tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58299092011-12-08T08:55:43.430-08:00Comments about current events, politics, science & technology, and life in general.ExRatnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-88472297908153783712011-12-08T08:55:00.000-08:002011-12-08T08:55:43.442-08:00

Pres. Obama spoke in Texas Kansas yesterday (he seemed a bit confused about where he was) and went on and on about fairness. I think he might have used the word "fair" more than the first person singular pronoun, possibly the first time ever that he uttered any word more than "I", "my" and "me" in a speech. To channel an old boss, fairness is like motherhood. Who could possibly be against it?

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-8363513208664015792011-12-07T08:47:00.000-08:002011-12-07T08:47:41.538-08:00

Reading the papers and online news about what's going on in Europe, China, Washington, New York, California and other places around the world, it occurs to me that there are several types of laws that no politician, legislature, dictator or elected leader, however powerful, can change, affect or do anything whatsoever about, except possibly to delay the inevitable in some limited circumstances.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-11559514760927132302011-11-28T09:16:00.000-08:002011-11-28T09:16:08.413-08:00

After 16 terms in the House of Representatives, Barney Frank (D-MA) is not standing for re-election. Hoo-raw! Not that my opinion matters all that much, but I think Mr. Frank and his co-conspirator former Sen. Chris Dodd are the two individuals most to blame for the housing meltdown in 2008 and the subsequent spiral into worldwide recession, the effects of which are still being felt here and

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-72800213596883930102011-10-29T15:56:00.000-07:002011-10-29T15:56:53.736-07:00

Fox News Online is reporting a major snowstorm today, October 29, covering  most of the northeastern United States. New York's Central Park set a record for October snowfall as of 2 PM, as the snow continues to fall. No word on the effect of the weather on the Occupy Wall Street crowd. What might explain this rare meteorological event? Easy: it's on account of global warming, and it's all

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-2669973263147487352011-10-20T08:23:00.000-07:002011-10-20T08:23:57.424-07:00

It's all over the news this morning that Mummar Khadaffi (however one spells the name) is dead of acute lead poisoning of the brain. The Libyan dictator allegedly was first shot in both legs, then in the head, following which the anti-Khadaffi people who shot him removed one of his shoes and beat him with it. It is my understanding that this is one of the most vile things one Muslim can do to

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-7829198927867014352011-10-11T18:39:00.000-07:002011-10-11T18:39:41.213-07:00

After several weeks now of the "occupiers" on Wall Street, in DC and dozens of other cities, it seems to me, based on the statements I've heard on TV and radio, and on the signs I've seen on TV and the Internet, that the "occupiers" are a bunch of spoiled brats who want something for nothing, and they don't want "the greedy rich" to have anything more than they do. The fact that the "greedy rich"

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-80560971756007065562011-09-19T09:48:00.000-07:002011-09-19T09:48:56.549-07:00

So our beloved President Obama has come out with a "new" deficit reduction program that oozes with class-warfare populism, calling for those millionaires and billionaires (although I don't think he used the phrase) to pay their "fair share" of taxes. Now, as a general principle, I don't think the hyper-wealthy, like the President's friend Warren Buffett, really should be paying a lower rate than

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-61151102247682435802011-09-14T08:09:00.000-07:002011-09-14T08:09:50.617-07:00

Obama sent his "jobs bill" to Congress Monday and asked, no, demanded that Congress pass it "immediately". He's repeated that "right now/right away" theme in speeches around the country since then. That last linked item also noted on Tuesday Obama's campaign guru David Axelrod said on Good Morning America, "We're not in a negotiation to break up the package. It's not an a la carte menu."

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-84884197378267619552011-08-08T11:22:00.000-07:002011-08-08T11:22:31.664-07:00

Last Friday the United States was downgraded by a rating agency for the first time in history. Markets world-wide reacted negatively. This morning, about 20 min. ago, Obama spoke in public for the first time on the event. His reaction: more of the same. He gave his #@&*! campaign speech! Blame S&P, blame the Repubs and Tea Party, blame Europe, blame tsunamis. He said he'd lay out his plan for

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-24802287488994512072011-08-05T18:19:00.000-07:002011-08-05T18:19:32.194-07:00

The news broke about 15 minutes ago that S&P downgraded US Government debt to AA+ from AAA. This is reportedly the first credit downgrade in US history. If there is any better evidence that Obama's economic policy (if it could be called a "policy") didn't work and isn't working, and if there is any better evidence that our political class doesn't have a clue, I can't imagine what it might be.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-7200717655007601172011-08-05T16:13:00.000-07:002011-08-05T16:13:28.934-07:00

Sen. Kerry (D-MA; What's the matter with those people in Massachusetts?) reportedly said the following on MSNBC (you know, that demented network nobody watches): And I have to tell you, I say this to you politely. The media in America has a bigger responsibility than it's exercising today. The media has got to begin to not give equal time or equal balance to an absolutely absurd notion just

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-27687055190136175452011-08-03T13:54:00.000-07:002011-08-03T13:54:37.850-07:00

So, all over the media yesterday and this morning are comments, headlines and assertions that the "Tea Party won", that it "permanently changed the conversation" and that "from now on there'll never be an increase in the debt limit that doesn't involve deficit reduction". OK, so how come it doesn't feel like the powers of light won? How come both Obama and Chuckie Schumer both stated yesterday

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-71827555986355114212011-08-01T15:01:00.000-07:002011-08-01T15:01:53.364-07:00

A friend of mine used to say, "When someone's getting a "deal", someone's getting dealt." As has become habitual during the Obama regime, big, consequential legislation is being promoted without anyone really knowing what's in it. How has Obamacare worked out so far, hmmmm? Like Ann Althouse, I am not at all sure that the "deal" is as great for the conservatives (i.e., the forces of light) as the

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-2512496561142059612011-07-08T09:24:00.000-07:002011-07-08T09:24:21.622-07:00

The President's (and Pelosi's and Reid's) "stimulus" program and associated policies have failed miserably. Witness today's news on jobs created and unemployment rate for June. Anybody who denies that the President's policies have failed is either insane or an idiot. The whole thing has been a Keynesian wet dream, and it has produced what one might expect from a wet dream--a sticky mess.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-28330481327032998902011-06-29T12:56:00.000-07:002011-06-29T12:56:51.099-07:00

how disappointed I am in Barack Obama as President. I only caught a smidgen of his press conference today, but I have to say, based on what I did see, that I have never seen such a shameless whine of "it's not my fault" from anyone who purports to be a chief executive. It sounded like a teenager rationalizing a bad test grade to a parent. Pathetic. The man is not up to the job, but his minions

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-23874295653954015722011-06-22T08:21:00.000-07:002011-06-22T08:21:25.257-07:00

Well, I think that's pretty much the kiss of death for Ron Huntsman. [This is the first of what I expect will be a series of posts with this title.]

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-39116434126533156742011-06-09T08:41:00.000-07:002011-06-09T08:41:07.010-07:00

Pleading guilty to breaking Godwin's Law, I am concerned about the increasing frequency of stories like those described here. This sort of thing is right out of a WWII-era movie about the Nazis. I agree with Glenn Reynolds that police should be strictly liable for damage and injuries they cause in the course of these raids. There are only a few kinds of cases in which these tactics are

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-57329634205141355212011-06-08T14:51:00.000-07:002011-06-08T14:51:21.518-07:00

I've repeatedly said in the past that I think Obama wants to turn the United States into pre-Thatcher UK, and once I even agreed that he wants to turn the US into Haiti. But hopenchange continues unabated, and I am coming around to the opinion that he wants to turn the whole country into Detroit, by doing stuff like this.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-20899703666932048152011-05-31T09:55:00.000-07:002011-06-01T20:30:23.141-07:00

I find the whole thing amusing. It's even better because of the obvious puns on Rep. Weiner's name. Such a shame, especially because the guy is such a "prince". OK, so the previous was written on Sunday. Now it's Wednesday and Weiner has not given a straight answer to any question about the incident. He bobs and weaves in a manner that would make Muhammad Ali jealous, and spins so fast he's

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-12468051836765295432011-05-28T11:12:00.001-07:002011-05-28T11:12:57.910-07:00

Cancer is an insidious disease. It starts small, perhaps with only one cell, but the tumor grows quickly. As it grows, the cancer draws more and more resources from the body, sapping the body's strength. At some point it becomes so big that it exerts pressure on the other organs, causing them to become less able to perform their functions. It also metastasizes, establishing itself in other parts

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-674365065836593592011-05-04T18:40:00.000-07:002011-05-04T18:40:03.869-07:00

Taqiiya.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-22533363963100203022011-05-01T19:55:00.000-07:002011-05-01T19:55:51.277-07:00

Fox News is reporting that Osama Bin Laden is dead, and AP reports that the US has his body. According to the crawler, bin Laden was killed by a US bomb a week ago, but the US has held the news close to the vest awaiting results of DNA testing. Obama is supposed to make some kind of announcement momentarily (1955 hrs Pacific). More in a later post. If true, I am shedding no tears.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-7293003991360843482011-04-27T13:30:00.000-07:002011-04-27T13:30:58.357-07:00

While he certainly knows his way around Washington, what, exactly, in Panetta;s background makes him the best qualified person to be SecDef? His tenure at CIA has been lackluster at best. Maybe the reference to onetime CIA official Ishmael Jones' remark contains a clue: (paraphrasing) because of his close personal connection to the President and lack of exposure to the CIA [Defense] bureaucracy.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-13609631969101626302011-04-14T14:56:00.000-07:002011-04-14T14:56:44.515-07:00

After that speech yesterday, which will be exceeded in quality, clarity, honesty and earnestness by 98% of the high school valedictorian addresses in the country this year, Mr. Obama now deserves, in my heartfelt opinion, the title "Dumbass-In-Chief." That's the only charitable explanation for the steaming pile of male bovine excrement that Mr. Obama delivered. One less charitable explanation

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-23558587488713630852011-04-13T07:37:00.000-07:002011-04-13T07:38:12.658-07:00

So now Sen. Durban of IL thinks it's a great time to institute internet sales taxes. Yet another brake on the economy. As I have said before, the Dems might not be trying to bring down the United States, but they wouldn't do anything different if they were. Same old song: It doesn't matter what the question is, the Dems' answer is always "more taxes," and the teachers unions' is "more money."

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-9471302744344614172011-04-06T16:33:00.000-07:002011-04-06T16:33:24.896-07:00

A mine in California's Mojave Desert has recently resumed production of ores that are rich in 15 rare earth elements, according to this Fox News story. These elements are used in all kinds of high-tech devices, including cell phones and military electronics and China has pretty much cornered the market for them in recent years, achieving 97% penetration worldwide. This mine is a good thing for

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-84567391568404345362011-04-05T11:55:00.000-07:002011-04-05T11:55:30.928-07:00

In the face of all kinds of forecasts that predict fiscal disaster for the United States if current spending levels are allowed to continue, the Democrats in Congress, especially the Pelosi-Reid bloc, together with the President, are adamantly opposing any serious spending cuts. Apparently they believe that they can raise taxes to balance the budget, but at the rate we're borrowing, it will be

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-24949745793554581012011-03-28T12:34:00.000-07:002011-03-28T12:34:29.562-07:00

Paraphrasing a bitter joke that people were making ca. 1966: Just think--if we had elected John McCain as president we'd still be fighting in Afghanistan, we'd have occupation forces in Iraq, Guantanamo would still be open, we'd probably be bombing some Arab country and the United States would be disrespected around the world!

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-56150247936694303802011-03-23T09:11:00.000-07:002011-03-23T09:11:03.903-07:00

First, I hope the current campaign in Libya succeeds in getting Kadafi (spelled phonetically because the "preferred" spelling seems to change by the hour) to go away. Preferably at room temperature in a box, to an underground destination. I bow to no one in my dislike and disgust at the man and all he stands for. In retrospect I think we probably should have declared war against Libya as soon as

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-80782407922061199232011-03-19T10:35:00.000-07:002011-03-19T10:41:18.724-07:00

Let's face it, friends, we've elected as our President a narcissistic incompetent boob who makes Hamlet look decisive, and who's giving socialism a bad name. The man couldn't lead himself into a mens room, and his foreign policy consists of emboldening our enemies while simultaneously alienating our allies. He has made himself a national liability, and as Glenn Reynolds has repeatedly said, a

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-81888030214437998032011-02-17T16:36:00.000-08:002011-02-17T16:36:51.633-08:00

The next time some dumbass lefty tries to tell you that the Tea Party engages in uncivil and violence-promoting rhetoric and the Left does not, answer with one word: Madison. OK, so the Wisconsin GOP made the video--do you really think the whole thing was CGI? Hmmmm?

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-8091132115352404442011-02-11T09:14:00.000-08:002011-02-11T09:14:20.119-08:00

I find this extraordinarily profound, and I fervently hope that it will be read by at least 10 million people in the United States. Thanks, Glenn.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-26295388515156496762011-02-10T12:39:00.000-08:002011-02-10T12:39:03.058-08:00

I have to say I can't muster much confidence in a chief spook (Director of National Intelligence James Clapper) who can't recognize an oxymoron when he blurts it out. I mean, the Muslim Brotherhood is "largely secular"? C'mon, Jim. Don't ya think that there might be a clue somewhere that you're probably wrong? As Mr. Podhoretz observes, it's time for a new DNI. Tomorrow wouldn't be too soon. As

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-58764796568193214082011-02-04T14:06:00.000-08:002011-02-04T14:06:11.996-08:00

It's on account of global warming, and it's all Bush's fault. (I don't really believe that, but I'm willing to bet someone does--I just hope that someone isn't making US Government policy.)

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-49343421612345708902011-01-26T12:37:00.000-08:002011-01-26T12:37:45.731-08:00

Frankly, I've heard a better speech from a high schooler, and the kid didn't have a teleprompter. Not exciting, not even interesting. Way too long. My better half remarked, "He's taking so long so that people will be tired and want to go to bed without listening to the Republican response." Maybe so. I will admit to bias, since I think Mr. Obama is actively trying to destroy the US economy. (And

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-69972300078419809712011-01-18T10:49:00.000-08:002011-01-18T10:49:09.509-08:00

This interview reveals what President Obama really thinks about the Constitution. It should be listened to every day between now and Election Day 2012, so that people know what they are voting on.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-28358066397654961422011-01-05T12:07:00.001-08:002011-01-05T12:30:32.725-08:00

I would like to go on record as supporting two proposed amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America.The first, known as the Repeal Amendment, has been introduced in Congress and reads as follows:Any provision of law or regulation of the United States may be repealed by the several states, and such repeal shall be effective when the legislatures of two-thirds of the several

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-67188524726939907662011-01-01T11:11:00.000-08:002011-01-01T11:22:35.657-08:00

Is a failure, and will always be a failure as long as the goal is to keep talking and not to resolve the problems.The biggest problem is, (and I must credit the unknown person who first expressed this idea) that if the Palestinian Arabs were to lay down their arms, there would be peace. If Israel were to lay down its arms, Israel would cease to exist.There will be no peace until and unless one of

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-56861756404167289652010-12-17T10:44:00.000-08:002010-12-17T10:53:58.993-08:00

This story virtually screams that the much-maligned TSA screening process at our airports is, as many have maintained, more theater than actual security.Assuming that the Department of Homeland Security is actually interested in protecting Americans, as opposed to merely keeping up appearances and growing a bureaucracy filled with mindless robots, it also suggests that Secretary Napolitano should

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-53214950960112028592010-12-13T08:41:00.000-08:002010-12-13T19:03:00.198-08:00

According to my research, the following has been attributed to David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D., Professor of Economics at the University of Georgia. However, in his online bio, Dr. Kamerschen disclaims authorship and says he does not know who wrote it, nor does he express an opinion on its merits. It's been going around the Internet for a couple of years, at least, but I believe it's timely in light

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-78003496357804466252010-12-10T19:18:00.000-08:002010-12-10T19:24:34.964-08:00

Today I saw on TV the strangest presidential press conference I can remember. The sitting POTUS made introductions and after a very short amount of time essentially turned the show over to Bill Clinton, his predecessor once removed. Clinton did a much better job than Obama has ever done.Translation: I can't do this--you drive.As The Professor says, "The country's in the very best of hands."

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-58398070101597302932010-11-18T07:35:00.000-08:002010-11-18T08:20:32.195-08:00

As everyone who reads should know, Charlie Rangel, the former chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has been convicted by the House Ethics Committee on eleven counts of ethics rules violations. Sentencing is to be announced today.If I were meting out the sentence, I would strip Rangel of all seniority and all the perks that go with it--i.e., he would be treated like a newly-elected

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-63350152736894577712010-11-09T07:36:00.002-08:002010-11-11T07:15:12.538-08:00

God bless all our veterans. Without their sacrifices our world would be much different, and far less free. And may God bless their families, without whose love, support and sacrifice our veterans could not have achieved what they did.Now, a link to a story in Stars and Stripes featuring my favorite veteran.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-68440399445512414102010-11-06T10:26:00.000-07:002010-11-06T10:43:08.654-07:00

For quite some time now, I have noted that the Democrats and Republicans have different definitions for the same terms. For example, to a Dem, "special interests" is more or less synonymous with "greedy corporations" and "Wall Street bankers" and "the rich", while to a Repub, the term means something like "big labor" and "welfare rights organizations" and "illegal immigration proponents."The word

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-43614828478555928502010-11-05T12:03:00.000-07:002010-11-05T12:10:16.032-07:00

Is it just me, or are Chris Matthews and Barney Frank extraordinarily similar in both substance and style?They're both lefties, they're both condescending, bombastic and arrogant, they both interrupt as soon as they hear something they don't like ... what's the dif?So is Matthews a sock puppet of Frank's, or vice versa?

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-90635389796244035862010-11-02T07:05:00.000-07:002010-11-02T07:25:17.545-07:00

First of all, GO VOTE! if you haven't already.Second, I'm looking forward to a very interesting evening of return-watching. Might even be more entertaining than Jon Stewart's rally last weekend. All the pundits have been exhibiting a herd mentality in stating that "the folks" won't be voting for Republicans, but rather they'll be voting against Democrats. Some Dem pundits are spinning it a bit

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-4052173336281415882010-10-25T10:19:00.000-07:002010-10-25T10:31:55.129-07:00

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, in a tight race for the US Senate seat formerly owned by Bobby Byrd of KKK fame (or maybe infamy), has "walked back" his support for the Obamacare bill. He said yesterday, "Reaching as far as they did in the weeds of the bill that we didn't know about, no one else knew about until it came out -- knowing that, I would not have supported that or voted for that at

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-32715437225332269182010-10-19T09:11:00.000-07:002010-10-20T18:07:24.428-07:00

Almost every high school graduate who reads knows the quote that is the title to this post (or some version of it), from George Santayana. Here is the quote with some context: Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-63361677144681183382010-09-18T15:25:00.000-07:002010-09-18T15:32:47.228-07:00

Dear Senator Murkowski,BOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!Why do you think we have elections?Last I looked, Senate seats aren't hereditary. The people have spoken--LISTEN TO THEM!!!I hope you come in a distant third, with an embarrassingly low number of votes, like, maybe, you and your immediate family (with perhaps a couple of those voting for one of the other candidates).Most sincerely,ExRat

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-42571524531051069092010-09-08T14:19:00.000-07:002010-09-09T09:36:34.114-07:00

There are somewhere around 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide. It is unknown how many of them are radicalized. That fraction has been estimated by the Gallup organization to be seven percent. If only one percent of them are radical Islamists, that means there are 16 million people our there who want to destroy western civilization and replace it with a worldwide Caliphate. This number is roughly

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-41353911183542980692010-09-07T10:45:00.000-07:002010-09-07T11:03:28.511-07:00

I have a similar attitude towards this, ummm, prank that I do towards the Ground Zero Mosque. It is absolutely protected behavior under the First Amendment, but "just because you can, doesn't mean you should."I don't think burning another religion's holy book is a very Christian thing to do, and it lowers those who do to the same status as the Taliban blowing up 1500-year-old Buddhas at Bamyan.I

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-88376947498152435272010-09-02T16:26:00.000-07:002010-09-02T18:46:31.361-07:00

I wonder how it is that after years and years of safe drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, there's the BP disaster, followed 5 months later by another explosion on a platform, which just happens to occur a few days after a federal judge 0. against the "no drilling" decree issued by the feds.Are the inspectors not inspecting? Did the safety rules change? In any case, you'd think that every rig

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-71056270692968803682010-08-19T20:58:00.000-07:002010-08-19T21:00:09.579-07:00

This piece says, very eloquently, that Obama's jumped the shark.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-45327591879677298332010-08-19T11:19:00.000-07:002010-08-19T11:29:04.820-07:00

It's all over the news today that nearly one in five Americans think Pres. Obama is a Muslim, and another 43% don't know what religion Obama professes.Count me in the latter category. I'm not at all sure that Rev. Wright's church is actually Christian, irrespective of what it's called--too much hate and racism; and Obama doesn't go there anymore. Apparently the Obamas don't attend church

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-20446296174209136742010-08-14T15:18:00.000-07:002010-08-14T15:44:02.164-07:00

I think the Constitution gives the folks who want to build the mosque a block from Ground Zero the right to do so, subject to the same local zoning and other restrictions that would apply to other houses of worship.I think that to actually build the mosque would be a perpetual irritation to the majority of people in the US, who believe that to build it there is inappropriate and an affront to

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-58551271354667862302010-07-31T10:34:00.000-07:002010-07-31T10:46:41.568-07:00

So Pres. Obama thinks the new Chevrolet Volt is God's gift to the car-buying public, at $41k per copy. Maybe so ... time will tell.As previously stated, I'm no economist. I have no crystal ball. But I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that, although some early adopters and very earnest (and well-off) greens will buy the Volt, the vast majority of Volt sales will be to federal and state

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-39172079475147506742010-07-31T09:53:00.001-07:002010-07-31T10:47:45.488-07:00

The image to the left (click to enlarge), which appeared on the front page of the Wall Street Journal on Saturday, 31 August as part of this story (might be behind a subscription firewall), is definitely worth a thousand words.I'm no economist, but what these graphs say to me is, the recovery is anemic and might be headed for a "double dip", the stimulus didn't work, and the Administration and

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-63844612344598279542010-07-29T10:03:00.000-07:002010-07-29T10:18:56.981-07:00

OK, I admit that I haven't read Judge Bolton's opinion, but I have read the thoughts of people who a lot more knowledgeable about federal preemption law than I am. I agree with them that it appears that Judge Bolton bent over backward, ignoring the established rules for interpreting statutes, to find a reason to enjoin enforcement of the parts of Arizona's statute that would have the most effect

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-65594959066551983992010-07-27T11:01:00.000-07:002010-07-27T11:13:41.764-07:00

FoxNews.com reports that a 24-year old grad student pursuing a degree in counseling has been told by her college, Augusta State U. in Georgia, that she must change her religious beliefs regarding gay, lesbian and transgendered persons or be expelled from the program, according to a lawsuit filed against the school.Assuming the allegations of the complaint as cited in the story are true, it would

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-39703273882378106992010-07-22T11:59:00.000-07:002010-07-22T12:01:59.583-07:00

Well, one good thing is coming out of the Obama administration. When he runs again in 2012, unlike in 2008 Mr. Obama will have a track record to run on ... or from.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-47918184168462656732010-07-21T09:18:00.000-07:002010-07-21T09:28:09.877-07:00

I watched the signing of the Finance Reform bill a little while ago. Sad.What's sadder (because I weep for my country that it has chosen Mr. Obama to be President), is that every time I hear Obama speak, I am reminded of the old joke about the Three Big Lies.For those of you who were born yesterday, the Three Big Lies are:"This won't hurt a bit.""I'm from the government and I'm here to help you."

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-80183247690892767012010-07-20T08:35:00.000-07:002010-07-20T08:40:01.915-07:00

I realize that some people might actually care, and that the news networks need to fill airtime, but geez!For the record, I think Ms. Lohan ought to be treated no better and no worse than Flo Schmo who works at Wal-Mart if she had behaved like Ms. Lohan. Except for the bit about segregation from the general jail population for her own safety.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-23575926513294841412010-07-20T08:01:00.000-07:002010-07-20T08:19:04.543-07:00

Here are the first two sentences of a Washington Examiner editorial dated 20 July 2010:It seemed a little odd last week when the Securities and Exchange Commission settled its lawsuit against Goldman Sachs within two hours of Senate passage of the Democrats' Dodd-Frank financial reform bill. After all, who could ask for a more perfect backdrop than a successful prosecution of the investment

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-88744004024980242632010-07-16T17:13:00.001-07:002010-07-17T09:33:40.371-07:00

It seems to me that our current political class -- at all levels and in both major parties -- is generally as incompetent and shortsighted as our political class in the late 1700s was effective and far-seeing.Not to say that there aren't exceptions.As a corollary, I'd say that among our current crop of "leaders," the higher a position they hold, the less statesmanlike they are.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-66604135812437571722010-07-09T09:10:00.000-07:002010-07-09T09:13:35.815-07:00

Thanks to Glenn Reynolds for linking to this chart.I suppose what it means to you depends on whether or not you believe in coincidence.Just sayin'.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-85464883846940618482010-07-08T15:41:00.000-07:002010-07-08T16:42:45.137-07:00

The Fox News Online story about this nomination makes the point that USMC General James N. Mattis said, five years ago, that "it's fun to shoot some people." The story goes on to say that Gen. Mattis was "rebuked" for making that remark.Well, pardon me if my response to the remark is, "Big Whoop." As politically incorrect as the General might have been (and general officers must always be aware

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-66697403412342951622010-06-22T17:11:00.000-07:002010-06-22T17:19:20.344-07:00

So let me get this straight--McChrystal's command dis-embeds Michael Yon and replaces him with a reporter from Rolling Stone Magazine? What could possibly go wrong?

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-28215424014082417782010-06-19T11:46:00.000-07:002010-06-19T11:47:54.514-07:00

Power Line Blog has a post that would be hilarious if it weren't so pathetic.Go see it.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-34886230402784560202010-06-16T12:06:00.000-07:002010-06-16T12:13:16.077-07:00

That's the only word I have in reaction to this story.The President took an oath:I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.By effectively ceding territory to the Mexican drug lords, I submit that Mr. Obama has violated both

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-51302200239047344762010-06-16T08:05:00.000-07:002010-06-16T09:20:14.648-07:00

I have heard countless times over the years that the violence in Mexico committed by drug gangs and the unceasing flow of drugs across the US/Mexico border is due entirely to the US's inability (Or is it unwillingness?. Ed) to control its domestic demand for illegal drugs such as cocaine in its various forms, heroin and of course, marijuana. Now I see a suggestion by Sen. Hatch (R-UT) that

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-35486812709154055602010-06-15T15:23:00.000-07:002010-06-15T17:24:00.661-07:00

Last January I wrote: I now believe that it is more likely than not that President Obama's economic policies are the manifestation of a conscious plan to cause economic chaos in the United States to the end that the people will accede to, if not clamor for, a huge increase in the size and power of the federal government in order to restore order and relative prosperity.Six months further

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-65473310715166605322010-05-29T10:15:00.000-07:002010-05-29T11:00:19.541-07:00

At this point only those directly involved know exactly what was said to Joe Sestak (D-PA) about the good things he would experience if he dropped out of the Democrat primary race for PA senator. I find it interesting, however, that the person allegedly dispatched to talk to Sestak was former Pres. Bill Clinton. I can't think of anyone who has a better and clearer track record of being able to

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-28250435664142302482010-05-26T08:57:00.000-07:002010-05-26T09:14:29.337-07:00

It seems to me that one of the reasons people are getting angry at Pres. Obama for not doing more, earlier about the Gulf oil disaster is that he has spent his presidency from day one trying to convince people that government is the source of all that is good. In fact, he seemed to be trying to make government a god--omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. Now, faced with the oil spill,

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-46945274895592493072010-05-25T09:28:00.000-07:002010-05-25T09:47:31.447-07:00

No sooner do I click the "publsh post" button than I see this.Here's the gist:The U.S. vice president, opening his address in Belgium, argued that Brussels -- considering its rich history and abundance of international institutions -- could well be the "capital of the free world." He suggested that Washington, D.C., his home, is undeserving of that title -- notwithstanding its wealth of

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-18309950879494416752010-05-25T08:51:00.000-07:002010-05-25T09:26:00.182-07:00

FI Award* number two goes to Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA), former US Navy Admiral and contender for the Senate seat to be vacated by "true blue" Arlen Specter at the end of the current term, for his stellar performance on Meet the Press" last Sunday.Several months ago, Sestak revealed that someone in the Obama White House had offered him a job, intimating the offer was conditional on Sestak withdrawing

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-31484540996531931732010-05-20T13:44:00.000-07:002010-05-20T15:13:29.204-07:00

That's the headline/photo caption on the homepage of Fox News Online as I write this. The story is about Mexico's President Felipe Calderon's address to a joint session of Congress in which he scolded the United States and Arizona in particular about the need to pass "comprehensive immigration reform."I guess that kind of arrogant (and rather ungrateful) behavior is what happens when the

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-33570695447267386002010-05-19T09:12:00.000-07:002010-05-19T09:19:56.923-07:00

As the political season heats up, I find myself more and more muttering "F---ing idiot!" under my breath.Case in point: Connecticut's AG and Dem Senate hopeful Richard Blumenthal.Maybe I'll make the "FI award" a regular thing on this blog. We're certainly in a target-rich environment.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-84952698702706346332010-04-29T21:50:00.000-07:002010-04-29T21:57:50.267-07:00

Awhile back I received as a gift a book titled “The Making of America” by W. Cleon Skousen, originally published in 1985. It is very much written from a conservative, or perhaps more accurately traditionalist, viewpoint, but it is loaded with quotes and footnotes and appears to have been exhaustively researched.Chapter two of the book describes how the Founding Fathers—those who designed and

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-4548438502067239122010-04-29T16:06:00.000-07:002010-04-29T16:09:10.292-07:00

Fox News online is reporting that the UN has elected Iran to the Commission on the Status of Women. For those who live in caves with no media access, Iran penalizes women who "dress immodestly" with lashings. Stoning is also "enshrined in law" Fox says.Fox reports that the Commission on the Status of Women is "dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women," according to its

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-45942946786429387732010-04-27T08:21:00.000-07:002010-04-27T09:02:31.712-07:00

Amidst all the brouhaha and accusations, I've seen nobody addressing the following question:How, exactly, will the procedures and tactics used by Arizona law enforcement officers under the new law to identify and arrest illegal aliens differ from those already used by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers?Seems to me the answer to that question is important. If the Arizona cops don't do

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-75820726660257621672010-04-27T08:09:00.001-07:002010-04-27T08:20:27.030-07:00

That's the headline for a Bret Stephens opinion piece (registration and/or payment may be required) in today's Wall Street Journal. Stevens lists all the various "peace processes" that have been going on since the Clinton administration (some go back to Bush 41), the only one of which that has worked being the one relating to Northern Ireland, and that one worked, according to Stephens, only

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-42685327709697461022010-04-26T09:14:00.000-07:002010-04-26T09:18:26.863-07:00

I just got the following quote from Patriot Post:"On every question of construction carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Johnson, 1823Too

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-22212578050689580122010-04-21T12:17:00.000-07:002010-04-21T12:30:57.569-07:00

After reading a whole bunch of articles and listening to a whole bunch of news stories and commentary about the SEC's lawsuit against Goldman Sachs, I find the timing vis a vis Obama's push for financial industry reform to be too cute by half. I do not believe the disclaimers by Rahm Emanuel and others that the White House or the DNC had no prior knowledge of the SEC action. As any literate

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-52338762089871631542010-03-21T20:36:00.000-07:002010-03-21T20:58:20.894-07:00

There is no such thing as a "moderate Democrat" or a "blue dog Democrat." If there ever was, they are no longer.When it came down to defending the rights of the unborn, Rep. Stupak (or is it Stupid?), who prominently claimed to be a champion of the anti-abortion side, prostituted himself for a purported promise by Barack Obama that he would issue an executive order banning the use of federal

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-45842098165365318432010-03-17T11:18:00.000-07:002010-03-17T11:30:43.822-07:00

So Nancy Pelosi, apparently lacking enough votes to pass the bogus Obamacare bill in connection with the reconciliation scheme, is now trying to give her reluctant (i.e., cowardly) charges the ability to "pass" the bill without the "up or down vote" that Pres. Obama recently called for. I guess the plan is for the Dem congress members to go home over break and claim with a straight face that they

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-69165154501193604622010-02-17T08:20:00.000-08:002010-02-17T08:25:32.408-08:00

I ran across this poem by Carl Sandburg, written about a century ago. Seems relevant to today--make of it what you will: I AM THE PEOPLE, THE MOB I AM the people--the mob--the crowd--the mass. Do you know that all the great work of the world is done through me? I am the workingman, the inventor, the maker of the world's food and clothes.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-90154859458400726092010-02-08T12:37:00.000-08:002010-02-08T12:39:33.335-08:00

The WaPo reports that Rep. John Murtha, D-PA has died.I kinda wanted him out of Congress, but not this way.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-26796160925522936362010-02-05T11:35:00.000-08:002010-02-05T11:40:13.199-08:00

Keith Hennessey dismantles President Obama's whiny budget message, and provides rational and well-reasoned talking points for anyone who has to argue with liberals on the subject. It's a must-read.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-56289692723724167252010-01-29T08:49:00.000-08:002010-01-29T09:07:01.338-08:00

Last March I wrote:At this moment in time, I am not prepared to say that President Obama's economic policies are the manifestation of a conscious plan to cause economic chaos in the United States to the end that the people will accede to, if not clamor for, a huge increase in the size and power of the federal government in order to restore order and relative prosperity.That said, if Mr. Obama did

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-83514559743731416392009-12-28T09:45:00.000-08:002009-12-28T09:55:12.936-08:00

Randy Barnett has helpfully posted the latest security directive issued by the TSA here.I wonder what this is going to do to passenger air traffic between the US and elsewhere. And what it's going to do to the airlines' earnings.Here's what CNNMoney.com is reporting at this writing. All the airlines are down between roughly 2% and 5.4% excepting, interestingly, Northwest.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-7313167067640968482009-12-24T09:23:00.000-08:002009-12-24T09:48:34.849-08:00

A couple days ago I was watching Mr. Obama expound on the necessity for the Senate to pass the abomination known as health care reform. He went on and on about how the bill would lower costs and improve health care for all Americans. Just then it hit me--Barack Obama is Joe Isuzu!I mean, just think about it. He said he didn't want to take over the banking industry and here he is setting salary

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-70063820458924854622009-11-29T14:32:00.000-08:002009-11-29T14:55:11.971-08:00

Iran announced today that it intends to build ten new uranium enrichment plants, with construction to begin as early as January 2010. The plants are to be hardened against attack by building them inside mountains. This announcement came only days after the IAEA dumped on Iran for lack of cooperation, with the outgoing director Mohammed El Baradei saying the IAEA's monitoring of Iran's nuclear

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-52779722397317983802009-11-28T12:07:00.000-08:002009-11-28T12:27:57.508-08:00

Having spent several hours over the last week or so reading about, and excerpts from, the disclosed emails and other documents from East Anglia University Climate Research Unit's archives, I have come to believe beyond doubt two things:1. "Peer review" doesn't mean squat when the author of the paper being reviewed and the reviewers are all members of the same club, especially when they act in

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-18664789068056248172009-11-22T15:57:00.000-08:002009-11-23T08:15:07.498-08:00

Times Online (UK) reports that President Obama's meeting with Hu Jintao produced nothing of value for the United States. That is not surprising. Since China owns so much US government debt and is pretty much the only place the government can sell more in the quantities needed, China pretty much pwns Obama. Besides that, Obama's foreign policy seems to begin and end with other nations liking the

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-5399422611717892222009-11-19T14:39:00.000-08:002009-11-19T14:58:05.168-08:00

Late to the party as usual, I saw the story some days ago that the Associated Press tasked 11, yes, 11 reporters to comb Sarah Palin's book, Going Rogue for factual errors.The AP people came up with 12 "errors' as reported in the linked story. And as I read them, some of the supposed "gotchas" that the crack AP reporting team came up with aren't really "gotchas" at all. The ones about her hotel

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-6817506233655305922009-11-15T14:12:00.000-08:002009-11-15T14:32:54.305-08:00

Here's a story about deposed Honduran President Zelaya refusing in advance to honor any vote by the Honduran people that would clearly and convincingly reject him as president. I'm shocked! Shocked! to think that Zelaya would want to be president whether or not he's backed by the majority of Hondurans.Based on what I've read, the Obama administration, including "the smartest woman in the world"

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-51144792528206665962009-11-15T13:50:00.000-08:002009-11-15T14:11:44.432-08:00

Jeez! First he bows to the Saudi king, now he bows to the Emperor of Japan.China practically owns us due to our unprecedented run-up of debt. I wonder what Obama's going to do when he meets with Hu Jintao this week--give him a Lewinski special? (I admit that was disrespectful to the Presidency of the United States, and for that I am sorry, but my point is about Obama the man, who embarrasses and

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-17290101699916246992009-11-06T11:01:00.000-08:002009-11-06T11:56:39.270-08:00

What American could not be shocked by the massacre that occurred yesterday at Ft. Hood, Texas? As details about the alleged perpetrator have become known, his Muslim faith stands out like a zit on a prom queen's nose. (I use the term "alleged" because in the United States there is a legal presumption of innocence and for no other reason, because factually there's no doubt that Maj. Nidal Malik

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-54373398231741618802009-11-03T07:10:00.000-08:002009-11-03T07:12:54.339-08:00

I occurred to me that the Democrats'/Obama's health care plan, in whatever form it eventually takes, is a lot like Mr. Magoo shooting at a rabbit with a .50 cal machine gun:It creates chaos, causes a hell of a lot of collateral damage and if it happens to score a hit, there's nothing left of the target.

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829909.post-45833782990494616902009-10-19T08:59:00.000-07:002009-10-19T15:35:22.081-07:00

I have reluctantly come to the opinion that the United States is deeply engaged in, to put it in most vulgar terms, cutting its own balls off.This process began, at the latest, during the Clinton administration (remember the "peace dividend"?) and continued at a diminished rate during the Bush administration, but in the past the instrument used might be likened to a political scalpel, whereas now

ExRatnoreply@blogger.com0