We Need A New Term For Solar Irony

This sign is reportedly powered by the gas powered generator below it. Solirony? Isolic?

Update: Erony, combinining e from ecology, er from error, and ony from irony. I think that covers a lot of ground in an easy to remember and use form.

Dead Sea Scrolls Now Online

Includes English translations. A wonderful resource.

A carrot to The Blaze for bringing it to our attention.

And, in other Dead Sea news, researchers have discovered fresh water springs feeding into the lowest point on the surface of the Earth.

Saudi Women Get Vote: Or, Things We Never Believed We Would See

Saudi King Abdullah announced Sunday that the nation’s women will gain the right to vote and run as candidates in local elections to be held in 2015 in a major advancement for the rights of women in the deeply conservative Muslim kingdom.

In an annual speech before his advisory assembly, or Shura Council, the Saudi monarch said he ordered the step after consulting with the nation’s top religious clerics, whose advice carries great weight in the kingdom.

“We refuse to marginalize the role of women in Saudi society and in every aspect, within the rules of Sharia,” Abdullah said, referring to the Islamic law that governs many aspects of life in the kingdom.

What We Need Is The Islamic Yakov Smirnoff

Did you hear the one about the Russian who emigrated to America and made us laugh at the repressive Soviets? We call him Yakov Smirnoff; and he helped thaw out the Cold War and even exhibited the novel concept of appreciating how great a country it is we have, here, in America; we need a Muslim version of Smirnoff to let laughter replace the evil and to reinforce that America is great and a friend to all who wish to be free.



But, until that day, when a Muslim can laugh at his heritage, we'll have to make do with Jeff Dunham and Achmed the Dead Terrorist. Only in America.

Not To Make Too Much Of Suskind's Book

I've heard Dana Perino suggest that Suskind should be taken with a figurative grain of salt. But, maybe he didn't make up his entire book.

One of the most striking quotes in the book came from former White House communications director Anita Dunn , who was quoted as saying that, “this place would be in court for a hostile workplace. . . . Because it actually fit all of the classic legal requirements for a genuinely hostile workplace to women.”

Dunn says she was quoted out of context and told The Post on Friday that she told Suskind “point blank” that the White House was not a hostile work environment.

On Monday, Suskind allowed a Post reporter to review a recorded excerpt of the original interview, which took place over the telephone in April. In that conversation, Dunn is heard telling Suskind about a conversation she had with Jarrett.

“I remember once I told Valerie that, I said if it weren’t for the president, this place would be in court for a hostile workplace,” Dunn is heard telling Suskind. “Because it actually fit all of the classic legal requirements for a genuinely hostile workplace to women.”

Lochner, .......

Glenn Reynolds has been alerting to the new book by David Bernstein concerning an early 20th century Supreme Court case known as Lochner vs New York. Today at Instapundit he calls our attention to this response Bernstein makes to has critics.

David Bernstein • September 17, 2011 10:38 pm

When we last encountered the Media Matters blog, its authors reacted to a George Will column on Rehabiltating Lochner by declaring that Lochner v. New York is “in no way a liberal bogeyman.”

Today, reacting to a blog post of mine suggesting that the idea that federal power does not constitutionally extend to broad child labor laws is not all that shocking given that the states could and did regulate child labor before the feds stepped in, the MM blogger chimes in: “Is George Will on board with dismantling federal child labor laws, or did he not know what he was getting into when he endorsed Lochner?”

Three salient points: (1) my blog post did not mention or allude to Lochner in any way; (2) Lochner does not, in fact, have anything to do with the constitutionality of federal labor laws given that Lochner was a due process case about liberty of contract and the scope of the states’ police power while the historical constitutional debate over child labor laws revolved around Congress’s entirely distinct Commerce Clause power; and (3) if the Media Matters blogger (Adam Shah) had bothered to read my book, which I’m sure he has not, he would know that I point out that liberal legal commentators have spent the last several decades misusing Lochner to attack purportedly “conservative” constitutional doctrines that have nothing to do with the issues involved in Lochner. The Commerce Clause, Takings Clause, Contracts Clause, non-delegation doctrine, commercial speech and more get lumped into the “Lochner” framework because that’s a lot easier than explaining why, e.g., the power to regulate commerce among the states includes the power to regulate home-grown marijuana that never enters the stream of commerce.

So, I’d like to thank Media Matters for illustrating my point. You might even say that Media Matters has shown that Lochner remains a liberal bogeyman, at least among the less constitutionally and historically sophisticated.

A 73 Year Old New Book

Outwitting The Devil, by Napolean Hill.

Perhaps my all-time favorite business book is Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich.” I recommend reading and re-reading it, perhaps even annually, to keep your focus laser-sharp.

Now, I have an addition for your reading list. It’s “Outwitting the Devil,” written by Hill in 1938 (yes — 1938!) but never before released. Sharon Lechter, co-author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” has annotated this complex and compelling work, interpreting it for our times.

The history of the book itself is fascinating. Hill wrote it more than seven decades ago, but his family and advisers considered it too controversial for release. This book will no doubt make some readers squirm, but I’ll bet the farm it will make even more readers sit up and take action.

The topic couldn’t be more timely — breaking through inhibitions and living a life free from fear, doubt and dependency. Staring down those devils is an ongoing struggle. Life is constantly throwing challenges and fanning the flames of fear. Hill identifies the seven principles of good that lead to success.

Update: In a related manner, there have been reminders that not all successful people got there through formal education; at some point it is impossible for a teacher to instruct one to succeed, by definition it happens whenever a unique take reveals genius.

Imagine That

Even bloggers have First Amendment rights.

Seems old news to me.

FBI Knows Muslims Are A Danger

Glad to see them getting real.

The FBI is teaching its counterterrorism agents that “main stream” [sic] American Muslims are likely to be terrorist sympathizers; that the Prophet Mohammed was a “cult leader”; and that the Islamic practice of giving charity is no more than a “funding mechanism for combat.”

At the Bureau’s training ground in Quantico, Virginia, agents are shown a chart contending that the more “devout” a Muslim, the more likely he is to be “violent.” Those destructive tendencies cannot be reversed, an FBI instructional presentation adds: “Any war against non-believers is justified” under Muslim law; a “moderating process cannot happen if the Koran continues to be regarded as the unalterable word of Allah.”

Krauthammer's Social Security Fixes

If you need the similarities between Ponzi's scheme and the US Social Security system explained Krauthammer provides a comparison, but since the unsustainable future of Social Security is certain what we call it matters less than how we fix it. CK says the following will do the job:

Demography is destiny. Which leads directly to Proposition 4: This is one Ponzi scheme that can be saved by adapting to the new demographics.

Three easy steps: Change the cost-of-living measure, means test for richer recipients and, most important, raise the retirement age. The current retirement age is an absurd anachronism. Bismarck arbitrarily chose 70 when he created social insurance in 1889. Clever guy: Life expectancy at the time was under 50.

When Franklin Roosevelt created Social Security, choosing 65 as the eligibility age, life expectancy was 62. Today it is almost 80. FDR wanted to prevent the aged few from suffering destitution in their last remaining years. Social Security was not meant to provide two decades of greens fees for baby boomers.

Of course it’s a Ponzi scheme. So what? It’s also the most vital, humane and fixable of all social programs. The question for the candidates is: Forget Ponzi — are you going to fix Social Security?

1] Change the cost-of-living measure
2] Means test for richer recipients
3] Raise the retirement age

I'd add a fourth step, restructure the people's obligations to the government and constrictions by the government in order to promote individual's economic stability and the ability and incentives to save for retirement. Changing from a nation of people expecting to retire on Social Security benefits into one which expects to self-reliant is not only essential but desirable.

Greeley Report.com Gets Answers To Flag Incident and Poudre Schools Policy

In an offensive move, somone placed the Saudi Arabian national flag above the United States flag in a Bauder Elementary classroom. The culprit remains at large.

GreeleyReport.com has been chasing this story since it became aware of the error in protocol. It is easy to imagine that the placement was intentional and intended as insult to this nation. And, given that the culprit remains hidden that is how I see it. GR.com has received a response from the school.

The school representative chose to use that ill-understand phrase, "separation of church and state" within their response. And, they probably think they know what they are talking about, but I think they don't and had to say so. My posted comment:

I think Poudre/Bauder needs some work on their understanding and presentation of our country's founding. They use the commonly used phrase "separation of church and state" in their response, a phrase replete with misunderstanding.

They said:
"As you know, our country was founded on the principal of separation of church and state"

Actually, it is more correct to say that our country pioneered the concept of freedom for religion and that our Bill of Rights includes a provision protecting against intervention by Congress to create or inhibit religion.

The original intent is little understood, and less frequently adhered to today; and if Poudre/Bauder and all other schools want to be honest brokers of history they need to adjust away from use of the corrupted phrase "separation of church and state" as that phrase appears nowhere within the Constitution or the Bill of Rights and its persistent use only serves to perpetuate an all too common misunderstanding of the role the founders intended for religion in American society.

I would like to see the person who placed the flag in that inappropriate place identified, and I would like to have a new national debate to resurrect the framer's intended understanding of the rights delineated in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The Mythological Cheney

Let me put forth a simple statement for your consideration. Dick Cheney is a controversial figure.

It seems true to me, but I am also certain some readers would say that there is no controversy, the man is evil, done and done. You see, Cheney's detractors do not permit even the notice that others disagree with them, much less that their perceptions may not be absolute.

But, for many others it is true that Cheney is complex, and surprising when compared with the popular conceptions of him. And that is the case Stephen Harper makes in his brief essay, 5 myths about Dick Cheney.

what about the former vice president is real, exaggerated or outright myth?

For many the answer is the null set; the question does not compute. For then it is settled science, and Cheney is evil, pure and simple, there can be no discussion of details, facts, and nuance. For, you see, for Cheney's detractors are themselves intractable and polemic; rigid and power hungry without compassion or any hope of rehabilitation. In other words, Cheney haters are everything they project Cheney to be.

On Governing, and Being Governed

A real history lesson.

Proof Al Gore Is High All The Time.

You may have heard of Al Gore, former government employee, now unconvincing proponent of green-ness. He expends more fossil fuel, with its supposedly world-ending effects that you are I ever will, while making his fortune telling how bad behavior such as his is for the planet.

Well, turns out the production and use of marijuana is just the polluting nightmare Gore lives, and I doubt he'd waste a chance to contribute to our doom; so he must be smoking massive amounts of weed! I am sure of it dude.

So, Are Our "Companion Animals" Tax Deductable Not Too?

They live under our roofs, feed from our largesse, and we don't own them. So, can we claim them as deductions, should they file their own tax returns? Or, should we think of them as non-human members of the welfare class? And, if they file on their own, what percentage of Americans now pay no taxes, surely it is well above the 50% recently reported.

Help, animals.

A carrot to SDA

Lincoln Founded What?

America Akbar, all hail our dufus in Chief!

So now the media will erupt for weeks on end about what an “idiot” and “fool” and “know-nothing” Obama is, just like it erupted over Sarah Palin’s (accurate) comments about Paul Revere?

It’s even worse, because Palin’s (accurate) comments were made in an on-the-fly interview whereas Obama’s were in a prepared speech.

And all the enlightened conservative pundits who bashed Palin endlessly over Revere now will denounce Obama’s historical ignorance, right?

Wikipedia on Republican Party.


Meanwhile, now that it is clear that Obama and his prepared speech were wrong-


Sarah Palin says she was more right than wrong.

The Christian Science Monitor sort of agrees:

She was always kind of right. Look, from the point of view of strategic communications, Revere’s ride did indeed warn the British that fighting in the colonies was going to be tougher than they’d thought. That’s a sort of meta way of looking at it, we suppose, but that’s what they teach in the colleges these days.* If we were her that’s the defense we’d use – it has the virtue of being both logical and vague enough to avoid further discussion.

She remains kind of wrong. The historical record says nothing about Revere talking to the British about guns, specifically. So for Palin to say he said “you won’t be taking our arms” is technically non-factual. The Second Amendment was not yet in existence – that was passed under the administration of President Charlton Heston. Plus, Revere didn’t shoot anything from his horse. Church bells might have been ringing, though.

She can't win on this subject. Here’s something Palin’s advisers should tell her: “When you get into an argument about details with a media that buys its pixels by the barrelful, you’re always going to lose. And prolonging this discussion isn’t going to win you any votes if you run for president or viewers if you make another reality show. All it does is emphasize one of your negatives – many voters aren’t sure of your grasp of details. You need to change the subject.”

How should she handle more questions? Just say “Paul Revere’s ride was a wake-up call for the British. Now, I’d rather talk about our national debt than what a silversmith said two centuries ago to soldiers of a country that’s our closest ally today.”

Wikipedia explain; Meta- (from Greek: μετά = "after", "beyond", "with", "adjacent", "self"), is a prefix used in English (and other Greek-owing languages) to indicate a concept which is an abstraction from another concept, used to complete or add to the latter.

So, what we know now: Palin's off the cuff remark is at worst ambiguous, Obama's rehearsed remark fit his purpose but does not fit with history.

* Emphasis mine

Update: What's that, .....it..smells....like....like...... it smells like...... coverup!

INTERESTING: PBS presents what they claim are Obama's remarks "as prepared for delivery and released by the White House". Their version omits the news that Abe Lincoln was "founder of the Republican Party", although that phrase appears at the White House site and other transcripts.

They further claim that it was a error which took some time to correct.

Boxing Cat

Apparently A Proposed Oil Pipeline Means End Of World

These sincere, and thoroughly misguided people, seek to stop the construction of a pipeline carrying oil from Canada to the United States Gulf coast. Seemingly unbeknownst to them is that the oil will be brought out of the ground regardless, and may well be sent to China instead of their home nation, the U.S.A., where it will likely be burnt to produce electricity. But, they are your basic 'can't see the forest for the trees' types so of course they fail to see the big picture yet again.


Update: SDA refers this article, Unsettling science, which reports the scientifically decided notion that the Sun is responsible for global warming. Time to put some sun screen into the atmosphere?

Last week, 63 scientists from CERN, the unimpeachable European Organization for Nuclear Research, published a paper in the journal Nature that would seem to prove that the sun, and not humans, is the main "driver" of climate on Earth.

Waffle House Adapted To Serve Disaster Stricken Clients

A lesson in American spirit.

Kelo vs New London: Project Becomes A Dump

Eminent Domain my ass.

Now, we learn from the local newspaper, The Day, that following the hurricane Irene, the city has designated the Fort Trumbull redevelopment site as a place to dump vegetation debris.............................................................Connecticut taxpayers have thus been soaked tens of millions of dollars, not just for nothing, but for making things worse — for transforming a nice local neighborhood into a dump.

Will Chinese Rewrite Koran?

But the cheap Chinese Korans have lots of typos…

Wow, I hope they don't inadvertently typo the pilgrimage clause, what a terrible thing it would be if they somehow replaced the 'grim' with an extra "L"? Oh, the horror, if all of Islam was compelled to pillage Mecca at least once in their lifetime!

Free Up Enterprise

It is my stuff, let me sell it.

Shelby Steele Explains Obama

America seems to be facing a pivotal moment: Do we move ahead by advancing or by receding—by reaffirming the values that made us exceptional or by letting go of those values, so that a creeping mediocrity begins to spare us the burdens of greatness?

As a president, Barack Obama has been a force for mediocrity. He has banked more on the hopeless interventions of government than on the exceptionalism of the people. His greatest weakness as a president is a limp confidence in his countrymen. He is afraid to ask difficult things of them.

I Blame Shalala

Donna Shalala is a Clinton era form of corruption who used her high profile government career as launching pad to acquire the lead position at the University of Miami.

You may have heard of the news surrounding that school of late, their athletic department turned a blind eye to the crooked practices of a booster who stole nearly one billion dollars from investors in a ponzi scheme.



Shalala knows him, as the above photo testifies. Hell, everyone knew of him because he had, so-called, rock star access to the entire sports program and made exorbitant donations to the school. This young crook was tossing around his stolen lucre in a bacchanalian festival of slime. He was on the field during games. He entertained the players with luxury and smut. He was everywhere and Shalala's spidey sense failed to pick up on the fact that he was a scum-ball who was destroying the integrity of the school she was paid to run. But, then, having worked for Bill Clinton all those years her instincts of propriety must be off, she has logged so little time how one should act to compare Shapiro's actions against. In other words, she is corrupted, and therefore she is corrupt.

I blame Donna Shalala for this entire mess. Don't try to tell me about some special circumstances about that photo, there is no excuse for what she permitted to go on. That photo is not the only evidence condemning her lack of control.

Shalala is corrupt.

Shalala is is ultimately responsible, and I am heartened to learn that many others came to the same conclusion. And, it is past time that the school's adult division took notice, after all, this isn't the first time for the Hurricanes to be found playing in the gutter. Alexander Wolff says it well, but he isn't the only one who knows that she must go.