Contributed by: filbert Wednesday, January 13 2010 @ 01:27 PM CST
Anyway . . . A (mostly) daily review of what’s out there that caught my attention. (Yeah, it’s possible I might have ADD . . .)
I surf the Web, so you don’t have to!
Travel:
Prinsendam in Dry Dock [*1]
Explaining and defending human freedom and liberty:
Ed Crane’s Hopes for This Fine Publication [*2]
A short note on privacy [*3] — I’m not sure I totally agree with Tigerhawk, but I’m not particularly hysterical about airport full-body-scans, either . . .
Libertarian Cavemen in the Big Apple [*4] — I’m not sure if this belongs here or in Miscellany . . .
Scott Brown Challenges Old Way of Doing Things [*5]
Open Source Democracy: Are bloggers the new government watchdog? [*6]
A Democrat takes on Chicago’s culture of corruption. Really. [*7] — “The culture of corruption runs throughout Chicago’s history, one hand washing the other,” said Hoffman in an interview last week. “It’s not about serving the public. But it is all about maintaining and controlling power.” You see? Big-D Democrats who do get it about the proper role of government, and aren’t lowlife pond-scum, do really exist! It’s just a pity that they’re seemingly so very, very rare. And they almost always change their tune when they get into political office, especially when they get to Washington.
Filibusters and Our Founders [*8]
Dems at risk in 8-9 Senate seats in 2010 [*9]
Feingold gets town-hall fury over ObamaCare [*10] — I did say yesterday I had grudging respect for Feingold . . . emphasis on the “grudging” . . .
About the Tea Party Convention in Tennessee [*11] — The Boystown boys have doubts . . . I admit a bit of wariness myself . . .
To my fellow conservatives and libertarians: A third party is not the answer. [*12] — Taking over the Republican Party is preferable . . . and IMHO easier . . .
James Hudnall: Sarah Palin: ‘Backwoods Barbie’ or Crazy Like a Fox?; Updated [*13]
The Way Our World Works [*14] — wherein Hubris invites Nemesis . . .
Inevitable: Nevada Senate race now rated “lean takeover” [*15]
Perfect Storm Brewing for Brown in Bay State? [*16]
An Interview with Christopher Hitchens, Part II [*17]
The reasons behind some of the things that we do [*18] — one of the difficulties people on the Right have is that they have a hard time believing that the collectivists could possibly be that manipulative, cynical, and calculating. This is why converts (or more properly, refugees) from the Leftist camp are so very valuable. They let us know how the enemies of liberty think.
Anger With Obama Re-Ignites Secesh Talk … In Vermont [*19] — Vermont?
Lisa Graas: “The Train Has Left the Station” [*20]
Wouldn’t It Be Better to Stop Obamacare Now and Argue About Property Taxes A Little Later? [*21]
Five Reasons Why Libertarians Shouldn’t Hate Government–Plus, Five Big Projects That Went Well and Five That Were Disasters [*22]
I Don’t See Your Name on the List… [*23] — A response/comment on the previous . . .
Much more after the “Read More” . . . The reality of Obama and the Democrat leadership as blithering idiots:
$787 Billion in Stimulus, Zero Jobs “Created or Saved” [*24]
Obama Going on Six Months Without a Press Conference [*25] — “It’s Good To Be The King!” Except, you know, he isn’t . . .
How Much Did Obama’s Copenhagen Failure Cost You? [*26]
CNN poll: Obama 1st year a flop, 48%/47% [*27]
Harry Reid’s Swansong [*28]
The reality of the Republican leadership as blithering idiots:
Bernie Quigley: The Republicans’ War on Palin [*29]
Spotlighting and deconstructing (and occasionally ridiculing) Liberty’s enemies–because even blithering idiots can be dangerous:
Hamas Terrorists Guaranteed Code Pink’s Safety in Gaza [*30] — “birds of a feather . . .”
Nice Work… New Coakley Attack Ad Misspells Massachusetts [*31]
IBD Poll: Obama’s Independent Woes Intensify [*32]
How Terrorism Wins – Part II [*33] — With every attack attempt, we lose a bit more of our freedom. This is ‘winning?’ We need to re-think this . . . and yeah, I was pretty much on-board with a lot of what the Bush Administration did in response to 9-11–mainly in vigorously and violently going after those who actually did the attacking. Having to take off my shoes at the airport security checkpoint–not so much . . .
He’s the President, Not America’s ‘Daddy’ [*34]
As Brown Raises $1.3 Million from Citizens ‘Round the Country, Coakley Calls In Big Money From… Health Care/Pharma Lobbyists [*35] — Remind me again, which one is the “party of the Special Interests?” Oh, yeah, both of them are . . .
Believe It Or Not, Freddie/Fannie Scandal Worse Than You Thought: It’s Fraud on a Massive Scale [*36] — Fraud is bad, m’kay? Government sponsored and backed fraud is worse . . . “These rotten bastards built the bomb, they detonated, they stuck us with the massive clean-up costs, and they’re building an even bigger bomb right now. They Must Be Stopped. WE, The People, Must Stop Them.
Desperation time: DSCC suddenly buys $570K in MA ad time [*37]
Class War: How public servants became our masters [*38]
Oliver Stone: I Got Your Hitler Context Right Here [*39]
Libtards and right-wingnuts — thoughts after an Instalanche [*40] — Don’t know where to put this, so it goes here.
Where’s the brave art world that stood up to John Ashcroft? [*41]
Cutting the Right Expenses [*42] — another reason why government never, ever gets smaller . . .
The Government Will Do Anything to Keep Us Safe–Except End the Empire [*43] — I’m OK with Bringing The Boys (and Girls) Back Home, as long as it’s accompanied with keeping a sufficiently lethal global strike force on hand, and keeping the willingness to use it ruthlessly against barbarians still amok in the world . . . “Don’t Tread On Me.”
The Left: Bending Over Backwards to Excuse Racism [*44]
MA Dems Recognize Health Care Not a Winning Issue [*45]
Union Race to the Bottom [*46]
If you want to see EXACTLY how bad the Left’s sexism and misogyny is, go to AintItCoolNews.com [*47]
Purple Army to Coakley’s rescue: SEIU sends $685,000 more; And speaking of thugs… [*48] — Why don’t we treat unions as what they are: political action committees for leftist causes?
More Evidence That Scott Brown’s Surge Has Democrats Spooked [*49]
Didn’t you know unions paid their members to go out and do visibility for people like Martha Coakely? [*50]
Here’s a Label: “Stupid” [*51]
Video: Coakley associate shoves Weekly Standard reporter; Update: Photo of assailant [*52] — Isn’t it odd that, despite all the histrionic rhetoric of the collectivists, all of the actual political violence like this comes from them, not from the Right?
Quinnipiac: Obama approval 45% [*53] — Like the crash of the Hindenberg, only slower . . .
Uncommon Knowledge: Dr. Thomas Sowell on Intellectuls and Society – Talking Sense to Obama’s Cabinet Like Telling the Mafia to Go Straight [*54]
Obama’s rapturous style versus tea party substance [*55]
Caffeinated Thoughts: A Little Perspective on Steve Schmidt [*56] — The impression I get is that Steve Schmidt cares mainly about Steve Schmidt . . .
Five Reasons Why Libertarians Shouldn’t Hate Government–Plus, Five Big Projects That Went Well and Five That Were Disasters [*22]
Crony Capitalism IV[*57]
Naive? Dumb? Or Just Doesn’t Understand How Taxes Work? [*58]
Foreign affairs:
India Developing ‘Kill Vehicle’ to Knock Enemy Satellites Out of the Sky [*59]
Google says may pull out of China after Web attacks [*60] — Anybody wonder why a U.S. company has a foreign policy?
Why Intelligence Keeps Failing [*61]
The Breaking of Nations [*62]
Intensity [*63] — Haiti . . .
UN Anti-Corruption Office Closed [*64] — “Our work here is done!”
EU Foreign Minister on UK Losing UN Security Council Seat: “I Don’t Know.” [*65]
The Economy:
Jobless rate really at 22%? [*66] — “Brother, can you spare a dime?”
Lack of Job Creation, Not Layoffs, Driving Unemployment [*67]
Chamber of Commerce Warning: Dem Policies Will Lead to Double-Dip Recession [*68]
“Global warming” aka “Climate change” — or should that be “Climate Reform?”:
New study argues climate change was not responsible for the Agricultural Revolution [*69]
CNN’s Jack Cafferty asks for climate feedback [*70]
The Limits of Science [*71]
Climategate: The Mosher Timeline [*72]
Health care “reform” aka health insurance “reform” — or should that be health care “change?” Perhaps “Global healthing?:
Making a Bad Bill Worse [*73]
The House Health Care Bill: Sticking it to Small Business [*74]
Not Out of Pocket, Out of Mind [*75]
Health Reform Bill – Makes Bernie Madoff Seem Like A Piker [*76]
USA Today reports on unrealistic revenue, savings expectations in ObamaCare [*77]
How 4 Deaths Became 401,309 [*78] — Statistics, How To Lie With.
The Truth about ObamaCare [*79] — Let me guess . . . um . . . it’s a cobbled up mess of pork and political payoffs, mixed in with a breathtakingly large power grab, being rammed down the throats of an unwilling public by an out of control Democrat political class? Or that it, as all such programs do, simultaneously won’t do what the politicians promise, and will cost way, way, way too much money? Maybe both?
Wouldn’t It Be Better to Stop Obamacare Now and Argue About Property Taxes A Little Later? [*21]
How the White House Used Gruber’s Work to Create Appearance of Broad Consensus [*80]
Media bias–and incompetence:
Why Is the Media So Much Smarter About Legislation After it is Passed [*81]
Sports:
SDSU-NDSU games to be televised [*82]
Jackrabbits and Bison battle in Fargo on Friday [*83]
Sports briefs: SDSU to play in preseason WNIT [*84]
Circling the Summit [*85]
Science, technology, and space:
The Madness of Crowds and an Internet Delusion [*86] — “it is striking how many of the top-grossing acts began in the predigital era, and how much of today’s music is a mash-up of the old” . . . hmm . . . “The result is a problem a bit like trying to stop a mob of looters. When the majority of people feel entitled to someone’s property, who’s going to stand in their way?” . . . hmm, hmm. I’m going to have to think about this–it has the ring of truth right now . . . but on the other hand, we don’t shoot looters any more, either . . . we elect them to Congress . . .
Astronauts urine clogs space station water recycler [*87]
The Dogs Versus the Internet [*88] –“In many ways the issues Lanier brings up go back to the very roots of markets and democracy, to issues that were hotly debated at the time America was founded. Who owns your product? Can you consent to sell yourself into bondage?”
Peanut allergies less common than tests suggest [*89]
Science Fiction and Writing:
Spider-Man 4 dead, franchise rebooting[*90]
Did You Save? [*91] — This reminded me to turn my Time Machine backup back on . . .
Liberals and Libertarians at the Movies [*92]
Avatards [*93] — almost went to Miscellany, almost went to . . . well, it wound up here.
Miscellany:
How Did I Miss This? Scott Brown Posed Semi-Nude for Cosmo As College Student at BC [*94] — Obama, Palin, Brown . . . the age of Political Beefcake/Cheesecake?
On this rare map, China is the center of the world [*95] — Well, it’s not called the “Middle Kingdom” for nothing . . .