daily timewaster

2012-02-17T22:12:00.001-08:00

Freckles, they are good.

2012-02-17T22:10:00.000-08:00

Remember, as the weekend progresses, keep in mind how trustworthy your "friends" are, lest you end up on the internet, like these unfortunates.

Mean, but hilarious.

From here

2012-02-17T20:32:00.001-08:00

Ok, so that's where that came from.

2012-02-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

Not gonna be long before something like this is countrywide, if the Democrats keep power next November.

Avoid detention by voting them out.

2012-02-17T18:46:00.000-08:00

Bill Quick looks into his crystal ball and says:

At the moment, conventional wisdom still has Mittens Romneycare as the front runner. But conventional wisdom is wrong. You heard it here first: Just as Barack Obama will not be re-elected President, Mitt Romney will not be the GOP nominee in November. Take it to the bank.

Yes! win/WIN!!

2012-02-17T16:09:00.000-08:00

An animal rights group seeking to harass hunters at a pidgeon shoot suffered a humiliating defeat as their surveillance drone was shot down and destroyed.

They say that they will be back next year prepared for more confrontation. If so, they better armor up their machine, since the hunters are already ready to give it the treatment it so richly deserves.

2012-02-17T13:31:00.000-08:00

It looks like the Catholics, the Evangelicals and the Southern Baptist Convention are all getting together to resist Obama and his health care mandate.

That's a lot of motivated religious people getting together to fight back. And that is heartening.

It is becoming more and more promising for a tidal wave of change for this November. Let's hope it really happens.

2012-02-17T09:26:00.000-08:00

Pissed saw the picture I posted the other day on an incredible trail on the side of a cliff somewhere, and using his internet Fu, he came up with this video. Oh yeah!

From the comments: Chuck Norris walked this road on his way to kindergarten. I'll bet he did.

2012-02-17T07:31:00.001-08:00

Ann Barnhardt. This chick cracks me up

2012-02-17T07:09:00.000-08:00

It's Friday. Everyone's happy about that.

2012-02-16T20:30:00.000-08:00

Bleeding heart super liberal San Francisco donor, one of the biggest in the Demoverse, closes her purse for Obama.

Just like the soup Nazi, no money for you, Captain Zero.

It's heartening to see this sort of dissension in the enemy ranks.

2012-02-16T20:12:00.000-08:00

Strange talent

2012-02-16T20:07:00.001-08:00

Redheads.

They're pissed off.

Usually about weird tattoos and lip disks.

2012-02-16T19:53:00.000-08:00

This guy, I'd like to know what convinced him that it was a fine idea to attach a dinner plate to his upper lip. Maybe it attracts the chicks in his culture.

Plus, I figure Wirecutter might have some use for this picture tomorrow! :-)

Course then there is this guy, who thinks a creepy, lurid owl tattooed on his neck will impress the babes.

Eeww.

2012-02-16T19:46:00.001-08:00

Sutherland Falls, Milford Track, New Zealand.

One day I'm going.

2012-02-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

Skateboard drive by. They start 'em young in my hood.

2012-02-16T19:10:00.000-08:00

Hey mom, he followed me home! Can we keep him! Please!

2012-02-16T16:50:00.000-08:00

The Washington Post put up this article on the Obama administration's corrupt insider deals with the energy industry, but I like this DNC chart better.

I certainly hope the Republicans can do better than this if we elect them to power in November, because all this is just disgusting. Why do I work, I wonder, when my tax dollars are so wantonly wasted by these people. Rope/telephone pole/politician.

2012-02-16T13:08:00.000-08:00

Late one night in the summer of 1977, a large radio telescope outside Delaware, Ohio intercepted a radio signal that seemed for a brief time like it might change the course of human history. The telescope was searching the sky on behalf of SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, and the signal, though it lasted only seventy-two seconds, fit the profile of a message beamed from another world. Despite its potential import, several days went by before Jerry Ehman, a project scientist for SETI, noticed the data. He was flipping through the computer printouts generated by the telescope when he noticed a string of letters within a long sequence of low numbers---ones, twos, threes and fours. The low numbers represent background noise, the low hum of an ordinary signal. As the telescope swept across the sky, it momentarily landed on something quite extraordinary, causing the signal to surge and the computer to shift from numbers to letters and then keep climbing all the way up to "U," which represented a signal thirty times higher than the background noise level. Seeing the consecutive letters, the mark of something strange or even alien, Ehman circled them in red ink and wrote "Wow!" thus christening the most famous and tantalizing signal of SETI's short history: The "Wow!" signal.

2012-02-16T13:00:00.001-08:00

stereo skifcha from xgabberx on Vimeo.

Very offbeat, and funny

Hat tip: Clusterflock

2012-02-16T12:50:00.001-08:00

Hey, it's almost Friday, after which we can run free for the long weekend, like the wild Nevada mustangs.

2012-02-16T05:40:00.000-08:00

In 1950, Detroit was the wealthiest city in America.

Today, such flush times are nothing but a painful dream.

What happened?

The same thing that Democrats have planned for America. The same thing that is happening in California right now.

Ripped from today's headlines: nearly half of small businesses are not hiring out of fear on Obamacare and over regulation by government.

The food police grab away your kid's lunch, while at the same time the PC police require your home to be filled with poisonous curly light bulbs.

Government corruption runs rampant, wasting billions in dirty inside deals with favored businesses.

2012-02-15T21:49:00.000-08:00

This local mutt belongs to one of our neighbors, and he barks madly every time we walk past his yard.

The 14 year old took his picture, and it is one of my favorites, I'm not sure why.

Maybe it's his "hi there" ears.

2012-02-15T21:18:00.000-08:00

Things I'm liking on a Wednesday night.

2012-02-15T20:27:00.000-08:00

If you like knives, check out this post on some really incredible bowie knives, made by the world's most talented makers.

An example by Missouri maker Don Hanson III.

2012-02-15T16:06:00.000-08:00

This is positively mezmerizing to watch, and if I could I would like to understand the mathmatics behind this behavior.

It also looks to be a very simple apparatus, and may in fact be simple enough to build myself. I'm tempted, with all my spare time (snort) to take a shot at it.

2012-02-15T11:36:00.000-08:00

Is the El Ninyo/El Ninya (and I spelled it that way on purpose, ie, why do we spell "canyon" like we do) caused not by global warming, but instead by underwater volcanos?

Maybe so. More research needs to be done, but in the meantime, look at these charts of water temperature in the Pacific.

In February of 2009, there is the development of hotspots off the coast of Costa Rica, inside the red rectangle.

Next, several months later, the temperature picture is much hotter, and the point sources of that heat are clear. Those sources are right at the boundry of the Cocos Plate, which plunges under the continent at those points, a very likely spot for the formation of volcanos.

Mystery solved?

In the article, the point about the heat from the sun and atmosphere not being enough to warm the volume of water needed is interesting. I'd like to see some research that investigates that more thoroughly, since if that heat source is clearly disproved, then it's only the volcanos that can be to blame.

2012-02-15T11:15:00.000-08:00

Rich with irony.

In Georgia, on the site of a former auto parts plant, an American company is manufacturing chopsticks for sale to China!

It is the only such factory in the United States.

2012-02-15T08:39:00.000-08:00

Looks like even here in the Sierras of California, there has been no reduction in snowfall over the last 130 years, which is the extent of accurate records of such things.

Here is the chart from the article.

It's a lot less now, but here is a picture from Yosemite from last winter. Eventually, there was so much snow that this camera was completely submerged, and produced only a white screen, for several weeks.

As the credibility of his claims of catastrophic global warming collapse at his feet, Al Gore must be devestated by his increasing exposure as a charlatan, a demagoge, an irrelevant idiot. I'm sure he can go back to inventing another internet, or something.

2012-02-15T06:33:00.000-08:00

Teacher's revenge. Some people will always be stupid.

2012-02-15T06:04:00.000-08:00

The now sixteen year old got his camera and took this the other day when it was raining, and I for one think it's a pretty good shot. Reminds me of ice cream.

2012-02-14T22:34:00.001-08:00

In the old days, they knew how to stock the "water cooler!"

2012-02-14T21:22:00.000-08:00

The Sacramento Bee, a progressive rag that over the years has championed what we now call the progressive movement, now gets to report on the natural result of their years of shilling.

The number of high paying taxpayers in the state has fallen quite suddenly by a third.

Amazingly, those few taxpayers accounted for 32% of the income tax paid in the state. Once they are gone, so is the tax income.

Now, the Democrats are that much closer to transforming the Golden State, one of the richest and most beautiful regions in the world, into Detroit. Or would that be Guatemala, which may have been their plan all along, given that all the "makers" are skedaddling, leaving the "takers" to vote over and over again for the Dems.

2012-02-14T09:58:00.000-08:00

A Valentine's day thought from Sippican Cottage.

"There is nothing in this world but to love, and be loved in return. In a hundred years the most important man you ever met is anonymous. In a thousand everyone is. We cobbled together a life around the table where we break the bread, and for a few thousand times we were as one. I saw your face in our children's faces. You said you saw mine. The universe passed the plate, and we put in our offering. We are poor, but it's enough for anyone to give. No man could do more. No man could ask for more."

Go thee thither and read it all.

2012-02-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

Basketball great Alan Iverson, who earned 154 million dollars during his basketball career, is apparently now broke. A Georgia judge ordered his bank account seized after Iverson couldn't cut an 860,000 dollar check to a jeweler for a bill due and owing.

How in the world do you make that much money and end up broke almost immediately after the gravey train comes to the end of the line? That kind of cash earns interest, or at least it should, and even at today's absurdly low rates, that much will throw off a significant cash flow if conservatively invested.

Even if he took a 500k a year in cash, and stored it in mayonnaise jars buried in his back yard, he'd still be a millionaire many times over.

Simply amazing.

The genius himself. I see he spent a few dollars on tats.

2012-02-14T06:19:00.000-08:00

How about a Tuesday morning dose of color, line and form to get your eyeballs rolling.

2012-02-13T22:19:00.001-08:00

Freckles, they are good.

2012-02-13T10:54:00.000-08:00

Jeez, aren't we poor enough already? In furtherance of his effort to strengthen our enemies overseas, and impoverish Americans here at home, President Obama has proposed, in his latest budget, 800 million in aid to the "Arab Spring" movement.

When I go to work in the morning and diligently generate income that the government then gets to tax, I'm not doing it so that they can then send that money to our enemies. This ticks me off to no end, and it should tick off anyone who earns enough money to pay taxes.

In fact, it should even anger the "takers" in our society, since money sent to Islamists in the Magreb will be less money available to fund their welfare payments.

Lose/lose. Unless you are a throat cutting middle eastern Muslim.

2012-02-13T08:46:00.000-08:00

Echoing Ann Barnhardt's recent flame throwing post, Bishop Jenkey has called out Catholics on their duty to vote against the Obamacare mandates, which the church views as requiring them to ignore their beliefs in addtion to being unconstitutional.

Bishop Jenkey minces no words on this:

"The president does not have the authority under the U.S. Constitution to “require our cooperation with what we consider to be intrinsic evil and mortal sin.”

“I am honestly horrified that the nation I have always loved has come to this hateful and radical step in religious intolerance.”

The culture wars have finally come to this. May the Democrats and their craven leaders reap a bumper crop of what they have sown in November.

2012-02-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

Here is Half Dome in Yosemite this morning, with a nice snowfall all around, although the pack is still woefully inadequate for the summer. In addition, the Dome looks like it has a sheet of ice plastered to it, which I have never seen before, and which should make for some interesting times as it melts. Avalanche!

2012-02-13T06:36:00.000-08:00

Mondays, they're like that.

2012-02-12T21:13:00.001-08:00

So whaddya lookin' at?

2012-02-12T21:11:00.001-08:00

Gotta give these guy credit for not letting anything stop them from playing pool.

2012-02-12T20:34:00.000-08:00

Looks like later in his life, Osama Bin Laden had second thoughts about his career as a jihadist.

He told his kids, "Do not follow me down the road to jihad. Go and get a good education in the West."

So, Mr. Leader of the Muslim Ummah, how come the kids have no education choices available in the Islamic world, hmmm?

How come they have to go live among the infidels and use the educational establishment the infidels have established, hmmm?

So all those young people you encouraged to get themselves killed in your name and for your bloody religion, that was all a mistake?

Pathetic.

2012-02-12T18:26:00.001-08:00

"I had a car crash the other day. A dwarf got out the other car and said, 'I'm not happy'. To which I replied, 'Which one are you then?"

2012-02-12T15:15:00.000-08:00

Check it out

Andrea Pozzo painted this ceiling in the Sant'Ignazio church, in the late 1600's. The trick is, that is a flat ceiling.

The painting was devised to make an observer, looking from a spot marked by a brass disc set into the floor of the nave, seem to see a lofty vaulted roof.

Imagine the work that went into this. Very impressive, indeed.

2012-02-12T11:57:00.000-08:00

How about a bit of small game and gun porn??

2012-02-12T11:35:00.001-08:00

Funny then, still funny now.

2012-02-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

Freckles, they are good.

2012-02-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

I need some wisdom, some calming words this morning, so I found these at Vanderleun's indispensable site.

During the Lincoln/Douglas debates (Douglas was a judge, and that is who Lincoln is referring to when he mentions "the Judge."), Lincoln made these arguments against slavery, but they apply just as well to those today who would be our kings, in everything but name.

"Now I ask you in all soberness, if all these things, if indulged in, if ratified, if confirmed and endorsed, if taught to our children, and repeated to them, do not tend to rub out the sentiment of liberty in the country, and to transform this Government into a government of some other form.

"Those arguments that are made, that the inferior race are to be treated with as much allowance as they are capable of enjoying; that as much is to be done for them as their condition will allow. What are these arguments? They are the arguments that kings have made for enslaving the people in all ages of the world.

"You will find that all the arguments in favor of king-craft were of this class; they always bestrode the necks of the people, not that they wanted to do it, but because the people were better off for being ridden. That is their argument, and this argument of the Judge is the same old serpent that says you work and I eat, you toil and I will enjoy the fruits of it.

"Turn it whatever way you will---whether it come from the mouth of a King, an excuse for enslaving the people of his country, or from the mouth of men of one race as a reason for enslaving the men of another race, it is all the same old serpent."

2012-02-12T10:56:00.000-08:00

This is the very definition of barbarism.

In the Maldive Islands, a Muslim country, Islamists have stormed the nation's national museum and destroyed it's entire collection of Buddhist statues, in an attempt to eliminate evidence of it's pre muslim past.

Grunting, violent animals, that's what they are.

2012-02-12T10:03:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting comparison of what is apparently the flagship of the Iranian navy and one of our run of the mill naval assets, a guided missile destroyer. Not a cruiser, not a carrier ... a destroyer.

If this is accurate, what a pitiful micro power Iran is at sea. They better not start any trouble, cause if they do, they will soon find everything they own that floats at the bottom of the sea.

From here.

2012-02-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while a man has to prove that he still has the skills to put together a traditional breakfast, in order to keep his "man card" up to date and current. This morning I received notice from the better half that I might want to make something for the family, so I got out the old Griswold cast iron skillet and made a manly breakfast for everyone. Here is my portion: three eggs with cheddar cheese and Yucateco hot sauce, and some tasty bacon.

I'm golden with the family this morning. My status as a hairy chested manly man is safe.

2012-02-12T00:12:00.000-08:00

Things I'm liking on a Saturday night.

2012-02-11T20:18:00.000-08:00

Cats and dogs agree.

Southern Baptist leader states that if the Obamacare mandate isn't changed, Christians will go to jail rather than comply.

Finally, Americans are uniting against the progressive abuse of the Constitution and the American way.

Obama and his party must be totally turned out of office in November, or no one's rights will be safe.

2012-02-11T20:00:00.001-08:00

OMG! I am so making one of these.

2012-02-11T19:51:00.001-08:00

Pig farms are apparently exploding all across the midwest.

From the article:

"According to the article, pig farmers in the Midwest have noticed a grayish foam on their manure pits.

Not just any foam. Foam that can reach up to four feet high, and then explodes on contact with a spark.

The strange stuff has destroyed at least a half dozen pig barns since 2009."

When pigs fly...

2012-02-11T09:43:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the Obama EPA's new regulations, three coal fired power plants are closing in West Virginia.

But, but, but....

How are we supposed to generate the energy to power all those Fiskers, Volts, Leafs and Teslas??

2012-02-11T07:32:00.000-08:00

The new Tesla Model X, looking good.

But, will it go more than 35 miles on a charge? And judging from how high my electric bills have been lately, it might be way more expensive to drive than a gas car.

Which is the rub. If electric cars ever became in any way popular, the additional electricity demand would crash the grid. Remember the blackouts as recently as the Gray Davis administration, here in California? Believe it, not much has been done since to increase electric generating capacity, so these machines, while beautiful, will never hit the roads in any numbers without massive new investment in energy generation. Think dams for hydropower, nuclear power, and coal or natural gas plants everywhere, which, come to think of it, would probably be a very good thing.

Hat tip: Clusterflock

2012-02-10T22:26:00.000-08:00

Wow, Ann Barnhardt is on fire over at her blog about the Obama administration's attempt to scam the Catholics, and indeed all religious people, on the issue of forced payment for abortions.

Her take on what the church should do:

"The only appropriate answer to this satanic Obama filth is:
GO. TO. HELL."

Whew!

Militant it certainly is, but it really is time for people to get fired up about this lawless administration.

Go thee forth and read it, for it is good.

2012-02-10T21:46:00.001-08:00

Beautifully photographed

2012-02-10T21:03:00.000-08:00

The vast Bering Sea, where the world's most dangerous catch occurs, has experienced the second largest ice coverage this year, on record.

A whole lot of global warming going on there.

2012-02-10T20:17:00.001-08:00

How about some smiles from around the world?

Girl of the Berber tribe, north Africa

2012-02-10T20:16:00.001-08:00

Fulani child, north Africa

2012-02-10T20:04:00.001-08:00

Uigyar girl from far western China

2012-02-10T20:03:00.001-08:00

Hutterite girls from Alberta, Canada

2012-02-10T20:02:00.001-08:00

Girl from Afghanistan

2012-02-10T19:36:00.000-08:00

Boy at a camel fair, India, from Danise's photostream.

Nice earrings, kid.

2012-02-10T19:25:00.001-08:00

Genius. Knitting genius.

2012-02-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

The Sioux indians were considered the Cossacks of the prairies, being excellent horsemen and fierce warriors. Along with the Cheyenne, they were the tribe that defeated Gen. Custer at the Little Bighorn.

Below is Chief Gall, who was a leading chief of the Sioux in the mid 1800's. A physically imposing man, even Custer's wife was impressed with him when she saw him several years after the Little Bighorn battle. He was a natural leader who had a large following among the Sioux.

Rain in the Face was another famous Sioux chief, and one of the several indians who claimed to have killed Custer himself. It is interesting to know that contrary to popular legend, Custer had cut his hair short for the campaign against the Indians in which he was killed, and it is questionable if they even knew who he was when they shot him.

Walking Shooter, as he appeared in 1872

Black Horn, an Uncpapa Sioux, here posing with a cavalry saber that was probably provided to him by his photographer.

Another picture of the massive Gall. Once, he was lured out of his teepee by soldiers and pinned to the ground with a bayonet. Left for dead, he got up and escaped after the soldiers left him. Just the expression on his face here displays his toughness and determination, clearly not a man to trifle with.

2012-02-10T14:23:00.001-08:00

A member of the coalition special operations forces begins to recover pallets of supplies in the snow during an airdrop in the Shah Joy district in Afghanistan's Zabul province, Jan. 25, 2012. The coalition is part of the International Security Assistance Force. Photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer Petty Officer 2nd Class Jon Rasmussen

2012-02-10T13:09:00.000-08:00

In the Alsace region of France, road builders have discovered a trenchwork from WWI perfectly preserved due to a hit from a gigantic shell that collapsed the trench onto the soldiers inside.

In the picture below can be seen beds, a bottle and a helmet.

The scope of the trench is extensive, as can be seen from this aerial view.

21 German soldiers were found entombed inside, one still laying on his bed.

Below is a contemporary photograph of a similar trench, and gives an idea of how many people were in there.

2012-02-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

Fascinating rumor off of Twitter and from Forbes magazine. Let's hope it's true.

In the past few hours, Twitter has exploded with unsubstantiated rumors that the new North Korean dictator died in Beijing today and that a coup is underway in North Korea. All rumor of course, and one that appears to have been started on China’s twitter-like platform Weibo (fyi: here’s the fascinating Google translated page of original Weibo posts). As the story goes, a couple assassins barged into Kim’s room in Beijing and shot him, before being shot and killed themselves by bodyguards.

2012-02-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

That last line on the bottom of the box, good advice kids!!

2012-02-10T12:24:00.001-08:00

Opps.

Via

2012-02-10T11:52:00.000-08:00

It's Friday, and that is good.

Other things are good as well.

Freckles, they are good.

Motorcycles, they are good.

Red Alfa Romeos, would be really good, if only they were reliable.

Dogs and cats, good.

Cast Iron and good food. Mmm mmm good

2012-02-10T09:32:00.000-08:00

Hey bud...

I feel better just looking at this picture.

2012-02-10T09:25:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what this is, but it isn't a tree, and it is a textbook display of fractal geometry.

My best guess is muddy floodwater on a salt pan.

2012-02-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

A large portion of Enceladus pictured above is illuminated primarily by sunlight first reflected from the planet Saturn. The result is that the normally snow-white moon appears in the gold color of Saturn's cloud tops. As most of the illumination comes from the image left, a labyrinth of ridges throws notable shadows just to the right of the image center, while the kilometer-deep canyon Labtayt Sulci is visible just below. The bright thin crescent on the far right is the only part of Enceladus directly lit by the Sun. The above image was taken last year by the robotic Cassini spacecraft during a close pass by by the enigmatic moon. Inspection of the lower part of this digitally sharpened image reveals plumes of ice crystals thought to originate in a below-surface sea.

2012-02-10T08:37:00.000-08:00

Further research on the tomahawk issue has resulted in the discovery of this interesting item, which includes an internal pipe, with tobacco, so you can either make war, or smoke peace.

Tobacco goes in the built in pipe bowl here.

It's hand made, and a bit more than pricy. Interesting piece of work none the less.

2012-02-10T07:15:00.000-08:00

Check it out.

This is a Roman battle helmet, probably for a cavalryman, found in a gravel pit in Witcham, England. It is thought to be from AD 14.

A masterful piece of work, and one can only imagine the circumstances that caused it's owner to toss it aside. Imagine a lone Roman on a horse, the sole survivor of his troop, madly riding south to escape a horde of Celtic wild men hot on his heels, desperately throwing off everything heavy. As the chase continued over the hill, the helmet came to rest in a low marshy spot, surrounded by tall grass and invisible to anyone not standing right next to it. Only centuries later was it rediscovered by modern people as they dug gravel from the pit, it's existence only suggesting the drama that must have unfolded so many years before.

2012-02-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

Experts say that 20 million tons of debris from the Japanese tsunami are about to wash up on the west coast of Alaska, Canada and the US.

20 million tons.

Already lighter object are arriving.

Last October, a Russian fishing trawler on it's way home from Hawaii to Vladivostok spotted multiple objects clearly from the Japanese disaster, like a fishing boat, a tv, and a refrigerator. These items were about 300 miles closer to the American west coast than scientists had predicted.

Looks like a bonanza for beachcombers.

Follow the debris here.

Hat tip the Feral Irishman

2012-02-09T16:25:00.000-08:00

This is making the rounds of the internet, and well it should. These two anchorwomen start talking about a sausage contest, and immediately get their heads in the wrong place.

It's amusing to watch them struggle to keep their converstation in line with family values, but in the end, it just comes out.

The slip of the tongue, that is.

Er, the Freudian slip.

2012-02-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

Want the perfect gift for the little woman on Valentine's Day?

Why not a heaping helping of bull testicle pastry.

No joke.

Leave it to the British to come up with something like this.

2012-02-09T10:17:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting lesson for California's hapless Democrats and their ideologe governor Jerry Brown:

In the rustiest of rust belt states, Michigan, they recently elected a Republican governor, Rick Snyder, who had been a businessman for many years before going into politics. As any good businessman would, he immediately went to work fixing that states budget, but not without resistance from the very powerful leftist politicians, who were ably assisted by the MSM.

Here is what they said at the time the first major reform legislation went into effect.

"Gov. Rick Snyder signed the much despised emergency financial manager legislation in to law today, giving him far too much power over the people in his state. Even the power to ignore the will of the people and the votes they cast."

Horrors!! Draconian! Undemocratic!! Ignore the will of the people! !!!1111Eleventy!!

So how has all that worked out? Look at the latest headline from the state of Michigan.

The literal money quote:

"But the state that experienced an economic downturn earlier, deeper and longer than most of the rest of the country has made an unlikely discovery as its officials closed out its latest financial books: Michigan has a $457 million surplus.

Even more surprising: Revenues, which had sunk or had been mostly flat for all but one year since 2000, have grown. Not a lot, but grown."

More proof that common sense coupled with a determined leader who is not owned by the unions can make an almost immediate difference for the better. What a contrast this makes with the continued financial embarassment that is my home state of California.

Hopefully the electorate here will learn their hard lesson, and see that the answer is to turn out of office every Democrat they can. We too could see such a turnaround in a few years if the legislature and governor were Republicans, but it takes the commitment to change to make it happen, and I doubt that will exist here without further pain.

2012-02-09T07:08:00.000-08:00

Funny, and is it me, or does this guy look like Arnold Schwartznegger's kid?

2012-02-09T07:04:00.000-08:00

Posted without comment

2012-02-09T06:59:00.001-08:00

How genetics works.

2012-02-09T06:38:00.000-08:00

Alireza Forghani, an Iranian politician closely allied to the regime there, has released a plan to destroy Isreal in all of 9 minutes:

"Forghani ideologically roots his essay in Khamenei’s extremist interpretation of Islam, arguing that Muslims are obligated to attack Israel for it’s so-called occupation of Palestinian lands.

He advocates for a two-stage attack, the first of which would focus on Israel’s most densely populated areas, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. Forghani states that Iran could use its medium-range Shahab-3 missiles to annihilate these cities, which are home to around 60 percent of Israel’s population.

During the second phase of the attack, Iran could use its solid-fueled Sejil missiles to destroy Israeli power plants, sewage treatment facilities, and transportation infrastructure, among other sites, according to the essay, which was translated into English by MEMRI.

The ultimate goal, according to Forghani: The “final annihilation of Israel’s people.”

Now if you were the Israelis, hearing this, could you not take this seriously? When a high government official of a state that has continuously threatened your existence at all levels publishes something like this, is this not a green light for a preemptive strike, maybe even an attack that does to them what they are clearly planning to do to you?

The Iranians are playing with fire on this, in a major way, with an adversary that has shown it's willingness to do what is needed to protect itself on multiple occasions in the past.

If I was an Iranian today, I'd be moving out of major population centers and upwind as soon as possible. Might want to store up some food and water as well.

2012-02-08T22:42:00.000-08:00

Things I'm liking on a Wednesday night.

2012-02-08T12:42:00.001-08:00

A University of Georgia team has developed a method to help heal broken bones in record time.

It involves what they call "fracture putty" and stem cells to stimulate bone formation that may allow previously very severe bone damage to be repaired in days.

The advance of science continues! More please!

2012-02-08T10:37:00.001-08:00

Snowmobiler has a bit of a close call.

2012-02-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

Do Wooly Mammoths survive in the remoter regions of Siberia? Below is a video taken by a Russian engineer while surveying for a road, of such an animal crossing a river. Hoax, or confirmation that the mammoth still walks the earth?

And is that Bigfoot watching fromt the trees on the left?

Since much of Siberia is basically unexplored, and mammoths did survive on Wrangel Island until about the same time as the Egyptians were building their pyramids, it isn't totally out of the realm of possibility, I suppose.

2012-02-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I am quoting Mitch McConnell this morning, but what he says is truth to power. My advice to him is not to bother waiting for the administration to act, as they want to violate the constitution. It's in their way, and they consider it a hindrance that needs to be swept aside. In this, they are not people of good faith, and do not deserve a chance to correct their acts, because they don't believe that they need correcting.

Anyway, the money quote:

“Throughout my Senate career, I’ve spent a lot of time to defending the First Amendment.

“Most of it I’ve spent defending one particular clause of that amendment, the one relating to the right of free speech. But recent events have shown, quite unexpectedly, the urgent need to defend another clause in the First Amendment. I’m referring, of course, to the right of the free exercise of religion.

“Make no mistake: the Obama Administration’s decision to force religious hospitals, charities, and schools to comply with a mandate that violates their religious views is abhorrent to the foundational principles of our nation. No one in the United States of America should ever be compelled by their government to choose between violating their religious beliefs or be penalized for refusing. Yet that’s precisely what this mandate would do.

“One out of six patients in America is treated at a Catholic hospital.

“Catholic Charities is the largest private provider of social services to poor children, families, and individuals in America.

“The Catholic Church runs the largest network of private schools in the country.

“These institutions have thrived because they’ve been allowed to freely pursue their religious convictions in a country that, until now, respected their constitutional right to do so.

“But this ruling should send a chill up the spine of people of all religious faiths — and even those with none at all.

“Because if the state is allowed to violate the religious rights of one religion, then surely it can violate those of others.

“If the rights of some are not protected, the rights of all are in danger.

“Isn’t that what history clearly teaches?

“Isn’t that what the Constitution is all about?

“The Obama administration has crossed a dangerous line.

“The Founders knew that the right of religious belief is inviolable. They gave this God-given right the pride of place they knew it deserved so that Americans would never have reason to fear its loss.

“Unfortunately, because of the actions of this Administration Americans now do.

“This is a huge mistake that I hope the administration is currently reconsidering. And if they don’t, Congress will act.

Go ahead, Mitch, act already. Wasting time waiting for the Obamabots to do anything is playing into their hands.

2012-02-08T06:45:00.000-08:00

A school, worshiping at the alter of green, installed waterless toilets in the student bathrooms.

Ok, hint number one that this is a bad idea; waterless toilets are obviously not going to work, no matter what the toilet salesman tells you.

Because I guess you can be expected to flush with good intentions.

The predictable results: an unbearable stench, and rivers of urine to step over.

Ijits, and a lesson to the rest of us.

2012-02-08T06:39:00.001-08:00

Does this change anything?

Santorum sweeps Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota.

I certainly hope so.

2012-02-07T21:59:00.000-08:00

Do you own a home with large windows? Is there a cat that you let out in your backyard? If so, then you might just wind up violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), if the federal government’s interpretation of the Act is allowed to stand.

This article tells how it starts, but you know how it will end. This is right up there in overreach like trying to define suger as a toxin.

When everything is a crime, we would all be criminals. But then, the government is already trying to
define us as terrorists.

And to define the whales at Seaworld as slaves.

Let's hope President Romney will have the stones to gut the agencies promoting these types of insanity, but I'm not holding my breath.

2012-02-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

Cold and quiet

2012-02-07T21:11:00.001-08:00

The Problem: Obama, Romney, and the elites. The Answer: SMOD

2012-02-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

Looks like the violence in Mexico is beginning to seriously spill over to our side of the border.

From the article:

NEAR SULLIVAN CITY — A shootout between rival members of two organized crime groups and the Mexican military ended at the banks of the Rio Grande, where at least one man was possibly killed on the U.S. side.

The shootout began Thursday afternoon along the Ribereña Highway near the Anzalduas International Bridge in Reynosa between the organized crime groups, according to a source outside law enforcement with direct knowledge.

Members of the Mexican military responded to the scene, and a chase ensued for more than 20 miles from the area all the way to the outskirts of Diaz Ordaz, Tamaulipas, where some of the men then tried to make their way to the U.S. side, the source said.

U.S. Border Patrol agents patrolling the river near Havana encountered several subjects. One of them was injured, which prompted the agents to seek medical attention for the man, said USBP spokeswoman Rosalinda Huey.

At the scene, at least two men were taken into custody by US, authorities.

A U.S. law enforcement official not authorized to speak to the media said that U.S. law enforcement officers discharged their firearms during the incident and also confirmed at least two or more bodies could be seen on the Mexican side of the border.

Soon after the incident, a U.S. law enforcement helicopter could be seen overhead combing the area for additional individuals.

FBI spokesman Erick Vasys said his agency had taken over the investigation because at least one person had possibly died on the U.S. side. However, because the investigation is in its early states, he could not disclose additional information, including whether the men were armed or fleeing a firefight.