Monday Open

(hat-tip DJS)

and a nice music vid …..Paco De Lucia, John Mclaughlin y Al Di Meola – Mediterranean Sundance. Enjoy!

State of Florida Executed Convicted Child Rapist/Murderer

The family of Junny Rios-Martinez may finally be getting justice. Mark Dean Schwab has been scheduled for execution by the state of Florida 16 years after he raped and murdered the 11-year-old boy.

This was not Mark Dean Schwab’s first instance of child rape. He had been released from a Florida prison just one month before raping and killing Junny for the rape of a 13-year-old boy. He had served only three years of an eight year sentence.

There is no doubt whatsoever that he committed the crime. He had become friendly with the family and the boy while (falsely) posing as a writer for a surfing magazine, gaining Junny’s trust and lulling any parental suspicions. He called his aunt and confessed to the crime. When captured by the police, he led them to where Junny’s body had been discarded.

The family may again see justice denied for the horrific death of their child. There are appeals to a federal court on the grounds that the execution may be painful.

I sincerely hope that his execution is painful. Unfortunately, it will not be as painful as what Junny experienced.

More information:

UPDATE: State of Florida plans 6 p.m. execution barring last minute stays.

UPDATE: No last minute stays. Execution commenced at 6 p.m. and is complete.

Happy 200K Open Thread

Since October 06 on WordPress, with visits from our Contributors excluded from the counter, 200K is a nice number for our small but dedicated blogsite.

Thank you readers.

On another note, I was watching a TV movie that had the following song in the closing credits, and I thought to myself, “Dang. That’s sounds like a great theme song for the Obama Cult.”

So I did a quick search and discovered that someone else had the same idea. It’s pretty good, too.

Arts and Crafts at MeeMaw’s House

Jacob squealed with joy as Mommy and Daddy walked through the door. “Mommy! Look at my Pirate Sheep!” He happily ran to the table where a sheep skull was painted glossy blue and purple. He held it up proudly. “Look! I dug it up and MeeMaw let me paint it!”

Poor Daddy looked aghast. “Well, uh, that’s certainly interesting”, he said. Daddy is a city boy and former Navy. He looked afraid to touch it.

I grinned over at Jacob’s Daddy. “Arts and crafts at MeeMaw’s house are a little different than at day care,” I explained.

“I can see that!” he replied fervently.

“It’s okay, mom always bleaches bones before she let us play with them”, explained Mommy, the voice of experience. “Did you soak it or spray it?”

“Sprayed it with diluted bleach after scrubbing it down and rinsing it out.”

Jacob had caught sight of what he hoped was a dinosaur bone protruding from the muck in a dried out pond this morning while SwampMan and I were rerouting a fence. “MeeMaw! Come dig it out!” I got a stick and tried to pry it out, but the suction was too much and the stick broke.

“Sorry, Jacob. I’m going to have to get a shovel and dig it out later after I help Papa with the fence.”

About 15 minutes later, I heard a triumphant “I got it!” and there was Jacob holding his archeological prize, a sheep skull filled with mud. “It’s a pirate sheep!” After watching “Pirates of the Caribbean”, Jacob has decided that pirates are skeletons, hence the jolly Roger. He displays better logical leaps than some adults I know. A sheep skull would therefore be a pirate sheep.

“Uh, put that down, and wash it off with the hose, okay?” I instructed. After a thorough hosing and examination by MeeMaw to make sure that no tissue was left, I told him that I needed to spray it with something that would kill the germs that were on there. “I found it! I can take it home? I can keep it in my room?”

“Um, sure. Do you want to paint it?” I asked, thinking that perhaps it would be slightly more acceptable to the parents if the bones were sealed, so to speak.

“YES! I want to paint it blue!”

“No problem. Let’s put the pirate sheep up to dry outside, and we’ll go look at paint.”

He picked out a glossy blue enamel and some purple leather dye. Jacob also picked out hot pink, gold, silver, bright red, and sea green. Oooh, nice choices. I picked out a yellow leather dye as well, since I had in mind that while the pirate sheep was drying from the first coat of enamel, he could paint a nice lil’ 3′ chunk of driftwood and take it home, too. I could get my yard cleared one chunk at a time.

He started painting the outside portion of the sheep skull a bright glossy blue as carefully as a 4-year-old boy could paint. “Don’t get any paint on the teeth, okay? Leave them white, okay?” he instructed as I carefully smoothed out any big globs he had left. The inside portions of the eyes and palate and nasal passages and sinuses were dyed bright purple. Hmmmm. I surveyed the skull. There were a few places that needed touching up but all in all, it looked pretty good. “That looks cool, MeeMaw!”

The piece of gray driftwood had some purple and yellow leather dye daubed on in some places. In others, he applied hot pink, teal green, bright red, and lots of gold and silver sparkly paint. I went over it with a dry brush, blending the paint blotches together. The effect was really nice, particularly since the silver and gold paint overlaid and muted the bright colors and they all flowed together. Hunh. Maybe I should get Jake to paint all my driftwood, and we’ll sell it instead of putting it in the burn pile. I have seen far worse looking things for sale in the art shops at prices that sometimes elicits a forceful “you have got to be (expletive) me” out loud.

Mommy was admiring the blue and purple Pirate Sheep when Jacob showed her another feature. “See! Its tooth is loose! I’m going to pull it out in my room when we get home!”

Mommy said “No, that’s nasty. Whatever would you want to do that for?”

I explained to Mommy that the tooth fairy had been mentioned. The tooth fairy that will only visit Jacob’s house, not MeeMaw’s house.

“The tooth fairy does NOT leave money for Pirate Sheep teeth!” Mommy exclaimed, the spoilsport. I expect the legalities of the contract between the tooth fairy and the person that is in possession of a tooth that has been correctly placed under his pillow per custom will be discussed again tonight.

They left about an hour ago. His sheep skull was tucked securely into his backpack, wrapped in his blanket. I’m expecting a phone call from Mommy regarding whatever gave him the idea that the tooth fairy might be interested in Pirate Sheep teeth any time now. Heh.

Another week in the can

Several interesting comments on the Chuck Norris thread (Chuck Norris doesn’t drill for oil, he sticks his finger in the ground and the spinning of the earth on its axis drills the hole) left me wondering whether or not to jump in. I’m still there, pondering.

I’ve followed developments on the alternative energy front for the last couple of years, and posted on quite of few of the more promising ideas.

Until there are cost-effective alternatives, then oil remains the driver. And, as long as substantial domestic supplies remain undeveloped, then importing crude is a necessity. The lead time on new production is 5 to 6 years, so why wait around?

Reducing consumption through conservation and increased efficiency, as well as the natural reduction in consumption that occurs as the pain of higher prices causes behavioral changes, are taking place as we speak, and will continue. The difference between us and our political opponents on the left involves a single word: Liberty. We on the political right insist on preserving the liberty to decide for ourselves just how we, as individuals and as families will deal with the challenges that face us. We don’t care a whit for the cap and trade redistribution hokum that emanates from the “debate is over” crowd, nor do we respond to guilt-inducing labels such as “selfish.” Why should we? We selfishly protect the liberty to choose for ourselves, willingly accepting for better or worse, the consequences of of our own decisions.

I could go on, but then again, why bother? There isn’t a persuadable argument to make. Experience is the only teacher that will change an otherwise unpersuadable mind– e.g. the liberal who gets mugged, yada, yada. And sometimes, even experience fails to enlighten. How else to explain the resurgence of socialism: as if 100 years of failure means nothing.

This is the World Famous Friday Open Thread.

WFFOT: Your thread in times of high gas prices, high food prices, market tumult, and exhausted liberals (they must be exhausted; toting those big brains around all the time).

+++++

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, The Virtuous Republic, Perri Nelson’s Website, Rosemary’s Thoughts, The Random Yak, Right Truth, Adam’s Blog, Shadowscope, Stuck On Stupid, , Phastidio.net, Cao’s Blog, The Amboy Times, Democrat=Socialist, Conservative Cat, Allie is Wired, third world county, Faultline USA, McCain Blogs, DragonLady’s World, The World According to Carl, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Gulf Coast Hurricane Tracker, Dumb Ox Daily News, , CORSARI D’ITALIA, Stageleft, Right Voices, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Heller Affirmed!

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
Syllabus
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ET AL. v. HELLER
CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT
No. 07–290. Argued March 18, 2008—Decided June 26, 2008

District of Columbia law bans handgun possession by making it a crime to carry an unregistered firearm and prohibiting the registration of handguns; provides separately that no person may carry an unlicensed handgun, but authorizes the police chief to issue 1-year licenses; and requires residents to keep lawfully owned firearms unloaded and dissembled or bound by a trigger lock or similar device.

Respondent Heller, a D. C. special policeman, applied to register a handgun he wished to keep at home, but the District refused. He filed this suit seeking, on Second Amendment grounds, to enjoin the city from enforcing the bar on handgun registration, the licensing requirement insofar as it prohibits carrying an unlicensed firearm in the home, and the trigger-lock requirement insofar as it prohibits the use of functional firearms in the home. The District Court dismissed the suit, but the D. C. Circuit reversed, holding that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess firearms and that the city’s total ban on handguns, as well as its requirement that firearms in the home be kept nonfunctional even when necessary for self-defense, violated that right.

Held:

1. The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. Pp. 2–53.

(a) The Amendment’s prefatory clause announces a purpose, but does not limit or expand the scope of the second part, the operative clause. The operative clause’s text and history demonstrate that it connotes an individual right to keep and bear arms. Pp. 2–22.

(b) The prefatory clause comports with the Court’s interpretation of the operative clause. The “militia” comprised all males physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense. The Antifederalists feared that the Federal Government would disarm the people in order to disable this citizens’ militia, enabling a politicized standing army or a select militia to rule. The response was to deny Congress power to abridge the ancient right of individuals to keep and bear arms, so that the ideal of a citizens’ militia would be preserved. Pp. 22–28.

(c) The Court’s interpretation is confirmed by analogous armsbearing rights in state constitutions that preceded and immediately followed the Second Amendment. Pp. 28–30.

(d) The Second Amendment’s drafting history, while of dubious interpretive worth, reveals three state Second Amendment proposals that unequivocally referred to an individual right to bear arms. Pp. 30–32.

(e) Interpretation of the Second Amendment by scholars, courts and legislators, from immediately after its ratification through the late 19th century also supports the Court’s conclusion. Pp. 32–47.

(f) None of the Court’s precedents forecloses the Court’s interpretation. Neither United States v. Cruikshank, 92 U. S. 542, 553, nor Presser v. Illinois, 116 U. S. 252, 264–265, refutes the individual rights interpretation. United States v. Miller, 307 U. S. 174, does not limit the right to keep and bear arms to militia purposes, but rather limits the type of weapon to which the right applies to those used by the militia, i.e., those in common use for lawful purposes. Pp. 47–54.

2. Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose: For example, concealed weapons prohibitions have been upheld under the Amendmentor state analogues. The Court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms. Miller’s holding that the sorts of weapons protected are those “in common use at the time” finds support in the historical tradition of prohibiting the carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons. Pp. 54–56.

3. The handgun ban and the trigger-lock requirement (as applied to self-defense) violate the Second Amendment. The District’s total ban on handgun possession in the home amounts to a prohibition on an entire class of “arms” that Americans overwhelmingly choose for the lawful purpose of self-defense. Under any of the standards of scrutiny the Court has applied to enumerated constitutional rights, this prohibition—in the place where the importance of the lawful defense of self, family, and property is most acute—would fail constitutional muster. Similarly, the requirement that any lawful firearm in the home be disassembled or bound by a trigger lock makes it impossible for citizens to use arms for the core lawful purpose of self-defense and is hence unconstitutional. Because Heller conceded at oral argument that the D. C. licensing law is permissible if it is not enforced arbitrarily and capriciously, the Court assumes that a license will satisfy his prayer for relief and does not address the licensing requirement. Assuming he is not disqualified from exercising Second Amendment rights, the District must permit Heller to register his handgun and must issue him a license to carry it in the home. Pp. 56–64.
478 F. 3d 370, affirmed.

SCALIA, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which ROBERTS,
C. J., and KENNEDY, THOMAS, and ALITO, JJ., joined. STEVENS, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which SOUTER, GINSBURG, and BREYER, JJ.,
joined. BREYER, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which STEVENS,
SOUTER, and GINSBURG, JJ., joined.

Read the opinions (pdf file) here:

Looks like I don’t have to uphold my oath to defend the constitution THIS week. It is frightening to see how close the Supreme Court decision was to banning the right of self-defense in the dissenting view:

In my view, there simply is no untouchable constitutional right guaranteed by the Second Amendment to keep loaded handguns in the house in crime-ridden urban areas.

Spoken like a true liberal who has never had to live in a crime-ridden urban area! So, how are they supposed to protect their families from the thugs that break in intent on rape, robbery, and perhaps murder? Give them a stern talking to? Tell them they’re going to call the police and the thugs will really be in big trouble then? Inform them that they’ll go on a sex offender list? Set bear traps at the entrances (oh, wait, that’s illegal, too).

The dissenting opinion read to me like a textbook blend of elitism and nanny statism. After all, why is it that dwellers in the crime-ridden urban areas cannot be trusted to have a handgun inside their house? Is it because they are intellectually less well suited to make the decision to protect themselves than somebody in the suburbs? Sounds rather condescending to me. “There, there, poverty stricken person. Don’t you bother worrying about self-protection, big brother will be there to vigorously prosecute your violator/murderer; that is, if he’s ever caught.”

The argument “but what about the safety of the children?” is specious. What about parental responsibility?

This should have been a unanimous decision. That four justices voted to abrogate the constitution is very troubling.

Alien Army?

A SHAKEN soldier told last night how he saw THIRTEEN UFOs spinning in the skies above his military barracks.

Corporal Mark Proctor was among three squaddies who spotted the objects while out on night patrol.

He filmed them on his mobile phone and reported the close encounter to Army top brass.

Mystery … UFO seen on soldier Mark Proctor’s video

Ministry of Defence experts were studying his report and video yesterday — after ordering Mark and his pals NOT to say anything else about the incident.

Source: thesun.co.uk via nukegingrich

The sightings were confirmed by police officers in a helicopter, as well as by two separate civilian reports.  A video is available at the original news story.

NowPublic

Tags: video | report | Film | MINISTRY | Strange | defence | cardiff | Expert | barracks | official | nick | studied | incident | Proctor

Giving back

Shira bat Sarah from Gulfport challenges all to lend a helping hand to our friends in the Midwest, through donations of time, prayers, and money:

Let’s give them a hand up. Those who face the task of stripping their homes and businesses of sodden furnishings should have the comfort of those meals and smiling faces. Let’s help them out.

Chabad Disaster Relief The Chabad from New Orleans was here almost the day after Hurricane Katrina

Red Cross

Salvation Army

Humane Society Disaster Relief

Let’s fill those empty coffers. Our heartland has given so much to this country. It’s time to give something back.

Worthy, indeed.

Hope and Change in the culture wars

The would-be First Lady of the 2004 election cycle was often the target of criticism for her off-the-cuff remarks on the campaign trail, and for her support of left wing advocacy groups. So much so, in fact, that The H.J. Heinz Co. sent out 50 letters to news organizations to “squash rumors circulating on the Internet and radio talk shows that it is involved with Mr. Kerry’s campaign.” [link]

In 2004, she changed her name from Teresa Heinz to Teresa Heinz Kerry during the campaign. After Kerry’s defeat, she changed her name back to Teresa Heinz, and has quietly faded back into affluent obscurity

The video below is currently being aired overseas. Is this agenda-driven advocacy or is it just clever marketing?

That it is not being run in the U.S. suggests the former. Of course, in this election cycle, I can’t imagine the DNC would knowingly allow the carefully manicured image of their candidate to be pulled into the culture wars with such a provocative commercial sponsored, at least indirectly, by the spouse of their former standard-bearer.

Despite the recent ruling by the California Supreme Court, and the resulting flood of homosexual marriages, the Religious Right has been largely silent in this election cycle. I suspect the Dems would just as soon leave a sleeping giant alone.

h/t: WP Dashboard, via IMWT. Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary’s Thoughts, 123beta, Right Truth, DragonLady’s World, Stuck On Stupid, Cao’s Blog, Leaning Straight Up, Democrat=Socialist, Conservative Cat, Pursuing Holiness, Pet’s Garden Blog, Allie is Wired, third world county, McCain Blogs, Woman Honor Thyself, The World According to Carl, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Gulf Coast Hurricane Tracker, CORSARI D’ITALIA, , and Stageleft, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

RBS issues global stock and credit crash alert

The Royal Bank of Scotland has advised clients to brace for a full-fledged crash in global stock and credit markets over the next three months as inflation paralyses the major central banks.

“A very nasty period is soon to be upon us – be prepared,” said Bob Janjuah, the bank’s credit strategist.

A report by the bank’s research team warns that the S&P 500 index of Wall Street equities is likely to fall by more than 300 points to around 1050 by September as “all the chickens come home to roost” from the excesses of the global boom, with contagion spreading across Europe and emerging markets.

Source: telegraph.co.uk via nukegingrich

I’m not sure how one can “brace for a full-fledged crash,” and RBS doesn’t offer any suggestions, other than “Cash is the key safe haven.”  However, if inflation continues to be propelled toward double-digits, the value of a cah investment is steadily eroded.

The concluding statement in the article was somewhat cryptic:  “the bank expects the oil price spike to subside as the more powerful force of debt deflation takes hold next year.” 

We all are experiencing the results of the oil price spike, and will continue to do so for the forseeable future.  That this is a less powerful force than debt deflation is staggering.   As the perceived value of debt instruments decrease (think sub-prime crisis on steroids), the resuting financial cascade will be historic.

NowPublic

Tags: Europe | Markets | Issues | stock | crash | inflation | bonds | research | report | global | World | Scotland | alert | September | Corporate | CHICKENS | Boom | emerging | CREDIT | CONTAGION | CLIENTS | brace | Index | points | months | warns | advised | spreading | equities | roost | excesses | full-fledged | paralyses

Laissez-Faire Lawn Care

My attitude towards branches, leaves, etc. that fall out of the trees in the yard is more or less laissez-faire. If the branch falls out of the tree, and the leaves fall out of the tree, then let them lie under the tree to nuture the tree. I believe in recycling nutrients. Or something. Just so I don’t have to waste my weekend sweating over it and can spend it on something much more worthwhile, like admiring how superior the grandchildren are in comparison to their parents.

Luckily, I live in a rural area so while I may be judged by the people that are anal-retentive about lawn care to the point that if the grass is 1/4 inch above optimal eye appeal height, they’re out there with the power equipment whacking it into submission, there are no Homeowners Associations to pummel me into compliance with the lawn care rules and regulations of civilized folk.

“What in the world is that huge pile of limbs in your front yard?”

“Squirrel habitat.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, I’m all about nurturing the small mammals and giving them safe houses to duck into in case of a hawk attack.”

“Uh huh.”

Unfortunately, the tidy German portion of my DNA has temporarily defeated the more easygoing French and American Indian portions of my DNA and stuffed it into the closet, which is why I’m out raking up branches and old dog toys and tidying up the yard.

I just wish that that tidy DNA would come out in the winter instead of the hot, humid Florida summer.

Maybe it isn’t so much the tidy DNA as procrastination on seeking new employment. Hunh. That French DNA is some powerful stuff.

Saturday Night Chuckle!

Corporate Cows

1. SOCIALISM:
You have 2 cows and you give one to your neighbor.

2. COMMUNISM:
You have 2 cows; the Government takes both and gives you some milk.

3. FASCISM:
You have 2 cows; the Government takes both and sells you some milk.

4. NAZISM:
You have 2 cows. The Government takes both and shoots you.

5. BUREAUCRATISM:
You have 2 cows; the Government takes both, shoots one, milks the other
and throws the milk away…

6. TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM:
You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. Your herd multiplies,
and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.

7. AN AMERICAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk
of four cows. Later, you hire a consultant to analyze why the cow
dropped dead.

8. A FRENCH CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You go on strike because you want three cows.

9. A JAPANESE CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of
an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create a
clever cow cartoon image called Cowkimon and market them World-Wide.

10. A GERMAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You reengineer them so they live for 100 years, eat
once a month, and milk themselves.

11. AN ITALIAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows, but you don’t know where they are. You break for
lunch.

12. A RUSSIAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You count them and learn you have five cows. You
count them again and learn you have 42 cows. You count them again and
learn you have 2 cows. You stop counting cows and open another bottle of
vodka.

13. A SWISS CORPORATION:
You have 5000 cows, none of which belong to you. You charge others for
storing them.

14. A CHINESE CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You have 300 people milking them. You claim full
employment, high bovine productivity, and arrest the newsman who
reported the numbers.

15. AN INDIAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You worship them.

16. A BRITISH CORPORATION:
You have two cows. Both are mad.

17. A ZIMBABWEAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You eat both

Chuck Norris: Drill Here Drill Now

I’ve been promoting this petition drive whenever I can. Now Chuck Norris joins the crew and I hope this will get some attention. Take a look at the petition at the link down yonder and join us.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

As gas prices are at an all-time high, the American people are demanding that Congress take action to drill here and drill now. More than 650,000 Americans have signed the “Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less” petition, and that number keeps growing rapidly each day.

Increasing domestic energy resources is not a Republican or Democrat issue; it’s about lowering gas prices for hard-working American families. With more than 650,000 Americans on board, a groundswell of grassroots support is rising up to pressure Congress to stop playing partisan politics and start using more of our domestic energy resources.

We’re excited to announce today that Chuck Norris is supporting our “Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less” campaign. Watch him talk about it in this new YouTube video:

www.AmericanSolutions.com/DrillNow.

WFFOT the 13th Roundup

Good grief, it’s Friday already?

Since deciding to cut back on blogging activity a couple of weeks ago, my time away from the blogosphere has become more productive. Big surprise, huh.

We put the house on the market, found a small place with some land a few miles out of town that we should be able to pay cash for, and made some plans to accomplish two of the “ity” goals that we set for ourselves at the beginning of 2007: “liquidity”, and “defensibility”. The third “ity” goal” “mobility” has been largely accomplished, with the fourth, “sustainability” still in the planning stages. All in all, it’s been a busy two weeks, with more to come.

Mrs. Nuke told me the other day that she wants a new personal protection device. I’m leaning towards recommending a 38 snubbie, simplicity, reliabilty, and all that … (I kind of like those “ity” words). Suggestions and recommendations please …

Headlines and News Articles of interest …

John F. Kerry agrees with the SCOTUS – Gitmo ruling … What a complete dingus…

Reminiscent of “Get Smart” and the Cone of Silence, Scientists have shown off the blueprint for an “acoustic cloak”, which could make objects impervious to sound waves. I hear they’re remaking the old GS series into a feature film…..bringing back teenage fantasies about Agent 99 …

Great piece from Dr. K: “Make the Election about Iraq” … Speaking of Iraq, got an email from Mike Yon, who, after his book tour is headed back to Iraq. He’ll be reporting independent of embeds, meaning that he will not have the direct protection of the military … Please remember Mike in your prayers, and in your giving by buying Moment of Truth, or by making a direct contribution. Without your support, the mission will end.

Miracle Date? “A 2,000-year-old date seed discovered at Masada four decades ago may provide new cures to numerous ailments, Israeli scientists say, after making significant advances, against all odds, in producing fruit from the seed….to yield a now-extinct species of date that was renowned in ancient times as a treatment for heart disease, chest problems, the spitting of blood, weakened memory and other medical conditions, possibly even symptoms of cancer and depression.” Dang… How much you figure those newly grown pits would go for on Ebay?

The Tyranny of PC: “The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter has halted a program to promote the adoption of black cats and dogs the week of June 14-20 after criticism that the event would have taken place the week of Juneteenth, Director Cheryl Schneider said today.

“We apologize if our promotion to reduce fees on black dogs and cats offended anyone,” Schneider said in a statement.”

They have the bastard on tape … “AUSTIN — Whoever launched the Molotov cocktail that led to the devastating weekend fire at the Texas Governor’s Mansion had breached the security fencing and was standing on the property’s front lawn at the time of the attack, officials said Thursday”

From the Dept of Paranoia … Is it paranoia if they really do want to kill you?

RoP school in Virginia teaches that …”a Muslim can take with impunity the life and property of someone believed guilty of polytheism. According to the panel, the strict Saudi interpretation of polytheism includes Shiite and Sufi Muslims as well as Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists.” Great. ……

“Florida Muslim leaders met with Doudou Diène, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, at a Miami hearing to discuss Islamophobia and anti-Muslim discrimination” … I am up to here with this BS.

And finally, here’s a great site if you need a spiffy new name for your band, or blog, and no, they don’t actually use the word “spiffy.” Here’s what I came up with when I plugged in “Nuke” …

Nuke of the Blur
Wet Nuke
Nuke Mood
Nuke Void
Sublime Kneecap of the Nuke Boar
Nuke of the Diabolical
Shameless Nuke
Nuke Sunberry
Nuke Dad
Nuke Horse
Didactic Nuke
Nuke Grease
Tomato of the Nuke
Godless Habitat
Acid Nuke
Igneous Nuke
Western Sky
Nuke Goat and the Mayo
Icky Nuke
Nuke Cantaloupe
Nuke of the Glass
Intuition of the Nuke
Gourmet Counselor of the Nuke Vapor

I’m kind of partial to Nuke Goat and the Mayo. Speedshop Deli could have used this generator when they were naming my pickle. Heh™

This is the World Famous Friday Open Thread. Track-backs welcome.

WFFOT: Be The Thread.

++++

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Rosemary’s Thoughts, third world county, Adam’s Blog, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, Democrat=Socialist, , Conservative Cat, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

The Obama Record: Out of touch

I spoke last week about the Obama coronation speech in St. Paul. Obama is clearly sensitive about his lack of a substantial record to stand on. I don’t blame him. Whatever thin record exists, Obama has shown that his position on key issues is hard left.

Although he wants to position himself as the candidate who transcends such mundane things as left and right, liberal and conservative, and politics in general, the facts of his record speak for themselves.

“I respect his (McCain’s) many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine.“

Let it not be said that we will deny Obama’s record of accomplishments. For example:

The Right to keep and bear arms.

Texas Mourns! ARSON!!

The Texas Governor’s Mansion was set ablaze by some miscreant early this morning.
For me, and other Texans, this act of depravity is simply incomprehensible, and I sincerely hope that as soon as the law of man punishes him/her, that the Good Lord will impose his own punishment.
The Governor’s Mansion first opened in 1856, a decade after Texas was annexed by the U.S. government, and has been in continuous use since that time, longer than any other state west of the Mississippi. It has a glorious past, has been home to numerous people of fame, and even more guests.
As a young college student in Austin, I couldn’t count the number of times I walked by, and drove by, the mansion. It was like an old friend, a link to our past and our future, and you could not walk or drive by without looking.
According to reports, this being one, the damage is nearly catastrophic, with the roof buckling, and they won’t know for certain how extensive or serious the damage is, until the arson investigation is concluded, and structural engineers can examine it.
Please pray for our beloved Governor’s Mansion, as it is a dear, dear friend to Texans.

Sunday Sundry Link Dump!

The Bradley Project.
This is a fascinating study, that probably should have a thread of it’s own.
Snip:

“The Bradley Project’s report, E Pluribus Unum, addresses the urgent problem of American identity in our global and multicultural age, and its wise recommendations for promoting civic consciousness and civic understanding couldn’t be more timely or more fitting. At stake is the future well-being not only of our national idenity and common public life—our unum—but also of the many subcultures within American society itself—our pluribus.”

Two Cheers for Obama! (but not three)

McCain Press Release 4 Jun 08.
This one definitely left a mark.

Sympathy For The Great Satan.
An Iranian ex-pat returns for a visit.

The A-Z Of Barack Obama.
It’s also the Tee to Hee.

Too bad this didn’t come out BEFORE Obama spoke to AIPAC.
This is a classic example of the type of follower of B-HO has.

Calling Obama black is an insult to his mother.

Barack Obama is not black. He is the first mixed-race politician ever to get this far in the onerous and arduously testing American electoral process.

I tolledjah! Didn’t I tolledjah?

Saturday night mellow

Ran across this video the other day, “The Rain Song.”  acoustic version.

Enjoy!

And, this cartoon from The Cube

The Obama Record

On the evening he won the Democratic Party’s presumptive nomination for president, Barack Obama spoke from St. Paul, Minnesota. In the early portion of his remarks, Obama pointed to the upcoming GOP Convention in St. Paul, and the head of the ticket, John McCain:

In just a few short months, the Republican Party will arrive in St. Paul with a very different agenda. They will come here to nominate John McCain, a man who has served this country heroically. I honor that service, and I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine. My differences with him are not personal; they are with the policies he has proposed in this campaign.

I emphasized that particular line because, as I listened to the speech, I was struck by his apparent sensitivity to his own record of “accomplishments”, or lack thereof. It does make one wonder how he could take offense to his opponent’s lack of familiarity with said record when even his staunch supporters are unaware of the same. This video is from a few weeks ago on Chris Matthews’ show.

One paragraph of his speech that has received little scrutiny deals with the government school program:

And maybe if he spent some time in the schools of South Carolina or St. Paul or where he spoke tonight in New Orleans, he’d understand that we can’t afford to leave the money behind for No Child Left Behind; that we owe it to our children to invest in early childhood education; to recruit an army of new teachers and give them better pay and more support; to finally decide that in this global economy, the chance to get a college education should not be a privilege for the wealthy few, but the birthright of every American. That’s the change we need in America. That’s why I’m running for president.

So, an Obama Administration would seek to become intimately involved in the hiring process of local school districts, and guarantee a college degree for all comers. I mean, how else can you look at that paragraph?

I suppose that after struggling mightily to pay for a college education for my children for the past half decade, being told by Obama that our personal sacrifice is some kind of privilege reserved for the “wealthy few” truly sticks in my gizzard. It also shows just how out of touch this liberal populist is with the millions of Americans who go about their daily business, seldom complaining, paying their taxes, and keeping their collective noses to the grindstone.

And, as Mrs. Nuke and I begin to see the light at the end of the financial tunnel, instead of being proud of our children and their academic achievements, balancing part-time jobs with full class loads, and feeling a warm sense of accomplishment of getting through the college money pit, Obama insists that we should instead feel guilty, that our efforts are not only unappreciated, but the result of being part of a “privileged few.”

What a jerk.

++++

This is the World Famous Friday Open Thread. Track-backs welcome.

WFFOT: Because a Thread is a terrible thing to waste.

——————–

Trackposted to The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary’s Thoughts, Woman Honor Thyself, The World According to Carl, The Pink Flamingo, Cao’s Blog, Leaning Straight Up, , and Democrat=Socialist, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

cold fusion, quantum physics, foosball

Energy scams have been around as long as I can remember, some promising to deliver a simple increase in fuel economy, others more elaborate and outlandish. And every few years or so, a new inventor will unveil the latest incarnation of the “perpetual motion” machine. They come and go, most failing the smell test long before any real money changes hands.

So, when I read this press release from Blacklight Power, I began to wish I had paid more attention to my Physics professor all those many years ago at Mississippi State. Of course, it was at this same time that I discovered Foosball and draft beer at the Crossroads. All of which goes to explain why I majored in Business instead of Engineering.

Last week, Blacklight Power announced that it had built a prototype reactor capable of generating 50 kilowatts of energy, for the ridiculously low cost of one cent per kilowatt-hour. Cold fusion redux? I don’t know.

Blacklight Power doesn’t claim to violate the laws of physics — instead, it claims to rewrite them:

Randy Booker, a physics professor at the University of North Carolina, and another faculty member have been evaluating the technology since 2005, and have been to the Blacklight Power lab in NJ several times to validate the process.

“They put in energy, and the yield is about 50% more than what they’re putting in. I’ve also validated their scientific methods, and it seems like they’re doing everything right, from the measurements to procedures.” He adds: It’s nothing small or miniscule, it’s very obvious.” What Mills has come up with is a “new, revolutionary theory” that can go beyond quantum physics, Booker concluded.

“Mills” is Dr. Randell Mills, a Harvard MD, who founded Blacklight Power.

Chris Morrison has a nice writeup at Venture Beat, as well as linkage to some of the more technical data as provided by Blacklight Power, which, halfway into the second line, I was thinking about Foosball.

+++++

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Rosemary’s Thoughts, Maggie’s Notebook, Right Truth, Adam’s Blog, Leaning Straight Up, Cao’s Blog, The Amboy Times, Democrat=Socialist, Conservative Cat, Pet’s Garden Blog, The American Nationalist News Service, third world county, Faultline USA, McCain Blogs, DragonLady’s World, The World According to Carl, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Gulf Coast Hurricane Tracker, CORSARI D’ITALIA, , Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, and OTB Sports, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Where Have All the Juke Joints Gone?

Bo Diddley’s death brought to mind a question that has been bothering me recently. All around the county are abandoned buildings that used to be juke joints. People gathered for drinking, dancing, fighting, and live music on Friday and Saturday night (and maybe Sunday, too). James Brown played in the black juke joints ’round here long ago (or so I’m told; it was before my time).

What happened? People used to enjoy live music; now we get somebody playing Kenny G with a soundtrack. (Not that there is anything wrong with that. I don’t want to be attacked by fanatical Kenny G fans.)

Jimmy Carter to Endorse Obama

ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Jimmy Carter said he’ll endorse Democrat Barack Obama after the polls close on the final primary contests.

“The fact is the Obama people already know they have my vote when the polls close tonight,” Carter told The Associated Press after speaking at the Georgia World Congress Center Tuesday afternoon.

Carter, a superdelegate, has remained officially neutral in the race but has offered high praise to Obama. Carter has noted that his children, grandchildren and their spouses back the Illinois senator. Source:

I know that if I were running for President, I’d sure want the support of the most ineffective president in modern history (the support apparently being his children, grandchildren and their spouses). God knows that everybody else rolls their eyes whenever his name is mentioned.

Yes, that was sarcasm, for those of you that kept your peanut necklaces.