A Minority Opinion

The Virginian actually takes the trouble to thank President Obama for spending the Memorial Day weekend in the Chicago area:

"Thank you for not going to Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. There is something sacred about that place and about that day. Those who bled and died for this country deserve to be honored and saluted by people who love their country and honor their sacrifice...."

Librarians Do Gaga

After being blown away by Soldiers in Afghanistan doing their own music video Lady Gaga's "Telephone," are you ready for "Librarians Do Gaga?" There's only one way to find out. As a graduate of the University of Hawai'i library school, I can relate.

Maybe You Can Read This Before Attorney General Holder

Human Events has thoughtfully provided us with the text of the controversial Arizona immigration law, as a .pdf file.

UPDATE: If you read this legal analysis by a writer who operates under the pseudonym of "Publius Huldah," you will know more about this case than the Attorney General of the United States.

Don't Change the Channel, It's No Use - We're in the Obama Twilight Zone

Free Republic has a slew of news stories that trace the Obama administration's descent into pure madness. The Washington Post ran a story that the executive branch will challenge the legality of trying to enforce laws against ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. Say that sentence five times and see if it makes any sense to you. A coalition of "civil libertarians," the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Hispanic groups such as La Raza are pushing for a Supreme Court showdown so soon after Obama dissed the judicial branch at his State of the Union address. Even many unions, greedy for new revenue streams, are stabbing their own members in the back in the never-ending quest for so-called cheap labor.

Meanwhile, according to the news blog Hot Air, Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz D-FL) was apparently serious yesterday when she told veteran business journalist Stuart Varney that the Obama administration would create as many jobs in 2010 as during “the entire Bush presidency.”

Connie Hair at Human Events reports:

"The Embassy of Mexico has announced to Mexican nationals already in America illegally as well as any potential illegal border crossers they should disregard the Obama announcement of the deployment of 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S. border.

"It’s okay. You can remain in America illegally and cross at will into the United States illegally -- and send your money back to Mexico. The troop deployment makes no difference on the illegal immigration front...."

Do we need to go on? The horse has breathed its last; we can stop beating it now.

"The Turning Point"

Emmett Tyrell of Townhall.com has some choice words for us:

Owing to the promotion tour for my new book, "After the Hangover: The Conservatives' Road to Recovery," I have been meeting with what the intelligentsia once called "the masses." They read books. They pay taxes. They attend lectures. Oh, and by the way, they are now a lot more prosperous and even more civilized than the intelligentsia, today's version of which are actually anti-intellectual and occasionally only semi-literate....

Nine Yummy Treats, Presented by the Center for Science in the Public Interest

ABC News ran this story by the Food Police, who are trying to control what we eat and drink.

"These meals are the calorie champions of unhealthy restaurant food, with all meals (and one dessert) weighing in at well over 1,000 calories and shocking amounts of sodium, saturated fat, and sugar," says Bonnie Liebman, co-author of the center's report.

Here are the winners of the 2010 Xtreme Eating Awards, followed by the number of calories per serving:

Five Guys (burgers, fries, hot dogs)[920 calories for a bacon cheeseburger]
Cheesecake Factory's Chocolate Tower Trouble Cake [1670]
California Pizza Kitchen - Tostada Pizza [1440]
Cheesecake Factory - Pasta Carbonara with Chicken [2500]
P.F. Chang's Double Pan-Fried Noodles Combo [1820]
Outback Steakhouse - New Zealand Rack of Lamb with sides [1820]
Chevy's Crab & Shrimp Quesadilla [1790]
California Pizza Kitchen’s Pesto Cream Penne [1350]
Bob Evans Cinnamon Cream Stacked & Stuffed Hotcakes [1380[

How Food Stylists Make Food Look Almost Too Good to Eat

NPR ran a fascinating article about people who specialize in making food presentable for menus, television, and other forms of advertising. Here's an example:

"Food stylist Delores Custer tells NPR's Guy Raz that she looks for "flakes with character" and arranges them one by one on the spoon for maximum appeal. That pristine splash of milk? It might be sculpted acrylic. Or it might be a digital illustration or even Elmer's glue — but it's definitely not milk. Real milk would make the cereal soggy and unappealing on camera...."

What if You Don't Have Bush to Kick Around Anymore?

This blog finds itself in rare agreement with the Obama administration, which is considering calling a presidential commission to investigate the BP oil spill, which has been going on for about a month. There is a real need to get to the bottom of years of complacency and cozy relationships between oil companies and government regulators.

Meanwhile, the dinosaur media, ever protective of their precious and thin-skinned Obama, has been casting about for a suitable all-purpose scapegoat, now that President George W. Bush has been out of the White House for over a year. Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin seems to be a prime candidate, but she is perfectly capable of speaking for herself, as this FOX News interview indicates.

Boy Sends His Mother a Reassuring Message - Even Before He's Born

Look at what Marie Boswell's CAT scan revealed. Hat tip: Daily Mail (U.K.)

What if They Had an Anti-Obama Demonstration in Chicago...and People Showed Up?

This set of pictures from FoundingBloggers.com is priceless - I picked out 3 examples:




And here's an Obama poster I can throw in for free, just because I can:

NH Governor Signs Knife Rights Bill!

While we can celebrate the defeat of turncoat Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, let us not overlook the triumph for common sense that transpired in New Hampshire, according to the Soldier of Fortune magazine.

"New Hampshire Governor John Lynch has signed Rep. Jenn Coffey’s Knife Rights Bill into law, removing restrictions on switchblades, dirks, daggers and stilettos in Hew Hampshire and essentially removing all restrictions on knives in New Hampshire state law. New Hampshire now has no state knife laws which stop law abiding citizens from buying, selling, owning, carrying, possessing, transporting, collecting, or lawfully using any type of knife. This is the first complete repeal of a state’s knife restrictions ever...."

We Can't Make This Stuff Up!

Look at what the [mis]ruling Democrats are handing to the conservative cause for free, if only we have the will to exploit these:

WEEK'S HEADLINES PROVE WORLD IS INSANE
John G. Winder, The Cypress Times
Published 05/14/2010 - 3:35 p.m. CST
Obama Administration Cuts NYC Anti-Terrorist Funding!

Hey, why not? It’s not like terrorists ever target NYC. Good job, Mr. Prez!

10,000 Square Foot Islamic Center To Be Built at Ground Zero

It’s true. You can’t make-up something this ridiculous.

Obama Administration Wants to Cut Military Pay!

Hey, why not? Those guys don’t do anything.

CBO says Obamacare to Cost More Than Projected

Duh, see above; cuts for NYC anti-terrorist funding and cuts for military pay. Turns out all those racist, rabble-rousers formerly known collectively as the American people were right to oppose the legislation.

For the rest of the story, see The Cypress Times.

In the same vein, there's a video on CBN.com, where retired Gen. Boykin stops short of saying "political correctness" in bluntly explaining why Maj. Hasan was allowed to be placed in a position where he could pull off the shooting spree at Fort Hood, TX.

UPDATE: In Texas, HOA covenant Nazis auction off the home of a Soldier valued at $300,000 for only $3500, because he failed to pay $800 in payments while deployed to Iraq!

Remember hearing about the mosque that's under construction near Ground Zero? They plan to have a grand opening on the 11th of September, 2011! Source: New York Post

Almost Too Obvious to Be Mentioned

North Korea, a country that everyone knows is desperately in need of money, is playing the role of arms merchant to Hamas and Hezbollah with the cooperation of Iran, according to this World Tribune story. These terrorist groups are doing whatever it takes to rearm for the next round of fighting with Israel.

A Refreshing Change from Hurricane Katrina News Coverage

Instead of whining, finger-pointing, and trying to score political points, the good people of central Tennessee are rolling up their sleeves and working hard to take care of their own. Some good-news items:

Friends help out former Vanderbilt University football coach George MacIntyre, who was driven out of his home by floodwaters on 2 May.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic is helping the Nashville Symphony replace musical instruments lost in the flood, specifically a grand piano.

Mike Gallagher is using his radio show to raise some money for flood relief.

Some celebrities are responding to the crisis with much-needed money. Taylor Swift has put up $500,000, CMA Fest is also planning to contribute half of its proceeds, and Jerry Seinfeld is turning his latest performance in Nashville into a benefit concert. A telethon hosted by one of the most popular of all country music stars, Vince Gill, raised $1.7 million, and NFL players and the owner of the Tennessee Titans collectively gave another $400,000. Sales of "We Are Nashville" T-shirts are booming as a way of raising funds for the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

UPDATE: Amazing! ABC's "Good Morning America" put in a plug today [Friday, 14 May] for a benefit concert on Sunday the 16th for Nashville flood victims starring Keith Urban, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Keb 'Mo, and others.

I'm Trying to Commit This Song to Memory

Hawai'i is unique in having a state song that's not in English: "Hawai'i Ponoi." But perhaps "Hawai'i Aloha" should be made the state song, as it expresses some praiseworthy ideals, instead of bringing up the archaic concept of chiefs paying allegiance to a royal line that's died out (after all, it was adopted when the 50th State was still an independent kingdom). It turns out that in 1967 the Hawaiian legislature thought of making this the official state song, but "Hawai'i Ponoi" won out.

Here's how the ukulele master and biggest name in Polynesian entertainment, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, sang it on YouTube.

Also on YouTube: 2 women Soldiers from Hawai'i perform the song in Iraq.

And now for the words to the first verse in Hawaiian, followed by an English translation:

"Hawaii Aloha"
Lyrics: Reverand Lorenzo Lyons
Music: James McGranahan

VERSE 1:
E Hawai'i e ku'u one hanau e
Ku'u home kulaiwi nei
'Oli no au i na pono lani e
E Hawai'i, aloha e

HUI:
E hau'oli na 'opio o Hawai'i nei
'Oli e! 'Oli e!
Mai na aheahe makani e pa mai nei
Mau ke aloha, no Hawai’i [or aloha e] (repeat hui)

VERSE 1:
O Hawaii, O sands of my birth
My native home
I rejoice in the blessings of heaven
O Hawaii, aloha.

CHORUS:
Happy youth of Hawaii
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Gentle breezes blow
Love always for Hawaii.

Libs Expected to Back Elena Kagan

Melissa Clouthier on Pajamas Media explains how fake the Left's criticisms of President Obama's latest Supreme Court nominee are. " The only thing that matters to liberals about Kagan is that she is being appointed by a Democratic president."

Russians Say Pirates "Have All Died"

This AP news story in Cleveland.com says that 10 Somali pirates apprehended by Russian special forces somehow died on the way back to the coast. Sounds like a typical Spetznaz method of doing business.

All Three Navy SEALs Acquitted

The Associated Press reports that Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe has been found not guilty of punching a suspected terrorist in Iraq. Petty Officer Jonathan Keefe and Petty Officer Julio Huertas were acquitted last month in Iraq.

So You Think Americans Have the Right to Display the Stars and Stripes? Think Again

FOX News has this sad tale of 5 American high school students who were sent home for wearing shirts with an American flag theme on Cinco de Mayo (which is not even a major Mexican holiday).

The five teens -- Galli, Austin Carvalho, Matt Dariano, Dominic Maciel and Clayton Howard -- were sitting at a table outside Live Oak High School Wednesday morning when Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez asked two of them to remove their American flag bandannas, one of the boys' parents told FoxNews.com. The youths complied, but were asked to accompany Rodriguez to the principal's office.

The students were then told they must turn their T-shirts inside-out or be sent home, though it would not be considered a suspension. Rodriguez told the students he did not want any fights to break out between Mexican-American students celebrating their heritage and those wearing American flags, the parent said.

But Jones said the preemptive action was unnecessary, and that Rodriguez "overstepped his bounds...."

UPDATE: KSBW-TV reports that a teacher in California (where else?) found one student's representation of the American flag "offensive," but praised another student's drawing of President Obama.

N.Y. Policeman Faces Psychiatric Evaluation for Exposing 81st Precinct

This story about the Schoolcraft tapes at the Bedford-Stuyvesant precinct of NYPD is this blog's first link to The Village Voice! Here's an excerpt:

The tapes also reveal the locker-room environment at the precinct. On a recording made in September, the subject being discussed at roll call is stationhouse graffiti (done by the cops themselves) and something called "cocking the memo book," a practical joke in which officers draw penises in each other's daily notebooks.

"As far as the defacing of department property—all right, the shit on the side of the building . . . and on people's lockers, and drawing penises in people's memo books, and whatever else is going on—just knock it off, all right?" a Sergeant A. can be heard saying. "If the wrong person sees this stuff coming in here, then IAB [the Internal Affairs Bureau] is going to be all over this place, all right? . . . You want to draw penises, draw them in your own memo book. . . And don't actually draw on the wall." He then adds that just before an inspection, a supervisor had to walk around the stationhouse and paint over all the graffiti....

Follow the Money

The Washington Post reported in "U.S. exempted BP's Gulf of Mexico drilling from environmental impact study" that federal regulators were lenient with BP last year. Drudge Report has the headline, "OBAMA TOP RECIPIENT OF BP CA$H OVER PAST 20 YEARS." Politico.com provides more details. It's not much of a stretch to play connect-the-dots and ask ourselves, "Is this a coincidence, or what?"

Europe About to Shift into Panic Mode?

As the first deaths are reported in the anti-austerity riots in Greece, selloff activity is increasing as investors have doubts about the EU's ability to contain what could be a domino effect of national defaults on bonds and other instruments. If I were George Soros, I would be shorting the euro, as I believe it has been overvalued for the past several years.

Business Week ran an article saying it's not just Europeans who are feeling jittery - the European crisis is sending shock waves to America.

Sleep Tight, Your Government's Looking Out for You

Once again Lisa Benson delivers the goods. This is so reassuring in light of the fact that tomorrow I'll be going to the airport to catch a flight from Honolulu to Denver via Los Angeles (/sarcasm).

The Nashville Flood of 2010

Section 303 (Web site) and other sources are reporting that a 500-year flood struck Nashville and other parts of central Tennessee, with damage estimated at over $1 billion. The downtown area and Opryland were particularly hard-hit. President Obama has declared this part of the Volunteer State a disaster area.

Determined that the show must go on, producers and performers of the Grand Ole Opry relocated temporarily to the War Memorial Auditorium and the Ryman Auditorium.

Here's some information for anyone desiring to help victims of this catastrophe, including links to Hands on Nashville, Middle Tennessee Red Cross, Salvation Army, and other charitable causes.

Now the FBI Tells Us: Kent State Protests Were Carefully Planned

Congratulations to all of those who lived long enough to learn that the Kent State "massacre" 40 years ago was the Ohio National Guard's response to three days of rioting that caused property damage and looting of 50 businesses and - check this out - several gunshots that were fired at the troops. FOX News reports facts out of FBI reports that were not made public at that time. One witness reported this snippet of a conversation between two of the organizers: "We did it! We got the riot started." This lends substance to what I suspected all along, that everyone - demonstrators, media, and the general public - was being manipulated in this all-out effort to influence American policy. This incident did not end dissent in our country (witness the demonstrations against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan when Bush was President), but rather succeeded in creating 4 instant martyrs and turning more Americans against the Vietnam War.

Blindingly Obvious: Congress Accused of Making Too Many Vague Laws

The Heritage Foundation and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers are joining forces to get Congress to stop passing so many vague laws that can entrap the innocent and create opportunities for headline-grabbing prosecutors, according to this AP/Yahoo story. For example, did you know that it's a crime to make an honest mistake, such as forgetting the exact date you were hired, when filling out an application for FMLA leave according to the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act of 2005? Or if you were a mayor who used your political clout to secure a good table at a busy restaurant, you could be engaging in criminal behavior? As one reader commented:

Out of the 535 members of Congress, supposedly over 50% are lawyers. This leads to one of two conclusions:

1. Somehow we manage to elect really bad lawyers, or...

2. They deliberately write vague laws to create more billable hours for their buddies in private practice, and themselves when they leave Congress. (But that would be a conspiracy theory, wouldn't it?)

It's All About the Money

Don't think the incident in Italy reported in theNewspaper.com can't happen here!

The investigation into the fraudulent use of red light cameras in Italy last week concluded with prosecutors preparing charges against thirty-eight public officials and photo enforcement company executives. Prosecutors claim that three photo enforcement companies formed a cartel that operated in collusion with public officials for the purpose of generating revenue. The officials accepted bribes in return for approving lucrative contracts and shortening the duration of yellow lights at intersections equipped with red light cameras....

UPDATE: As though Chicago didn't have more than enough corruption already, Chicago Breaking News Center reports that on 14 February 2010 "Valentine's Day captured passion of another kind -- the ire of Chicago motorists who joined a nationwide protest today against red-light cameras. Nearly two dozen protesters armed with posters took over the southeast corner of Addison Street and Western Avenue. They called for drivers to honk their horns in protest of communities they say are using the cameras, which snap photos of drivers running red lights, to generate revenue rather than reducing crashes...."

Would You Have the Courage to Use This Public Toilet?

Sometimes it pays to choose accuracy over timeliness - that's why I waited for weeks and did some fact-checking before posting anything. This pair of photos has been circulating under the name "Public Toilet in Houston," but it turns out that these photos were not taken in Houston, TX at all. According to Hoax-Slayer.com, what you see is an actual working toilet, an art piece called "Don’t Miss a Sec" by conceptual artist Monica Bonvicini, and was put on display in London & Basel, Switzerland.

Pakistani Taliban Claims Credit for Attempted Bombing at Times Square

The Long War Journal reported the following news item, which we find to be more credible than a so-called MSNBC "expert's" claim that right-wingers were behind this incident.

A top Pakistani Taliban commander took credit for yesterday's failed car bomb attack in New York City.

Qari Hussain Mehsud, the top bomb maker for the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, said he takes "fully responsibility for the recent attack in the USA." Qari Hussain made the claim on an audiotape accompanied by images that was released on a YouTube website that calls itself the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan News Channel.

UPDATE1: This puzzling case just got stranger when FOX News reported that a surveillance camera captured the video image of a white man in his 40s acting suspiciously about half a block away from the SUV where the bomb was located.

UPDATE2: ABC News says a naturalized American citizen from Pakistan is a "person of interest," and that he did not act alone.

UPDATE3: Faisal Shahzad and up to 7 other suspects have been arrested in connection with this case, according to FOX News.

Too Large to Be Swept Under the Rug Any More

San Francisco's hidden truth is out. That's what community organizer Carol Mo calls the realization that Asian residents are being targeted for robberies, burglaries and intimidation by young black men....

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/02/BAT01D7H71.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0mmMEhXtF

A second report from New American Media.

By the way, it appears that Asian victims are not covered under the "hate crime" (thoughtcrime) law according to The Right Perspective Web site, which also has links to related articles.

Dr. Thomas Sowell offers some food for thought on Investor's Business Daily about how people who stir up envy, bigotry, and resentment are hazardous to the health of anyone brought up in a culture that values education, achievement, and positive contributions to society.

Stabbing Suspect Caught in Port-a-Potty

This may seem like TOO MUCH INFORMATION (TMI) for some readers, but it is our duty to report toilet news that may be overlooked by other sources. According to KOMO News report, an unidentified 30-year-old man was found hiding neck-deep in sewage at a Snohomish County [Washington state] port-a-potty. Police had been looking for the suspect in connection with a stabbing, and followed up on a lead by a witness who said that a man entered the port-a-potty but did not leave. At least the incident did not take place in Korea, where they don't use chemicals to mitigate the small, the better to use the night soil to fertilize farm fields - then his prospects for survival would have been much less.

Remake of Lady Gaga's "Telephone" Video Goes Viral

Without the advanced production values available to Lady Gaga and Beyonce, Soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan produced this video, which has become a runaway hit on YouTube. The original has been identified as "not suitable for work," so this serious production, which "The Smoking Gun" Web site declared “the most entertaining music video homage ever shot in a war zone.” should be good for a laugh.

Amazing Compilation of How Muhammad Has Been Depicted

Pajamas Media has a fascinating collection and history of pictorial representations of the Muslim prophet Muhammad, except for the Danish cartoon and "South Park's" bear suit. These two examples are nowhere near as offensive as the "crybaby Muhammad" cartoon or the Dante's Inferno illustration showing him in the 8th circle of hell as punishment for sowing so much discord.

While you're at it, you can read the Wikipedia article with more pictures and historical background.