Democratic Leader Al Sharpton: “The Dream Is to Make Everything Equal in Everybody’s House” (Video)

Royals notebook: Ka’aihue says improved mind-set fueled surge

The long and the short of it -- writing . . .

Re-Write Wednesday: I Had to Do This

Fake It Til You Make It -- writing . . .

Flag semiotics and the First Amendment at school -- "Yes, the school administrators who made this decision should be fired, and replaced by people who understand their job." My thoughts exactly.

Simon Cowell Endorses Britain’s Conservative Party

As ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ Chuckles Along, Seth MacFarlane Crudely Trashes Sarah Palin

I Like Socialism. Also Capitalism. Also Family Values.

A Greek Tragedy in the Making

CBO: Doc fix will cost more than anyone thought -- What was the rush to pass Obamacare about? Was it, as it certainly seems, a desperate effort to get it rammed through before everybody understood just how bloody expensive and wrong-headed it was? Was it just to collect a political "win" for the Democrats at the expense of the American people as a whole? Is that what it was all about? It certainly looks that way.

European Markets Respond to Uncertainty With Additional Uncertainty, Concern, and Extremely Pissy Uncertainty

Hey, let’s put an atheist on the Supreme Court

Was Times Square Bomber An “Unhinged Liberal”?

The Best Spaceships in Written Science Fiction

Sports briefs: SDSU baseball adds four

American oligarchy? -- "Noting that the upper reaches of the investment banking industry are overwhelmingly Democratic, Caldwell argues that "there is nothing 'curious' about a president seeking to arm his most reliable supporters with political power." Indeed, according to Caldwell "the intermarriage of financial and executive branch elites could only have happened in the Clinton years, simply because there is not sufficient Republican manpower in New York's investment banks to permit it.""

The traditional (and current) party of oligarchies and machine politics is the Democratic Party. The traditional (and current) party of political and social reform is the Republican Party. Sorry to burst everybody's balloon, there. But the fact remains that by any objective standard, it is the Democrats who wish to--conservatively--extend the current New Deal/progressive policies that have been enacted for the past century, and that are at the root of our current financial (and, arguably, most of our social) problems today. It is the Republicans (or, more accurately, the politically disaffected Tea Partiers, who are trying to drag the Republicans along kicking and screaming) who are the true forces for change, reform, and real progress in America today.

It's not morning. And these aren't the latest links. The next few Whips are Catch-Up Whips from the past few days. This may take a while, but here we go:

Somali pirates hijack Yemeni cargo ship

Beer Bust in Philly, Unregistered Gourmet Brews Confiscated -- "In fact, while there were some real violations, much of the beer was even properly registered, just under a variation on the same name. "Monk's Cafe Sour Flemish Red Ale" was confiscated, for instance, even though "Monk's Café Ale" was on the list."

First they came for Philadelphia's beer, but I did nothing, since I was in Kansas City . . .

So much going on, why limit ourselves to one Whip a day?

Here we go . . .

Libertarianism From A to Z With Jeffrey Miron

A tentative return of the Whip after an extended and much-needed vacation. I'm still playing with the format (as I'll probably be doing until the end of time, mainly because I can't stand being bored). This one is more of a stream-of-consciousness format . . . it's just things that catch my eye as they come into the Google Reader.

Here we go:

I'm THINKING. That's dangerous. It's also not conducive to the sort of semi-mindless cut-and-paste-and-maybe-snark sort of process which makes the Whip what it is, God help us all.

But, like I say, I'm taking a breather. I'm thinking about a few things. OK, I'm thinking about a LOT of things. I may write about some of them. Actually, writing is one of the things I'm thinking about.

I'm also catching up on some other non-bloggy duty-and-life type stuff that I've probably let slide a bit too long.

Hang in there, tip your waitresses, and work diligently for the overthrow of our lying bastard socialist collectivist poopyhead overlords! Power to the people, comrades! We shall overcome, someday! (Holds up right arm, hand clenched in fist, making it very, very hard to type.)

And no, Barack, I won't unclench my fist. You unclench yours, first.

SECTION ONE: The Word:
If You Can't Take The Heat, Stay Out Of The Kitchen.

WARNING: UNAPPROVED, UNREGULATED, POSSIBLY DANGEROUS IDEAS AND CONCEPTS BELOW. READ FURTHER AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Let's briefly review:
Using the IRS to force every single person in the United State to buy something because some people don't--for whatever reason--have it = Not A Threat;

Calling a Congresscritter a piece of shit because he or she self-evidently cannot read or understand the Constitution = Threat.

I think I've got that straight.

This is a cynical, purposeful, Democrat political strategy, folks.

The Democrats and their media allies are, with this passive-aggressive, crocodile-tear act, actually trying to incite violence, or at least promote an "atmosphere of the threat of violence." This will give them a pretext to crack down--literally--on the political opposition--those that advocate individual freedom and liberty, and those who simply want to be left alone to live their life the best that they can. In essence, the Democrats are actively working towards staging a modern-day Reichstag Fire, done with much, much more cunning and cynical manipulation of an already-pro-socialist Big Media press. If they can goad one of the less stable among their political opposition into starting something, well then so much the better! But make no mistake, if they can't get a reaction out of the right, they can and will stage an incident that they will blame on the advocates of individual freedom and liberty.

We have ample evidence that one of their usual and customary tactics is the agent provocateur--infiltrating their political opposition and then throwing epithets, bricks, and otherwise trying to discredit that opposition. They are without scruple, the Democrats. Anything which furthers their particular interests is fair, wise, and true. Anything which opposes is evil, hateful, and beyond the scope of reasonable discourse.

This is a prescription for violence, as the Democrats systematically close off all possible peaceful avenues of dissent.

It is the tactic of totalitarians and tyrants.

So, if you voted Democrat in the last election, this is exactly what you voted for, whether you realized it at the time or not. You voted for naked political intolerance and the exercise of raw power overwhelming the rule of law and due process.

I hope you're happy with the result. I also hope you never, ever come to disagree with anything your new masters choose to do to you in the future.

When that happens, just remember: we tried to warn you.

If the forces of freedom are wise, they will adopt the non-violent mass civil disobedience strategies of Gandhi--and Martin Luther King. There are still enough people of conscience in this country--Democrats, Republicans, independents, and others--who will at the last recoil when it becomes clear that those now in political power in this country are in fact tyrants. It is this greater portion of the American public--those who are not by nature political, but just want to get through the day doing the right thing more often than not--who will either save this country or allow it to slip into a gray and humorless society which will be more reminiscent of Soviet Russia than of the vibrancy we remember of the American past.

Oh, by the way, remember who said this:

"If they hit us, we'll punch back twice as hard."

He currently lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. Talk about inciting violence! And, actually, that did incite violence. Anybody remember Kenneth Gladney?

State-Run Media Accuses Tea Party Organizer of Terrorism For Posting Congressman’s Address -- And yet there was no concern for all of the wackos congregating outside George W. Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch. That was free speech. This is unacceptable intimidation and borderline violence. The Democrats can dish it out, but they can't take it. And, "If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen."
The Lawn Coffin and Other Scary Bedtime Stories
Coward Russ Carnahan Pushes Bogus Tea Party Lie to Media– Claims Prayer Service With Coffin Was a Violent Threat (Updated) -- "On Sunday night several members of the St. Louis Tea Party Coalition held a prayer vigil at Russ Carnahan’s office for the millions of babies that will be slaughtered under the democrat’s pro-abortion health care bill."
Those quiet and discreet violent libertarian thugs! -- "Hurling bricks through windows may be many things, but it is not libertarianism."
2010: A Race Odyssey — Disproving a Negative for Cash Prizes or, How the Civil Rights Movement Jumped the Shark -- Wherein Andrew Breitbart tells the race-baiting professional "victims" to put up or shut up . . .
Cantor: Democrats “dangerously fanning the flames” by screeching about security threats -- "(Republican) Rep. Eric Cantor announced that his office has received threats for his positions on issues as well as his Jewish heritage, and that one of his offices had a window shot out . . . Cantor singled out DCCC chair Rep. Chris van Hollen for exploiting fringe threats for political gain, “fanning the flames” to “dangerous levels.”" See how easy it is to link someone who--I presume--had no connection to somebody stupid with the act of stupidity?
Right Wing Violence: Republican House Leader's Campaign Office SHOT At Update: Cantor Viceo And Republican Congresswoman Recives Voice Mail Threat -- I really, really think the left doesn't want to get into a blow-by-blow (if you'll forgive the violent imagery) discussion of who's nutcases are more violent--or more influential in today's political climate. Let's start with unrepentant bombing conspirator, co-founder of the terrorist Weather Underground, "Guilty as Sin, Free As A Bird," early mentor of Barack Obama, and probable "Dreams of My Fathers" ghostwriter Bill Ayers. OK. Your turn, lefties.
GOP Whip Eric Cantor’s Campaign Office Is Shot At
More on Cantor: Stop Using Threats for Political Gain, as It Encourages Violence; Democratic Spokesman Apparently Disagrees -- "You be the judge. If political violence is to be denounced, but he himself won't denounce a gun being fired into a Republican's office, then what is the message here? Seems to be endorsing it as legitimate."
Anger, fear, whining and inflaming -- "Dissent is no longer the highest form of patriotism, folks – it’s “terrorism”. Please excuse the use of insulting language, but idiots like James Clyburn are the reason the anger in this country remains high and is still building. Loud mouth hacks like this jerk trade in fear and lies and then have the temerity to suggest that it is “terrorism” to react to their abuses by protesting. In fact, there’s nothing more American than to protest."
Republican Jean Schmidt Receives Threats Over Health Care Stance

Let's recall for a minute where we are, and how we got here. Under Obama and this Democratic Congress, the Federal Government has seized just about half of the entire United States economy under its direct control. There are people who are upset about this. But they're upset about what the Democrats in Washington are doing to them, and doing to their country. The people who are upset did not start this argument.

They did not throw the first punch. They did not make the first threat.

Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action. -- George Washington, First President of the United States.

The protesters are not the irresponsible ones in this continuing story.

Once again, the definition of "blithering idiotry" for the purposes of the Whip:

1) believing you know better than someone else how they should run their lives, and
2) acting on that belief, almost always to the ultimate detriment of that other person, not to mention the corruption of your own soul in the process.

And to think all I really want to be here is a silly-animal-and-other-goofy-things-story, travelogue, and rah-rah sports blog. That's what I'd like to do, if the government would just leave me the hell alone!