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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

A&E's 'Pride and Prejudice' Open Thread



- School Officials Look To Expel Good Samaritan

I thought lack of judgment was largely the purview of the Transportation Safety Administration, but no, there is another contender jealous for the top prize:
Alyssa McKinney thought her friend, Breana Crites, was having an asthma attack during gym class. It happened at Lewis-Palmer Middle School. Both Eighth-graders were suspended for 10 days. The principal told CBS4 he couldn’t talk about the case but said it comes down to two students sharing prescription drugs, which is against school policy.
Is Tweedle Dee against using an AED if someone collapses on campus?
“I thought I was having and asthma attack and she’s seen people have asthma attacks,” Crites said. “So she thought I was having one too and she was worried. She’s like, ‘Just use this, it will help you.’"
According to school officials Crites suffered an allergic reaction to the inhaler and had to visit the school nurse, but the incidence of allergic reactions to your standard beta-agonist inhaler are just about nil.

The girl was already having trouble breathing prior to the inhaler being used and the child was not sent on to the hospital, so its a pretty safe bet no true allergic reaction occurred as a result of her friend trying to help her breath. In fact, the medication itself is used to reverse allergic reactions, so the administrator's story doesn't quite wash.
The principal found out what happened and suspended both girls. “I’m extending the suspension for five more days … and recommending expulsion from the Lewis-Palmer School District.
Now there's a command decision for you. Where's your buddy, Tweedle Dum?
The inhaler is actually a prescription drug,” the Lewis-Palmer School District superintendent said.
Yeah... and?

Friday, January 27, 2012

The Age of Brass

Irked at the prevalence of unqualified opinion, Thomas Sowell points out the president is a prince in a brass kingdom:
No one has more brass than the President of the United States, though his brass may be more polished than that of the Occupy Wall Street mobs. When Barack Obama speaks loftily about "investing in the industries of the future," does anyone ask: What in the world would qualify him to know what are the industries of the future? Why would people who have spent their careers in politics know more about investing than people who have spent their careers as investors?
Why indeed.

He goes on to point out the general wool pulling that politicians do as a matter of routine:
Politicians may be crooks but they are not fools. Easily observed direct subsidies can create a political problem. Far better to set up an arrangement that will allow government-sponsored enterprises — whether the Postal Service, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or the Tennessee Valley Authority — to operate in such a way that they can claim to be self-supporting and not costing the taxpayers anything, no matter how much indirect subsidy they get.

As just one example, the Postal Service has a multi-billion dollar line of credit at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Hey, we could all use a few billions, every now and then, to get us over the rough spots. But we are not the Postal Service. Theoretically, the Postal Service is going to pay it all back some day, and that theoretical possibility keeps it from being called a direct subsidy.
No doubt about it, we have been failed by our politicians, who think nothing of lying to us and robbing the treasury.

The upcoming elections are of truly historic import. We live our lives on the brink, with our children's posterity in the balance. I would that they would grow up free. If won, the electoral battles of the 2012 elections will not mean the country is saved, but failing to win them in all likelihood will mean the country is lost.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Obama Administration Thumbs Nose at Religious Freedom

In a decision that was consistent with their disdain for the US Constitution, the Obama administration has refused to change an Obamacare rule that will require religious universities and hospitals to pay for abortifactants and birth control. The fact that such actions were in stark conflict with the fundamental religious beliefs of these institutions was brushed aside as being inconsequential. In rejecting the appeals, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius camouflaged her position in words meant to convey respect and consideration:
“This decision was made after very careful consideration, including the important concerns some have raised about religious liberty. This proposal strikes the appropriate balance between respecting religious freedom and increasing access to important preventive services.”
Bullocks.

Who is Kathleen Sebelius to say what is appropriate and what is not? Certainly those people that believe abortion is the taking of a life will find the ruling does not reflect consideration, careful or otherwise. Were the rights of these individuals considered? Was the Constitution... by which the Federal government is constrained from abusing the people... was the Constitution considered? It would seem not, except to brush it aside. Despicable behavior, underscored by her disingenuous wording.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Levin Fans Brave Snows to Meet Famous Radio Host and Dog Lover

Mark Levin attended the first of three book signings for his latest work, Ameritopia. The cantankerous constitutional lawyer left the comfortable confines of "the bunker" to meet with admirers and sign their books.
"I signed a boatload of books for people who were just wonderful," Levin said. "You should have seen the group, a diverse group, no matter how you look at the group. Tall people, short people. Women, men. Straight people, gay people. Black, brown, red, yellow, white, polka-dot--everybody."
Ameritopia is Levin's look at the ideological clash between those that would look to accept man's nature and set up systems of government conducive for man to excel, and those that would strive to create paradise here on earth, complete with the necessary coeresion and control that such people would need to force the rest of us to live as they prescribe. He explains our current political struggles in terms of the underlying differences in world view the two groups hold. With Levin stand John Locke, Charles Montesquieu and Alexis de Tocqueville. On the utopian side of the ledger are Plato, Thomas Hobbes, and Karl Marx.

The ideas of natural law and individual liberty as advanced by Locke were embraced by the Founding Fathers of the United States, and they are the underpinning principles which guide the Constitution.
Those that embrace the Utopian vision seek sweeping government control over people's lives, and there number would include today's modern Liberals... and the current sitting president.

The book is dedicated to Levin's three rescue dogs, now deceased, Pepsi, Griffin and Sprite.

Levin thanked everyone who turned out.


Update January 26th

Mark Levin's Ameritopia will debut as number one on the New York Times Best Seller List in four different nonfiction categories: hardcovers only, hardcovers and paperbacks combined, E-books, and E-books and print books combined.

Bingo - Bango - Bongo!!

Monday, January 23, 2012

'Justice Must Be Blind'

Reading the Venerable Bede is good for the soul. A recent post of his has haunted me now for several days. In it he comments on the tragic deaths of two young men, different circumstances, same decayed culture. One young man was Stephen Lawrence, and his death some ten years ago has finally resulted in two convictions, but it is the manner in which the government seeks justice in these cases that so underscore the decline in culture. Like England, our system of justice is based on the notion that there is an inherent rightness that every man can find access to justice, that the system of justice is not a respecter of persons, and that all men stand equal before it:
"There are at least two books about Lawrence written for use by children in primary schools. Whatever spirit is animating that, it is not healthy opposition to the crime of murder. Yet this is a point one is almost incapable of making without incurring the insanest slurs. When Princess Diana's death led to that extraordinary and shameful mass-psychosis characterised by Kim Jong-il-style incontinent public grieving, and the mass assembly of thousands of people all individually cocooned in self-obsession, it was permitted to say that we were witnessing something dark and shameful and unprecedentedly vulgar, without implying the least disrespect to those who actually knew her and whose grief was genuine.

So it should be possible here to say that by fixating on Lawrence's murder above and beyond those of the thousands of others killed in like fashion every year on Britain's streets, we not only create the illusion that it was in some way exceptional, we further enable the cultural climate in which the true scale of the problem is not confronted by those we have elected to keep us safe. And the fact that we do so not accidentally, not because Lawrence has been arbitrarily adopted as a symbol of that wider malaise, but rather because our rulers have consciously borrowed his tragedy to serve as symbolic of something else entirely, should give all of us pause."
The value of a blind system of justice is all but lost upon today's society. With a Supreme Court justice unashamedly proclaiming her belief in the inherent superiority of a wise Latina, it is clear that we are not far behind our friends from across the sea. Sad to see such feeble thinking taking hold of the culture and country we have lived in and loved.

Bedes has written another great piece. Read the whole thing here.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Conservative Rick Santorum Declared Iowa Winner

Who knows, Virgina, there may be hope for us yet. Rick Santorum has won in Iowa:
“There’ve been two primaries held now and we’ve won one--with a big win in Iowa that’s finally been certified. I think it’s important to understand that not only did we win the certified vote--but if you add all the other votes, we won by even more. So this is a solid win.”
The Iowa caucus were the first major test, and far more indicative than the open primary in New Hampshire. I believe we conservatives can feel very good about this. How about you, senator?
"We feel very, very good about what this win will mean."
Well, there you go. So, what does this say?
“It says that we can win elections, we can organize, we can put together an effort to pull the resources together to be able to be successful in being the person that can defeat Mitt Romney because, guess what, we defeated Mitt Romney in Iowa.”
Yeowza!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

American Citizen Victimized at Ground Zero

Following in the steps of those that ended the lives of nearly three thousand helpless American citizens, Mayor Bloomberg's New York City finest carried on the tradition of victimizing the innocent when they took advantage of a naive nurse from Kentucky and arrested her.

Meredith Graves, a fourth year medical student was in town interviewing for a position when she decided to visit the 911 memorial. The Tennessee native is the possessor of a conceal carry permit for the handgun she carries for her personal protection. The married 39 year old observed a sign reading "No guns allowed," and dutifully approached a police officer to ask where she could check her handgun. To protect and serve, isn't it? She was told she was in luck, it was police day at the memorial. She was arrested on a gun-possession charge, handcuffed and led away.

Meredith Graves is looking at 3 1/2 years of prison.

Afterwards New York mayor Michael Bloomberg attempted to defend the actions of his city's police force by alleging Ms. Graves was carrying cocaine, but this was baseless, as were the New York Posts efforts to equate the arrest as coming from the city's efforts to stop the smuggling of illegal weapons into the city. It soon becomes tiresome arguing with these mopes. Ms. Graves has a legal permit to carry her handgun in Tennessee. She was not carrying an illegal weapon, nor was she attempting to smuggle it into the city.

She was released on $2,000 bail, and must return in March for her arraignment hearing. The arrest and potential felony conviction puts into serious question whether she will be able to further pursue a career in medicine.... and to what purpose?

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Obama Equates EPA Restrictions And Compliance Costs as being "Good" for the Economy

Nasty... don't mean a thing.
What?!

Oh yeah, he said it.

The counterintuitive comments came tumbling out of his mouth as he introduced EPA chief Ms. Lisa Jackson:
President Barack Obama said that EPA regulations are good for the economy and create jobs and that the agency "touches" the lives of every American every day.
Touches the lives of every American? Well, yeah, yeah... what a minute! What a minute!! Those regulations are forcing people to comply. Forcing, Mr. President. Thus, the EPA is costing businesses to spend their resources, not on producing their product and being competitive, but on complying with Lisa Jackson's EPA.

"I don't like no nasty girl.
I don't like no nasty food.
The only nasty thing I like
Is a nasty groove.

Nasty... don't mean a thing.

Cause privacy is my middle name.
My last name is control.
No, my first name ain't baby.
It's Lisa... Ms. Jackson if you're nasty."


And now... back to our president:
“We can make sure that we are doing right by our environment and, in fact, putting people back to work all across America. When we put in place new common-sense rules to reduce air pollution, we create new jobs building and installing all sorts of pollution-control technology,” Obama said.
What a moron.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

OMG!

Tim Tebow, the athletic Florida grade who shocks the sporting world with his mere presence on the field, has done it again!
Just as it appeared all was lost, as it seemed the Broncos would blow a 14-point halftime lead, Tebow delivered.

The lefty winged a game-winning, 80-yard touchdown pass to the remarkably gifted Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime to give the Broncos a stunning, 29-23 AFC playoff win against the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers.

TebowMania is once again fully inflated.
They were playing one of the top defenses in the league in a big time game, and he passed for two touch downs, with no interceptions. My favorite was his scramble from the twenty into the end zone. The guy doesn't shy away from a pile-up at the goal line. In the overtime it is no longer sudden death due to the wealth of kickers that can hit a field goal from 50, so each side gets a possession as long as the teams are scoring field goals. However, if one side were to score a touchdown, then that's the ball game.

Steelers called the flip, Broncos won the toss and took the ball. First play from scrimmage the Broncos motion the right wideout into the formation for a typical run shift, ball is snapped, Demaryius Thomas runs a slant and ... bang ... the ball is delivered on a line. DT runs it to the end zone. Game over.

And 316 yards?! What was that?!! Didn't he have some verse he kept noting on his eye black? Something from the Book of John, was it? Oh yes, what a shocking thing to do.

I'll tell you what amazes me about Tim Tebow, is that it still doesn't seem to phase him. God bless him, but it is a tough environment he is living in. The guy is one tough hombre. Nice guy, but don't doubt me. The guy is tough.

And how does he end it? Bill Maher little buddy, you better turn away your itty bitty eyes:





Nice.


For more of the phenom, check out the rest!

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Lawlessness Central Feature of Obama Watch

It would seem the Obama Administration is once again flouting congressional oversight:
President Obama used his recess appointment powers Wednesday to name a head for the controversial Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and three new members to the National Labor Relations Board — moves Republican lawmakers said amounted to an unconstitutional power grab.

The president acted just a day after the Senate held a session — breaking with at least three different precedents that said the Senate must be in recess for at least three days for the president to exercise his appointment power.
Basically, he is seizing power, and he is using the excuse of the economy he ruined as the justification for the lawlessness he's practicing on us. Barry's not big on the Constitution, even though he would have us know he was a "Constitutional scholar". When he can take his chance he just flips the constitution the proverbial bird. He cares more about his power than he does the nation he is charged with protecting. Miserable little squint of a man.

And what do our congressional leaders have to say? Well, Mitch isn't happy:
“Although the Senate is not in recess, President Obama, in an unprecedented move, has arrogantly circumvented the American people," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican.
And Johnny?
GOP House Speaker John A. Boehner called the move "an extraordinary and entirely unprecedented power grab by President Obama that defies centuries of practice and the legal advice of his own Justice Department. The precedent that would be set by this cavalier action would have a devastating effect on the checks and balances that are enshrined in our Constitution.
The three-day rule was the precedent Senate Democrats including Mr. Obama followed in 2007 and 2008 when they were trying to block then-President George W. Bush from making recess appointments. Said Lighthorse Harry
"I am keeping the Senate in pro forma to prevent recess appointments until we get this process back on track,"
Yes, the constitution was all the rage then. Sure, sure, but that was then, and this is now:
"I support President Obama’s decision to make sure that in these tough economic times, middle-class families in Nevada and across the country will have the advocate they deserve to fight on their behalf against the reckless practices that denied so many their economic security,"
What are you carrying on about? My god, man, is it that hard for you to see how ridiculous you look? Let me tell you something, Harry. The US Constitution is bigger than you. The US Constitution is bigger than the party you're schilling for. And neither of you are worth two cents.
"I refuse to take 'No’ for an answer. I’ve said before that I will continue to look for every opportunity to work with Congress to move this country forward. But when Congress refuses to act in a way that hurts our economy and puts people at risk, I have an obligation as president to do what I can without them," Mr. Obama said.
Hey, Chumley, your first obligation as president is to uphold the Constitution.

Good grief.