Is using a minotaur to gore detainees torture?

I laughed my ass off at "Frankly I think it's sad that now the words "Never ending labyrinth of pain are now synonymous with one loose cannon minotaur who admittedly went too far".


Is Using A Minotaur To Gore Detainees A Form Of Torture?

She wants a unicorn? Must have been an Obama voter

Around the Moronosphere 8/27/09

Ace - Real Unemployment is 16% and it's going to get worse -

Every time a good unemployment rate was reported for Bush (which was for all but about a year of his term), the media relentlessly claimed the numbers were far higher when one considered "discouraged workers."

...

Well, we finally have a bit of data on the real unemployment rate under President Jesus H. Executive, and it's a doozy.

"If one considers the people who would like a job but have stopped looking -- so-called discouraged workers -- and those who are working fewer hours than they want, the unemployment rate would move from the official 9.4 percent to 16 percent, said Atlanta Fed chief Dennis Lockhart.


He underscored that he was expressing his own views, which did "do not necessarily reflect those of my colleagues on the Federal Open Market Committee," the policy-setting body of the central bank.

Betsy has something nice to say about Ted Kennedy -

During the 1970s, Kennedy was instrumental in deregulating the interstate trucking industry and airline ticket prices, two innovations that have vastly improved the quality of life in America even as—or more precisely, because—they pushed power out of D.C. and into the pocketbooks of everyday Americans. We are incalculably richer and better off because something like actual prices replaced regulatory fiat in trucking and flying. Because they do not fit the Ted Kennedy narrative preferred by his admirers and detractors alike, these accomplishments rarely get mentioned in stories about the late senator. But they are exactly the sort of legislation that we should be celebrating in his honor, and using as a model in today's debates about health care, education, and virtually every aspect of government action.

Doesn't do a whole lot to change my opinion of the man but sometimes you have to give the devil his due

Hot Air - Townhall article: What really happened in the Franken-Coleman recount

In this case, it appears that both campaigns understood the parameters of action, but Coleman’s team simply didn’t want to avail itself of the entire range of action allowed by Minnesota statutes. They trained their recount volunteers to engage only on the most obvious cases and to refrain especially from giving the appearance that the Republicans wanted to invalidate ballots on a massive scale.

Predictably, this led to many missed opportunities for Coleman challenges. Because of the training received, the GOP volunteers assumed that many of the Franken team’s challenges in the precincts were invalid and would be tossed out by the Canvassing Board, the bipartisan panel that ruled on each challenged ballot. They were shocked to see the types of challenges later upheld by the panel, and they lamented the passive manner of the Coleman team’s recount effort, especially in the opening days. One volunteer estimated that he could have produced between 10-20 ballot challenges himself that the Canvassing Board would have upheld, based on their later rulings.

So once again GOP passivity leads to a stolen election. One of these days people will learn that bringing a knife to a gun fight doesn't really do you any good.

Just One Minute - Enhanced Interrogation -

Shorter Newsweek - if you ignore the parts of the reports that say that enhanced interrogation was effective you are left unsure as to whether enhanced interrogation was effective.

Patterico - Obama Still Reading Book He Read a Year Ago

This might not be a fair criticism. I re-read books all the time. On the other hand I doubt he is reading it at all. From the various reading lists I have seen for President Obama I think the press secretray just grabs the first book off of 3 or 4 best seller lists so everyone will feel happy. He is probably reading kids books to his daughters

Aardvarks and Assshats - “…And Lightning Shot Out Of His Ass!” -

some journalists are off in Mongolia chasing the maybe-myth of the Mongolian death worm!

...

The worm has never been documented but some Mongolians are convinced it exists. They call it Allghoi Khorkhoi, or “intestine worm” because it resembles a cow’s intestine and is about 1.5m long.

The worm apparently jumps out of the sand and kills people by spitting concentrated acid or shooting lightning from its rectum over long distances, NZPA reports. (Seriously.)

OK that one made my day

Horsman, Pass By! Has a list of worthwhile reads. More importantly the post has a link to a new online book resource. It has Machaivelli's Discourses on Livy and Art of War, which are hard to find locally so I am happy!!!

Man, Felicia Day is a slutty fairy

Legend of Neil, Season 2, Ep. 3 -- The Musical

Atom.com: Funny Videos | Spoofs | Legend of Neil

A "Scopes" trial for global warming? Why not?

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, trying to ward off potentially sweeping federal emissions regulations, is pushing the Environmental Protection Agency to hold a rare public hearing on the scientific evidence for man-made climate change.

...

The EPA is having none of it, calling a hearing a "waste of time" and saying that a threatened lawsuit by the chamber would be "frivolous."

EPA spokesman Brendan Gilfillan said the agency based its proposed finding that global warming is a danger to public health "on the soundest peer-reviewed science available, which overwhelmingly indicates that climate change presents a threat to human health and welfare."

Environmentalists say the chamber's strategy is an attempt to sow political discord by challenging settled science -- and note that in the famed 1925 Scopes trial, which pitted lawyers Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan in a courtroom battle over a Tennessee science teacher accused of teaching evolution illegally, the scientists won in the end.

source

This raises the question - If global warming advocates are so confident in their data why are they afraid to have it laid out and judged in an adversarial process?

Ted Kennedy Dead at 77

I don't like to speak ill of the dead so I will let RS McCain do it for me:

Forgiven by the media, liberals are shameless about such things. And so, in subsequent years, Americans were often subjected to the shameful spectacle of Ted Kennedy, the Chappaquiddick swim champ, lecturing us in moralistic tones about this, that and the other.

Whenever Kennedy would inflict his pompous self-righteous liberal moralizing on us, I'd always hear Ann Coulter's immortal words: "Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment."

I can't decide if this is one of the coolest things I have ever seen or one of the stupidest

Cheney Vindicated?

Back in April Dick Cheney claimed that CIA documents specifically two memos would show that the enhanced interrogations authorized by the Bush administration authorized by the Bush administration prevented a number of follow-on terrorist attacks. He requested that the memos be declassified and was refused by the Obama administration. The Department of Justice however released highly redacted versions of the memos yesterday.

The full memos are available here and are embedded below.

35_Detainee Reporting Pivotal for the War Against Al-Qaida

34_Khalid Shaykh Muhammad--Preeminent Source on Al-Qaida

Do they back Cheney's claims?

I hate to say it but as releasedthey don't. Unquestionably they show that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was a valuable source of information but I saw no mention of Enhanced Interrogation Techniques so I can't honestly say that the memos back Cheney's claims. That said who knows what's in the the redacted areas and Cheney would have been able to read that information as the Vice-President so he still has a leg to stand on.

It should be noted that according to the New York Times the CIA Inspector General report, which I have not read yet, does note that enhanced interrogation did work in some cases:

The report found that the interrogations obtained critical information to identify terrorists and stop potential plots and said some imprisoned terrorists provided more information after being exposed to brutal treatment.

But the inspector general’s review raised broad questions about the legality, political acceptability and effectiveness of the harshest of the C.I.A.’s methods, including some not authorized by the Justice Department and others that were approved, like the near-drowning technique of waterboarding.

Venture Brothers Season 4 preview

Tell me that being a geek doesn't have it's perks RS McCain. I can watch awesome shows like this without shame!

FMJRA Saturday 8/22/09

Both of my links last week came from my Jana Defi post

Smitty at The Other McCain wrote - "Chad at the KURU Lounge suggested Jana Defi. We can agree on this much: Jana is a healthy lady."

I would say we agree on more than that but lately there have been a couple disagreements. The geek post cut me to the quick guys. I am hurt deep down inside where it doesn't count.

Over at The Classic Liberal they wrote - "The KURU Lounge says, "I will just have to post another Jana Defi photo." Smart. Very, very smart."

With that endorsement the temptation is strong to go with more Jana this weekend, but she is my fallback. Whenever traffic gets down to 1 hit a day (quite often) I roll out Jana and it's back up to my normal 3 or 4 hits. Instead I have decided to offer up female soldiers from around the world.

Where's Chad? Plus What is RS McCain's problem with geeks

I have been deathly ill the last two (three? whenever I posted last I have lost track)days. Staring at the computer for too long doesn't help so I am taking it easy for at least another day.

One thing that was brought to my attention was RS McCain's slap at geeks. I think he was being facetious but still I am going to stand up for geek honor:

This is just sad, people. It's what happens when boys whose mothers won't let them play football grow into teenagers who can't dance, then become college students who spend their weekends rolling those weird D&D dice and . . .

Well, you see how this disturbing pattern of pathology ineluctably progresses to the point where grown men actually care about the film adaptations of space fantasy novels. (ed. Starship Troopers specifically)

Am I the only one who sees this whole cluster of behaviors, centered around the telltale abnormal interest in fictionalized distant worlds and/or ancient times, as constituting something that might be called Total Geek Syndrome?

I am one of those geeks. I played D&D, read science fiction (I still read science fiction and I play World of Warcraft), and all the other behaviors that McCain complains about in his post. I also played football and baseball until I had to have my knee operated on. add 8/22/09 - and on the antisocial side I skipped school, drank beer (often I skipped school to go drink beer), and cruised the point with my friends. We were about as destructive and stupid as you can get. That behavior isn't limited to non-geeks. My high school still bears permanent scars from my and my friends presence there. I drove tanks and did 12 years as a Navy Corpsman with the Fleet Marine Force. Take any two out three libertarian conservatives and I will bet they have a similar story, so when you shit on geeks you spit on the demographic you are trying to reach. And lets not forget the holy grail of the "libertarian" movement is "Atlas Shrugged" a bad science fiction novel. When it comes right down to it I guarantee that the foundations that made people receptive to accepting Rand's message were laid by people like Robert Heinlein further I am willing to bet that if there was an objective way to measure it that Starship Troopers, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Stranger in a Strange Land are much more influential in American society than Rand. This is at least in part because most science fiction authors have an optimistic vision of the future and of human (usually American) potential.

Looking at the comments I am not alone in my lack of appreciation for this post.

Around the Moronosphere 8/19/09

Betsy - Results of the Glenn Beck Boycott

He sees the following effects from the boycott.

(1) More attention, and thus, possibly more viewers for Glenn Beck.
(2) A sympathy backlash (like this column) from people who normally wouldn't dream of defending Glenn Beck, but who will almost always defend free speech.
(3) A backlash boycott against Olbermann, or whomever, on the part of angered conservatives.
(4) The spreading perception that some liberals are often willing to employ tactics that are quite illiberal when it comes to those with whom they disagree.
(5) More opportunity on Beck's show for him to spew goofy opinions, precisely because the advertisers have fled, leaving him with more time to fill.

probably not the results they are looking for.

Doubleplusundead - A new Felicia Day video and

Sean M. notes that the media doesn't seem near as outraged by Axelrod's ties to big Pharma as by Cheney's ties to big oil.

Slashdot - An OS written entirely in assembly language

As a result it's extremely quick and compact (it can even fit on a floppy disk, despite having a GUI). It can run Quake.

The Belmont Club - The foundations of our world

It’s easy to forget that ancient history and story of men who are now almost lost to us; the dim echoes heard only in the occasional recollections that still flash awake on visits. And that perhaps is as it should be. Their job is done and they must leave us orphaned now, beyond their help and alone with our destiny.

Blogger was down earlier

and now I have errands to run so the moronosphere round-up will have to wait.

Around the Moronosphere 8/17/09

Ace - The Return of Cut & Run- Afghan Exit Strategy -

We are about to enter an information battle almost identical to the one we fought about Iraq in 2006 & 2007. The cries then were that Iraq was lost and we should leave as soon as possible.

...

Now we face an eerily similar choice in Afghanistan, and the cut & run chorus has begun the siren song that we cannot achieve victory.

Betsy - Time to go shop at Whole Foods -

Last week the CEO of Whole Foods, John Mackey, wrote an essay in the WSJ putting forth his ideas for reforming America's health care system. He proposed a series of free-market recommendations along with renewed efforts for people to eat, Surprise!, healthy food. Several of his proposals are what conservatives have been advocating such as allowing people to buy health insurance across state lines, repealing government mandates on what insurance policies must cover, equalizing the tax benefits for those receiving insurance from their employers and those who are self-insured, and tort reform.

For the lèse majesté of not agreeing with President Obama, liberals are up in arms. Ann Althouse links to a post at The Moderate Voice by Richard Blair urging a boycott of Whole Foods.

...

Those supporting the sort of ideas that Mackey advocates might want to stop by Whole Foods and pick up some organic vegetables.

I was thinking the same thing, but so far I haven't been able to overcome my fear of hippies enough to actually go to Whole Foods.

and

Will legislators even be able to understand the bill once it's written?

Of course not. I have a theory that one of the reasons politics has become so much uglier over the last few years is that politicians and the political process are so much more transparent now.

When I was in high school if politician said something dumb or inflammatory unless a reporter was there no one ever heard about it. Now it is up on YouTube before the guy finishes drawing a breath.

Same thing with a bill. The chances that anyone, outside lobbyists and other professionals such as DC bureau reporters, would read a bill before congress finished passing it was remote. Now any moron (like me) with an internet connection can log on and read all the dirty details about how the government is attempting to screw up over today.

People don't like it when they find out they are getting screwed.

It also doesn't help that laws are written so that no one can understand them. In the USA Today article Betsy links they give the following example:

There's just one hitch: You could read the entire health bill and still not have a very good idea of how the plan would work. Legislative language is notoriously, necessarily murky. Take the opening lines of one of the bill's most controversial sections, the one about voluntary "end of life" counseling:

"SEC. 1233. ADVANCE CARE PLANNING CONSULTATION. (a) Medicare. — (1) IN GENERAL. — Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended — (A) in subsection (s)(2) — (i) by striking 'and' at the end of subparagraph (DD); (ii) by adding 'and' at the end of subparagraph (EE); and (iii) adding at the end the following new subparagraph: '(FF) advance care planning consultation (as defined in subsection (hhh)(1) … "

Got that? Most members of Congress and most Americans could read all 1,017 pages of the House bill (to be fair, much of it isn't quite this opaque) and come away with a confused picture about what it all means.

Nifty huh? It is virtually impossible to know what a bill actually says and does because it is so opaque and convoluted.

All this also explains why there is always such a hurry to get legislation passed now. It is both an attempt to keep you from having time time to read the bill and to keep our elected representatives from having to show how ignorant they are.

Just One Minute - Obama's Talking About His Grandmother Again; People Who Listened Last Time Are Now "Dishonest"

Little Green Footballs - The 'Bush as Hitler' Retrospective -

Suddenly labeling politicians as Nazis isn't as popular as it was say 2 years ago. What could have changed?

Where's Waldo Chad?

Oh don't pander to me I know you don't really care, but I am going to tell you anyway.

Busy - That's where. I have a final in my computer science class tomorrow, so I am studying, for that plus I am doing laundry, one of my least favorite chores. I am busy until at least this evening.

Around the Moronosphere 8/13/09

Salon - How is this for healthy debate? Camille Paglia is a fairly well respected, although occasionally controversial left libertarian academic. In her latest Salon column she actually had the audacity to criticize the way President Obama and Nancy Pelosi are handling the Healthcare Reform process:

Having said that, I must confess my dismay bordering on horror at the amateurism of the White House apparatus for domestic policy. When will heads start to roll?

...

Case in point: the administration's grotesque mishandling of healthcare reform, one of the most vital issues facing the nation. Ever since Hillary Clinton's megalomaniacal annihilation of our last best chance at reform in 1993 (all of which was suppressed by the mainstream media when she was running for president), Democrats have been longing for that happy day when this issue would once again be front and center.

But who would have thought that the sober, deliberative Barack Obama would have nothing to propose but vague and slippery promises -- or that he would so easily cede the leadership clout of the executive branch to a chaotic, rapacious, solipsistic Congress? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whom I used to admire for her smooth aplomb under pressure, has clearly gone off the deep end with her bizarre rants about legitimate town-hall protests by American citizens. She is doing grievous damage to the party and should immediately step down.

There is plenty of blame to go around. Obama's aggressive endorsement of a healthcare plan that does not even exist yet, except in five competing, fluctuating drafts, makes Washington seem like Cloud Cuckoo Land. The president is promoting the most colossal, brazen bait-and-switch operation since the Bush administration snookered the country into invading Iraq with apocalyptic visions of mushroom clouds over American cities.

You can keep your doctor; you can keep your insurance, if you're happy with it, Obama keeps assuring us in soothing, lullaby tones. Oh, really? And what if my doctor is not the one appointed by the new government medical boards for ruling on my access to tests and specialists? And what if my insurance company goes belly up because of undercutting by its government-bankrolled competitor? Face it: Virtually all nationalized health systems, neither nourished nor updated by profit-driven private investment, eventually lead to rationing.

Stinging yet reasoned criticism right? The kind of debate that is supposed to inform our democratic process, but lets look at the rebuttal:

Cuntzilla Paglia is under the delusion that she

Is one of the straight boys. No, Camille, you are not. You are a self-hater with a platform, and you do damage. I cannot tell you how much I personally detest you, you animated piece of garbage.

That's the way we like it here in America - agree with me or I will call you a c*nt.

Cynthia Yockey has a more respectful analysis of Paglia column.

h/t The Other McCain

Dilbert - I am pretty sure this is based on Government procurement practices.

Hot Air - CNN poll: Palin’s net favorable rating at -9

The good news? Fox News and WaPo had her at -13 a few weeks ago. The bad news? Given the trend lines, it’s now obvious that her resignation has cost her some national support.

Personally I think that a little Alinsky rule 12 action - "The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative." Palin has been in the news quite a bit in the course of the health care debate. She needs to provide a constructive alternative to Obama's plan in order to drive her point home and cement her position as a legitimate player on the national stage. Even if that plan is the status quo provide a compelling argument why.

Little Green Footballs - Video: Glenn Beck Hitlerfest, Extended Version

It's 10.5 minutes but it's worth it to watch this video just to see how uncomfortable his guests look. One of then has an expression on his face like he has just been served a turd for lunch.

The two biggest drivers of traffic here are Magic Anus and Jana Defi

Welcome The Other McCain Readers
- a nice unexpected little bump in traffic. Thanks.

If you are confused by the Magic Anus reference you cab read about it here. If you would like more Jana Defi then you are in luck there too,

Two words not usually heard together - Progressive Madrasa
Around the moronosphere in 60 minutes 4/21/09
Around the moronosphere in 60 minutes 4/12/09
Honey, does this bold geometric print make my boobs look big?
And it begins again - Around the Moronosphere in 60 minutes 4/23/2009 5/23/09
I'm up, I'm bored and it's been awhile, so here is a Jana Defi / Maria Swan video

Sad. So Sad.

But what the hey I will just have to post another Jana Defi photo

What the Hell?

On Sunday I posted about Dan Riehl's and R.S. McCain's investigation of Alaskan blogger Jesse Griffin. In the post I stated my disgust at the insinuation that Griffin was a child molester. McCain posted the next day that I had misinterpreted their intentions. I told McCain at that point that I accepted his explanation but still had questions Riehl's intentions. I apologized to McCain and was basically ready to move on other than making a couple comments on Riehl's and McCain's sites. I wasn't going to post on the subject again.

Yesterday McCain and Riehl posted their latest on Jesse Griffin. This time it contained none of the material I had found objectionable. (specifically the insinuations of Riehl's 8/6/09 post.) I didn't think the material was tied together and I found a couple errors but nothing that made my blood boil and I like McCain so I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt. Riehl though....

He announced yesterday that he would be doing some media on his latest revelations. This morning he had video posted and I watched the interviews. Almost immediately in the interview on Breitbart TV he insinuates again that Griffin is a child molester walking right up to the line and then backing off at one point saying he didn't want to get sued and in another saying that an unnamed expert assured him that Griffin was following the pattern that molesters follow but he didn't have any actual proof so it wouldn't be fair to make the accusation.



So what the hell? If you actually have evidence the guy is a child molester call the cops and have him arrested! If you don't hiding behind the I am just asking questions not drawing conclusions bullshit is just that - bullshit!

Around the Moronosphere 8/11/09

Betsy - An innovative way to balance a state's budget

First they paid businesses that were owed money by the state government in IOUs that will supposedly be redeemed in October. But the businesses have to pay state taxes on the IOUs that they've received. They've got these businesses coming and going.

Flopping Aces - Pelosi Encouraged Left Wing Disruptions

It’s only ordinary citizens that she thinks are “unAmerican.”

Instapundit - Myths or Facts in Feminist Scholarship

Little Green Footballs - The Muslim Demographics Hoax - Debunking a Youtube hit.

I had seen a reference to this video floating around a couple times but have never seen the video. If you are as drastically ill-informed as I am then here is your chance to watch it.



Charles Johnson at LGF refers to this as "an alarmist work of distorted propaganda, sort of an anti-Muslim version of the Loose Change 9/11 conspiracy film." but it seems more like a church fund raising video to me

Patterico's Pontifications - Tweet like Glenn Beck

some of the gems (these are the glenn-alikes not actual beck tweets)

• FEAR NOT, debate the issues, shadows are always darkest when the light is at its brightest. You’ll never walk alone. Lederhosen!


• U don’t understand EVERYTHING is about to change. I have been following the voices of discontent. Voices are changing. Marsha Marsha Marsha.


• BE STRONG. ppl are Waking UP. Ppl waking BIG TIME.We must follow GWASHINGTONS final address. Ghandi, mlk knew the drill. I AM THE EGGMAN.


• I miss small towns. Easy 2 think:THIS TOO SHALL PASS.Many offended. EVERYTHING is about 2 change. Heeeey MACARENA.U?


• URGENT: Stand&speak. Many things no one else is willing to say. Back to the woods. DER KOMMISSAR’S IN TOWN! fema

Slashdot - Earth's period of habitability is nearly over

Belmont Club - Bill Maher is an Ass Face OK he was actually a little politer with "The wisdom of Bill Maher". I took some editorial license.

Aardvarks & Asshats - asks the important questions with WTF is her tattoo I dont know but if it has teeth I am outta there, thats a warning sign that can't be ignored

Locusts and Honey - The Ballad of GI Joe -

The Ballad of G.I. Joe from Olivia Wilde

Sadly a better and more compelling story than the actual movie.

Support your Local Gunfighter - Jennifer Korbin: Modern-Day Ein-steen

But it’s not just late night television where this stunner excels. The bombshell holds a degree in interior design, and a double B.A. in psychology and criminal justice. Not to mention the fact that she is working on her Master’s Degree, all the while finding time to work as an animal rights activist.

Sorry man but she doesn't hold a candle to Victoria Zdrok

I am disgusted

Dan Riehl and R.S. McCain have decided that a leftist blogger named Jesse Griffin (aka Gryphen) of Anchorage Alaska needs to be destroyed.

His crime - he posted on his blog that Sarah and Todd Palin were divorcing. That blog post stirred up the sinistrosphere and made it onto CNN, but the story was apparently made up out of whole cloth. This caused McCain and Riehl to decide to expose Griffin and make an example of him.

I don't have any problem with exposing the source of the rumor and showing his lack of credibility but it has now gone to the point of insinuating that he is a child molester without, in my mind at least, a shred of credible proof.

Here is Riehl making the insinuations (and here) and here is McCain selectively highlighting quotes from Griffin's blog to try and make it appear that he is advocating sex with children.

Both of these guys are much bigger, much better, bloggers than I am, and hell they may be much smarter too I don't know, so there is a possibility that I am going to get smacked around a bit on this. All I know is that in my opinion they have crossed an ethical line and I think it's disgusting. (and no this is not a Rule 4 post. I have no intention of engaging in a blogwar. I have said my piece and I intend to leave the subject alone after this.)

Addendum: I feel guilty about posting this because Smitty and RS McCain have been pretty good about throwing links my way and generally have treated me pretty good. I appreciate that and I have a lot of respect for McCain's ability as a blogger but I really feel strongly about this.

Addendum 2: RS McCain, in his latest post, says I misinterpreted his intentions. I have no reason to doubt him so I hereby offer apologies to him. I also posted my apologies in the comments for his post. I will also offer these apologies in a separate post if McCain feels that would be appropriate.

Interesting - An ER Doctor Blogs His Malpractice Trial

Here

Not exactly an unbiased account but still interesting. Two things that jumped out at me were the timeline (3 yrs plus from the suit being filed to the trial) and the Dr's. admitted response of beginning to practice defensive medicine. At least in the short term.

found via the sidebar at Ace's

Around the Moronosphere 8/8/09

Ace - Senate "Ethics" Committee Clears Dodd and Conrad -

After a year-long investigation, the committee told Dodd and Conrad that it found "no substantial credible evidence" that they had violated the Senate's ethics rules. The committee found that the senators' loans were processed through a special, controversial program, but that they did not appear to profit financially from it.

You have to be frickin' kidding me. Not paying thousands of dollars in fees and interest that everyone else has to pay is not benefiting financially? If senators are this frickin dumb I weep for the nation.

Betsy - Learning from France - No not how to surrender to any kid with a popgun this is about health care.

France's health care system is often held up as a model of how successful a single-payer, universal health care plan could be. However, France is waking up to the costs of having such a plan.

The French system's fragile solvency shows how tough it is to provide universal coverage while controlling costs, the professed twin goals of President Barack Obama's proposed overhaul.

French taxpayers fund a state health insurer, Assurance Maladie, proportionally to their income, and patients get treatment even if they can't pay for it. France spends 11% of national output on health services, compared with 17% in the U.S., and routinely outranks the U.S. in infant mortality and some other health measures.

The problem is that Assurance Maladie has been in the red since 1989. This year the annual shortfall is expected to reach €9.4 billion ($13.5 billion), and €15 billion in 2010, or roughly 10% of its budget.

National Review Online - Obama wants you to shut up -

Yesterday, at a rally for R. Creigh Deeds in Virginia, President Obama said: "I don't want the folks who created the mess do a lot of talking. I want them to get out of the way so we can clean up the mess. I don't mind cleaning up after them, but don't do a lot of talking."

source

No Runny Eggs - GA Congressman has a meltdown when questioned about healthcare



Protein Wisdom - MoveOn.org hiring thugs organizers to shut down your First Amendment rights [Darleen Click]

The above screenshot’s money line

We blew through our first goal of $250,000, so we’ve set a new goal that will let us deploy even more organizers and more technology

Yet, according to the panty-wetting Leftists, a Facebook group with 23 members is fully responsible for nation-wide, anti-ObamaCare astroturf.

A quarter of a million dollars to hire “organizers” — not Astroturf
Facebook group with 23 followers, $1,700 spent — NAZITERRORISTRACISTASTROTURFFERS!!!! ELEVENTY!!11!!!!1

Hey MoveOn can hire all the people they want it's their right to organize and protest, but nothing says we can't too. Again big insurance companies I could use some of that sweet sweet protestor dough

Do Not - I say again - Do Not! See GI Joe!!

OK it has it's pluses. Sienna Miller and Rachel Nichols mainly but some of the CGI is ok too. That's it.

Minuses -

1. The story line is stupid. I mean yeah it's based off a comic book but it's even beyond comic book stupid.

2. The acting is horrible. Make my eyes bleed horrible. Make my anus bleed horrible. Let me replicate it in writing for you.

"Ha Ha stupid Joes we have stolen the super weapons"

in a flat monotone voice "Oh.... No.... They have stolen the super weapons. We... must... stop... them."

another GI Joe also completely lacking in inflection "Yes... we... must. but how."

imagine that for 118 painful minutes.

3. The American military is painted as a bunch of incompetents. Tactics apparent consist of hollering a lot plus apparently the way to clear a building is to send in an unarmed doctor (a key plot point by the way) and tell him he has 4 minutes because you have already called in an airstrike and it will be there in 5 minutes.

3a. The costume people don't even care enough to get uniforms correct. One of the characters is repeatedly referred to as captain but he is wearing majors insignia. Another is also referred to as captain and is wearing Master Sergeant stripes.

4. Not enough Sienna Miller and Rachel Nichols.

Overall I give it a 1 out of 5.

Around the Moronosphere 8/7/09

Important Stuff First - GI Joe starts today. Watch and be amazed by what will surely be a nominee for Best Picture in next year's academy awards:



Let me just say one more time that Sienna Miller looks insanely hot as Baroness DeCobray. (The Baroness is actually the only reason I read the comics as a teenager)

One more thing - Now that Hollywood can effectively CGI powered armor maybe they could remake Starship Troopers and actually follow the frickin' book this time and wipe that Veerhooven piece of shit from all memory.

Now on to the rest of the show.

Betsy brings us some semi-related content:

The IDF Ground Forces Command has declared the Trophy anti-tank missile defense system operational, following a series of tests last week that surpassed expectations for the system's capabilities, it was revealed on Thursday.

The Trophy system, developed by Rafael, creates a hemispheric protected zone around armored vehicles such as the Merkava tank, which operated prominently in Lebanon. The system is designed to detect and track a threat and counter it with a launched projectile that intercepts the anti-tank missile.

Doubleplusundead - Trouble at a Townhall meeting. (links to Patterico here)

Kenneth Gladney, a 38-year-old conservative activist from St. Louis, said he was attacked by some of those arrested as he handed out yellow flags with “Don’t tread on me” printed on them. He spoke to the Post-Dispatch from the emergency room of the St. John’s Mercy Medical Center, where he said he was waiting to be treated for injuries to his knee, back, elbow, shoulder and face that he suffered in the attack. Gladney, who is black, said one of his attackers, also a black man, used a racial slur against him before the attack started.

and video



listen to the SEIU guy (Goatee with Health Care '09 shirt). "He attacked America so we attacked him". Apparently disagreeing with Obama is now tantamount to attacking America. (time count 1:02). That said I have the same problem with this tape that I do with a lot of the supposed police brutality tapes. It starts in the middle of the action. I would like to see what was going on 2 or 3 minutes before hand.

Little Green Footballs - Obama's Kenyan Birth Certificate faked

Tome Maguire at Just One Minute keeps trying to make the best of it.

Powerline - Good News From Pakistan

The head of the Taliban in Pakistan, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed Wednesday by a missile strike from an unmanned drone in remote northwestern Pakistan. Taliban leaders are meeting to choose a successor, but they won't say where because, they say, they "they fear[] another drone strike." That's good.

Mrs. Peels Words of Wisdom - Liberalism in Harry Potter -

Rowling’s take on muggles looks an awful lot like liberalism’s take on the “poor and disenfranchised” – filled with mythological rhapsodizing (see Mr. Weasley’s obsession) in the abstract and patronizing dismissal in the specific.

Around the Moronosphere 8/6/09

Ace - Two from the head moron this morning Obama: Hey, Lefty Bloggers, Here are Some Poll-Tested Talking Points I Want You to Push (and By the Way, Call My Opponents "Astroturfers" in a Coordinated, Message-Disciplined Manner) and the related Tele-Turfing: Democrats, Fearing Contact with Genuine Americans, Turn to "Tele-Town-Halls," Where It's Invitation-Only and They Control the Attendees and Their Questions

The idea here is to restrict access to the townhalls so that the congressmen can claim that constituents have heard voiced little to no dissent and prevent youtube videos from appearing contradicting them while at the same time putting on a full court press portraying people like me as being in the employ of major insurance companies. Hey major insurance companies! - If I am your paid stooge how about sending me a check.

Flopping Aces - FINALLY, Americans Approve Of Bush’s Foreign Policy

President Obama has chosen to continue President Bush’s policies regarding Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. He’s “tried” to talk to Iran but it’s not like he’s flown there himself to really reach out.

Only foreign policy offered a bright spot: 52 percent of poll respondents approved of his job on this front, compared with 38 percent who disapproved.

I made this same point quite a while ago regarding gay marriages most of the gays I know assured me it was a completely different situation because Obama is a democrat. I assume the same logic applies here

Slashdot - Bing Search Tainted By Pro-Microsoft Results

Advarks and Asshats - 159 Years ago California became a state -

The people had no electricity.
The state had no money.
Almost everyone spoke Spanish.
There were gunfights in the streets.

So basically nothing has changed, except back then the women had real breasts and the men didn’t hold hands.

Well I did much better on my Java exam than I expected

Yay!!

Around the Moronosphere 8/5/09

Betsy - Promises they can't and therefore won't keep

John Stossel looks at the impossible promises that the Democrats are making in their health care proposals. They are promising to lower costs and expand coverage. How can we cover more people and not have higher costs? It just doesn't pass a simple test of logic.

...

The Democrats are promising the squeeze the costs from Medicare coverage. But we know that that won't happen because seniors will protest and politicians will respond. Remember back to 1989 when senior citizens beat on Dan Rostenkowski's car?

...

So when the seniors protest and the politicians cave, all that will be left are taxes. As James Pethokoukis outlines, there are quite a few reasons (he has five) why Obama will have to raise taxes. The budget math doesn't work and Obama and those surrounding him have already shown their predilection for raising taxes.

Instapundit - Be careful what you wish for - Obama wanted voters to "get in their faces" now that they are in the face of the dems they are worried about mob rule.

bonus videos

Little Green Footballs - All Hail Octavia


U.S. Government Stages Fake Coup To Wipe Out National Debt


Slashdot - Windows 7 Reviewed and Benchmarked

The Other McCain - Tracks down and reveals the Gryphen (a.k.a. Jesse Griffin) who was responsible for the Sarah Palin divorce rumors over the weekend.

I hate to say it, but... - Weak Stuff. Yeah the guy is obviously a lying sleazeball but last I checked that in and of itself wasn't illegal and yeah the stuff he is putting on his blog isn't appropriate for kindergartners but again not illegal and isn't it the parents responsibility to review site content before they let the precious little ones visit. When you have proof of him making death threats against the Palins or actually attempting to bugger school kids get back to me until then he is just another liberal douchebag with a hate-on for Sarah Palin.

Around the moronosphere 8/4/09

Doubleplusundead - Sienna Miller needs to strap on her Baroness gear and kick somebody's ass - I know I wrote it but I didn't feel like rewriting it again here.

Flopping Aces - Michelle Malkin on the View - I have to admit I haven't watched it. I can't stand any of those women except Hasselbeck.

Marc Armbinder via Instapundit - Are Democrats In For An August Slaughter?

Democrats know the rulebook. The tactics being used against them by Republican and conservative groups were perfected by the party when it set out to defeat President Bush's Social Security privatization proposals. They also know that it's easier to gin up noise against a major legislative initiative than it is to sell an initiative that isn't fully formed yet.

They know the rulebook. As a Democratic strategist said to me: "I think as Dems we learned a lot of lessons from beating Bush on privatization -- we know and perfected all the tricks and tactics so we know what to expect from the tea baggers, the insurance companies and other opponents."

...

The press will be complicit in telling the story, as the louder voices at town hall meetings will ultimately get more coverage. As the Democratic National Committee has learned, it's not easy to engineer a massive national congressional switchboard campaign unless there is a defined target. That's one reason why the Democrats and the White House are trying to bait the insurance companies.

Rule 13 of Alisnky's Rules for Radicals in action. So far the GOP is winning on health care reform but not is the time to execute some rule 12 action "The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative." It's time to roll out their plan.

Slashdot - 30,000 Lb Bomb On Fast Track For Deployment -

"Published reports today say the Pentagon is rattling swords in the direction of North Korea and Iran by speeding the development a 20-foot, 30,000-lb bomb known as Massive Ordnance Penetrator. This weapon is intended to annihilate underground bunkers and other hardened sites (read: long-range missile or underground nuke development) up to 200 ft. underground. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which has overseen the development of this monster since 2007, says it is designed to be carried aboard B-2 and B-52 bombers and deployed at high altitudes, from which it would strike the ground at speeds well beyond twice the speed of sound to penetrate the below-ground target."

Yeah baby!!!

The Telegraph - Patients forced to live in agony after NHS refuses to pay for painkilling injections -

The Government's drug rationing watchdog says "therapeutic" injections of steroids, such as cortisone, which are used to reduce inflammation, should no longer be offered to patients suffering from persistent lower back pain when the cause is not known.

...

Specialists fear tens of thousands of people, mainly the elderly and frail, will be left to suffer excruciating levels of pain or pay as much as £500 each for private treatment.

The NHS currently issues more than 60,000 treatments of steroid injections every year. NICE said in its guidance it wants to cut this to just 3,000 treatments a year, a move which would save the NHS £33 million.

And just think pretty soon the U.S. will have it's own medical guidance board. Whoopee!!!

I still maintain that this entire evolution on health care is really a stealth effort at entitlement reform. With a projected short fall of 13.6 Trillion dollars Social Security has the potential to break the treasury, but if we downsize the burden by denying old people care so they die faster and make other people so miserable that they opt for physician assisted suicide then we can go a long way to cleaning that up.

Added bonus- with the coming food shoratges due to Obama's stupid economic policies there will be lots of raw material for Soylent Grey. Soylent Grey is Old people!!!

Around the Moronosphere 8/3/09

I spent the weekend working on some programming homework on looking for some good resources on programming, once again YouTube comes to the rescue. Stanford University has posted 3 of the computer science courses on the YouTube EDU site. They are CS106A Programming Methodology which is an intro to computer science using JAVA, CS106B Programming Abstractions which is an extension of 106A with advanced topics using C++ and CS107 Programming Paradigms which covers a number of other languages including assembly. That's about $6000 dollars of education for free. I have watched at least one video from each of the courses and the instructors are all pretty good.

Now back to stealing content from the rest of the morons - Or not google reader has decided to crap out for the moment. I will try again in a while.

Trying again

Flopping Aces - Navy honors Lcpl Jason Dunham. Medal of Honor winner in Iraq, with a destroyer named after him.

Hot Air - Times of London: Iran just waiting for Khamenei’s order to build a bomb

Iran has perfected the technology to create and detonate a nuclear warhead and is merely awaiting the word from its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to produce its first bomb, Western intelligence sources have told The Times.

The sources said that Iran completed a research programme to create weaponised uranium in the summer of 2003 and that it could feasibly make a bomb within a year of an order from its Supreme Leader.

Just One Minute - A Kenyan Birth Certificate Magically Appears - so where has this supposed birth certificate been all this time? People are already debunking this thing. Apparently Mombasa wasn't part of Kenya in 1961 and Kenya wasn't a republic until 1964 (although there is some back and forth on that)