Curmudgeonry

One More And I'm Out

2012-01-27T15:14:00.000-05:00

I'm knocking off early today. I was going to post yet another picture of Mila Kunis but I saw these pictures of Adriana Lima and had to link to them.

You're welcome.

We Can All Breath Now

2012-01-27T15:05:00.000-05:00

Via Althouse:

"The fact is that CO2 is not a pollutant."

"CO2 is a colorless and odorless gas, exhaled at high concentrations by each of us, and a key component of the biosphere's life cycle."

The Vote Pump

2012-01-27T15:00:00.000-05:00

Bill Whittle at his best:

One More Mila

2012-01-27T09:19:00.002-05:00

I have to head out for a while. I will leave you with this:

Freedom of the Press

2012-01-27T09:15:00.000-05:00

Maybe not so much. Via Slashdot:

US Plummets On World Press Freedom Ranking

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday January 26, @07:15PM
from the 47th-amendment dept.

Jeremiah Cornelius writes "Reporters Without Borders released its 2011-2012 global Press Freedom Index. The indicators for press freedom in the U.S. are dramatic, with a downward movement from 27th to 47th in the global ranking, from the previous year. Much of this is correlated directly to the arrest and incarceration of American journalists covering the 'Occupy' protest movements in New York and across the country. 'This is especially troubling as we head into an election year which is sure to spark new conflicts between police and press covering rallies, protests and political events.' Only Chile, who dropped from 33 to 80, joined the U.S. in falling over 100% of their previous ranking. Similarly, Chile was downgraded for 'freedom of information violations committed by the security forces during student protests.'"

Nickelback Has Had Enough

2012-01-27T09:10:00.002-05:00

...and other important news items, brought to you by The Agitator.

"Though it may surprise you to learn that there are still individuals on Twitter taking the time to even make fun of Nickleback (didn't we all agree on this a while ago, Guy Fieri–style?), it turns out that the band — or whoever runs its Twitter account — is very much paying attention. And sometime over the weekend, Nickelback and/or its Ghost Tweeter snapped. "

Global Warming... Cooling... Whatever

2012-01-27T08:53:00.001-05:00

The science ~~since~~ is rather unsettled for something that has been deemed "incontrovertible."

"In spite of a multidecade international campaign to enforce the message that increasing amounts of the "pollutant" carbon dioxide will destroy civilization, large numbers of scientists, many very prominent, share the opinions of Dr. Giaever. And the number of scientific "heretics" is growing with each passing year. The reason is a collection of stubborn scientific facts.

Perhaps the most inconvenient fact is the lack of global warming for well over 10 years now. This is known to the warming establishment, as one can see from the 2009 "Climategate" email of climate scientist Kevin Trenberth: "The fact is that we can't account for the lack of warming at the moment and it is a travesty that we can't." But the warming is only missing if one believes computer models where so-called feedbacks involving water vapor and clouds greatly amplify the small effect of CO2."

A Boy and His Balls

2012-01-27T08:41:00.000-05:00

Nice catch, kid!

Happy Friday, Rainy Morning Edition

2012-01-27T08:36:00.000-05:00

This about sums it up:

More here and here.

Rand Paul Was (Supposedly) Irate

2012-01-26T15:34:00.000-05:00

Here's the video. You tell me.

If Marky Mark Was In My Office Right Now

2012-01-26T13:46:00.000-05:00

This post wouldn't have happened!

Newt's Latest Idiocy

2012-01-26T13:14:00.000-05:00

I guess no one's told him that we don't need the government fucking up space travel anymore. This is from Dan Mitchell:

"To use Newt’s rhetoric, I am sick of politicians coming up with new ways to spend my money and I am sick of being told by the clowns in Washington that my wallet is a pinata to fund their grandiose dreams.
If Newt likes space travel and wants a base on the moon and trips to Mars, then he should take some of the money he “earned” as Freddie Mac’s “historian” and invest it in a space company."

Hello? Ever hear of Virgin Galactic, Newt?

The Real State of the Union

2012-01-26T12:58:00.000-05:00

John Stossel has a few thoughts:

"Politicians like Obama believe they are the best judges of how we should conduct our lives. Of course a word like “blueprint” would occur to the president. He, like most who want his job, aspires to be the architect of a new society.
But we who love our lives and our freedom say: No, thanks. We need no social architect. We need liberty under law. That’s it.
Obama—and most Republicans are no different—doesn’t understand the real liberal revolution that transformed civilization. The crux of that revolution is that law should define general visible rules of just conduct, applicable to all, with no eye to particular outcomes. In other words, as Nobel laureate F.A. Hayek taught, the only “purpose” of law is to enable us all to pursue our individual purposes in peace."

Read the entire thing. It's worth it.

Wherein Ice-T Proves His Irrelevance Yet Again

2012-01-26T12:55:00.000-05:00

I can remember when he could claim at least some street cred. No longer:

"Playing political pundit at the Sundance Film Festival, rapper and actor Ice-T said that President Obama will likely be re-elected, the AP reports. And after that, he thinks that Hillary Clinton should throw her hat in the ring and run for president again.

“She did the Secretary of State job, she was a G, she held it down, she didn’t cry,” Ice-T said of Clinton.

“Obama will support her,” he predicted, “and she’ll be the first woman president.”"

Let's See The Tax Returns - Updated

2012-01-26T11:56:00.000-05:00

No, not Romney's. I want to see Debbie Bosanek's filings.

"Warren Buffet’s secretary, Debbie Bosanek, served as a stage prop for President Obama’s State of the Union speech. She was the President’s chief display of the alleged unfairness of our tax system – a little person paying a higher tax rate than her billionaire boss.
Bosanek’s prominent role in Obama’s “fairness” campaign piqued my curiosity, and I imagine the curiosity of others. How much does her boss pay this downtrodden woman? So far, no one has volunteered this information."

UPDATE: The Atlantic has more.

And You Worry About Teenagers Behind The Wheel

2012-01-26T11:23:00.000-05:00

Via Slashdot:

Autonomous Vehicles and the Law

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday January 25, @07:17PM
from the johnny-cab dept.

Hugh Pickens writes "Google's autonomous cars have demonstrated that self-driving vehicles are now largely workable and could greatly limit human error, but questions of legal liability, privacy and insurance regulation have yet to be addressed. Simple questions, like whether the police should have the right to pull over autonomous vehicles, have yet to be answered and legal scholars and government officials warn that society has only begun wrestling with laws required for autonomous vehicles. The big question remains legal liability for the designers and manufacturers as some point out that liability exemptions have been mandated for vaccines, which are believed to offer great value for the general health of the population, despite some risks. 'Why would you even put money into developing it?' says Gary E. Marchant, director of the Center for Law, Science and Innovation at the Arizona State University law school. 'I see this as a huge barrier to this technology unless there are some policy ways around it.' Congress could consider creating a comprehensive regulatory regime to govern the use of these technologies say researchers at the Rand Corporation adding that while federal preemption has important disadvantages, it might speed the development and utilization of these technologies (PDF) and should be considered, if accompanied by a comprehensive federal regulatory regime. 'This may minimize the number of inconsistent legal regimes that manufacturers face and simplify and speed the introduction of these technologies.'"

Rand Paul Update

2012-01-26T11:14:00.002-05:00

Via Instapundit:

"A security video of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul at a Nashville International Airport checkpoint doesn’t show him being “irate,” as police asserted."

Link Fest

2012-01-26T11:13:00.000-05:00

The Agitator has a whole bunch today. This one is just a small sample:

"Obama promised in the 2008 campaign that he’d post every bill to the web five days before signing them. Three years later, he’s running at about 50 percent."

Redheads

2012-01-26T11:10:00.000-05:00

Because, why not?

Headline of the Day

2012-01-25T12:11:00.000-05:00

Barack Obama Handles the Ship of State a Lot Like the Captain of the Costa Concordia

Just Enter The Race Already

2012-01-25T11:26:00.000-05:00

Rubio scolds Gingrich camp, says ad bashing 'anti-immigrant' Romney is 'inaccurate, inflammatory'

"Sen. Marco Rubio scolded Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign over a Spanish-language radio ad that accuses rival Mitt Romney of being “anti-immigrant”

“This kind of language is more than just unfortunate. It’s inaccurate, inflammatory, and doesn’t belong in this campaign,” Rubio told The Miami Herald when asked about the ad.

“The truth is that neither of these two men is anti-immigrant,” Rubio said. “Both are pro-legal immigration and both have positive messages that play well in the Hispanic community.”

Rubio’s sharp rebuke comes a day after he subtly corrected Gingrich for comparing Romney to former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, branded by conservatives as a turncoat who left the party before Rubio beat him in 2010."

Great Job, Guys!

2012-01-25T10:42:00.001-05:00

US Special Forces rescue American, Dane hostages in Somalia

Few knew of the abduction of American aid worker Jessica Buchanan or her Danish colleague Poul Hagen Thisted in Somalia until their ordeal was over. Yesterday, a team of US special forces rescued both in a raid on a pirate camp, killing all of their captors:

"U.S. special operations forces have rescued a kidnapped American aid worker and her Danish colleague in Somalia, the White House and officials with the aid organization said Wednesday. During the raid, all nine of their captors were killed.

Jessica Buchanan, 32, and Poul Hagen Thisted, 60, were abducted by a group of armed men in the Somali town of Galkayo on Oct. 25. Both worked for the de-mining unit of theDanish Refugee Council, which provides shelter, protection, food and other assistance for thousands of displaced Somalis in Mogadishu. They were in Galkayo to monitor humanitarian aid activities, the council said.

Buchanan and Thisted were rescued early Wednesday local time (Tuesday evening in Washington), the Refugee Council said. The U.S. Africa Command, based in Stuttgart, Germany, said special operations forces received information about where the captives were located, then confirmed their presence and staged the attack."

Yeah, But He Isn't So They Won't

2012-01-25T10:37:00.000-05:00

15 Questions The Mainstream Media Would Ask Barack Obama If He Were A Republican

"During the practically endless series of Republican debates, we have heard almost every question imaginable asked to Republican candidates – if by every question imaginable, you mean horribly slanted, often irrelevant questions designed to make them look bad and help Obama. We've heard questions about contraceptives, religion, Newt's angry ex-wife, Gardasil, etc., etc., etc. So, what would happen if the mainstream media treated Barack Obama the exact same way that they treat Republicans? The questions might sound a little something like this.

1) Numerous Mexican citizens and an American citizen have been killed with weapons knowingly provided to criminals by our own government during Operation Fast and Furious. If Eric Holder was aware that was going on, do you think he should step down as Attorney General? Were you aware that was going on and if so, shouldn’t you resign?"

Read the rest.

Tin-Foil Hat Alert

2012-01-25T10:26:00.002-05:00

Via Slashdot:

Psychics Say Apollo 16 Astronauts Found Alien Ship

Posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday January 24, @04:55PM
from the scully-says-yeah-right dept.

astroengine writes"A group called Transception Incorporated, self-described as an Austin, Texas-based psychic R&D operation, sent a letter (PDF) to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden that nominates the Apollo 16 crew for the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Why? Well, a variety of 'shipwreck elements' on the Moon — described as 'structures, people/aliens, biological technology, and their plight' — were reportedly 'seen' through remote viewing (PDF) by six experts at Transception. These 'elements' can be seen, along with Apollo 16 moonwalkers John Young and Charles Duke, in photographs during that famous mission, obviously making this the first ever alien encounter."

Happy Hump Day

2012-01-25T10:11:00.000-05:00

Much more here.

Done In Indy?

2012-01-25T10:09:00.000-05:00

Can the Peyton Manning era actually be over?

"The Peyton Manning era is over in Indiannapolis.

And while it seemed likely, based on the house-cleaning that new GM Ryan Grigson has undertaken, now we know that Peyton knows.

In this article by Bob Kravitz of the Indy Star, we get it all out there clearly.

They're sweeping away everything and anything from the Peyton Manning era.

Because when you think Colts, you think Peyton.

And, while many of us hope against hope that Peyton hasn't played his final snap in the NFL, even up until a few weeks ago, there was a hope that he would take that next snap as a member of the Colts."

One For My Bride

2012-01-24T15:16:00.002-05:00

The Awesome that is Barney Stinson:

Pats or Giants

2012-01-24T15:12:00.000-05:00

Who has hotter fans?

It's Been Three Years, Mr. President

2012-01-24T11:38:00.000-05:00

Even though I am not a Republican I can appreciate a good campaign ad:

How Is This Possible?

2012-01-24T11:24:00.000-05:00

Via Slashdot:

US Judge Rules Defendant Can Be Forced To Decrypt Hard Drive

Posted by Soulskill on Tuesday January 24, @12:19AM
from the it's-not-incriminating-yourself-it's-just-pushing-buttons dept.

A Commentor writes"Perhaps to balance the good news with the Supreme Court ruling on GPS, a judge in Colorado has ordered a defendant to decrypt her hard drive. The government doesn't have the capability to break the PGP encryption, and 'the Fifth Amendment is not implicated by requiring production of the unencrypted contents' of the defendant's computer."

This needs to be appealed.

Abs

2012-01-24T11:20:00.000-05:00

More here.

Truth to Power

2012-01-24T11:10:00.002-05:00

Via Instapundit:

"Bruins goalie skips White House ceremony honoring team in protest. “I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People.”
Plus: “Thomas is a devoted tea partier, to the point where he wears the Gadsden flag motto on his mask. Anyone know if he’s endorsed a candidate for president?”"

Agitator Link Fest

2012-01-24T11:06:00.000-05:00

He's got a bunch of them today. This one is my favorite:

"Here are 300+ photos of dogs looking out of windows."

Wilde About Olivia

2012-01-23T12:57:00.000-05:00

More here.

Hope and Change

2012-01-23T12:34:00.000-05:00

Via Instapundit:

"HOPE AND CHANGE: Why Apple took its jobs overseas and — as Steve Jobs told Barack Obama — “Those jobs aren’t coming back.”"

Strange Neighbors

2012-01-23T12:30:00.000-05:00

Via Slashdot:

A Data Center That Looks Like a Mansion

Posted by samzenpus on Sunday January 22, @12:17PM
from the home-of-the-data dept.

1sockchuck writes"A luxury homebuilder in Minnesota wants to build a data center that looks like a mansion, allowing the commercial building to fit into a residential neighborhood. The 'community-based data center' designed for FiberPop features a stone facade and sloped roof with dormers, along with an underground data hall."

Dumb Move, TSA

2012-01-23T12:11:00.000-05:00

Republican Senator Rand Paul Detained By Obama TSA – Refuses Pat-down

"Republican Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) was detained by TSA this morning after he refused a pat-down a the Nashville airport. The conservative senator was turned away after he refused the pat-down.

CNN reported:

Authorities blocked U.S. Sen. Rand Paul at the Nashville airport Monday after the Kentucky Republican refused a pat-down at a security checkpoint, his spokeswoman said.
Paul went through a scanner at the airport and set off an alarm, said his spokeswoman, Moira Bagley. He wanted to go through the body scan again instead of getting a pat-down, but officers of the Transportation Security Administration refused, Bagley said.
Paul, one of the most conservative members of the Senate, is an outspoken critic of what he characterizes as an overly obtrusive federal government threatening to strip of citizens of various rights and civil liberties.

Really TSA? You turned away a US senator for safety concerns?"

One Petition I'd Sign

2012-01-23T12:08:00.000-05:00

Via The Agitator:

"A petition to investigate Chris Dodd for bribery."

The (Dismal) State of the Union

2012-01-23T11:49:00.000-05:00

Via Joseph Curl:

"There is one person — one American among the 300 million of us — who is not to blame for the state of the union. Everyone else, each of you, in some small or large way, bears some share of the blame, but not this guy. Not one little bit.
This guy is Barack Obama. He is not the least bit to blame for the dismal state of the U.S. economy. George W. Bush is, for sure, and that evil Dick Cheney, oh, no doubt. House SpeakerJohn A. Boehner — evil, too — is, of course, to blame. But guess what? So is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, and every Democrat in the House and Senate."

It gets better from there.

Heh

2012-01-23T11:45:00.000-05:00

Potty humor with a twist.

Wait A Second!

2012-01-20T17:02:00.000-05:00

Or, maybe, 95 billion seconds!

"Delegates at an international telecommunications meeting in Geneva were to decide on Thursday whether to recommend the elimination of leap seconds, which are occasionally added to the world’s atomic clocks to keep them synchronized with Earth’s rotational cycles.
Richard C. Beaird, a State Department official who led the American delegation, said in a statement that discussions at the meeting “revealed a heightened degree of interest that has not previously existed on this issue.” With no consensus among the delegates, officials at the International Telecommunication Union, part of the United Nations, sent the issue back to a panel of experts for further study. A revised proposal will be introduced no earlier than 2015."

H/T: SockIt2Me

Amen!

2012-01-20T15:38:00.000-05:00

Marky Mark Should Stop Explaining (Via WWTDD.)

"Mark Wahlberg really didn’t do himself any favors today when he went on Kid Kraddock in the Morning to explain why he said what he said about stopping 9/11.

“I would never disrespect the victims of 9/11 or their families. It was completely misunderstood. My only intention was to explain the fact that I would do anything to protect my family – I would put myself in harms way to protect my family or innocent people. That was it.”
“First and foremost, I am not an actor. I am a real guy from the streets and I’ve been in a lot of situations.”

No, dipshit, you’re an actor. I know this because I’ve been seeing you in movies since 1995. Of all people, you’d think the guy from who was dancing around with the Funky Bunch would want to stop being thought of as what he was 20 years ago."

Happy Friday

2012-01-20T13:07:00.000-05:00

The NFL Playoffs edition:

Go Big Blue!

Your Tax Dollars At Work

2012-01-20T13:04:00.002-05:00

Via Instapundit:

“In an unwitting self-parody worthy of Froma Harrop on The Daily Show, the Federal Trade Commission has created a step-by-step web guide for Americans ‘Knee-Deep in Debt.’ The first step, says the agency, which represents a government that went over 800 days without passing a budget, is: create a budget!”

Teaneck, NJ

2012-01-20T13:01:00.000-05:00

...must be a low-crime city. Here's what Slashdot points out about it:

Police Investigate Offensive Wi-Fi Network Name

Posted by Soulskill on Friday January 20, @08:50AM
from the sounds-like-a-rough-neighborhood dept.

An anonymous reader writes"Police in Teaneck, New Jersey, with apparently too much time on their hands, are investigating an offensive wireless network name. Although the police didn't reveal the name, the New York Daily News reports that it was anti-Semitic and racist in nature. The incident is being investigated as a possible 'bias crime.' It's definitely not what proper people do, but a 'bias crime?'"

Maybe Not The Best Cartoon Ever

2012-01-20T12:58:00.000-05:00

...but certainly a damned funny one:

Coincidence?

2012-01-20T12:54:00.000-05:00

I ask you. A tale of two headlines:

Obama sings soul, briefly

47 minutes ago (AP)

Legendary blues singer Etta James dies in Calif.

48 minutes ago (AP)

Should We Be Outraged?

2012-01-20T12:52:00.000-05:00

Althouse asks a valid question:

"The Wall Street Journal notes that Romney (like Warren Buffet) makes his money from investments, so the income he receives has already been taxed "at the corporate tax rate of 35%." The 15% tax he pays sounds unfairly low, compared to the tax rate on wages and salaries, but it's not low at all if you see it as a second tax.

All income from businesses is eventually passed through to the owners, so to ignore business taxes creates a statistical illusion that makes it appear that the rich pay less than they really do. By this logic, if the corporate tax rate were raised to, say, 60% from today's 35% and the dividend and capital gains tax were cut to zero, it would appear that business owners were getting away with paying no federal tax at all."

Read the whole thing.

Dennis Miller's Rant

2012-01-20T12:50:00.000-05:00

He's not at his best but he's getting there. I'm glad to see him regaining some of his form. Shilling for the Bush Administration ruined him for a while there.

Now That You Mention It

2012-01-20T12:44:00.002-05:00

Strange How the Media Didn’t Care About Infidelity in 1992 and 2008

"Say what you will about Newt Gingrich and his numerous wives and affairs, and it’s already become an obsession with the media that will do anything to derail the GOP and re-install Obama in the White House. Back in 1992 all it took was a “60 Minutes” interview with the Clintons and that was the end of the Gennifer Flowers story.

In 2008 it was already well known John Edwards was cheating on his wife, but the media gave him a free pass. Why? Because he’s a Democrat, of course. Democrats can do no wrong, but if you’re a Republican with any infidelities in your past then you’re fair game. This isn’t to excuse Gingrich. Let’s just see what the left always clamors for: Fairness.

It’s the double standard we live with."

SOPA and PIPA Are Dead

2012-01-20T12:33:00.000-05:00

For now, anyway.

"House and Senate leaders abandoned plans to move on SOPA and PIPA on Friday — the surest sign yet that a wave of online protests have killed the controversial anti-piracy legislation for now and maybe forever.

SOPA sponsor Lamar Smith, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said his committee won’t take up the bill as planned next month — and that he’d have to “wait until there is wider agreement on a solution” before moving forward.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, meanwhile, said he was calling off a cloture vote on PIPA he’d scheduled for Tuesday."

Thursday Afternoon Hottie

2012-01-19T14:54:00.000-05:00

I'd normally wait for Friday but these pictures of Sarah Shahi are too good.

Marky Mark is All Talk (Updated)

2012-01-19T13:16:00.000-05:00

Mark Wahlberg would have stopped 9/11 from happening:

"On being scheduled to be on one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center on 9/11:
 “If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn’t have went down like it did. There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, ‘OK, we’re going to land somewhere safely, don’t worry.’”"

What a tool.

UPDATE: Marky Mark has (sort of) apologized.

Reasonable Profits?

2012-01-19T13:09:00.000-05:00

Atlas Shrugged, indeed!

"Six House Democrats, led by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), want to set up a “Reasonable Profits Board” to control gas profits.

[...]

The Gas Price Spike Act, H.R. 3784, would apply a windfall tax on the sale of oil and gas that ranges from 50 percent to 100 percent on all surplus earnings exceeding “a reasonable profit.” It would set up a Reasonable Profits Board made up of three presidential nominees that will serve three-year terms. Unlike other bills setting up advisory boards, the Reasonable Profits Board would not be made up of any nominees from Congress.

The bill would also seem to exclude industry representatives from the board, as it says members “shall have no financial interests in any of the businesses for which reasonable profits are determined by the Board.”"

Paula Deen: Hypocrite

2012-01-19T12:56:00.000-05:00

And here I thought she was just a crappy cook.

"“It is hypocritical [for Paula] to have continued to very publicly promote entirely unhealthy food choices so vital to the management of diabetes,” Donna Shaft, a marketing consultant who has been battling type 2 diabetes for 20 years, told Fox411.

“We of course don't know the terms of her contract with the drug company, but it seems either stupid or hypocritical of them to be endorsing the eating lifestyle she advocates. For her to publicly facilitate the illusion that a T2 can consume the quantities of fats and carbs and sugars she showcases, even occasionally, is nothing short of a dangerous abuse of the trust many in her audience place in her as an influential public figure.”"

Stacey Dash

2012-01-19T11:45:00.000-05:00

I have no idea who she is but I might just start following her Tweets.

Al Gore, Minus The Drawl

2012-01-19T11:36:00.001-05:00

Keystone Pipeline Not Dead:

H/T: Verum Serum

Newt

2012-01-19T11:18:00.000-05:00

"...he doesn’t connect things like normal people."

"I've elided Henneberger's sloughing off of each of these items. She thinks Marianne will have to come up with something new and worse to destroy Newt. But I'm not so sure. Who bothered with the Esquire article back in 2010? The point is to throw this stuff right in our face now, when we're excited about judging Newt. To see the ex-wife's face as she lets this stuff out... it's titillating. We'll pay attention. We'll make clips of the juiciest seconds. The experience of receiving the tidbits will be entirely different. They don't have to be new tidbits to feel vividly new. Picture it."

Yeah... Good Luck With That

2012-01-19T11:02:00.001-05:00

Iranian Regime Claims Its Diesel Submarines Can Ambush and Strike US Carriers

"The Iranian regime claims its diesel submarines can ambush and strike US carriers in the Persian Gulf.

Fars News reported:

A senior Iranian military commander underlined that the Iranian Navy’s subsurface vessels enjoy a high capability to confront enemies’ threats, and stated that Iran’s submarines are able to ambush and hit enemy vessels specially US Aircraft carriers from the seabed throughout the Persian Gulf.

Speaking to FNA on Wednesday, Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Army’s Self-Sufficiency Jihad Rear Admiral Farhad Amiri said that Iran has the best electronic diesel submarines of the world, adding that enemies, the US in particular, are most focused on Iran’s astonishing subsurface capabilities."

ABC, Mitt Romney and Tax Havens

2012-01-19T10:44:00.001-05:00

Dan Mitchell has the full story. (The real story.)

"Exactly 10 days ago, I predicted that the press would attack Mitt Romney for using tax havens. In that post, I wrote that, “…based on the questions, it appears that the establishment media wants to hit Romney for utilizing tax havens… As far as I can tell, none of these reporters have come out with a story. …But I think it’s just a matter of time.”

Sure enough, like the swallows returning to Capistrano, it’s happened. Two hacks at ABC News, Brian Ross and Megan Chuchmach, revealed (brace yourself for a real scoop) that Mitt Romney is a rich guy and some of his investments are based in funds domiciled in the Cayman Islands (gasp!)."

Who Turned Out The Lights?

2012-01-19T10:20:00.000-05:00

We did! Via Slashdot:

Town Turns Off the Lights To See the Stars

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday January 19, @08:05AM
from the we're-going-dark dept.

Hugh Pickens writes"Stargazing skies all over the world are disappearing, as the sky above New York City is Class 9 on the Bortle ranking and American suburban skies are typically Class 5, 6, or 7. But some places are making an effort to preserve their skywatching heritage as Exmoor National Park was granted International Dark-Sky Reserve status in November and people in the Exmoor town of Dulverton were challenged to switch off their lights as part of the BBC's Stargazing Live, demonstrating that you don't need special equipment to see the stars more clearly, if you have a decent pair of binoculars. 'The whole idea is to show that even a small town, which is still quite dark, can give off quite a lot of light,' says astronomer Mark Thompson. The event in Dulverton gained a lot of support from local residents and businesses. 'It needed a bit of organization to get everyone to say yes,' says town mayor Chris Nelder. 'We want people to just enjoy the night sky, to treasure the fact we have them and to look after them,' adds Claire O'Connor from Exmoor National Park Authority."

An Inconvenient Truth

2012-01-19T10:03:00.000-05:00

Democrats receive more Bain Capital dollars than Republicans.

"Democrats have accepted more political donations than Republicans from executives at Bain Capital, complicating the left’s plan to attack Mitt Romney for his record at the private equity firm."

H/T: Instapundit

Now For The Real Numbers

2012-01-19T09:56:00.002-05:00

The Keystone XL Pipeline:

"In an economy with more than 13 million Americans out of work, every potential new job matters, right? Wrong, according to some Keystone XL pipeline opponents.

Though the Keystone XL is the largest shovel-ready project around, the construction and permanent jobs it would create get little credit from people who oppose the pipeline or the Canadian oil sands crude it would carry – or both. This, from Natural Resources Defense Council President Frances Beinecke, is pretty representative:

“Rather than bringing us energy security, it will transport dirty Canadian oil through America's heartlands – for delivery to China and other countries. Rather than bringing us prosperity, it will leave us with a legacy of poisoned lands and waters. All for, at most, 100 permanent jobs?”

Now, there’s enough misinformation in that paragraph for a week of blog posts, but let’s focus on the jobs."

Read the entire article.

On Strike

2012-01-18T09:55:00.001-05:00

Daily Afternoon Randomness

2012-01-17T16:56:00.000-05:00

More here.

Facebook From Beyond

2012-01-17T13:06:00.002-05:00

This app might just take the cake.

Everyone Panic!

2012-01-17T13:01:00.002-05:00

Via Slashdot:

Flu + La Nina = Pandemic?

Posted by timothy on Tuesday January 17, @11:28AM
from the african-or-european-swallow dept.

New submitter MrEricSir writes with some scary speculation from a BBC article about the confluence of climate and disease:"A correlation between illness and cold weather is nothing new but this one is very specific: La Nina changes the migratory patterns of birds which can (and often does, according to this theory) cause flu pandemics."

Oh Sh!t

2012-01-17T12:58:00.002-05:00

Some very funny photos:

Fat Man vs. Thin Man

2012-01-17T12:49:00.000-05:00

An interesting perspective on war, and the reasons we choose to fight.

"But is what we are doing truly self-defense? Consider one of the most famous hypotheticals on the subject of self-defense: the Fat Man puzzle. In Fat Man, you find yourself in a small boat at the bottom of a chasm. Although there are many versions,[5]what they have in common is that an enormously fat individual is hurtling down from the cliff. You have no idea why he is falling—whether, say, he jumped or was pushed. All you know for sure is that if he hits you, you die. You have no space to maneuver, and no time to escape. Fortunately, you are armed with your trusty Fat Man gun. You can pull the trigger and vaporize him, thereby saving yourself.[6]

-----

The problem my students find harder is what I like to call Thin Man. Thin Man is too skinny to do us harm unless he chooses to, but he comes hurtling down off the cliff nevertheless. If he hits us, we die. But he is so thin that the odds are he will land nowhere near. We know that Thin Man means us ill. He fully intends to do us harm. We just don’t know when. It might be now—that might be why he is falling—or it might be next year. Or he might change his mind.

If we do nothing, chances are he will miss us (he is thin), fall into the water, and be washed away by the current. Later, he will fetch up on shore and can go back to plotting. We could try to pull him from the water, but we would probably fall in. Thus the present opportunity to vaporize him with our Thin Man gun might be our only shot at him. On the other hand, I believe I mentioned that we do not know his current intention. He might just be going for a swim."

H/T: Instapundit

Golden Globes

2012-01-17T12:39:00.000-05:00

I didn't watch them and I'm pretty sure you didn't either. Sadly, we missed these golden globes:

First Challenge to Obama "Recess" Appointments Is Filed

2012-01-17T12:29:00.001-05:00

Via Ace of Spades HQ:

"This comes in a preexisting lawsuit against some new pro-union rules the NLRB is pushing on six million (really) employers. The plaintiffs are adding a challenge on the grounds that the NLRB has been reduced to only two lawful members, as a result of Obama's three "recess" appointments. The Supreme Court held last year that at least three members of its maximum five are required for the NLRB to operate.

Details."

I'll Be Watching

2012-01-17T12:17:00.000-05:00

Will you?

"FX’s modern-day, marshal-come-to-town western “Justified” is another bullet in the chamber for cable television and another bullet in the gut for network prime time crime drama.
The basic cable channels born of reruns and old movies have stolen the shield from powerhouse networks that once delivered innovative, complex dramas such as “Hill Street Blues,” “NYPD Blue” and “Miami Vice.”"

Waiting In The Wings

2012-01-17T12:14:00.000-05:00

Very Interesting:

"Christmas has come and gone, but many Republicans are still hoping their wishes of a new candidate in the GOP presidential nomination race will come true.

Names bandied about in the media and political circles include 2011 federal budget superstar Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.), former Govs. Sarah Palin (Alaska) and Jeb Bush (Fla.) and real estate magnate Donald Trump, all heralded as potential saviors from the doldrums of the GOP primary process."

H/T: Gary Johnson

Abandon Ship!

2012-01-17T12:08:00.002-05:00

Captain of Sinking Cruise Liner Abandoned Ship Early & Refused to Go Back When Ordered – 5 More Bodies Discovered

"The captain fo the sinking Costa Concordia abandoned the sinking ship and refused to go back when ordered.

The Daily Mail reported:

The Costa Concordia’s captain did abandon ship before hundreds of his passengers, it has emerged via a transcript of a conversation between him and the local coastguard.
Francesco Schettino, who will be questioned today by investigating magistrate Valeria Montesarchio, also lied to the Captain of the Port of Livorno’s Coastguard when asked how many people were on board the sinking liner, Italian media reported today.
He initially replied ’40′, when there were actually hundreds still at risk, and when further questioned admitted he was not even there.

He then ignored an order to go back onto the sinking ship – with some reports suggesting he volunteered to return, but only to pick up the black box."

Cancel The War and Fix The Wounded

2012-01-17T12:05:00.000-05:00

Via Reason:

"Most people don’t overindulge. Some do. Let's help the ones who need it, and leave the rest alone.

Similarly, the war on illegal drugs is heavily driven by imputed social costs. The Office of National Drug Control Policy says illegal drug use costs society $181 billion annually. But: “Over two-thirds (71.3 percent) of the costs of drug abuse are attributed to lost productivity.” It also notes that $39 billion of that lost productivity results from incarceration, so this “is not a cost of drug abuse but, rather, the costs of current [drug-control] policies.”

Actual health costs from drug abuse? Less than 9 percent of the total. The reason you can’t buy narcotics over the counter, then, seems to have just as much to do with other people’s desire that you maximize your economic output as with their concern for your continued well-being by itself. Put another way, a big chunk of the concern about drug abuse arises not from altruistic paternalism (it’s for your own good) but from selfish paternalism (it’s for everyone else’s)."

Partisan DC

2012-01-17T12:02:00.001-05:00

Obama's Broken Promise. Things must be bad when Politico isn't shilling for ~~Home~~ Hope and Change anymore.

"As the House returns Tuesday for the final session of his first term, Obama’s failure to fulfill this central claim of his 2008 campaign has never been more glaringly obvious.

The hard truth is that Washington next year will look indistinguishable from the one Obama warned against during his election-night victory speech, when he called on Republicans and Democrats to “resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.”

His relationship with Republican lawmakers is broken, the victim of grand expectations and hardball political tactics, irreconcilable policy differences and perceived personal snubs."

New York's Gun Laws

2012-01-16T16:14:00.000-05:00

"Corrupt and racist. And vigorously supported by Mayor Bloomberg. Barbaric indeed. New York needs to join the mainstream of states enacting sensible gun laws — laws that don’t oppress minorities or entrap honest citizens."

H/T: Instapundit

Political Discourse

2012-01-16T16:07:00.000-05:00

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

H/T: Hot Air

Meanwhile, In Yemen

2012-01-16T15:56:00.000-05:00

Al-Qaida captures another town, this one close to the capital.

"(AP) SANAA, Yemen — A band of al-Qaida militants took full control on Monday of a town 100 miles south of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, overrunning army positions, storming the local prison and freeing at least 150 inmates.

The capture of the town of Radda expanded already significant territorial conquests by the militants, who have taken advantage of the weak central government and political turmoil roiling the nation for the past year during an anti-regime uprising inspired by Arab Spring revolts."

Ultrabooks

2012-01-16T15:51:00.000-05:00

Ultra confusing or ultra cool? SockIt2Me has the answers.

Security Theater

2012-01-16T13:00:00.000-05:00

Via The Agitator: a bakery has created a "TSA-Compliant Cupcake."

"An ingenious business plan has developed out of the turbulent saga the TSA has christened Cupcakegate. It all began last month when security agents confiscated a “cupcake in a jar” at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, citing its gel-like icing as a potential national security threat.

The incident inspired Kelly Colgan, owner of Silver Spoon Bakery in Providence, R.I., to create a travel-friendly treat: the TSA Compliant Cupcake. The $4 confection is topped with exactly 3 ounces of frosting and sold in a TSA-mandated clear, quart-size plastic blag. The decorative photo of Richard Nixon with the parodied words “I am not a gel” comes optional."

Heh

2012-01-16T11:33:00.002-05:00

Via Instapundit:

"THE ONE PERCENT: ELIZABETH WARREN CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. “The only thing that could make her a more hypocritical class warrior is if she anchored a yacht in Rhode Island.”"

Let's See if it Stays Dead

2012-01-16T11:26:00.002-05:00

Via Slashdot:

House Kills SOPA

Posted by samzenpus on Monday January 16, @10:00AM
from the on-second-thought dept.

An anonymous reader writes"In a surprise move, Representative Eric Cantor(R-VA) announced that he will stop all action on SOPA, effectively killing the bill. This move was most likely due to the huge online protest and the White House threatening to veto the bill if it had passed. But don't celebrate yet. PIPA (the Senate's version of SOPA) is still up for consideration."

Ann Althouse on Newsweek

2012-01-16T11:19:00.000-05:00

This is just a sample:

"Second, the article, by Andrew Sullivan. Based on the cover headline — "Why Are Obama's Critics So Dumb?" — I don't even want to read it. It just seems like red meat for Obama fans. And what a cliché! Republicans are stupid. That's what they always say. It's not just red meat, it's the same old red meat they always serve. You know, you have to be kind of dumb to be so easily pulled in by the assurance that you're with the smart people and those other people are stupid."

Read the entire thing.

Yesterday's Game

2012-01-16T11:15:00.003-05:00

Harrumph.

Interesting Political Ad / Article

2012-01-16T11:12:00.000-05:00

Gary Johnson has this to say about the war on drugs:

"As President I will stop one of the biggest wastes and frauds ever perpetrated on the American people – the trillion dollar war on drugs. While falsely promising us a safer, more sober society, the war on drugs is bankrupting our state and local coffers and costs the Federal government $15 billion dollars per year. That’s five hundred dollars every second – mostly for possession of marijuana, a relatively harmless drug the effects of which are certainly no worse than alcohol, the sale of which is legal and regulated."

What makes the article even more interesting is the graphic that accompanies it:

The North Pole Is Gone

2012-01-13T17:14:00.000-05:00

Right, Al?

From the video:

Former Vice President Al Gore references computer modeling to suggest that the north polar ice cap may lose virtually all of its ice within the next seven years. “Some of the models suggest that there is a 75 percent chance that the entire north polar ice cap, during some of the summer months, could be completely ice-free within the next five to seven years,” says Gore.

Sexy Super-fans

2012-01-13T17:01:00.002-05:00

COED has the breakdown:

Agitator Link-Fest, Part Two

2012-01-13T16:55:00.001-05:00

Bonus Afternoon Links

Janis Joplin Was Frightened Of Toilets

2012-01-13T16:07:00.000-05:00

...and other hysterical Wikipedia page hacks.

Tebowing

2012-01-13T15:56:00.000-05:00

Playboy Playmate Style:

For A Good Cause

2012-01-13T13:07:00.000-05:00

Olivia Munn Takes It Off For PETA Once Again, Woohoo!

Photo Bombs

2012-01-13T13:04:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've linked to these.

Peeing Marines

2012-01-13T12:54:00.002-05:00

Ace puts it best:

"The real crime was the felony stupid of videotaping it."

#OccupyDC

2012-01-13T12:52:00.002-05:00

The FAIL just keeps coming.

"Mayor Vincent C. Gray called on the National Park Service today to remove protesters from McPherson Square to “allow for elimination of the rat infestation, clean up, and restoration” of the downtown park.

In a letter to Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis, Gray suggests moving the McPherson protesters, who have camped in the park since October, to a separate encampment at Freedom Plaza.

Because both sites are on Park Service land, Gray does not have the authority to directly order an eviction. But today’s demand is Gray’s most dramatic pronoucement yet on the ongoing protests.

His letter was accompanied by a memorandum from the city’s health director reporting that both encampments are at risk for outbreaks of “communicable disease, hypothermia or food borne illness.”"

Finally, Some Justice

2012-01-13T12:48:00.000-05:00

It might be too late for Natalee Holloway or Stephany Flores, but their killer is in jail.

"LIMA, Peru (AP) - A Peruvian court has sentenced Joran van der Sloot to 28 years in prison for murder of a young woman he met at a Lima casino.

Friday's decision comes two days after the young Dutchman pleaded guilty to killing Stephany Flores. It is also a moment when the family of U.S. teenager Natalee Holloway is renewing efforts to bring him to the United States to face charges related to her 2005 disappearance.

Van der Sloot's lawyer argued that client killed the 21-year-old Flores in May 2010 during a fit of rage he blamed on psychological trauma from being hounded as the prime suspect in Holloway case."

A Republic, If You Can Keep It

2012-01-13T12:45:00.000-05:00

Chuck Woolery nails it yet again:

Small Change?

2012-01-13T12:17:00.000-05:00

No, not too small, actually. Via Slashdot:

TSA Makes $400K Annually In Loose Change

Posted by Soulskill on Friday January 13, @11:37AM
from the nickel-and-dime dept.

Hugh Pickens writes"NBC reports that airport travelers left behind $409,085.56 in loose change at security checkpoints in 2010, providing an additional source of funding for the Transportation Security Administration. 'TSA puts (the leftover money) in a jar at the security checkpoint, at the end of each shift they take it, count it, put it in an envelope and send it to the finance office,' says TSA spokesperson Nico Melendez. 'It is amazing. All that change, it all adds up.' Melendez adds that the money goes into the general operating budget for TSA that is typically used for technology, light bulbs or just overall general expenses. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) has introduced legislation that would direct the TSA to transfer unclaimed money recovered at airport security checkpoints to the United Service Organizations(USO), a private nonprofit that operates centers for the military at 41 U.S. airports. The recovered change is not to be confused with the theft that occurs when TSA agents augment their salary by helping themselves to the contents of passengers' luggage as it passes through security checkpoints. For example in 2009, a half dozen TSA agents at Miami International Airport were charged with grand theft after boosting an iPod, bottles of perfume, cameras, a GPS system, a Coach purse, and a Hewlett Packard Mini Notebook from passengers' luggage astravelers at just this one airport reported as many as 1,500 items stolen, the majority of which were never recovered."

Trapped Money

2012-01-13T12:14:00.000-05:00

Yet another reason for a once-only tax amnesty for American corporations:

"Most of Apple’s $82 billion cash stockpile is ‘trapped’ overseas."

H/T: Instapundit

Lots of Links

2012-01-13T12:11:00.000-05:00

The Agitator has a bunch of good ones today. Click here.

Curmudgeonry

One More And I'm Out

We Can All Breath Now

The Vote Pump

One More Mila

Freedom of the Press

Nickelback Has Had Enough

Global Warming... Cooling... Whatever

A Boy and His Balls

Happy Friday, Rainy Morning Edition

Rand Paul Was (Supposedly) Irate

If Marky Mark Was In My Office Right Now

Newt's Latest Idiocy

The Real State of the Union

Wherein Ice-T Proves His Irrelevance Yet Again

Let's See The Tax Returns - Updated

And You Worry About Teenagers Behind The Wheel

Rand Paul Update

Link Fest

Redheads

Headline of the Day

Just Enter The Race Already

"Sen. Marco Rubio scolded Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign over a Spanish-language radio ad that accuses rival Mitt Romney of being “anti-immigrant”

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/01/rubio-scolds-gingrich-camp-says-ad-bashing-anti-immigrant-romney-is-inaccurate-inflammatory.html#storylink=cpy

Great Job, Guys!

Yeah, But He Isn't So They Won't

Tin-Foil Hat Alert

Happy Hump Day

Done In Indy?

One For My Bride

Pats or Giants

It's Been Three Years, Mr. President

How Is This Possible?

Abs

Truth to Power

Agitator Link Fest

Wilde About Olivia

Hope and Change

Strange Neighbors

Dumb Move, TSA

One Petition I'd Sign

The (Dismal) State of the Union

Heh

Wait A Second!

Amen!

Happy Friday

Your Tax Dollars At Work

Teaneck, NJ

Maybe Not The Best Cartoon Ever

Coincidence?

Should We Be Outraged?

Dennis Miller's Rant

Now That You Mention It

SOPA and PIPA Are Dead

Thursday Afternoon Hottie

Marky Mark is All Talk (Updated)

Reasonable Profits?

Paula Deen: Hypocrite

Stacey Dash

Al Gore, Minus The Drawl

Newt

Yeah... Good Luck With That

ABC, Mitt Romney and Tax Havens

Who Turned Out The Lights?

An Inconvenient Truth

Now For The Real Numbers

On Strike

Daily Afternoon Randomness

Facebook From Beyond

Everyone Panic!

Oh Sh!t

Fat Man vs. Thin Man

Golden Globes

First Challenge to Obama "Recess" Appointments Is Filed

I'll Be Watching

Waiting In The Wings

Abandon Ship!

Cancel The War and Fix The Wounded

Partisan DC

New York's Gun Laws