A Lakeside Dacha Big Enough for Michael Moore

In Russia, a dacha is a second home in the country where one can escape from the heat, bustle, noise, and stress of the city. Doug Ross @ Journal reveals one owned by the master of the faux-documentary, Michael Moore.

"...No one begrudges Moore his wealth, but it is deceitful for him to claim poverty while encouraging class warfare among other Americans. It is also purely narcissistic and selfish for Moore to back radical and destructive socialist policies that would deny other Americans the opportunity to become as rich as he is."

Veterans' Families Win Out over Godless Bureaucrats

FOX News reports:

"Veterans have fifty new reasons to rejoice this Veterans Day. Following months of contentious litigation, on October 19, 2011, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs threw up its white flag. The federal agency charged with overseeing the 131 national cemeteries where America’s fallen heroes are laid to rest agreed to make sweeping changes to national and local policies to bring them in line with the First Amendment.

"By court order, the V.A. must to abide by fifty provisions contained in a consent decree. It requires the Houston National Cemetery veterans’ chapel to remain open, forbids the government from interfering with the religious speech of our veterans and volunteers, and, most importantly, allows veterans’ families to hold funeral services without restrictions on the content of speech, whether that speech is religious or secular...."

Michele Bachmann's "Bridge to Nowhere"

The Daily Caller has a startling article about Michele Bachmann, who is campaigning for a $690 million bridge over the St. Croix River - because it's in her congressional district. The illustration to the right is an artist's rendering of what the completed bridge would look like.

"Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann may be a crusader against government waste, but the GOP presidential candidate is standing firm against critics who say the construction of a new $690 million bridge that she supports over the St. Croix River in her Minnesota district is wasteful.

"Critics complain that the proposed bridge is too expensive and dries up money for other transportation projects. It has also been compared to the infamous proposed “bridge to nowhere” in Alaska, where federal dollars were sought to build a bridge to an island where only a few dozen people lived...."

70-Year-Old Spitfire, Preserved by Irish Bog, Sees the Light of Day

The BBC News Magazine has a positive news story:

"...in 1941, Roland "Bud" Wolfe, an American pilot flying a British RAF Spitfire, paid for by a wealthy Canadian industrialist, had experienced engine failure while flying over the neutral Republic of Ireland.

"After flying a sortie over the Atlantic, Wolfe was on his way back to his base in Northern Ireland when he was forced to bail out. He parachuted safely to the ground - his plane smashed into the boggy hillside.

"Fast-forwarding 70 years and local aviation expert Johnny McNee was able to identify the wreck site...."

Many parts were still in good condition, having been preserved by a layer of clay that kept the moisture out. By combining the best parts of its 6 Browning machine guns, they were able to assemble one that can still fire .303 rounds!

Occupy Denver Goes to the Dog

KOAA-TV's Colorado Dog Blog confirms reports from other sources that Occupy Denver has elected Shelby the dog to be their leader and spokesman. Their rationale: “Shelby is the first elected leader of any occupy movement. We elected her on November 5th because she is more of a person than a corporation is and less corrupt than most people. She is the youngest, first, and only dog leader of this revolution.”

UPDATE: Meanwhile, in Atlanta, the home base (a homeless shelter) for Occupy Atlanta has tested positive for a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis, providing the public with another compelling reason for avoiding the protesters.

You Can't Quit on Us - You're Fired!

This is more a matter of ethical choices and leadership rather than sports, so we link to this FOX News article about how the Pennsylvania State Board of Trustees unanimously voted to fire venerable head football coach Joe Paterno and school president Graham Spanier. The fallout over Paterno's failure to report ex-defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky, who is accused of molesting at least eight boys between 1994 and 2009, was too intense for them to settle for his offer to retire at the end of the football season.

UPDATE: Hundreds of Penn State students showed up to protest the firing of Joe Paterno, which turned violent, leaving the school no choice but to call in riot police, says FOX News.

Italy's Playboy Premier on the Way Out

FOX News has this breaking story: Premier Silvio Berlusconi has publicly announced that he will step down as soon as the Italian parliament passes reforms mandated by the European Union. This comes just two days after Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou announced his intention to resign.

They Didn't Know the Microphone Was On

Ynet News describes how French President Sarkozy told President Obama at the G20 conference that he couldn't stand Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and went so far as to call him a "liar." Obama replied: "You're fed up with him, but I have to deal with him every day!" FOX News has a video on the same conversation.

To No One's Surprise, Obama Was Golfing That Day

The Daily Mail (U.K.) reminds us of the President's priorities: 20 minutes before the Navy SEALs started attacking the lair of Osama bin Laden in Abbotabad, Pakistan, he was at the golf course.

The article also lists two conflicting versions of what happened:
U.S. Government says: Team always intended to shoot Bin Laden
Navy SEALs say: Had he surrendered, we would have taken him alive
Government: Mission took several minutes
SEALs: Bin Laden killed in the first 90 seconds [he died trying to reach for an AK-47]
Government: Protracted gun battle
SEALs: 12 bullets fired
Government: SEALs were on a 'kill mission'
SEALs: The phrase 'kill mission' has been made up by politicians

Media Double Standard on OWS Mobs Marches On

Rick Moran at American Thinker reminds us of things we already know:

You should read Allah's post on this at Hot Air in its entirety because he knocks it out of the park regarding the media double standard in reporting on the tea party and OWS. Women were discouraged from reporting sexual attacks because the OWS organizers feared it wouldn't look good. But now, with sexual assaults apparently endemic in the encampment, they have reluctantly placed a woman only tent up, patrolled by women....

In a related development, an OWS protester goes ballistic in McDonald's when they refuse to provide him with free food.

I know it's not nice to snicker over someone else's misfortune, but Gateway Pundit has a video about a head and body lice outbreak at the #Occupy Portland camp.

And here's a helpful chart from Doug Ross @ Journal to help you compare the orderliness of Tea Party rallies and the pure lawlessness of Occupy Wall Street and its many clones (click to enlarge):

Arizona Reports Substantial Drop in Illegal Immigrant Arrests

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that arrests of illegal immigrants by the Border Patrol fell by 43% in the Tucson Sector. Fewer illegal immigrants have been crossing the border partly because of the recession, and partly because of increased security measures. The article did not mention the strict immigration law passed by the state of Arizona, which likely had an influence on this trend.

Joe Frazier Faces the Fight of His Life

An ESPN/AP article describes how former heavyweight boxing champ Joe Frazier has been diagnosed with liver cancer at the age of 67. He has been admitted into a hospice. Doctors have not told him how long he has to live.

UPDATE: We regret to announce that Joe Frazier succumbed to cancer tonight [7 November 2011]. An AP/FOX News article has his obituary.

This Flowchart Could Save Your Bacon!

Doug Ross @ Journal has this gem to help you navigate the murky waters of social networking (click to enlarge).

General Relieved of Command (Fired) for Blurting Out the Truth

Allahpundit at HotAir.com and also FOX News tell the story:

The two-star general [Peter Fuller] flashed irritation when he brought up Karzai’s recent remarks that Afghanistan would side with Pakistan in a war against the U.S., blasting the president’s comments as “erratic,” and adding, “Why don’t you just poke me in the eye with a needle! You’ve got to be kidding me … I’m sorry, we just gave you $11.6 billion and now you’re telling me, ‘I don’t really care’?”...

Mass Data Compromise

On September 14, 2011, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) reported a data breach involving personally identifiable and protected health information (PII/PHI) impacting an estimated 4.9 million military clinic and hospital patients. The information was contained on backup tapes from an electronic health care record used in the military health system (MHS) to capture patient data from 1992 through September 7, 2011, and may include Social Security numbers, addresses and phone numbers, and some personal health data such as clinical notes, laboratory tests and prescriptions. There is no financial data, such as credit card or bank account information, on the backup tapes.

The risk of harm to patients is judged to be low despite the data elements involved since retrieving the data on the tapes would require knowledge of and access to specific hardware and software and knowledge of the system and data structure. Considering the totality of the circumstances, we determined that potentially impacted persons or households will be notified of this incident via letter. We regret that the information required to initiate notification is not available at this time, but we will ensure that it is done in an accurate and timely manner and in compliance with all applicable DoD guidelines. Due to the large volume of individuals potentially impacted by this incident, we anticipate that individual notification will take at least 4-6 weeks; therefore, this notice is being posted in the interim. The incident continues to be investigated and additional information will be published as soon as it is available. Meanwhile, both SAIC and TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) are reviewing current data protection security policies and procedures to prevent similar breaches in the future.

Anyone who suspects that they were impacted by this incident is urged to take steps to protect their personal information and should be guided by the Federal Trade Commission at: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/defend.html

Concerned patients may contact the SAIC Incident Response Call Center, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time at the following numbers:

United States, call toll free: (855) 366-0140
International, call collect: (952) 556-8312

Source: The Retired Enlisted Association (TREA) Washington Office

OH WOW!!! x 3

The New York Times has published Mona Simpson's eulogy to her brother, Steve Jobs. She shows the side that many who squirmed under his iron rule didn't get to see: the doting father, the Renaissance man, the visionary who was an artist first and secondarily a techie.

Professional Curmudgeon Andy Rooney Dead at 92

CBS News reports that Andy Rooney did not get to enjoy his retirement from the "60 Minutes" TV show for long, dying of complications following minor surgery last night.

"It's a sad day at '60 Minutes' and for everybody here at CBS News," said Jeff Fager, chairman of CBS News and the executive producer of "60 Minutes." "It's hard to imagine not having Andy around. He loved his life and he lived it on his own terms. We will miss him very much."

Pakistan's Nukes Turned into Moving Targets

Wired.com and DNAIndia.com report a chilling reaction to the Pakistani military's fear that the United States will seek to neutralize or steal their nukes. So instead of storing their nuclear weapons in carefully guarded bunkers, they have seen fit to hide them in nondescript vans that move around frequently.

"The irony is that the U.S. isn’t planning to steal Pakistan’s nukes — but Pakistan’s cavalier attitude toward nuclear security is making the U.S. think twice about whether it should revise some worst-case-scenario contingency planning...."

UPDATE: It was bound to happen sooner or later. According to AFP/Google, the Pakistani government angrily denied resorting to such an unsecure method of dispersing their nuclear weapons.

For Manly Men, Not Girlie-Men: 25 Deathless Quotes

John Hawkins at Right Wing News has come up with a good selection. Here are some examples:

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever." — Lance Armstrong

"My center is giving way, my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack." — Marshal Foch, WW1

"You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honor." — Miyamoto Musashi

A Spare City to Fall Back On, in Case Godzilla Destroys Tokyo

The Daily Mail (U.K.) has an intriguing article about the possibility that Japan may build a backup city in case Tokyo is devastated by an earthquake or other calamity.

"Snappily called the IRTBBC - or Integrated Resort Tourism, Business and Backup City - the spare city will be built on a 1,236-acre site 300 miles west of the capital Tokyo.

"It could be home to 50,000 residents and 200,000 workers and will also feature offices, resorts, casinos and parks - as well as essential government facilities in case of disaster...."