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Instapundit

• ANSWER: CHOOM. Question: What’s the sound of David Axelrod’s weekend getting ruined?…
  
  ANSWER: CHOOM. Question: What’s the sound of David Axelrod’s weekend getting ruined?
• JOHN HAYWARD: Romney, Obama, and the 2012 preference cascade: You are not alone….
  
  JOHN HAYWARD: Romney, Obama, and the 2012 preference cascade: You are not alone.
• POINTING OUT BULLSHIT FROM MARKOS MOULITSAS. I remember when he sort of mattered. But it’s not sur…
  
  POINTING OUT BULLSHIT FROM MARKOS MOULITSAS. I remember when he sort of mattered. But it’s not surprising that he resurfaces to defend Brett Kimberlin.
• AT AMAZON, bestsellers in Science Fiction….
  
  AT AMAZON, bestsellers in Science Fiction.
• PATRICK RICHARDSON: Self-Sufficiency: Preparing For Severe Weather Season….
  
  PATRICK RICHARDSON: Self-Sufficiency: Preparing For Severe Weather Season.
• WHO’S MEGHAN MCCAIN? OH, RIGHT. GOProud slams Meghan McCain for calling Breitbart ‘extremist.’…
  
  WHO’S MEGHAN MCCAIN? OH, RIGHT. GOProud slams Meghan McCain for calling Breitbart ‘extremist.’ “She went on a liberal network with a liberal host and demonized Andrew Breitbart. During his life, Andrew Breitbart did more for gay people, and showed more political courage on behalf of gay people, than Meghan McCain could ever dream of.â€� I’m [...]
• HEH: “There’s diversity at Harvard?â€�…
  
  HEH: “There’s diversity at Harvard?”
• AT AMAZON, Warehouse Deals in Lawn & Garden. …
  
  AT AMAZON, Warehouse Deals in Lawn & Garden.
• ANN ALTHOUSE IS Live-blogging the Scott Walker/Tom Barrett Wisconsin recall debate. UPDATE: Bott…
  
  ANN ALTHOUSE IS Live-blogging the Scott Walker/Tom Barrett Wisconsin recall debate. UPDATE: Bottom line: “There was a glaring question that was never asked, which was what would Barrett do to solve the state’s budget problems. He’s never been specific, and he totally got away with it (unless the home viewers noticed it on their own).”
• SMALLEST ARTIFICIAL HEART keeps baby alive….
  
  SMALLEST ARTIFICIAL HEART keeps baby alive.

Lean Left

• Not a Good Idea
  
  Oregon is going to start testing their ability to tax cars by the miles driven instead of by the gallon of gasoline used. This seems like a horrible idea, even putting aside the privacy concerns. It assumes that all cars wear the roads in the same fashion, and that isn’t true. heaver [...]
• Pandering to the Bottom
  
  When I recently moved to one of what New Yorkers call “the outer boroughs”, someone consoled me by assuring me that “Brooklyn is the new Manhattan!” Apparently, Liberty Baptist University is the new Bob Jones - the place where Republicans go to speak in code to religious loons of the super-fringe. And apparently John McCain is [...]
• What to Do About Immigration
  
  Yesterday I talked about the desire of one section of the GOP to essentially make illegal immigrants unpersons and make it criminal to provide them with almost any kind of help. I mentioned that Bush, to his credit, was opposed to such draconian and mean-spirited measures. But his plan is to make some [...]
• A Legal Immigrant Takes On Illegal Immigration
  
  Quoth Manish: Beyond employment-based categories, you can get into the country by being related to a US Citizen (which can take anywhere from a few months to 10 years depending on what the relationship is), be an entrepreneur with $50k or so to invest, or win the diversity lottery (which isn’t open to Mexicans, El Salvadoreans, [...]
• Bush the Liar
  
  More evidence that Bush was lying about his actions in the lead up to the war: During a private two-hour meeting in the Oval Office on Jan. 31, 2003, he made clear to Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain that he was determined to invade Iraq without the second resolution, or even if international arms inspectors [...]
• Stanislaw Lem Has Died
  
  He was 84, and we still lost him much, much too young. Via Bookslut.
• Divided Kingdom
  
  Taking the advice of Matt Cheney, I picked up Divided Kingdomby Rupert Thompson. This is an interesting book whose power and pleasure is more in the execution than the theme or the plot. The premise of the book is that the United Kingdom has been split into four kingdoms, with the people reassigned [...]
• An Elected King
  
  I don’t understand why this is not getting more attention: The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and any statutes inconsistent with the Constitution must yield. The basic principle of our system of government means that no President, merely by assenting to a piece of legislation, can diminish the scope of the President’s constitutional [...]
• Stoning the Good Samaritan
  
  The House GOP has passed a bill that would severely punish people who provide any help to illegal immigrants that could be construed as helping them “come or remain” in the country. The language is pretty broad, and I don’t notice a medical or legal exemption. In other words, if you give a [...]
• I Am Out of Books
  
  Somene recomend something good to read.

South Knox Bubba

• Tribute to a cousin
  
  Transcribed from a recent edition of the Pickett County Press:On Jan. 21, 2004 Ander Myhr and Chuck Copeland, both fisheries biologists for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, were duck hunting at Chickamauga Lake. While going to retrieve the boat after the hunt, Copeland, 48, suffered a massive heart attack and died. (...)
• Open thread
  
  Is that what they call it? I see all the big guys do it, so there you go. Tied up with some business related program activities. Be back soon...
• Consumer blogging: Volunteer Veterinary Hospital
  
  I don't often plug businesses or professionals here. But I just have to say that if you have a pet and you are in need of a veterinarian, you can't go wrong with Volunteer Veterinary Hospital, at 3039 Alcoa Highway in Knoxville. Just ask for Dr. Bihl (pronounced "Dr. Bill"). (...)
• Back porch conversations
  
  Conversation #1: (...)
• Friday Bird Blogging
  
  (...)
• World's Fair site development proposal workshop
  
  The City Council workshop on the World's Fair site development proposal was moved to the large assembly room due to the turnout. We estimate there were approx. 50 citizens there in addition to the media, City Council and other officials, and developers. (...)
• Cockfighting News
  
  A large-scale cockfighting operation was uncovered in Chesterfield County, SC over the weekend. Between 60 and 80 people were arrested. The gamecocks were returned to their owners after being booked and photographed. (...)
• World's Fair Site update
  
  The Knoxville "News" Sentinel actually has a couple of important pieces today. Borrow a copy from somebody or pick one up from a lunch counter or something and be sure to read Michael Kaplan's op-ed piece on the case for saving the Candy Factory. (...)
• Karl Rove perspective
  
  The blogosphere and finally the media are abuzz with All Karl All The Time. There are comparisons to Watergate, and some are saying the Rove affair is worse. (...)
• Countdown...
  
  (...)

alphapatriot.com

• GOLDMAN SACHS: The S&P Wil…
  
  GOLDMAN SACHS: The S&P Will End 2012 -4.2% Lower Than Today http://t.co/RyaX3sh8 via @themoneygame #economy
• RT @unicornmajik: 94% #Senate …
  
  RT @unicornmajik: 94% #Senate Bills Passed In #Secret w/o Being Read/Debated http://t.co/w9IJxwvh SHOW ‘EM THE DOOR in Nov!
• Voting for “lesser of two evil…
  
  Voting for “lesser of two evils” just perpetuates evil http://t.co/V5oVyF93 #tcot #teaparty
• Lessor of Evils
  
  The Rally for Common Sense was held in Missouri on May 19th. Reboot Congress posted videos of a series of dynamic speakers, including Herman Cain and Alan Keyes. I’ve experienced the power of a Keyes oration before and, had I been in the neighborhood, would have been there to hear him again. One of the topics on [...]
• Powerful speaker Alan Keyes at…
  
  Powerful speaker Alan Keyes at the Rally for Common Sense: http://t.co/w9oTeq5k #tcot #teaparty #Nobama #NoRINO
• Fury Spreads: Media Silent on …
  
  Fury Spreads: Media Silent on 43 Catholic Entities Sue Obama Violating Religious Freedom http://t.co/4IiD174o #5thColumn #MediaBias #tcot
• Keep watch (but take with a gr…
  
  Keep watch (but take with a grain of salt) –> Deflation Sets In, Hyperinflation To Follow http://t.co/roUXFTYY via @seekingalpha #economy
• @HP prepares to layoff of up t…
  
  @HP prepares to layoff of up to 30K, more than Apple hired in last 2 years http://t.co/aMFk3KS1 #HP #Layoffs #economy
• Fascinating! Review of the boo…
  
  Fascinating! Review of the book “Did Mohammed Exist?” asks, “Why Invent Mohammed?” http://t.co/asORGSjB
• RT @eddievanille:2 women whose…
  
  RT @eddievanille:2 women whose political savvy I respect, @SarahPalinUSA & @michellemalkin, disagree on Hatch. I still trust both of them.

Shots Across The Bow

• I'm Not A Racist
  
  So I'll call this guy an idiot lacking the brains to pull down his pants before he takes a crap. That way he won't be offended.
• Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics
  
  Let's talk about smoking for a minute. I don't smoke and never have. Probably never will unless I'm on fire. And there's nothing that can ruin a good dinner faster than somebody lighting up in a booth nearby. But. There's some fundamental dishonesty going on in the camp of the anti smokers,and it's resulting in some very bad law. Let's look at the numbers with a little bit of reality. According to the
• Popularity Contests
  
  When did politics turn into high school popularity contests? When did a President's effectiveness become solely measured by his polling? For years we've heard nothing except how Bush's approval ratings prove he's a bad president, that his 30% numbers are an historic low, that his administration is an utter failure. But somehow, Congress's 9% approval rating draws a pass. And let's take a stroll through history for a moment. Just how popular was Abraham Lincoln during the fi
• Pictures from the wedding
  
  The Groom and his Kilt...What's he wearin' underneath it?
• Adam is Home!
  
  At midnight EDT on July 4th, he left Kuwait and traveled for nearly thirty hours before arriving home in Kodak for 18 days of leave. He'll be getting married tomorrow evening by the shores of Douglas Lake, and leaving on a honeymoon Monday with his new bride. He'll be back home around the 14th, and then headed back to Iraq around the 20th to finish his 15 month tour, at which time my new daughter, Sasha, will be heading to Colorado for college. Kids grow so fast...
• The Heller Decision
  
  The Supreme Court today decided on a 5-4 basis that the Second Amendment confirms an individual right to keep and bear arms. What this means is that 4 out of 9 Supreme Court Justices either cannot read simple English sentences, or that 4 out of 9 Justices would rather follow their own prejudices than the Constitution. The fact that these 4 Justices are the most liberal is not a coincidence.
• Kanye West is a Poser
  
  Yep, you heard me right. He's nothing but a loudmouth who acts like he has a social agenda, but in reality, it's all about him. How do I know this? Remember a few years back during the benefit for New Orleans after Katrina, Kanye went off script to deliver an impassioned plea to the people of America. "They're killing us," he said, shortly before his famous "George Bush doesn't like black people." He was in a state of moral outrage as he railed against the injustices of the
• More Stupidity.
  
  Yesterday, I pointed out Stacy Campfield's ridiculous post about refusing to issue birth certificates for US citizens based on the actions of their parents. Today, in the spirit of bipartisan snark, I am obliged to point out the ridiculous response coming from my old friend R. Neal at KnoxViews. Here is Randy's headline: (If link doesn't work, go to http://www.knoxviews.com/node/8240. Randy is funny sometimes about allowing links from my sit
• When is it OK to Refuse to Give a Birth Certificate to a US Citizen?
  
  According to Stacy Campfield, if you don't like their parents, the State does not have to issue a birth certificate. Mr.Campfield posts about his amendment that would prevent the state from issuing a birth certificate to a child born in the US to two illegal alien parents. His "logic" goes like this: (1) If both parents are here illegally, then they are not under our jurisdiction, and therefor
• Humility? You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
  
  Obama's speech: ...we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth.

Les Jones

• "Mister, here's your problem!" Blog hiccup revealed
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  Since the site was having trouble with comments hanging. I decided to upgrade the blogging software to the new version, which is reputed to be much quicker. Installion of the new version kept quitting during the import of the old comments. Then I found a mention in the installation notes that large numbers of comments (usually spam comments) could cause the upgrade to fail. So I checked and holy frijoles! I had 271,833 spam comments and 47,586 spam trackbacks. The...
• Light blogging; upgrading to MoveableType 4.2
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  I installed Moveable Type 4.2 last night. I'm trying to finagle it through the upgrade process, but it's stalling out when it tries to import comments. I'm starting it again as I leave for work. Light blogging today, but I hope to finish the upgrade this weekend....
• New to Downtown Maryville: Swank's Jazz Club and Two Doors Down
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  The newest arrival on the Maryville restaurant scene is Swank's Jazz Club. We got there early on a Saturday evening so we were too early to take in any music, but they have live shows almost every night of the week. The interior was well done and the food was good. We sampled the filet and the shrimp alfredo and no one was unsatisfied. Two Doors Down is a rock 'n' roll centric bar that is well-arranged for live...
• Site Issues
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  I'm having some server problems right now, particularly with comments. Sometimes when you leave a comment the page seems to hang. I've contacted my host and restarted the system, but it seems to keep happening. There's a new version of the Moveable Type software that runs the blog. It's supposed to be much faster. I'm going to experiment with that this weekend....
• SPOR
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  "Nothing is stupider than litigating against people who are hiring lawyers with other people’s money." -- SPOR...
• Sad and creepy
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  In a comment to this post someone named Niamh writes: I just wanted to let you know that a young girl on the site gurl.com is using your son's ultrasound picture and claiming it's her son. Here is the link: http://messageboards.gurl.com/gl-teenpreg/messages?msg=48710.1 She's already been caught, but I just wanted to let you guys know. I know I'd want to know if someone was using MY ultrasound pictures and claiming it's their's. And from that post on gurl.com: from: kalulugirl 7:09...
• Can anyone ID these lilies?
• Sad news, Waffle House fans
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  According to Barry, Knoxville's duelling Waffle Houses have finished their duel and only one survives. Someone took a pre-demolition video for posterity. Hat tip to Michael Silence....
• Bought a gun at Wal-Mart for the first time
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  Next month I'm attending an Appleseed shoot in Manchester, TN. None of my guns is quite right for an Appleseed shoot, and the 10/22 is their recommended gun barring anything else appropriate. Friday I strolled into the sporting goods section at Wal-Mart to look at .22 rifles. I was glad to see L. manning the counter. (Doesn't everyone know their Wal-Mart gun counter clerk by name?) I asked to see the Ruger 10/22 in the rack. L. said he loved...
• Gmail now offers encryption of all pages
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  Found at Slashdot. To SSL encrypt your browser's interaction with Gmail follow these steps: In the upper right corner of the Gmail window click Settings. In the General settings tabs that is the default scroll to the bottom. Select "Always use https." Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the page. Close Gmail. When you re-open Gmail confirm that all page URLs begin with https instead of http....

agroves (Adam Groves)

• Pardon the Glitch
  
  Well, my blog has gained its weight in entries, apparently. When I went to add another, a glitch in the blogging program thought I was adding entry #1, when this is obviously entry number #311. While I'm sorting all of this out and more than likely moving off of UT's
• UT's Stadium, "Research" Academians, and Plebianism
  
  Well, the UT academians are at it again. One UT professor, a Jeffrey Kovac from the Department of Chemistry sends a letter to the editor today criticizing the proposed $100 million renovation to UT's Neyland Stadium. He's criticism? Blah, blah, academic program, blah- which is the almost verbatim criticism of
• Bredesen Speaking At My Graduation
  
  Well, the commencement speaker at my graduation ceremony is apparently going to be Governor Phil Bredesen . That reminds me of two things- one, exams are closer than the event horizon and two, I'm graduating so I better start looking for a new web server. Anyone want to contribute to
• Happy Thanksgiving
  
  Thanksgiving is a typically American holiday...The lavish meal is a symbol of the fact that abundant consumption is the result and reward of production. - Ayn Rand Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving. I won't be blogging for the rest of this week unless there is something terribly important to
• Politics Under the Gun
  
  A Scott County woman is alleging that her husband, a Sheriff's Deputy, was intentionally killed by a fellow officer, because the two were both going to run for Sheriff in the next election cycle. The current Sheriff, who just happens to be the purported shooter's father, covered up the investigation
• Greenbacks for Green Group
  
  The Daily Beacon today offers up a long column on green power and reminds us all the student body voted to change UT's power to green power, even if it meant adding a student fee on top of the already staggering costs of added activities fees. Last summer the administration
• Alexander: More Cabinet Replacements to Come
  
  Lamar Alexander , the junior Senator from Tennessee, said that there are more Cabinet replacements to come in today's Knoxville News-Sentinel. The Senator was a former Education Secretary himself and the article focuses on the laborous nature of Cabinet positions. Alexander says as many as 2/3rds of the posts are
• Halls Hires
  
  This week in the Halls Shopper, Sandra Clark goes through the legacy of Halls News Shopper writers and announces that Betty Bean, who's been contributing for a long-while now, is joining the team. Hey, Sandra, I'll write for the Shopper as long as you correct me on proper nouns
• Where's 3 Dog or the Doobies?
  
  Rolling Stone Magazine has released a list of the top 500 rock and roll songs of all time and Bubba's readers have developed their own list . I admit, I like the Stone's list. However, missing from both lists are any of the plethora of hits from either Three Dog
• Relaxing for the Holidays
  
  Those doing Christmas shopping on Target's website may be surprised to find this item as a gift idea for their loved ones (link rated PG-13). And hey, the site even says they'll throw in free shipping. I am oh so glad that no picture of the product is available

Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

• All That For A Flag?
  
  Yes Michelle - For unlike your husband, many of us do care for the sacrifices done under its gaze. Old Guard Platoon Leader Matthew Hernández pauses to mourns his friend Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Santos-Silva in front of his grave in section 60 as Hernandez and other soldiers place small Americ
• Have a nice break, Mr Obama... Updated.
  
  I don't usually do this - pull or redact a post. But I redacted my grump about the President's Memorial Day schedule because... I was wrong. I mistook the Politico article's schedule for the Monday schedule, when it was in fact today's. My mistake. The President will be involved on Monday: This Memorial Day, we honor the men and women who have defended our nation, and mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War.
• A Kansas Wedding
  
  What wedding in Kansas wouldn't be complete with the tail of a swirling whirlwind...
• The American Warrior
  
  As the caption that came with the pic says, "I don't care how much of a badass you think you are or what kind of artillery you're carrying, when you see a little cute puppy you squat down and pet it."
• O Noes - Koal Kills!
  
  Moonbat Alert  Just for spite, I feel like pouring some petroleum product on a duck. BOQ
• Female Soldiers Sue U.S. in Challenge to Combat Limits
  
   Honestly, this took about a month longer than I expected. I say toss the entire personnel policy of the Armed Forces to the Courts. These two women are selfishly out for themselves. Our black-robed bretheren are all smarter and better educated than we are, and, solons that they are, will be impartial judges on the merits. And, given the bit about damaging future earnings, etc, I think the suit should be expanded to promotion policy as well. I know I was screwed, and dammit, it wasn't fair,
• Ah for the days when Hollywood was on board...
  
    The whole PVT Snafu series can be seen on YouTube. Every Private Snafu produced by Leon Schlesinger at Warner Brothers for Frank Capra and the US Armed Forces. Directed by Frank Tashlin, Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones and Bob Clampe
• Gunner and Tanker Zen...
  
   My thought was... targets.   I respect the power in this video, but I'm frankly not that worried about it. Chinese nerds are the scary weapon in their quiver.
• Old Bess Bomb
  
  It's time we'd show her some respect...
• A mystery solved...

Boned Jello

Classical Values

• Loving
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  and I like this one by KC Tunstall This was brought on by Wretchard's dissertation on love. Dante believed that loneliness was the memory of happy times lost. And for perhaps that reason, the demand for love will always...
• Fukushima 7 May 2011
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  Over a week has passed since the last update. A few things have happened since then. I posted this link about the Japanese Government upping the radiation safety limit for workers - Japan's Ministry of Health to Get Rid of...
• DOG, I'M ALIVE! YO BOY, EVIL AM I, GOD!
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  Earlier I saw a car which had the back windshield emblazoned with a slogan that Coco takes as an insult. In case you can't make it out easily, it says the following: O GOD WHAT SHOULD I DO THERE'S A...
• Anger over here, and anger over there!
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  I may be slow on the uptake, but I am genuinely having trouble processing all of the anger that the killing of Osama bin Laden seems to have generated on the right. And I do mean anger; in certain teeth-gnashing...
• Red meat traitor
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  Since 1994, I have been resolutely, unalterably, vehemently, opposed to the left. No matter what the right wing does, I will always vote for them over the left, even if I have to hold my nose. Even if I have...
• Preemptive surrender? I hope not!
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  At PJM, Michael Ledeen consults the spirit of James Jesus Angleton and asks a good question: "What if the Killing of Bin Laden Is the Beginning of The Great American Retreat?" Interesting theory and speculation, and if the killing turns...
• Wind Power To Be Collected More Efficiently
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  It will be done by optimizing siting. Evolution is providing the inspiration for University of Adelaide computer science research to find the best placement of turbines to increase wind farm productivity. Senior Lecturer Dr Frank Neumann, from the School of...
• Briefly weighing in on the weighing in
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  Rarely have I seen the blogosphere so alive with commentary as it is right now about the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Just to make my position clear, I don't care what anyone thinks of President Obama's overall performance, but...
• Blood sucking is as blood sucking does
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  There's a blog for greedy lawyers, which is nice to see, because I believe that deviants and other misfits need to stick together. Hey, maybe I misspoke. I mean, is it really fair of me to describe greedy lawyers as...
• Painful sounds of pleasure
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  Here's a very San Francisco story about the problems which can be posed by carpet removal: When Jack Hagerty closed on his new condo three weeks ago, he thought it had everything he wanted: a quiet, safe Glen Park location,...

Hell in a Handbasket

• Tea Party Protest at the Columbus, Ohio Statehouse
  
  It will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2009. Details to be found here.
• Cultural Differences
  
  Milo discusses a case where a homeowner in Great Britain used his legally held shotgun to kill a man who was breaking in at 0100 hours (1 AM). Seems open and shut, but there is more to the story. The intrepid home invader was a bodybuilder who liked to threaten people with an Uzi. He had been trying to extort money from the homeowner for some time through the
• A Gift Suggestion For Your Daughter
  
  Looks like Daisy, the manufacturer of fine BB guns, is trying to increase the appeal of their most famous product. I saw this display at my local gun store a few days ago. A pink Red Ryder BB gun. Your daughter would find that comes in handy if she decides that Barbie is sick of K
• A Question
  
  In this post I explained the basics about hollowpoint ammunition. bram was kind enough to leave a comment. "I have a .40 cal carbine for home defense. (I currently have it loaded with Gold-Dots) I'm not too worried about stopping power. I do worry that a hollow-point won't perfo
• Civilian Subs
  
  Interesting company that manufactures private submarines. They are called "underwater flying machines", because they don't use ballast tanks to change depth. A few are capable of reaching some really impressive depths. I bet they are out of the reach of most o
• Abusing the Troops
  
  The headline reads "Home from the war... and our troops are greeted by abuse from Muslim protesters". This happened here, in the United States? No, it seemed that it happened in Great Britain. I hope I never have to witness something like that. (Hat tip to Glenn.)
• A State of Fugue
  
  When I was a little tyke, someone explained to me that a fugue was a musical composition that denoted flight. Not flying through the air, but running while chased. Turns out that he was full of hot air, or maybe I just seriously misunderstood, but I still liked the explanation enough that it stuck with me. Xavier has posted a
• Appropriate For Gaming Day
  
  I found this in the back yard, under a pile of yard waste. One of the dogs must have carried it out there, years ago, back when I was still hosting gaming groups at my home. Notice that it came up on lucky number 13.
• Why Would He Be Tired?
  
  I never thought begging would be all that exhausting. Looks like I'm wrong. Anyone remember when hobos we
• Human / Machine Interface
  
  Make no mistake about it: Firearms are machines. They perform work. Machines they might be, but they are dumb. An operator is required. But what happens if the machine doesn't fit the operator? Over the years, I found that an ever greater number of people who had problems handling firearms were seeking me out. Most of these problems simply couldn't be helped, such as

Heretical Ideas

• QUOTE OF THE DEBATE FOR ME
  
  "Senator Edwards, as Vice President I preside over the Senate. I'm there most Tuesdays, it's part of my job. Until I walked on stage tonight, I had never met you." - Vice President Cheney, referring to Sen. Edwards low attendance...
• AMEN TO THAT
  
  I'll second what Oliver said regarding the legalization of polygamy.But frankly, the side of me that's a libertarian (specifically when it comes to social issues) sees nothing wrong with polygamy. I don't think the state has a role. If consenting...
• QUOTE OF THE DAY
  
  "Man is not a rational animal; he is a rationalizing animal. For explanations of a universe that confuses him, he seizes onto numerology, astrology, hysterical religions, and other fancy ways to go crazy. Having accepted such glorified nonsense, facts make...
• OFF TO SCHOOL
  
  Well, it's the first day of grad school towards getting my Master's degree in Physics. Wheeee. Here's hoping I don't go insane before the end of the first quarter! Alex, you lucky dog - you're already done....
• VICTORY IN SAMARRA
  
  Well, here's some good news.Bloodied by weeks of suicide bombings and assassinations, Iraqi security forces emerged Sunday to patrol Samarra after a morale-boosting victory in this Sunni Triangle city, and U.S. commanders praised their performance. American and Iraqi commanders have...
• QUOTE OF THE DAY
  
  "John Kerry told Temple University Friday he will wage war in Iraq differently. It's called personal diplomacy. Due to his superior people skills and sensitivity he will be better able to get allies to send their soldiers into the wrong...
• MORE EVIDENCE OF BIN LADEN'S DEMISE?
  
  Hmmm....An audio tape purportedly released by Osama bin Laden's deputy calls for attacks on U.S. and British interests everywhere, according to a broadcast Friday by Al-Jazeera television. The Arab station said the speaker on the tape was Ayman al-Zawahri, an...
• MORE DEBATE THOUGHTS
  
  Thinking a little bit more about the debates last night, I have to say that Kerry both lost and won in my mind. There's no question that Kerry won on style. Not only was he at the top of his...
• GAY MARRIAGE AMENDMENT FAILS HOUSE
  
  Good news from Congress.The U.S. House of Representatives failed on Thursday to muster the two-thirds majority needed to pass a proposed constitutional amendment backed by President Bush to ban gay marriage. The largely party-line vote in the Republican-led House was...
• QUOTE OF THE DAY
  
  "Of all the classes of men, I dislike most those who make their livings by talking--actors, clergymen, politicians, pedagogues, and so on. All of them participate in the shallow false pretenses of the actor who is their archetype. It is...

Ravenwood's Universe

• Culipher for Senate
  
  Now here's a candidate that I could get behind. I'm Gerarda Culipher: a military wife, lawyer, and mother of three and running for Virginia Senate. We're hosting a Freedom Ride, Saturday March 26th at Patriot Harley-Davidson in Fairfax. Donuts starting...
• Happy Lee-Jackson-King Day
  
  As a boy growing up in Virginia, this Monday was always Lee-Jackson-King Day. We celebrated the birth of two great Virginians and Civil War Generals Robert E. Lee, and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson; and of course the great American Dr....
• Eat Less
  
  Whenever anyone would ask me how to lose weight, I always told them to eat less. For years I've been telling people it all boils down to calories eaten versus calories burned. Now the rest of the world finally seems...
• Not surprising
  
  You are 0% hippie.  Ok, you conservative soul. Do you even believe in global warming? Loosen that necktie a little, and try some organic food. It actually does taste better. And go to a farmer's market--they're fun.Are you a hippie?...
• Narrow Gun Rights Victory
  
  So four of nine Supreme Court Justices think that the Bill of Rights is optional. Letting you know how they feel about the victory for gun rights, the Washington Post headline says "Supreme Court extends gun rights nationwide" instead of...
• Only Hispanics Can Represent Hispanics
  
  A Federal Judge in New York didn't like the outcome of recent elections, so he gave residents extra votes to make things more fair for Hispanics.Voters in Port Chester, 25 miles northeast of New York City, are electing village trustees...
• Useful Idiots
  
  Environmentalist wackos are upset because the Gulf Oil Spill is diverting attention away from Global Warming. Christopher Reddy even asks: "What if carbon dioxide were as black as oil?"But while we have readily and rightfully committed ourselves to understanding the...
• Monolithic Media
  
  Here is an interesting comparison of the number of news stories about each event. One is 24/7 news, the other got almost no coverage at all outside of the local news. And then there's this:...
• Red Alert: You've made enough money
  
  "Now, what we're doing, I want to be clear, we're not trying to push financial reform because we begrudge success that's fairly earned. I mean, I do think at a certain point you've made enough money." -- Barack Obama, April...
• Arizona De-regulates Concealed Carry
  
  Arizona joined the ranks of Vermont and Alaska of allowing citizens to lawfully carry concealed handguns without a license. Kudos to the Arizona legislature and governor for finally pushing this through. The AP, in typical liberal fashion, ran the story...

Kim du Toit

• (Non-)Restraining Orders
  
  Loyal Readers will recall the story recounted on this website of the young woman who was being stalked by an asshole ex-boyfriend, and who had decided to arm herself. Here's another story, but this one did not have a happy ending:A day after Diane Malone was found dead in her Long Beach bedroom, bludgeoned in the head and...
• Abject Failure
  
  The term could be applied to Fuckface in so many ways, but Kimberly Strassel of the Wall Street Journal does an excellent job of showing how the Democrat presidential candidate has completely failed to neutralize his anti-gun position:His other credibility problem is his record. Guns have been a big voter issue for a long time, and there is...
• Useless Information
  
  I don't blog in my pyjamas for the simple reason that I don't ever wear PJs in the first place, because I get so hot when I do. Nope, it's just undies in the bed for ol' Kimmy. [pause to allow projectile vomiting to die down] In this house, with all the womenfolk around (and how the hell did that happen?), I have to get dressed, brush my teeth and clean my damn shoes before I even leave the bedroom nowadays. Last night at 3am, I awoke...
• Healthcare Prescriptions
  
  Doc Russia has a list of proposals to fix the healthcare system, and if I could I'd take the list and nail it to Fuckface's forehead (with a 6" nail, but let's ignore that for the moment). One statement which got my attention was this:Make government care shitty. That's right; make it the absolute worst. As it stands Medicare and Medicaid provide a very high level of care...
• Quote Of The Day
  
  From one of the very few gun writers who knows what he's talking about:"These are the good old days for shooting sportsmen and it's up to all of us to protect our freedom. Don't buy a gun out of fear or contempt or hatred. Buy a gun because you live in a country where you can. Shoot and care for your guns responsibly. Always respect the laws. The shooting sports build friendships, keep families together and offer a lifetime of memories that will be cherished...
• Postal Match Hanging Chads
  
  The results of the First NeanderPundit Postal Match are in, and I just plain sucked. Also, because of my rampant stupidity, I ordered the wrong damn NRA targets [smacks self upside the head with a board repeatedly], and it was only through the kindness and graciousness of Og The Scorer himself that I and the Son&Heir weren't disqualified. The targets I did get made the shooting a lot...
• What Assimilation?
  
  To see an example of how untrammeled immigration is helping a "tolerant" nation, check out this little snippet:The number of people emigrating from the city of Malmø is reaching record levels. Swedes, who a couple of decades ago decided to open the doors to Muslim "refugees" and asylum seekers, are now turned into refugees in their...
• Checking The Odds
  
  Reader Erik M. sent me this fascinating (for a numbers geek like me) table of statistics about causes of death resulting from injury -- ie. ignoring illness, old age etc. For the year 2001, here are a few random odds of dying by injury (ranked in order of likelihood, to be read as "1 in _____"):Unintentional Accidental Falls: 18,982 Car occupant: 19,075 Accidental poisoning by...
• My Kinda Advertiser
  
  I hope "Combat Stocks" can handle the traffic... see the ad on the right, and click through with gusto, my friends. (Those shotgun stocks look quite yummy.) If anyone in the gun- and gun-product industry is reading this, I think that this is one of the very few personal blogs which can claim as close to 100% gun ownership amongst its readers as it's possible to mention. Even the couple or so who may not own a gun at this moment (and you know who you are)...
• Empowering Women
  
  One of the good consequences of a gathering of thoughtful people is that the ripples caused by conversation will spread wide. I apologize for that somewhat wordy introduction, but I couldn't think of a better way to preface this post by The Mrs., wherein she talks about the real way to empower women. Every woman should read this essay, especially those who...

Michael Williams – Master of None

• Optical Illusion Uglifies Pretty People
  
  It seems to have something to do with your brain mistakenly overlaying the images from your peripheral vision. It may do this because the faces are all congruently placed and sized. (HT: Gizmodo.)
• Obama Campaign Disables Fraud Protection For Credit Card Transactions
  
  Why has President Obama's campaign disabled the Address Verification System that is used to prevent fraudulent credit card transactions? It has been reported that the Obama campaign this year, as in 2008, has disabled or chosen not to use AVS in screening contributions made by credit card. That doesn't sound very important. But it's evidence of a mod
• Congratulations SpaceX!
  
  SpaceX has launched the first non-governmental vehicle that will (hopefully!) dock at the International Space Station. At a NASA press conference after the launch, Musk said he had been concerned about another valve problem surfacing. With the liftoff, "every bit of adrenaline in my body released," he said. "It was trem
• Police Don't Like Patrol Car Cameras
  
  This isn't surprising: St. Louis police don't like to have cameras in their patrol cars because the recordings are used against them. City police officers believe in-car cameras are being used against them, and they are trying to find ways to avoid driving cars equipped with them, according to un
• Hard Truths About Capitalism
  
  Jeff Carter defends the risk inherent to capitalism with some hard truths: But when you look at a capitalistic society in sum, it raises all boats faster and improves entire societal standards of living more quickly than centrally directed government programs. Critics of the US welfare state like to say that we have the richest poor people in the world. They are correct. It's no fun to be poor i
• Target Day
  
  While my wife was having surgery my daughter and I spent the morning scouring nearby Targets for the My Little Pony Royal Ball at Canterlot Castle Set. Each successive Target swore that the one they were sending us to would have the toy in stock, and the third one finally did! After surgery I went to pick up my wife's prescriptions at... yes... a fourth Target. I'm sure this is some s
• Mayan Astronomy Geeks
  
  We always tend to think of people from the distant past as members of a strange, alien species... but the discovery of this Mayan astronomy workshop really brings home how similar all we humans are. On an adjacent wall are numbers indicating four time spans from roughly 935 to 6,700 years. It's not clear what they represent, but maybe the scribes were doing calcula
• Non-Monetary Lottery Returns
  
  Statistician DC Woods describes why he plays the lottery despite knowing the odds: So why do I still buy lottery tickets? Definitely not for the expected monetary return on investment. I think of it as a discretionary entertainment spend. I get literally hours of enjoyment from fantasizing what I'd do if I won. I happily spend $25 for two hours of entertainment at the mo
• Gay Marriage and "Moderate"
  
  North Carolina is poised to pass a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage which seems to surprise AP reporter Emery P. Dalesio: Experts expect the measure to pass, despite the state's long history of moderate politics. The "moderate" position is to be opposed to gay marriage, not to endorse it. That's why
• "It's the economy, stupid" -- Moving the Goalposts
  
  VDH describes how the economic goalposts have been moved for Obama. We have had 38 months of 8% plus unemployment. We are setting records in the numbers of Americans not working and the percentage of the adult population not employed. GDP growth was a pathetic 1.7%. The borrowing hit $5 trillion under Obama, who between golf outings and campaign hit-ups of wealthy people, adds $1 trillion

Rocket Jones

• Psst... Over Here (UPDATE: Moved Again, Link Adjusted)
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  I'm over at the new (new) Rocket Jones. I didn't start over, just moved the whole kit-and-kaboodle over to a more spam-resistant platform. Please adjust your links accordingly. Thanks....
• Mee Moving Into Nu Digs
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  Ok, many suggested alternatives to abandoning blogging on Rocket Jones. Ultimately, you are all wiser than I, because I found that it really bugged me to just up and walk away. Pixy has set me up over at the new...
• The Spam Has Won
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  I give up. The only thing I do around here lately is clean up the mess, and it's just not worth my time anymore. See you in your comments....
• Buy Me Some Peanuts And... What the Hell?!?!?!
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  Minor league baseballs teams do some wacky things for promotion nights, and almost anything goes as long as it draws a crowd. Seldom though, does the concession menu enter into the equation. The Sioux Falls Canaries and Dakota Provisions are...
• Home Sweet Home
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  Hello all. Got home last Sunday morning (early AM). Been berry berry busy. All work-stuff that was supposed to get done by "backups" didn't. Most did, but still spent a day catching up. On the home front, our dishwasher went...
• Things I've Learned Because of My (Twisted) Love of Nunsploitation Movies
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  I explained about exploitation movies here on Rocket Jones, including that unholiest of sub-genre's: nunsploitation. As it turns out, my limited personal collection includes four that are considered true classics of the type (and there are a surprising number of...
• Comeback
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  Apparently, this "fragile" planet we live on is a tad more resilient than folks like to admit. The healthy condition of the coral at Bikini today was proof of the atoll's resilience and ability to bounce back from massive disturbances...
• Quickie Movie Review
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  I've said many times that when it comes to horror movies, I'd rather be scared than grossed out. Even so, I am giving high marks to Evil Aliens. This is an out and out gore-fest with some amazingly over the...
• Cue John Denver
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  Liz and I are headed to Arizona for a week to visit my Dad. We've been busy getting ready for the trip, plus other big happenings that I'll talk about when we get home. I really doubt they have more...
• First Game of the Season (for us)
  
  01/01/70 12:00:00 AM
  
  We went and saw our first Potomac Nationals game of the season last night. The team (single A minor league) has a lot of familiar names from last year, and they've started off on a hot streak. As for the...

ScrappleFace

• Miers Withdraws to 'Spend More Time with Humans'
  
  (2005-10-27) -- Harriet Miers today withdrew her name from consideration as a Supreme Court Justice so she could "spend more time with family and friends, and just humans in general." "During the weeks since my nomination," said Miss Miers, "as...
• UN Debates Meaning of 'Wipe' Israel from Map
  
  (2005-10-27) -- The United Nations Security Council today took up discussion on what Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad might have meant when he called for Israel to be "wiped out from the map". Secretary General Kofi Annan said Iran, as a...
• Fitzgerald: Who Leaked Google Classified Ad Service?
  
  (2005-10-27) -- In an effort to produce "some kind of result" after two years of investigating who leaked the name of CIA operative Valerie Wilson, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald today announced formation of a new grand jury to probe who...
• Dean: Celebrate 2,000th Iraq Death with Dignity
  
  (2005-10-25) -- Democrat National Committee Chairman Howard Dean urged party members to "restrain their joy" during nationwide celebrations of the 2,000th American fatality of the Iraq war, "out of respect for the untold thousands who have been killed by our...
• Bush: Miers Views Not Clouded by Legal Scholarship
  
  (2005-10-25) -- As part of a third White House strategy to prop up the Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers, President George Bush announced today that Miss Miers is not "intellectually burdened" with detailed knowledge of the opinions of legal...
• CNN Poll: Bush Would Lose Election or Be Arrested
  
  (2005-10-25) -- If a presidential election were held this year, George Bush would either lose to an anonymous Democrat or win and be jailed for violating the term-limit provision found in the 22nd amendment to the Constitution, according to the...
• Iraq Constitution Approval Another Setback for Bush
  
  (2005-10-25) -- In yet another setback for the Bush administration, Iraqi electoral officials announced today that voters have approved the new Iraqi Constitution by a margin of 78-to-21 percent. This new bit of bad news will likely drive President George...
• Sen. Coburn Offers Compromise 'Bridge to Everywhere'
  
  (2005-10-24) -- After failing in his attempt last week to divert $75 million in funding from the Alaskan 'bridge to nowhere' project to repair the hurricane-damaged bridge across Lake Pontchartrain, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-OK, today introduced a revised version of...
• NY Times Editor Vows Not to Be Distracted by Scandal
  
  (2005-10-22) -- New York Times executive editor Bill Keller today joined President George Bush in a vow not to be " TARGET="_blank">distracted by "background noise, chatter, speculation and opining" about the scandal surrounding the unmasking of Valerie Wilson as a...
• Exiled Rove Will Volunteer to Think for Bush
  
  (2005-10-21) -- Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove today said that if a grand jury indicts him on charges related to the disclosure of Valerie Wilson's CIA role, forcing him to resign, Mr. Rove will still help President...

Silflay Hraka

• Welcoming the New Arrival
  
  My new niece, Ollie Grace, was dragged kicking and screaming into this world at 3:50 p.m. yesterday. After 28 hours of labor and three solid hours of pushing, the mother opted for delivery via c-section at her doctor's advice. Apparently the child just wasn't coming any other way. Narrow pelvis bone or something to that effect. Or the child is just as stubborn as every other member of the family. I like to think so at any rate.
• LTC Bob's Recommended Reading
  
  For Tuesday, December 4th; The Tipping of West Rasheed, Part One It is an area where Sunni enclaves are facing “Shia-fication� as powerful interests seek to drive the Sunni out of Baghdad; and, it is an area where the Shia militias have freely operated and attempted to spread out from urban Baghdad to attack and disrupt Sunni areas. As Captain Lee Showman of Task Force 1-18 (Vanguards) of the stori
• It's Not Just My SUV
  
  that's destroying the Earth. It's also my beer fridge. "People need to understand the impact of their lifestyles," says Joanna Yarrow, director of Beyond Green, a sustainable development consultancy in the UK. "Clearly the environmental implications of having a frivolous luxury like a beer fridge are not hitting home. This research helps inform people – let's hope it has
• WarCrack
  
  The Dangers of WoW. Hat tip to good friend WankelRotaryEngine for the link. Thanks, bud!
• The Latest From LTC Bob
  
  Last month, me and MAJ Mike Biankowski went down to Camp Echo, in Diwaniyah. Camp Echo is the coalition base: Poles, Mongols, Armenians, and a bunch of others. We had a small US engineer detachment working there at the time, putting up T walls for a new Joint Security Station. Me and Mile lucked into our trip when their crane went down and needed some new hydraulic hoses. We boldly volunteered to be the guys to fly them down. Well, anything to get off Victory Base is more like the truth
• Muslims At Mass
  
  In Iraq. We're winning.
• Drum
  
  Debra's brother outfishes us.
• Comments
  
  have been turned off. I'm tired of spending an hour a day deleting comment spam. Yes, I know there are alternatives, but I don't particularly have time for them either at the moment.
• Grandparent Crack
  
  Fluffy Mendoza and Ngnat share a moment.
• Football Is Real Simple
  
  When it is explained correctly.

the RANT:

• Quote...
  
  "I'm going to be judicious as to how to use the military," he said. "It needs to be in our vital interest. The mission needs to be clear and the exit strategy obvious." George W. Bush Crossposted to UnSpecified Chatter...
• Sale on Integrity
  
  Gee, Dietz, do you know what would be even funnier then finding out that Bob Novak was on Bushfare? All of the conservative scribblers out there who never got a single leaf from the administration money tree will start to...
• I Want to Thank the Academy…
  
  Crossposted to Unspecified Chatter Yesterday I was talking about my recent perusal of the Academy Awards database and was a bit surprised to find out that accumulating Oscar hardware was a fairly rear thing. Just John Noted something that I...
• Devil in the Details
  
  I have to hand it to the Bush administration, over the last four years they have grown increasingly adept at getting the body politic to argue over air. During the run up to the conflict in Iraq, many wanted to...
• Quote...
  
  The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation's history...this century's history.... We all lived in this century. I didn't live in this century. Dan Quayle Crossposted to UnSpecified Chatter...
• Armstrong Williams Payola Scandal
  
  ED Note: And here by popular demand is another guest post by Tom Sawyer, our own conservatarian firebrand with his thoughts on the seminal issues of the day. Armstrong, Armstrong Armstrong…What have you done?! As a columnist it is one...
• Quote...
  
  "Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll understand what little chance you have of trying to change others." Jacob M. Braude Hat Tip Jerry K. Crossposted to UnSpecified Chatter...
• Name That Movie... 237
  
  Today I'm going for a quote only. If you go to UnSpecified chatter you'll better understand why. Mr Blackitt: That's what being a Protestant's all about. That's why it's the church for me. That's why it's the church for anyone...
• A Freedom Sandwich, or ... a Ménage-Et-Trios of Freedom… if you will
  
  The following essay was written by a new guest poster, Truly Render gracing us with a cheeky yet sublime polemic about the countries we love to hate, in honor of the recent calibration of freedom in out nation’s Capital. Crossposted...
• Quote...
  
  "The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness, and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival." Aristotle Hat Tip Jerry K. Crossposted to UnSpecified Chatter...