zap yourself!

You will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor. A three second burst would be considered conservative? SON-OF-A-GUN, THAT HURT LIKE HELL!!! A minute or so later (I can't be sure, as time was a relative thing at that point), I collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the landscape. My bent reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. The recliner was upside down and about 8 feet or so from where it originally was. My triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still twitching.

My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. I had no control over the drooling. Apparently I shit myself, but was too numb to know for sure and my sense of smell was gone. I saw a faint smoke cloud above my head which I believe came from my hair. I'm still looking for my nuts and I'm offering a significant reward for their safe return!!

P. S. My wife loved the gift, and now regularly threatens me with it! 'If you think Education is difficult, try being stupid.'




I do hope that one of you young people will make a YouTube of this. I can't wait to see that cat on the picture frame.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Phelps And Justice

This post, dope and change : NO QUARTER, is all about Phelps and whether or not Kellogg should have dropped him from his endorsement deal. There is a ton of moralizing in the comment thread, mostly along the lines of role models and young people, and the ever-dreaded "sending them a message." God, I wish people would quit trying to send other people messages on the flesh of someone else's carcass. It seems I have heard that crap my entire life, mostly from far-right loonies who want to send messages to criminals with death penalties and life in prison for pot possession. I have a message for you-- your messages are never going to work! When young people adulate foul-mouthed jewelry mavens whose sole message seems to be kill cops and hit women, then does anyone think a bong shot is going to shatter any adolescent dreams?

And just one thing more-- Phelps spends his time exercising and training hours each day and he has achieved the absolute pinnacle of success in his field. He succeeded; he won. And now people are wanting to string him by his gonads for having a moment of fun? Is this justice? Is it in any way fair when you compare it to, let's say, certain corporate executives who spent years sleazing their way to the top of an economic dung heap, then mismanaged the company into bankruptcy, then went begging and whining for billions of our bucks, and then began stuffing them right back into their own corrupt pockets? Please tell me what substantive damage Phelps has done to anyone?

Positions on Phelps and its attendant issues tend to reek of hypocrisy. Don't call for one nano-ounce of Michael Phelp's flesh unless you are right now leading an enraged lynch mob through the streets of New York stalking Bernie Madoff.

Bambism Alive And Well In Hollywood

Charlotte Front and Center: Ashley Judd's Attacks on Sarah Palin and Wolf Hunts.

Oh, and if you don't like rodeos either, ask yourself where those bulls and broncs would be if not otherwise employed for 8 seconds a week?

Friday, February 06, 2009

What Howling Latina Said

Howling Latina:

"How's that Nonpartisanship Working Out..? Howling Latina decided to take a little break from posting just to see just how that stimulus package that's going to save the world from the abyss would pan out in the end.

And well, it looks like Dems are getting ready to feast on some bipartisanship crow of the losing kind with poor Ted Kennedy having to be hoisted from his sick bed just to provide the winning margin for this Republican hodgepot of obstruction..."

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Supreme Cancer

ABC News: Ginsburg's Cancer May Have Been Caught Early Enough: "Despite undergoing surgery for what could turn out to be one of the deadliest cancers known, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg may have a better chance of surviving than most others with the illness, cancer experts said today..."

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Food For Confirmation Thought

Obama Concedes Defeat on Daschle while Republicans Declare Victory on Judd Gregg and Daschle’s Downfall : NO QUARTER: "...Obama seems to be replicating the pattern — conceding defeat on Tom Daschle, one of the people most responsible for actually creating the Obama political machine — and on the very same day yielding a senior cabinet position at the Department of Commerce not to a leading business official or Democratic Congressman or Governor — but rather giving it to Judd Gregg who voted 14 years ago to abolish the Commerce Department.

People will be parsing for some time Tom Daschle’s missteps with his taxes, and why he wasn’t vetted more by the Obama team, and whether Rahm Emanuel was part of the game knifing Daschle from behind, and what the political upper crust in Washington sees as “normal” when they leave office — but what this was mostly about was the opposing team taking down one of Obama’s most important chess pieces.

This was all about Obama, about humbling him, about dividing progressives over whether to support or oppose Daschle.

What we see are two interesting things. First, we see that the divisions between the political franchises inside the Obama camp are fraught with tension and anger now. Many of Daschle’s camp are quite furious with Obama’s chief of staff.

And the Republican opposition, which has appeared of late to be weak and inchoate. . .isn’t.

– Steve Clemons"

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

New Boron

In celebration of this blog's favorite atom: Theory and Experiment Meet, and a New Form of Boron Is Found - NYTimes.com: "Boron is a simple atom: five protons, five or six neutrons, five electrons. It is not as ubiquitous as hydrogen. It does not, as helium does, make your voice sound like Donald Duck. It is not as famous as carbon, its neighbor to the right on the periodic table..."

A Diamond Of Angst

and a jewel about arrogance. Terrific post. Scope it here: Simply Left Behind: It's Only Arrogance If You're Wrong: The Non-Rapturist's Guide To The Galaxy

Another "Screw You" From The Banks

AP Investigation: Banks sought foreign workers - Yahoo! News: "SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Major U.S. banks sought government permission to bring thousands of foreign workers into the country for high-paying jobs even as the system was melting down last year and Americans were getting laid off, according to an Associated Press review of visa applications..."

So Americans aren't cheap enough to be hired with our own tax dollars? I wonder if the auto industry is planning to import a few thousand assemblers, with our tax money, from, say, China, to replace their costly employees.

Monday, February 02, 2009

Pricey Feed

Here’s the Beef! : NO QUARTER: "Yep, there it is at $100 a pound. Wagyu steak, straight from Japan. That is what was served at Obama’s little cocktail soiree this last week to celebrate the House passage of the “stimulus package” that our grandkids will still be paying through the nose for.

Do you see a little disconnect here? (And, what’s wrong with American steaks at less than 10% the cost of Wagyu?)..."

My outrage meter burned out during the Bush Administration. What do I replace it with?

Puny Update

Well, I got one post up yesterday before I had to fall over again. I think I might just live, though. Politics has been boring lately, or is that just me? (Billy, thanks for the thought. I have been down this horrible road before-- the last time I ended up with major surgery and basically missed a year of work. I think I got ahead of it this time.)

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Rush Sets Off Alarms

REG HENRY: Rush sets off stupidity meter : Columnists : gosanangelo.com: "When Rush Limbaugh said he wanted Barack Obama to fail, the clanging of the stupidity meter roused me to action.

Usually, I have the stupidity meter set to mute when it comes to the Vesuvius of Vacuity because everything he says is bound to set off the alarm and the dog can't sleep with all the stupid racket..."