Catholic League counters atheist billboard - NYPOST.com

Catholic League counters atheist billboard - NYPOST.com

Kill them all, and let God sort them out! Unless, you know.

"Very, Very Urrrrrrrrban"

Oh Yes, and This As Well

This Is Also Worth Noting, Security-Wise

(CNN) -- A federal law enforcement officer mistakenly left a loaded gun magazine that was found Tuesday on a Southwest Airlines plane, officials said.

The discovery was made after the flight from Burbank, California, to Phoenix, Arizona, landed, a member of a CNN crew aboard the plane said.

The head of the Transportation Security Administration said the unnamed law officer will be given remedial training.

"It belonged to a member of federal law enforcement," John Pistole said of the magazine, adding it was not believed to belong to a federal air marshal.

"The full magazine was found in a back seat pocket," a TSA official told CNN. "We believe it was left by a law enforcement officer on a flight that originated in San Jose (California) and landed in Burbank. The officer was not an air marshal and we are trying to establish contact with the agent."

Obviously they're covering up the truth - it was a MUSLIM law enforcement officer! When will the sheeple learn!

Happy Thanksgiving trip, everybody! I'm staying home this year.

Airport Security Plain Speakin'

So let's face it, body scanners in airports are hugely expensive, probably dangerous and not very effective. The alternative, pat-downs, are invasive, embarassing, and time-consuming. Simply speaking we can't screen EVERYBODY who goes on a flight without paralyzing the flight industry.

Therefore, some say, we should only scan likely troublemakers. Call it profiling if you will.

Now, who do we include in the profile? Let's not be politically correct. Muslims. Muslims brought down planes on 9/11, so if we just concentrate on Muslims we'll be safe. You with me so far? Good. So the next thing is to determine how we spot the Muslims. Obviously if anyone says they're Muslim, you run a check on them. If they look like a Muslim, you run a check on them. Simple. So the next step is determining what they look like.

This is where it gets interesting. Men with beards. Check all of them. People who look like famous Muslims, check them. Because not all Muslims have beards you know. And a guy willing to commit suicide for a cause would be willing to shave off his beard to avoid detection.

Most importantly, remember this. Arguably, President Obama is a Muslim. Maybe he's not, but this is security and we can't afford to take chances. Therefore, all men who look like Obama should be included in the profile. So basically African-American men (no women; women can't be terrorists) and guys who look like this.

You don't want to fight me on this, otherwise you're with the terrorists.

The War On Christmas - Early Salvo

Why oh why are people so set on UNDERMINING Christmas? So afraid of Jesus that you have to say HAPPY HOLIDAYS?

Obviously, you should boycott any organization that hates Christmas like this.

(h/t Wonkette)

Security Theatre

...This is probably another good time to remind you all that all of us were carrying actual assault rifles, and some of us were also carrying pistols.

So we’re in line, going through one at a time. One of our Soldiers had his Gerber multi-tool. TSA confiscated it. Kind of ridiculous, but it gets better. A few minutes later, a guy empties his pockets and has a pair of nail clippers. Nail clippers. TSA informs the Soldier that they’re going to confiscate his nail clippers. The conversation went something like this:

TSA Guy: You can’t take those on the plane.

Soldier: What? I’ve had them since we left country.

TSA Guy: You’re not suppose to have them.

Soldier: Why?

TSA Guy: They can be used as a weapon.

Soldier: [touches butt stock of the rifle] But this actually is a weapon. And I’m allowed to take it on.

TSA Guy: Yeah but you can’t use it to take over the plane. You don’t have bullets.

Soldier: And I can take over the plane with nail clippers?

TSA Guy: [awkward silence]

Me: Dude, just give him your damn nail clippers so we can get the f**k out of here. I’ll buy you a new set.

Soldier: [hands nail clippers to TSA guy, makes it through security]

via Erick Erickson, Red State

How's That Generic Republican Doing, Anyway?

The chart above is the result of a little number-crunching that Nate Silver did, inspired by a Quinnipiac poll that suggested that Nancy Pelosi is the least-liked politician going right now. And indeed, the other polls he surveyed bears that conclusion out.

But look at the rest of that! Man-without-a-pulse Dick Cheney only slightly higher up! He saved the free world, you know. Your next president, Sarah Palin, has lower numbers than Newt Gingrich AND George  W. Bush. Logically the candidate in 2012 should be Mike Huckabee. D'ya suppose the base will let THAT happen? Anyway, look at that gap in the middle - that's the people who doen't have much of an opinion one way or t'other. They decided that John McCain would be a better choice a couple of years ago.

Oh, and there are the most popular politicians on the list... why it's Bill and Hillary Clinton! I think somebody at Fox news took their eye off the ball! Without a steady stream of lies and opinion-masquerading-as-news, people forget what they are supposed to think. Somebody get on that, will ya?

The Walk, Walked

Though I disagree with his position, at least I know that he doesn't disagree with it too:

This morning, a caller to C-SPAN’s Washington Journal asked Rep.-elect Mike Kelly (R-PA) — who “strongly opposes” the health care law — if he would be willing to give up his government-sponsored health insurance. Kelly said that he would:

KELLY: ...I personally have always paid for my own health care… why should my pension as a public official be any different from anyone else’s pension? Why should my health care, as a public official, be any different than anybody else’s? No, level across the board. [...]

Q: So will you have a Congressional plan?

KELLY: No, I do not need. I got my own plan, I don’t need a congressional plan. I’ve taken care of myself for a long time.

I'd like to see other Government Health Care opponents refuse their government health care too. It's not like these guys can't afford to pay full price for medical insurance. I can't, God knows, but they make a lot more than I do.

While we're at it, maybe the new speaker of the house should not try to kill the Office of Congressional Ethics. I mean, how are they going to stop people like Charlie Rangel without it?

Reminders

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH): “Does anyone really believe that politicians and bureaucrats in Washington can successfully steer a multi-national corporation to economic viability?” [6/1/09]

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL): “It’s basically going to be a government-owned, government-run company. …It’s the road toward socialism.” [5/29/09]

RNC Chairman Michael Steele: “No matter how much the President spins GM’s bankruptcy as good for the economy, it is nothing more than another government grab of a private company and another handout to the union cronies who helped bankroll his presidential campaign.” [6/1/2009]

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC): “Now the government has forced taxpayers to buy these failing companies without any plausible plan for profitability. Does anyone think the same government that plans to double the national debt in five years will turn GM around in the same time?” [6/2/09]

Rep. Tom Price (R-GA): “Unfortunately, this is just another sad chapter in President Obama’s eager campaign to interject his administration in the private sector’s business dealings.” [6/2/09]

How's that working out so far?

Shares of General Motors surged on Thursday in their New York Stock Exchange debut.

In the early afternoon, the shares were trading just below $35, up more than 5 percent from their initial public offering price of $33. Earlier, the shares had risen as high as $35.99. Trading volume was heavy, with nearly 350 million shares exchanging hands.

The offering, which raised $23.1 billion, is bigger and more ambitious than had once seemed possible. But the recently bankrupt automaker will have to build on its revival for the government to recoup its entire $50 billion investment and validate the Obama administration’s decision to keep G.M. from collapsing.

Sponge Maintenance

Outrageless!

Since the lame-duck session of congress hasn't started yet, I'm not finding anything especially stirring politically to write about. Maybe next week.

I suppose I could be worked up at the blatent Republican voter fraud being perpetrated this week, but the kids are off-limits and I don't watch Dancing With the Stars anyway.

So instead of politics, enjoy this fine bike now for sale. Under $250 and that includes all the grain you need to keep it fed!

Oh No, She's Already Quit THIS Too

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but it seems to me that this sequence from Sarah Palin's Alaska may not contain any actual Sarah Palin. Back to the camera the whole time, it would be easier to dub her voice in afterwards. Watch and tell me I'm wrong.

The Dream Is Alive

The next two years are likely to be filled with the sound of Republicans gnawing the meat off each other. The new batch hasn't even taken office yet, and...

Asked what he wanted to do in Washington in a Wednesday morning television interview, (Rand Paul) said that his kids were hoping to meet the Obama girls. In a bigger shift from his campaign pledge to end earmarks, he tells me that they are a bad “symbol” of easy spending but that he will fight for Kentucky’s share of earmarks and federal pork, as long as it’s doled out transparently at the committee level and not parachuted in in the dead of night. “I will advocate for Kentucky’s interests,” he says.

So you’re not a crazy libertarian? “Not that crazy,” he cracks.

Tree o'liberty, Rand Paul. Tree o'liberty. That's all I'm sayin'.

Meanwhile: heh heh, miss me yet, heh heh?

The venue was the Oval Office. A group of British dignitaries, including Gordon Brown, were paying a visit. It was at the height of the 2008 presidential election campaign, not long after Bush publicly endorsed John McCain as his successor.

Naturally the election came up in conversation. Trying to be even-handed and polite, the Brits said something diplomatic about McCain’s campaign, expecting Bush to express some warm words of support for the Republican candidate.

Not a chance. “I probably won’t even vote for the guy,” Bush told the group, according to two people present.“I had to endorse him. But I’d have endorsed Obama if they’d asked me.”

George W. Bush - was he even BORN IN THIS COUNTRY? WHERE'S THE PROOF?

Oh and:

A Republican congressman stepped up to the plate last week, citing Sarah Palin as the reason the GOP didn't gain control of the Senate, but he later downplayed the accusation.

At a meeting in Columbiana, Alabama last Thursday, Rep. Spencer Bachus denounced Palin and the Tea Party candidates she supported, according to the Shelby County Reporter.

"The Senate would be Republican today except for states (in which Palin endorsed candidates) like Christine O'Donnell in Delaware," Bachus said. "Sarah Palin cost us control of the Senate." He went on to concede that Tea Party candidates did fare better in U.S. House races.

Now I don't want to be thrown out of the Republican Party, but here's a list of Palin-endorsed Senate Candidates: Sharron Angle in Nevada, John Raese in West Virginia, Carly Fiorina in California, Joe Miller in Alaska and Christine O’Donnell in Delaware. Miller, of course, is still in play as campaign workers pore over write-in candidates for Lisa Murkowski. Who probably would have slam-dunked the election. Ha ha, if only Sarah Palin had prevailed more in congress, my prediction would have come true! Embrace the Palin! Love the Palin! Don't take my word for it, take hers.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

I got outta town for the weekend, driving up the coast to loin-o-my-birth Santa Cruz to participate in the event that I tried for months to avoid: my high school reunion. I am not going to say which one. It's more than 10 years though.

Bob Anderson, Melanie Paizis, Me and a guy

My friend from High School, Bill, has the good sense to avoid these kinds of things. It's a zero-sum game after all. I mean, best case scenario is you see people you missed after a long absence, and rekindle long-neglected friendships. More frequently it's long-smoldering resentments.

I was a shy dude back at Aptos HS, who overcompensated by participating in theatre and Glee-style hijinx. I had expected few people to remember or recognize me. In fact, many more did me than I did them. I was apparently popular without knowing it.

Cathy Yednak, mine at last

I brought a date with me, and she was worried that women would be all over me. So I made it a point to have her by my side as much as possible when I talked to them. In the picture here, she is on the other side of the camera, watching very closely and I greet the girl I had a crush on in junior high. I think my date overestimates me, but I am pleased to report that very few girls found me repulsive.

Most of the people I went to school with grew up to be annoyingly well-adjusted, good-lookin' sorts. I wanted more train wrecks at the event - the homecoming queen who gained 200 pounds, the football hero who is addicted to methadone, the Moonie. Nothin'. Not only that, they're all taller than I am. (I am 5'8", the national average is 5'9", the average of my class is 6'8". This is anecdotal, of course.) So I was hoping to breeze in there and be the only one with hair and without a weight and booze problem. No dice, jack! Wayyyy to much of that kind of thing, if you ask me. I resent my class for not making me look good.

Maybe I'll have better luck in 10 years. Hope springs eternal!

Metaphor of the Week

H/T to Swampland:

Here is Sarah Palin's new pat-on-the-back election video. At 36 seconds, she says, "This is our morning in America," as an apparent orange sunrise is shown behind the Statue of Liberty. That stock footage ...is called "Time Lapse--Sunset behind Statue of Liberty."

So Palin spent someone else's money to fool you into thinking something is the opposite of what she claims it is. At least they're not running on the idea of change!

I'm Not Sure Why, But This Makes Me Feel Better

Let the Deregulation Begin!

Look, it's the city of Cherepovets in Russia! Say what you will about those guys, they at least don't overregulate their industry nowadays. And are the people there happier? You BET they are!

Probably. I mean, they must be, right?

Mmmmm! Crow!

Think I'll bake up a little black bird pie here. I have been predicting since summer that the result of this election would be that Democrats lose some seats but not majorities in the House and Senate. This prediction proved incorrect.

Republicans have, in fact, gained more House seats by any party in an election since 1948. So yeah, I was wrong about that. Democrats have retained majority of the Senate, meaning possibly another two years of Harry Reid as speaker! Which brings up what was behind my prediction in the first place. I believed that the Tea Party was going to scare off moderate voters. David Gergen thinks otherwise.

"I don't think there's any question that if it were not for the Tea Party, the Republican margin in the House of Representatives would not be as high as it's going to be," CNN senior political analyst David Gergen said Tuesday night. "They gave a lot of enthusiasm and fuel to the Republican Party."

Tea Party-backed Republicans Rand Paul in Kentucky and Marco Rubio in Florida won their Senate races, according to the projections.

Interestingly, there were quite a few more Tea Party candidates out there, like the one running against the unpopular Harry Reid and the one who was a witch once and the one in New York who wanted to punch people in the face all the time. CNN estimates that there were 21 tea-party affiliated candidates and "at least 10 of them won".  Vagueness due to the tea party not being an actual party but merely an incohate rage. Still, half (almost) is a lot more than I was expecting. It will be interesting to see if they govern the way the campaigned - not speaking to reporters, refusing to admit to being in favor of anything except tax cuts and liberty. Sooner or later they'll have to cast some votes. Can't wait!

So what's up on the agenda? Gridlock of course. Boehner has pledged to not compromise with the Democrats; so if he does, he's risking being thrown out and replaced by a Tea Party candidate. Obama has veto power over the expected repeal of Health Care, so that won't happen; and beyond that Republicans have literally no agenda beyond opposing the other agenda. Voila! A government that costs plenty and acheives nothing! And isn't that what we all want?

Well, as long as they don't blame other branches of government for their inability to get stuff done, I'm willing to give Republicans benefit of the doubt.