Blog Heap o'Links for September 2011

Why now? This may be the most important question of our time. Why are some people reaching the boiling point? Why do many others look vacant, like in an Invasion of the Body Snatchers? The shootings at military bases, from Little Rock to Fort Hood -- why now? It's Obama, of course.

Papa B relays the latest bumper stickers gracing his black 2004 Yukon. It is, as you might expect, equipped with some custom extras including driver and passenger Beretta 92FS holders. [h/t Maetenloch at Ace of Spades]

no one applauded until instructed to... When President Bush gave a speech to the military... the media made sure that everyone knew who the applaud-starter had been... Oddly enough, they were strangely silent when President Obama not only didn't receive applause... [until] from the stage, someone requested of the audience to do so. ... I suppose there's always the possibility that they, like me, didn't realize that it happened, which wouldn't be altogether too surprising considering the WhiteHouse YouTube channel conveniently edited out the beginning of the speech.

the mental universe of liberalism. It is a vast sphere of assumptions that are found nowhere else. In an effort to promote the civility of debate that is so much in demand these days, here is a compendium of the myths underlying some of the strange things liberals say.

The former home of Bartlesville Office Supply, the Kress building, has recently been the target of a renovation and rejuvenation project. ... "When the Kress stores went under, they knew their buildings were architecturally significant," Oldroyd said. The company donated all of their blue prints and plans to The National Building Museum in Washington D.C. The builders also took photos whenever they made any structural changes to the building and sent them to the corporate office as proof of those changes. Oldroyd contacted the museum and was able to have all the blue prints and pictures sent to him. "It was a tremendous tool in seeing what the building was originally like," Oldroyd said.

In this post, I will argue that Paul was in fact a widower at the time of his writing.

They had their chance to have a strong woman in Hillary. Instead, they chose a weak minority male. Most likely they wasted their chance with Hillary because if a Republican wins in 2012 and things improve at all, the GOP will probably win in 2016. The year 2020 is probably too late for Hillary to make a comeback. And although anything can happen, as far as I can tell, there are no other strong females on the Democratic horizon. Additionally, there don't appear to be any strong blacks on the Democratic horizon either. Or, for that matter, any minorities. The Republicans, on the other hand, have some rising African-American stars in Congressman Allen West of Florida and businessman Herman Cain. Florida Senator Marco Rubio, of Cuban descent; Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, of Indian descent; and a host of women might steal the spotlight from the Democrats' big tent -- to say nothing of New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, also of Hispanic origin, and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, with Indian ancestry. Ironic, isn't it?

At the instigation of a mentally unbalanced bee-keeper, the similarly unbalanced European Court (EuGH), the highest court in the EUSSR, is considering whether honeybees are allowed to approach genetically modified plants and take their pollen.

When Mary Coleman died in May 2009, two days after she fell to the floor at her sister's house, her sister and nephew decided there was nothing they could do about it and went out for pizza. … police found her mummified remains more than three months later …

The study's findings suggest that Shariah law has entered into state court decisions, in conflict with the Constitution and state public policy. Some commentators have said there are no more than one or two cases of Shariah law in U.S. state court cases; yet we found 50 significant cases just from the small sample of appellate published cases.... Others have asserted with certainty that state court judges will always reject any foreign law, including Shariah law, when it conflicts with the Constitution or state public policy; yet we found 15 Trial Court cases, and 12 Appellate Court cases, where Shariah was found to be applicable in these particular cases. ... [h/t Cuz BD]

Five Amish men who were "allegedly under the influence of alcohol and controlled substances" groped and fondled two 13-year-old girls and a 12-year-old girl, according to a police report.

Teamster leader James Hoffa spoke. Calling Republicans "sons of bitches" he assured the president that "this is your army. We are ready to march" and that it was time to take the other side "out". The president didn't disavow the remarks when he spoke shortly thereafter which would imply, if he were a Republican and the media cared about covering it, that he agreed with Hoffa. Obviously the crazed Carson gunman heard the call to arms and shot at military members, a segment of the population traditionally aligned with those Republicans he was instructed to "take out." Taking the president's silence as tacit agreement, the gunman followed the instructions given to him. President Obama really should apologize to the families of the dead and to the country. No? That sounds crazy?

Sure, DC got flak from racists who said Uncle Sam had to be white. DC bravely answered that the spirit of America could manifest in any of its citizens, and all the major media news media agreed, giving DC publicity that no amount of money could buy. Until then, Marvel Comics had threatened to surpass DC, but DC's bold integration of its world pushed Marvel back into second place. … [Ummm….]

it's like taking a sip of the flat Coors Light you forgot to finish before bed last night. Burpless yeast water! [h/t Linked by somebody at Ace of Spades]

[Predictably, some good some bad in 700 new laws in Texas] ... no longer have to slow down to 65 mph at night on most highways ... can set highway speeds at 75 mph ... eminent domain to seize private property only if it's necessary for highways, schools or other public uses ... voters will be required to show photo identification ... requiring pre-abortion sonograms ... women must wait 24 hours before having the abortion ... Women can opt out of the sonogram only in cases of rape, incest or fatal abnormalities of the fetus. [So at least women know what to claim to opt out]

We don't know much about Barack Hussein Obama's extended family, because for some reason the media don't focus on them. However, a closer look at Mr. Obama's kin reveals a family just like any other American family. Except maybe for the granny in Kenya living in a hut without electricity. And then there's his polygamous pop. And I almost forgot: there's a communist. And another communist. And yet another communist…

Woman in Audience: If you can't legalize marijuana, why can't we just legalize medical marijuana, to help the people that need it? Obama: Well, you know, a lot of states are making decisions about medical marijuana. As a controlled substance, the issue then is, you know, is it being prescribed by a doctor, as opposed to, uh, you know— well— I'll— I'll— I'll— I'll leave it at that. Did Obama suddenly remember that he broke his promise to respect state choices regarding the medical use of marijuana? Did he realize he would have a hard time explaining why he is letting the Justice Department and the DEA threaten medical marijuana suppliers and scare state officials away from licensing dispensaries? Maybe he just cares so little about this issue that he can't even bother to distinguish between medical exceptions to state drug laws and federal rescheduling of marijuana (which would allow doctors to prescribe it), let alone explain how marijuana's Schedule I status is consistent with his avowed commitment to sound science.

The President's black bus tour meets a dead end. These guys just don't know how to navigate "flyover country". [photo]

In Prescott a police officer tasered a mentally handicapped man who was standing there with his hands up. The officer, of course, had no choice... was standing outside the Golden Corral in Prescott, harassing customers, asking for food, money, and yelling at them.... [video]

Authorities in North Miami Beach say a man carrying what was later determined to be a toy rifle was shot and killed by police.

Mexican President Felipe Calderón called the Zeta cartel members who started the fire "true terrorists who have gone beyond all limits." Yet having already destroyed nearly $13 billion in cartel "assets," which in a saner world we would call "exports" and not destroy; and captured and/or killed two-thirds of Mexico's most-wanted list, it seems like there's not much else Calderon and his handlers in the U.S. can do: Keep burning them drugs, keep arresting them baddies, and pray--in the words of Obama-nominated DEA Chief Michele Leonhart--that the "caged animals" keep "attacking one another." But the BBC notes that Calderón is losing his gusto for being a drug-war lapdog.

Opening a pot shop in D.C. means signing a paper that says you're a criminal

a Bronx woman whose 10-year-old son and 8-year-old niece were taken away after a police search of her apartment (based on suspicions of drug dealing) turned up 10 grams of marijuana, which she said belonged to her boyfriend. In New York, possessing less than 25 grams of pot (about nine-tenths of an ounce) is not even a misdemeanor (provided you do not display it "in public view"); it's a citable offense similar to a traffic violation, punishable by a $100 fine. But it was enough for ACS to put Harris' son in foster care for more than a week. Meanwhile, her niece, whom she was raising as a foster child, was taken away for more than a year. ACS closed the investigation with no finding of neglect. ... the trauma of separating children from their parents is bound to cause far more damage than allowing them to be raised by people who smoke pot from time to time.

She was registered to to walk in the 'Jump Right in and Run' half marathon and 5k walk here in beautiful Storm Lake, Iowa, so we had to hurry home from the big Tea Party of America rally that Governor Palin spoke at held in Indianola Iowa on Saturday. I was still in bed at a little after 7am this morning when my wife called me in near hysterics that she had just met Todd and Sarah Palin as she was getting ready to start the event! Unbelievably... they were here in town! ... No one even knew who they were. Wearing visors and sunglasses, with no entourage or people around them, they just kind of blended right in. ... After speaking with them for a while I let them go sort of mingle with others, I didn't want be a pest after all, but before they left they came back over to me and my wife, thanked us again and said they were so happy to meet us, then stood for a quick picture. ... to the people who did recognize her, she was as gracious and friendly as one could be. You can just tell she loves people, is very sincerely interested in learning about you and what's going on in the area.

Border Patrol officials are investigating an incursion by Mexican federal police into the United State on Thursday morning. U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Mosier said armed officers with Mexico's Secretaria de Seguridad Publica federal police were in the incursion, which took place in El Paso, near the Border Patrol's Ysleta station. ... armed men fired weapons and stole hunters' chairs and drove back into Mexico

With the unveiling of the Nissan Leaf, a 100 percent battery-operated vehicle, this week in Illinois, [Gov Pat] Quinn says it's time for an electric highway, a road from Chicago to Springfield with electric vehicle charging stations along the way. ... "I think Abraham Lincoln would be very proud of us." [Er... double whhaaa...?] Asked where the funding would come from for electric vehicle charging stations, Quinn says money was already built into the capital budget for electrical vehicle enhancements, with emphasis on charging stations.

The first portion of this page is devoted to organizations that are funded directly by George Soros and his Open Society Institute (OSI). The second portion of the page focuses on organizations which do not receive direct funding from Soros and OSI, but which receive money from one or more groups that do get direct OSI fundin

Only if the Kafirs realize the goal of Islam is annihilation of their culture, can the destruction be stopped. ... Islamic sharia is being crammed down our throats and those who resist it and try to force adherence to AMERICAN law in the United States are vilified, just as their counterparts in Europe are. Europe at this point is nearly lost, as a sleepy complicate populace begins to awaken, to their horror, they are learning that it will be nearly impossible to undo. ...

a new digital pen called "Inkling" which allows artists the ability to draw on paper while the pen and receiver captures the drawing. The receiver is then hooked up to your computer and you can import the drawing … pen tip looks like a ball point pen but has pressure sensitivity. You can even create virtual "layers" on your paper which are imported into real layers in your graphic application. [promo video]

the linemen helped the driver out of his trapped seat while flames started to lap against his overturned truck. As soon as he was freed, the driver reached back in to rescue his 3-year-old daughter. That's when he told the linemen his pregnant wife was trapped inside the truck, and the boys sprang into action. First, the trio got additional help from two other bystanders -- an older man in a back brace and a woman in a military uniform -- and then coordinated a five-man lift to flip the truck over, all while the automobile's engine compartment was lapped by flames. ... We had to flip the truck over. It was just a midsize truck."

Plenty of people… have neatly dissected New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller’s perfect storm of ignorance and bias when it comes to the religious beliefs of those running for the GOP presidential nominee. … the establishment media function the way Hillary Clinton once claimed the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy operated….

[Hitler meme video]

On the one hand, he ran a remarkable campaign in 2008. He sensed what the American people needed to hear, and he emerged from nowhere to defeat vastly more qualified opponents. On the other hand, his performance as President has been dismal. Most Americans recognize that his policy preferences range from the irrelevant to the counterproductive, and leftists contend that he has been ineffectual in pursuit of their agenda. So is Obama smart? Yes. Obama is a certain kind of smart. Unfortunately, it's the wrong kind. ... He possesses the skills necessary to navigate our most prestigious institutions and to perpetuate our most important mutual admiration societies. He is smart enough to impress in any role that does not require innovation, problem solving, or execution. Unfortunately, the Presidency is emphatically not that sort of job.

sitting members of the U.S. Congress can be heard and seen inciting violence among their constituents with baseless threats of black lynchings, a return to Jim Crow, and similarly incendiary language.

Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford is attempting to derail a move that would finally make Illinois a major player in Republican Presidential politics. The dispute revolves around a proposed rule change to the process of selecting delegates to the Republican National Convention.

Using ambush tactics and perverting political protest into a beast more akin to anarchy, liberal activists, most of them from outside of Carroll County, turned U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley's town hall meeting at New Hope Village Monday into a hostile environment, a showcasing of the rock-bottom worst contemporary America inspires in far too many of its people. Not content to interrupt and hurl insults at the senator during the public forum, the mob that is Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) crowded Grassley, 77, in the hallway, blocking his entrance to a post-event media interview, and later, used physicality to prevent his clear passage from New Hope to a car. It was shameful, hateful and, most of all, dangerous. And CCI spent Monday night bragging about the disruptive behavior

Washington is among eight big-city metropolitan regions in which minorities became a majority in the past decade, according to a new analysis of census data showing white population declines in many of the largest metro areas. Along with Washington, the regions surrounding New York, San Diego, Las Vegas and Memphis have become majority-minority since 2000. Non-Hispanic whites are a minority in 22 of the country's 100-biggest urban areas.

…the proportion of Americans today who are able to understand Common Sense (13%) is smaller than the proportion that bought Common Sense in 1776 (20%).

They really kept the show in line with the spirit and look of the strip.

I can think of no other modern comic strip that inspires such fiercely passionate fandom as Calvin and Hobbes. Bill Watterson's masterful work has also inspired some fans to mix up the titular duo with other pop culture figures.

Zippy, the character, not the comic strip, passed the forty-year milestone late last year, and on May 26, the comic strip celebrated its 25th anniversary, just the day before its creator, Bill Griffith, made a presentation at the annual convention of the National Cartoonists Society, a happy coincidence that escaped our attention altogether at the time. But to make up for our dereliction, we're reprinting (and updating slightly) an interview we enjoyed with Griffith and published in Cartoonist PROfiles No. 101 (March 1994).

Jack Kirby (1917-1994) was born today 94 years ago. Kirby was one of the most influential comic book artists ever, and as a big fan I've been pleased to see several blog posts and tweets marking the occasion already this morning. And I also think this is one of those times that a picture really is worth a thousand words, so check out the gallery below for several examples of Jack's original artwork.

Jack Kirby, the mighty heart of the American comic book industry, would have been 94 years old today. …a tiny, even insignificant sample of his awesome image-making power, many of which were culled from around the Internet…

Four pages of a 1754 edition of The Pennsylvania Gazette featuring the first editorial cartoon ("Join, or Die" by Benjamin Franklin) is now up for auction and is expected to fetch more than $100,000.

For a long time now I've suffered from what I had been calling "anxiety attacks." I'd get them for no real reason. It's not as if I had a particular reason to have anxiety. Sure, at a job interview or the like, I'd get them, and sometimes badly. But often I'd get them for no reason at all.... A couple of doctors tried to diagnose me. Futilely.... I was thrilled to know that this was, apparently, not some rare and exotic syndrome, but that it had a name, it was diagnosable, and, best of all, it was treatable.... panic disorder....

Vernor Vinge is a former San Diego State University math professor and a Hugo award-winning science fiction novelist. In Vinge's 1993 essay "The Coming Technological Singularity" Vinge wrote, "Within thirty years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence. Shortly after, the human era will be ended." [video]

Stacy Drake of Conservatives for Palin writes: "I do know that Ken Crow is a Rick Perry supporter who has managed to make a mess out of a highly publicized event that Governor Palin will be headlining on Saturday. I also know that he has been trashing Governor Palin to the press."

During July, 2011, a small group of people from North Carolina Tea Party groups travelled to Arizona to make a film about the illegal alien problem on our border with Mexico. Sheriff Larry Dever of Cochise County lead them on their investigation and showed them the territory.

"The interesting question is: What is it about this president that has stripped away the veneer of respect that normally accompanies the Office of the President? Why do Republicans think this president is unpresidential and should dare to request this kind of thing? It strikes me that it could be the economic times, it could be that he won so big in 2008 or it could be, let's face it, the color of his skin. This is an extraordinary reaction to a normal sequence of events," MSNBC contributor Richard Wolffe said on "The Last Word." (Video!) [Orrr. could it be because he's a SCoaMF??]

Don't worry, football fans. It turns out President Obama's planned speech on the nation's unemployment won't conflict with the NFL's opening night after all. The White House and congressional Republicans have agreed on a 7 p.m. ET start time for Obama's Sept. 8 address to a joint session of Congress. The game between the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints won't kick off until 8:30 p.m.

Gallup polling last week showed that only 41 percent of women now say they approve of the way Obama is handling his job as president. That is an all-time low--down from the previous low of 43 percent, which is what Obama's approval had been among women in each of the previous three weeks. [Just who are these 41% of women??]

Solyndra, a major manufacturer of solar technology in Fremont, has shut its doors, according to employees at the campus. ... Solyndra was touted by the Obama administration as a prime example of how green technology could deliver jobs.

Fail -- Because without it you're a SCoaMF [Graphic - warning: disturbing image]

Speaking in an interview with Reuters, Rice rejected Cheney's contention that she misled President George W. Bush about nuclear diplomacy with North Korea. "I kept the president fully and completely informed about every in and out of the negotiations with the North Koreans," Rice said in her first public comments on the matter. "You can talk about policy differences without suggesting that your colleague somehow misled the president. You know, I don't appreciate the attack on my integrity that that implies." Rice, in a telephone interview, also disputed a passage in Cheney's memoir, "In My Time," in which he says the secretary of state "tearfully admitted" that the Bush administration should not have apologized for a claim in Bush's 2003 State of the Union address on Iraq's supposed search for uranium for nuclear arms. Cheney, who opposed a public apology for the unfounded claim, wrote that Rice "came into my office, sat down in the chair next to my desk, and tearfully admitted I had been right." "It certainly doesn't sound like me, now, does it?" Rice said in the interview. "I would never -- I don't remember coming to the vice president tearfully about anything in the entire eight years that I knew him." "I did say to him that he had been right about the press reaction" to the administration's acknowledgment that the remarks about Iraq seeking uranium in Africa should not have been in Bush's speech, Rice said. "And so I did say to the vice president, 'you know, you were right about the press reaction.' But I am quite certain that I didn't do it tearfully," she said.

The Marathon County Labor Council has reversed a decision that excluded Republican politicians from participating in the Labor Day parade in Wausau. Labor Council President Randy Radtke earlier said Republican elected officials were not invited because they supported changes to collective bargaining for public employee unions. Wausau Mayor Jim Tipple responded by threatening to withhold financial support for the parade unless everyone was allowed to participate.

A retired Chinese general recently revealed that his country might be planning a surprise missile attack on the United States. The public comment of Xu Guangyu came in response to WikiLeaks revelations that last year Washington had warned its allies beforehand of China's test of a missile interceptor. ... The Hong Kong paper noted that Xu said that "if China could no longer keep secret its missile launches, it would not be able to launch a surprise attack on the US." Is China really in the process of planning to destroy the American homeland with a preemptive barrage of nuclear-tipped missiles? Xu's comment, of course, is not proof, but it does reveal that Chinese flag officers are thinking about doing so.

'I will never forgive Goebbels for what he brought into this world,' said Frau Pomsel. 'And the fact that he could murder his innocent children in this way.

41-year old Illinois mechanic Michael Allison faces life in jail for recording police officers after authorities hit him with eavesdropping charges based on the hoax that it is illegal to film cops, a misnomer that has been disproved by every other case against people filming police officers being thrown out of court. ... The notion that it is illegal to film police officers is a mass hoax that is being promulgated by authorities, the media, and police officers themselves. [Video]

She let her dogs out as usual but this time, she said there was a black bear outside who took hold of her dachshund Fudge. She said she feared for her pet's life and, in an instant, ran over and punched the bear right in the face to make it let go.

The man, wearing a suit, collared shirt and a tie, climbed on top of the counter at the Family Dollar ... When he realized it was empty, he grabbed some pennies off the counter and took off. The theft was captured on surveillance video.

court documents offer a rare glimpse of the costs and operations of the controversial rendition program. ... The CIA declined to discuss the case. "The CIA does not, as a rule, comment on litigation, especially that to which we are not a party," said spokeswoman Marie E. Harf.

A D.C. lawyer is facing assault charges after he allegedly threatened another man with live power wires.

[large, intriguing graphic]

Jumping off a cliff [Fantastic video h/t Ace of Spades]

Jon Hutt used a 3-inch pocket knife to sever his toes from the machinery after realising no one heard his cries. ... pinned under his six-tonne trailer. ... "It hurt so bad," Hutt said, "I would cut for a while and then I had to rest."

Resembling a futuristic visor, the £480 ($800) device is worn like a pair of chunky goggles and earphones in one. It is equipped with two 0.7in high definition organic light emitting diode (OLED) panels and 5.1 channel dynamic audio headphone. The gadget enables the wearer to experience cinema-like viewing, equivalent to watching a 750-inch screen from 20 metres away.... It seems unlikely that most people - or even technology enthusiasts - will want to buy a product that involves sitting alone and wearing a little helmet. [Oh, REALLY??]

Authorities have charged a New Jersey woman with animal cruelty after her dog hanged itself in her minivan while the family ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant. ... apparently became excited during the family's absence and wrapped the leash around the headrest.

There is so much junk in space that collisions could start to increase exponentially, leading to a continuously growing pile of rubble in orbit

SANTA FE, N.M. -- in uniform ...apparently on duty. But New Mexico State Police said the officer caught on camera having sex with a woman on the hood of a car did not commit a crime. ... "This officer made a horrible personal decision that will obviously reflect poorly on the whole organization." [Y'think??]

Using a powerful laser, researchers have created water droplets in the air. The technique, called laser-assisted water condensation, could one day unlock the secrets of weather cycles and enable humans to decide where and when it rains. [Some long, far-off, distant day....]

In a book due out Thursday, eminent scholars say it's unlikely that Thomas Jefferson fathered Sally Hemings' children, disputing a decade's worth of conventional wisdom that the author of the Declaration of Independence sired offspring with one of his slaves. ... scholars doubted the claim and said the evidence points instead to Jefferson's brother Randolph as the father. The scholars also disputed accounts that said Hemings' children received special treatment from Jefferson, which some saw as evidence of a special bond between the third president and Hemings.

Romney's campaign will argue that Perry is against the very idea of Social Security and Medicare, and that he will use Perry's book to scare seniors in early-primary states with large retiree populations, such as Florida and South Carolina. The Romney campaign also plans to use immigration to drive a wedge between Perry and his conservative base, by highlighting Perry's opposition to a border fence and legislation he signed in 2001 allowing the children of illegal immigrants to attend Texas colleges and universities at in-state tuition.

complete video of Texas Gov. Rick Perry's complete remarks to the National Veterans of Foreign Wars meeting in San Antonio, Texas

"As Chairman of the CBC, I believe it is incumbent on you to both condemn these types of hate-filled comments, and to disassociate the Congressional Black Caucus from these types of remarks. Otherwise, I will have to seriously reconsider my membership within the organization," West wrote

New Mexico's pistol-packin' governor is a sure shot. Gov. Susana Martinez received perfect scores on recertification for her concealed-carry permit over the weekend in Las Cruces. She scored 100 percent with both .38- and .45-caliber handguns [video!]