Saturday, January 31, 2015
MVP Breaks 100,000 Hearts
Yup. Great player, great guy, and 100,000 Wisconsin girls will cry themselves to sleep.
Marquette U. v. McAdams: What's Going On Here?
No less than three nationally-recognized entities have severely criticized Marquette University's action against Professor McAdams: FIRE, Dr. D. Downs of UW-Madison, and AAUP. In addition, Daniel Maguire (!!) of MU's faculty, joined in McAdams' defense. Another MU-related attorney, Rick Esenberg, also wrote MU to defend McAdams--and, incidentally, (acting as McAdams' counsel) raised the bar a few feet with the threat of civil action for defamation.
All the documents can be found at McAdams' blogsite.
For its part, Marquette has clammed up after a few carefully-chosen words reported by local media.
So what's going on here?
Is this a case where the newly-installed President of MU took some seriously flawed advice and pulled the trigger without checking with counsel? Was he so busy carrying on with the Bucks and with Dwayne Wade that he just sorta nodded a vague approval of schmeissing McAdams without due diligence?
Or did the decision come from a lower-rung bureaucrat in the MU H.R. operation? In that case, one should not go long on that individual's career prospects at MU--because, unless there's a smoking gun found in McAdams' hand and a dead body in the same locked room with him, Marquette is in deep, deep, doo-doo.
On the other hand, maybe MU's top dogs made the decision that they would "fire" McAdams and simply pay him off in a settlement with a "shut-up" clause. IOW, they were willing to take the short-term hit in order to stifle McAdams, and they gambled that in the long run, this would go away.
Hmmmm.
All the documents can be found at McAdams' blogsite.
For its part, Marquette has clammed up after a few carefully-chosen words reported by local media.
So what's going on here?
Is this a case where the newly-installed President of MU took some seriously flawed advice and pulled the trigger without checking with counsel? Was he so busy carrying on with the Bucks and with Dwayne Wade that he just sorta nodded a vague approval of schmeissing McAdams without due diligence?
Or did the decision come from a lower-rung bureaucrat in the MU H.R. operation? In that case, one should not go long on that individual's career prospects at MU--because, unless there's a smoking gun found in McAdams' hand and a dead body in the same locked room with him, Marquette is in deep, deep, doo-doo.
On the other hand, maybe MU's top dogs made the decision that they would "fire" McAdams and simply pay him off in a settlement with a "shut-up" clause. IOW, they were willing to take the short-term hit in order to stifle McAdams, and they gambled that in the long run, this would go away.
Hmmmm.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
If At First You Miserably Fail....
Seems like the solons of Connecticut don't really get it. With 80++% of its citizens simply ignoring the "register your guns" law, they're now proposing another "register your guns" law.
Ya'know, just in case that 80++% forgot about the first one.
Ya'know, just in case that 80++% forgot about the first one.
Dead From "Flu"? Probably Not
Ticker always finds interesting little gems.
Flu results in "about 250,000 to 500,000 yearly deaths" worldwide, Wikipedia tells us. "The typical estimate is 36,000 [deaths] a year in the United States," reports NBC, citing the Centers for Disease Control....
Yeah, but:
... According to the National Vital Statistics System in the U.S., for example, annual flu deaths in 2010 amounted to just 500 per year -- fewer than deaths from ulcers (2,977), hernias (1,832) and pregnancy and childbirth (825)... Ticker quoting Journal of Advanced Practice Nursing
Oh, well. 500, 36,000, whassa diff?
The diff? A helluvalot of flu-vaccine revenues.
Flu results in "about 250,000 to 500,000 yearly deaths" worldwide, Wikipedia tells us. "The typical estimate is 36,000 [deaths] a year in the United States," reports NBC, citing the Centers for Disease Control....
Yeah, but:
... According to the National Vital Statistics System in the U.S., for example, annual flu deaths in 2010 amounted to just 500 per year -- fewer than deaths from ulcers (2,977), hernias (1,832) and pregnancy and childbirth (825)... Ticker quoting Journal of Advanced Practice Nursing
Oh, well. 500, 36,000, whassa diff?
The diff? A helluvalot of flu-vaccine revenues.
Our WIERD Masters
This guy has nailed it.
...The WEIRD demographic, as I’ve explained before, standing for Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic, is wholly dominant among our media elites that play a huge role in forming opinions and judging the acceptability of the same. Over the last half-century the WEIRD vanguard has taken over the academy, the media, and the entertainment world; one of its better-known members is in the White House right now. Obama’s castigation in 2008 of “bitter” Americans who cling to guns and religion was a perfect one-sentence explanation of how WEIRDos view less educated and enlightened fellow citizens, which is no doubt why his opponents will cite it forever.
There is no tyranny as offensive as a cultural tyranny, of course, and just as affluent, educated post-moderns view their lessers with undisguised contempt, the guns-and-bibles brigade returns that contempt with interest. This goes some way to explaining why American politics has become so bitter in recent years: both sides simply hate each other and bother less and less to mask it.
The WEIRD contingent has had an impressive string of victories since the 1960’s, especially in America. Their record of wins, fast, may have no precedent in history, since culture tends to shift slowly, sometimes glacially. The culture war has been won, and the victory for the WEIRD side is essentially total. In the last fifty years, racial relations have been so dramatically transformed by government and culture, hand in hand, that racism, once casual among many whites, is totally unacceptable in anything resembling polite society. It speaks volumes that Jeffrey Dahmer, who murdered, dismembered and ate seventeen young men, many of them black and Hispanic, was at pains to make clear that, though he was a cannibalistic serial killer, he wasn’t racist: that fact he deemed important....
Plenty more at the link.
So. What has this meant, in the geo-political order?
Well, you could start with the massive failure of Iraq--both in GWB's utterly misguided toppling of Saddam and in Obozo's even-more misguided abandonment of the effort. (Colin Powell's famous "If you break it, you bought it" remark was meant to give Bush pause--but the War Party sector of The WIERD managed to triumph, in a Pyrrhic way.)
It also explains the complete and total disregard of religion as THE factor in the Middle East (and for that matter, in large parts of the US).
...the vast majority of Muslims fall into a big group that lives the faith as best they can, without questioning its essentials. They try, they fail, they keep trying. They usually make an effort during Ramadan, at least, and if a life crisis appears, they will pray and seek the comfort of the mosque; the rest of the time their lived faith is rather hit-or-miss. In other words, they are completely normal human beings.
It needs to be clear that these majoritarians do not question Islam: if pressed, they will state the problem, the failing, is with them, not the faith. It should be obvious that the group wholly absent from this division-into-threes is the post-modern Western skeptic, the nominal mainline Protestant, or perhaps a very Reform Jew, who’s down with gay marriage since it’s been “reinterpreted” in recent decades. Hipster Jesus — into you with your sins, cool with your ironic vibe — does not have a corollary in Islam. The hardest thing for WEIRDos, who view all religion as odd, and perhaps risible, when not dangerous, to grasp is — Muslims actually believe this stuff.
The WIERD simply cannot wrap their heads around this "religion" stuff--at all.
...While race is of interest to the WEIRD demographic, sex is more central to their worldview. Catfights among progressives about determining who has more sexual privilege are fun to watch yet challenging for normals to comprehend. Here the LGBT issue has played a major role....However, just as with race and gender issues, LGBT advocates are showing minimal magnanimity in victory, preferring to double-down on public dissenters. Even the powerful are being driven from jobs and public life over their opposition, even when quiet, to gay marriage. There is more than a whiff of the Social Justice Warrior (SJW) mob about all this, and the idea of live-and-let live does not seem to be in fashion among the Cultural Marxist Left. It’s difficult to see how America avoids a serious clash between progressives and tradition-minded religious groups over all this....
As to the Boehner/McConnell cave-in on illegals:
...Mass immigration is the preferred solution for WEIRDos, because it gets them off the hook for reproducing while providing interesting ethnic restaurants, plus ample cheap labor to do the household chores that affluent progressives don’t seek to do themselves (until recently many of these domestic tasks — cleaning, fixing, lawn-cutting — were assigned to a family’s children, who no longer exist in numbers).
In the United States, mass immigration, heavily from Latin America, is causing discontent but is seen as a nuisance, at most, by WEIRDos, who seldom know the working-class Americans who do see this as a serious threat to their economic and social well-being....
Lots, lots, more at the link and worth the read (even though this author tends to the prolix)
...The WEIRD demographic, as I’ve explained before, standing for Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic, is wholly dominant among our media elites that play a huge role in forming opinions and judging the acceptability of the same. Over the last half-century the WEIRD vanguard has taken over the academy, the media, and the entertainment world; one of its better-known members is in the White House right now. Obama’s castigation in 2008 of “bitter” Americans who cling to guns and religion was a perfect one-sentence explanation of how WEIRDos view less educated and enlightened fellow citizens, which is no doubt why his opponents will cite it forever.
There is no tyranny as offensive as a cultural tyranny, of course, and just as affluent, educated post-moderns view their lessers with undisguised contempt, the guns-and-bibles brigade returns that contempt with interest. This goes some way to explaining why American politics has become so bitter in recent years: both sides simply hate each other and bother less and less to mask it.
The WEIRD contingent has had an impressive string of victories since the 1960’s, especially in America. Their record of wins, fast, may have no precedent in history, since culture tends to shift slowly, sometimes glacially. The culture war has been won, and the victory for the WEIRD side is essentially total. In the last fifty years, racial relations have been so dramatically transformed by government and culture, hand in hand, that racism, once casual among many whites, is totally unacceptable in anything resembling polite society. It speaks volumes that Jeffrey Dahmer, who murdered, dismembered and ate seventeen young men, many of them black and Hispanic, was at pains to make clear that, though he was a cannibalistic serial killer, he wasn’t racist: that fact he deemed important....
Plenty more at the link.
So. What has this meant, in the geo-political order?
Well, you could start with the massive failure of Iraq--both in GWB's utterly misguided toppling of Saddam and in Obozo's even-more misguided abandonment of the effort. (Colin Powell's famous "If you break it, you bought it" remark was meant to give Bush pause--but the War Party sector of The WIERD managed to triumph, in a Pyrrhic way.)
It also explains the complete and total disregard of religion as THE factor in the Middle East (and for that matter, in large parts of the US).
...the vast majority of Muslims fall into a big group that lives the faith as best they can, without questioning its essentials. They try, they fail, they keep trying. They usually make an effort during Ramadan, at least, and if a life crisis appears, they will pray and seek the comfort of the mosque; the rest of the time their lived faith is rather hit-or-miss. In other words, they are completely normal human beings.
It needs to be clear that these majoritarians do not question Islam: if pressed, they will state the problem, the failing, is with them, not the faith. It should be obvious that the group wholly absent from this division-into-threes is the post-modern Western skeptic, the nominal mainline Protestant, or perhaps a very Reform Jew, who’s down with gay marriage since it’s been “reinterpreted” in recent decades. Hipster Jesus — into you with your sins, cool with your ironic vibe — does not have a corollary in Islam. The hardest thing for WEIRDos, who view all religion as odd, and perhaps risible, when not dangerous, to grasp is — Muslims actually believe this stuff.
The WIERD simply cannot wrap their heads around this "religion" stuff--at all.
...While race is of interest to the WEIRD demographic, sex is more central to their worldview. Catfights among progressives about determining who has more sexual privilege are fun to watch yet challenging for normals to comprehend. Here the LGBT issue has played a major role....However, just as with race and gender issues, LGBT advocates are showing minimal magnanimity in victory, preferring to double-down on public dissenters. Even the powerful are being driven from jobs and public life over their opposition, even when quiet, to gay marriage. There is more than a whiff of the Social Justice Warrior (SJW) mob about all this, and the idea of live-and-let live does not seem to be in fashion among the Cultural Marxist Left. It’s difficult to see how America avoids a serious clash between progressives and tradition-minded religious groups over all this....
As to the Boehner/McConnell cave-in on illegals:
...Mass immigration is the preferred solution for WEIRDos, because it gets them off the hook for reproducing while providing interesting ethnic restaurants, plus ample cheap labor to do the household chores that affluent progressives don’t seek to do themselves (until recently many of these domestic tasks — cleaning, fixing, lawn-cutting — were assigned to a family’s children, who no longer exist in numbers).
In the United States, mass immigration, heavily from Latin America, is causing discontent but is seen as a nuisance, at most, by WEIRDos, who seldom know the working-class Americans who do see this as a serious threat to their economic and social well-being....
Lots, lots, more at the link and worth the read (even though this author tends to the prolix)
Obama's Stasi: The Consumer Financial "Protection" Bureau
The Consumer Protection Financial Bureau was created under Dodd-Frank (by the Democrats and for the Democrats). It is paid for by you--directly or indirectly--but does not answer to Congress for its budget or policies.
It is used to shut down businesses that the Democrats don't like. Such as gun dealers.
And the Code of Omerta is part of its game.
...A shocking bulletin that CFPB issued to banks, which was obtained by The Daily Caller, was sent around this week in the midst of controversy regarding the administration’s Operation Choke Point program, by which the administration pressures banks to cut off accounts for supposedly suspicious businesses, including gun dealers. Operation Choke Point’s anti-gun mission was recently confirmed in a series of audiotapes published by the US Consumer Coalition, in which a bank teller explained to a gun dealer why his account was being shut down....
Well, now. Explaining CPFB to your customers? That's blatantly illegal!!
“The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau [CFPB] issues this compliance bulletin as a reminder that, with limited exceptions, persons in possession of confidential information, including confidential supervisory information [CSI], may not disclose such information to third parties,” the bulletin states....
So. If they don't like you, you're out of business. And no one can tell you WHY you're out of business.
I'm sure McConnell and Boehner will get right onto this. Sensenbrenner and Ryan, too.
It is used to shut down businesses that the Democrats don't like. Such as gun dealers.
And the Code of Omerta is part of its game.
...A shocking bulletin that CFPB issued to banks, which was obtained by The Daily Caller, was sent around this week in the midst of controversy regarding the administration’s Operation Choke Point program, by which the administration pressures banks to cut off accounts for supposedly suspicious businesses, including gun dealers. Operation Choke Point’s anti-gun mission was recently confirmed in a series of audiotapes published by the US Consumer Coalition, in which a bank teller explained to a gun dealer why his account was being shut down....
Well, now. Explaining CPFB to your customers? That's blatantly illegal!!
“The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau [CFPB] issues this compliance bulletin as a reminder that, with limited exceptions, persons in possession of confidential information, including confidential supervisory information [CSI], may not disclose such information to third parties,” the bulletin states....
So. If they don't like you, you're out of business. And no one can tell you WHY you're out of business.
I'm sure McConnell and Boehner will get right onto this. Sensenbrenner and Ryan, too.
Yup. Boehner Is Chickens*&t
All that lying last year about "defunding amnesty"...
...In the least surprising development in all of human history, February is now around the corner, and Boehner and McConnell are folding like cheap suits....
...Make no mistake, however: this is exactly what Boehner and McConnell wanted all along. They wanted Obama to take the heat with the conservative base for a policy that they actually support. So they are mounting at every step of the way what has been obviously fake and token opposition to Obama’s plan. And at the end of the day they are going to throw up their hands and say “Aw, shucks, nothing we could have done here, Obama held all the cards!”
Oh, wait! Maybe they'll de-fund Obozocare!
...In the least surprising development in all of human history, February is now around the corner, and Boehner and McConnell are folding like cheap suits....
...Make no mistake, however: this is exactly what Boehner and McConnell wanted all along. They wanted Obama to take the heat with the conservative base for a policy that they actually support. So they are mounting at every step of the way what has been obviously fake and token opposition to Obama’s plan. And at the end of the day they are going to throw up their hands and say “Aw, shucks, nothing we could have done here, Obama held all the cards!”
Oh, wait! Maybe they'll de-fund Obozocare!
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
EPA Missed By Thaaaaaaat Much
We'll begin with the reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPwrodxghrw
Note the resemblance of Maxwell Smart to the EPA gang?
...The EPA said its new smog standard was based on “1,000 studies” published since 2008. The agency argued the rule would also bring $23 billion in monetized net benefits. But EID found that EPA’s monetized benefit calculation is 3,100 percent higher than what the agency calculated in 2011 for the same smog standard....
That new standard is 'the costliest regulation ever imposed,' and EPA has plans for an even MORE expensive one.
Note the resemblance of Maxwell Smart to the EPA gang?
...The EPA said its new smog standard was based on “1,000 studies” published since 2008. The agency argued the rule would also bring $23 billion in monetized net benefits. But EID found that EPA’s monetized benefit calculation is 3,100 percent higher than what the agency calculated in 2011 for the same smog standard....
That new standard is 'the costliest regulation ever imposed,' and EPA has plans for an even MORE expensive one.
Iran the Enemy?
While there's no doubt that Obozo is a national security problem, there IS doubt that Iran is a problem. But as usual, it requires some knowledge of which players are doing what.
The Muslim world is not a monolith. There are two major brands of Muslim: the Shia, and the Sunni. They don't get along at all. So how does this play out in the Middle East?
Iran is Shia.
...A closer look reveals a Shia minority in a Sunni-dominated world where Shia are despised heretics. And of all the terrorist organizations we have the most reason to fear and hate — al-Qaida, Islamic State, Ansar al-Sharia, Boko Haram — none is Shia, all are Sunni....
Saudi Arabia, by the way, is Sunni.
So. Who's really the Big Bad Wolf here?
For a longer exposition of this mess, see Peter's essay.
The Muslim world is not a monolith. There are two major brands of Muslim: the Shia, and the Sunni. They don't get along at all. So how does this play out in the Middle East?
Iran is Shia.
...A closer look reveals a Shia minority in a Sunni-dominated world where Shia are despised heretics. And of all the terrorist organizations we have the most reason to fear and hate — al-Qaida, Islamic State, Ansar al-Sharia, Boko Haram — none is Shia, all are Sunni....
Saudi Arabia, by the way, is Sunni.
So. Who's really the Big Bad Wolf here?
For a longer exposition of this mess, see Peter's essay.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Best LIttle Methodist College in De Pere...
We're acquainted with a number of St Norbert's graduates. All likeable (or lovable) folks. But for about 20 years I've known that the college is really Methodist (or something not-Catholic).
Once again, St Norbert's does its best to prove it.
St. Norbert College has apparently decided to go ahead with hosting prominent abortion-rights advocate Gloria Steinem, despite the recent disapproval of Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay. The College’s current trajectory is both offensive to its bishop and reflects a deeper misconception about its own Catholic identity,...
Yup.
Once again, St Norbert's does its best to prove it.
St. Norbert College has apparently decided to go ahead with hosting prominent abortion-rights advocate Gloria Steinem, despite the recent disapproval of Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay. The College’s current trajectory is both offensive to its bishop and reflects a deeper misconception about its own Catholic identity,...
Yup.
Yellow Flags Flying on Economy
We mentioned, a week or so ago, that copper prices were heading downward. Ticker noticed a few other signals.
New orders for manufactured durable goods in December decreased $8.1 billion or 3.4 percent to $230.5 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This decrease, down four of the last five months, followed a 2.1 percent November decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.8 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 3.2 percent.
Transportation equipment, also down four of the last five months, led the decrease, $6.8 billion or 9.2 percent to $66.7 billion....
He also mentions a 3-month downturn in computer orders and a 90-day downturn in machinery orders AND shipments. You can ask Deere employees about that--or those at Rexnord's Falk operations.
And since Obozo has been actively destroying the economy for the last 6 years, the 'recovery' has been far less than robust, which begs a bit of speculation: just how bad will the next downturn be?
Stay tuned.
New orders for manufactured durable goods in December decreased $8.1 billion or 3.4 percent to $230.5 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This decrease, down four of the last five months, followed a 2.1 percent November decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.8 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 3.2 percent.
Transportation equipment, also down four of the last five months, led the decrease, $6.8 billion or 9.2 percent to $66.7 billion....
He also mentions a 3-month downturn in computer orders and a 90-day downturn in machinery orders AND shipments. You can ask Deere employees about that--or those at Rexnord's Falk operations.
And since Obozo has been actively destroying the economy for the last 6 years, the 'recovery' has been far less than robust, which begs a bit of speculation: just how bad will the next downturn be?
Stay tuned.
Run Away, Tammy!!! Run Away!!!
Tammy Baldwin has made a career of doing absolutely nothing except being a 'nice' lesbian.
Yah, she'd put her name on some legislation once in a while; she'd flounce around in all the right places. But she never really DID anything.
As it turns out, "doing nothing" can get you some very nasty headlines.
So what does Tammy do?
Bribes an ex-assistant and runs away from the Press.
Run Away, Tammy!! Run Away!!!
Yah, she'd put her name on some legislation once in a while; she'd flounce around in all the right places. But she never really DID anything.
As it turns out, "doing nothing" can get you some very nasty headlines.
So what does Tammy do?
Bribes an ex-assistant and runs away from the Press.
Run Away, Tammy!! Run Away!!!
Monday, January 26, 2015
Another Look at Gun Control
Read this list and you will clearly see the required litmus-test for gun ownership.
In 1865 a Democrat shot and killed Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States .
In 1881 a left wing radical Democrat shot James Garfield, President of the United States who later died from the wound.
In 1963 a radical left wing socialist shot and killed John F. Kennedy, President of the United States .
In 1975 a left wing radical Democrat fired shots at Gerald Ford, President of the United States .
In 1983 a registered Democrat shot and wounded Ronald Reagan, President of the United States .
In 1984 James Hubert, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 22 people in a McDonalds restaurant.
In 1986 Patrick Sherrill, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 15 people in an Oklahoma post office.
In 1990 James Pough, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 10 people at a GMAC office.
In 1991 George Hennard, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 23 people in a Luby’s cafeteria.
In 1995 James Daniel Simpson, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 5 coworkers in a Texas laboratory.
In 1999 Larry Asbrook, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 8 people at a church service.
In 2001 a left wing radical Democrat fired shots at the White House
in a failed attempt to kill George W. Bush, President of the US .
In 2003 Douglas Williams, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 7 people at a Lockheed Martin plant.
In 2007 a registered Democrat named Seung – Hui Cho, shot and killed 32 people in Virginia Tech.
In 2010 a mentally ill registered Democrat named Jared Lee Loughner, shot Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed 6 others.
In 2011 a registered Democrat named James Holmes, went into a movie theater and shot and killed 12 people.
In 2012 Andrew Engeldinger, a disgruntled Democrat, shot and killed 7 people in Minneapolis .
In 2013 a registered Democrat named Adam Lanza, shot and killed 26 people in a school.
As recently as Sept 2013, an angry Democrat shot 12 at a Navy ship yard.
Clearly, there is a problem with Democrats and guns. Not one NRA member, Tea Party member, or Republican conservatives was involved in these shootings and murders.
See! It's easy!!
Pantywaist v. Putin
Obozo--the very model of Pantywaist Pussy, is pushing the wrong people's buttons, according to this ex-counter-intel guy:
...To the shock and dismay of hopeful Westerners, including nearly all NATO leaders, the hard hit of sanctions has caused Russians to hate the West, not Putin. Most Russians view their war in Ukraine as a legitimate defense of Russians and Russian interests, certainly nothing like America’s aggressive wars of choice halfway around the world, and they are backing the Kremlin now.
Word of this defiance has even crept into The New York Times, which otherwise is a pitch-perfect expression of the WEIRD worldview. As Russian troops are advancing deeper into Ukraine, fresh from victory at Donetsk, NYT asked what on earth is going on here, why would Russians want more war now that the cost of it all to their economy is becoming obvious? The explanation was proffered by a Moscow economist: “The influence of economists as a whole has completely vanished,” he opined about the Kremlin: “The country is on a holy mission. It’s at war with the United States, so why would you bother about the small battleground, the economy?”
Once again, Westerners have imagined Putin is just like one of their leaders — cautious, timid even, obsessed with Wall Street and finely tuned to what big donors care about — when our Chekist-in-Charge is nothing of the sort. With perfect timing, Patriarch Kirill, the head of the powerful Russian Orthodox Church, addressed the Duma this week, for the very first time, delivering a speech long on social conservatism, including a plea to ban abortions to help Russian demographics, as well as a caution to ignore the West’s dangerous “pseudo-values.” Putin’s Russia is inching ever closer to Byzantine-style symphonia, and in the war against America and the West that is coming — and, according to many Russians, is already here — the Kremlin wants its people to be spiritually fortified for a long fight....
Russia is not the biggest foreign policy problem, of course; ISIS holds that spot, and will continue there as the entire Middle East goes into a bloodbath. Think it's just Yemen? Then check the health reports on the new King of Saud--and by the way, how's that Saudi Army doing? Better, how will it do with around 30 crown princes vying for control of those oil revenues?
One advantage in electing the Pantywaist: his Patriots-style deflateds will not support throwing US troops into that mess. Given his strategic stupidity, it's better (for them AND us) that they stay home.
...To the shock and dismay of hopeful Westerners, including nearly all NATO leaders, the hard hit of sanctions has caused Russians to hate the West, not Putin. Most Russians view their war in Ukraine as a legitimate defense of Russians and Russian interests, certainly nothing like America’s aggressive wars of choice halfway around the world, and they are backing the Kremlin now.
Word of this defiance has even crept into The New York Times, which otherwise is a pitch-perfect expression of the WEIRD worldview. As Russian troops are advancing deeper into Ukraine, fresh from victory at Donetsk, NYT asked what on earth is going on here, why would Russians want more war now that the cost of it all to their economy is becoming obvious? The explanation was proffered by a Moscow economist: “The influence of economists as a whole has completely vanished,” he opined about the Kremlin: “The country is on a holy mission. It’s at war with the United States, so why would you bother about the small battleground, the economy?”
Once again, Westerners have imagined Putin is just like one of their leaders — cautious, timid even, obsessed with Wall Street and finely tuned to what big donors care about — when our Chekist-in-Charge is nothing of the sort. With perfect timing, Patriarch Kirill, the head of the powerful Russian Orthodox Church, addressed the Duma this week, for the very first time, delivering a speech long on social conservatism, including a plea to ban abortions to help Russian demographics, as well as a caution to ignore the West’s dangerous “pseudo-values.” Putin’s Russia is inching ever closer to Byzantine-style symphonia, and in the war against America and the West that is coming — and, according to many Russians, is already here — the Kremlin wants its people to be spiritually fortified for a long fight....
Russia is not the biggest foreign policy problem, of course; ISIS holds that spot, and will continue there as the entire Middle East goes into a bloodbath. Think it's just Yemen? Then check the health reports on the new King of Saud--and by the way, how's that Saudi Army doing? Better, how will it do with around 30 crown princes vying for control of those oil revenues?
One advantage in electing the Pantywaist: his Patriots-style deflateds will not support throwing US troops into that mess. Given his strategic stupidity, it's better (for them AND us) that they stay home.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Cloward-Piven Writ Largest
Hmmmm. Kilpatrick theorizes, credibly, that one should assume the worst about Obozo & Co.
...Obama’s contribution to the Cloward-Piven strategy is to extend it to every area of life. In other words, if you can overload the local welfare system, why not overload local law enforcement? Why not overload the health care system? Why not overburden the immigration system by letting in hundreds of thousands of illegals? Then you can claim that all these systems are broken and have to be totally rebuilt—preferably in the image of some imaginary socialist utopia....
No question--assuming the worst fits the facts and circumstances best.
But why confine it to domestic issues?
...The worst possible assumption would be that the President and some of his key appointees don’t really like America: that they actually believe all the hype about America being the sum of all evil, and therefore want to weaken its power on the global stage. Once again, the worst assumption is the one that best fits the facts. Let’s start with the fact that the administration has been radically cutting back our military force at a time when world threats are on the rise. There are fewer troops, fewer tanks, fewer ships, and fewer planes than at any point in recent history....
...Obama’s contribution to the Cloward-Piven strategy is to extend it to every area of life. In other words, if you can overload the local welfare system, why not overload local law enforcement? Why not overload the health care system? Why not overburden the immigration system by letting in hundreds of thousands of illegals? Then you can claim that all these systems are broken and have to be totally rebuilt—preferably in the image of some imaginary socialist utopia....
No question--assuming the worst fits the facts and circumstances best.
But why confine it to domestic issues?
...The worst possible assumption would be that the President and some of his key appointees don’t really like America: that they actually believe all the hype about America being the sum of all evil, and therefore want to weaken its power on the global stage. Once again, the worst assumption is the one that best fits the facts. Let’s start with the fact that the administration has been radically cutting back our military force at a time when world threats are on the rise. There are fewer troops, fewer tanks, fewer ships, and fewer planes than at any point in recent history....
Buy. More. Ammo.
Lie. Cheat. Steal. Rinse. Repeat. DEMOCRATS!
Remember that mortgage collapse thing? Remember that it's all the banks' fault?
Not really--although I will concede that SOME banks were rotten. They were usually controlled by Democrat donors.
..."The FCIC majority misused its mandate for political purposes," Wallison writes, adding that the panel made sure its findings supported Democrat demands for a "new New Deal" that would put even more of the banking industry under federal control.
Democrats passed the Dodd-Frank Act in July 2010, six months before the FCIC released its report — "a clear demonstration that the Democratic Congress knew well in advance exactly what this well-controlled commission would say." After Dodd-Frank shockingly left Fannie and Freddie untouched, the FCIC excused the glaring oversight by exonerating the toxic twins and their affordable-housing masters at HUD.
As a result, Fannie and Freddie, now under full federal control, are back making low down payment loans to low-income borrowers, and the Dodd-Frank-mandated Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is forcing banks to ignore credit risks in the name of affordable housing.
A corrupt investigation led to corrupt reforms.
We could ask what the new-majority Republicans intend to do about this, but you know damn well what the answer is. Hint: "We're powerless to act." Translation: "We have no balls. "
Not really--although I will concede that SOME banks were rotten. They were usually controlled by Democrat donors.
..."The FCIC majority misused its mandate for political purposes," Wallison writes, adding that the panel made sure its findings supported Democrat demands for a "new New Deal" that would put even more of the banking industry under federal control.
Democrats passed the Dodd-Frank Act in July 2010, six months before the FCIC released its report — "a clear demonstration that the Democratic Congress knew well in advance exactly what this well-controlled commission would say." After Dodd-Frank shockingly left Fannie and Freddie untouched, the FCIC excused the glaring oversight by exonerating the toxic twins and their affordable-housing masters at HUD.
As a result, Fannie and Freddie, now under full federal control, are back making low down payment loans to low-income borrowers, and the Dodd-Frank-mandated Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is forcing banks to ignore credit risks in the name of affordable housing.
A corrupt investigation led to corrupt reforms.
We could ask what the new-majority Republicans intend to do about this, but you know damn well what the answer is. Hint: "We're powerless to act." Translation: "We have no balls. "
2014: Damn Cold Year!
PowerLine shows us what climate has really been in history. It's different from what the Green Weenies screech and rant about, of course.
So as it turns out, 2014 was one of the coldest 3% of years in the last 10,000.
So as it turns out, 2014 was one of the coldest 3% of years in the last 10,000.
"Feminization" of the Catholic LIturgy: Is Burke Right?
Discovered this while engaged in a discussion over Cdl. Burke's remarks. Per the intro of the post, the Jesuit who wrote these observations is a liberal w/the usual laundry-list of demands for changes in the Church. But as you'll see, he presents a very interesting thesis which actually underscores and affirms Cdl. Burke's commentary.
For many years liturgists felt that highly formalized worship services bored people and turned them off; "creative" liturgies were proposed as the solution. Unfortunately, the resulting Butterfly, Banner, and Balloon Extravaganzas severely alienated many men. The most saccharine outbreaks of forced liturgical excitement featured fluttering dancers floating down the aisles like wood-nymphs, goofy pseudo-rites forced on the congregation with almost fascist authoritarianism, and a host of silly schticks usually accompanied by inane music. It was exciting all right; any men felt exciting enough to rise from their pews and walk right out the door. What was their problem? It seems that most men are instantly turned off by surprise spontaneity in ritual circumstances; moreover, ceremonies that are entirely nice, sweet, and happy usually strike men as phoney and completely unconnected with the harsh world they experience every day. ...
We know that 'the most saccharine' stuff is at the margins, rarely done any more. That said, he builds on that "spontaneity" stuff:
Men need a certain regularity and consistency in their worship; spontaneity has its appeal for men, but not in the midst of ritual. The highly popular masculine traditions of Judaism and Islam, for example, encourage set times, places, and formulae for daily prayer and worship, and men respond to these demands very well. Ritually, men like to know exactly what is expected of them and what the rules are; religion helps men when it challenges them to clear, reasonable, and achievable goals, whether liturgically or devotionally. ...
I think those observations are defensible.
But here is the strongest line of argument:
...Even more central to masculine worship is the notion of the Transcendent. In deemphasizing in recent generations a concern with absolutes and ultimates, heaven and hell, and eternity and infinity, modern Christianity has taken a decisive turn towards feminine religion, which is typically interested in the immanent and the incarnational, in finding God in the small things, the everyday, and the mundane. These are genuine Christian qualities and mark the beautiful spirituality of a Therese of Lisieux or a Mother Teresa of Calcutta; without doubt, men also need such grounding emphases. These traits are not, however, essentially masculine in nature. As liberal religion stresses increasingly the immanent and "horizontal" dimension of faith to the exclusion of the transcendent and "vertical" reality, it inadvertently ignores the voracious appetite of men for the Great, the Wholly Other, and the Eternal.
A liturgy or a sermon that truly speaks to men will tend to "pitch" men outside themselves, confront them with the Absolute, and offer them an eschatological viewpoint on life. Admittedly, this is hard to do in the Mass or eucharistic liturgy, which is structured around the domestic motif of the dining table. Yet a service that simply emphasizes the sacredness and eternity of the eucharistic actions, the infinite value of the ceremony, and the worldwide solidarity of the prayer is already on the way to capturing the male imagination....
That term, "horizontal" has been used as a descriptor of the Ordinary Form Mass for at least a decade by "conservatives" AND "liberals." To the former, it's a derogatory adjective. Note that the author concedes that men 'need such grounding', too; IOW, some is good.
Also worth noting: he correctly observes that 'it is difficult to do in a dining-table-based structure,' which recalls a complaint of the "conservatives." It is not just "a dining table"--it is also an altar of self-sacrifice, certainly an "eschatological" sign. Downplaying the latter in favor of the former, whether by image or textual reference--is "feminization."
There is a formulaic (conservative) expression which comes into play here, usually stated thus: the Mass is conducted in "sacred space," at a "sacred time," using a "sacred language" and "sacred music." That formula is clearly in evidence in Eastern Orthodox rites and Islamic rites. It is also clear in "high-church" Episcopalian rites which use the King James sacral-English translation as well as "smells and bells."
(We could spend a bit more time and pixels addressing the music issue, by the way, but we won't here.)
So. Was Burke correct? As to the question of "feminization," he most certainly was. Did he call for total elimination of women from Church ministry? No. Is he chary of "altar girls"? Yes--but he did not call for them to be eliminated, either--he specifically talked about age-levels in his interview.
There. That should set the liberals into a tizzy.
(By the way, Burke speaks of the need for the Church to address masculine "self-sacrifice" for the sake of the family. Think that the theme of "American Sniper" might kinda-sorta have that? No, I will not accept cheap-shot black/white argumentation on Kyle's first 5 years of marriage....)
For many years liturgists felt that highly formalized worship services bored people and turned them off; "creative" liturgies were proposed as the solution. Unfortunately, the resulting Butterfly, Banner, and Balloon Extravaganzas severely alienated many men. The most saccharine outbreaks of forced liturgical excitement featured fluttering dancers floating down the aisles like wood-nymphs, goofy pseudo-rites forced on the congregation with almost fascist authoritarianism, and a host of silly schticks usually accompanied by inane music. It was exciting all right; any men felt exciting enough to rise from their pews and walk right out the door. What was their problem? It seems that most men are instantly turned off by surprise spontaneity in ritual circumstances; moreover, ceremonies that are entirely nice, sweet, and happy usually strike men as phoney and completely unconnected with the harsh world they experience every day. ...
We know that 'the most saccharine' stuff is at the margins, rarely done any more. That said, he builds on that "spontaneity" stuff:
Men need a certain regularity and consistency in their worship; spontaneity has its appeal for men, but not in the midst of ritual. The highly popular masculine traditions of Judaism and Islam, for example, encourage set times, places, and formulae for daily prayer and worship, and men respond to these demands very well. Ritually, men like to know exactly what is expected of them and what the rules are; religion helps men when it challenges them to clear, reasonable, and achievable goals, whether liturgically or devotionally. ...
I think those observations are defensible.
But here is the strongest line of argument:
...Even more central to masculine worship is the notion of the Transcendent. In deemphasizing in recent generations a concern with absolutes and ultimates, heaven and hell, and eternity and infinity, modern Christianity has taken a decisive turn towards feminine religion, which is typically interested in the immanent and the incarnational, in finding God in the small things, the everyday, and the mundane. These are genuine Christian qualities and mark the beautiful spirituality of a Therese of Lisieux or a Mother Teresa of Calcutta; without doubt, men also need such grounding emphases. These traits are not, however, essentially masculine in nature. As liberal religion stresses increasingly the immanent and "horizontal" dimension of faith to the exclusion of the transcendent and "vertical" reality, it inadvertently ignores the voracious appetite of men for the Great, the Wholly Other, and the Eternal.
A liturgy or a sermon that truly speaks to men will tend to "pitch" men outside themselves, confront them with the Absolute, and offer them an eschatological viewpoint on life. Admittedly, this is hard to do in the Mass or eucharistic liturgy, which is structured around the domestic motif of the dining table. Yet a service that simply emphasizes the sacredness and eternity of the eucharistic actions, the infinite value of the ceremony, and the worldwide solidarity of the prayer is already on the way to capturing the male imagination....
That term, "horizontal" has been used as a descriptor of the Ordinary Form Mass for at least a decade by "conservatives" AND "liberals." To the former, it's a derogatory adjective. Note that the author concedes that men 'need such grounding', too; IOW, some is good.
Also worth noting: he correctly observes that 'it is difficult to do in a dining-table-based structure,' which recalls a complaint of the "conservatives." It is not just "a dining table"--it is also an altar of self-sacrifice, certainly an "eschatological" sign. Downplaying the latter in favor of the former, whether by image or textual reference--is "feminization."
There is a formulaic (conservative) expression which comes into play here, usually stated thus: the Mass is conducted in "sacred space," at a "sacred time," using a "sacred language" and "sacred music." That formula is clearly in evidence in Eastern Orthodox rites and Islamic rites. It is also clear in "high-church" Episcopalian rites which use the King James sacral-English translation as well as "smells and bells."
(We could spend a bit more time and pixels addressing the music issue, by the way, but we won't here.)
So. Was Burke correct? As to the question of "feminization," he most certainly was. Did he call for total elimination of women from Church ministry? No. Is he chary of "altar girls"? Yes--but he did not call for them to be eliminated, either--he specifically talked about age-levels in his interview.
There. That should set the liberals into a tizzy.
(By the way, Burke speaks of the need for the Church to address masculine "self-sacrifice" for the sake of the family. Think that the theme of "American Sniper" might kinda-sorta have that? No, I will not accept cheap-shot black/white argumentation on Kyle's first 5 years of marriage....)
Saturday, January 24, 2015
DOJ/ATF Abuse Coming to a City Near You?
Think that Big Gummint is your friend?
Think again.
The judge accused the government attorneys of perpetrating "a fraud on the court."
Dobyns' house was burned, and he argued it was arson, carried out by Hell's Angels, and successful because BATF had blown his cover and denied him protection. It turns out that a Justice Dept. attorney in his civil case told BATF not to reopen the investigation of the arson, lest its finding help Dobyns in his suit against BATF. That was concealed from the judge until the trial.
""An ATF agent who testified in this case may have been threatened by another witness during the trial." Justice Department attorneys ordered the agent not to report the threat to the court or he would face repercussions, [Judge] Allegra said."
When the judge entered his ruling, he ordered that the seven Justice attorneys who had handled the civil case were not to file any further documents in it -- essentially, they were banned from the court.
Dobyns' attorney complained that he had been under "extreme surveillance for the last sixty days, both fixed and moving..." and that his house and car had been broken into, although no property was taken.
A former BATF agent who testified for Dobyns attested that he, too, was followed after he left the attorney's office.
This is truly a BATF and DOJ Watergate... or worse. Attorneys and agency officials concealing evidence, secretly threatening witnesses, agency surveillance of attorneys and witnesses. All over a civil lawsuit -- can you imagine what they'd do over something big?...
Like, for example, backing a (R) candidate for Governor in Wisconsin....?
This story will not appear in George Stanley's rag.
Think again.
The judge accused the government attorneys of perpetrating "a fraud on the court."
Dobyns' house was burned, and he argued it was arson, carried out by Hell's Angels, and successful because BATF had blown his cover and denied him protection. It turns out that a Justice Dept. attorney in his civil case told BATF not to reopen the investigation of the arson, lest its finding help Dobyns in his suit against BATF. That was concealed from the judge until the trial.
""An ATF agent who testified in this case may have been threatened by another witness during the trial." Justice Department attorneys ordered the agent not to report the threat to the court or he would face repercussions, [Judge] Allegra said."
When the judge entered his ruling, he ordered that the seven Justice attorneys who had handled the civil case were not to file any further documents in it -- essentially, they were banned from the court.
Dobyns' attorney complained that he had been under "extreme surveillance for the last sixty days, both fixed and moving..." and that his house and car had been broken into, although no property was taken.
A former BATF agent who testified for Dobyns attested that he, too, was followed after he left the attorney's office.
This is truly a BATF and DOJ Watergate... or worse. Attorneys and agency officials concealing evidence, secretly threatening witnesses, agency surveillance of attorneys and witnesses. All over a civil lawsuit -- can you imagine what they'd do over something big?...
Like, for example, backing a (R) candidate for Governor in Wisconsin....?
This story will not appear in George Stanley's rag.
The Apple/Google/Adobe/Intel Plantation
We mentioned yesterday that certain high-tech companies were pushing the lie that 'there are not enough computer science grads' so it is necessary for Congress to allow importation of thousands of foreign workers.
It's called wage suppression.
But if THAT doesn't work, there are other means!!
Apple, Google, Adobe and Intel, whose politics are often to the far left, have agreed to pay $415 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging they conspired as an illegal cartel to suppress tech workers’ wages through secret “non-poaching” agreements involving 64,000 employees.
Yah, the Civil War kinda settled that slavery question. But maybe the modern day plantation bosses don't know history.
It's called wage suppression.
But if THAT doesn't work, there are other means!!
Apple, Google, Adobe and Intel, whose politics are often to the far left, have agreed to pay $415 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging they conspired as an illegal cartel to suppress tech workers’ wages through secret “non-poaching” agreements involving 64,000 employees.
Yah, the Civil War kinda settled that slavery question. But maybe the modern day plantation bosses don't know history.
Friday, January 23, 2015
B-16's Regensburg Lecture and The Mohammedans
Nice summary of why Benedict XVI's Regensburg lecture is even more pertinent today:
...Benedict’s lecture is ever relevant because one of its central arguments is that a religion’s understanding of God’s nature has immense implications for its capacity to live peacefully with those who do not share the same faith or, for that matter, have no religious faith. A religion that regards God as sheer Will, operating above and beyond reason, cannot ultimately object to the notion that such a God may command its adherents to do unreasonable things. For if God is ultimately unreasonable and the Creator of the universe, then so too are the people created in His image. Hence, if such an unreasonable God commands equally unreasonable humans to do something utterly irrational — such as slaughter cartoonists, fly planes into buildings, axe to death Jews praying peacefully in a synagogue, behead Christian children in the Middle East, kill Nigerian as Boko Haram has done, the list is endless — not only can we not object on grounds that such actions are unreasonable and intrinsically evil, but we must simply submit to the irrational Deity’s desire for blood. In other words, whether we like it or not, there is a theological and religious dimension to what happened in Paris — and what is happening in Syria and Iraq, what occurred on 9/11, and what Islamic jihadists keep doing all around the world — and we ignore this at our own peril. That’s another reason why it is so embarrassing and self-defeating for people like President Obama, President Hollande, and Prime Minister David Cameron to go on repeating, mantra-like, that Islamic jihadism has nothing to do with Islam. Of course it has something to do with Islam. That’s why it’s called Islamic jihadism....
One of the great failings of the Bush (2) Administration was its total disregard of religion as a motivator and force. It is far more significant and potent than money or Constitutions. It is the reason that the Middle East has always been at war. The mind of the US is simply not able to grasp this--which is why "emplacing democracy" failed so miserably.
And the religion which B-16 described is the problem. The Prime Minister of Egypt gets this far better than Obozo and his cabal ever will.
...Benedict’s lecture is ever relevant because one of its central arguments is that a religion’s understanding of God’s nature has immense implications for its capacity to live peacefully with those who do not share the same faith or, for that matter, have no religious faith. A religion that regards God as sheer Will, operating above and beyond reason, cannot ultimately object to the notion that such a God may command its adherents to do unreasonable things. For if God is ultimately unreasonable and the Creator of the universe, then so too are the people created in His image. Hence, if such an unreasonable God commands equally unreasonable humans to do something utterly irrational — such as slaughter cartoonists, fly planes into buildings, axe to death Jews praying peacefully in a synagogue, behead Christian children in the Middle East, kill Nigerian as Boko Haram has done, the list is endless — not only can we not object on grounds that such actions are unreasonable and intrinsically evil, but we must simply submit to the irrational Deity’s desire for blood. In other words, whether we like it or not, there is a theological and religious dimension to what happened in Paris — and what is happening in Syria and Iraq, what occurred on 9/11, and what Islamic jihadists keep doing all around the world — and we ignore this at our own peril. That’s another reason why it is so embarrassing and self-defeating for people like President Obama, President Hollande, and Prime Minister David Cameron to go on repeating, mantra-like, that Islamic jihadism has nothing to do with Islam. Of course it has something to do with Islam. That’s why it’s called Islamic jihadism....
One of the great failings of the Bush (2) Administration was its total disregard of religion as a motivator and force. It is far more significant and potent than money or Constitutions. It is the reason that the Middle East has always been at war. The mind of the US is simply not able to grasp this--which is why "emplacing democracy" failed so miserably.
And the religion which B-16 described is the problem. The Prime Minister of Egypt gets this far better than Obozo and his cabal ever will.
Waiting for Belichick To Say....
Waiting for Belichick to say "I didn't know anything about it until I read it in the newspaper."
Decimation for Republicans!
Ace has a perfectly wonderful rant, and re-states his very excellent idea.
...Here's a not terribly-well-kept secret: Most of the GOP establishment -- the elected officials, the shadow government of consultants and "think tank" people and so on -- has spent the great majority of its adult life in Progressive Dominated Social Circles, and have largely adopted their mores on a great many issues.
I'm not as bothered by this state of affairs as some conservatives might be; after all, I'm socially moderate (or even liberal-ish) myself.
But where I can agree with other conservatives is on this issue: The GOP must stop lying about every fucking thing.
We've noted that Jim Sensenbrenner was AGAINST Cromnibus just after he was FOR it. (And the "FOR" it resulted in passage, as Sensenbrenner knew full-well.)
We've also noted that RoJo was AGAINST ObozoCare before he went all limp-dick and kinda-sorta-maybe-ish doesn't really like it, but he sues a lot to prove he's .....something.
And of course, "Responsible Ryan" crammed the largest budget in history down the throats of the electorate while posing for Holy Pictures as an advocate of subsidiarity.
So.
...When a Roman legion was guilty of cowardice or mutiny, they were sentenced to the punishment of Decimation, the execution of every tenth man, to encourage the remaining 9/10ths to take their obligations to the Roman state more seriously.
It is time to begin the practice of Tactical Decimation -- just firing people from their sinecures, not executing them, of course -- to let the GOP know we have no further need of soldiers who refuse to fight.
Line 'em up!!
...Here's a not terribly-well-kept secret: Most of the GOP establishment -- the elected officials, the shadow government of consultants and "think tank" people and so on -- has spent the great majority of its adult life in Progressive Dominated Social Circles, and have largely adopted their mores on a great many issues.
I'm not as bothered by this state of affairs as some conservatives might be; after all, I'm socially moderate (or even liberal-ish) myself.
But where I can agree with other conservatives is on this issue: The GOP must stop lying about every fucking thing.
We've noted that Jim Sensenbrenner was AGAINST Cromnibus just after he was FOR it. (And the "FOR" it resulted in passage, as Sensenbrenner knew full-well.)
We've also noted that RoJo was AGAINST ObozoCare before he went all limp-dick and kinda-sorta-maybe-ish doesn't really like it, but he sues a lot to prove he's .....something.
And of course, "Responsible Ryan" crammed the largest budget in history down the throats of the electorate while posing for Holy Pictures as an advocate of subsidiarity.
So.
...When a Roman legion was guilty of cowardice or mutiny, they were sentenced to the punishment of Decimation, the execution of every tenth man, to encourage the remaining 9/10ths to take their obligations to the Roman state more seriously.
It is time to begin the practice of Tactical Decimation -- just firing people from their sinecures, not executing them, of course -- to let the GOP know we have no further need of soldiers who refuse to fight.
Line 'em up!!
Black Lives Matter. So Do Other Ones.
One group has been saying that 'black lives matter' for 42 years. But that group is not so discriminate in their respect for life--it's ALL lives to them.
Notice any MSM pix like this?
Didn't think so.
Supply, Demand, and Computer Science
As we all know, the Ruling Class is trying to demolish the middle class with its immigration policy.
One element of that policy deals with "highly educated" immigrants which--for practical purposes--means computer science graduates. The Google/Facebook/Intel/Microsoft oligarchy has been inflating the campaign accounts of the Ruling Class with the purpose of deflating the price of CompSci graduates.
Except the price of CompSci grads has already taken a very significant dive, all by itself.
The 2014 mean starting salary for new CS bachelor’s degree grads was $67,300, according to NACE. But the organization’s projection for 2015 is only $61,287. If that projection holds, it will be a drop of 9%.
Silly things like the "supply-demand-price" curves don't mean much to Congress (or the President) because as everyone should know, they write laws, not God, and not The Economy.
Uh-huh.
One element of that policy deals with "highly educated" immigrants which--for practical purposes--means computer science graduates. The Google/Facebook/Intel/Microsoft oligarchy has been inflating the campaign accounts of the Ruling Class with the purpose of deflating the price of CompSci graduates.
Except the price of CompSci grads has already taken a very significant dive, all by itself.
The 2014 mean starting salary for new CS bachelor’s degree grads was $67,300, according to NACE. But the organization’s projection for 2015 is only $61,287. If that projection holds, it will be a drop of 9%.
Silly things like the "supply-demand-price" curves don't mean much to Congress (or the President) because as everyone should know, they write laws, not God, and not The Economy.
Uh-huh.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Levin: "I Don't Trust Ron Johnson"
Senator Ron Johnson got elected on one issue and one issue only: he promised, time and time and time again that he would 'do everything possible' to repeal ObozoCare.
Time and time and time again, Johnson has NOT 'done everything possible.'
Finally, Mark Levin called him out.
Time and time and time again, Johnson has NOT 'done everything possible.'
Finally, Mark Levin called him out.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Flim-Flam Boehner & The Sensenbrenner Shuffle
The flim-flam man a/k/a the "speaker of the house" has a new card-trick he wants you to see.
And Part 2, the Sensenbrenner question!!
...With constituents burning up their phone lines to protest the CRomnibus as it headed to a vote, jittery Republicans pleaded with leadership for a fig leaf they could portray as real opposition to Obama. GOP leaders accommodated them by carving the Department of Homeland Security out of the agreement to fund the whole government for a year. The DHS behemoth includes the agencies that enforce – or, rather, refrain from enforcing – the immigration laws....
OK, so?
...The scenario enabled Republicans to maintain their pose as opponents of unconstitutional executive amnesty (even though many of them actually support Obama’s amnesty policy). Yet, it also provided a ready-made excuse for retreat. How, after all, could Republicans possibly put funding for “homeland security” in jeopardy? By teeing up the controversy as if it were a battle over anti-terrorism dollars, rather than pro-amnesty dollars, Republicans left themselves an escape hatch: When the time was right, they could withdraw their opposition to Obama’s amnesty scheme while portraying themselves as mature, responsible guardians of public safety....
Ahhhhh.. SAFETY!! That's the ticket!!
...As if on cue, jihadists trained by al Qaeda carried out mass-murders in Paris. Meanwhile in Cincinnati, Christopher Lee Cornell, a would-be Islamist terrorist inspired by ISIS, was arrested for planning to bomb the U.S. Capitol.
Instantly, the GOP spin machine cranked into high gear: Senator John Cornyn, now the majority whip, promised an “unequivocal commitment to funding” DHS – “we’re not going to put that at risk under any circumstances.” “We recognize the important role that the Department of Homeland Security plays in this country,” intoned John Thune, the Senate’s third-ranking Republican. According to his House counterpart, GOP Conference chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Republicans must “work very closely with the president,” when it comes to “keep[ing] the country safe.” ...
McCarthy points out that the FBI actually does "homeland security" and is part of the Justice Department, not DHS.
But the cake's been baked. The Flim-Flam Man will do exactly what the Chamber of Commerce told them to do: give Obozo whatever he wants. Cheap labor, ya'know.
The only question remaining: will Sensenbrenner be For It Before He's Against It, or Against It Before He's For It?
And Part 2, the Sensenbrenner question!!
...With constituents burning up their phone lines to protest the CRomnibus as it headed to a vote, jittery Republicans pleaded with leadership for a fig leaf they could portray as real opposition to Obama. GOP leaders accommodated them by carving the Department of Homeland Security out of the agreement to fund the whole government for a year. The DHS behemoth includes the agencies that enforce – or, rather, refrain from enforcing – the immigration laws....
OK, so?
...The scenario enabled Republicans to maintain their pose as opponents of unconstitutional executive amnesty (even though many of them actually support Obama’s amnesty policy). Yet, it also provided a ready-made excuse for retreat. How, after all, could Republicans possibly put funding for “homeland security” in jeopardy? By teeing up the controversy as if it were a battle over anti-terrorism dollars, rather than pro-amnesty dollars, Republicans left themselves an escape hatch: When the time was right, they could withdraw their opposition to Obama’s amnesty scheme while portraying themselves as mature, responsible guardians of public safety....
Ahhhhh.. SAFETY!! That's the ticket!!
...As if on cue, jihadists trained by al Qaeda carried out mass-murders in Paris. Meanwhile in Cincinnati, Christopher Lee Cornell, a would-be Islamist terrorist inspired by ISIS, was arrested for planning to bomb the U.S. Capitol.
Instantly, the GOP spin machine cranked into high gear: Senator John Cornyn, now the majority whip, promised an “unequivocal commitment to funding” DHS – “we’re not going to put that at risk under any circumstances.” “We recognize the important role that the Department of Homeland Security plays in this country,” intoned John Thune, the Senate’s third-ranking Republican. According to his House counterpart, GOP Conference chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Republicans must “work very closely with the president,” when it comes to “keep[ing] the country safe.” ...
McCarthy points out that the FBI actually does "homeland security" and is part of the Justice Department, not DHS.
But the cake's been baked. The Flim-Flam Man will do exactly what the Chamber of Commerce told them to do: give Obozo whatever he wants. Cheap labor, ya'know.
The only question remaining: will Sensenbrenner be For It Before He's Against It, or Against It Before He's For It?
MU Wants Secret Faculty With Unlimited Powers
Well, this is an interesting turn of events. Marquette University wants its TA 'faculty' names kept secret when that 'faculty' stifles speech on the pretext of PC.
Following is the operative graf from a nastygram sent to the kinda-sorta-maybe-ish "non-suspended" Professor McAdams:
....Your recent actions in publicizing on the internet the name of our now-former graduate student, who had been secretly recorded by one of her students [redacted], require University review. Whatever your views of this secretly-recorded exchange in the graduate student’s office, and whatever your thoughts about separate classroom interactions that you did not observe (and putting aside the multiple other ways any concerns you had about our graduate student could have been advanced) you had no justification to put our graduate student’s name in your internet posts. The personal impact on her was plainly foreseeable,...
At Marquette, the TA enjoys absolute power over the class. They lecture, devise, administer, and grade exams, and are to be treated as if they were professor-status creatures. That's justifiable, I suppose. But that power, when abused, can draw a reaction.
Ms. Abbate apparently got some hate-mail as a result of her intemperate use of her power, and fled.
So MU now (in effect) accuses McAdams of endangering the safety of this poor snowflake by publishing her name?
Really?
Really? Unlimited powers in the classroom but "secret"? Dzerzhinsky comes to mind.
(Read the rest of the link for Esenberg's response and escalation. Then buy some popcorn.)
Following is the operative graf from a nastygram sent to the kinda-sorta-maybe-ish "non-suspended" Professor McAdams:
....Your recent actions in publicizing on the internet the name of our now-former graduate student, who had been secretly recorded by one of her students [redacted], require University review. Whatever your views of this secretly-recorded exchange in the graduate student’s office, and whatever your thoughts about separate classroom interactions that you did not observe (and putting aside the multiple other ways any concerns you had about our graduate student could have been advanced) you had no justification to put our graduate student’s name in your internet posts. The personal impact on her was plainly foreseeable,...
At Marquette, the TA enjoys absolute power over the class. They lecture, devise, administer, and grade exams, and are to be treated as if they were professor-status creatures. That's justifiable, I suppose. But that power, when abused, can draw a reaction.
Ms. Abbate apparently got some hate-mail as a result of her intemperate use of her power, and fled.
So MU now (in effect) accuses McAdams of endangering the safety of this poor snowflake by publishing her name?
Really?
Really? Unlimited powers in the classroom but "secret"? Dzerzhinsky comes to mind.
(Read the rest of the link for Esenberg's response and escalation. Then buy some popcorn.)
George Weigel et.al. v John Paul II
An essay on the involvement of First Things in the Iraq wars. The author begins with the current situation:
...“By last week, most Christians in Mosul had already taken a fourth option—evacuation. Their departure marks the end of a continuous Christian tradition in Mosul. For thousands of years, Mosul has been a center for Christians, particularly for Assyrians, an ethnic group that predates the Arab conquest of Mesopotamia. Indeed, the ancient Assyrian capital of Nineveh, where the Prophet Jonah preached, lies across the Tigris River. Christianized in apostolic times,...."
Yah, well. Better fled than dead, I suppose.
...As recently as a decade ago, tens of thousands of Christians lived in Mosul, some of them descendants of victims of the genocide the Ottoman Empire perpetrated against Assyrians, as well as Armenians and Greeks, during World War I. After this weekend, virtually none remain. On Saturday, ISIS expelled the fifty-two Christian families still in the city, after first requiring them to leave behind all their valuables. For good measure, ISIS also burned an 1800-year-old church and the Catholic bishop’s residence, along with its library and manuscript collection.”...
No stone left unturned by the IslamoNazis.
So. What about George Weigel andRobert Michael Novak?
...If you’ve been reading FT long enough then you’ll recall all the symposia on “Just War,” which increasingly became showcases for Weigel’s and Novak’s brand of American preemptive interventionism. Their calls to arms brazenly went against John Paul II’s unequivocal opposition to both our adventures in the Middle East.
Umnh-huh. Pre-emptive just war. Pre-emptive defense, right?
(That's something Mike McCarthy should be told about for next season's Packers playbook!)
Anyhoooo....we now see the end-game of the Weigel/Novak modernificated Just War Theory. Iraq is in tatters, a ~2,000 year Christian presence is over and done, and blood roars into the sewers of Iraqi streets.
John Paul II was not a pacifist. He knew what war could and could not do. It is critical, MOST important, VERY much germane to know that the Vatican has the single largest humint operation that the world has ever seen. The Vatican has people on the ground in every country inhabited by mankind. In comparison, CIA is a fart in the wind.
So when JPII forcefully reminds a US President that war would be folly, he has reasons--and intel to back it up.
But Weigel, Novak, and Bombs-Away McCain--not to mention Billy Kristol, the armchair warrior--all knew more than the Pope.
I'm sure they're putting up the refugees in their homes as we speak, right?
...“By last week, most Christians in Mosul had already taken a fourth option—evacuation. Their departure marks the end of a continuous Christian tradition in Mosul. For thousands of years, Mosul has been a center for Christians, particularly for Assyrians, an ethnic group that predates the Arab conquest of Mesopotamia. Indeed, the ancient Assyrian capital of Nineveh, where the Prophet Jonah preached, lies across the Tigris River. Christianized in apostolic times,...."
Yah, well. Better fled than dead, I suppose.
...As recently as a decade ago, tens of thousands of Christians lived in Mosul, some of them descendants of victims of the genocide the Ottoman Empire perpetrated against Assyrians, as well as Armenians and Greeks, during World War I. After this weekend, virtually none remain. On Saturday, ISIS expelled the fifty-two Christian families still in the city, after first requiring them to leave behind all their valuables. For good measure, ISIS also burned an 1800-year-old church and the Catholic bishop’s residence, along with its library and manuscript collection.”...
No stone left unturned by the IslamoNazis.
So. What about George Weigel and
...If you’ve been reading FT long enough then you’ll recall all the symposia on “Just War,” which increasingly became showcases for Weigel’s and Novak’s brand of American preemptive interventionism. Their calls to arms brazenly went against John Paul II’s unequivocal opposition to both our adventures in the Middle East.
Umnh-huh. Pre-emptive just war. Pre-emptive defense, right?
(That's something Mike McCarthy should be told about for next season's Packers playbook!)
Anyhoooo....we now see the end-game of the Weigel/Novak modernificated Just War Theory. Iraq is in tatters, a ~2,000 year Christian presence is over and done, and blood roars into the sewers of Iraqi streets.
John Paul II was not a pacifist. He knew what war could and could not do. It is critical, MOST important, VERY much germane to know that the Vatican has the single largest humint operation that the world has ever seen. The Vatican has people on the ground in every country inhabited by mankind. In comparison, CIA is a fart in the wind.
So when JPII forcefully reminds a US President that war would be folly, he has reasons--and intel to back it up.
But Weigel, Novak, and Bombs-Away McCain--not to mention Billy Kristol, the armchair warrior--all knew more than the Pope.
I'm sure they're putting up the refugees in their homes as we speak, right?
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
The Chair of Peter is Not the Chair of Jay Leno
Good take on 'rabbits' yappaflappa from the Jesuit Pope.
Sanfelippo's "Dead School" Idea? Not Good
When Conservatives complain about "too much Gummint," there's a reason.
Rep. Sanfelippo provides an example!!
...Under the bill, the state would clearly define a vacant or underutilized school and require that those schools be sold, with other educational operators such as private or charter schools having the first opportunity to buy the underutilized of vacant schools....
Umnnhhh. Yes, MPS is a bunch of twits. Yes, MPS is the very definition of 'wastrel.' But let's attack the cause: MPS has too much money--much of which is provided by taxpayers in Grant, Dane, Brown, and Trempeleau Counties.
So Joe: cut off the money from the State.
Let the locals pay the freight for their idiot elected Board members.
Setting the new precedent that the State 1) can and should define 'underutilized' and 2) can and should direct disposition of local assets is going to allow the Other Party to do the same. In other words, Joe, you're adding to the Big Gummint pile of bricks.
Actual Conservatives believe in the law of subsidiarity. Be a Conservative, Joe.
Rep. Sanfelippo provides an example!!
...Under the bill, the state would clearly define a vacant or underutilized school and require that those schools be sold, with other educational operators such as private or charter schools having the first opportunity to buy the underutilized of vacant schools....
Umnnhhh. Yes, MPS is a bunch of twits. Yes, MPS is the very definition of 'wastrel.' But let's attack the cause: MPS has too much money--much of which is provided by taxpayers in Grant, Dane, Brown, and Trempeleau Counties.
So Joe: cut off the money from the State.
Let the locals pay the freight for their idiot elected Board members.
Setting the new precedent that the State 1) can and should define 'underutilized' and 2) can and should direct disposition of local assets is going to allow the Other Party to do the same. In other words, Joe, you're adding to the Big Gummint pile of bricks.
Actual Conservatives believe in the law of subsidiarity. Be a Conservative, Joe.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Ugh. What I Don't Get....(Packers)
OK. Seattle scores, making it 22-14. Green Bay gets the ball back with around 4 minutes in regulation time.
So the Packers call a running play with Lacy. No gain. Another running play, little/any gain.
Rodgers has been VERY successful with 5-yard passes over the middle up to this point.
So the Packers call another running play, no gain, punt?
Sorry. I think the Pack decided to play "prevent offense."
So the Packers call a running play with Lacy. No gain. Another running play, little/any gain.
Rodgers has been VERY successful with 5-yard passes over the middle up to this point.
So the Packers call another running play, no gain, punt?
Sorry. I think the Pack decided to play "prevent offense."
The Origins of Feminism: Lenin
Stacy McCain finds a real gem.
The communist economy does away with the family. In the period of the dictatorship of the proletariat there is a transition to the single production plan and collective social consumption, and the family loses its significance as an economic unit. The external economic functions of the family disappear . . . In the period of the dictatorship of the proletariat the family economic unit should be recognised as being, from the point of view of the national economy, not only useless but harmful. The family economic unit involves (a) the uneconomic expenditure of products and fuel on the part of small domestic economies, and (b) unproductive labour, especially by women, in the home — and is therefore in conflict with the interest of the workers’ republic in a single economic plan and the expedient use of the labour force (including women). --Kollontai, quoted at The Other McCain
Yah. Note especially (b) above.
Who's "Kollontai"?
She was one of Lenin's bitches, elevated to "Kommissar" in the Party.
"Feminism" was simply another name for 'class warfare', the Marx/Lenin prescription for war on Right Order.
Handy little factoid.
The communist economy does away with the family. In the period of the dictatorship of the proletariat there is a transition to the single production plan and collective social consumption, and the family loses its significance as an economic unit. The external economic functions of the family disappear . . . In the period of the dictatorship of the proletariat the family economic unit should be recognised as being, from the point of view of the national economy, not only useless but harmful. The family economic unit involves (a) the uneconomic expenditure of products and fuel on the part of small domestic economies, and (b) unproductive labour, especially by women, in the home — and is therefore in conflict with the interest of the workers’ republic in a single economic plan and the expedient use of the labour force (including women). --Kollontai, quoted at The Other McCain
Yah. Note especially (b) above.
Who's "Kollontai"?
She was one of Lenin's bitches, elevated to "Kommissar" in the Party.
"Feminism" was simply another name for 'class warfare', the Marx/Lenin prescription for war on Right Order.
Handy little factoid.
ObozoNomics: Still Sucking After All These Years
Before Golfer-in-Chief tells you all the unicorn-and-rainbow crap about how wunnerful his economic performance is, let's remember a few facts which he will NOT mention.
The number of people actually working in the US as a percentage of eligible workers continues to decline.
The "jobs created" in both November and December were heavily salted with part-time work in restaurants, bars, and retail stores.
December retail sales were the worst in 12 months.
Wages are flat, and average hours worked remains under 35/week.
Young adults who are lucky enough to HAVE a job are earning ~$2,000/year less than the same cohort in 1980.
The economy has NET-gained only 225,000 jobs/month in the last year. "Job openings" sounds wonderful--but let's not forget layoffs and permanent separations (Obozo will.)
And let's not forget the copper-crash of the last 60 days or so. That is usually a sign of impending recession.
ObozoNomics: not good for the US nor any of its citizens.
The number of people actually working in the US as a percentage of eligible workers continues to decline.
The "jobs created" in both November and December were heavily salted with part-time work in restaurants, bars, and retail stores.
December retail sales were the worst in 12 months.
Wages are flat, and average hours worked remains under 35/week.
Young adults who are lucky enough to HAVE a job are earning ~$2,000/year less than the same cohort in 1980.
The economy has NET-gained only 225,000 jobs/month in the last year. "Job openings" sounds wonderful--but let's not forget layoffs and permanent separations (Obozo will.)
And let's not forget the copper-crash of the last 60 days or so. That is usually a sign of impending recession.
ObozoNomics: not good for the US nor any of its citizens.
Friday, January 16, 2015
What Is It About Democrats and the 1930's?
There's something about the 1930's that makes Democrats weepy-nostalgic.
In Milwaukee, the (D) Mayor is pleading on bended knee for a trolley-car system which will not only be ridiculously expensive, but damn near useless in winter. But it's '30's haute, you see.
In D.C., the Obozo-ites are going to body-slam the Internet with a 1930's regulatory scheme.
Since Obozo's election, the US has NOT "pulled out" of the 2008 recession in any meaningful sense, either.
So should we conclude that Depression, Regulation, and Trolleys are the new (D) gold standards of good?
In Milwaukee, the (D) Mayor is pleading on bended knee for a trolley-car system which will not only be ridiculously expensive, but damn near useless in winter. But it's '30's haute, you see.
In D.C., the Obozo-ites are going to body-slam the Internet with a 1930's regulatory scheme.
Since Obozo's election, the US has NOT "pulled out" of the 2008 recession in any meaningful sense, either.
So should we conclude that Depression, Regulation, and Trolleys are the new (D) gold standards of good?
Thursday, January 15, 2015
The Bankruptcy of AllahLibertarian
We remarked last night, following the lines of an essay on the topic, that Bill Donahue had exactly the correct position on the Hebdo massacre, and that Hewitt refused to follow Donahue's argument. One suspects that Hewitt knew he would lose--or maybe not; Hewitt is not a deep thinker.
Anyhoo, AllahLibertarian weighs in on the same issue, and displays exactly the same mental vacuum as did Hewitt. (And these people are "pundits" deserving of respect?)
Brief: there are two kinds of laws, moral (natural) and positive. Moral (natural) law is superior to and antecedes positive law. Thus, what is legal is not necessarily moral.
Hebdo's "cartoons" are violations of the moral/natural law, but not of positive law.
So are abortions.
There is no justification for murder, period--whether by offended Muzzies or by abortionists. And there is no justification for moronic, deliberately un-informed, pundits.
Anyhoo, AllahLibertarian weighs in on the same issue, and displays exactly the same mental vacuum as did Hewitt. (And these people are "pundits" deserving of respect?)
Brief: there are two kinds of laws, moral (natural) and positive. Moral (natural) law is superior to and antecedes positive law. Thus, what is legal is not necessarily moral.
Hebdo's "cartoons" are violations of the moral/natural law, but not of positive law.
So are abortions.
There is no justification for murder, period--whether by offended Muzzies or by abortionists. And there is no justification for moronic, deliberately un-informed, pundits.
Copper Dives, Watch Out Below!
The Old Farts' economic signal, copper, dumped 8% yesterday.
That's not good news.
...Copper fell over 8 per cent today, after a 1.3 per cent fall yesterday hitting its lowest level in nearly five years on the back of an 18% decline last year....
...While copper has seen the most notable declines, other industrial metals are also faring poorly. According to Bloomberg, "A gauge of the six main industrial metals has declined 9.3 percent in the past 12 months to the lowest since June 7, 2010."...
This may have to do with the end of the ChiComs' manipulation of the price (upward) over the last several years. Or it may be what it usually is: a signal of an upcoming recession.
Keep your eyes on the ball.
That's not good news.
...Copper fell over 8 per cent today, after a 1.3 per cent fall yesterday hitting its lowest level in nearly five years on the back of an 18% decline last year....
...While copper has seen the most notable declines, other industrial metals are also faring poorly. According to Bloomberg, "A gauge of the six main industrial metals has declined 9.3 percent in the past 12 months to the lowest since June 7, 2010."...
This may have to do with the end of the ChiComs' manipulation of the price (upward) over the last several years. Or it may be what it usually is: a signal of an upcoming recession.
Keep your eyes on the ball.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Liberty, Donohue, Hebdo, and Hewitt
For several years I listened to the Hewitt show. It was that or the nearly equivalent mindless rock'n'roll, and at least Hewitt had some news worth knowing from D.C. and some informed guests from the legal biz. But when my commuting days ended, so, thankfully, did my days of hearing Hewitt.
Why such faint praise? Hewitt was--and remains--a pompous hypocrite, yammering about Christianity while not really exploring what Christianity means.
And he proves it once again. Here are a few excerpts from an essay on Hewitt's 'interview' of Bill Donohue (who was also reviled, in scatological terms, by Levin. But then, Levin is not a Christian.)
...Seeing the “whole” of the Charlie Hebdo issue requires Donohue’s message. Commenting on the ostensible goals of James Madison, the Father of our Constitution, poet Robert Frost once wrote: “Now I know—I think I know—what Madison’s dream was. It was just a dream of a new land to fulfill with people in self-control. That is all through his thinking … to fulfill this land—a new land—with people in self-control.”...
... Natural law is (and should be, if that matters) much more expansive than the positive, or human-made legislative, law. Thomas Aquinas wrote that “human laws do not by strict command prohibit every vicious action, just as they do not command every virtuous action.”
This means that we enjoy many more legal rights than moral rights—which itself means that true liberty requires non-legislated self-restraint.
Yup. While abortion is legal, it is certainly not moral.
...In brief, liberty—as understood by the scholastic tradition—describes a moral freedom oriented to the good; license or false freedom is an abuse of true liberty because it employs freedom for its own sake. And license’s false teleology renders it both amoral and indefensible, even while legal in certain cases. In the case of rightfully legal, yet licentious exercises of free speech—like Charlie Hebdo sodomy cartoons, according to Donohue—moral defensibility collapses, even as legal defensibility stands....
But Donohue's perfectly licit point was something Hewitt would not countenance. Back to "hypocritical": Hewitt knows full-well the 'natural'/'legal' distinction because he crusades a bit about abortion.
But I suppose Hewitt needed advertising dollars, or The Right Sort of Friends, or something. What's more important, anyway?
Why such faint praise? Hewitt was--and remains--a pompous hypocrite, yammering about Christianity while not really exploring what Christianity means.
And he proves it once again. Here are a few excerpts from an essay on Hewitt's 'interview' of Bill Donohue (who was also reviled, in scatological terms, by Levin. But then, Levin is not a Christian.)
...Seeing the “whole” of the Charlie Hebdo issue requires Donohue’s message. Commenting on the ostensible goals of James Madison, the Father of our Constitution, poet Robert Frost once wrote: “Now I know—I think I know—what Madison’s dream was. It was just a dream of a new land to fulfill with people in self-control. That is all through his thinking … to fulfill this land—a new land—with people in self-control.”...
... Natural law is (and should be, if that matters) much more expansive than the positive, or human-made legislative, law. Thomas Aquinas wrote that “human laws do not by strict command prohibit every vicious action, just as they do not command every virtuous action.”
This means that we enjoy many more legal rights than moral rights—which itself means that true liberty requires non-legislated self-restraint.
Yup. While abortion is legal, it is certainly not moral.
...In brief, liberty—as understood by the scholastic tradition—describes a moral freedom oriented to the good; license or false freedom is an abuse of true liberty because it employs freedom for its own sake. And license’s false teleology renders it both amoral and indefensible, even while legal in certain cases. In the case of rightfully legal, yet licentious exercises of free speech—like Charlie Hebdo sodomy cartoons, according to Donohue—moral defensibility collapses, even as legal defensibility stands....
But Donohue's perfectly licit point was something Hewitt would not countenance. Back to "hypocritical": Hewitt knows full-well the 'natural'/'legal' distinction because he crusades a bit about abortion.
But I suppose Hewitt needed advertising dollars, or The Right Sort of Friends, or something. What's more important, anyway?
Copper In The Dumper
Copper has established itself as an economic indicator.
So when copper slides off (as it has), things aren't as wunnerful as the Obozo-ites would have you believe.
Caveat emptor.
HT: Mish
So when copper slides off (as it has), things aren't as wunnerful as the Obozo-ites would have you believe.
Caveat emptor.
HT: Mish
"Catholic" Charities Continues Its Suicide
The USCC's "Catholic" Charities organization is known for its grants to less-than-Catholic organizations, usually of the Alinsky-ite flavor, and often connected to pro-abortion gangs.
So what does "Catholic" Charities do about that?
Appoints another clandestine pro-abort as the New Leader.
Suicide used to be quick. This bunch is dragging it out over decades. After all, there's still some money in the place.
So what does "Catholic" Charities do about that?
Appoints another clandestine pro-abort as the New Leader.
Suicide used to be quick. This bunch is dragging it out over decades. After all, there's still some money in the place.
What's Walker Talking About?
Yup. Walker's going to run for the Presidency.
That requires the (R) shot at Conservatives, of course--so here's the transcript:
"Some in Washington believe government should play a growing role in our lives and rarely question its expense," Walker said. "Others have such disdain for government that they attempt to keep it from working at all...."
What the hell does that mean, Scott?
What it does mean, of course, is that Walker is just fine-and-dandy with setting up ludicrous straw-men and then knocking them down.
Not what I'd call 'leadership.'
That requires the (R) shot at Conservatives, of course--so here's the transcript:
"Some in Washington believe government should play a growing role in our lives and rarely question its expense," Walker said. "Others have such disdain for government that they attempt to keep it from working at all...."
What the hell does that mean, Scott?
What it does mean, of course, is that Walker is just fine-and-dandy with setting up ludicrous straw-men and then knocking them down.
Not what I'd call 'leadership.'
Think of It!! ObozoCare for the Internet!!
Obozo's next foray into the demolition of the United States will be a Federal regulatory takeover of the Internet.
Bet you can't wait! It'll be just like the Good Old Days when he lied like Hell about "less cost" and "more services" for EVERYONE!! So now we have........ahhh........higher costs and LESS services. (You shoulda read the bill, dumbasses.)
And you'll get to see, once again, the Feds' mastery of internet stuff, just like you did when ObozoCare's web-page was unveiled!! It'll all be FREE! And even BETTER!!
So.
Who'll buy John Boehner on this one?
Bet you can't wait! It'll be just like the Good Old Days when he lied like Hell about "less cost" and "more services" for EVERYONE!! So now we have........ahhh........higher costs and LESS services. (You shoulda read the bill, dumbasses.)
And you'll get to see, once again, the Feds' mastery of internet stuff, just like you did when ObozoCare's web-page was unveiled!! It'll all be FREE! And even BETTER!!
So.
Who'll buy John Boehner on this one?
Does Grover Norquist Hate Americans?
Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform has 'grown' beyond its johnny-one-note tax silliness.
Now they are also self-proclaimed experts on H1-B immigration.
Except they're wrong--which doesn't prevent them from their yappy-dog antics.
How about some mathematical and econometric facts?
...what’s wrong with giving visas to those with graduate degrees? Aren’t they more qualified? If not enough Americans pursue graduate study, isn’t it justified to fill this “gap” with foreign workers? The answer is very simple: NO....
...One can argue whether having a doctorate in computer science is a big thing or not (I would argue mainly not), but the point is that it is irrelevant. At least in the case of CS, in the special 20,000-visa H-1B category, we are talking about Master’s students. Hence my term, the Master’s Category.
You may ask, “Aren’t workers with Master’s degree holders better, more qualified?” My firm answer is NO....
So Grover's "Master's degree" claim is hogwash.
As to anti-Americanism:
...the bill fails to deliver on another claim made in the above press release: “[the bill would help employers hire immigrants] while making reforms to protect [US.] workers.” I’ve read both the summary and full text of the bill, and there is NOTHING there about U.S. worker protections....
Matloff, cited above, has demonstrated that there is not any "shortage" of Americans in STEM fields* None. And there is, therefore, no "need" to import questionably-qualified STEM majors. None.
So what does Norquist have against Americans?
*Read the EPI paper linked in Matloff's post
Now they are also self-proclaimed experts on H1-B immigration.
Except they're wrong--which doesn't prevent them from their yappy-dog antics.
How about some mathematical and econometric facts?
...what’s wrong with giving visas to those with graduate degrees? Aren’t they more qualified? If not enough Americans pursue graduate study, isn’t it justified to fill this “gap” with foreign workers? The answer is very simple: NO....
...One can argue whether having a doctorate in computer science is a big thing or not (I would argue mainly not), but the point is that it is irrelevant. At least in the case of CS, in the special 20,000-visa H-1B category, we are talking about Master’s students. Hence my term, the Master’s Category.
You may ask, “Aren’t workers with Master’s degree holders better, more qualified?” My firm answer is NO....
So Grover's "Master's degree" claim is hogwash.
As to anti-Americanism:
...the bill fails to deliver on another claim made in the above press release: “[the bill would help employers hire immigrants] while making reforms to protect [US.] workers.” I’ve read both the summary and full text of the bill, and there is NOTHING there about U.S. worker protections....
Matloff, cited above, has demonstrated that there is not any "shortage" of Americans in STEM fields* None. And there is, therefore, no "need" to import questionably-qualified STEM majors. None.
So what does Norquist have against Americans?
*Read the EPI paper linked in Matloff's post
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
MU Uses the Obama Pirouette in Dumping McAdams
A few days ago, Marquette University announced that Prof. McAdams' classes had been cancelled for the Spring '15 semester.
The University babbled something about 'safety of our students' (especially precious snowflake defenseless TA's who squash free speech and thought in their classes.)
For a moment, leave aside the fact that the Marquette campus, as a whole, is a 'danger zone' for students who are concerned with such things as armed robbery, assault, and muggings.
Marquette is suddenly worried about the "safety" of its TA's. Who knows? Thousands of stifled but enraged 19- and 20-year-olds could rise up and utterly destroy.....Ahhh. Never mind. They'd have to leave The Avalanche to do that, and, ya'know....
Anyhow, one day later, the Obama Administration announced that Obama Himself, Lord Fauntelroy XXVIII, will be 'pushing back' on journalists who plan to run items disparaging jihadists.
The reason for this?
..."The president...will not now be shy about expressing a view or taking the steps that are necessary to try to advocate for the safety and security of our men and women in uniform" whenever journalists' work may provoke jihadist attacks, spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters at the White House’s daily briefing....
Yah!! The "safety of our troops", for crying out loud. Seriously. That's now Obozo's first and foremost Concern. He might even start a hashtag thing for the troops, who only have M-4's, M-16A2's, and assorted tanks and howitzers available for defense.
"Safety."
Just a co-incidence, of course.
The University babbled something about 'safety of our students' (especially precious snowflake defenseless TA's who squash free speech and thought in their classes.)
For a moment, leave aside the fact that the Marquette campus, as a whole, is a 'danger zone' for students who are concerned with such things as armed robbery, assault, and muggings.
Marquette is suddenly worried about the "safety" of its TA's. Who knows? Thousands of stifled but enraged 19- and 20-year-olds could rise up and utterly destroy.....Ahhh. Never mind. They'd have to leave The Avalanche to do that, and, ya'know....
Anyhow, one day later, the Obama Administration announced that Obama Himself, Lord Fauntelroy XXVIII, will be 'pushing back' on journalists who plan to run items disparaging jihadists.
The reason for this?
..."The president...will not now be shy about expressing a view or taking the steps that are necessary to try to advocate for the safety and security of our men and women in uniform" whenever journalists' work may provoke jihadist attacks, spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters at the White House’s daily briefing....
Yah!! The "safety of our troops", for crying out loud. Seriously. That's now Obozo's first and foremost Concern. He might even start a hashtag thing for the troops, who only have M-4's, M-16A2's, and assorted tanks and howitzers available for defense.
"Safety."
Just a co-incidence, of course.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
It's SOME Islam, Not All
Interesting breakdown of Islamic 'sects' and the genesis thereof.
...Islam is similar to Judaism in the importance it gives to legal interpretation. ... Unlike Christianity in the West, where divisive debates often have focused on theological doctrines, in Islam the most important schools of thought reflect differences in jurisprudence. There are four main schools of law for Sunnis (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali schools) and one for Shi’ites (Ja‘fari). The main distinctions between these schools lie in divergent opinions about authoritative sources or roots of law. All accept the Qur’an and the sunnah (Muhammad’s example) as foundational but differ on the importance of consensus in collective scholarly reasoning (ijma) and individual analogical reasoning (qiyas). The most conservative school, Hanbali, tends to emphasize the Qur’an and sunna and is suspicious of ijma and qiyas, while the most liberal, Hanafi, tends to emphasize qiyas and individual opinion....
OK so far? Good. Here's more.
...Wahhabi and Salafi thought in their modern expression derive from Islamic jurist-theologians Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 1328) and Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab (d. 1792). They are both renowned students and teachers of the Hanbali school of law. Salafi teaching upholds the first three generations of Muslim history (salaf) as sacrosanct alongside the prophetic example. Not all Salafis are Wahhabis. The latter brand any practice or teaching later than the third century of Islam (salaf) as satanic innovation (bida‘). Wahhabism is the most literalist and iconoclastic branch of Hanbalism, which itself is the most conservative of the four main schools. For instance, while other Muslims might urge abstention from alcohol, Wahhabis also prohibit stimulants, including tobacco. Not only is modest dress prescribed but also the type of clothing that should be worn, especially by women (a black abaya, covering all but the eyes and hands). Religious education includes training in the use of weapons. Wahhabism emphasizes the importance of avoiding non-Islamic cultural practices and non-Muslim fraternity on the grounds that the sunna and the central importance of Muhammad as exemplar forbid imitating non-Muslims. Wahhabi scholars have warned against taking non-Muslims as friends and against smiling at or even wishing them well on their holidays....
And, you guessed it, the Muzzie terrorists are Wahhabi.
Which also happens to be the inclination of Saudi Arabia as a whole. That's why the money for these cretins flows from......ahhh.....oil revenues.
There's a lot more at the link, including a section which demonstrates that the terrorists are actually breaking even Wahhabi laws.
...Islam is similar to Judaism in the importance it gives to legal interpretation. ... Unlike Christianity in the West, where divisive debates often have focused on theological doctrines, in Islam the most important schools of thought reflect differences in jurisprudence. There are four main schools of law for Sunnis (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali schools) and one for Shi’ites (Ja‘fari). The main distinctions between these schools lie in divergent opinions about authoritative sources or roots of law. All accept the Qur’an and the sunnah (Muhammad’s example) as foundational but differ on the importance of consensus in collective scholarly reasoning (ijma) and individual analogical reasoning (qiyas). The most conservative school, Hanbali, tends to emphasize the Qur’an and sunna and is suspicious of ijma and qiyas, while the most liberal, Hanafi, tends to emphasize qiyas and individual opinion....
OK so far? Good. Here's more.
...Wahhabi and Salafi thought in their modern expression derive from Islamic jurist-theologians Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 1328) and Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab (d. 1792). They are both renowned students and teachers of the Hanbali school of law. Salafi teaching upholds the first three generations of Muslim history (salaf) as sacrosanct alongside the prophetic example. Not all Salafis are Wahhabis. The latter brand any practice or teaching later than the third century of Islam (salaf) as satanic innovation (bida‘). Wahhabism is the most literalist and iconoclastic branch of Hanbalism, which itself is the most conservative of the four main schools. For instance, while other Muslims might urge abstention from alcohol, Wahhabis also prohibit stimulants, including tobacco. Not only is modest dress prescribed but also the type of clothing that should be worn, especially by women (a black abaya, covering all but the eyes and hands). Religious education includes training in the use of weapons. Wahhabism emphasizes the importance of avoiding non-Islamic cultural practices and non-Muslim fraternity on the grounds that the sunna and the central importance of Muhammad as exemplar forbid imitating non-Muslims. Wahhabi scholars have warned against taking non-Muslims as friends and against smiling at or even wishing them well on their holidays....
And, you guessed it, the Muzzie terrorists are Wahhabi.
Which also happens to be the inclination of Saudi Arabia as a whole. That's why the money for these cretins flows from......ahhh.....oil revenues.
There's a lot more at the link, including a section which demonstrates that the terrorists are actually breaking even Wahhabi laws.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Bp. Ricken's Excellent Question
The Bishop of Green Bay asks a very good question:
....why would St. Norbert, a Catholic college, invite someone who is such a high profile and well-known protagonist and activist of abortion rights to weigh in on the causes and contexts of a dramatic increase in domestic violence in the United States?...
Well, Excellency, it's because murdering children is not "violence," of course. Silly question.
I've often referred to St Norbert's as 'the best little Methodist college in the Midwest.' But that might be a slander of the Methodists.
....why would St. Norbert, a Catholic college, invite someone who is such a high profile and well-known protagonist and activist of abortion rights to weigh in on the causes and contexts of a dramatic increase in domestic violence in the United States?...
Well, Excellency, it's because murdering children is not "violence," of course. Silly question.
I've often referred to St Norbert's as 'the best little Methodist college in the Midwest.' But that might be a slander of the Methodists.
Friday, January 09, 2015
"Religion of Peace" Starts 2015 WIth a Lot of Bangs
Yah, yah, Paris.
How about Nigeria? Does anyone really care about black lives?
The terrorist group Boko Haram has massacred at least 2,000 people in the Nigerian state of Borno, according to a Nigerian government official. The town of Baga was destroyed, and 16 other villages and towns were also razed to the ground in two days of horrific violence.
Think Al Sharpton's going over there to bitch, moan, and pull some shakedowns?
(Well, maybe, if he gets a few hundred tabs of Viagra in payment.)
How about Nigeria? Does anyone really care about black lives?
The terrorist group Boko Haram has massacred at least 2,000 people in the Nigerian state of Borno, according to a Nigerian government official. The town of Baga was destroyed, and 16 other villages and towns were also razed to the ground in two days of horrific violence.
Think Al Sharpton's going over there to bitch, moan, and pull some shakedowns?
(Well, maybe, if he gets a few hundred tabs of Viagra in payment.)
Thursday, January 08, 2015
It's the Republicans' Turn to Increase Taxes
Well, of course. That's why the country voted (R), right?
...With gasoline prices at lows not seen since 2009, some political observers and business executives say now is the ideal time to raise the 18.4 cent-a-gallon tax on gasoline and the 24.4 cent-a-gallon tax on diesel fuel, which haven’t increased since 1993. The taxes are the main source of revenue for the highway trust fund.
Mr. Inhofe didn’t say he supports raising the gas tax, and he refutes referring to it as such. “It’s not a tax,” Mr. Inhofe said. “It’s a user fee.”...
Inhofe proves himself to be just another artful liar. "User fee" implies that all gasoline (and diesel) is used for driving on Federal highways.
Really?
Yes, there will be a tax increase. Yes, the Feds will continue dictating ALL transport-related policies to the States.
Yes, the Ruling Class is intact.
...With gasoline prices at lows not seen since 2009, some political observers and business executives say now is the ideal time to raise the 18.4 cent-a-gallon tax on gasoline and the 24.4 cent-a-gallon tax on diesel fuel, which haven’t increased since 1993. The taxes are the main source of revenue for the highway trust fund.
Mr. Inhofe didn’t say he supports raising the gas tax, and he refutes referring to it as such. “It’s not a tax,” Mr. Inhofe said. “It’s a user fee.”...
Inhofe proves himself to be just another artful liar. "User fee" implies that all gasoline (and diesel) is used for driving on Federal highways.
Really?
Yes, there will be a tax increase. Yes, the Feds will continue dictating ALL transport-related policies to the States.
Yes, the Ruling Class is intact.
The Confusion of Bishop-Speak
It is impossible to discern a meaning in the following:
...I do not wish to lend our voice to notions which might suggest that same-sex couples are a threat incapable of sharing relationships marked by love and holiness and, thus, incapable of contributing to the edification of both the church and the wider society.
In the midst of changing societal definitions and understandings of marriage, there may no doubt be some confusion. However, with patience and humility, our church must continuously strive to discover what the spirit is saying and respond to the Synod Fathers' suggestion to discern what pastoral response faithful to church teaching and marked by respect and sensitivity might be appropriate for same-sex couples, even as God's creative designs for and the church's sacramental understanding of marriage are affirmed....
Umnnnhhhh. Huh?
Somewhere in that spaghetti-nest of verbosity the Bishop could have said 'admonish the sinner in charity.' Ain'a?
...I do not wish to lend our voice to notions which might suggest that same-sex couples are a threat incapable of sharing relationships marked by love and holiness and, thus, incapable of contributing to the edification of both the church and the wider society.
In the midst of changing societal definitions and understandings of marriage, there may no doubt be some confusion. However, with patience and humility, our church must continuously strive to discover what the spirit is saying and respond to the Synod Fathers' suggestion to discern what pastoral response faithful to church teaching and marked by respect and sensitivity might be appropriate for same-sex couples, even as God's creative designs for and the church's sacramental understanding of marriage are affirmed....
Umnnnhhhh. Huh?
Somewhere in that spaghetti-nest of verbosity the Bishop could have said 'admonish the sinner in charity.' Ain'a?
"Consequence, Not Cause"
That's the phrase used to describe the rise of Front National in France, a political party which is opposed to current French immigration policies.
...The French journalist and author Eric Zemmour told the BBC parties the Front National is “not a cause, it is a consequence.” He added, “People vote for the FN to say to their elites, ‘Stop doing what you are doing!’ But they never do.”...
Sounds kinda familiar.
“If Europe is getting more immigrants than its voters want,” Weekly Standard senior editor Christopher Caldwell wrote, “this is a good indication its democracy is malfunctioning.”...
Huh. Who would have guessed?
...The French journalist and author Eric Zemmour told the BBC parties the Front National is “not a cause, it is a consequence.” He added, “People vote for the FN to say to their elites, ‘Stop doing what you are doing!’ But they never do.”...
Sounds kinda familiar.
“If Europe is getting more immigrants than its voters want,” Weekly Standard senior editor Christopher Caldwell wrote, “this is a good indication its democracy is malfunctioning.”...
Huh. Who would have guessed?
Wednesday, January 07, 2015
Yup. EPA Wants to Kill the Upper Midwest Dead
You've been hearing about this for months. BOHICA!!
The Environmental Protection Agency sent a message Wednesday to states that don't want to develop plans to reduce carbon emissions at power plants: If you don't come up with your own way to do this, we'll implement one for you.
EPA has issued a proposed regulation that would require electric utilities to reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. The agency will issue a final rule for existing power plants in mid-summer, according to Janet McCabe, acting assistant administrator for EPA's office of air and radiation. Rules for new and modified power plants will be issued at the same time....
For practical purposes, that will eliminate coal-fired plants, as there is no extant technology which will achieve these reductions for those installations, which are principally found in the Upper Midwest (the "Rust Belt"). It will also virtually eliminate coal mining--and thousands of jobs therein--in West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Southern Illinois, and possibly Idaho and Montana.
And by the way, "carbon emissions" are what you exhale. So another route for this asinine reg will be to simply slaughter the populations of the Upper Midwestern States.
Or you could freeze to death. 'S OK with EPA.
The Environmental Protection Agency sent a message Wednesday to states that don't want to develop plans to reduce carbon emissions at power plants: If you don't come up with your own way to do this, we'll implement one for you.
EPA has issued a proposed regulation that would require electric utilities to reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. The agency will issue a final rule for existing power plants in mid-summer, according to Janet McCabe, acting assistant administrator for EPA's office of air and radiation. Rules for new and modified power plants will be issued at the same time....
For practical purposes, that will eliminate coal-fired plants, as there is no extant technology which will achieve these reductions for those installations, which are principally found in the Upper Midwest (the "Rust Belt"). It will also virtually eliminate coal mining--and thousands of jobs therein--in West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Southern Illinois, and possibly Idaho and Montana.
And by the way, "carbon emissions" are what you exhale. So another route for this asinine reg will be to simply slaughter the populations of the Upper Midwestern States.
Or you could freeze to death. 'S OK with EPA.
A Reflection on "Liturgy of the Word"
Kwasniewski is on to something here.
...When the “Liturgy of the Word” is vouchsafed a distinct existence as one of the two parts of the Mass, and particularly when this distinctiveness is enhanced by a gargantuan lectionary with often lengthy readings frequently detached from the other prayers and antiphons of the Mass, there arises the impression of a text that is free-floating and self-justifying, the reading and preaching of which can become the pastorally central arena, throwing the sacramental essence of the Mass into shadow. How often have we experienced the Liturgy of the Word ballooning to an overwhelming size, losing all proportion with the pulsing heart of the liturgy, the offering of the sacrifice and the ensuing communion? In many Masses I’ve attended over the years, the time used by the opening greeting, the readings, and the homily was some 45 minutes, while somehow everything from the presentation of the gifts onwards was crammed into 15 minutes. In the rush to be done (now that the gregarious and intellectually engaging business of readings and preaching is over), either Eucharistic Prayer II or III is chosen—prayers that are utterly dwarfed by the preceding textual cornucopia, seeming like a pious afterthought. The anaphora and its still point, the consecration, shrink and lose their centrality....
Yah. And even moreso when the celebrant intrudes on the Canon with ad hoc obiter dicta motu proprio, as regularly happens at a church near me--which finally drove me out of the place.
Anyhoo, what Prof. K. objects to is the Protestant-ization; whereas the Prots (bless 'em) go all sola scriptura-with-sermon, for the Catholic the high points are the Consecration and Communion--intimacy with the Word which far surpasses just hearing it.
...When the “Liturgy of the Word” is vouchsafed a distinct existence as one of the two parts of the Mass, and particularly when this distinctiveness is enhanced by a gargantuan lectionary with often lengthy readings frequently detached from the other prayers and antiphons of the Mass, there arises the impression of a text that is free-floating and self-justifying, the reading and preaching of which can become the pastorally central arena, throwing the sacramental essence of the Mass into shadow. How often have we experienced the Liturgy of the Word ballooning to an overwhelming size, losing all proportion with the pulsing heart of the liturgy, the offering of the sacrifice and the ensuing communion? In many Masses I’ve attended over the years, the time used by the opening greeting, the readings, and the homily was some 45 minutes, while somehow everything from the presentation of the gifts onwards was crammed into 15 minutes. In the rush to be done (now that the gregarious and intellectually engaging business of readings and preaching is over), either Eucharistic Prayer II or III is chosen—prayers that are utterly dwarfed by the preceding textual cornucopia, seeming like a pious afterthought. The anaphora and its still point, the consecration, shrink and lose their centrality....
Yah. And even moreso when the celebrant intrudes on the Canon with ad hoc obiter dicta motu proprio, as regularly happens at a church near me--which finally drove me out of the place.
Anyhoo, what Prof. K. objects to is the Protestant-ization; whereas the Prots (bless 'em) go all sola scriptura-with-sermon, for the Catholic the high points are the Consecration and Communion--intimacy with the Word which far surpasses just hearing it.
Killer Muslims? Or Killer French Law?
In France, it's near impossible to carry arms, even if you're a cop. So today's Muslim killers didn't have much of a problem:
...A reporter for Britain’s Telegraph newspaper in Paris told Sky News that the first two officers to arrive, who were apparently unarmed, fled after seeing gunmen armed with automatic weapons and possibly a grenade launcher....
As this item explains, handguns may be owned--legitimately--with shrink-test, physical, hunting-club membership, but must be renewed every three years.
Concealed carry for self-defense? California makes it easy in comparison.
So yah, the Muzzies were the active actors. French law was the passive actor.
...A reporter for Britain’s Telegraph newspaper in Paris told Sky News that the first two officers to arrive, who were apparently unarmed, fled after seeing gunmen armed with automatic weapons and possibly a grenade launcher....
As this item explains, handguns may be owned--legitimately--with shrink-test, physical, hunting-club membership, but must be renewed every three years.
Concealed carry for self-defense? California makes it easy in comparison.
So yah, the Muzzies were the active actors. French law was the passive actor.
The Left's Control of Language
Hannan, a Brit, thus one who actually understands English, notes that the Left/Gramscians have successfully changed the meanings of words, which is effectively the same as picking one's battle-ground. Of COURSE they can win arguments--so long as thinking is outlawed and language is perverted. (I picked that word 'perverted' for a reason, of course.)
...Any discussion of the relationship between government and citizen is perforce conducted in loaded terms. You can still make the case for greater liberty, but not without sounding rather mean. A glossary will give some indication of how loaded the linguistics are against conservatives.
RIGHT-WING: Baddie. Vladimir Putin, a lifelong KGB man who regrets the break-up of the USSR, is invading neighboring countries. This is a bad thing, so he must be “right-wing.” The mullahs in Iran abolished the monarchy, nationalized industry, and drove most of the middle classes into exile. But they’re also nasty, so they, too, must be “right-wing.” A crazed gunman goes into a school and . . . oh, you get the picture....
DIVERSITY: People who look different but think the same way. Diversity applies to race, sex, disability, and sexual orientation. It emphatically does not apply to opinion....
INVESTMENT: Government spending. Any lingering trace of the original meaning—that is, of assets producing some kind of return—was obliterated by the spending splurge that preceded the 2008 crash....
COMMUNITY: The state—or, more precisely, the state’s bureaucracy. The one thing it emphatically doesn’t mean is a voluntary association of individuals. When people talk of “involving the community,” they invariably want more legislation.
Plenty more at the link!
...Any discussion of the relationship between government and citizen is perforce conducted in loaded terms. You can still make the case for greater liberty, but not without sounding rather mean. A glossary will give some indication of how loaded the linguistics are against conservatives.
RIGHT-WING: Baddie. Vladimir Putin, a lifelong KGB man who regrets the break-up of the USSR, is invading neighboring countries. This is a bad thing, so he must be “right-wing.” The mullahs in Iran abolished the monarchy, nationalized industry, and drove most of the middle classes into exile. But they’re also nasty, so they, too, must be “right-wing.” A crazed gunman goes into a school and . . . oh, you get the picture....
DIVERSITY: People who look different but think the same way. Diversity applies to race, sex, disability, and sexual orientation. It emphatically does not apply to opinion....
INVESTMENT: Government spending. Any lingering trace of the original meaning—that is, of assets producing some kind of return—was obliterated by the spending splurge that preceded the 2008 crash....
COMMUNITY: The state—or, more precisely, the state’s bureaucracy. The one thing it emphatically doesn’t mean is a voluntary association of individuals. When people talk of “involving the community,” they invariably want more legislation.
Plenty more at the link!
The FBI, CIA, and.....the Post Office?
There is no question that Big Brother is watching you. In the last 2 years or so, NSA's pervasive and all-encompassing surveillance schemes have been at least partially exposed; and if you think the FBI isn't part of that game, you're naive in the extreme.
All in the name of "terrorism," ya'know, because damn near every American can be a "terrorist." Pro-life? Terrorist. Pro-Second Amendment? Terrorist. Don't like Obozo's policies? Terrorist and RAAAAAACISSS, too!!
Use a computer, use a cellphone, use a land-line, mail a letter, you will be watched. Go to the doctor? We have the Obozo Mandate's computer records for that, fella.
Now it turns out that the Post Office--that lumbering bankrupt--does more than just scan your mail.
Sharyl Atkisson found out:
...The FBI often works in close conjunction with the postal service on computer cases, and there’s evidence implicating illegal or unauthorized connection into my system from a postal computer that’s not online or accessible by anybody in the public… A set of IP addresses implicate the post office in some of this or at least the use of their computer systems....
Laugh? Or cry?
All in the name of "terrorism," ya'know, because damn near every American can be a "terrorist." Pro-life? Terrorist. Pro-Second Amendment? Terrorist. Don't like Obozo's policies? Terrorist and RAAAAAACISSS, too!!
Use a computer, use a cellphone, use a land-line, mail a letter, you will be watched. Go to the doctor? We have the Obozo Mandate's computer records for that, fella.
Now it turns out that the Post Office--that lumbering bankrupt--does more than just scan your mail.
Sharyl Atkisson found out:
...The FBI often works in close conjunction with the postal service on computer cases, and there’s evidence implicating illegal or unauthorized connection into my system from a postal computer that’s not online or accessible by anybody in the public… A set of IP addresses implicate the post office in some of this or at least the use of their computer systems....
Laugh? Or cry?
The Revenge of the Empire
Interesting little side-note in the Boehner Revenge story.
...The House Republican leadership is carefully reviewing the list of members who voted against the speaker and those who opposed a procedural motion in December on the so-called “crominibus,” the $1.1 trillion spending package to keep the government open through to September....
Cromnibus passed because a number of Republicans voted for "the Rule" which brought it to the floor. The bill itself was so bad that Boehner had to get Democrats to vote for it. The bill fully funds almost every Obozo program and department. It stinks.
Republicans who bill themselves as "conservatives" then voted AGAINST Cromnibus. It's the John F'n Kerry Gambit, but in this case they were for it before they were against it. Jim Sensenbrenner, who is long past his stale-date, is one of those people.
To them, the First Thing is to preserve themselves and The Empire. The rest of us can take the hindmost.
...The House Republican leadership is carefully reviewing the list of members who voted against the speaker and those who opposed a procedural motion in December on the so-called “crominibus,” the $1.1 trillion spending package to keep the government open through to September....
Cromnibus passed because a number of Republicans voted for "the Rule" which brought it to the floor. The bill itself was so bad that Boehner had to get Democrats to vote for it. The bill fully funds almost every Obozo program and department. It stinks.
Republicans who bill themselves as "conservatives" then voted AGAINST Cromnibus. It's the John F'n Kerry Gambit, but in this case they were for it before they were against it. Jim Sensenbrenner, who is long past his stale-date, is one of those people.
To them, the First Thing is to preserve themselves and The Empire. The rest of us can take the hindmost.
Monday, January 05, 2015
OMG! A Stop-Loss of Four Thousand Five Hundred?
Usually when you hear squealing, it's from pigs.
In this case, it's from Elite Pigs.
HAR HAR HAR DE HAR HAR HAR.
In this case, it's from Elite Pigs.
HAR HAR HAR DE HAR HAR HAR.
Sunday, January 04, 2015
Burge for President
Since Romney, Bush, Huckabee, and various other Ruling Class creeps are intent on becoming President and ruining the remainder of America, this candidacy is very promising, indeed!
I promise to create an economic depression and confine it to a 40 mile radius of the US capitol. --IowaHawk
Best promise I've heard from ANY candidate. Bar none.
I promise to create an economic depression and confine it to a 40 mile radius of the US capitol. --IowaHawk
Best promise I've heard from ANY candidate. Bar none.
