Obama's Tucson Speech Warmly Received by Capacity Audience

Yahoo.com and many other news sources have reported President Obama's speech at the University of Arizona's McKale Memorial Center. We have to admit that it was the best speech he delivered in months, perhaps because he sounded as though he has already started campaigning for a second term. He even saw to it that T-shirts were distributed to the audience. The crowd cheered when he announced that Rep. Giffords had opened her eyes for the first time since Saturday, and he made the following statement: "At a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized -- at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do -- it's important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds." For a video of his speech, click here.

UPDATE: Aaron Goldstein in American Thinker said that the T-shirts were printed by the University of Arizona and observed, "I watched the service on FNC last night and the most objectionable thing about it was the behavior of the audience rather than the behavior of President Obama. The worst example of which was when a segment of the audience jeered Arizona Governor Jan Brewer."

Blood Libel Leads to Death Threats - Against Tea Party Leader

Source: TPM (Talking Points Memo)

Trent Humphries, the leader of the largest tea party group in this mourning southern Arizona city, has nothing but praise for the way President Obama has led the nation through the aftermath of Saturday's mass shooting at a constituent event for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ). But Humphries won't be there tonight when Obama speaks at a memorial rally intended to unify Tucson after six people were killed in the tragedy.

Humphries says he's been getting threats at his home from people who seem to hold him and his organization partially responsible for the shootings Saturday....

Happy 60th Birthday, Rush Limbaugh!

Someone must have admired Rush Limbaugh, to take the trouble to make this snow sculpture (SUV provides an excellent size comparison).

One Cartoon to Sum Up the Tucson Massacre

This cartoon came from NewsBusters.org through Facebook. At this point in history the Obama-worshipping media is trying to turn this unfortunate incident into the 2011 version of the Reichstag fire. [click to enlarge]

Sarah Palin sounds presidential in her speech on this topic. (video)

Michelle Malkin illustrates how the Left has nearly cornered the market in hateful propaganda.

Forced to Face the Reality of Mental Illness

In his commentary, "Loughner and How America Treats Its Mentally Ill," Benjamin Kerstein of Pajamas Media squarely confronts the fact that the most shameful thing about mental illness is how our society has been dealing with the problem. The Loughner case has, at least for this news cycle, brought this issue to the forefront. I wrote the following comment:

"Benjamin Kerstein should be commended for having the courage to discuss a sensitive subject that all too many Americans are ashamed or afraid to talk about. Being conservative does not automatically make one callous to the plight of the mentally ill – I have had a keen interest in mental health for over 40 years. Our fury should be reserved to our education system and the mass media, which have done a poor job of educating the public, and so many live in fear and ignorance. The Lord has commanded us to lend a helping hand to those less fortunate than ourselves, or face the judgments of God! I believe in lending a hand up, not a handout, so I constantly preach independence and interdependence, working to the best of one’s capacity, self-empowerment, and continuous education as parts of the solution."

Signs of the Last Days (Cont.)

Strange shrine in Jared Loughner's yard (Source: NY Daily News)

Westboro "Baptist Church" to send protesters to funerals of Tucson massacre victims. From Glenn Beck's The Blaze.

When you apply for a passport, you will fill in the names of "Parent #1" and "Parent #2" instead of "mother" and "father." From Pajamas Media.

A male model admitted to killing and castrating gay journalist Carlos Castro, according to this New York Daily News article.

The Saudi Arabian government reports that a vulture they captured was spying for Israel's Mossad, according to this Orange News article.

Dutch schoolteacher discovers a mysterious green blob in outer space which is giving birth to new stars. It is called Hanny's Voorwerp (HAN'-nee's-FOR'-vehrp). Voorwerp is Dutch for object. This is one unusual story that's not as strange as the others. Source: CBS News.

UPDATE1: An American Thinker article reports that the alleged "spy bird" has been released. The equipment found on the buzzard is sometimes used to track rare migratory birds. Meanwhile, on "Hardball," Mark Penn, former political strategist for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, offers the opinion that Obama needs an event similar to the Oklahoma City bombing to "reconnect" with voters (YouTube video).

UPDATE2: We are heartened to read this FOX News article about Arizonans organizing a counter-protest to foil the Westboro "Baptist Church." Gov. Jan Brewer has just signed a bill, effective immediately, banning protests within 300 feet of a funeral.

Join the Cloud Voluntarily, or We Will Assimilate You!

Andrew Thomas in American Thinker has this food for thought:

Now Microsoft and other companies such as EMC and CA Technologies are touting "The Cloud" as a breakthrough that will change our lives forever (whether we like it or not). Desktop computers are obsolete. Internal data storage will no longer be needed, as all of your personal information will be accessed through a sea of hundreds of thousands of remote servers using a handheld iPad or iPhone. Data can be instantly assembled from multiple sources to develop a research project or a profile of you as an individual. How could anything go wrong?

Six Killed, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Critically Wounded in Tucson

FOX News and all other news networks have been covering the breaking story of the alleged assassin [Jared Loughner] who murdered Judge John M. Roll and at least four others at a Safeway store in Tucson, AZ. Rep. Giffords was shot in the head and is still fighting for her life. Her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, rushed to Arizona to be at his wife's side.

UPDATE1: Jack Cashill in American Thinker echoes what many conservative blogs and news sites have been expressing, that this mass shooting will be used as a club to beat the Tea Party with, regardless of the facts in this case. Meanwhile, the search continues for a second suspect who may have served as an accomplice to the shooter.

UPDATE2: Erick Erickson of Redstate.com comments on the politicization of this mass shooting.

UPDATE3: The Associated Press reports that the "person of interest" is no longer considered a suspect in the assassination attempt on Rep. Giffords. He is a taxi driver who just happened to take Loughner to the shopping center and knew nothing of his intentions once he got there. Breitbart's Big Government reveals yet another instance where Democrats are anxious not to let this crisis go to waste by blaming the Tea Party, Sarah Palin, etc.

Manitou Springs Fruitcake Toss 2011

What better way is there to ring in the new year than to get rid of excess baggage from the old? This year's Fruitcake Toss was held at Manitou Springs High School in Colorado and featured competitions between catapults and pneumatic cannons (one of which fired a fruitcake over 1000 feet!).

He's Used to Being a Champion, Now He Wants to Be a "Loser"

Olympic medalist wrestler Rulon Gardner, according to this Colorado Springs Gazette story, is determined to slim down from his current 480 pounds, even if it takes being a contestant on "The Biggest Loser." A year ago his sister, a cardiologist, told him that all he could look forward to was a future with diabetes and congestive heart failure if he didn't lose weight.

A Wonderful Set of Constitutional Amendments

The "Congressional Reform Act" was forwarded to me by Harry Becker in Florida, but instead of e-mailing this excellent list to other friends, I will post it on the blog, where it will hopefully be read by more than 20 people. Readers, it's entirely up to you to share this wisdom. The version in this blog post has appeared on the "Arizona Tea Party Network" and other blogs & Web sites.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

1. Term Limits. 12 years only, maximum. One of the possible options below.

A. Two Six-year Senate terms

B. Six Two-year House terms

OR: One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

Any & all funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.

4. Congress can purchase a retirement plan, just as other Americans do.

5. Congress will repeal its automatic pay raises and no longer vote themselves pay raises. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3% after a five-year moratorium on pay increases. Any future pay raises shall be voted on in a nationwide referendum, with 60% of votes cast needed for passage.

6. Congress will eliminate its current health care system and participate in the same free market health care system as the American people do.

7. Congress must be equally subject to all laws they impose on the American people. Congress must repeal current exemptions for itself as a body and for individual Congressmen, and enact no further exemptions in future laws.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are null and void effective January 1, 2011. The American people did not make these contracts with the Senators and Congressmen. Our legislators made all of these contracts by and for themselves. This practice violates the principle of "government of the people, by the people, for the people."

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, ours should serve their term(so) honorably, go home and back to work living under the laws you passed like everyone else.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive the message. It is time.

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.

Instant Psychoanalysis, from Rep. Steny Hoyer

Picture of sour grapes (left)

Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who had just been demoted from House Majority Leader to House Minority Whip, has these choice words for Tea Party supporters, according to Allahpundit of Hot Air:

"There are a whole lot of people in the Tea Party that I see in these polls who don’t want any compromise. My presumption is they have unhappy families. All of you have been in families: single-parent, two-parents, whatever. Multiple parent and a stepfather. The fact is life is about trying to reach accommodation with one another so we can move forward. That is certainly what democracy is about. So if we are going to move forward compromise is necessary."

O Happy Day!

Maintenance workers removing sign from Rep. Nancy Pelosi's former office. Source: Drudge Report, 5 January 2011

The Butterfly Effect

Van Helsing of Right Wing News relates the story of how Weston developer Roy Rogers has been milking the Broward School District in Florida for building butterfly gardens, while teachers were being laid off. Worse yet, these gardens were not even lasting improvements, but quickly went to seed.

China Also Working on Fifth-Generation (Stealth) Fighter

Air Power Australia has an article about the Chengdu J-XX [J-20] stealth fighter prototype which the People's Liberation Army Air Force says will be put into production in 6 to 8 years. The author claims that it has design features that are superior to the F/A-18, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and the Russian/Indian T-50 PAK-FA. Comparable in size to an F-111, it has a range of 1000 nautical miles. We cannot confirm any claims unless our aviation experts obtain one of these fighter aircraft for study.


Flightglobal.com takes a more skeptical view of this prototype, and the author wonders out loud whether the Chinese aircraft industry is ready to produce a competitive stealth fighter or fighter-bomber. They have been able to reverse-engineer and produce parts for the Flanker Bs and Flanker Gs the Russians sold to them.

Letter to Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC

Finally got the author's permission to run this letter, which was written just before Christmas:

Hi Lawrence,

I was watching your show a few minutes ago and I thought it was really cool to see you describe the situation in Malawi.

I went to Haiti 30 years ago and the place is worse off now than ever.

So I was riveted to the screen thinking to myself, “Wow, that is just so awesome!”

Then it happened…

I cringed to hear it, I could not believe I heard it, and I was so let down that I really did hear it.

You said something about the big Christmas gift to the upper tax bracket from Congress.

I was crushed…

You played the class warfare card. Was that really necessary?

Now I am reminded why I never watch MSNBC.

I thought about it for a few minutes and decided to come type this letter.

My birthday started 57 minutes ago, it is now 12:57am on December 24th.

And what am I doing? Writing a letter to you.

I am not rich. I am unemployed. I am broke. I am a skilled Computer Doctor.

It does not matter, I am crushed to hear you play the class warfare card.

The very people that pay more money than anybody else in the nation, and you show disrespect.

I have never been employed by a poor person.

I only get hired by wealthy people, not poor people.

Seeing you in that nice suit, I can only believe you are a rich person.

You get to travel to Africa, buy desks, and speak on a show.

Why do you disrespect your fellow man because he makes more than you do?

On Christmas Eve no less?

You killed the buzz of your show by that one sentence.

Now you can try to woo this customer back, but it will cost more than if the customer service was good in the first place.

Maybe you will think I shouldn’t be your customer.

That’s fine.

You have lots of competition and I have many choices.

I simply wanted you to understand what killed my buzz of your show.

Maybe you won’t understand.

That’s fine too.

I also want you to know that I find it commendable to get those desks for the kids.

Good job…just keep the class warfare off the show. That was a real buzz kill.

It is now 1:20am and I have given you a half hour of my birthday.


I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,



John Mattacola

Sioux Falls, SD

"Septic Tank Economics"

This article from American Thinker combines three of our favorite subjects: toilet lore, politics, and economics:

Fiat currencies are like particles floating up and down in a septic tank. At times one currency floats higher than another. Comparing currencies against one another is a relative and not an absolute game. You really don't know whether one has strengthened or the other has weakened.

The reality is that regardless of which particle has floated higher or lower, everyone knows what is in a septic tank. That is the proper way to look at fiat currencies (and also handle them)....

Why We Avoid Making Forecasts

This is from the FOX News article, "Eight Botched Environmental Forecasts":

1. Within a few years "children just aren't going to know what snow is." Snowfall will be "a very rare and exciting event." Dr. David Viner, senior research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia [the same university implicated in Climategate], interviewed by the UK Independent, March 20, 2000.

2. "[By] 1995, the greenhouse effect would be desolating the heartlands of North America and Eurasia with horrific drought, causing crop failures and food riots…[By 1996] The Platte River of Nebraska would be dry, while a continent-wide black blizzard of prairie topsoil will stop traffic on interstates, strip paint from houses and shut down computers." Michael Oppenheimer, published in "Dead Heat," St. Martin's Press, 1990.

3. "Arctic specialist Bernt Balchen says a general warming trend over the North Pole is melting the polar ice cap and may produce an ice-free Arctic Ocean by the year 2000." Christian Science Monitor, June 8, 1972.

4. "Using computer models, researchers concluded that global warming would raise average annual temperatures nationwide two degrees by 2010." Associated Press, May 15, 1989.

5. "By 1985, air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching earth by one half." Life magazine, January 1970.

6. "If present trends continue, the world will be ... eleven degrees colder by the year 2000. This is about twice what it would take to put us in an ice age." Kenneth E.F. Watt, in "Earth Day," 1970.

7. "By the year 2000 the United Kingdom will be simply a small group of impoverished islands, inhabited by some 70 million hungry people ... If I were a gambler, I would take even money that England will not exist in the year 2000." Ehrlich, Speech at British Institute For Biology, September 1971.

8. "In ten years all important animal life in the sea will be extinct. Large areas of coastline will have to be evacuated because of the stench of dead fish." Ehrlich, speech during Earth Day, 1970

Year to date statistics on Airport pat-down screening from the TSA

Courtesy of bikernet.com:

Terrorist Plots Discovered 0
Transvestites 133
Hernias 1,485
Hemorrhoid Cases 3,172
Incontinence 6,418
Enlarged Prostates 8,249
Breast Implants 59,350
Natural Blondes 3

–from Robin Hartfiel

New Jersey Bystanders Lift Car, Save Bicyclist

Here's a heart-warming story from PressofAtlanticCity.com about how a bicycle rider from Mays Landing, NJ (near Atlantic City) trapped under an automobile was rescued when alert bystanders stopped the car and lifted it up, saving his life.