Sunday, October 31, 2010

Top Union Official Caught on Tape Discussing Voter Fraud

Video embedded below.

Obama Talks About 'Punishing Our Enemies' Referring to Fellow Citizens

It is hard to tell exactly what Obama is talking about, but it seems inappropriate for the president to be talking about 'punishing enemies' unless it involves terrorists or rouge states; not regular American citizens.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/25/in-appeal-to-hispanics-obama-promises-to-push-immigration-reform

"In a radio interview that aired on Univision on Monday, Mr. Obama sought to assure Hispanics that he would push an immigration overhaul after the midterm elections, even though he has not been able to attract Republican support.

“If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, ‘We’re going to punish our enemies and we’re gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us,’ if they don’t see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, then I think it’s going to be harder and that’s why I think it’s so important that people focus on voting on November 2.”

Referring specifically to Republicans such as Senator John McCain, who formerly supported an overhaul but now are stressing border security and supporting strict immigration laws like Arizona’s anti-illegal immigration measure, Mr. Obama said, “Those aren’t the kinds of folks who represent our core American values.”
"

Man Gets Down on Knees Apparently Praying to Obama as he Drives Past

Picture embedded below. (via)

A man gets on his knees next to a car carrying ...

Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) at Rally to Restore Sanity And/or Fear Garners Controversy

Yusuf Islam, formally Cat Stevens, was on brought on by Stewart and the 'Sanity' part of the rally. He and Ozzy Osbourne battled it out over exactly what type of train we should be getting on (Peace vs Crazy). The O’Jays came out and brought everyone aboard the Love Train.

Video embedded below.



The problem is from Yusuf Islam's history. He came out in support for the assassination of Salman Rushdie in the form of a Islamic fatwa. Not very Sane. In the years since started saying that the comments were taken out of context, and then denied he had ever said it. You can see for yourself.

Video embedded below.




Past related posts:
Berman Post: Stewart And Colbert Announce Competing Rallies; Same Time, Same Place
Berman Post: Rally to Restore Sanity And/or Fear Announcement
Berman Post: Rally to Restore Sanity And/or Fear Overhead Shot

Teachers Unions Gone Wild - Volume II

Video embedded below.



Past related post:
Berman Post: Teachers Unions Gone Wild - Volume I

Epic Ronald Reagan - A Time For Choosing (The Young Cons)

Video embedded below.



Past Songs:
Berman Post: "Young Con Anthem" - Conservative Rap
Berman Post: "Power of the Individual" by The Young Cons
Berman Post: The Young Cons - "The Problem"
Berman Post: "Who are The Young Cons?"
Berman Post: The Young Cons - "Health Care Nightmare"
Berman Post: The Young Cons - Airplanes Remix
Berman Post: "Master of my Destiny" - The Young Cons

Church, State And Crazy Joy Behar!

Steven Crowder is back.

Video embedded below.

Liberal Activist Rushed Rand Paul (R) Before Being Restrained And Stepped on

In the clip you can see her rush Paul's (R) car and than at best try to shove a sign in his face and at worst try to hit him with it. Either way it would indicate the restraint was justifiable, however the stop still seems excessive.

Video embedded below.

CBS Affiliate KTVA Caught Conspiring Against Joe Miller (R) on Voicemail

People really need to learn how to properly hang up their phone's; or you know, not do things that if called out on even they would admit is at least in bad form.

Video embedded below.



Transcript at the source if you have any problems with the clip.

Teachers Unions Gone Wild - Volume I

Video embedded below.



Governor Christie's (R) thoughts.

Video embedded below.

Gov. Chris Christie comments on 'teachers unions gone wild'

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Obama Heckled by Liberal Protesters; Tells Them to go Heckle Republicans

For Obama to suggest 'the other side' (read Republicans) somehow does not care or in some way has hindered AIDS aid is beyond disingenuous. Also, the president should not be encouraging hecklers to bother their opponents.

Video embedded below.



"Obama took a break from his trusty teleprompter to address the protesters:

Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, young people? Let me just say this: You've been appearing at every rally we've been doing, and we're funding global AIDS, and the other side is not. So I don't know why you think this is a useful strategy to take. I think it would make a lot more sense for you guys to go to the folks who aren't interested in funding global AIDS, and go to that rally. We're trying to figure out how to finance the things that you want financed. You guys have made your point. Let's go.

...
Who are the people "who aren't interested in funding global Aids"? Is the implication that they are Obama's political opponents? That's the way it sounds to me, but I'm a little sensitive.

The United States devotes enormous sums of money to fighting AIDS. In 2009 the United States was the largest donor in the world, accounting for more than half of disbursements by governments. And it's Bush's fault! Or, rather, credit.

As the AP reported at the end of Bush's time in office, Bush launched a $15 billion plan in 2003 to expand AIDS prevention, treatment and support programs in 15 hard-hit countries, 12 of them African, which account for more than half the world's estimated 33 million AIDS infections.

The AP report notes that the initiative tied in with a World Health Organization campaign to put 3 million people on AIDS drugs by 2005 -- a goal it says was reached in 2007. The AP added that Congress passed legislation in 2008 that more than tripled the budget to $48 billion over the next five years, with Republicans and Democrats alike hailing the program as a remarkable success.
"

Smugapalooza at Rally to Restore Sanity And/or Fear

Video embedded below.



In a similar vein, here is what Reason.tv saw.



I will leave you with a link to the 15 Most Bizarre Photos from the rally.

Past related posts:
Berman Post: Stewart And Colbert Announce Competing Rallies; Same Time, Same Place
Berman Post: Rally to Restore Sanity And/or Fear Announcement
Berman Post: Rally to Restore Sanity And/or Fear Overhead Shot

Rally to Restore Sanity And/or Fear Overhead Shot

After any major rally, one of the biggest questions becomes how large it was. Here are some pictures to help estimate.

Pictures embedded below.





That is a lot of people. Exactly how large is difficult to tell from the angle. As I recall, Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame announced there were 150,000 people in the crowd, while Jon Stewart estimated 250,000 plus. The overhead shots come with an estimate of 215,000 +/-10% from AirPhotosLive.com (the ones who vastly underestimated Beck's Restoring Honor Rally).

First impressions of the pictures puts my estimate between 200,000 and 300,000; less then Beck's Restoring Honor Rally, but more than the One Nation Rally.

Past related posts:
Berman Post: Stewart And Colbert Announce Competing Rallies; Same Time, Same Place
Berman Post: Rally to Restore Sanity And/or Fear Announcement

Liberal Disrupts National Anthem at Tea Party Rally

In case you are wondering where he is walking, he is positioning himself between the crowd and the American flag they were facing.

Video embedded below.

Jesse Kelly (R) Supporter Choked by Gabrielle Giffords (D) Supporter

Video embedded below.

The Legal Way to Rig an Election: Filmmaker Bill Mundell on Gerrymandering

How the district lines will be redrawn is among the most important consequences of the election that is getting minimal coverage.

Video embedded below.

What We Believe, Part 4: Natural Law

Video embedded below.



See Also:
Berman Post: Bill Whittle - What We Believe, Part 1: Small Government And Free Enterprise
Berman Post: What We Believe, Part 2: The Problem With Elitism
Berman Post: What We Believe, Part 3: Wealth Creation

Justice Kagan's First Vote is in Minority to Stay an Execution

Jeffrey Landrigan, the death row inmate hoping for the reprieve, was executed soon after the decision was handed down.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/sc-dc-1028-court-execution-20101027,0,6859358.story

"Washington…Justice Elena Kagan cast her first recorded vote on the Supreme Court late Tuesday, joining the liberals in dissent when the high court cleared the way for the execution of an Arizona murderer.

The 5-4 ruling overturned orders by a federal judge in Phoenix and the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that had stopped the execution by lethal injection of Jeffrey Landrigan.

His lawyers, in a last-ditch appeal, had raised questions about one of the drugs used in the execution. Since the only U.S. manufacturer of sodium thiopental had suspended production, Arizona officials said they had obtained a supply of the drug from a British company.
"

Friday, October 29, 2010

Obama's Statement on The Printer Cartridge Mail Bombs

Video embedded below.

Uncommon Knowledge With Daniel Hannan

Video embedded below.



Past posts on Daniel Hannan:
Berman Post: Daniel Hannan (MEP [South East England]) Eviscerates Prime Minister Brown
Berman Post: Daniel Hannan Interviews
Berman Post: Daniel Hannan on Morning Joe
Berman Post: Daniel Hannan on Nationalized Health Care
Berman Post: Daniel Hannan's Victory Speech
Berman Post: Daniel Hannan on Nationalized Health Care
Berman Post: British Tea Party Protests
Berman Post: Daniel Hannan on The New Road to Serfdom

What We Believe, Part 3: Wealth Creation

Video embedded below.



See Also:
Berman Post: Bill Whittle - What We Believe, Part 1: Small Government And Free Enterprise
Berman Post: What We Believe, Part 2: The Problem With Elitism

Women Who Taunted Dieing 7-Year-Old Has Two of Her Children Removed

After seeing this story the father took legal action and had their two mutual kids ordered to live with him.

Video embedded below.

Frank Caprio (D) - Obama "Can Take His Endorsement And Really Shove it as Far as I'm Concerned"

The story has been used in some contexts to show that Obama's endorsement is not what it used to be. Of course it has not been for quit some time, though this really may be better described as someone upset for not getting the endorsement.

http://newsblog.projo.com/2010/10/caprio-criticizes-obama-over-n.html

"Rhode Island gubernatorial candidate Frank Caprio, in a radio interview Monday morning, reacted angrily to President Obama's decision not to endorse him during a visit to the Ocean State Monday.

"He can take his endorsement and really shove it as far as I'm concerned," Caprio told talk-show host John DePetro during an interview on WPRO-AM.

In Monday morning's Providence Journal, John Mulligan of The Journal's Washington bureau reported that Mr. Obama would not endorse Democrat Caprio during a visit to Rhode Island Monday.
"

Alex Sink (D) Caught Cheating During a Debate

Sink has since fired the staffer she said was responsible. Did the staffer really think they would not be caught with the cameras rolling?

Video embedded below.

Rand Paul (R) Supporter Steps on Liberal Activist

The supporter has said that he was afraid this plant was going to do something and the police refused to get involved. While a legitimate fear may justify some form of restraint what they did here appears excessive. This may be the first legitimate case of violence coming from the right during a protest.

Video embedded below.

Evil Rich People! (Election Shenanigans)

Video embedded below.

Mr. Say Anything to Get The Bill Passed

Video embedded below.


Jon Stewart's Interview With Obama

First time a president has ever been called "dude" to his face during an interview?

Videos embedded below.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Barack Obama Pt. 1
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorRally to Restore Sanity


The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Barack Obama Pt. 2
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorRally to Restore Sanity


The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Barack Obama Pt. 3
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorRally to Restore Sanity

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Addition Fail

This person is a contender for worst game show participant ever...

Video embedded below.

How I Broke my Jaw And Some Advice

A week an half ago I was on my way to work taking a train to Grand Central Station. The train I take is an express and is always packed, so as usual I stood near the door leaning against the wall. While riding, I was reading the news on my phone, again just like normal. Once the train went underground however, the train seemed to heat up quite rapidly. It may have just been in my head, but I started to get dizzy. Concerned I undid the top button on my shirt and loosened my tie. At the same time I sat strait down on the floor. The logic is pretty simple, if you pass out while sitting you can not fall (you are already on the ground). I started feeling better and the train was seriously slowing down / about to stop and open the doors. I was sitting on the side where the door opened to the plat form. Since I was feeling better, and not wanting to be trampled, I stood up. To do this in the cramped space I had to flip over, one knee down, then a foot, then the other foot; I say this just to note that I did not jump to my feet, it was slow.

I have no recollection after standing up; just a whiting out. It is hard to describe, but a white haze flashed in an instant from left to right. I know the train was still moving, all be it very slowly, and the doors were closed. I remember there was a man in front of me, a man behind me, and three men (including a rather tall man) to my right. That may have been the second best time to pass out as I could not have helped but fall into someone who would have been able to at least slow my decent (the best would have been while still sitting down). The next thing I remember was coming to on the platform face down with a man telling me "don't get up ... stay down". Confused about what I was doing on the ground, I did not really pay attention to him pushing myself up to a seated position.

Story side note. In a random coincidence my parents ended up having dinner with someone not only on my train, but a few people away from me who saw me fall. I will save you the details on how they made the connection, but before the chance dinner meeting through a mutual friend our families were complete strangers. He said that I took once step off the train, then went down hitting a garbage can on the way. He ran to get help, and by the time he got back I was being taken care of.

Things are a little murky after that, but I remember someone from officialdom (maybe a conductor or ticket taker) coming over. There was also a female passenger who identified herself as a doctor who assisted. The left side of my face really hurt, and I knew right away something was broken. Grand Central has their own EMS who were called. One of them asked me what my name was. I knew it was a cognitive function type test. I also knew that there was no way that they could know if I gave them the right answer. That thought process was actually comforting in my self assessment knowing that a neurological injury likely had been avoided. I answered regardless, and even mutter something about how did they know I was giving them the right answer. Once I spoke, I could tell the break was in or somehow effected my jaw bone. There were follow up general questions such as who the president is and what day of the week it was, all of which I answered. The good samaritan doctor looked at my chin which was bleeding, and tried to bandage it with what she had. She left after Grand Central's EMS showed up.

It seems a bit ridiculous now, but the thing that bothered me the most besides my jaw was that fact that I had bleed all over my suit and one of my favorite ties. That was connected to the question of how I was supposed to show up at work either with a bloody suit or without my jacket, tie, and more unconventionally without any pants. I had just started at a new law firm. That Monday was the start of my second week, and just my fourth day. My boss has been very understanding, but I think it is generally bad form to have missed more days than you have worked, which has been the case since the injury.

Grand Central's EMS called for an ambulance and the 'real' EMS (I use the word 'real' not in any way to say that GC's EMS were any less qualified, just because I do not know how else to distinguish them). They came and did an assessment. They had to change the band aid on my chin which I had bled through, and took me to the ambulance. I called my father, a doctor, from the ambulance. He met me in the hospital emergency room. A Cat-Scan revealed that it was not just one fracture but two. The second one was my chin. When I was younger I had braces. When the braces came off they put a small permanent wire across the back of my teeth. That wire likely saved my teeth (though I have at least one small chip), and was holding the two pieces together in place. Without the wire the pieces would have moved independently resulting in excruciating pain and the possibility of one of the pieces puncturing through my skin. Since it was not considered an emergency, I had to wait until the next day for the surgery. The gash on my chin needed to be stitched closed, and could not wait.

They took me in to a room connected to the ER. Once the doctor started, I started feeling dizzy again. I said something to the doctor and my father who were in the room. I did not pass out, but it was severe. They put the chair way back and then lifted my left up on their shoulders. While inverted, I heard what sounded like a women screaming in agony. I was told by my mother who had gotten to the ER by this time, that it was actually a women screaming something about Jesus. The dizzy spell passed and the doctor finished the stitches. A female doctor who had seen me earlier poked her head in and said; "he still looks pale" to which I replied; "nope, I'm fine, this is my normal color".

Up until that day while I had broken a few bones I had never needed stitches. I passed through stitches to surgery. I now have a plate permanently screwed into my chin which looks horrific in the x-ray, but beyond that is unnoticeable. More painful and problematic is the surgical braces used to rubber band my mouth shut. It is not as bad as having my jaw wired such, but it is pretty bad.

I think a serious jaw fracture is among the worst non-permanent injuries you can get. It hurts to talk, and can only be attempted through clenched teeth. My diet consists of only what I can sip through a straw. Despite the specialty meal replacement drinks and mixes, it is still not easy to get the right nutrition. I could (as still can) stand to loose some weight, but this is the wrong way to do it. Sleeping is exceedingly difficult. Did I mention the constant irritation and pain. Of course the initial descriptor is important, this is a non-permanent injury. In a little over a month from now the surgical braces come off and this all becomes an unpleasant memory.

The question of why this happened still looms. The doctors found nothing in my blood work, nor any of the other battery of tests they ran. I was wired up for a 24+ hour monitor. Depending on the results of that the doctors may suggest a month long monitor to see if it is a heart issue. The best guess they have right now is that it was just a drop in blood pressure from standing up in cramped quarters for to long; one of those random things that just happens sometimes.

That is less then comforting. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before and there appears no reason for it to ever happen again. Then again, there does not appear to be a concrete reason for it having happened as it did. The incident has left me with two unfortunate afterthoughts; either I had some warning of what was about to happen and was to stupid to just sit back down, or the right combination of heat, exhaustion, and dehydration can just knock me out with no warning. The options are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

In case you are curious, it was my father who was posting condition updates for me while I was in the hospital.

The whole thing is just so stupid. I have taken risks before to help people. I have been careful and/or lucky enough to have avoided injury in those situations while still being able to render effective assistance. This is nothing like that. I was not saving some kid from drowning in a pool or catching someone before they cracked their head open (I suppose similarly to what happened to me). I just passed out; no greater good attempted, no evil averted, not even an unfortunate freak accident in which I could at least be consoled that I took the proverbial bullet instead of someone else who it might have killed, I just fell face first.

What can be learned and what good can come from this? How about some keep it simple stupid advice; 'Sit Down and Stay Down'. When your rights are involved you should listen to the song and stand up for them. When you feel dizzy listen to me and sit down. As long as you are not in danger where you are seated, stay down until you can get someone else to help you. The extra few minutes on the ground could save you weeks of misery, if not more.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Monday, October 25, 2010

WheresGeorge.com (and WheresWilly.com)

Ever wonder the journey your dollars take; you can tell where they started by the print marks, but how they ended up in your hand was a mystery. WheresGeorge.com changes that. If you are curious about where your bill came from just head over to the site, fill in some bill identifying information, and you can see where it has been. There is a rather huge precondition for this to work; someone else must have already done the same. If not, you will be the first. That being the case future owners of the bill will be able to track it from you. the site has been operational for a while and have an impressive number of bills that have been entered into the system. That said, there are an awful lot of bills in circulation. Only one way to find out if a bill in your possession is in the system, that is to head over to WheresGeorge.com and check.

If you are from Canada or in possession of Canadian currency you can head over to WheresWilly.com to track it.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Friday, October 22, 2010

The Mean Kitty Song

Video embedded below.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Why I Hate Cobwebs

Picture embedded below.


Resting (Not So) Comfortably at Home

I was discharged from the hospital earlier today and am happy to be back at home. I will be trying to rest for the next few days and although things will not get back to normal for well over a month the pain should subside much sooner.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

dushare.com

dushare.com is a site which lets you quickly and easily transfer a file to someone else. Pic your file, password protect it if you would like, and the file starts transferring as soon as the recipient makes the connection (no need to upload to a server first and then download it). There is even a chat function while you are both waiting for the file to download.

Jaw Surgery Went Well

Andrew's jaw surery went well. There were no complications, though he will be stuck at hospital for another night.

Monday, October 18, 2010

I Love my Childhood

Picture embedded below.

Sporadic Blogging Due to Fractured Jaw

Andrew fractured his jaw in two places today and is scheduled for surgery tomorrow. His blogging may be sporadic depending on either his level of post operative pain or boredom.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Perlmutter (D) Swats Frazier's (R) Hand During Debate

Perlmutter quickly apologized. Physical contact during a debate; generally ill advised. You can see the debate at the source.

Video embedded below.

Barney Frank's (D) Boyfriend Heckles Opponent Sean Bielat (R)

First time a politician gets heckled their opponent's significant other?

Video embedded below.

Record Breaking 120,000 Foot Jump Postponed Over Lawsuit

The suit by Daniel Hogan, which has at least temporarily derailed the record breaking jump, claims that the basis for the current plans were his proposal that Red Bull initially rejected.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/10/red-bull-cancels-stratos

"Red Bull has pulled the plug on its plan to have daredevil Felix Baumgartner skydive from the edge of space, because it is being sued by a California promoter who says Red Bull stole his idea.

Baumgartner planned to ride a balloon called Stratos to an altitude of 120,000 feet and step into the void, breaking the record Air Force Col. Joe Kittinger set in 1960 when he jumped from 102,800 feet. Red Bull claimed the jump was a scientific pursuit to study the effects of a supersonic fall on the human body, but this being Red Bull you know publicity was a big part of it.

Promoter Daniel Hogan claims he pitched the idea to Red Bull in 2004 and provided a detailed plan, only to have Red Bull tell him, “Thanks, but no” about a year later. He sued in April, claiming Red Bull used his proposal as the basis for the Red Bull Stratos jump. The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims the stunt would be worth $375 million to $625 million in advertising revenue, according to Courthouse News Service.

Red Bull insists it has done nothing wrong but is stopping the program.

“Despite the fact that many other people over the past 50 years have tried to break Colonel (Ret.) Joe Kittinger’s record, and that other individuals have sought to work with Red Bull in an attempt to break his record, Mr. Hogan claims to own certain rights to the project and filed a multimillion dollar lawsuit earlier this year in a Californian court,” the company said. “Red Bull has acted appropriately in its prior dealings with Mr. Hogan, and will demonstrate this as the case progresses. Due to the lawsuit, we have decided to stop the project until this case has been resolved.”
"

Muslim Brotherhood Declares War on America

A long time ago a man told me a story:

'A journalist walked up to a Holocaust survivor and asked him what he had learned from his experience. The survivor thought for a moment, said; "When someone tells you they intend to kill you, believe them", and then quietly walked away.'

I can not tell you if the story is true, but the message is profound none the less. The Muslim Brotherhood just told us that they intend to kill us; lets hope the people in officialdom join me in believing them.

http://www.gloria-center.org/gloria/2010/10/muslim-brotherhood-declares-war-on-america (via)

"This is one of those obscure Middle East events of the utmost significance that is ignored by the Western mass media, especially because they happen in Arabic, not English; by Western governments, because they don't fit their policies; and by experts, because they don't mesh with their preconceptions.

This explicit formulation of a revolutionary program makes it a game-changer. It should be read by every Western decisionmaker and have a direct effect on policy because this development may affect people's lives in every Western country.

OK, cnough of a build-up? Well, it isn't exaggerated. So don't think the next sentence is an anticlimax. Here we go: The leader of the Muslim Brotherhood has endorsed (Arabic) (English translation by MEMRI) anti-American Jihad and pretty much every element in the al-Qaida ideology book. Since the Brotherhood is the main opposition force in Egypt and Jordan as well as the most powerful group, both politically and religiously, in the Muslim communities of Europe and North America this is pretty serious stuff.
...
But it does mean that something awaited for decades has happened: the Muslim Brotherhood is ready to move from the era of propaganda and base-building to one of revolutionary action. At least, its hundreds of thousands of followers are being given that signal. Some of them will engage in terrorist violence as individuals or forming splinter groups; others will redouble their efforts to seize control of their countries and turn them into safe areas for terrorists and instruments for war on the West.
...
In August 1996, al-Qaida declared war on America, the West, Christians and Jews. Nobody important paid much attention to this. Almost exactly five years later, September 11 forced them to notice. Let it be said that in September 2010 the Muslim Brotherhood, a group with one hundred times more activists than al-Qaida, issued its declaration of war. What remains is the history of the future.
"

Father-Son Team Launch iPhone Into Space

Video embedded below.

Is The Tea Party Libertarian?

A law school friend of mine sent me a message, relaying a question from one of his friends regarding the Tea Party generally and specifically if the movement was a Libertarian one. This is the slightly modified response I sent back. Please feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.



Perhaps it would be best to start by way of explaining what the Tea Party actually means. TEA Party is an acronym that stands for Taxed Enough Already. By default anyone who describes themselves as a Tea Party 'type' (active protester or supporter) believes that taxes are to high. Flipping that around, they must be an advocate for lower taxes. The desire or belief in lower taxes stems from fiscal conservancy.

While lowering the taxes would likely translate into increased revenue (as they have in the past) there is a simultaneous push for less government spending. We see the government flushing money down the toilet as it runs up unprecedented levels of debt. By its own predictions and metrics the massive bailouts/stimulus have been unmitigated failures. People were angry at Bush for spending more money then other president had; people are furious at Obama for spending enough money to make Bush look like a fiscal conservative by comparison. Furor increased by the fact that the money was a best wasted and at worst some sort of political kick backs; all done despite the clear will of the people to the contrary (just as with ObamaCare).

The Tea Party also references the famous event Boston. Fiscal Conservatives are not Anarchists and understand that government does have a legitimate place. They also understand that an overbearing government is a repressive government. Besides threatening our freedoms and civil liberties, it also acts as an anchor sinking business and hindering the economy.

While the Tea Party must be seen as fiscally conservative (which is the main stream position) it has been noticeably silent on social issues. This silence is intentional. While some Tea Party members have advocated for and against some social issues (think gay marriage, legalizing drugs, abortion...) there is no 'official Tea Party position' on those matters. The reason has two separate but equally valid reasons. The first is that there is no centralized Tea Party command which can dictate by fiat what those official opinions or positions are. The second is that the Tea Party did not start out to be a 'party' in the same way Republicans and Democrats are. The Tea Party started out as an expression of disgust over government taxing and spending run amok. To join was an expression of that singular set of beliefs; taxes are to high, government is spending to much, no bailouts, personal responsibility with full repercussions for choice (good or bad [side note: there is an understanding that the ability succeed necessarily requires a chance of failing]). While people joining have other beliefs, their beliefs in no way filter back to become Tea Party positions.

On the basic political spectrum a Libertarian is someone who is fiscally conservative and socially liberal. Technically the Tea Party can not truly be defined as Libertarian because they are silent on social matters. Libertarians however could correctly be described as Tea Party people along with Conservatives. The Tea Party can be seen as an alliance of Conservatives and Libertarians putting their disagreement on social issues aside to focus on taking back the country from the fiscal liberals and(/or) Socialists. The Tea Party does have a Libertarian feel. This stems from the embedded notion that Conservatives push social conservatism and Liberals push social liberalism; but while Libertarians may agree in principle with the Liberals on social issues they really do not push those notions on others. That is to say that Conservatives and Liberals try to legislate their beliefs while Libertarians want everyone to just leave everyone else alone. In that context the silence on social issues seems the Libertarian approach giving the Tea Party that Libertarian feel. Of course it is not true that all Liberals or Conservatives try to force their social views on others, but there is a prevalent notion that the minority of people pushing views on others is much smaller among Libertarians that either Liberals or Conservatives.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

"Where's Muhammad" (by Non Sequitur)

We have not reached the point where the media will censor a cartoon not because it actually has Muhammad in it, but because some people might think it has Muhammad.

Video embedded below.



Picture embedded below.

Couples Three Children Born on 8/8/2008, 9/9/2009, And 10/10/2010 Respectively

http://www.mlive.com/living/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/10/born_on_101010_baby_makes_thir.html

"A triple-dose of rare birth dates for their three children, who were born on 8/8/2008, 9/9/2009 and 10/10/2010.

The Rockford couple's good fortune, capped with Sunday's birth of their daughter, Cearra Nicole, has led to a crush of national and local media attention for the young family.
...
So, what's ahead for the fortuitous couple? Perhaps trying to stretch their luck for another family addition on Nov. 11, 2011?

Not a chance, both say.

"Definitely no," Barbie Soper said. "With the health problems, no. We wanted three and I'm glad we have that."
"

'Beltway Adventure'

Iowahawk has written Obama's presidency as a 'Beltway Adventure'. If you never played old style text games you may be unfamiliar with the style but should have no trouble picking it up. Head to the source for the whole thing.

http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2010/10/beltway-adventure.html

"YOU ARE IN AN OVAL OFFICE. YOUR APPROVAL HEALTH IS 61%. UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE FOREST IS 8.5% WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

>GIVE SPEECH

CONGRATULATIONS! YOUR SPEECH HAS WON NOBEL PEACE PRIZE. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

>FLY JET

WHERE?

>EUROPE

YOU ARE IN A PALACE. YOU ARE STANDING IN FRONT OF QUEEN. WHAT DO WANT TO DO?

>GIVE QUEEN IPOD
...
YOU SEEMS TO BE HAVING PROBLEMS. WOULD YOU LIKE HELP?

>Y

ENTER YOUR HELPERS SEPARATED BY COMMAS.

>MSNBC, NYT, ACORN, SEIU, MOVE ON, NETROOTS, SOROS

ARE YOU SURE?

>Y

SERIOUSLY, ARE YOU SURE?

>Y

I'M NOT TRYING TO TELL YOU HOW TO PLAY THE ADVENTURE, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT REALLY QUALIFIES AS "HELP." ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY SURE?

>Y

OKAY, YOU'RE THE BOSS.
"

High School Caught Spying on Kids With School Issued Laptop Settles For $1.2M+ of Fees And Costs

After being caught they did avoid charges but could not avoid being sued. The school has since stopped using the technology.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/School-District-Settles-Webcam-Spying-Litigation-802291

"A Pennsylvania school district has agreed to a $610,000 settlement in a controversial legal battle over its use of Webcam technology on school-issued laptops.
...
The settlement calls for $175,000 to be placed in a trust for Robbins, while a second student who sued, Jalil Hassan, will get $10,000. In addition, the students' attorney, Mark Haltzman, will get $425,000 in legal fees—bringing the district's tab to $610,000.
...
"A major impetus behind settling this matter now is the recent agreement by our insurance carrier, Graphic Arts, to cover more than $1.2M of the fees and costs associated with this litigation to date," Lower Merion School Board President David Ebby said in a statement.
"

Obama! A Modern U.S. President (Musical Spoof)

Video embedded below.

Water Droplet Bounces Off a Superhydrophobic Nanotube Array

Not knowing what some of those words mean will in no way hinder your enjoyment of the clip, though there is a bit of an explanation to start if off.

Video embedded below.

Anti-Obama Billboard Taken Down After Owner Received Death Threats

Video embedded below.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Rally to Restore Sanity And/or Fear Announcement

Competing rallies combine; with Oprah's blessing.

Video embedded below.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear Announcement
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorRally to Restore Sanity

PJTV Report: Whoopi! Bill O'Reilly And The Joy of Being an Outraged Liberal

Video embedded below.

Canadian Attack Ad Shows Opponent Kicking a Kid in The Face

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Liberty For Africa: Q&A With Adedayo Thomas

Video embedded below.

Federal Deficit Hits a $1.3 Trillion For The Fiscal Year

With the fiscal year completed Obama failed to top the all time record deficient, set by him last year, buy about a $122 billion. No worries though, he plans on setting a new high water mark next year. Lets hope after the midterm their is some fresh blood in the legislature to make sure we fall well short of that goal.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101015/ap_on_bi_ge/us_budget_deficit

"The Obama administration said Friday the federal deficit hit a near-record $1.3 trillion for the just-completed budget year.

That means the government had to borrow 37 cents out of every dollar it spent as tax revenues continued to lag while spending on food stamps and unemployment benefits went up as joblessness neared double-digit levels in a struggling economy.

While expected, the eye-popping deficit numbers provide Republican critics of President Barack Obama's fiscal stewardship with fresh ammunition less than three weeks ahead of the midterm congressional elections. The deficit was $122 billion less than last year, a modest improvement.
...
Outside of the bailout, the federal budget went up by 9 percent in the 2010 budget year to $3.5 trillion, the Congressional Budget Office reported last week. Food stamp payments rose 27 percent as record numbers of people took advantage of the programs, while unemployment benefits rose 34 percent
...
The administration is projecting that the deficit for the 2011 budget year, which began on Oct. 1, will climb to $1.4 trillion. Over the next decade, it will total $8.47 trillion. Deficits of that size will constrain the administration's agenda over the next two years and will certainly be an issue in the 2012 presidential race.
"

Hinchey (D) - 'Deficit? What Deficit?'

Video embedded below.

What We Believe, Part 2: The Problem With Elitism

Video embedded below.



See Also:
Berman Post: Bill Whittle - What We Believe, Part 1: Small Government And Free Enterprise

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Obama’s Latina Labor Secretary Tells La Raza: Prioritizing Workforce Will Especially Help ‘Our People’

Video embedded below.

The Science of Medical Cannabis: A Conversation With Donald Abrams, M.D.

Video embedded below.

The Case For Business in Developing Economies

Video embedded below.

Libya Deletes Vb.ly Domain Name Without Warning or Notice

Vb.ly, the first URL shortener meant for NSFW (Not Safe For Work) links is not more. Beyond talking about freedom of speech and expression around the world, it is important to take this as a warning. While we generally do not think of websites of having a physical presence or location in the world. In fact, your Top Level Domain (.com, .net, .us ...) is controlled by a specific company. If you use their TLD your site is subject to their rules and laws; regardless of where you live or host your site. It is not something people generally think about when registering a domain name, but is it something to bear in mind; especially as certain countries start to exercise some of that power.

http://thenextweb.com/me/2010/10/06/libya-deletes-ly-domain-without-warning-or-notice-bit-ly-en-garde

"Vb.ly also known to the world as the “World’s First and Only Sex-Positive URL Shortener” has been taken 0ff-line by NIC.ly (the domain registry and controlling body for the Libyan domain space ‘.ly’) due to the content having fallen “outside of Libyan Islamic/Sharia Law”.

The domain was claimed by sex writer Violet Blue as a URL shortener for links to adult sites and other “NSFW” links. Blue’s partner and co-founder of vb.ly Ben Metcalfe stated on his blog today the domain was deleted by NIC.ly “without warning or notice on or around September 23rd 2010″ which they contested only to be informed by the Libyans that their site’s content was “in clear violation of NIC rules and regulations” relating to “text referring to adult content and offensive imagery from [our] main page”.
"

Michelle Obama Violate Illinois Election Law?

Video embedded below.

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcchicago.com/video.



"According to a flash story on the Drudge Report, Mrs. Obama finished casting her ballot and stopped to take pictures with residents. It was at this time that electrician Dennis Campbell, 56, says the First Lady inappropriately lobbied for support of her husband’s administration.

“She was telling me how important it was to vote to keep her husband’s agenda going,” Campbell said.


Drudge also points to another witness — a pool reporter — who says the entire conversation took place inside the voting center near the booths.

Illinois state law — Sec. 17-29 (a) — states: “No judge of election, pollwatcher, or other person shall, at any primary or election, do any electioneering or soliciting of votes or engage in any political discussion within any polling place, within 100 feet of any polling place.”

Responding to the report Thursday afternoon, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs reportedly defended the First Lady’s actions. “I don’t think it would be much to imagine, the First Lady might support her husband’s agenda,” Gibbs said.
"

McGovern (D) - "I Think The Constitution is Wrong"

Video embedded below.



"No one has fought harder for campaign finance reform in the United States Congress [than] me. I've come put for public financing of campaigns. I've come out for restrictions on campaigns. But here's the problem: We have a lousy Supreme Court decision that has opened up the floodgates, and so we have to deal within the realm of constitutionality. And a lot of the campaign finance bills that we have passed have been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. I think the Constitution is wrong. I don't think that money is the same thing as human beings. I don't think money equals free speech. I don't think corporations should have the same equality as a regular voter in this district."

Probably do Not Watch Meet The Press'

Video embedded below.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Maddow (MSNBC) Can Not Take Criticism During Interview With Republican Candidate

It is a long clip, but I doubt you will even consider stopping in the middle. How did it take a week for this to pop up on the web?

Video embedded below.



"With the loss of the surplus of slick-talking career politicians, candidates, empowered by their knowledge that their unadulterated message is capable of being out on the internet, are empowered to engage their liberal “hosts” and demand, in no uncertain terms, balance and proper context during their interviews. The most riveting example of likely this campaign season happened last week.

On October 7th, Art Robinson, challenger to Representative DeFazio in Oregon’s 4th district appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show in what is sure to be one of the most memorable interviews in this election. Maddow prefaces the interview by describing the supposed lack of documentation on a PAC that is being used to fund a specific ad campaign against Rep. DeFazio. Maddow then brings on Art Robinson and asks him about this funding. Mr. Robinson doesn’t even give an inch of space before going on the attack. He immediately questions Maddow on whether or not she gave Rep. DeFazio the same treatment about his finances. Art Robinson in less than two minutes into the interview catches something that Media Matters has been ignoring since its inception.

The grueling, cringe-fest, and riveting 18-minute interview has Maddow on constant defense. Her only defense, by the way, is deflection. By the end of the interview, Maddow completely loses her pseudo-intellectual pseudo-investigative composure. She drops her passive aggressive façade and fills the gaps with wildly condescending comments to Mr. Robinson. He responds by pointing out her sarcasm laced with her condescension and Maddow in the middle of the interview claims that he obviously doesn’t know what sarcasm means.
"

Brit Hume (Fox News) on Obama's Baseless (And Hypocritical) Chamber of Commerce Claims

Video embedded below.



Past related post:
Berman Post: Axelrod - 'Chamber Must Prove Foreign Money Allegations False'
Berman Post: Bruce Josten (Executive VP of US Chamber of Commerce) - 'Obama Has Gone From a Campaign of Hope And Change to Fear And Smear'

Man Hacks The Autocue Teleprompter at Local News Station

Video embedded below. (via)

CBS2 Reporter Threatens Journalist Over Rahm Questioning

Bias reporting Chicago style.

Video embedded below.

Detroit's Train to Nowhere

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Battle For America With Dick Morris

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PJTV: Utah Candidate Campaigning For Smaller, More Limited Government

Video embedded below.

Last Chilean Miner Rescued

Time for some jubilation; and apparently a national anthem.

Video embedded below.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

First of The 33 Chilean Miners Rescued

So begins the positive end to an ordeal that no one on the face of the earth (or under it) had ever experienced. Three dozen miners trapped underground after a cave in deeper and for longer then anyone else ever has. By the time the last man is pulled it may cross into day 70, trapped a half mile below the surface.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/10/12/rescued-chilean-miner-returns-surface

"The first of 33 Chilean miners returned to the surface in an escape capsule late Tuesday after being trapped a half-mile underground for 69 days.

Florencio Avalos stepped out of a rescue capsule amid sobs from his young son and received a bracing bear hug from Chilean President Sebastian Pinera.

Avalos smiled widely as he hugged rescuers, then Pinera, as his wife, two sons and father looked on. His 7-year-old son Bairo sobbed, as did Chile's first lady, Cecilia Morel. Then Avalos was escorted into a medical triage center for the first of a battery of tests. Cheers of "Chi Chi Chi, Le Le Le!" broke out.
"

PJTV: Throwing The Book at Obama, But Can he Turn The Page?

Video embedded below.

Dying Girl (7) Being Taunted by Neighbors

Sickening...

Video embedded below.

Bruce Josten (Executive VP of US Chamber of Commerce) - 'Obama Has Gone From a Campaign of Hope And Change to Fear And Smear'

Video embedded below.



Past related post:
Berman Post: Axelrod - 'Chamber Must Prove Foreign Money Allegations False'

Obama vs. Reagan: Ray Griggs on His New Film, 'I Want Your Money'

Video embedded below.

Download Your Facebook Data

It is always a good idea to have a back up (or two).

Video embedded below.



"we've built an easy way to quickly download to your computer everything you've ever posted on Facebook and all your correspondences with friends: your messages, Wall posts, photos, status updates and profile information.

 

If you want a copy of the information you've put on Facebook for any reason, you can click a link and easily get a copy of all of it in a single download. To protect your information, this feature is only available after confirming your password and answering appropriate security questions. We'll begin rolling out this feature to people later today, and you'll find it under your account settings."

Kobach on The Arizona Immigration Law

Video embedded below.

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