The Daily Anvil

In Which Harry Reid Tries to Secure the Creepy Old Man Demographic

2010-09-20T23:21:00.007-05:00

Know what's a lot of fun? Witchcraft. Whoops, wrong kind. I, of course, meant this kind of Witchcraft. Yep, I love me some Sinatra. Sure do.

I'm going to come right out and say this: I don't like old people. Especially if they are from Nevada. Especially if they are the Senior Senator from Nevada, who also happens to be the Senate Majority Leader. And especially if his or her name just happens to be Harry Reid.

I'd like to apologize to old people for that last paragraph. It was highly insensitive and I'm very sorry that I wrote it. Old people are the backbone of our society and it's also really fun to see them hurt themselves. Anyways, I'm sorry, old people, for carelessly insinuating that Harry Reid represents all of you.

So on to Harry Reid. What a guy. What a swell, swell guy (if, by "swell, swell guy" I actually mean "miserable canker sore inside the cheek of American politics"). But it's not just that he's terrible, though he is pretty darn terrible. But that's not why I'm writing this really stupid post.

More than talk about how terrible he is, it is much more important that we all agree on how gosh darn creepy he is. This is an issue that I predict will bring together men, women, blacks, whites, Hawaiians, Greeks, Sunnis, Shiites, the French, the Belgians, and even the women of The View.

Exhibit A: Chris Coons is "my pet."

Exhibit B: Kirsten Gillibrand is "the hottest member" of the Senate.

No, stop laughing. This guy really is the head honcho of the United States Senate. I know, I know he looks like the guy who greets you every time you walk into Wal-Mart. But really, he's The Best guy in the world to be running the upper house of the U.S Congress. Yep.

h/t to this dude for the picture.

Delaware's Not the Only Place with a Wacky Election Going On

2010-09-19T14:02:00.004-05:00

You guys know that I just love, love, love talking about that Delaware Senate race, but today I'm not really going to mention that after just mentioning it in both the title of this post and the first sentence of it.

Today, let's take a look at my local Congressional race, in the 11th District of Illinois. The incumbent, a fairly awful career politician named Debbie Halvorson (D), is running for re-election against the Republican challenger Adam Kinzinger, a decorated veteran and all around good samaritan. A video is now on youtube of demonstrators carrying around signs depicting Kinzinger, along with Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck, all wearing Hitler mustaches.

I'm just speculating here, but I'll bet any money that these demonstrators were sent by some union or political operation, because it's Illinois. That's just how we do it here. And if we take it as a given that these guys are from a union, this video gives us an important insight into the minds of the unions and the rest of the Democratic Party's rank-and-file. They know they're fucked. It seems like no matter how much ammo the Republicans give them, the Democrats don't know how to fire the gun. So they have to resort to putting Hitler mustaches on the picture of a war hero just because he's daring to run against the sainted Debbie Halvorson.

Yup. The Democrats are screwed. They know it. The American people know it. And barring some kind of unforeseen Republican scandal that may happen in the future, Washington will be colored red next year.

Update: Ah, more union thugs, deliciously taken apart by Andrew Breitbart:

Hey, maybe the crazy wingnut tea partiers have a point about squishy RINO's?

2010-09-18T16:18:00.004-05:00

Alright, so remember how that whole Delaware Senate race thing is really, really important? Well, it's not. Christine O'Donnell is a less-than-perfect conservative candidate, no doubt. But who cares? Not this guy.

The only thing that matters in this whole clusterfark is the debate among conservatives about what it means to be a conservative. That's it. Of course, that debate raises the question about whether or not RINO's (look it up, if you don't know) should be welcome into the tent or whether or not Mark Levin is causing more damage than those he condemns. Those are fun questions to ask. So let's ask them. Okay, voice inside my head:

1. Should RINO's be allowed into the Republican Party and/or the Conservative Movement? Please explain.

I don't know, so shut up. Okay okay, I'll answer it. Isn't it weird how the "true conservatives" are always talking about how the squishy RINO's are just a bunch of corrupt, power-hungry dirtbags that only care about getting re-elected. Well, isn't it time we agreed that the "true conservatives" are kind of right? I'll let Jim Geraghty explain:

Between Arlen Specter, Charlie Crist, Mike Castle refusing to endorse O’Donnell — a forgivable sentiment the day after a bitter defeat, less so as time goes by — and the rumor that Murkowski is running, the RINO-hunters have a point that the moderates never seem to be willing to compromise or put the party’s interest first.

Well, the thing regarding Murkowski isn't just a rumor anymore. She's running as a write-in candidate for her Senate seat against Joe Miller, a conservative endorsed by Sarrahcuda herself. Murkowski is a political hack, just like the others listed by Geraghty. Maybe, just maybe, the "true conservatives" have a point.

2. Is Mark Levin causing more damage than those he condemns?

Levin, Hannity, Rush, and other talk radio hosts, are extremely vital to the national conservative discussion, because their shows are representative of what millions and millions and millions (and millions) of conservatives are thinking.

The conservative movement is a huge conglomeration of groups, organizations, charities, pundits, think tanks, magazines, and other media outlets. Every single member of the conservative movement is important, from Mark Levin, to his listener's, to Patterico, to Andrew Breitbart, to the Heritage Foundation, and everyone in between. We all matter.

People of various political stripes are going to disagree. But even people with a similar philosophy still have disagreements about central tenets, policies, and politicians that make up our movement. That's healthy. No one needs to be purged, well, accept for the RINO squish politicians themselves. I mean, they just suck.

In which we all get outraged about something. I know, shocker.

2010-09-17T22:35:00.003-05:00

Hey there, kids. I've just been on a ten day coke binge in Vegas with a stripper named Barbie and now I'm on the run from the cops because I've just killed three people and stolen a package of condoms. But enough about me, did you hear that there's some kind of Senate race thing going on in Delaware? There sure is. And did you know that the Republican nominee Rosie O'Donnell may or may not be some crazy ass Christian chick that wants the government to regulate masturbation? Or, at least that's what I glean from reading the twitter feed of my old algebra teacher.

Anyways, I guess there's been some kind of argument about this chick. I personally don't get what the fuss is about, but apparently this is something of UNIVERSAL IMPORTANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!! And because this thing is SOOOO important, it is totally worth purging certain individuals from the conservative movement if they have the wrong opinion about Ms. O'Donnell. Those ousted include MC Rove, Patterico (a conservative blogger and Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney), John McCormack (a pretty solid reporter for the Weekly Standard), and Charles Krauthammer.

I find all this turmoil among the punditocracy to be far more interesting than the actual election, which is really boring. And creepy.

So basically, this proves that the whole "epistemic closure" nonsense about the Right was complete nonsense. There seem to be a bunch of different righties screaming every which way about this dumb election in Delaware. Who cares about Delaware?

So anyway, this is just one more reason why the Republicans don't really deserve to be put back into power. They can't grow up. They can't just say, "Hey, let's not be outraged about something this week. Let's just chill and figure out an agenda and then sit back and let the Democrats flail about and dig their own ditches." That's what I'd do! And I'm in college, so I know something!

In which I announce my triumphant return to talking to myself on this blog that nobody reads, yet.

2010-09-07T22:31:00.003-05:00

It's been a bit since I've blogged. For a lot of reasons, most of them extraordinarily dull that mainly have to do with me being too damned lazy to write this public diary that gets no traffic whatsoever, even though I'm aware that the only possible way I'll ever get readership will be if I start churning out more and more of these little screeds. Lord, that was a long sentence.

But there's other reasons, too. For one thing, the news is really depressing. I guess I've always known this, but for some reason probably having to do with a nationwide shortage of brain cells, I've become much more depressed at the state of the world than usual. And that's saying a lot.

What reason do I have to be so down in the dumps? None, really. My home life isn't problematic, the Republicans are doing well in the election thus far, and my dog is asleep on my foot. Ah! I think I've stumbled across the problem, and it isn't that I'm losing feeling in my toes.

This entire year, I've been waiting like a little kid on Christmas morning for the GOP to have the come to Jesus moment (no, not this one); the moment where they realize that they need to focus on real economic progress, such as a restoration of a free market into a country that has let the government grow to unprecedented levels. But I haven't really seen anything from most of the GOP that makes me approach the midterms with any ease, and while it is likely (at the moment) that the Republicans will do well in November, I am very skeptical about the long term state of this country.

While I can't imagine the Republicans possibly doing a worse job than the current ruling class, I can't imagine them really getting their hands dirty about fixing America's myriad problems for the long haul. I assume that, if elected, they'll cut taxes and spend a lot of time trying to repeal Obamacare. But will they cut spending? Will they reform Medicare and Social Security and Medicaid? Probably not, because those issues are not popular with the Republican base, even though they are necessary towards insuring a bright and prosperous society for my generation and my prospective children's generation and my possible grandchildren's generation.

So while I have been encouraged by the tough actions taken by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels to belt tighten and shrink the size of government, the Republican Party as a whole is depressing me wholly, and I fear that they'll continue to depress me next year and the year after that. Simply put, they are not willing to make the political decision to talk frankly with the people of this country about the sacrifices we all need to make. Less government means less services and fewer public employees and a lesser grip that the unions have on commerce. That's what it means, and anyone in the Republican party not committed to less government in our lives is part of the problem and not part of the solution.

I have many many subjects that have depressed me lately. The current state of the Republican party going into this election is merely one of them. I'll talk about the rest later. Not that you care.

The Inevitable End of the Day Outrage From Keith Olbermann

2010-08-16T22:08:00.002-05:00

Oh, don't act like you didn't know it was coming. This is a settled part of the American media complex. Every time we have some sort of incredibly controversial controversy that outrageously outrages soooo many people on soo many different sides of the political aisle, there are just certain things that you can expect from various media personalities.

Okay, so if you're reading this, you probably know all about this whole Ground Zero Mosque thing. But in case you haven't heard about it, I'll tell you everything you need to know. Some people are trying to open up a mosque in the same area in which the 9/11 Attacks occurred in New York City. Some people are really, really mad about it. And the political and media class are trying to defend the so called "Victory Mosque" by employing a straw man argument. No one is saying that the government should stop the mosque from opening up (okay, at least no one of any importance). All that most people are saying is that the guys who are opening the mosque are jerks. No one is trying to take away their right to private property.

But that's not what the media and the political class are saying. According to most of that group, people who oppose the Ground Zero Mosque are racists and Islamophobes. And yes, that means that nearly 70% of the public must be racists and Islamophobes.

There have been all sorts of things said about this controversy by so many different people. But here's just a small sample of the things said about this kerfuffle just today.

First-- Harry Reid disembarks from the liberal plantation.

Then-- Chris Christie becomes the New Maverick.

Next-- General Patton tells Christie to get the hell out of the middle of the road.

And now, the creme de la creme-- Olbie's Special Comment on the whole shebang.

Tonight and tomorrow, conservative blogs will mock Olbermann for everything that we should mock him for. Then some other controversy will start and we'll do it all over again.

Progressives Want You To Know How Much They Really, Really Hate Tea Parties

2010-08-12T14:30:00.003-05:00

So begins the angriest and most out-of-touch attempt yet to discredit the Tea Parties.

Yes, the best and brightest minds on the left got together, and the finest name they could come up with was the "Fuck Tea" campaign. Ooooh. They used a bad word. We simply must take them seriously now.

Seriously, I understand that the left really really thought that, two years ago, they had succeeded in accomplishing their half-century long master plan of moving the country vastly to the left. But they mistook the anti-Bush backlash as some kind of sweeping mandate for Cap 'n Trade, card check, the federal takeover of college loans, and all the other Democrat wish list items leftover from the pre-Carter era.

But the progs just don't get it. They really really think that there is some kind of silent majority of leftists that agree with them and that the Tea Partiers are just a bunch of corporate toadies/populist morons that actually don't represent what a lot of mainstream, independent Americans are thinking about the state of government at this time.

The leftie doublethink is setting in about how the Tea Partiers are both stooges for mustache-twirling Wall Street fatcats and, simultaneously, a bunch of racist redneck sister-marry'ers that keep asking questions about the birth certificate of the President. And while this false narrative intrigues to no end the Democrat netroots, it doesn't play with most of the American people, who realize that the government has just gotten too darned big.

If progressives don't realize that the American people are just not that into them, they're marching like George Armstrong Custer towards his demise at Little Bighorn, and I'm not going to go to great lengths to stop them from doing so.

Ricky Hollywood Would Like to say Goodnight.

2010-08-03T19:28:00.002-05:00

It was nice to know ya.

Good News: Taliban Targeting U.S Informants Named in Leak

2010-08-01T10:11:00.005-05:00

Ever since news dropped a few days ago that the website Wikileaks had published about 92,000 classified documents pertaining to the Afghanistan War, people have wondered about the strategic or tactical consequences of such an act. Well, wonder no more. From the Washington Post:

The top U.S. military officer says the Pentagon is trying to protect Afghans who may be at risk from Taliban retaliation following the publication of tens of thousands of secret war documents.
Adm. Mike Mullen, who's chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says the U.S. is duty-bound to try to shield informants who were named in the documents.

Taliban spokesmen have said that their organization will use the material to try to hunt down people who've been cooperating with what the Taliban considers a foreign invader.

Now, the guy responsible for the Wikileaks stuff is named Julian Assange. He circumnavigates the globe a lot, to avoid from being arrested. Well, we can only hope that his strategy doesn't work for much longer, because this guy's looking at some major problems if his website causes people to be killed.

Update: Here's Julian Assange being interviewed by Fox Business Channel's Judge Andrew Napolitano on the show Freedom Watch:

(h/t: Mediaite)

Facts, and Other Stubborn Things

2010-07-25T15:44:00.004-05:00

When there is a media narrative being spun--no matter what that narrative is, or how utterly contrary to the truth that narrative is--it is extremely difficult to change that narrative, no matter what the actual facts are. And when the media in question is scuttling about, making excuses, blaming scapegoats, and attempting with fervent obsession to blame one group of people for everything wrong in society, it makes it nearly impossible to get the actual truth out.

Alas, this is the position America finds herself in. An out-of-touch media, beholden to an unpopular and incompetent administration, is doing everything it can do to fan racial flames and then blame conservatives for responding once those flames have gotten out of control. It needs to stop.

For the past year-and-a-half, Americans have been told by the legacy news media, the government, and assorted celebrity dullards, that conservatives (namely the Tea Partiers) who oppose the President's misguided and highly flawed philosophy and policies, are racist. Examples: Janeane Garofalo, Keith Olbermann, Paul Krugman, Thomas Friedman, Joan Walsh, and the entire Democratic Congress.

All of these accusations of racism are damaging this country and are destroying public discourse. That destruction has been tremendously on display this past fortnight, in a controversy that has engulfed the NAACP, the Tea Parties, the news media, the federal bureaucracy, and the White House. For all the talk that Barack Obama's ascension to the Presidency would quell the racial tensions in this country, it appears that in actuality they have just been inflamed even further.

Now, weary of these accusations of racism against them over the past year-and-a-half, and after the NAACP needlessly passed a resolution branding the Tea Party as racist, conservatives have apparently snapped and are starting to launch counter-attacks showcasing evidence that the left can be branded as racist just as easily as conservatives can.

Enter Andrew Breitbart, the conservative new media mogul who has been methodically targeting the various pieties of the left for the past year or so. After the NAACP passed the aforementioned resolution, Breitbart said that he would show video proving that the NAACP rewards racism among its own ranks. And with that, he unleashed a firestorm that consumed an entire week of the news cycle.

The Shirley Sherrod saga has been talked about by everybody everywhere, so I'm not going to try to completely rehash everything that has already been said. But it is clear to me that Ms. Sherrod has become collateral damage in a verbal war over race that has been going on in the media this past week. And the results of this racially-charged circus are that we, as a nation, have become increasingly divided over racial lines, when in truth what we need is to stop all this talk about racism. Race is an artificial construct of society, and what we should be doing is finding a way to get beyond it. The Democratic Party is not racist. The NAACP not racist. Conservatives and Tea Party activists are not racists. Yes, all these groups may contain individual racists, and yes, these racists are completely deplorable (as are all racists). But we need to take this NAACP/Tea Party drama and put it all to good use. Let's stop being so knee-jerk about race. Let's focus on absolutely verifiable examples of racism, and let's shine a light on them. And then, everyone in the media, the government, and in activist movements should, as a collective unit, join together and condemn all real racism that exists and work to ostracize it from decent society.

We Shall Overcome. Some day.

P.S. Shirley Sherrod has not been innocent in this scandal. She has said that Andrew Breitbart wants blacks to be slaves again. This is exactly the kind of troublesome discourse that has contributed to this kerfuffle in the first place and that will only further divide us along these racial lines. Sherrod should apologize to Breitbart, and Breitbart should apologize for putting Sherrod through hell, even if she did say some racial things in her speech at the NAACP.

Best. Story. Evah!

2010-07-12T16:01:00.002-05:00

Ahahahahaahahahahaahahahahahaahahaaha.

Sorry, it's just---ahahahahahaahahahahah.

No, what I mean to say is that---bahahahahahahahaha.

Okay, seriously. Let me tell you about Senator George LeMieux. He's the Florida Republican that was appointed to the U.S Senate by the Sunshine State's formerly Republican (now Indepedent) Governor, Charlie Crist.

You see, Crist is now running for the U.S Senate seat currently occupied by LeMieux, who was appointed Senator in order to keep the seat warm for Gov. Crist.

But a lot has happened since then. Crist, a squishy moderate, has left the Republican Party after he was sure to be beaten in the GOP Senate Primary by Marco Rubio, a conservative rising star.

Now, LeMieux--the guy appointed by Crist to watch over the Florida Senate Seat until Crist graced the Capitol with his presence--has endorsed Rubio for Senate. Bahahahahaahahaha:

Great Scott!

2010-07-05T14:59:00.004-05:00

It seems that Keith Olbermann's infamous rant regarding now-Senator Scott Brown wasn't all that necessary after all. Olbie's fear that Brown would be a rapid right-wing troglodyte like the rest of us, was greatly exaggerated. From The Hill:

Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) offered a hint that he may support the financial reform bill when it comes to a final vote later this month.

“I’m going to be making a decision soon, but I’m liking what I see,” Brown told WHDH television station in Plymouth, Mass., on Sunday.

I am nowhere near qualified to opine on Wall Street regulation, so I'll let the nice folks at Reason TV explain it:

I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide

2010-06-28T10:27:00.002-05:00

Wow, the news cycle is popping today. Some great news from five black-robed lawyers. The Daily Caller reports:

The Supreme Court held Monday that the Constitution’s Second Amendment restrains government’s ability to significantly limit “the right to keep and bear arms,” advancing a recent trend by the John Roberts-led bench to embrace gun rights.
By a narrow, 5-4 vote, the justices also signaled, however, that some limitations on the right could survive legal challenges.

Writing for the court in a case involving restrictive laws in Chicago and one of its suburbs, Justice Samuel Alito said that the Second Amendment right “applies equally to the federal government and the states.”

Woah. Alright, so I know that I should take some time to celebrate by firing some RPG shells at my neighbor's gazebo, but sadly, I do not own any firearms. So I guess I'll just compensate by shooting up Liberty City on GTA IV.

Where Everybody Knows His Name

2010-06-28T10:16:00.002-05:00

Surprise, surprise. The most popular elected official in Massachusetts is Republican Senator Scott Brown. *gasp*

Yes, that Massachusetts.

This is, at once, both surprising and expected. One the one hand, this is the state of the uber-liberal Kennedy Family, which is extremely popular in the Bay State. I've been to Martha's Vineyard, where the likes of Ted Kennedy used to hang about, and there's no question that there is an undying left-iness to the state.

On the other hand, this is the state that elected Mitt Romney--a businessman and free marketer--as Governor. Scott Brown has always struck me as being very similar to Romney. And in a Republican year like this, I understand how Brownie can poll so well.

But still. Massachusetts?

RIP

2010-06-28T10:10:00.003-05:00

"West Virgina has always had four friends: God Almighty, Sears Roebuck, Carter's Liver Pills, and Robert C. Byrd."

West Virginia has one less friend this morning. America's Longest Serving Senator, Dead at 92. RIP.

Update: This video highlights the good side of Byrd's career. (h/t: James Poulos at Ricochet)

G-20 Summit Roundup

2010-06-27T22:49:00.004-05:00

The latest embarrassment for the Western world is occurring in Toronto as representatives from the world's advanced economies are meeting there to sip lattes and do other cool Canadian stuff.

So of course, what would a international economic summit be without a bunch of wacky stories about deranged "anarchist" rioters and the Toronto Vice riot squad doing everything but breaking up the riots. There's some political stories too.

Mark Steyn: Toronto Cops are officially useless.

John Hinderaker: Why Do We Have Police Forces?

Steyn, again: Toronto Fuzz Arrest the Real Culprits--Journalists

National Post: Photographers Spend Night in Detention Center

Patterico's Pontifications: Obama vs. The Developed World

Weasel Zippers: Battle Over Spending and Deficits at G-20

Obama: Countries Must Not Have "Undue Advantage" If World Is To Recover

Ace of Spades HQ: Obama Gives Press the Slip

The Feed: 400 Arrested in Toronto G-20 Violence

GOP: Just Shut Up

2010-06-17T19:56:00.004-05:00

They couldn't just shut their mouths and stay out of the news for a few days. A Congressional Republican by the name of Joe Barton (TX) has given us more evidence that the GOP can, at any time, snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Today, Barton apologized to the BP CEO for a "shakedown" by the federal government. Read and cringe:

"It is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown," said Barton, "in this case a $20 billion shakedown."

Now Barton is backing off from that apology to BP:

After infuriating Democrats and Republicans alike with his public apology to BP and suggesting that a $20 billion escrow fund was a “shakedown” by the White House, Barton is now “retracting” his statement, made at a hearing with BP CEO Tony Hayward.

The legacy media, desperate to change the subject from Obama's sub-par performance in his Oval Office speech the other night, will likely cling to this "apology" and use it to craft a new narrative that can take hold. Barton has dug a ditch for the republicans that they need to get out of. Whether they can or not we'll have to wait and see.

A Gore-y Affair

2010-06-15T16:15:00.006-05:00

Woah. It appears that the reason behind the epic breakup of Al and Tipper Gore has finally been revealed.

Al was having an affair with Laurie David, a noted environmentalist hypocrite, Inconvenient Truth co-producer, and ex-wife of Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David. Here's the scoop.

Now, according to this NY Daily News piece, both Laurie David and a "friend" of Al and Tipper have denied this story.

This appears to be too good to be true, but I wouldn't rule anything out.

Into the Etheridge UPDATE: Glenn Greenwald says that "Etheridge should be arrested for assault"

2010-06-14T23:53:00.005-05:00

It's been all around the blogosphere today. It's entertaining. It's kinda sickening. So check it out.

So there's this asshole Congressman named Bob Etheridge (D-NC). He was on his way to a thing hosted by Nancy Pelosi (I can only imagine how fun that must be), and he was asked a question by some college kids. "Do you fully support the Obama agenda?" they asked.

What happens next is really, really.....something. I couldn't go on with that sentence. Here's the video:

Yeah, I know he should be arrested. I know he should be expelled from Congress. But he should also be sued by The Who for copywright infringement.

Congressman Schmuck-face issued a really boring statement. Read it if you care:

“I have seen the video posted on several blogs. I deeply and profoundly regret my reaction and I apologize to all involved. Throughout my many years of service to the people of North Carolina, I have always tried to treat people from all viewpoints with respect. No matter how intrusive and partisan our politics can become, this does not justify a poor response. I have and I will always work to promote a civil public discourse.”

Ch-yeah. I'm sure he really checked out all those blogs himself, and he wasn't put up to it by Pelosi or Hoyer or some other bigshot Washington type.

This guy's gonna lose his re-election bid in November. According to Drew M. at Ace of Spades, he's got a solid conservative opponent that's going to probably wipe the floor with this bozo in the general. This is her website.

Update: I Own the World has the picture of the day (h/t: The Other McCain):

Update: Nice. Lefty civil rights lawyer/blogger Glenn Greenwald says that "that's a clear case of assault and battery," and that Etheridge should be arrested.

It's On: The Bailout of Public-Sector Unions

2010-06-13T13:33:00.002-05:00

What's another $50 Billion among Obama's friends? From Monty at Ace of Spades:

Bailing out the states (especially California) is going to take a lot more than a piddling $50 billion, of course. The first tranche is simply to establish precedent. The doors would then be thrown open to (potentially) a trillion dollars or more of taxpayer money -- TARP II would be a slush-fund for the various states who find themselves embarrassed for funds. At that point any pretense of federalism would be well and truly gone.

Read the rest here.

Breaking: Top Taliban Commander Mullah Omar Captured?

2010-05-10T21:28:00.003-05:00

Not sure what to make of this story, which has just been broken by Big Government. Mullah Omar is the top guy, the head honcho, the Boss Hogg of the Taliban. He's been hunted since day one. And apparently, he's been captured:

According to the State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program there is a bounty of up to $10 million on Omar for sheltering Osama bin-Laden and his al-Qaeda network in the years prior to the September 11 attacks as well as the period during and immediately thereafter.

At the end of March, US Military Intelligence was informed by US operatives working in the Af/Pak theater on behalf of the D.O.D. that Omar had been detained by Pakistani authorities. One would assume that this would be passed up the chain and that the Secretary of Defense would have been alerted immediately. From what I am hearing, that may not have been the case.

When this explosive information was quietly confirmed to United States Intelligence ten days ago by Pakistani authorities, it appeared to take the Defense Department by surprise. No one, though, is going to be more surprised than Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It seems even with confirmation from the Pakistanis themselves, she was never brought up to speed.

Me: As far as I know, no other media source is reporting on this, though that could change any minute. But if it's true, the fact that this story was broken by a New Media source like Big Government will be one interesting factoid about this major story.

The First Annual "Everbody Draw Mohammed" Day!

2010-04-24T12:59:00.003-05:00

Alright, everyone. Time to join in the fun. Via Dan Savage's blog:

From Michael C. Moynihan:

I will be employing my tremendous skill as an illustrator, of course, and expect that my colleagues will do the same. If they refuse, they will be declared weak-kneed, namby-pamby, quisling infidels and will be shamed on this blog (Though such idle threats rarely work these days; perhaps I could threaten them with a painful death, which seems to do the trick).

Update: Ross Douthat has an interesting piece on the South Park controversy. He writes, in part:

But there’s still a sense in which the “South Park” case is particularly illuminating. Not because it tells us anything new about the lines that writers and entertainers suddenly aren’t allowed to cross. But because it’s a reminder that Islam is just about the only place where we draw any lines at all...

In a country where the latest hit movie, “Kick-Ass,” features an 11-year-old girl spitting obscenities and gutting bad guys while dressed in pedophile-bait outfits, there isn’t much room for real transgression. Our culture has few taboos that can’t be violated, and our establishment has largely given up on setting standards in the first place.

Except where Islam is concerned. There, the standards are established under threat of violence, and accepted out of a mix of self-preservation and self-loathing.

This is what decadence looks like: a frantic coarseness that “bravely” trashes its own values and traditions, and then knuckles under swiftly to totalitarianism and brute force.

The Left's Epistemic Closure Problem

2010-04-22T00:33:00.002-05:00

In the blogosphere, there has been much to say about epistemic closure with regard to contemporary conservatism. For those not in the know, the argument put forth by Julian Sanchez is that the American right is essentially existing within a bubble:

One of the more striking features of the contemporary conservative movement is the extent to which it has been moving toward epistemic closure. Reality is defined by a multimedia array of interconnected and cross promoting conservative blogs, radio programs, magazines, and of course, Fox News. Whatever conflicts with that reality can be dismissed out of hand because it comes from the liberal media, and is therefore ipso facto not to be trusted. (How do you know they’re liberal? Well, they disagree with the conservative media!) This epistemic closure can be a source of solidarity and energy, but it also renders the conservative media ecosystem fragile. Think of the complete panic China’s rulers feel about any breaks in their Internet firewall: The more successfully external sources of information have been excluded to date, the more unpredictable the effects of a breach become. Internal criticism is then especially problematic, because it threatens the hermetic seal. It’s not just that any particular criticism might have to be taken seriously coming from a fellow conservative. Rather, it’s that anything that breaks down the tacit equivalence between “critic of conservatives and “wicked liberal smear artist” undermines the effectiveness of the entire information filter. If disagreement is not in itself evidence of malign intent or moral degeneracy, people start feeling an obligation to engage it sincerely-maybe even when it comes from the New York Times. And there is nothing more potentially fatal to the momentum of an insurgency fueled by anger than a conversation. A more intellectually secure conservatism would welcome this, because it wouldn’t need to define itself primarily in terms of its rejection of an alien enemy.

There has been much interesting debate about this from all sides. And I agree with Jonah Goldberg that Sanchez makes some very interesting, and often correct, points in his analysis. But far more interesting to me is how the left has been going through it's own epistemic closure problem for a long, long time, and no one is bothering to talk about that.

This liberal epistemic closure has manifested itself within the last year as a backlash by liberal media elites, as well as bloggers like Matt Yglesias, who have been so willing to dismiss all and any criticism of President Obama's health care policies. The Tea Partiers, we're told, are inherently racist. Fox News is "seditious," says Joe Klein. Turn on the TV and find Bill Maher's show, and at any given time there will be about fifteen "racist tea partier" jokes per minute. None of this counts as epistemic closure?

To paraphrase Julian Sanchez, how do you know they’re racist/fascist/seditious? Well, they disagree with the liberal government/media!

Epistemic closure is a natural part of just about any group of people in the history of mankind. People who only go to McDonald's aren't generally persuaded by Burger King's advertising campaigns. Palestinians aren't convinced by Israeli requests for peace negotiations. Math teachers think math is the most important, and English teachers think English is the most important.

In short, there is certainly an amount of closed-mindedness on the right. There are, to be sure, plenty of conservatives who are not willing to engage the "socialists" in conversation. But for every one of those righties that refuse to leave their bubble, there are plenty of others that are willing to be happy warriors for their cause and advocate for their ideas. The same goes for the left. There are lots of liberals that refuse to watch Fox News because they think it's a bunch of "racist" "war-mongering" "neo-cons." But there are some liberals that do watch Fox News because they want to know what the other side is saying.

Conservatives should have no problem acknowledging it when liberals are right about some things, such as the Civil Rights movement. But liberals should also acknowledge that conservatives have some good ideas too, such as the welfare reform act of 1996. Both sides will be intellectually stronger if they engage the other side in thoughtful conversation, and not just trade silly insults about who is a "socialist" and who is a "racist."

The Coburn Dilemma: Nasty or Nice Nancy?

2010-04-16T23:14:00.002-05:00

Sen. Tom Coburn, the conservative hardass of Oklahoma, has been the subject of a controversy within the Republican Party and the conservative movement over the past week or so. It started during a townhall that Coburn held, in which he kind of talked down to some people and made a few remarks about how Fox News is biased and stuff. Another typical Democrat hack, right? Er, wait, he's a Republican. Okay, so here's what he said:

Another Oklahoma hardass Senator, James Inhofe (R), has responded to his colleague:

“There’s nothing nice about Nancy,” Inhofe said during an interview on KFAQ radio in Oklahoma this morning. “She disagrees with everything we believe.”…

“She is nice – how many of you all have met her? She’s a nice person,” Coburn said. “Just because somebody disagrees with you don’t mean they’re not a good person.”

Inhofe had a slightly different take.

“She is a powerful person,” he said. “People wonder how she can keep getting reelected — just go out to her district.”

Okay, Coburn did kind of sound like Valerie Jarrett with the whole Fox thing. I get that. But is what he said really worth getting upset about. Well yes, for Fox News:

As Allahpundit writes:

The biggest surprise: Coburn didn’t do his homework. He had to know that O’Reilly would challenge him to name an instance when someone on Fox claimed that refusing to buy insurance under O-Care would mean jail time. You missed a lay-up, TC!

I must say that Coburn has a point. Conservatives and tea partiers (including myself) have attacked Nancy Pelosi, and a lot of us have very negative feelings about her even though we may not personally know her. That's not entirely fair. She could be the nicest lady in the world for all I know, or she may not be. Yes, I believe she's wrong about just about everything, but she may actually be a nice person. Anything's possible.

Have people on Fox News and talk radio exaggerated a few things about Democrats and Obama and health care? Probably. And to the extent that they have, Coburn is right. But conservatives on Fox and elsewhere have been completely right about the health care bill at large. It's bad, it's expensive, it's probably unconstitutional. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the people who enacted it are bad people doing it for malicious intent. That's an important thing to remember in this debate.

Uh Oh: Terrorist attempt 'certain' within months, say intelligence leaders.

2010-02-04T01:06:00.002-06:00

Bad news from the Washington Times, this early morning:

"An attempted attack, the priority is certain, I would say," Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair, a retired admiral, said in response.
Four other intelligence agency leaders who appeared at the hearing with Mr. Blair said they agreed with the assessment.

That Blue Movie Thing....Continued

2010-01-31T01:10:00.004-06:00

I'm still having a hard time remembering what that movie is called. You know, the one that I was talking about in my previous post about in my previous post about our Fandom Culture. That movie with all the blue alien things being terrorized by evil corporate marines. You know the one? I think it's something like "Dancing with Smurfs," but I can't be sure.

Anyway, here's a funny review of that movie that some genius did on YouTube. It's only Part One, but the second part should be on Youtube soon.

Update: Here's Part Two...

People For the Eating of Tasty Animals (PETA) Strikes Again!!!!

2010-01-30T01:47:00.002-06:00

No, this post is not just an excuse to post clips from Groundhog Day (it most certainly is that, but there's more to it, Mr. Smartypants).

PETA's back (wait! they went away? there I go believing my lazy rhetorical cliches again.) and they're mad about something. I think. Okay, maybe they aren't mad. I haven't exactly talked to somebody from PETA lately. In fact, I haven't really talked to anyone at all.

What was I saying? Beats me. Oh yeah, there's this group called PETA. You may have heard of them. Kind of a big deal. And they're all mad and stuff about Groundhog Day (yes, the obligatory Bill Murray clip is coming. Shut up and keep reading! Sorry, didn't mean to yell at you.) because on that day which occurs on February 2, we use a real-life bonafide groundhog to predict the weather (that's not something that would look at all odd to a visiting Martian who just came here because he heard about how intelligent and rational we humans are, is it?).

And PETA's mad about Punxsutawney Phil, because he's a living animal and we've made him into a celebrity because he sees his shadow (or doesn't!) and when he does this, we act like it's something really cool and tell all the little kids that there will be six more weeks of winter. And then we put the little rat away until next year when it happens all over again. Yippie!

So back to those PETA guys that I keep referencing. They want Phil (I can call you Phil, right? Squeak means yes.) to be replaced with a robotic groundhog. I think. Or maybe I dreamed this whole thing in order to bore you with a rambling nonsensical blog post about it.

No, it's actually happening, believe it or not. See? Here's the link to prove it.

I get that PETA is all about stopping the "abuse" of animals and other things of that nature. Understood. Gotcha. But could somebody explain to me exactly how it is abusing a groundhog if we make him into a celebrity every year and grant him the power to predict the future. Phil is famous. More famous than I will ever be. And I have thumbs. In fact, I'd argue that Groundhog's Day promotes the non-abuse of animals more than any Cylon overlord posing as a groundhog would do.

By putting Phil on a pedestal, we are telling children that animals are cool, wise beings. By giving Phil the power of the weather, we're teaching kids to not be mean to animals, or else they'll send a hurricane or something our way. By making kids fear the almighty power of our furry friends to control the wind, it is teaching those kids to not disembowel a chipmunk with a kitchen fork, or else! And I'm all in favor of inculcating highly illogical fears into the heads of small children. It keeps them from stealing my issue of Groundless Superstitions Monthly. So I say that we continue indoctrinating kids with insipid beliefs (Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, liberalism) so that they stay in line until they are able to think and reason like adults are supposed to.

For those of you who read all of that, I will reward you with a clip of "Groundhog's Day." For those who just wanted the clip and skipped all of the nonsense that I just wrote, you're much smarter than I thought. Here's the clip:

On the Haitian Earthquake

2010-01-17T00:06:00.005-06:00

If I can be serious for a moment, I'd like to say something about the ongoing crisis following the aftermath of that horrific earthquake in Haiti. Much has been said about this topic, but it's something that is absolutely necessary to talk about, because there are so many problems facing that country and few if any of those problems are going to get better any time soon. In fact, I'd wager that the problems that Haiti faces (poverty, corruption, violence) are going to get worse--not better--in the future. That isn't a very risky prediction, at least not for me. But the reality of the Haiti situation does affect so many people, and I think it's necessary to shine a light on some of the critical aspects of it.

The crisis in Haiti should be one of those rare events that transcends politics and partisanship. This is one of the sparse times that we should unite in order to help those poor people. And overwhelmingly, I think we're doing that. President Obama's response to the Haiti situation has been absolutely wonderful. But there are some exceptions. Firstly, there's was Bill Clinton making this revolting comparison.

And what kind of disaster/crisis would this be if far-right televangelist Pat Robertson didn't come out and say something about the Haitians making a pact with the devil and bringing this terrible situation unto themselves? And on a similar note, left-wing activist and actor Danny Glover came out and blamed the earthquake on America and global warming. The odd thing is that America is the nation that is going to be at the forefront of helping get aid into Haiti. America, the evil carbon-emitter, will do more for the people of Haiti than every other country on Earth combined.

I've been thinking about these examples a lot. Clinton, Robertson, and Glover all said very insensitive things regarding the Haitian earthquake. But the thing is, they are all giving a ton of money to the people of Haiti and are doing great jobs getting other people to donate too. The Haitian people probably don't care so much about the goofy words that have come out of the mouths of these men. They care about the aid that they are getting. So I can't figure out if I can really be mad at any of them, not that it matters whether I'm mad or not.

But fear not, because those terrible, terrible people at Media Matters have given us something that everyone should be mad about. In the aftermath of the quake--you know, the one that left untold amounts of people dead--Media Matters decided that they would helpfully issue a press release that crunched the numbers about how much time Fox News has devoted to the Haitian earthquake, and concluded that it wasn't enough. I don't know how they could possibly say such a thing after watching this on Fox:

Media Matters is an enterprise that obsessively watches Fox News day in and day out and lies about Fox News day in and day out. That they are taken seriously at all is extremely troubling. But that they have the gall to prey on Fox News when there are people dying and starving in Haiti, that's pure evil.

By the way, donating to the Red Cross in order to send aid to Haiti is very simple. You can just text "HAITI" to 90999 in order to donate $10 to the Red Cross, and that $10 will be added to your phone bill.

The Aught Decade, Avatar, and the Rise of the Fandom

2010-01-12T02:38:00.007-06:00

If I may, I’d like to take a slight detour from the political highway and pause for a moment and smell the daisies of cultural criticism. What’s that? I can’t hear you. Oh, sorry, let me remove the gag from your mouth. You say that I can write about whatever I want as long as I let you out of my trunk? Very well.

So there’s a movie out now, you might have heard about it. It’s kind of a big deal. It’s got blue alien things, and evil corporate soldiers. And it’s in 3-D. But for the life of me, I can’t remember what it’s called. Oh yeah: Smurfs Redux: This Time, It’s for Real!

In all seriousness, the Aught Decade really exemplified the rise of the fandom. In previous eras, those attracted to the odder aspects of our culture (sci-fi, role playing card games, comic books) were all generally pretty isolated from the cooler aspects of society. You went down to the local comic shop every Wednesday to pick up your stack of books, and went to you the dark corner of your basement to read about Ant-Man’s transition to Giant-Man , and then to Goliath, then Yellowjacket, and then the Wasp, and on and on. Aside from the awkward conversations you had with the smelly middle-aged guy with a ponytail that ran the comic book store, there wasn’t much co-mingling between the inhabitants of geek nation.

I should pause after that last paragraph in which I slandered all variety of nerds, geeks, Trekkies, Trekkers, and guys with ponytails and say that there’s nothing wrong with any of that stuff. The joys of comic books (though lost on me) are plentiful, and some of the most illuminating debates I’ve had are over which science fiction brand is superior: Star Wars or Star Trek (Some choose Battlestar Galactica, but I digress). There’s nothing wrong with a little geekiness, especially when it prevents the beauty-challenged among us from hurling our delicate bodies off of the balcony.

But while the benign nerdy-ness of the past was mainly fenced off from the mainstream culture, it appears that more and more contemporary geeks are wandering hither and yon from the dark crawl space where they had hitherto stayed, and they are entering mainstream American pop culture with a bang.

While science fiction conventions have had a fairly long history as far as these things go (the first ones date back to approximately 1936), and while we’ve had fairly mainstream sci-fi phenomenon--like Star Wars and Star Trek--for several decades, the Aught Decade really saw the rise of fandoms on a scale like we’d never seen before. Never before had there been a place like the internet where the world’s basement dwellers could talk to each other on a regular basis and create pieces of art and fan fiction and trade it amongst each other. This kind of thing really didn’t take off until the explosion of the Harry Potter franchise in the early ’00s . For whatever reasons, millions and millions of people were drawn to that bespectacled British youth who had never experienced things that normal people take for granted--things like family, friends, and a sense of belonging. If JK Rowling’s books didn’t have that connection to today’s young people, the series never would have taken off the way they did.

But this brings us to an interesting idea/possible conundrum. The thing that Harry Potter did more than just about anything since the arrival of Star Wars in the 1970’s was bring the fantasy pop culture genre into the mainstream. I’ve not yet met a single young person who has not read the Harry Potter books--aside from the few that have religious objections to them. But while it did bring the larger genre of fantasy fiction out of the dark, it has had a sort of effect on certain segments of Harry Potter fans.

There is a group of muggles who call themselves the "Harry Potter Alliance, " which, in their own words, "is dedicated to using the examples of Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore to spread love and fight the Dark Arts in the real world. Please join us in creating the real Dumbledore’s Army." Now, there’s a moral equivalent of war argument in there somewhere, but that’s another blog post.

So what’s so wrong about fans of Harry Potter banding together to form an alliance that spreads "love" and "fights" bad things in society? Not too much, but the existence of such a society is definitely proof that certain segments of the Harry Potter readership are being isolated from the rest of us. And that’s the problem with these new pop culture phenomena. With things like Twilight and Harry Potter and now Avatar, groups of people are using these mainstream aspects of culture in order to isolate themselves from the rest of society.

The most recent example of this is Avatar, which features Smurfs being targeted by evil members of the American "Military-Industrial Complex" for some cool element called "unobtainium" (no, I’m not kidding. Seriously, it’s in the actual movie. Go watch it.). The thrilling visuals of the planet Pandora are causing some fans of the movie to complain that this world isn’t real and they can’t live there. Seriously. For example, here’s one of these "Avatards," Mike, who wrote this on a fan site for the movie:

I can’t stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it. I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world that is similar to Pandora and everything is the same as in Avatar.

That post was picked up by the gang at Fox News' "Red Eye w/Greg Gutfeld," as was this response to him:

I’ve had the exact same feeling after I first saw Avatar. The sick realization that Pandora isn’t real and trying anything to just escape this reality and live there instead, even trying to put myself in a coma so my dream world would be Pandora.

It’s easy to mock people like this and say that guys like this probably haven’t touched a female their entire life, and while it’s probably true, it doesn’t do justice to what is an increasingly disturbing trend in contemporary Western society. A growing amount of people are discontented with the real world, and so they join things like the Harry Potter Alliance and contemplate suicide over Pandora’s nonexistence to further isolate themselves from the real world. My prediction is that this trend will continue, and it will become more self-destructive.

Update: Jonah Goldberg on Avatar and the Faith Instinct.

And Now Back to the Show

2010-01-11T00:58:00.003-06:00

Alright, everybody. The Daily Anvil has awakened from its week-long New Years hangover (shut up, I know it's the eleventh of the month) and will now be continuing to provide you the deprived ravings of me and my fellow Daily Anvil compatriots.

But now, I'd like to direct your attention to Tucker Carlson's new awesome news website, The Daily Caller. And I'd especially like to direct you to the blog of Jim Treacher, one of the funniest bloggers out there.

Enjoy, and welcome to a new decade.

Not Evil; Just Incompetent

2009-12-26T17:01:00.002-06:00

I think the mistake many of my allies on the Right make regarding President Obama is that my fellow conservatives try to paint Obama and the Democratic Congress as malicious, evil, and hell bent on making the rest of us suffer for all eternity. While I would wager that most high-profile conservatives do not think that Obama is a wicked man, assuredly some in the media--and even more in the general populace--do.

Moreover, there is a tendency by some of the wackiest elements in political discourse--such as conspiracy crazy Alex Jones--to paint Obama as the tool of the "New World Order"--a shadowy totalitarian world government. I confess that many of my friends have become infatuated with such conspiracy theories regarding the President.

There is another assumption out there that President Obama is not really in charge of this country, but unlike the "New World Order" guys, the evil boogeyman behind the Presidency is not some transnational conspiracy. President Obama, according to this theory, is just being used by his advisers who are the real people controlling the country.

I had a conversation last night with a female friend of mine who was part of the latter camp. She asked me if I thought that Obama was really running the country and if I didn't, who did I think was running the country?

My reply to her was that I don't think Obama is running the country. Now, before you go Aha! and proclaim me to be a crazy wacko, let me explain. I don't think that Obama is running the country because I truly do not believe anyone is running the country. America is a great ship that has a drunken, incompetent crew and captain.

This isn't very reassuring, because a ship can go careening towards a cliff when it is not being steered just as easily as it can when it is being steered by malevolent forces determined to crash the ship. Just because the ship of state is not being steered does not mean that we are safe from an incredible, rocky doom.

We were warned repeatedly that now-President Obama had no experience in matters of diplomacy, statesmanship, leadership, and policy-making. We were told persistently that this Obama fellow was wet behind the ears such matters, and we weren't told this merely by Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. We were told this by such notable Obama Administration officials as Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden.

And the predictions of the now Secretary of State and Vice President, respectively, have become true. President Obama has thus far failed to improve the economy in any substantial way. He has alienated our allies and made laughing stocks of us to our enemies.

In fact, it should not be surprising to anyone that a man with little experience in anything--and no experience in the private sector of the economy--should be such a dismal President. With all the fair warning we were given, we should have expected this to happen.

An Engaging Christmas

2009-12-24T13:40:00.002-06:00

Captain Picard has been Knighted.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

2009-12-24T13:27:00.004-06:00

The Senate has just passed its version of the Health Care bill 60-39. Much celebration is being made by Democrats. Whatever.

Also, according to Sen. Arlen Specter, we've all made Teddy Kennedy happy, or something.

But all is not lost. Ramesh Ponnuru explains.

Quick Draw

2009-12-22T15:57:00.003-06:00

D.C Cop Pulls Out a Gun During a Snowball Fight:

h/t to Allahpundit at Hot Air.

The Changing Tide

2009-12-22T11:09:00.002-06:00

Politico reports that Rep. Parker Griffith (AL), a Blue Dog Democrat, is switching parties and becoming a Republican. Rep. Griffith is a doctor.

This might just rattle the cages of a lot of the captive conservative Democrats like Sen. Ben Nelson. Who knows?

Breaking News: ObamaCare Opponents Are All Birthers and Racists

2009-12-21T14:20:00.002-06:00

This is all according to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Ed Morrissey has the story.

Understanding the War on Christmas

2009-12-20T12:49:00.004-06:00

I work in the food service industry at a fast-food restaurant that has big golden arches and a clown for a mascot but will remain nameless. Working in the drive-thru of this restaurant, I witness daily an influx of customers that wish me a "Merry Christmas" as they motor up to the second window. Some also wish me a "Happy Holidays." But for most of them, a happy Yuletide greeting is what I recieve.

If I wanted to be a jerk about it, I could yell at the customers for offending me with their blatant Christian propaganda. I'm an agnostic, after all. More than that, how do these customers know that I celebrate Christmas? How do they know that I'm not a Jew who celebrates Hanukkah or one of those granola-crunchers who celebrate Winter Solstice?

The answer, in short, is this: Who cares? Wishing someone a "Merry Christmas" is not an attempt to infuse them with Christianity. It's not a desire to turn the burger-schleppers at McDonald's into prognosticators for Jesus. It's not a scheme to exclude anyone from celebrating the Holidays.

The customers that wish me a "Merry Christmas" are just being friendly. They are inviting me to enjoy their celebration of the Birth of Jesus Christ. In fact, they are being extremely inclusive because no matter if the person they are talking to is a Jew, a Hindu, an Atheist, or a Muslim, the person wishing them a "Merry Christmas" doesn't care. Everyone can celebrate Christmas, and do.

I've read several pieces in the Chicago newspapers lately about how the phrase "Happy Holidays" is much more tolerant, and so we should all say that. But "Happy Holidays" is also quite bland and it doesn't bring to mind the thrilling imagery and warm sensations that Christmas does. Maybe "Happy Holidays" is more tolerant. It's also more boring. And I'd also argue that it's less "inclusive" because it alienates the vast majority of Americans who do, in fact, celebrate Christmas.

As a non-religious person, I can take in the wonders of this time of the year. The music on the radio, the food, the friendliness of all. These are all distinct characteristics of Christmas and the joy it brings. Without Christmas, I'd dare say the Winter season would be cold, dark, and dreary. With Christmas, it is warm, loving, and carefree.

So say whatever it is that you want, be it "Merry Christmas," "Happy Holidays," "Happy Hanukkah," "Happy Winter Solstice," "Happy Kwanza," et al. But don't be offended at people for wishing you to have a good time at this most wonderful time of the year.

Life Imitates Battlestar Galactica

2009-12-17T17:25:00.002-06:00

What Could Go Wrong?: Robots that Look like the People Who Buy Them.

Classy: Senator Schumer Calls a Flight Attendant the "B-Word"

2009-12-16T12:00:00.001-06:00

Politico: “I guess health care will have to wait until we land.”

Wonderful: 800,000 Doses of Kids' Swine Flu Vaccine Recalled

2009-12-15T11:32:00.002-06:00

From Foxnews:

ATLANTA — Health officials are recalling hundreds of thousands of doses of swine flu vaccine after tests indicated they may not be potent enough to protect against the virus.

File this in the "No, Duh!" Section

2009-12-13T03:24:00.001-06:00

Shocking News: George Clooney's new Christmas movie is uber-liberal.

Even More Shocking News: Frank Rich loves it.

Breaking News: Gitmo Detainees Going to Illinois

2009-12-12T11:20:00.002-06:00

Obama's late-night Friday news dump comes from Big Government, who has the exclusive memo that is supposedly from Holder's Justice Department to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Click on the above link to read the memo.

Oh Jeez

2009-12-11T00:09:00.001-06:00

Headline of the Day:

Thomas the Tank Engine drives 'conservative political philosophy'

Michael Steele Goes Nuclear Over "You People" Comment

2009-12-09T11:54:00.002-06:00

It's been said elsewhere, but really, do we need to even wonder what would happen if a conservative said "you people" to a black liberal politician?

Breaking News: Senate Dems to Drop Public Option...or Not

2009-12-08T21:07:00.005-06:00

Daniel Foster: The AP and the New York Times are reporting that Senate Democrats have come to a tentative deal to drop the public option. The Times had this update at 8:48 P.M.:

The Senate majority leader, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, said Senate leaders “have a broad agreement” on dropping a government-run plan from the health care bill, and that the Congressional Budget Office would review the implications of such a move on the budget.

“I told head of C.B.O. we would send him something he would have to score,” Mr. Reid said. He added that he had asked Senators Charles E. Schumer and Mark Pryor to work together with a group of liberals and moderates on making sure the health care bill has a vehicle to expand coverage to achieve the aims of the so-called public option.

Me: This is obviously good news, but I'm pretty sure the Democrats--if they pass Reid's bill, that is--could put the public option back into the bill during conference committee if they want to.

Update: Er, sorry. According to Reuters, they aren't dropping it:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democrats said they reached a broad agreement on Tuesday on a possible compromise over a government-run insurance plan in a sweeping healthcare overhaul and would seek cost estimates on the deal.

Reid said reports the government-run "public option" had been dropped were "not true."

"We have a broad agreement," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid told reporters, refusing to give any details on the talks.

On the 1st Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me...

2009-12-08T19:51:00.006-06:00

The Muppets singing that typically annoying song.

Also, John Denver's there too! Please, nobody ask me who the hell John Denver is.

Because It's My Kind Of Thing

2009-12-08T19:23:00.003-06:00

What can I say? I'm a sucker for philosophical debates between libertarians and conservatives, mainly because such arguments are helpful for conservatism as it requires us to examine what it is that we believe. That's why I really liked Jonah Goldberg's thoughtful post on "Extreme Apriorism vs. Pragmatism" today.

Crossing the Streams

2009-12-07T08:30:00.002-06:00

"There's something very important I forgot to tell you. Don't cross the streams… It would be bad… Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light."--Ghostbusters

Flash forward to today, Monday, December 7, 2009. President Obama's National Job Approval:

Who you gonna call?

ClimateGate, meet Jon Stewart

2009-12-05T20:29:00.001-06:00

Culture of Corruption

2009-12-04T23:28:00.002-06:00

Woah: Max Baucus Nominated Mistress for U.S Attorney.

Anticipating the lefty response: You know how you can tell it's a Democratic scandal? The Senator was involved with a woman. Hardy har har....

"The lethality of every poison is in the dosage."

2009-12-04T12:23:00.002-06:00

Jonah Goldberg: On Patriotism and Nationalism

Fort Hood Scandal

2009-12-03T23:29:00.001-06:00

Andy McCarthy: Prepare to Be Infuriated.

Some Settled Science

2009-12-03T23:18:00.002-06:00

Because of Global Warming, "Earth Could Plunge into Sudden Ice Age."

Epic Facepalm

2009-12-01T14:31:00.004-06:00

I love Sarah Palin as much as the next lonely single blogger, but come on. Check out this headline from Fox News:

Sarah Palin Stars as Heroine in New Children's Book

Oy vey.

Video: There's a Czar for That!

2009-11-30T22:43:00.001-06:00

Dude!

2009-11-30T18:30:00.001-06:00

The Left's Selective Outrage

2009-11-30T12:12:00.003-06:00

So no one cared when Al Gore was flying around the world on a private jet screaming about the dangers of carbon emissions....such as the ones that come from jets. No one cared when Michael Moore was tooling around in a private jet complaining about the greed of corporations whose executives fly around in private jets. No one cared about Nancy Pelosi requesting an even bigger private jet than the one she already had (provided by the taxpayers, of course).

But heaven forbid Sarah Palin from flying a private jet on her book tour.

The left's selective outrage with Sarah Palin (suddenly they care about unwed teenage mothers when said mother is the offspring of the Alaskan Ice Queen) is just getting stupider and stupider.

It doesn't matter in the long run if you admire Palin or dislike her. You have to acknowledge that the Democrat-Media Complex's attempts to destroy this woman are really creepy.

Update: Oh, and apparently the article chiding Palin for her plane usage is a "disingenuous piece of crap."

A Question for Our Time

2009-11-30T01:19:00.001-06:00

Jonah Goldberg: Who To Sue When the Cylons Become Self-Aware?

2009-11-29T23:00:00.001-06:00

Mark Steyn: This is Your Brain on Political Correctness

Jim Carrey "Widens" His Grip on Late Role

2009-11-27T22:35:00.010-06:00

We've seen him as Ace Ventura, The Riddler, "The Mask", The Grinch, Count Olaf from the popular A Series of Unfortunate Events series, and lately, Ebenezer Scrooge in Disney's A Christmas Carol. Now he's preparing for what could be one of his greatest comedic accomplishments to date.

You all remember Larry, Curly, and Moe right? Back in 1925, the world was introduced to The Three Stooges-quite possibly one of the funniest television acts in history. Now, Hollywood's gearing up for a 2010 feature Stooges film. Set to be written and directed by the Farrelly Brothers (There's Something About Mary, Dumb & Dumber, Shallow Hal). This modernization of the three "yahoos" will be lead by actors Benicio Del Toro (Traffic, Sin City, 2010's The Wolfman) who is in talks to play "Moe", Paul Giamatti (Dr. Dolittle, Man on the Moon, Cinderella Man) is set to play "Larry". And you guessed it, Jim Carrey will be starring as "Curly"! I did say this could be one of his greatest acts didn't I??

And the 'who be" Curly is taking this role seriously, as in recent photo's, Jim Carrey has been seen preparing for his role. Just take a look for yourself:

The Crisis that Keeps on Giving

2009-11-26T21:49:00.003-06:00

Global Warming (sorry, that's "climate change") can apparently be blamed on anything, up to and including mirror universe Spock's goatee.

Here's a short list of what it's been blamed for, so far:

Darfur, the release of deadly frozen viruses, and an increase in the cat population (hat tip: John J. Miller).

Prostitution. (h/t: Jonah Goldberg)

And, it is also a justification for universal health care. (h/t: Mark Steyn)

Global Warming really is the gift that keeps on giving, all year long.

Update: Jonah Goldberg provides us with a complete list of all things that Global Warming causes:

Acne, agricultural land increase, Afghan poppies destroyed, poppies more potent, Africa devastated, Africa in conflict, African aid threatened, African summer frost, aggressive weeds, Air France crash, air pressure changes, airport malaria, Agulhas current, Al Qaeda and Taliban Being Helped, Alaska reshaped, moves, allergy season longer, alligators in the Thames, Alps melting, Amazon a desert, American dream end, amphibians breeding earlier (or not), anaphylactic reactions to bee stings, ancient forests dramatically changed, animals head for the hills, animals shrink, Antarctic grass flourishes, Antarctic ice grows, Antarctic ice shrinks, Antarctic sea life at risk, anxiety treatment, algal blooms, archaeological sites threatened, Arctic bogs melt, Arctic in bloom, Arctic ice free, Arctic ice melt faster, Arctic lakes disappear, Arctic tundra to burn, Arctic warming (not), Atlantic less salty, Atlantic more salty, atmospheric circulation modified, attack of the killer jellyfish, avalanches reduced, avalanches increased, Baghdad snow, Bahrain under water, bananas grow, barbarisation, beer and bread prices to soar, beer better, beer shortage, beer worse,beetle infestation, bet for $10,000, big melt faster, billion dollar research projects, billion homeless, billions face risk, billions of deaths, bird distributions change, bird loss accelerating, bird strikes, bird visitors drop, birds confused, birds decline (Wales), birds driven north, birds face longer migrations, birds return early, birds shrink, bittern boom ends, blackbirds stop singing, blackbirds threatened, Black Hawk down, blood contaminated,blue mussels return, bluetongue, brain eating amoebae, brains shrink, bridge collapse (Minneapolis), Britain one big city, Britain Siberian, British monsoon, brothels struggle, brown Ireland, bubonic plague, budget increases, Buddhist temple threatened, building collapse, building season extension, bushfires, business opportunities, business risks, butterflies move north, carbon crimes, camel deaths, cancer deaths in England,cannibalism, caterpillar biomass shift, cave paintings threatened, childhood insomnia, Cholera, circumcision in decline, cirrus disappearance, civil unrest, cloud increase, coast beauty spots lost, cockroach migration, coffee threatened, coffee berry borer, cold climate creatures survive, cold spells (Australia), cold wave (India), computer models, conferences, conflict, conflict with Russia, consumers foot the bill, coral bleaching, coral fish suffer,coral reefs dying, coral reefs grow, coral reefs shrink , coral reefs twilight, cost of trillions, cougar attacks, crabgrass menace, cradle of civilisation threatened, creatures move uphill, crime increase, crocodile sex, crops devastated, crumbling roads, buildings and sewage systems, curriculum change, cyclones (Australia), danger to kid's health, Darfur, Dartford Warbler plague, deadly virus outbreaks, death rate increase (US), deaths to reach 6 million, Dengue hemorrhagic fever, depression, desert advance, desert retreat, destruction of the environment, dig sites threatened,disappearance of coastal cities, disasters, diseases move north, dog disease, Dolomites collapse, dozen deadly diseases - or not, drought, ducks and geese decline, dust bowl in the corn belt, early marriages, early spring, earlier pollen season, Earth axis tilt, Earth biodiversity crisis, Earth dying,Earth even hotter, Earth light dimming, Earth lopsided, Earth melting, Earth morbid fever, Earth on fast track, Earth past point of no return, Earth slowing down, Earth spins faster, Earth to explode, earth upside down, earthquakes, earthquakes redux, El Niño intensification, end of the world as we know it, erosion, emerging infections, encephalitis, English villages lost, equality threatened, Europe simultaneously baking and freezing, eutrophication, evolution accelerating, expansion of university climate groups, extinctions (human, civilisation, logic, Inuit, smallest butterfly, cod, ladybirds, pikas, polar bears, possums, walrus, toads, plants, salmon, trout, wild flowers, woodlice, a million species, half of all animal and plant species, mountain species, not polar bears, barrier reef, leaches, salamanders, tropical insects) experts muzzled, extreme changes to California, fading fall foliage, fainting, famine, farmers benefit, farmers go under, farm output boost, fashion disaster, fever, figurehead sacked, fir cone bonanza, fires fanned in Nepal, fish bigger, fish catches drop, fish downsize, fish catches rise, fish deaf, fish get lost, fish head north, fish shrinking, fish stocks at risk, fish stocks decline, five million illnesses, flames stoked, flesh eating disease, flies on Everest, flood patterns change,floods, floods of beaches and cities, flood of migrants, flood preparation for crisis, flora dispersed, Florida economic decline, flowers in peril, food poisoning, food prices rise, food prices soar, food security threat (SA), football team migration, footpath erosion, forest decline, forest expansion, frog with extra heads, frostbite, frost damage increased, frosts, fungi fruitful, fungi invasion, games change, Garden of Eden wilts, geese decline in Hampshire, genetic diversity decline, gene pools slashed, giant oysters invade, giant pythons invade, giant squid migrate, gingerbread houses collapse,glacial earthquakes, glacial retreat, glacial growth, glacier grows (California), glacier wrapped, global cooling, global dimming, glowing clouds, golf course to drown, golf Masters wrecked, grandstanding, grasslands wetter, gravity shift, Great Barrier Reef 95% dead, Great Lakes drop, great tits cope, greening of the North, Grey whales lose weight, Gulf Stream failure, habitat loss, haggis threatened, Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, harmful algae, harvest increase, harvest shrinkage, hay fever epidemic, health affected, health of children harmed, health risks, heart disease, heart attacks and strokes (Australia), heat waves, hibernation affected, hibernation ends too soon, hibernation ends too late, HIV epidemic, homeless 50 million,hornets, high court debates, human development faces unprecedented reversal, human fertility reduced, human health risk, human race oblivion,hurricanes, hurricane reduction, hurricanes fewer, hurricanes not, hydropower problems, hyperthermia deaths, ice age, ice sheet growth, ice sheet shrinkage, icebergs, illness and death, inclement weather, India drowning, infrastructure failure (Canada), industry threatened, infectious diseases, inflation in China, insect explosion, insect invasion, insurance premium rises, Inuit displacement, Inuit poisoned, Inuit suing, invasion of alien worms,invasion of cats, invasion of crabgrass, invasion of herons, invasion of jellyfish, invasion of king crabs, invasion of midges, island disappears, islands sinking, Italy robbed of pasta, itchier poison ivy, jellyfish explosion, jets fall from sky, jet stream drifts north, Kew Gardens taxed, kidney stones, killer cornflakes, killing us, kitten boom, koalas under threat, krill decline, lake and stream productivity decline, lake empties, lake shrinking and growing,landslides, landslides of ice at 140 mph, large trees decline, lawsuits increase, lawsuit successful, lawyers' income increased (surprise surprise!), lawyers want more, legionnaires' surge, lives saved, Loch Ness monster dead, locust plagues suppressed, lush growth in rain forests, Malaria, mammoth dung melt, mango harvest fails, Maple production advanced, Maple syrup shortage, marine diseases, marine food chain decimated,Meaching (end of the world), Meat eating to stop, Mediterranean rises, megacryometeors, Melanoma, Melanoma decline, methane emissions from plants, methane burps, methane runaway, melting permafrost, Middle Kingdom convulses, migration, migration difficult (birds), migratory birds huge losses, microbes to decompose soil carbon more rapidly, minorities hit, monkeys at risk, monkeys on the move, Mont Blanc grows, monuments imperiled, moose dying, more bad air days, more research needed, mortality increased, mountain (Everest) shrinking, mountaineers fears, mountains break up, mountains green and flowering, mountains taller, mortality lower, Myanmar cyclone, narwhals at risk, National Parks damaged, National security implications, native wildlife overwhelmed, natural disasters quadruple, new islands, next ice age, NFL threatened, Nile delta damaged,noctilucent clouds, no effect in India, Northwest Passage opened, nuclear plants bloom, oaks dying, oaks move north, ocean acidification, ocean acidification faster, ocean dead spots, ocean dead zones unleashed, ocean deserts expand, ocean waves speed up, oceans noisier, Olympic Games to end, opera house to be destroyed, outdoor hockey threatened, ozone repair slowed, ozone rise, Pacific dead zone, penguin chicks frozen, penguin chicks smaller, personal carbon rationing, pest outbreaks, pests increase, phenology shifts, pines decline, plankton blooms, plankton destabilised, plants lose protein, plants march north, plants move uphill, polar bears aggressive, polar bears cannibalistic, polar bears deaf, polar bears drowning, polar tours scrapped, popcorn rise, porpoise astray, profits collapse, psychiatric illness, puffin decline, pushes poor women into prostitution, rabid bats, radars taken out, railroad tracks deformed, rainfall increase, rape wave, refugees, reindeer endangered, release of ancient frozen viruses, resorts disappear, rice threatened, rice yields crash, rift on Capitol Hill, rioting and nuclear war, river flow impacted, rivers raised, roads wear out, robins rampant, rocky peaks crack apart, roof of the world a desert, rooftop bars, Ross river disease, ruins ruined, Russia under pressure, salinity reduction,salinity increase, Salmonella, satellites accelerate, school closures, sea level rise, sea level rise faster, seals mating more, seismic activity, sewer bills rise, severe thunderstorms, sex change, sexual promiscuity, shark attacks, sharks booming, sharks moving north, sheep shrink, shop closures, short-nosed dogs endangered, shrinking ponds, shrinking sheep, shrinking shrine, Sidney Opera House wiped out, ski resorts threatened, skin cancer, slow death, smaller brains, smog, snowfall decrease, snowfall increase, snowfall heavy, snow thicker, soaring food prices, societal collapse, soil change,songbirds change eating habits, sour grapes, space problem, spectacular orchids, spiders getting bigger, spiders invade Scotland, squid aggressive giants, squid larger, squid population explosion, squid tamed, squirrels reproduce earlier, stick insects, stingray invasion, storms wetter, stormwater drains stressed, street crime to increase, subsidence, suicide, swordfish in the Baltic, Tabasco tragedy, taxes, tectonic plate movement, teenage drinking, terrorism, terrorists (India), threat to peace, ticks move northward (Sweden), tides rise, tigers eat people, tomatoes rot, tornado outbreak,tourism increase, toxic seaweed, trade barriers, trade winds weakened, traffic jams, transportation threatened, tree foliage increase (UK), tree growth slowed, trees in trouble, trees less colourful, trees more colourful, trees lush, tropics expansion, tropopause raised, truffle shortage, truffles down,tundra plant life boost, turtles crash, turtle feminised, turtles lay earlier, UFO sightings, UK coastal impact, UK Katrina, uprooted - 6 million, Vampire moths, Venice flooded, violin decline, volcanic eruptions, walrus pups orphaned, walrus stampede, war, war between US and Canada, wars over water, wars sparked, wars threaten billions, wasps, water bills double, water scarcity (20% of increase), water stress, weather out of its mind, weather patterns awry, Western aid cancelled out, West Nile fever, whale beachings, whales lose weight, whales move north, whales wiped out, wheat yields crushed in Australia, wildfires, wind shift, wind reduced, winds stronger, winds weaker, wine - Australian baked, wine - harm to Australian industry,wine industry damage (California), wine industry disaster (US), wine - more English, wine - England too hot, wine -German boon, wine - no more French , wine passé (Napa), wine - Scotland best, wine stronger, winters in Britain colder, winter in Britain dead, witchcraft executions, wolves eat more moose, wolves eat less, workers laid off, World at war, World War 4, World bankruptcy, World in crisis, World in flames, Yellow fever.

Who Am I? What's My Name?

2009-11-26T20:06:00.003-06:00

I consider myself to be a widely misunderstood human being. I go to school, I get strong grades, I have my own vehicle (which is pretty rad by the way), I have two jobs, and I have goals. That’s what I’m about to share with you all this cold winder evening. And hopefully, with a pinch of luck you’ll log off this fine site inspired, just as I am.

First off I’d like to start with my name, Cyle. That’s right, with a “C”, no “K” involved here. Last name, Hendricks (no relation to Jimmy of course). That’s my name, and keep that in mind as you’re reading this passage. So, where shall I begin…

Everywhere I go, everyone I see, it comes to me that I’m…well I’m quite different. And I think that’s what throws people off, which leads me to being misunderstood. Everything I do, want to do, and who I am seems to part ways from everyone else, so where’s the conflict? Right there silly! Those who actually know me, know that I am an aspiring filmmaker. It’s a very uncommon dream, especially for someone growing around here. You don’t expect to ask someone what they want to do with their life, and have them respond “Hey, I wanna go to Hollywood, and be a big filmmaker.” You just don’t see it, never. And if you do, they’re usually not serious about it, resulting them in partaking in another profession.

Looking back, I ask myself, is this what I was meant to do? All those years, when I didn’t know it, was this destined for my future? That’s a good question. All my life, movies have played its’ role, and no doubt they changed me forever. I love everything about movies, the stories, even the cheesy ones, the drama, the emotion, the music, and even that little Chinese guy that always seems to get his ass kicked far in the background of each scene. Looking back on it all, even before I wanted to become a filmmaker, this dream started it’s path.

Back in 2002, I lived with my mother in ole Branson, Missouri. It was through my step dad’s friend, Jeff Ochoa, who would change my life forever. It was his first film, a 20 minute horror entitled “The Shed”. That little movie set these big dreams for me. I remember sitting on the couch with the rest of the fam, our first time seeing to. Jeff was so excited to be presenting this to us. He would excitedly point out all these cool moments and shots, and he was so hyped up about it. Seeing that was great. At the movies end, we were all amazed. Especially me. I remember saying to myself, If he could do it, so can I. And seeing the amazement in my mother, brother’s, step dad’s eyes, I knew this is what I wanted to do. Create those moments for billions of other people to enjoy!

After that, I couldn’t stop watching “The Shed”. I’d watch it everyday, sometimes repeatedly. It was just so amazing, and still is. And since then, I wanted to become a filmmaker. It grew upon me over the years, and it’s amazing how much I’ve learned over that span of time. I soon realized, to be successful, I’d have to go far, farther than anyone else. To go beyond. And here I am, busting my ass off to that. Unfortunately, there are those doubters out there, and that includes my father. Then again, my father really doesn’t pay any attention to the things I do. My mother, brother, stepfather, friends all encourage me, and believe in me. Especially my big bro! He’s always pushing me to do this, and he is one of my greatest inspirations.

Sometimes when we meet new people and all, and introduce me, he’d be like “You’re looking at the next Steven Spielberg right here.” He even tells me I’m going to be bigger than those guys out there. That tells you something, it really does. I get that inspiration from the rest of the fam (at least on my mother’s side) all the time, and of course from the friends, even teachers. Hell, even people who don’t even know me have said that I’ll make it big. They’d just look at me, and be like “He’s gonna do it, he’s gonna make it big.”. And you know, the funny thing is, my dad doesn’t see that. He even tries to hold me back. I guess he doesn’t know me to well, cause if he did, he’d know that there’s no stopping me!

My life is movies. I don’t come from one of those wealthy, snooty, wine drinking, let’s all take a ride in our new Cadillac families. I don’t have the luxury of growing up in the business. So you see the obstacles little Cyle has to face. And that’s what sometimes I’m nicknamed in the family, “Little” Cyle. But let me tell you, I may not be Andre the Giant, but I’m going big. Bigger than anyone in my family, bigger than anyone around here has ever gone. I got to prove myself. Not only to my family, and friends, but to everyone. Everyone in the Illinois Valley, all my enemies, all those doubters, the WHOLE WORLD! I got to show them that I can be somebody, that I can do something with my life! It’s not about the fame, it’s not about the money, it’s about so much more, and I’m going for it all.

I have to take risks, and I have to make sacrifices. But that’s what you got to do to make it big in Hollywood. You have to do that, and you have to go there. A lot of people say that they want to be an actor, actress - a big Hollywood Star. They have these dreams, and you know what? Those dreams kick them in the ass when they don’t make it. So the question is, why didn’t they make it? Why aren’t they living those dreams they oh so fantasized about? Let me tell ya!

You have to take it seriously. You really do, and unfortunately, there are those out there who don’t take me seriously. But believe me as I’m writing these words, I am very serious! I’ve known what I’ve wanted to do since I was in 5th grade, and I’m not giving up. This is who I am. Another thing is, you have to, absolutely, positively, have to go where the business is. It’s a must, and if you sit here all day, camping out at ole Buffalo Wild Wings, getting high with your gang from across the street, you ain’t gonna make it. And that’s the truth.

Look at stars like Jim Carrey, Michael J. Fox, and many others. They didn’t grow up around the area. Hell, they even dropped out of high school to pursue their Hollywood dreams. And can you guess what they did first? That’s right, they went to Los Angeles! That’s where you gotta go, Southern Cali! If a high school drop out can grow up to be one of the biggest names in the movie market today, then I most certainly can become who I want to be, who I am!

It’s about heart, it’s about who can go out there and strive to be the best! That’s what I believe in, topping other people, taking a different path, even if that path is a little bumpier, I will always come out on top. I believe in the quality of life! And how important it is! Not a lot of people think about that. This is it, the moments that will change my life! I’m gonna use everything in my power, and my strong creativity. I promise all of you who are reading this, that I will one day, and that day is coming up very soon; that I will be one of the biggest names in Hollywood!

I don’t think anyone really realizes how amazing this is for me. It’s the most amazing feeling, knowing that one day you’re gonna make it. I don’t think anyone realizes the uniqueness in me, how I’m not just another face in the crowd. But soon, very soon, they will understand…

So back to the question...What do I want to do with my life?

Well, I’m Cyle Hendricks, and MOVIES ARE MY LIFE!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T14:11:00.001-06:00

From all of us at Anvil News, Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

And now, here's George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving message.

PETA: People for the Eating of Tasty Animals

2009-11-24T22:02:00.000-06:00

Anvil News is back, with all new stuff and things. Check it out.

Narcissist-in-Chief

2009-11-14T17:43:00.002-06:00

Sorry, but Obama is not "America's first Pacific president," as he said in Tokyo today.

Speaking Truth to Bower?

2009-11-14T11:48:00.002-06:00

POTUS does it again.

h/t: Mark Steyn at the Corner.

Please share my umbrella....

2009-11-13T12:22:00.001-06:00

White House counsel Greg Craig is waiting at the stop, and will soon be joining the throngs under Obama's bus.

Beam Me Up

2009-11-11T18:08:00.001-06:00

Destructoid has a great article about the upcoming Star Trek Online game, which looks fantastic.

In the Interest of Fairness....

2009-11-11T16:39:00.001-06:00

Fox News made a stupid mistake.

Video: Jon Stewart catches Fox News’ creative editing

Glenn Beck Gets Results

2009-11-10T23:18:00.004-06:00

White House communications director Anita Dunn announces her resignation.

If you aren't clear, Anita Dunn has been criticized for a long time by Fox News host Glenn Beck because of some idiotic comments that Ms. Dunn made regarding totalitarian dictator Mao Zedong, calling the Chairman one of her "favorite political philosophers."

Fleeced in Our Time

2009-11-07T22:14:00.001-06:00

The Healthcare Bill has passed in the House.

Breaking News: House Health Care Vote Imminent!

2009-11-07T19:36:00.036-06:00

It's really hard to get the latest on this vote because everything is changing. There are numerous blogs that are covering this thing minute-by-minute.

I highly recommend checking out these sites:

Hot Air's Health Care Open Thread

NRO's Indispensible "Doctor! Doctor!"

From the looks of things, the vote is going to be incredibly close. This is important.

Update: Holy crap! Fox News says that the American Medical Association may recant it's endorsement of Obama Care.

Update II: Eric Cantor says that 35 Democrats oppose bill thus far.

Update III: Obama earlier today-- "Now's the Time to Finish the Job"

Update IV: Jim Geraghty has some good stuff on the Democrat "No" votes.

Update V: Video--Hmm. Lots of "Requirements" in this plan.

Update VI: John Podhoretz on what we know about plan.

Update VII: Dems say that they have the 218 votes needed for passage. Doesn't necessarily mean they do have them, but who knows?

Update IIX: Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) on the House floor. Republicans "suffer from pre-existing condition" of "heart of stone." He's touting the AMA's endorsement, which may be recanted. What an idiot.

Update IX: Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) is speaking. He's referencing social security and medicare, which both suck. Schmuck.

Update X: Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), the House Minority Whips is speaking now. He says that the Dem proposal is a 1,000 page trillion dollar bill that raises taxes, cuts benefits to Seniors, and spends trillions of dollars we don't have. He says that the GOP has offered a "stark contrast" that is "fiscally responsible and reasonable."

Update XI: Cantor says that the only bipartisan vote will be against Obamacare.

Update XII: The great Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), House Minority Leader is speaking now.

Update XIII: Boehner says that Obamacare will raise taxes, raise insurance premiums, and kill millions of jobs.

Update XIV: Boehner is reading parts of the bill now. Good for him.

Update XV: Boehner is reading the powers of the Health Choices Commissioner (aka Health Czar) on the House Floor. These powers are really creepy. h/t: Mary Katherine Ham.

Update XVI: Mary Katherine Ham -- Fun Facts About Pelosi's 1,990-Page Health-Care Hodge Podge.

Update XVII: Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) is taking the stand now.

Update XVIII: The Stupak Amendment has passed 240-194. This Amendment bans Federal Funding of Abortion from the health care bill, with some exceptions.

Update XIIX: "The Democrats had more passion defending the trial bar than in extending access in their health bill."

Update XIX: "The Democrats' first spokesman on medical malpractice is the former head of the Iowa Trial Lawyers Association."

Dr. No Threatens to Have Health-care Bill Read on Senate Floor

2009-11-07T00:27:00.003-06:00

This is one reason why Dr. Tom Coburn (R-OK) is one of my favorite Senators.

This Really is the Twilight Zone

2009-11-05T21:31:00.002-06:00

I had a column published today in the Illinois Valley Community College newspaper the IV Leader. The title of it was "Entering the Twilight Zone of Western Civilization." Well, I think we really are in the Twilight Zone. As you know, there has been a horrific shooting today at Fort Hood, Texas that has left 12 Dead and 31 wounded. We were originally told that the shooter was dead, but he's apparently not. That's kind of a big difference.

And now, on a much, much lighter note, I'm told that there is a "Star Trek" replicator device that is in the works. That's great news, but really?

And in even more unbelievable news, Glenn Beck is becoming the "New Oprah." What?

Back to reality, we have some very, very, very believable news. But sadly, it's not good news. Nancy Pelosi is breaking another promise. Ugh.

Battle Hymn of the Republican Party

2009-11-05T14:09:00.004-06:00

National Review Online convenes a symposium about a possible Republican Civil War.

Yes We Did!!!

2009-11-04T01:18:00.004-06:00

h/t: Fox News for the photo.

Election Night Extravaganza!!!!

2009-11-03T23:08:00.003-06:00

Not really. But I'm elated that Chris Chirstie (R) will be the New Governor of New Jersey, and that Bob McDonnell (R) will be the new Governor of Virginia. However, it appears that in New York's 23 Congressional District, Conservative Doug Hoffman will not win. That's too bad, but it's still alright. Two out of three is good.

Update: The AP is reporting that Democrat Bill Owens has won the NY 23 race against Conservative Doug Hoffman.

Breaking: NY 23- Scozzafava Endorses Owens

2009-11-01T15:07:00.004-06:00

The Republican who suspended her Congressional campaign yesterday in New York's 23rd District is endorsing the Liberal Democrat Bill Owens.

This complicates things for Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, who The Daily Anvil supports in this race.

Here's the full story.

Update: Jonah Goldberg has the Real Story on NY 23.

Plus, the Campaign Spot and The Final Countdown have all your election coverage.

The New Era of "Cowboy Diplomacy"

2009-11-01T07:56:00.004-06:00

I was perusing National Review Online's group blog The Corner this morning--as I do every morning--when a post from Mark Steyn--the best non-fiction writer alive today--caught my eye.

Now, we all know what Bush-era "Cowboy Diplomacy" was. It was when the (now former) President decided that he would act in America's interest to protect our national security. We also know that this irritated the Cowardly Lions of the Left to no end, as they were horrified that this uneducated Texan was discarding America's popularity in the eyes of our European "allies"--the same "allies" that were actively doing business with Saddam Hussein even after declaring that the man had Weapons of Mass Destruction that might be used against his enemies.

Ah, how I long for the good ol' days when we would risk offending the sensibilities of our more squeamish Euro-pals in order to take the fight to some crazy Islamofundie regime in Central Asia.

It appears we are now in the dog days of a new Cowboy Diplomacy where America ignores the pleading cries of Poland, the Czech Republic, Israel, Japan, Taiwan, Georgia, Honduras, and our own Generals on the ground in Afghanistan in order to make nice with totalitarian, despotic, anti-Semitic, and otherwise crazy regimes in Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, and China.

Now, we've got Hillary Clinton going over to Islamabad and offending the very same Pakistani government that is currently fighting an insurgent Taliban for its survival.

I understand the old adage that we need to keep our friends close and our enemies closer, but this Administration is increasingly treating our enemies like our friends and our friends like a collective of jilted ex-lovers who keep leaving unreturned voice mails on the White House red phone.

The Twilight of the West

2009-11-01T07:45:00.002-06:00

President Obama has been getting tough lately with a dastardly enemy, one that threatens the very fabric of society as we know it. This enemy is determined to bring about the end, not only of American life, but also the entirety of Western Civilization through propaganda, lies, and destructive and hateful violence. No, this enemy is not Iran, North Korea, Russia, China, Al Qaeda, the Taliban, or even the guy who does the pitiful impression of the President for Saturday Night Live. No, it is an enemy that is even worse than all of those entities combined. Who am I referring to? Who else but Fox News Channel?

Yes, it’s true. The White House has declared war against Fox News, which the President’s political consiglierie Rahm Emanuel branded as “not a news organization” because it has a “perspective.” This means that since Fox News has been doing the heavy lifting on the ACORN story, the Van Jones controversy, and the Tea Party protests, it can no longer be called a news organization.

This is, first of all, just plain odd. Every news outlet has a perspective. MSNBC has a perspective, The New York Times has a perspective, The Washington Post has a perspective, CBS News has a perspective. The White House only has a problem with Fox News because that organization’s opinion shows have gone after the Obama Administration and have taken republican or conservative opinions most of the time.

But the White House campaign against Fox is more telling of something else. While real enemies exist that threaten the very fabric of civilization, Western governments and media outlets for the past several years have been ignoring these enemies and instead targeting other nuisances that are much easier to attack. If you try to take on Radical Islam and the violence that is symptomatic of it, then Radical Muslims will try to kill you in order to prove that Muslims don’t kill in the name of Islam. But the Tea Party folks aren’t going to self-destruct in a marketplace. Fox News isn’t going to behead Keith Olbermann. Rush Limbaugh is not going to fire an AK-47 into a crowd of hippies.

The real problem with Western civilization’s head-in-the-sand attitude towards Radical Islam is that those who bring attention to terrorism perpetrated by Muslims are often attacked as Islamophobes and bigots. For example, a couple of years ago, Canadian-born conservative writer Mark Steyn wrote a book called America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It. In this book, Steyn details demographic trends that show the populations of the civilized world declining and the population of the Muslim World increasing. He also argues that Europe—which is mostly in net population decline—will become heavily Islamified, and that a form of de facto Sharia law is already in effect through political correctness and “hate-speech” laws across Europe and Canada. In response to an essay Steyn wrote based on his book for Canada’s Maclean’s magazine, a complaint was filed with the Ontario Human Rights Commission and Steyn was accused of “flagrant Islamophobia.” Ever since then, Mr. Steyn has been battling to bring free speech back to Canada.

If the position of much of the Western world is to cover its ears regarding Radical Islam and shout, “Nya nya nya, Can’t Hear You!!!!” whenever anyone brings to attention the threat posed by Islamic totalitarianism, then we are in a bad position. But when the most powerful man in the world decides to wage a public war against a new outlet that he doesn’t like or a Western government pursues “hate speech” charges against a writer, our society is actively assisting our own destruction by providing cover for not only Radical Islam, but also other threats to world safety. In the old days it was just on the shadowy regions of the map where the cartographer would scrawl, “Here Be Dragons.” Now, the enemy is hiding in our own society using our laws as cover to bring about our downfall.

Breaking News: Obama Wins More Awards

2009-10-09T14:55:00.001-05:00

It Should Have Been Neda

2009-10-09T13:24:00.006-05:00

During the summer months of 2009 a revolution was witnessed that took the world by storm. Iranian peace activists had taken to the street to protest an election stolen by the Iranian regime of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his backers, the Guardian Council of Iran and the Supreme Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

It was during this time that the Iranian regime shut down most voices of dissent. For days, the only news the West got out of Iran about the election and the protests were via the social networking site Twitter.

In the months that have passed, the eyes of the West have turned to other things, some of them important (health care, Cap and Trade, the Afghanistan war) and some not so important (the Olympics, Kanye West, Roman Polanski, and David Letterman). But what is clear is that on this day, October 9, 2009, we have forgotten the sacrifice of those who participated in what was called Iran's "Green Revolution". And no, they didn't even cap carbon emissions or ban plastic bags.

What the Iranian people did was hold massive rallies against the regime of the Mullahs and their puppet, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. People came out en masse to stand in solidarity against the evil and oppressive tyrants who have ruled them for so long.

What happened to them? Many were arrested. Many were tear-gassed and beaten with clubs. Many were driven from the place of protest by government-sanctioned mobs. And many were killed, slaughtered by the government. Neda Agha-Soltan was one of those people.

Neda became, for a short time, a symbol for liberty and freedom. She was a young girl who wanted nothing more than freedom. And she was killed--gunned down by an Iranian sniper--for that freedom.

I don't know the policies of the Nobel committee regarding posthumous awards, but if anyone were deserving of one, it would be Neda. Very few can give up more in pursuit of peace, justice, and liberty than someone who died for those virtues.

The truth of the matter is that it doesn't even really need to be Neda. It could be anyone of the Iranian protesters, or any person standing up against the Taliban in Afghanistan, or anyone jailed in China, or North Korea, or Cuba who has been targeted by the government as a political prisoner. Anyone who has stood up against tyranny and looked it in the eye and paid the price for it is a better choice for a Nobel Peace Prize than the person who won it--a man who has done nothing but pander and coalesce to oppressive and despotic regimes ever since becoming the President of the United States.

If the state of the world community is in such disarray that a man who has of yet done nothing to achieve peace anywhere on the face of the earth is given an award for peace instead of those who have actually given up their freedom, their health, or their lives for peace, then that is one more reason why the world community is a joke and America should not care about their opinions any further.

Seriously: Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-09T08:46:00.003-05:00

The Breaking News today is that President Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Seriously. No, he really did. Here's proof:

Reuters: Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize to Mixed Reviews

British Paper: This makes a mockery of the Nobel Peace Prize

It's Not April 1st, Is It?

Full Coverage at National Review Online.

Olbermann's Special Comment: Life and Death

2009-10-08T01:15:00.005-05:00

On tonight's episode of "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" on MSNBC, the host made an attempt to reframe the debate. Was it an honest attempt? Possibly. Was it a propaganda piece that used sorrowful anecdotes to try and convey a political message? In some ways. Was it a serious attempt at a dialogue between two opposing sides on a divisive issue? Not really.

The whole thing reminds me of Thomas Paine, who tried to reshape public debate in his time during a period of unfair and criminal taxes placed on the American colonies by the British Empire. But taxes alone were not enough to turn the tide of public opinion around to convince the American colonists that revolution was necessary to break the bonds that held them to a despotic overseas monarch. No, the issue would have to be reframed. It was not about taxes anymore. As Paine wrote in The Crisis:

Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

No longer was the debate to break away from the British Empire about taxation without representation. It was about something more important, and more vital to the human spirit: Liberty. In order to have liberty from the tyrant King of England, the colonists would have to rebel. And so they did.

What does this have to do with Keith Olbermann? Well, in tonight's "Special Comment," he gave an hour long speech in which he said this, in part:

This, ultimately, is about death.

About preventing it. About fighting it. About resisting it. About grabbing hold of anything and everything to forestall it and postpone it, even though we know that the force will overcome us all - always will, always has. Health care is, at its core, about improving the odds of life in its struggle against death. Of extending that game which we will all lose, each and every one of us unto eternity, extending it another year or month or second.

It is your skin. Literally. And it is in the hands of people, insurance companies, who can still make money by betting against your good health. There is only one comfort here and it is cold indeed. Profit while you can, insurers. Sickness and death wait not just for your customer. They also wait for you. And they are double-parked. The doctor who treats you and the pharmacist who makes you pay through your nose are not your enemies in this. It proves they are as much victims as you and I are. And the time has come to realign the battle here, so that it is not just us versus the entire medical and health care establishment, it is us, and the doctors, and the nurses, and the pharmacists, and maybe even some of the hospitals, against the real enemy: The insurance companies… the Insurance companies who are right now at war against America!…

Death is the issue! How can we not be unified against death?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

He reframed the debate, or at least tried to. Life and death, like Paine's Liberty and Tyranny, is something that is relatable to all people, of any faith, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or political belief. We all hold this near and dear to our hearts. Olbermann formulated his argument into a quest for life, a battle against death. And he related it to the story about his father who is now suffering from a terrible illness. He even closed the show with a picture of his dad in a hospital gown.

Is it dishonest to parade your sick father around for political points? Yes. But Olbermann isn't an honest person. However, it was a remarkable clever thing to do. Not just the picture and story of his dad. But the entire speech. He talked about broad, relatable topics that are not really political. And he used this technique to make the argument that a certain political plan will be more successful than other plans, even though just because his argument for X (that everyone wants to live and that we all face struggles with death) does not equal Y (that because of the reality of X we must adopt the Obama National Health-Care plan), he makes it seem as if it does. In essence, he uses emotional appeal to rally his viewers around a piece of legislation. And he did it brilliantly.

And while I think Olbermann is wrong and disingenuous, I admit that he makes some reasonable points about health care. But sadly, he does not give the Right the same concessions. He continues to misrepresent the reasonable objections that many have to government-run health care, and does not make the case that if we have government-run health care that more people will succeed in the fight between life and death.

But he doesn't need to. He gave an emotional speech about (as he calls it) "reform." And anyone who opposes his specific solution to the problem as he sees it is now also opposed to "reform." And that's the biggest problem with those on the Left in this debate. They refuse to concede that the opposition has any good ideas whatsoever, and refuse to work with the Right to come up with a good piece of legislation that will actually make peoples' lives better. In their minds, the only kind of reform we can have is the kind proposed by Congressional Democrats.

The Hour of Pomposity

2009-10-07T15:11:00.005-05:00

Everyone's favorite Cromwell-quoting Narcissist with Important Hair, Keith Olbermann, is set to deliver an hour-long "Special Comment" about "the need for reform, the real meaning of reform and the protests against it."

Of course, when he's talking about reform he's really just spewing his usual nonsense about why we all need to line up behind National Health-Care, not actual meaningful reform.

So, my suggestions for this evening are to avoid whatever channel that joker is on, and watch tonight's brand new episode of Glee on Fox.

Politically Correct Rochambeau

2009-10-06T23:17:00.006-05:00

Rock smashes scissors, paper covers rock, and Islamophobia trumps Homophobia:

French gay soccer team snubbed by Muslim team

Quote of the day goes to Mark Steyn:

"The gay team has accused the Muslims of homophobia. But isn't accusing Muslims of homophobia a bit Islamophobic?"

2009-10-02T13:09:00.002-05:00

Steven F. Hayward: Is Conservatism Brain-Dead?

Hayward writes a great article about something that has interested me for quite some time: The divide between intellectual and activist conservatives.

And Now A Message From A Bunch Of Really Un-Important Non-Celebrities About Obamacare

2009-09-30T16:18:00.006-05:00

Well we have a response to the video of the important, noble celebrities telling us how the government is going to let us live. In the spirit of being fair, let's give these stupid regular Americans the chance to respond to the brilliant ideals represented by great intellectuals like Will Ferrell and Hollywood director Adam McKay.

How dare these regular Americans question the great things that the government is going to do

for them? Don't they know that it's evil insurance companies, not ridiculously overpaid

celebrities, that are the real villains. Scoff. Jeer. Taunt.

Meanwhile, Adam McKay has responded to his critics by calling them "sub-moronic." He also

gives us the brilliant observation that insurance executives kill 20,000 people a year by denying claims on purpose. No, Really. He did say that.

A "Clunker" of a Program

2009-09-27T23:44:00.002-05:00

Last month we saw the conclusion of the government’s “Cash For Clunkers” program, a federal scrappage scheme that was supposed to encourage Americans to trade in their gas-guzzling jalopy and trade it in for a new, more environmentally-friendly auto at taxpayer’s expense. There are, however, numerous problems with this program, in that it is an automotive welfare scheme, as well as costly to the economy and to American taxpayers in general, and it’s positive environmental effects have been called into question.

The word that has really caught on in media descriptions of the program is “popular.” ABC News stated that the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS, for short)--which is the official title for clunker trade-in deal—is “wildly popular.” The same phrase—“wildly popular”—has been used hither and yon to describe the program. A few curious souls have ventured to find out exactly how many people actually like the program. The numbers are not good. A June Rasmussen poll finds that, “Despite the willingness of people to accept the money if it was available, 54% opposed the “Cash for Clunkers” proposal and just 35% were in favor the plan. Twelve percent (12%) were undecided.” I’m not a math guy, and it would seem like those newshounds over at ABC (not to pick on them, all of the media has done it) might want to inquire into the actual support for the program before making the grand pronouncement that it is “wildly popular.” Perhaps if, as columnist Jonah Goldberg writes, the press had used, “the all-important qualification ‘wildly popular among people who get thousands of free dollars from other taxpayers,’” then it would be slightly more accurate.

The economic costs of this program are not easy to spot, but existent nonetheless. As a part of the program, the American government requires the traded-in “Clunkers” to be broken down and destroyed. This makes the old cars--still drivable and (in many cases) satisfactory to consumers—obsolete, which destroys the possibility of someone buying a cheap, older car; meaning that tax payer dollars are being used to take perfectly good, cost effective products off of the market so that more expensive products can be sold.

This doesn’t even take into account the way we are encouraging people to be reckless with money—our money, mind you. By the government dangling the lollipop of free government money in front of consumers, it will stop many people from spending money on other things that will stimulate businesses that aren’t owned (unlike the American auto industry) by the American government. Junior’s college fund will have to wait since mom and dad are now spending their cash on a new car that might not be necessary since they probably could have been more frugal and kept their older car for a bit longer.

But certainly--even though the economic effect may be negative, and even though it is not popular among people who are forcibly paying for a program that they get no benefit from—the environmental effects of this scheme must be positive. After all, isn’t what this is all about? Helping the environment? Saving the polar bears?

Er, well, no. Not exactly. As Edmunds.com auto analyst Jessica Caldwell explains it:

What you buy has to have an increase in fuel economy from what you traded in. But in some cases, that increase can be minimal. Owners of large pickup trucks like a Ford F150 only have to buy a replacement that increases efficiency by one mile per gallon. And they still get a $3,500 rebate. The environmental impact is negligible and the impact on national fuel demand and consumption is very small. The only real benefit in a like-for-like swap can be improved emissions standards on newer vehicles. Rather than discourage those people, they included them in this program.

Wait. So she’s saying that many traded-in vehicles have similar fuel economy features as the new ones that we’re paying for? What?

And here is the kicker: the Heritage Foundation points out that Caldwell doesn’t even mention the environmental impacts of building a new car and destroying an old one.

So much for the “wildy popular” and successful “Cash For Clunkers” program. What we have created is an expensive and costly welfare scheme that has hurt the economy and the pocketbooks of American taxpayers. Not only that, but the positive effect of the program on the environment is negligible. And all that was done with a mere $3 billion of taxpayer money. Just think what waste will be created with a trillion dollar stimulus package.

There Goes the "Hippest President Ever" Moniker

2009-09-27T19:02:00.004-05:00

He's just another squaresville old foagie.

Obama would curtail summer vacation.

My guess would be there will be no more tribute songs coming from the nation's third graders for this President.

Just think, if he had mentioned this during his back to school address, we might have had a worse outburst on our hands than Joe Wilson.

Best. Column title. Ever.

2009-09-26T19:42:00.000-05:00

Mark Steyn: Dog-Feces Ice Cream.

Just What We Always Wanted: A Religious Education by Mike Seaver

2009-09-26T13:22:00.004-05:00

Because sitcoms stars are the best-qualified people to tell us how the world works. I'm now awaiting the seminar on tax policy by Urkel.

Allahpundit does a pretty good job of defenestrating Kirk over at Hot Air.

Big Hollywood: 'Don't Stop Believing' In 'Glee'

2009-09-25T20:06:00.002-05:00

John P. Hanlon reviews one of my favorite television shows.

And Now A Message From A Bunch Of Really Important Celebrities About Obamacare

2009-09-22T22:49:00.003-05:00

Well folks, Obamacare isn't really doing as well as our President, the Greatest Orator since Socrates, would like it to be. Even after a speech before a joint-session of Congress, a trip to five Sunday talk shows, and a goofy sojourn to the realm of hard news extraordinaire David Letterman, POTUS still can't get his 320 million patients to swallow his big green pill that is going to save us all from the evil insurance companies.

So what now? Where do we go from here? Well, the lovely folks at Moveon.org have put together a video featuring a ton of really important big name celebrities, including one or two that you might even recognize!!

The video has all the lies and discombobulated nonsense that we've all come to expect from progressives when trying to push the agenda of the President (insurance companies are the enemy, 80 percent of the public supports the plan, the public option is a good idea, blah blah blah). And while Obama's hands are not directly involved in the making of this video, it was put together by Democratic-front group MoveOn. And they'd never tell a lie.

If you don't care to see a bunch of self-obsessed celebrities making jokes out of themselves, then let me wrap it up for you. We're all stupid. We've been hoodwinked by insurance executives. The government is the answer. We will all be rich, fat, and happy under the rule of government health-care. And anyone who dares speak against it is bought-and-paid-for by the insurance companies. Get it? Now sit down, shut up, and bend over. Don't forget to cough.

2009-09-19T14:35:00.001-05:00

Mark Steyn: Obama and the New Iron Curtain

The Godfather of Neoconservativsm Dead

2009-09-18T20:19:00.003-05:00

Irving Kristol had died.

Mr. Kristol was an intellectual giant, someone who has had a big impact on the way I think about politics and the world we live in. That’s not saying that I always agreed with him, but he was a brilliant writer and thinker. He is highly revered in the conservative movement, even though he’s had his disagreements with various members of it.

I’ve only begun my study of some of Kristol’s works, but he has more published pieces than I could count if I had six hands. This means I will have a chance to continue my examination of his beliefs and philosophy for many years.

Mr. Kristol had his biggest influence obviously over his son, Bill, another intellectual giant of the conservative movement. Again, I have my disagreements with both of them. But I respect both of them for everything they’ve done for conservatism and the forces of liberty.

The impact of Kristol’s though will live on at the American Enterprise Institute, where--as Jonah Goldberg, who was there in the ’90’s, wrote--"Irving was considered royalty." Also, at the magazine edited by his son, Bill, and various other conservative magazines such as National Review and The American Spectator.

He lived a full life and he impacted many people, including myself. But his legacy will live on even long than he did, and will continue to inform, inspire, and instill thought in generations to come.

The Godfather of Neoconservatism. Dead at 89. R.I.P

Well That's Reassuring

2009-09-15T22:55:00.004-05:00

Charlie Gibson on ACORN Scandal: ‘I don’t even know about it.’

The Heritage Foundation reminds me today about an old Sherlock Holmes exchange, from the wonderful short story The Silver Blaze. The Detective has this chat with Inspector Gregory from Scotland Yard:

Gregory: “Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?”
Holmes: “To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.”
Gregory: “The dog did nothing in the night-time.”
Holmes: “That was the curious incident.”

Update: The investigation of ACORN in another city (this time on the West Coast) is up on Big Government. Congrats to James O'Keefe.

Health-Care Reform and the Constitution

2009-09-15T14:37:00.002-05:00

Judge Napolitano has some interesting thoughts on the matter today in the Wall Street Journal:

Applying these principles to President Barack Obama's health-care proposal, it's clear that his plan is unconstitutional at its core. The practice of medicine consists of the delivery of intimate services to the human body. In almost all instances, the delivery of medical services occurs in one place and does not move across interstate lines. One goes to a physician not to engage in commercial activity, as the Framers of the Constitution understood, but to improve one's health. And the practice of medicine, much like public school safety, has been regulated by states for the past century.

The same Congress that wants to tell family farmers what to grow in their backyards has declined "to keep regular" the commercial sale of insurance policies. It has permitted all 50 states to erect the type of barriers that the Commerce Clause was written precisely to tear down. Insurers are barred from selling policies to people in another state.

The ACORNS Continue to Fall

2009-09-14T18:16:00.001-05:00

Michelle Malkin's got the story on the Senate vote to de-fund ACORN. Only seven Senators voted to continue funding the organization.

I'm working on a movie review at the moment, so my posting will be scant until I finish.

Self Parody From ACORN

2009-09-12T20:07:00.002-05:00

If you've been under a rock for the past three days, you won't know that Andrew Breitbart's new blog, Big Government kicked off with a bang on Thursday, by posting an investigation into the radical community organizing group ACORN. You can read all about the scandal at the Big Government website, so I'll skip most of the background to this story.

I will tell you that ACORN is going squirrelly amidst this controversy. Today, their chief organizer issued this statement, which reads like it comes from the Onion, not the actual organization. But this is real, I assure you:

Statement from Bertha Lewis, Chief Organizer, ACORN Regarding Recent News Reports:

The relentless attacks on ACORN’s members, its staff and the policies and positions we promote are unprecedented. An international entertainment conglomerate, disguising itself as a “news” agency (Fox), has expended millions, if not tens of millions of dollars, in their attempt to destroy the largest community organization of Black, Latino, poor and working class people in the country. It is not coincidence that the most recent attacks have been launched just when health care reform is gaining traction. It is clear they’ve had these tapes for months.

We are their Willy Horton for 2009. We are the boogeyman for the right-wing and its echo chambers. If ACORN did not exist, the right-wing would have needed to create us in order to achieve their agenda, their missions, their ideal, retrograde America. This recent scam, which was attempted in San Diego, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia to name a few places, had failed for months before the results we’ve all recently seen. I am appalled and angry; I cannot and I will not defend the actions of the workers depicted in the video, who have since been terminated. But it is clear that the videos are doctored, edited, and in no way the result of the fabricated story being portrayed by conservative activist “filmmaker” O’Keefe and his partner in crime. And, in fact, a crime it was – our lawyers believe a felony – and we will be taking legal action against Fox and their co-conspirators.

We will not be intimidated by this international conglomerate, which has made as its mission the destruction of our organization. ACORN members are committed to the empowerment of their communities – Black, Latino, poor, and working class – at the deepest level. We are an organization committed to halting the foreclosure crisis and keeping people in their homes. We are an organization committed to ensuring quality, affordable health care for every American. We are an organization that will not be stopped in our commitment to our members and our communities which has included:

View the complete statement at ACORN.org.

h/t: Big Government

I believe the organization has also unveiled its new slogan.

ACORN: We're Nuts!