Well, It's A Free Market

"My Obama Shop"

Ye Gods!

Hooray, She's Back

Hooray! Hooray! (And thank goodness!)

My sister is back home from living for the past 6 weeks in the jungle of the Central African Republic with the Aka tribe. They're pigmy (PC Children of the Forest), that's why she is so much taller than they are in this picture below taken a few days before she left.



She's studying them to earn her PhD in Childhood Anthropology (or is it Childhood Evolutionary Anthropology?). Can't remember which - just that it's cool and brave that she does it. Although I'm sure her two small girls and husband are thrilled and relieved beyond words that she has safely returned.

Great Marraige Proposal

I don't care how snarky The Sun wants to be. That was one of the Greatest Marriage Proposals EVER. Perhaps not what I would want but it was clearly something that was important to both of them and that's the essential bit.

(These below were orginially posted by my husband on NRO-The Corner)

I Am Not a PIN Number!
Yet more evidence that congressmen regard the public as just a giant ATM machine.

The Miseconomist?
Oh look, NBC (owned by Jeff Immelt's General Electric) is denigrating business and capitalism again.

Liberate to Stimulate
"It didn't work last time, so let's do it again," seems to be the thinking behind those who are arguing for a second stimulus package. Obviously, they never listened to their mothers. Instead, we need a different approach. If people are finding it difficult to create jobs, then the simplest solution is to remove the barriers in place that prevent them from doing so. A "liberate-to-stimulate" package would be the best option right now. Larry Kudlow's excellent manifesto fits well with this approach. So why aren't more people talking about it?

Welcome to Taxopolis

This (always excellent) City Journal article discusses how New York City is the highest taxed city in the United States of America.

(Damn Bloomberg!)

The Last Hope Lies in the Triarii

(Originally published by my husband on NRO)

Does the U.S. need a third legislative chamber, designed explicitly to save America from its own lawmakers, both elected and unelected? Patrick from Popehat makes a good case.

Jag

Sorry - went on a PJTV jag there because we may have a massive leak in the pipes leading into our home and this is gonna cost us lots and lots of money. Waiting for the plumber now.

Pray for us.

Palin Roundtable

PJTV discusses Palin's future. It has Sonja Schmidt!

It is long but interesting. Some in this discussion are concerned that she will be labelled a quitter. My response is Obama "quit" being a senator after two years after promising to complete a full term, why isn't he a quitter?

Politics of Destruction

PJTV here discusses how the media and liberals have created such a toxic political environment via their repulisve treatment of Gov. Palin that no decent person would risk the destruction of their character to serve their country as a politician.

Good point.

Let's Hear From The Locals

Wasilla residents talk about Palin's resignation to PJTV.

Delusional

AlfonZo over at PJTV rightfully takes on the delusional Olberman. (WARNING - Incredibly graphic images!)

Olberman is just bizarre!

Camille on Sarah

I like Camille Pagulia's refreshing approach. Here, she comments on Gov. Palin's resignation.

Assassination scenarios are outrageous no matter which party indulges in them. This kind of ethical obtuseness has to stop. Our zero tolerance should also extend to jokes threatening rape of public figures -- something that was amazingly directed at Sarah Palin from liberal quarters shortly after she arrived on the national scene last year. Dehumanization is a stealthy process that ultimately destroys everyone.

Obama's Stance Against Democracy

USA Today has an op-ed by Jonah Goldberg here describing how Obama seems to be developing an "Obama Doctrine" that is focused on underming democracy.

It is a persuasive read.

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

(Originally posted by my husband at NRO)

George "Moonbat" Monbiot is outraged at the number of climate skeptics who have the affrontery to comment negatively on his articles. Now, reasons the Moonbat, because most of them use pseudonyms, they must be stooges for evil energy corporations and astroturf groups. So he demands they say who they are, on the grounds that they have nothing to fear from him. Why not go the whole hog and ask for their addresses, too, George? There are very good reasons why people, especially in Britain, choose anonymity.

Lest We Forget

Greenpeace Ain't Happy

As this webpost over at Planet Gore points out - complete with picture of Obama on Mt. Rushmore - Greenpeace isn't happy at Bush III, I mean, Obama's stances on "climate change" (aka weather).

But I liked this cartoon in response to how long it took before Obama threw Rev. Wright under the bus.

Re: Why Read It When You Can Vote On It?

(Originally posted by my husband on NRO)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, this Congress is actively contemptuous of the democratic process and the people they are supposed to be representing. Get them to Read The Bill!

Death By A Thousand FOIAs

This Wall Street Journal article here claims that Gov. Palin was driven out of office by political opponents using Freedome of Information Act requests to bog down her administration and rachet up her legal fees.

This situation developed because Alaska's transparency laws allow anyone to file Freedom of Information Act requests. While normally useful, in the hands of political opponents FOIA requests can become a means to bog down a target in a bureaucratic quagmire, thanks to the need to comb through records and respond by a strict timetable. Similarly, ethics investigations are easily triggered and can drag on for months even if the initial complaint is flimsy. Since Ms. Palin returned to Alaska after the 2008 campaign, some 150 FOIA requests have been filed and her office has been targeted for investigation by everyone from the FBI to the Alaska legislature. Most have centered on Ms. Palin's use of government resources, and to date have turned up little save for a few state trips that she agreed to reimburse the state for because her children had accompanied her. In the process, though, she accumulated $500,000 in legal fees in just the last nine months, and knew the bill would grow ever larger in the future.

As much as protecting her children from vile attacks and lies, this senseless battering of a governor trying to do her job reveals just how ugly liberals are.

I can not wait until she gets her last laugh.

Obama Polls Are Tanking

According to this Rasmussen Report here, Obama's polls have dropped from 65% Total Approval to 52% Total Approval since January 21, 2009. His Approval Index when from +28 to -5 in the same period.

OUCH.

Liberals Support Eugenics?

Below is from both a New York Times interview with Justice Ginsberg and Ed Whelan from NRO-The Corner.

2. Speaking of something that maybe “didn’t get out quite right” (but maybe did): As part of her broad-ranging discussion of abortion, Ginsburg offers this, er, interesting comment why the Court’s 1980 decision in Harris v. McRae, which ruled that the Hyde Amendment’s exclusion of nontherapeutic abortions from Medicaid reimbursement was constitutionally permissible, “surprised” her:

Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of. So that Roe was going to be then set up for Medicaid funding for abortion. Which some people felt would risk coercing women into having abortions when they didn’t really want them. But when the court decided McRae, the case came out the other way. And then I realized that my perception of it had been altogether wrong.

Gee, Justice Ginsburg, would you like to tell us more about your views on those populations that “we don’t want to have too many of”?

Well, yes Mr. Whelan, saying something like that is vile but she did also say her perception was wrong.

I'm not sure that she meant she was wrong about getting rid of certain populations however. How awful and how sad.

Double Charing For Water

For whatever reasons (leak, broken meter), our water consumption this month was HUGE. I'm a big water conserver (if it's yellow, let it mellow....) so our family of four generally doesn't go over 5,000 gallons a month.

So to get a water bill that says our consumption was 30,000 gallons was shocking enough but to find out they charge us twice for the same water was infuriating!

Normally, we are charged $2.65 per 1,000 gallons of water. This month that is $79.50 for the 30,000 gallons we may have consumed.

IN ADDITION, the water company is charging us $2.92 on 22,000 gallons of water ($64.24) - on top of the $2.65 for a total of $5.57 per 1,000 gallons of water.

ON TOP OF THAT, the water company is charging us $3.15 on 9,000 gallons of water for a total of $5.80 per 1,000 gallons of water.

In short, rather than our typical bill of just under $50 a month, our bill this month was $222.49!

Outrageous!

I don't mind being charged a higher rate but I very much resent being double charged for the same water.

If it is a broken meter the water company will re-do the bill. If something like my kids left a faucet on, then obviously it is our fault and we will pay. But double-charging for water seems entirely wrong.

What do you think?

Congress Throws IGs Under The Obama Bus

Making Inspector Generals report to the White House as this article suggests Congress is considering, gives Obama unprecedented control over what should be a completely independent group.

Congress should be ashamed.

All in Balance

So eating too much bacon might be bad for you, but not if you balance it with a whole lot of coffee.

Breakfast is served.

Disecting Feminists

Reclusive Leftist thoughtfully disects "feminists" and their reactions to Sarah Palin. We may not agree on politics but we do agree on feminists.

15 Scary Ads

And yup, they are deeply disturbing.

Also check out links to awkward yearbook photos of stars, politicians, and heavy metal artists.

No One Complained When Obama Quit

The Anchoress has an astonishingly well-linked piece about Sarah Palin's resignation, here. This is basically the one-stop website for hearing all sides of the Palin debate in the blogsphere.

That said, I like that the Anchoress points out that NO ONE on the Left complained that Obama QUit his Senatorial seat to run for president despite having promised his constituents that he would serve a full term.

So Obama's the class act for quitting to fulfill personal ambition, but Gov. Sarah Palin is a buffoon for quitting to preserve her family and marriage?

Go ahead, rationalize that for me.

Oh, and visit the Anchoress.

Obama - Student Radical

While the press completely ignored the few souls who actually did some investigating into Obama's life prior to becoming a Senator, others dug up some unhappy dirt.

Here, Andrew McCarthy offers a long, well-linked article detailing some of Obama's beliefs as a student at Columbia - a place he will not talk about.

Lightening on Mars

It's just pretty cool.

Access Denied

(Originially posted on NRO-The Corner by my husband)

Here's why I find the Washington Post cash-for-access story so disturbing. As even Helen Thomas is now realizing, this administration favors certain journalists with extra access. In that respect, it is mimicking the Blair government in the U.K., which was famous not just for giving extra access to favorable journalists, but denying it to critical journalists. Putting the two pieces together, it might not be long before access becomes a commodity, and writing favorably about the administration not only gets extra access, but becomes profitable. That's why I am also very glad to see the excellent Howard Kurtz and via him, the Post's executive editor, recognize that possibility and how appalling it would be.

I fear, however, that other journalists might not be so scrupulous. As to the scruples of the administration, I have no comment.

Health Reform Visualization in Lego!

Hat Tip Jonah Goldberg

Constitutional Coup

(Originally published by my husband on NRO-The Corner)

My colleague Hans Bader has an interesting analysis of the so-called coup in Honduras over at the Examiner. In particular, he asks whether President Obama will bully Honduras into overturning its own constitution.

Feedbags For Humans

New Wearable Feedbags Let Americans Eat More, Move Less

Read this and Vomit

Does the New York Times even realize how disgusting this is?

I was agreeing with everything in this op-ed, I was even willing to concede the capitalism point because it even-handedly attacked all the flaws in all economic-philosophies.

And then I got to the last paragraph and wanted to barf.

This op-ed is like being asked to sample a brownie, thinking it tasted okay but a little off, and then being told it was made of dog poop.

Bureaucrash at the Washington, D.C. Tea Party Protest

Liberty or Death in Iran

AlfonZo talks about Iran and their belief in the phrase "Give me Liberty or give me Death". Warning Graphic Images.

Here is PJTV's excellent take (via AlfonZo) on Cap and Trade.

And of course, I've got to get my Sonja Schmidt on, here.

All from PJTV.

IOUpalooza from PJTV

PJTV takes on California's IOU payments - and Obama is using California as a policy example to follow for the rest of the United States.

Hope and change-y

Reading The Bills

A message to all members of Just Read The Bill, Already!

Excuse the broadcast message, but think one good thing Just Read The Bill, Already can do is find out what excuses lawmakers are using for not reading bills.

Please see this forum post: http://readthebill.ning.com/forum/topics/whats-your-lawmakers-excuse

Text: It would be great if all members could write their Representative (use this tool to do so) and ask them three things (feel free to change the wording as you will):

1) Did you or did you not read the entirety of HR2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, before voting on it?

2) If you did not, why did you vote the way you did?

3) Do you or do you not believe that you should fully understand the implications a bill might have for your constituents before voting on it?

Please post replies here. [ie on the forum page]

Thanks again for signing up. We'll get these guys to read bills, even if we have to teach them to read first!

Iain

Visit Just Read The Bill, Already! at: http://readthebill.ning.com

What Rush Said

I think my stance on Sarah Palin is very similar to Rush Limbaugh's (gasp from certain friends, I'm sure).

When you have so many establishment types – inside-the-Beltway, elite, establishment types (Republican, Democrat, it doesn’t matter) – just so eager to destroy this woman, it means they’re still scared to death of her. And that, to me, is the bottom line.

You can read his whole perspective, here.

I'm Back

And really bummed about Sarah Palin.

Will begin blogging tomorrow. Hope you all had a great Fourth.