For Christ, For Truth, For Liberty

This story from the Financial Times is rather interesting:

More prosperous American shoppers seem to be defying continuing high unemployment levels and economic uncertainty to renew their spending on luxuries such as jewellery, fashion and cosmetics.

…Fabrizio Freda, chief executive of Estee Lauder, has said that sales of its beauty products at “prestige” stores – such as traditional department stores – had grown faster than at “mass” drugstores and discounters during November and December, reversing the trend seen earlier in the year.

“We view this as a return of the aspirational customer”, he said.

…Neiman Marcus, which operates about 43 luxury fashion stores serving the most affluent US consumers, said that its strongest categories included women’s couture clothing and precious jewellery.

Let me state right off the bat that I don’t mind people buying couture, perfume, whatever. I don’t. Not my bag, but then, the folks with all La Cruset in their kitchen and a closet full of couture would probably shriek in horror at the idea of vintage of any label and observe our vintage glassware with utter disdain.

No, what interests me here with this story is the psychology of it, considering that the economy is still extraordinarily shaky and we have twenty percent unemployment. Many economists are worried that this supposed recovery (and it’s weak if that is what it is) is going to be a double-dipper, meaning we’re headed for another rocky season. Worse, the present White House administration and Congress are not at all interested in protecting and defending private property rights, small business (any business, really, other than lining their own pockets and staying in power), or capitalism.

So the economy is not good. I do not care if the article says people aren’t as worried about losing their job; this dame isn’t buying that.

The Estee Lauder CEO probably hit the nail on the head without truly realizing what he was saying when he brought up aspirational consumers.   [Read more →]

Well, here we are, mostly dug out of the snow. There are probably twenty inches or so on the ground, and Ben could not BE having any more fun. Of course, we are now expecting another six to nine inches tomorrow. Ah, well, bring it on; we got through the first storm without too much trouble. More wood shall be brought in from the yard so it is dry in time should we need it, the radio batteries will be checked, another bag of de-icer looked for at the hardware store, and we will watch it come down. So long as the water and power (read: heat) stays on, I am pretty happy. For some reason, such powerful and productive storms make me think of the pioneers, and what they went through and dealt with.

At any rate, here is your Monday song to cheer you up. Sorry it’s late, but today has been one of those days, for reasons I cannot figure. Enjoy! This one’s a true classic.

Thank God for giving us this fine and great man. He always believed in America, because he understood our Founders and agreed with their principles, and because he still believed in the “average”, “everyday” American. Reagan, like the Founders and those like them, believed that individuals knew enough to take care of themselves and their neighborhood, without government interference or “help“.

And it’s beyond time to pray He have mercy and send us another (dozen).

Happy birthday, Mr. Reagan!

(Sorry this is late, friends; we have about two feet of fresh, heavy snow on the ground and lost power for about eight or so hours this morning. Stay warm and safe!)

(Larger.)

The remarks recorded by James Madison at the end of the Constitutional Convention:

Whilst the last members were signing it [i.e., the Constitution] Doct FRANKLIN looking towards the Presidents Chair, at the back of which a rising sun happened to be painted, observed to a few members near him, that Painters had found it difficult to distinguish in their art a rising from a setting sun. I have said he, often and often in the course of the Session, and the vicissitudes of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting: But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting Sun.

May it always be so, and the sacrifices and work of our Founders, including James Madison, not be in vain. We must defend our liberties valiantly against all that would touch that precious jewel, and do so with courage.

By the way, please don’t forget that you can purchase my prints, all of which are signed and numbered, from my shop!

Have a wonderful weekend, all.

Fouad Ajami suggests that the bloom is off the Obama rose:

Americans don’t deify their leaders or hang on their utterances, but Mr. Obama succumbed to what the devotees said of him: He was the Awaited One. A measure of reticence could have served him. But the flight had been heady, and in the manner of Icarus, Mr. Obama flew too close to the sun.

We have had stylish presidents, none more so than JFK. But Kennedy was an ironist and never fell for his own mystique. Mr. Obama’s self-regard comes without irony—he himself now owns up to the “remoteness and detachment” of his governing style. …Mr. Obama was smitten with his own specialness.

…A historical hallmark of “isms” and charismatic movements is to dig deeper when they falter—to insist that the “thing” itself, whether it be Peronism, or socialism, etc., had not been tried but that the leader had been undone by forces that hemmed him in.

…There had been that magical moment—the campaign of 2008—and the true believers want to return to it. But reality is merciless. The spell is broken.

Unfortunately, it may well be too late for America, whether those who a year ago saw Obama as ‘the one’, as hope and change and the promise of a brighter America. Their gullibility, nurtured by a press that has entirely abandoned its duty, has placed this nation in great peril.

Now, if you are an attentive Rush fan, you almost hurt yourself laughing over the ballroom dance line.

Not sure what all the fuss is about? Here.

Let’s start a happy new thing here, shall we? For a couple of months I’ve wanted to share music that I think (or hope) you’ll enjoy, and “Monday Melodies” seems to fit so very nicely. It’s the beginning of the week, so why not perk it up with a song? Make a joyful noise and all that, in the face of another week of drudgery and frustration (don’t deny it, y’all)?

We’ll inaugurate this new tradition with one of the best movie endings (sorry) ever. From “Lilies of The Field” (a very sweet movie), here is Sidney Poitier lip-syncing to Jester Harrison’s “Amen”. Infectiously joyful! Enjoy, and happy Monday.

Lace

A tree at Monticello. No idea what it is…! Large.

Friends, I’ll be honest with you: I skipped the SOTU last night. This is the first time I’ve missed one in I do not know how long, but the prospect of allowing all of that bombastic hot air into my home was too much to bear. (I got to watch my hockey team inexplicably drop yet another game instead.) Really, I’m of the mind we should go back to the way this was done in Jefferson’s time and through the late 1800s: on paper. No television, no radio, no glorification of the president, no sitting through applause or wondering why Nancy Pelosi looks like she’s got a broken tailbone, one missing cheek, and the worst dry eyes ever.

I did tune in to hear BHO blaming We, The People, for his failures. Klassy guy. Even George III didn’t go that far, did he? And his snide, petulant treatment of the Supreme Court justices was nothing short of appalling. Put BHO and the SCOTUS in a room together, and the coffee service will have more genuine accomplishments to its name than the President. Separation of powers, buddy. Ever hear of it? To say nothing of common respect…

Most disturbing, however, was this passage:

…the cost of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will continue to skyrocket. That’s why I’ve called for a bipartisan fiscal commission, modeled on a proposal by Republican Judd Gregg and Democrat Kent Conrad. This can’t be one of those Washington gimmicks that lets us pretend we solved a problem. The commission will have to provide a specific set of solutions by a certain deadline. Yesterday, the Senate blocked a bill that would have created this commission. So I will issue an executive order that will allow us to go forward, because I refuse to pass this problem on to another generation of Americans. And when the vote comes tomorrow, the Senate should restore the pay-as-you-go law that was a big reason why we had record surpluses in the 1990s.

That is frightening. This POTUS is stating his intent to stampede over the elected representatives of the people—no matter how pathetic and awful they are—and do what he wants on his own. He’s already made it clear that he does not care to listen to We, The People; nor will he listen to more cautious elements within his own party, much less those on the other side of the aisle who have been, to their credit, continually offering alternative suggestions to BHOs policy proposals.

Moreover, this man has already signed an executive order giving INTERPOL authority above US law and US law enforcement officers, not to mention the establishment of the Council of Governors, which will deal with the  “synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States”. Remember that “civilian national security force” promised to us?

Regardless, his willingness to disregard the balance of powers is and should be unnerving and unsettling. This is what Woodrow Wilson and FDR did, and they were both very, very nasty men indeed.

If we must hear such awful and un-American things as came out of our President’s mouth last night, I’d rather listen to a speech by Hugo Chavez. Despite being evil, he’s at least somehow comical. Barack Obama is simply tiresome.

Freely available online to all comers, too. From the press release:

Hillsdale College’s Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship, based in Washington, D.C., will host “Reviving The Constitution,” a Constitution Town Hall, in Chantilly, Virginia, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST on January 30, 2010.  The event will also be available online.

“At a time when the Constitution is largely ignored in Washington, it is vital for citizens to remember its enduring principles,” said Hillsdale College President Dr. Larry P. Arnn.  “This town hall will discuss how those principles have been undermined, and how they can be recovered.”

The town hall will consist of a panel of constitutional scholars making brief presentations, followed by questions from both present and online participants.  Topics to be covered include:

 The Declaration of Independence and the Principles of Free Government

 The American Constitution

 The Constitution and the Civil War

 The Progressive Attack on the Constitution

 American Government Today and What Citizens Can Do to Revive the Constitution

“The Constitution is not just the domain of judges and lawyers,” said Kirby Center Director Dr. David J. Bobb. “It is the responsibility of all Americans to understand and uphold it, and our aim with this town hall is to help equip citizens to do so.”

This event is open to the media.  Further information and registration instructions can be found at constitutiontownhall.com.

According to an email I received from Hillsdale this afternoon, thus far over 13,000 Americans have signed up to take part, myself included (making sure that there will be a few things waiting to be embroidered right next to the computer). Again, there is no cost to be part of the online group, so if you’ll be able to sit through part or all of the Town Hall, be sure to sign up!

Yes, yes, I’m the last to see this, right? But just in case I’m not…This is hilarious. Don’t be drinking or handling anything dangerous while viewing, okay?

Tee hee…!

Jefferson’s Vegetable Garden

(Let’s get it out of the way: Yes, we’d ALL love gardens like this, wouldn’t we? Wow! Definitely enjoy large. Oh, for a wide-angle lens!)

Like many of the Founders, Jefferson considered himself an agrarian first and foremost. Like Washington, Jefferson was always investigating and inventing new methods of cultivation and production. Jefferson of course introduced a few new plants to America. Though he grew many things over the years, Jefferson still placed a premium on varieties that produced well and in a hardily: “I am curious to select one or two of the best species or variety of every garden vegetable, and to reject all others from the garden to avoid the dangers of mixing or degeneracy.”

The vegetable garden is divided into 24 growing plots along its 1,000-foot terrace. The view, as you can see, is quite remarkable. Beneath it are Jefferson’s orchards, vineyards, and berry squares; using clever landscaping he created microclimates for more tender plants like figs and French artichokes.

Being in the hills of Virginia meant, of course, that the critters were interested in Jefferson’s veggies, too, though their palates were presumably not so interested in the subtleties of flavour or production. Therefore, Jefferson had the garden and orchard surrounded with a ten-foot high wooden fence that ran about 3/4 mile.

Beautiful, peaceful, bountiful place…

Have a lovely weekend!

No offense to Thomas Jefferson, but…I just compared him to Michael Jackson.

It has to do with money, if that makes more sense…

It’s alive & well in Massachusetts.

However, Brown is a bit of a moderate. Therefore, his constituents will have to stay on him and make sure he adheres to the law of the land, the Constitution.

Still, to see the seat occupied by the Kennedys longer than many of us have been alive is astounding. Wow!

First of all, thanks to my website man, Mark of Lonestar Bit Ranch. He claims he didn’t do anything to help me out last night, but looking at my interface here, he clearly did some sort of magic with the interwebs on my behalf. So, if you need a website or something along those lines, hire him.

(He also said reading emails from me was like dealing with Myrna Loy. Does that trump Jay Nordlinger telling me I remind him of WFB? Hmmmm…)

Also, please do not forget that today is day 2 of Indie Fixx’s charity auction raising money for Haiti. If my calendar is correct, you may still bid on day 1 items as well, at least until 11:59PM EST.

Okay, okay, enough with the announcements. Here is your Friday photo!

(Untitled)

So we say farewell (“At last!”, think some of you) to Mount Vernon, home of the rightfully vaunted Father of Our Country, our first president, one of our most tenacious military leaders, a brilliant Founder, a husband, stepfather, farmer, architect, horseman, businessman, a fine man, and my hero, George Washington. Hope you’ve enjoyed it. I wasn’t at my best the day we were there but loved every single second we spent walking around the land Washington had owned, cultivated, and lived on.

We definitely hope to return soon; it’s a beautiful, relaxing, graceful place to visit.

Definitely worth viewing large!

You may view the rest of my Mount Vernon photos here; images from Monticello are being added presently.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Just an FYI: Jen at Indie Fixx is hosting an auction of indie goods and art in order to raise money for the survivors in Haiti. Today is only the first day, and it sounds like she has quite a few wonderful things to sell. You bid on the item you like in comments, and the winner sends the funds to Jen (who will donate all of it to the Red Cross relief efforts), while the artist sends the item to you. Check it out and please pass it on!

Well, this isn’t good. William Tucker at NRO explains why thermal energy probably won’t be able to cross the finish line as a viable source of “alternative energy”.  Fascinating article.

Am I the only one who thinks it is odd that the President of the United States is giving interviews to People magazine? President George W. Bush did it, too, but I don’t care who the POTUS is; People? Especially when it’s a policy—a war policy—interview?

Then again, People probably has a higher readership than the New York Times. So this might be the best way to get news out to da people.

Luscious Cherry

Definitely worth viewing large.

We’re allowed to like the old ones, y’all.

This image, along with quite a few others, available in my shop.

Everyone have a great weekend, and stay warm and safe.

I know. It’s winter, and it is COLD! What a crazy concept!

Still, much as I get a little kick out of gently poking fun at my friends in the South and western parts of the country when y’all whine about how you’re ‘freezing’ when it’s 55 degrees out (or, heck, 37 degrees), this winter is clearly going to be a little different, or at least it will for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, I actually feel bad for y’all this time, because this type of cold is something you and your region haven’t experienced since the late 70s, if not longer.

So, as someone who really, really, really, really, really hates the cold but am pretty accustomed to dealing with it, here’s my genuine advice to those of you who are completely flummoxed/terrified by the prospect of a deep freeze. (There’s advice for those with uncomfortable, winter-caused dry skin, too.)

Prepare your vehicle. This is a must, and something we should all do regardless, but especially when there is bitterly cold inclement weather to consider. Though we may have nice cars, they’re not the kind one would consider an awesome coffin, like a Lamborghini or a ‘53 Vette (though no sane person would drive such a car in this weather).

I sincerely doubt my pals in Tennessee, Texas, or Tupelo have shovels, warm blankets, a window scraper, hand warmers, extra socks and gloves (in case yours get wet should you have to push your car out of snow or something) an extra hat, food and water, boots, cheap kitty litter, road flares, and extra windshield-washer fluid in their cars. Well, now is the time to add those things to your trunk’s emergency box. Triple A isn’t instant. Keep your phone fully charged, too, and that tank full of gas.

(The kitty litter is for traction should you get stuck, not…Anything else…)

Drink warm things. As if anyone needs additional reasons to stop drinking soda, we now have cold weather. My favourite warmups are hot tea (my preferred brand being SBS) and hot cocoa, and of course there’s coffee. Heck, you can drink soup! This is one of those little things that makes a big, big difference. I live on hot drinks in the winter.

Move your activities upstairs. It’s warmer up there. Enough said.

Dress in layers. Indoors and out. As this cold weather stretches on, I have a funny feeling many of you will turn green and vomit when your next home heating bill arrives. [Read more →]

Though I’m pretty sure John MacArthur (to say nothing of God) could find something wrong with Ann Coulter’s explanation here, for the most point, she seems darned straight spot-on to me. Kudos to Ann and, of course, Brit Hume.

Ann:

Most perplexing was columnist Dan Savage’s indignant accusation that Hume was claiming that Christianity “offers the best deal — it gives you the get-out-of-adultery-free card that other religions just can’t.”

In fact, that’s exactly what Christianity does. It’s the best deal in the universe.

…God sent his only son to get the crap beaten out of him, die for our sins and rise from the dead. If you believe that, you’re in. Your sins are washed away from you — sins even worse than adultery! — because of the cross.

“He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:14.

Driving into Pittsburgh today listening to Mark Steyn fill in for El Rushbo, I heard Steyn mention that respected, award-winning (and gifted) photojournalist and blogger Michael Yon had been arrested in the Seattle airport. Why was this man, a former Green Beret who has been embedded with our troops overseas for more days than I can count, cuffed and detained?

Because he refused to answer a query regarding his income from a TSA “official”. Via Samizdata (I may chirp, but I refuse to mug!),

Got arrested at the Seattle airport for refusing to say how much money I make. (The uniformed ones say I was not “arrested”, but they definitely handcuffed me.) Their videos and audios should show that I was polite, but simply refused questions that had nothing to do with national security. Port authority police eve…ntually came — they were professionals — and rescued me from the border bullies.

When they handcuffed me, I said that no country has ever treated me so badly. Not China. Not Vietnam. Not Afghanistan. Definitely not Singapore or India or Nepal or Germany, not Brunei, not Indonesia, or Malaysia, or Kuwait or Qatar or United Arab Emirates. No county has treated me with the disrespect can that can be expected from our border bullies.

Since when is it the business of anyone, but especially a bunch of recent burger-flippers with not-so-natty new uniforms, what any passenger in any airport (or anywhere else in the country, for that matter) brings down a year, or where one works (a question Yon was also asked)? As Mr. Yon “suggested” to the officials, not only was this entirely inappropriate, it has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with security of any sort.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Mr. Yon has been harassed and had his privacy invaded by a mouth-breathing TSA twerp.

I give props to Mr. Yon for refusing to bend to such an absurd invasion of his privacy. He needn’t have answered the question, and I can’t blame him for responding the way he did. [Read more →]

Do y’all wonder if the reason for President BHO’s late, lackadaisical response to the panty bomber is because he really wouldn’t have minded having Detroit, a clear picture of what America will become under his ‘leadership’, disappearing thanks to a bomber so the warning was gone? Hm.

Of course, there are still OTHER statism-destroyed cities, but…still…curious…

Just an FYI: Rush Limbaugh has reportedly been taken to the hospital because he was suffering chest pains. On vacation in Hawaii, Limbaugh was taken to the ER at 2:41 this afternoon, and is considered to be in serious condition.

Please say your prayers for his recovery and his family’s comfort.

Edit, 11:05PM: Thank you, Kathryn Lopez: “And for those for whom decency is foreign. People aren’t spectator sports.”

Indeed.

Edit, 8:14AM Friday: According to Rush’s website, in a note probably posted late last night,

Rush was admitted to a Honolulu hospital today and is resting comfortably after suffering chest pains. Rush appreciates your prayers and well wishes. He will keep you updated via RushLimbaugh.com and on Thursday’s radio program.

For the record, the brilliant Walter E. Williams is guest-hosting for Rush today. This is a much rarer treat than it used to be, so be sure to tune in!

As if any of us needed additional reasons not to fly again, we’re told the system did work and then that this was an isolated incident, by a POTUS not bothered enough about the near-murder or 300 Americans (not to mention Ontarians on the ground) to even put on a tie.

If we ever DO move to Texas and then cap & tax passes…my family will never see me again, will they? Someone invent a transporter, please, so my poor mother doesn’t spend her life in tears. Because I will NEVER FLY AGAIN. It’s a miserable, painful experience all around without our being poked and prodded, scanned, and having our carefully-packed belongings rifled through and, more often than not, stolen. Lobsters on their way to the pot have a more comfortable time of it.

Well. A few goodies, perhaps? I’m up to my ears in year-end stuff with my business after Christmas, so just a few snippets.

From Human Events, A Brief History of the Right to Self-Defense.

For the first 150-years of the existence of the U.S.A., the right of citizens to carry arms was so fundamental it was not considered worthy of debate. …No knowledgeable American–from the founding of the United States through the mid-1950’s–would have questioned that the Second Amendment to the Constitution meant exactly what it says, “… the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” This was not a right of a Militia. The “Militia” was–and under current law still is–all able-bodied adults, who are expected to keep their privately-owned arms similar to what is used by the military at the time.

…Nineteenth-century U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Joseph Story, called the American right to bear arms “the palladium of the liberties of the republic.” Our Founders believed that in a free society good citizens must always be prepared to defend themselves and their country. Thomas Jefferson said, “The God who gave us life, gave us freedom to defend life.” Being armed was more than a right. It was a moral obligation of citizenship.

Author Ben Heinritz then uses only the 20th century to quickly demonstrate the wisdom of our Founders’ intent that every able-bodied American not only possess, but be ready to use their arms, without government restriction (other than, of course, things such as murder). Gun-control advocates have a great deal in common with the Soviets, the German Nazi party, China’s communist government, and more, and the results of gun control are damning—and deadly.

Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property. Guns in the hands of honest citizens preserve freedom and dignity — from both criminal and government predators. And, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens. …All credible scholarship indicates so-called “gun-control” laws never work, are dangerous to the rights of the law-abiding, and are inconsistent with the values on which the United States were founded.

Read it all; valuable history lessons are therein. And pass it on, then remember: be a sheepdog, not a sheep (or a wolf). No one else, and I mean NO ONE ELSE, is going to protect you. It’s called “self” defense for a reason.

Victor Davis Hanson rightly notes that the current administration and its lapdog Congresscreatures are waging a War Against the Wannabe Rich:

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Today and tomorrow, we celebrate the birth of the greatest gift mankind has ever received: that of the possibility of grace from God Himself, forgiveness and redemption sent in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Today I’ll leave you with two classic Christmas messages. To you and yours, I wish you a very merry Christmas, filled with joy, love, and faith in the God Who offers eternal life.

Though most of our Congresscreatures are vile, bottom-feeding scum more than happy to not only prostitute themselves, but use your money to buy Congresscreatures equally willing to sell themselves for a few hundred million, South Carolina’s Jim DeMint has consistently gone to bat for We, The People (soon to be the next watchphrase that will catch the FBI’s attention and earn you the “Domestic Terrorist” label!). The battle against the fascist health care monster is no exception.

First of all, DeMint, along with Nevada’s John Ensign, is forcing a vote on the Constitutionality of the bill (it is NOT, by any stretch of the imagination). The vote takes place tomorrow.

“Forcing every American to purchase a product is absolutely inconsistent with our Constitution and the freedoms our Founding Fathers hoped to protect,” said Senator DeMint. “This is not at all like car insurance, you can choose not to drive but Americans will have no choice whether to buy government-approved insurance. This is nothing more than a bailout and takeover of insurance companies. We’re forcing Americans to buy insurance under penalty of law and then Washington bureaucrats will then dictate what these companies can sell to Americans. This is not liberty, it is tyranny of good intentions by elites in Washington who think they can plan our lives better than we can.”

Americans who fail to buy health insurance, according to the Democrats’ bill, would be subject to financial penalties. The senators believe the bill is unconstitutional because the insurance mandate is not authorized by any of the limited enumerated powers granted to the federal government. The individual mandate also likely violates the “takings” clause of the 5th Amendment.

DeMint is also quite concerned about “troubling provisions” in the bill by Harry Reid that apparently make repeal of or changing at least parts of the bill impossible. The  amendment relates to the Independent Medicare Advisory Board, whose purpose is to ”reduce the per capita rate of growth in Medicare spending”; some of you will recall that this is one of the worrisome “death panels”.

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Just about all of us are scrambling with last-minute Christmas preparations: wrapping that last gift (or, worse, shopping for it!), baking cookies (there are Toffee Snowflakes and orange-almond shortbreads coming out of my ears), scrubbing the house, baking cookies, or dropping the final batch of Christmas cards in the mail in the hopes they’ll miraculously reach their destination by Wednesday.

Congress, on the other hand, is cheerfully ignoring the wishes of the American people, insisting that the health-care bill they’re planning to pass on Christmas Eve is a “gift to the American people”, one we not only didn’t ask for, but one we get to pay for. Merry Christmas! Welcome to the new, fascist America.

The ridiculousness of this legislation is so massive it could take ages to explain. Immediate taxation beginning at its signing while the benefits don’t begin for years; the un-Constitutional forcing of American citizens to purchase health insurance (from big, evil insurance companies, whose stock went through the roof); the government panels that will decide what treatments are and are not viable, and for whom; et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. That doesn’t even cover taxpayer-funded infanticide, though I’m sure your ObamaCare will not cover, say, prenatal care for women who decide to have more than 2.2 children. You ladies can just go give birth in the woods!

There is no attempt at actual reform that would bring down costs and improve care, reforms like allowing citizens to purchase health insurance across state lines or tort reforms (both reforms would hurt Congress’ and the President’s buddies in the insurance industry by creating REAL competition while hurting the ambulance-chasing lawyers and their attending lobbyists).

This bill’s utter lack of concern for the real needs and concerns of the individual are damning. It is not about making sure the American people have health care (because trust me, if this goes through, you won’t); it’s about power and control.

The way our Congresscreatures and President have not merely turned a deaf ear, but openly mocked, ridiculed, and excoriated the American people’s clear dislike for and vehement protestations against this bill makes it clear that these “men” and “women” don’t care about us, or what we want, but they do care very much that they are given the power and ability to control every single aspect of our daily lives, from what we eat to how we look to where we live. They are wannabe tyrants. Mark my words. This, combined with cap & tax, will destroy America as we know it and America as many hoped to preserve it for their posterity.

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Ben is two years old today. Can you believe it? Guess we can’t really call him ‘pup’ anymore, despite that sweet face of his…

Happy birthday, Ben! A little more collie below the fold.

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Clifford D. May at National Review Online:

…what if it turns out that one of the SEALs did give the guy a shot? What if Abed was uncooperative, or spit at them, or bragged about how he slaughtered the Americans (one of whom was a retired SEAL) and how they begged for their lives and squealed like pigs as they died? I can imagine how a normal guy — even one as disciplined as a SEAL — might lose his temper for a moment.

In that case, I wouldn’t expect a senior officer to turn a blind eye.

…But a court martial? Maybe there’s more to it than we know. But how much more could there be? Abed is alive. He has two eyes, two ears, ten fingers, and ten toes. This much is clear: If a single alleged knuckle sandwich is all it takes to remove three special operators from the battlefield, Abed won this battle.

It is a battle he should not win, not to please “human rights activists”, not to please a facelesss “international community”, and certainly in the unfounded hope that the terrorists will be kinder to us in return because we destroyed the careers of three Navy SEALs for allegedly socking a terrorist in the gut or giving him a bloody lip.

May does note that none of us think that any of our troops have or should have carte blanche to turn these swine into bloody, quivering, pulps (though, let us be frank, many Americans wouldn’t mind seeing that happen to certain terrorists). However, Al-Quaeda, the Taliban, and other Islamic terrorists didn’t sign the Geneva Convention and they most certainly don’t abide by its rules; consider that it is Abed did to earn his capture in the first place.

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