Just An Earth-Bound Misfit, I

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Tennessee No Evil

Of course, the haters will gloss over episodes like this or this.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Is the Obama Administration Full of Chowderheads?

One might think so, for the brain-dead idiots at the EPA are considering essentially banning the manufacturing of gun ammunition and fishing sinkers in this country.

This is breathtakingly stupid on several levels.

First off, if you have ever looked at where most state and Federal conservation money comes from, it is from things such as the sale of hunting and fishing licenses and special taxes on the sale of firearms and ammunition. For just the first quarter of 2010 alone, the Feds alone took in over $100 million. That money is used for Federal conservation efforts and if you think that those funds would be replaced from the general tax revenues, I submit that you are badly mistaken.

Second, this petition has no chance of doing anything other than inflaming the roughly 100 million gun owners in an election year.

Third, any such ban would not have any effect on all-up ammunition, which is exempt from the Toxic Substances Control Act. It would destroy reloading, though.

Fourth, even if the petition came anywhere near close to being enacted as a rule, Congress would fix that in a jiffy, as there are, between the Democrats in the West and Midwest and the GOP, more than enough votes to modify the TSCA to deprive the EPA of rule-making power over ammunition components.

The one thing that the gunnie community will overlook, though, is that it seems that under the TSCA, the EPA has no choice but to consider a petition to ban or control something. The EPA does not have to, however, open the floor on a petition to public comment.

I suspect that the EPA may be doing this, now, in order to kill off the petition. Maybe they are playing a nuanced game of using the public comments to kill it.

But maybe not, maybe they are indeed stupid enough to have this out there in the runup to the Fall elections.

Either way, I suggest that you read the first link and then comment on the petition. It wouldn't hurt to drop a letter to your congresscritter (unless your congresscriter is a rabid 2nd Amendment foe like Chuck Schumer or Carolyn McCarthy).

(H/T)

Out of Power, Out of the Closet

Ken Mehlman, President Bush's campaign manager in 2004 and a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, has told family and associates that he is gay.

Of course he comes out after the party of the Confederacy is out of power (and he's safely in the private sector and working in the second-most gay friendly city in the nation). When Melman was working for Chimpy and when he was head of the RNC, if he had said "hey, folks, I'm gay," they would have run him out of DC faster than Bob Irsay yanked the Colts out of Baltimore.

Time Magazine: A New Edition for Adults

Heh. Heh. Heh.

TIME Announces New Version Of Magazine Aimed At Adults

(From the Onion, of course.)

Katrina Aid

After Hurricane Katrina, the Bush Administration and the Congress got an incentive program going to award tax-free bonds and other benefits to help businesses recover. Care to guess who has been raking in the money from that?

Here's a hint: It hasn't been the businesses around New Orleans.

But five years after Congress passed the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005, more of the tax-free benefits have gone to the state’s powerful oil industry than to development in hard-hit areas. New Orleans has so far received a total of $55 million in bonds shared between eight projects—or less than 1 percent of the more than $5.9 billion issued statewide. None of the bonds issued for New Orleans projects went to development in hard-hit and still-struggling areas like the Lower Ninth Ward.

Louisiana is a corrupt state that would be a joke even in the Third World. That the state's politicians have siphoned off those redevelopment funds to benefit an already rich and powerful industry, while screwing the people of New Orleans in the process, just reeks of graft and payoffs.

But you won't see a single politician from the Confederate party even raise a hint of outrage at this. Because, after all, Louisiana Governor Bobby "Anchor Baby" Jindall is from that party.

WikiLeaks' Latest

You'll probably see something about WikiLeaks releasing a CIA memorandum about US exporting terrorism.

I just read it. It is here, in PDF format. About all I can say is: "Big Whoop." It's a "what-if, then" document. As in the "if your momma had wheels, she'd be a wagon" kind.

Anyone who thinks that this is some big expose of the CIA or anything along those lines is probably a Sarah-Palin-level retard.

The Inadvertent Humor of the Conservatives

When you think about it, they can be really funny. For instance, they are all concerned whether or not Social Security will be insolvent in 2037. They worry about what the Federal deficit will look like in 2050.

But they don't seem to give a frak about climate change, the Sargasso Seas of Garbage or the acidification of the oceans. They don't give a damn about the point that a warming planet will mean a growing scarcity of fresh water as the glaciers melt away. They could care less about the fact that petroleum is becoming harder and harder to obtain and what that may mean for the global economy. The rosy predictions of the coal advocates that there is enough for the next few hundred years is likely bullshit, as well, as we may hit the peak of coal production by the middle of this century, if not sooner.[1] Nor do they seem to worry about the fact that in the last sixty years, the human population has more than doubled.[2].

We have a lot of major problems staring us in the face. Compared to them, the long-term Federal debt is like a pimple on the ass of an elephant.

[1]To even do that, the coal companies will transform much of Appalachia into a lunar landscape.
[2]Tom Lehrer, in his song We Will All Go Together When We Go, mentioned "nearly three billion chunks of well-done steak. It took from the dawn of humanity until 1800 for human population to climb to a billion, over 100 years to add a second billion, few decades to add a third billion, and now we add a billion every 12 to 14 years.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Poisoning the Seas

In essence, it is what we are doing by allowing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels to increase. Much of the CO2 humanity has pumped into the atmosphere has been absorbed by the oceans and, as a result the oceans are acidifying.

In case it hasn't occurred to you yet, the plankton in the oceans produce much of the oxygen in the atmosphere. If the oceans continue to acidify and the life forms in the ocean die off, the result will not be very good, to say the least.

Nothing will be done, of course. Between the "junk science" propaganda of the extraction industries, the paranoia of the conservatives ("it's all a plot to get us back to living in mud huts") and the Chinese/Indian complaints of "we didn't cause this, why do we have to suffer", nothing will be done until we are on the brink of a mass extinction event. But by then, it will be far too late.

This is a global problem and as much as individual efforts to reduce their carbon footprint may be laudable, they will have all of the effect of farting during a hurricane.

Either humanity does something with all dispatch to stop adding CO2 to the atmosphere or our civilization will die and, possibly, so will our species.[1]

[1]I'd bet on extinction as the likely outcome, if there was any way to collect on the bet.

Whitewashing the Crime Scene; Indianapolis Edition

As Tam has noted today, the Indianapolis cops are well on their way towards making sure that Officer Drunkie isn't successfully prosecuted for anything.

That's what the cops call "professional courtesy", they can break the law, on duty or off duty, and their badge means that they skate.

Fox News Hates America

So why is one of Rupert Murdoch's investors, Alwaleed bin Talal, an alleged funder of terrorism? And why won't Fox News mention that little fact?

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

The Parent Company Trap

... is a woman. Sgt. Sherri Gallagher also won this year's high-power championship with a score that may not be beatable.

Reason #37,563 to Avoid Flying the Airlines

Because they may end up giving you a full-body X-ray scan in order to match your bones against a terrorist skeletal database.

The Wright State Research Institute is developing a ground-breaking system that would scan the skeletal structures of people at airports, sports stadiums, theme parks and other public places that could be vulnerable to terrorist attacks, child abductions or other crimes. The images would then quickly be matched with potential suspects using a database of previously scanned skeletons.

Just when you might have thought that things could not get any creepier in the Game of Security Theater, the mad scientists surprise you. I only hope that this is some scheme to convince the fools at DBP to pour several tens of millions of dollars down a rathole that will basically only end up with a bunch of researchers driving new Beemers.

This shit has to stop sometime. "Now" seems like as good a time as any.

(H/T)

Did You Buy a House, Hoping to Cash Out in the Future?

If so, you are probably screwed.

Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, estimates that it will take 20 years to recoup the $6 trillion of housing wealth that has been lost since 2005. After adjusting for inflation, values will never catch up.

“People shouldn’t look at a home as a way to make money because it won’t,” Mr. Baker said.

If you bought a house at the height of the boom, say 2004-2007, depending on where you live, you might be screwed forever.

The housing boom began in the late 1990s and despite ample evidence by 2003 (at the very latest) that the housing market had become a bubble market, the Federal Reserve (Alan Greenspan) and the Administration (George W. Bush) not only sat on their hands, they cheered on the expansion of the bubble.[1]

The warning flags were not terribly subtle for anyone who cared to study on the matter. What was going on with the subprime mortgage market was rather blatant. But they did nothing to rein in the banksters and cool down the housing market, they just let it go. After all, the banksters and the muckety-mucks in the Federal Reserve and the Bush Administration are not suffering.

It's the American people who were left holding the bag.

[1]Chimpy was a cheerleader in college, at least on the odd days that he was sober.

Monday, August 23, 2010

The Confederate Freeloaders

Republicans are freeloaders: They want government services, but they don't want to pay for them.

Modoc County in California is a prime example. There is a good chance that the spoiled children in the Confederate party will destroy the county rather than pay the taxes necessary to keep it going.

(H/T)

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Bomb Islamabad?

If the Taliban are indeed the puppets of Pakistan, as this article implies, then why the hell are we messing around in a place where our so-called friends are the masters of our enemies? Why are we at least not bombing the shit out of the ISI?

Why are we helping the masters of our enemies? Why are we giving them modern weapons and aid?

The Christian Taliban in the U.S. Army

80 to 100 soldiers were confined to their barracks because they refused to attend a Christian concert.

Freedom of religion, last time I checked, was one of the freedoms that soldiers retained. Bravo to the soldiers who stood up to the religious bullying of their commander.

(H/Tvia here)

Road Craziness

Look at the signs in this photo:

(Click to enlarge if you need to.)

While it would seem to be really stupid to have a 35 MPH speed sign 100' before a 45 MPH speed sign, one might think that the language on the first sign of "unless otherwise posted" saves things.

Except it doesn't. What you can't see there is that a town line is between the two signs. Why the first town felt a need to put up a speed limit sign that governs the next 50 feet of road is a good question. But as far as I know, those signs have been there for over 20 years.

Bangity, Cont.

On my way home yesterday, I detoured to a gun shop to see if they had a 1" recoil pad to increase the length of pull for my Savage Mk II. They did, a LimbSavr slip-on pad. The salesman asked if I had the rifle with me, I said it was out in the car, so I retrieved it and he found one that fitted.

We put it on:

I picked up the rifle, dropped down to the floor, slinged up and went into the prone position. The pad moved me back enough, though I might have to get a longer sling, now, as it was down near my elbow. "It works," I said and paid for it. I asked them to toss the box the pad came in, as I have no intention of removing it from the rifle.

The First Serviceman Ever to Win the NRA Long Range Rifle Championship...

Saturday, August 21, 2010

You Have To Wonder How the "Ground Zero Mosque" Controversy is Playing on al-Jazeera

Really. Think about how it must be playing. Think of how it must play across the Arabic language media when they air translated rants against Islam by former Speaker Gingrich, former Mayor Giuliani and former 1/2-term Governor Palin, to mention just a few. Think about how it is playing across the Muslim nations from Morocco to Indonesia.

All those politicians from the Confederate party ranting about Islam and taking positions on mosque locations from "not here" to "not nowhere". All of those politicians from the Democratic party who are lacking the courage to stand up for a basic core American principle: Freedom of religion.

Think of how that plays into the hands of our enemies. Think of how they must be saying: "The Americans tell you that `we respect all religions', but look at their actions. Muslims across America are being told that they cannot have mosques where American law says that they have a right to have a mosque. It is all an American lie, for they truly hate you, my brothers and sisters."

So then ask yourself why the Confederate party so hates this country that they are eager to run the risk of creating many more enemies and further souring the view of America held by a billion people, all so that they can gain some illusory short-term political benefit.

The Internet has destroyed the notion that one can talk to one's supporters alone. The Confederate party's xenophobia is playing out on a world stage, as is the Democratic party's cowardice.

We will reap a bitter harvest from what the politicians of the Confederacy are sowing today. You can bet on it.

Something Smells Spoiled in Sweden

This has a funny smell to it:

Julian Assange, the founder of the Web site WikiLeaks who has been embroiled in a fight with the Pentagon over the recent release of classified Afghan war documents, became the focus of new attention on Saturday when Swedish prosecutors sought him for questioning on allegations of rape and molestation — and then withdrew the rape allegation.

Sort of like the wafting foul stench of a dirty tricks operation.

War Criminal News; Blackwater Edition

Xx, formerly Blackwater Worldwide (and soon to be the Sunny Day Security Corp.) has agreed to pay a $42 million dollar penalty in order to stave off criminal charges, and to keep their current Federal contracts.

In June, the State Department awarded Blackwater a $120 million contract to provide security at its regional offices in Afghanistan, while the C.I.A. renewed the firm’s $100 million security contract for its station in Kabul. At the time, the C.I.A. director, Leon E. Panetta, defended the decision, saying that the company had offered the lowest bid and had “cleaned up its act.”

Ah, horseshit.

I think it's a very telling point that ol' patriotic Erik Prince fled the country to Dubai, most likely to avoid prosecution.

Some Christians Are Terrorists, So Ban Construction of All Churches

That sounds insane, doesn't it? But given that Christians have tried to blow up a police station, shot people at a family planning clinic, shot and killed doctors who performed abortions, shot up the Holocaust Museum, shot and killed minorities, bombed the 1996 Olympics, molested childen and blew up a Federal office building, there are obviously Christians who feel that they can justify killing innocent people. Many of the perpetrators of the above crimes used their faith to justify killing people.

So why not consider banning the construction of churches, or at least, keep them at least 1,000 feet from all playgrounds and schools. "Because that would be crazy" or "it would be unfair to blame a religion for the misdeeds of a few".

And that would be true.

But it does not stop people from making the same argument about mosques and Islam.

Caturday in the Sun

The cats are getting a bit of sun on them, but only a bit.

George:

Gracie:

Jake:

I had to use the flash to take these photos, otherwise they would tend to look like this:

Which is fine, but only if that is the effect that you are going for.

Friday, August 20, 2010

AARGH!

Mom had the McLaughlin Report on the TV.

If I had to routinely listen to that pack of jabbering douchebags, including the World's Oldest Hitler Youth,[1] I'd hve to seriously consider eating one of my guns.

[1]Pat Buchanan

Bangity, Bangity.

One of the problems I have with rifle practice is all of the public ranges in my area are benchrest-only.

I'm visiting my mother today. She lives up north in a rural area, so I brought my .22 Savage rifle, measured off a 25 yard range, threw down a beach blanket and got to shooting. One issue surfaced: I have the scope mounts as far forward as they will go and the scope is as far forward in the mounts as it will go and when I snugged up into the prone position, I was too close to the scope. So I'll get a 1" recoil pad to lengthen the pull of the stock.

It'll look goofy as hell, no doubt, but it will work.

I found an old box from a wine store. I found a chunk of log that would fit inside, so I put dirt in the box to keep the log roughly on the centerline, put the log in, then filled the box with dirt. I shot into the box lengthwise and not a round escaped.

The box after shooting was done:

Then I wrapped a little duct tape around it to reinforce it for the next time:

Is Fox News a Terrorist Command Center?

It is indeed a crazy world when the Daily Show closes a segment by endorsing the point of view of the National Rifle Association.

Extremist Makeover - Homeland Edition

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

And a few seconds more from Charlton Heston:

Moment of Zen - Charlton Heston's NRA Speech

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Don't Shoot the Schlessinger

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Really, Folks, Are All Conservatives Idiots?

Before they go blathering on about the First Amendment, you would think that they would take the time to learn something about it. Sadly, no.

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

2010 Election

Fox News

I'll leave the point alone, for now, about how conservatives are screaming about how people need to be less sensitive when it comes to Schlessinger's rant, but they are all sensitivity queens about the Ground Zero Mosque manufactured kerfuffle.

The First Amendment does not guarantee that anyone will listen. It does not guarantee that advertisers will support someone who is being offensive on a radio show. The First Amendment does not mean that a publisher must print or radio network is bound to air what insane drivel passes through the lips of some crackpot. If a columnist for a newspaper is told "you're too far out there, you're costing us readers and advertisers, so you're fired", that's a business decision of the publisher. It might arguably be cowardly, but it is not a constitutional violation.

Now if the publisher is forced by government to pull the columns or cease publishing, that is another thing. If a good rabble-rouses a mob to burn out the paper's offices, that's also another thing. Neither is going on here.

Schlessiner's First Amendment rights have not been violated because people are not happy with what she said, no more than Target's or Best Buy's First Amendment rights have been violated because people are unhappy that those companies have given money to a gay-bashing troll who is running for the governor of Minnesota. I suspect that some conservatives know this, including Schlessinger, and they are merely engaging in their routine practice of cynical manipulation.

Except, of course, for Sarah Palin, who likely is truly stupid enough or uninformed enough to not understand what the First Amendment is about.

Killer Zombie Genes!

It sounds like the title of one of those lame "SyFy Original Movies", doesn't it?

But it is not. Dead genes apparently get switched back on and if so, bad things happen:

Some of those genes, surprised geneticists reported Thursday, can rise from the dead like zombies, waking up to cause one of the most common forms of muscular dystrophy. This is the first time, geneticists say, that they have seen a dead gene come back to life and cause a disease.

"The Zombies Inside Us!" Saturday at 9 on the SyFy Channel!

Abolish the TSA, Now!

It is time to abolish the TSA and send all of the screeners back to their earlier jobs of cleaning out the fryolators and bathrooms at fast-food joints. You might wonder why, in the name of your Deity of Choice, would the idiot TSA screeners go through a passenger's checkbook. It's not like they're going to find evidence of dues payments to the Friends of Osama bin Ladin.

But they did indeed rifle through a woman's checkbook.

I don't see how we would be worse off if we just did away with the TSA and told people "y'all bring a gun with you, hear".

Why a Zombie Apocalypse Won't Be an Apocalypse

Seven reasons.

I do have to quibble a little with #7. At least in World War Z, it was mentioned that zombie flesh is toxic and animals learned quickly to not try to eat them.

Reason #1 is why the U.S. would probably not be overrun by zombies (and why the United Kingdom would become Zombie Island).

(H/T)

Connie!!

Watch the takeoff closely (about 4 minutes into the clip). You'll see the exhaust flames from those R-3350s.

Constellations were elegant airplanes. It is a good thing that there are people who have found a way to keep a couple flying.

Follow the Money

Jon Stewart channels Glenn Beck, except the money trail is a lot shorter:

News Corp. Gives Money to Republicans

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c