Quick Takes, June 09, 2011

ITEM: Is This Cool or What? Department: Yes boys and girls, antimatter, that blow-up-the-universe substance of film and sci-fi fable really does exist, and not only that, scientists at CERN have actually captured it in a magnetic “bottle” for almost 17 minutes. Go here for the amazing story.

ITEM: Those Darned Kids These Days: Go here for a short video about a 9-year old girl who saved her family when her uncle had a seizure while driving on the freeway. Note how calm and matter-of-fact she is in recounting the incident. Real girl power!

ITEM: These Are The Allies Our President Can’t Stop Insulting: Go here to the Daily Mail to read the story about Corporal Dipprasad Pun of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, who, by himself, overwhelmed thirty attacking Taliban in Afghanistan, winning the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. This guy out-ramboed Rambo. Do we truly want a special relationship with such people? If we have an ounce of brains we do. Mr. Obama, sadly, not so much.

ITEM: The British People Love their National Health Service! Not so much. For a look at what we too can have if only we don’t repeal ObamaCare, read this Telegraph article by Brendan O’Neill about why recent staged protests to “save our NHS” virtually define “Astroturf.” Hint: It has to do with the fact that human beings tend to resent huge, wasteful bureaucracies that become power-mad nannies who actually kill them on a regular basis. Whoda’ thunk it? Who wouldn’t want that?

ITEM: Wind, solar, lizard flatulence, all green technologies that will, absent unimaginable scientific breakthroughs, never produce more energy than say, lizard flatulence. Not only will they never produce useable amounts of energy, they won’t do it at truly astronomical costs. But Shell—that evil oil company—has apparently developed a process to turn natural gas into gasoline, or diesel fuel, or…you get the idea. Go here to the PJ Tatler for Charlie Martin’s story about a process that may just be truly significant. Of course, it will produce gasoline, which is evil, so we’ll probably have to ignore it. Oh well. Spread the wealth.

ITEM: Really? The Pentagon has recently concluded that cyber attacks can be acts of war. Mirable dictu (wonderful to tell)! You mean to say that if a foreign power launches an electronic attack designed to seriously degrade or destroy our ability to defend ourselves, we might actually consider that to be a hostile act? And it took us only a bit more than two years of the Age of Obama to figure that out? Go here to the Volokh Conspiracy for more.

ITEM: LOUIS RENAULT AWARD OF THE MILLENNIA! I was shocked, shocked! to learn that Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) actually has been “sexting” with multiple women for years, before and after his recent marriage. I was shocked, shocked! to learn that he has been lying about it, accusing innocents of hatching nefarious plots against him and using the Dem. media attack machine to distract attention. I mean, who would have thought that a Congressman of any party was capable of such things? But I was particularly shocked, shocked! to learn that he will not resign. Excuse me. I have to take a shower to wash off all this irony and sarcasm…

ITEM: On a segment of the Ed Schultz show on MSNBC (here) Joan Walsh of Salon.com said:

“JOAN WALSH, SALON.COM: The lying is what disturbs me. He implicated a lot of us. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, let's just say that. And, you know, I look kind of stupid. But on the other hand, this was brought to light for political reasons --

ED SCHULTZ, MSNBC: Why do you look stupid? Why do you say that?

WALSH: Oh, because I, you know, gave him the benefit of the doubt publicly and pointed to the motivations of the people who were bringing this to light which was to destroy him.”

No Joan. You look kind of stupid because you reflexively defended a politician known for arrogance and narcissism because of his political affiliation. Not a bright thing to do with a politician of any political affiliation.

ITEM: But How Will They Express Their Ancient, Richly Unique “Everyone Must Experience My Choice Of Underwear” Culture? Some things are beyond parody. Go here to Fox/Dallas to learn that the Ft. Worth, TX transit authority has a dress code for those who wish to ride city busses. They have to wear a shirt and shoes, and can’t let their pants sag. Finally, a blow struck for civilization! One De’Shawn Miller said:

“This is something we grew up into. That’s why they don’t tell us nothing about sagging. We gonna sag regardless. We ain’t disrespectful. That’s how we were raised.”

See what I mean? There’s more at the link.

ITEM: THEY DID WHAT?! Department: Recall, please, gentle readers when we recently informed you about a campaign in San Francisco against circumcision? Recall that we mocked those pushing the law with a bit of punning? No longer. They’ve published a comic book—and as Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up—depicting an evil Jewish Rabbi menacingly holding a scissors over a naked infant while intoning “Time to make your sacrifice to God, Glick.” Hiding nearby, ready to pounce, is blonde, Nordic superhero “Foreskin Man” (no, I’m not kidding: Foreskin Man). There is no way to interpret this as anything other than base, undisguised anti-Semitism. As the article (here) concludes, these people aren’t just over the top: they’re stupidly evil.

UPDATE: From Fox News (here) we find that the Santa Monica resident who was behind the anti-circumcision ballot initiative, Jena Troutman, has withdrawn the measure, but only for Santa Monica, not San Francisco. Troutman who is apparently a “lactation consultant,” said, “I’m tired of it being about religion.” Troutman also noted “bodily integrity and genital autonomy are human rights.” Ah yes, the 93rd Amendment to the Constitution giving full autonomy and human rights to genitals! I can see it now: Law And Order: Special Genital Unit!

Lawyer: “John Smith, your honor, representing the defendant’s genitals.”

Judge: “You may begin your summation, Mr. Smith.”

Smith: “Thank you your Honor. Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, as you know, the defendant’s genitals have autonomous human rights. So put him in prison for life if you must, but his genitals must go free…”

Prosecutor: “Objection! Attorney for the genitals is misrepresenting the penile code!” (The courtroom explodes with cries of “bodily integrity,” “genital autonomy,” and keep a stiff upper…”)

Judge: (Pounding gavel) “Order in the court! Order in the court!” Fade to commercial.

Uh, when guys give their genitals autonomy, isn’t that considered, if not a crime, at least bad manners? And what the heck is a “lactation consultant?” What does that pay anyway? Discuss.

ITEM: There are few sharper wits writing today than Mark Steyn. Go here for his most recent column on the dissembling Rep. Weiner. Even though the story is (?) apparently over, you’ll be glad you did.

ITEM: It’s No Fun Protesting When You Can’t Skip Out On Work And Lie About It Later? Visit Ann Althouse (here) to learn about a recently announced protest against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. A tent city was to be constructed and maintained to protest, I don’t know, returning Wisconsin to fiscal sanity? The upshot: Nobody showed up. Now that school is out, I guess it’s no fun for teachers when they can’t flashily abandon classrooms full of kids. No fun being self-righteous when there’s no one around to notice, eh?

ITEM: Living Well Is The Best Revenge! Department: Not long ago, we told you about James Tate, a senior and honor student in Shelton, Connecticut who taped 12” letters to the front of his school asking Sonali Rodrigues to go to the prom with him. She, of course, accepted, but school Headmaster Beth Smith banned Tate from the prom, and in so doing, kicked over an international hornet’s nest. She was eventually overruled by the school Superintendent after several state legislators set to work on legislation that would overturn her decision. Not only did James and Sonali attend the prom in style, he was voted king of the prom by his peers who apparently have a well-developed sense of irony. Good for you James and Sonali! Go here for more on the story.

ITEM: Just Desserts Department: When Attorney Alan Gura and his associates won the McDonald v. Chicago case wherein the US Supreme Court applied the 2nd Amendment to the states, Gura applied for a reasonable attorney’s fee” from the losing side, which he is allowed to do under federal law. Chicago, of course, stiffed Gura, but now, the applicable federal appeals court has order Chicago—and Oak Park, IL—to pay up. Go here for the story and the order of the court.

ITEM: What?! He Didn’t Wait For the All-Wise, All-Beneficent Government To Deal With It?! Go here to read the story of Army Staff Sgt. Eddie Peoples, who, while on vacation, single-handedly foiled—and in spectacular style—an armed bank robbery. Go Army!

ITEM: The Chinese are about to go to sea with their first aircraft carrier (here). The ship, purchased unfinished from the Russians several years ago, might seem to be a game-changer, but careful analysis suggests otherwise. Read the entire article to see why our military isn’t very concerned.

ITEM: So, we know that there are at least 500 million barrels of economically recoverable oil in Texas. Recovering that oil would lower gas prices and provide thousands of real—not rhetorical—jobs. It would help the economy... Whoa! Not so fast there Tex! There is a problem, a tiny reptilian problem that, if the Government has its way, will put a cork in the bottle of Texas oil. Go here to read the story, but take your blood pressure meds first.

ITEM: So, There Is A Jobs Renaissance--in Detroit?! According to Turbo-Tax Timothy Geithner, our serial tax-evading Secretary of the Treasury, the Obama Administration’s manipulations of 2/3 of the American auto industry have sparked a veritable renaissance in jobs in Detroit! Detroit? That rusting urban wasteland? That future movie set for a post-apocalyptic Mad Max sequel? The very one. The problem, however, according to Ed Morrissey at Hot Air (here) is that like so much of the rhetoric emanating from DC these days, it’s not remotely true. Read the story, please.

ITEM: It Cost What?! Remember when a billion dollars was real money? According to the Obama Administration, the federal bailout of Mortgage giants Fannie and Freddie cost $130 billion. It’s bad enough that in the current Obamanomics climate, that doesn’t sound like very much money at all. What’s worse is that, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the actual cost is at least $317 billion and rising. Great. Go here for the whole story. Take deep, regular breaths.

ITEM: That Stupid Sarah Palin! Remember when Sarah Palin said that she could see Russia from her House? Boy, wasn’t that stupid—except that she didn’t say it. It was Tina Fey parodying her on Saturday Night Live. Well, now Palin has done it again. Speaking off the cuff to reporters, Palin claimed that Paul Revere warned the British during his historic ride in 1775. What an idiot! She didn't even go to the right college! The media, as usual where Palin is involved, gleefully piled on. Except, according to actual, noted historians, Palin was exactly right. Go here to see who is and isn’t dumb.

ITEM: Don’t Touch MY Social Security! What’s the old saw? “Don’t tax you, don’t tax me, tax that fellow behind the tree.” The same goes for Social Security, which everyone agrees must be reformed, but only reform that doesn’t, you know, actually reform anything. Sorry campers; it’s already happening. Go here to find out how.

ITEM: The Obligatory Weiner Item Of The Week: Author Andrew Klavan is one of finest wits writing today. His “Klavan On The Culture” videos for Pajamas TV are brief masterworks of satire. He has returned to blog on Pajamas Media with a post on the unfortunate Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) here. By all means, acquaint yourself with Mr. Klavan.

ITEM: Is He Actually Trying To Blow Himself Up? Mitt Romney, on the campaign trail in New Hampshire, professed his belief in Global Warming and in the necessity of wasting trillions we don’t have to cause no change whatsoever in the global climate. Go here to read the whole thing. Apart for departing from one of the fundamental conservative platforms in an appallingly unnecessary way, Mr. Romney apparently hasn’t heard of Climategate or read any of the most recent literature. And this is the Republican “Front Runner?” Could he play into Mr. Obama’s hands any more effectively if he tried? By the time they’re done agreeing with each other on ObamaCare and Global Warming, will there be anything they can actually debate, in a debate?

ITEM: Louis Renault Award of the Week: From Ed Morrissey at Hot Air (here) we are shocked, shocked! to learn that if ObamaCare is not repealed, enormous numbers of Americans—far more than have previously been predicted—will see their insurance decreased, will see it cost far more, or will lose their insurance entirely. Read the whole thing. Secure breakable items first.

ITEM: “What we found is one of the most misleading collections of assertions we have seen in a short presidential speech. Virtually every claim by the president regarding the auto industry needs an asterisk, just like the fine print in that too-good-to-be-true car loan.”

So reads an article from Ed Morrissey at Hot Air (here), which explains that virtually everything Mr. Obama recently said in justifying his auto industry takeover is, to put it kindly, fanciful. Read the whole thing and take the link to Glenn Kessler’s Washington Post (a newspaper not known for a uniformly Conservative outlook) article (here). Kessler sums it up nicely:

“If the auto industry bailout is really a success, there should be no need to resort to trumped-up rhetoric and phony accounting to make your case.”

Indeed.

ITEM: They Did What? By all means, go here to discover that the Department of Health and Human Services really is making it up as they go along. Remember all of those ObamaCare waivers HHS Secretary Kathleen Sibelius has been granting to unions, cronies and the occasional state? The ObamaCare law did not give her the authority to do that. Where did she get it? HHS made up a regulation giving itself the power! Well OK then. I hereby give myself the power to never again pay income taxes and to run out of office any federal weasel I choose! So there! Discuss.

ITEM: Those Awful Machineguns Are Everywhere! Go here to National Review Online where Kevin Williamson has written a concise article in response to recent Media Matters lies (do they do anything else?) about the availability of machinegun parts and the ease with which a semiautomatic rifle may be converted to fully automatic fire. Williams debunks this never-ending tripe convincingly. Fully automatic weapons are available on the market, but can be sold only by dealers specifically licensed to sell them, they require major local, state and federal paperwork including fingerprinting, records checks, and a $200 fee. The process commonly takes up to six months before one can take possession of the weapon, and there are substantial regulations thereafter. Federal law treats mere conversion parts as an actual gun, and no commonly available rifle, such as the AR-15 can be converted without highly specific knowledge and specific and expensive machining tools. By all means, read the article for future reference the next time someone brings up this sort of silliness within earshot.

ITEM: He Said What?! Department: And now a question for all of the bonus points and the championship: Who said that the federal gasoline tax should be raised by as much as $1 per gallon to force people to buy more fuel-efficient cars? Ding, ding ding! That’s right, it was the CEO of General Motors. He also thinks that maybe GM will get rid of the government’s remaining 26% share of the company, you know, like soon or something. Go here to Hot Air for the whole story. Hey, you know, he sounds very much like Mr. Obama and his bureaucrats, doesn’t he? How do you suppose that happened? Could it be that he’s trying to force people to buy Chevy Volts? Speaking of which, you may wish to visit my most recent article on that very topic (here). Perhaps there’s a reason some call it “Government Motors” after all. Discuss.

ITEM: Go here to Michelle Malkin where Doug Powers writes about the Obama Administration’s “Green Ribbon Schools” program, whereby selected schools will be honored for “creating healthy and sustainable learning environments” and for “teaching environmental literacy.” According to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson “…Green Ribbon Schools will prepare our children to win the future by leading our global green energy economy.” Read the story. Powers concludes: “If the Department of Labor’s stimulus-driven Green Jobs Training Program’ results are any indication, there’s a good chance that the only thing ‘Green Ribbons Schools’ will prepare students for is the unemployment line.” Just so.

ITEM: What’s going on with our national energy policy? Nothing good. Go here to read a brief but informative article by the invaluable Michael Barone.

ITEM: Massive federal spending cuts are going to have to happen, but congress critters, particularly the Democrat species, can’t accept that necessity just now. So what would they prefer? How about cutting pay and benefits for our military? Isn’t that a great idea? Cut the pay and benefits for the people who risk their lives to ensure that, as Abraham Lincoln said it in the Gettysburg Address: “government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the Earth.”
Go here to read the story by Rob at PACNW Righty.

ITEM: They Did What?! Let’s say you’re a Wisconsin Liberal and you want to get good publicity in your continuing protests against the evil Republican Governor, Scott Walker, who is cruelly and irrationally trying to keep Wisconsin from going bankrupt. You’re sitting around the union hall brainstorming about the best place to stage a protest. What’s the first thing that would come to mind? That’s right! A Special Olympics Event! Go here for the story. Be glad you don’t think like those people.

ITEM: Feel Good Story of the Week: Go here for the heart-warming story of a Florida couple served a foreclosure notice by a bank. Not only was the bank wrong—the couple paid cash for the home in the first place; there was never a mortgage to foreclose—but the bank drug them into court anyway. The judge threw out the case and ordered the bank to reimburse them for their considerable legal costs. For months, the bank drug its feet and did nothing, until the couple’s attorney showed up with the Sheriff and foreclosed—on the bank! Talk about guilty pleasure!

And with that warm and fuzzy feeling in our respective hearts, I must thank you, once again, for stopping by and bid you return next Thursday for another edition of Quick Takes.