Mid-West Pragmatism?

 I was listening to a local radio host, Brian Gongol on WHO Radio 1040, who was on the fence whether or not it was a good idea to get rid of income tax and SS tax and replace it with a carbon tax. That's like a pedophile wondering what type of sodomy is best. Both are bad things...But then again may be he likes grabbing his ankles. Leave it to mid-west pragmatism to be on the fence about such things. I bet he approves of GPS's in people's cars to track mileage for the purpose of taxes. As Bugs Bunny would say, "What a maroon". 

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Bans of 2008

From the Libertarian Republican. You have to admit it's nuts. 

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Oregon Leads the Way to Socialism

Governor Kulongoski of Oregon is pushing an initiative to charge people for the amount they drive. He wants to do this through the use of GPS installed in citizen's cars. This is heinous on at least two fronts. One, it would require that someone install GPS tracking in cars. THe push seems to be that car manufacturers do this. I find this convenient now that the federal government has 2 out of the big 3 over a barrel with loans. This is a clear invasion of privacy as they can track everywhere you go. The second travesty here is that it is another tax. He could just raise the tax on fuel, but obviously that isn't intrusive enough. This has been mentioned in my state and I have to wonder if the democrat governors read from the same thinking points when it comes to controlling their citizenry in the future. Politicians, particularly those on the left, seem to have a love of taking money that isn't theirs or the government's to begin with. As with gun rights, the ACLU is abundantly silent on issues of taxation as well, even when privacy is an issue. Politicians like this have to go. Situations like this make me wonder what happened to the Oregon from which my ancestors came. This is not the same state, nor is it the same people. 

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Cannoli Numero Due:Einstein, Gates, My Son and Me

You are probably wondering, what does Einstein and Gates have to do with my son or myself. Nothing on first blush as Einstein developed the Theory of Relativity and Gates is the founder of Microsoft. There are two reasons I picked these two gentleman: One, they are well known in both their fields and society as a whole, and two, they both had/have Asperger's Disorder. That is not to say I compare any of my kin or myself to the capabilities of either of those two great men at all, but that Asperger’s is something that some famous and successful people have had and it is not some rare disorder that relegates people to the freak show.

What of it you say? It's an interesting disorder, and my 13-year-old son had been formally diagnosed with it in 1999. I also have a three-year-old daughter that has it as well. Out of five children I have, two definitely have it, and the others show variations on a theme, but seem to function better than the bookends, my three and 13 year olds.
You may be asking, what is Asperger’s Disorder? I provided a link above, but I will give a little detail here:
In General, people with AD have problems with:
• Socializing with Others
• Thinking
• Emotions
• Intense preoccupation with one or two topics
• Repetitive routines, behaviors and movements
• Play
• Speech and Language
• Motor Skills
• Sensitivity to sensations of sound, light or touch

More specifically, to break down the above into finer detail:

Social
• Prefers to be by themselves
• Unaware how his/her comments or behaviors affect others
• Does not seem influenced by peer pressure, fads, trends, or pop culture
• Inability to interact with peers
• Lack of desire to interact with peers
• Poor appreciation of social cues and body language
• Limited facial expressions
• Socially inappropriate responses
• Seems uninterested in what others have to say in conversation
• Does not ask others questions or their opinion
• Makes limited eye contact
• Limited use of hand or body gestures
• Does not look others in the eye

Thinking
• Impressive long term memory for facts
• Seems almost obsessed with a particular topic
• Expects other to understand what he/she thinks without telling them
• Does not ask for clarification when confused
• Cannot imagine what others are thinking
• Cannot interpret other’s intentions

Emotions
• Does not understand how other people feel
• Extreme reaction to minor upsets
• Fails to modify emotional expression to match the situation
• Feelings are all or none
• Cannot read emotions of people’s faces

Intense preoccupation with one or two topics
• Fanatical about his/her interest
• Seems obsessed with interest
• Talks incessantly about his/her interest
• Little Interests in other topics
• Pursues advanced knowledge about his/her interest
• Shows off knowledge in almost encyclopedic manner

Repetitive routines, behaviors and movements
• Sticks to rigid routine
• Difficulty being flexible
• Imposes routine on others
• Needs excessive reassurance when change takes place
• Upset by changes in routine
• Repetitive and senseless body movements

Play/Work
• Seems not to understand how to play/work with others
• Does not know unspoken rules
• Often prefers to play/work by him/herself
• Uses playmates as objects
• Intense reaction if things do not go his/her way
• Controlling of playmates
• Difficulty sharing
• Lacks imaginative play

Speech and Language
• Interprets things literally
• Does not understand figures of speech or metaphors
• Has an unusual tone of voice
• Talks in an overly precise manner
• Uses advanced vocabulary
• Odd Rhythm
• Peculiar voice characteristics

Motor Skills
• Poor coordination
• Poor ball play
• Odd gait when walking or running
• Poor handwriting

Sensitivity to sensations of sound, light or touch
• Overly reactive to sounds
• Overly reactive to lights
• Overly reactive fabrics
• Overly reactive to textures

The thing to remember is that AD is an disorder in the autistic spectrum and thus it’s not quantitatively exact as to whether or not someone has AD or not particularly that someone has to have every symptom listed above, but needless to say it would be in the gross majority that present themselves to some degree. Both my children that have been diagnosed have some differences, but more similarities. My son did not speak a word until he was four years old. My three year old can sing and talk some sentences, but most things are words and phrases.

So you are saying, what of it that The Right Guy’s two children have been diagnosed with AD? What I find interesting are the familial connections. Contrary to popular hysteria, I do not believe that AD is caused by thimersol in vaccines. In my case I can definitely see a family history that indicates a genetic link. There are behaviors that both my kids have done that the youngest could not have learned from her brother, as he hasn’t done them since he was small and she was yet to be born. The other thing is that I have family members that have exhibited AD symptoms. My father’s older brother (I would even say their father as well), my father, my brother and myself have all exhibited many of these symptoms. It wasn’t until I started reading The Asperger’s Answerbook, by Susan Ashley Ph.D, that the concept of familial connections really sunk in with me.

You may be asking, why now? Why talk about it now? Well, because I feel like it, and I feel that since armed with some knowledge, coupled with circumstances, I feel I needed to say something. I can tell you that in my dad’s day there were absolutely no resources for people with AD. Kids with AD probably dropped out of school, never married, and lived relatively solitary lives (even being married with children, I often feel lonely and solitary). My dad did not marry until he was 33 and my uncle never did. I myself was 32 and my brother was 36. In my day, schools did not have special education other than for those that were mentally retarded, and they were sent to the Rose Marie Kennedy Center. In some ways I consider myself fortunate that I went to a parochial school where it wasn’t as socially competitive as public school. In some ways that is bad because what I didn’t experience right off I got to experience in ninth grade when I transitioned to public school. Even then, in 1977, no one really knew what AD was or what to do with it. In fact, it wasn’t formally classified until 1994. The good news is that for people like my kids, there are programs in school that will help them with socialization skills, as well as academically.

Still, my fear is that while my kids may have a somewhat normal life, is that they will not be happy and at least better adjusted than I am. It does pain me to think they will go through some of the same social issues I did and continue to go through. All I can tell you is that I don’t have to watch the X-files to know what it is like to feel like an alien. It’s one thing not to fit in and another to realize it and even yet another degree to not be able to (or want to) learn as quickly or permanently social rules and unwritten rules that govern human interaction, particularly when it comes to being employed. I have always screwed that up and it has had a direct negative effect in my careers. In my father’s day, the expectations were different. Interpersonal interaction was secondary to getting the job done. The other thing is my dad and uncle worked at jobs where they did not have to interact with a lot of people. For people with AD, today’s work world is much more tortuous because of the alleged necessity for any position to require people to be a “team player”, and have “good communication skills”. Because of these social deficits, people with AD have been relegated to positions that are usually below their mental capacity and in some cases from attaining comparable success in a particular position. On top of this, this, they have a much higher incidence of depression, probably due to the social issues. Below are listed some issues people with AD have with work:

• Finding work at level of education/ability
• Keeping a job long term
• Getting along with co-workers
• Sensory overload
• Coping with the unpredictable
• Learning the unwritten rules of the job
• Failing to ask for help or clarification
• Socially inappropriate behavior
• Misinterpreting others words/actions
• Easily frustrated
• Multitasking
• Time management
• Presenting well in interview
• Inability to work in a group
• Inflexibility
• Need for excessively precise expectations
• Poor organization
• Difficulty remembering verbal instructions

A lot of these issues are familiar to me. While I would like to do better, at the age of 46, I consider myself pretty much done. All I will accomplish is what some would call sandbagging, thereby holding on for the end as it were, which isn’t a bad thing I guess, but disappointing nonetheless. My wish here is that if you suspect that someone you know might have AD, try not to judge too harshly and it might do you well to get a book like my wife got. It will give some strategies in dealing with it, and it will also give insight as to what AD is. While I am no Einstein or Gates, I’d still like to do better than dad did, god rest his soul. Einstein said insanity is doing the same thing over and over, yet expecting a different result. May be I should give it a rest. At some point, you have to say fuck it.

Ashley, S. (2007) The Asperger Answerbook. Soucebooks, Inc, Napervile, Il

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Detroit Goes 0-16

Green Bay beats Detroit in the last game of the season and the Lions finish 0-16. The first team ever to do so. Could this be a symptom of an ailing city?  From the dirt bag Kwame Kilpatrick to the auto industry bailout and the corrupt UAW. I guess it's just one more nail in the coffin of a once prosperous city destroyed by socialism, corruption and mismanagement. May be the Lions should move to a better venue to rid themselves of this curse. 

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This Past Year

This past year was a tough one in many ways, enlightening and transforming in others, and frustrating all the same.  In the beginning of the year, we lost my Dad. He was born 1925 in Westbury NY, the 6th child of seven to Italian immigrants (Italian was dad's first language, but that is another story). Dad left high school to join the Army Air Corps at the age of 18. He was a tail gunner (E-6) in a B-17 and flew 35 missions over Germany as part of the 8th Air Force. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 4 bronze service stars. After the war, he worked for the County of Nassau as a Greenskeeper and did that job for 39 years. He married my mom in 1958, and had two sons as well as two stepdaughters. Dad was a quiet and reserved guy. He rarely drank, never got into trouble, and lived a respectable life. He was my father and a great dad. I will miss my Saturday morning phone conversations with my Dad, his counsel, and his love. He was preceded in death by his wife, and is survived by his sons and stepdaughters, 14 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren. 

Dad never talked about his military service, and most things I know my mom told me or I learned from his military records. All I can tell you that is after getting on board a confederate air force B-17, I have no idea how those guys did it. I would have been very cramped, and by all accounts, I'd guess you would have to have nerves of steel. Politically, by today's standards, my dad would be considered a conservative and as far as national politics, he always voted republican. In fact, much to Eric Dondero's pleasant surprise, my dad always lamented Goldwater losing the 1964 election. :) Anyway, dad will be missed and is missed by all who knew him. 

when I lived in NY, I used to consult as a computer specialist, supporting print shops and photographers, as well as graphic artists. Basically I was a Mac expert. One of my clients passed away this year, a man by the name of Carl Limbacher Sr. Over the years I have had many clients, but only a few have kept in touch since my move to the mid-west. Carl and I kept in touch over the years and he and I were kindred spirits politically, and all I can say is that he was a great guy. A veteran of the 8th Air Force like my dad, he was also from the "Greatest Generation". He believed in hard work, and continued as such with his own business into his 80's. It was always a pleasure to go to his business and I looked forward to talking with his sons Carl and Chris. If only he had known I would have done it for free. All I can tell you is that Carl will be missed and is missed. You may know his son Carl from News Max, and as "Carl from Oyster Bay". A great guy as well. I only wish I had his abilities in writing and political commentary. 

This year was also my first year in a new job, which can be stressful, and I also started this blog. The combination of which has turned out to be problematic at one point, and I still have my doubts. I won't get into it right now, but all I can say is that I would rather do this, if it only paid... 

It also has been an exciting year to say the least. Presidential primaries, the general election, the election of our first black president. We've also had an economic crash, bailouts, high drama with banks and the car manufacturers feigning death to take money out of our pockets. Shakespeare would be in his glory. 

So, as we bridge the divide between 2008 and 2009, we must make sure not to get stuck in both places, and concern ourselves with the here and now with full knowledge of our past and plans for the future. Tomorrow will be here soon enough. What will 2009 bring? Heartache? Penury? Impecuniousness? Serendipity? Fecundity? All of the above? Who knows.  I am sure we will be equally entertained, but all I hope for is a better year than the past one. Oh yeah, Cannoli Numero 2 is coming up. Stay tuned. 

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Hollywood's Elites: Stupid is as stupid does

It seems scientific illiteracy is considered a badge of honor among hollywood's elites. They should ad political and historical as well. Oprah would believe or feign to believe anything to make a buck, and as for the rest, they are just plain, well, stupid. 

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Israel Attacks Gaza

Israel attacks Gaza in what has been described as the bloodiest days if conflict with the palestinians. What the press isn't telling you is that Hamas, which rules Gaza (and by the way, wants to impose sharia law), is backed by Iran, which wants to se and end to Israel through total destruction. Hamas has been rocketing Israel, unprovoked. On top of this, Israel has been pressured not to take action against Iran, whose nuclear development has been speculated to be used to create nuclear weapons to be used against Israel. What should Israel do? Every attempt to make peace with the people of Ishmael has never been viewed as enough by the palestinians. My assertion is that Hamas will not stop until Israel is dead and buried, and then they will not know what to do, so they will have to create a new enemy. 

Israel will be condemned for this, but as usual, when Hamas or any other arab faction commits acts against Israel that are wrong, none of the arab nations condemns them. If Hamas or any other faction wants peace with Israel, they must cease relations with nation that want Israel's destruction. If they do not, Hamas may unleash hell, but god's chosen people will win in the end. 

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Buon Natale e Buon Nuov'Anno

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from The Right Guy. These struffoli remind me of grandma's house. That was a long time a go in another lifetime. Caro papà, ti manco molto. Ti vederemo dopo.

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David Spade Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is: Phoenix Police Hit Pay Dirt

David Spade donated $100,000 of his own money to the Phoenix Police Department for the purpose of purchasing 50 AR-15 rifles. I applaud his civic spirit, but I would think buying AK-47s or AK-74s would go a lot further, but then again if I was in a patrol car, I would rather have this. Or not. Last year, Spade donated $25,000 to the family of a fallen Phoenix Police officer. Can you imagine David doing a commercial: I am the NRA and I vote. That would be cool. Somehow I doubt it though. 

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Guess Who is the Dumb F@#$?

Either Harry Reid is the stupidest cock-sucker that ever walked the planet or he think everyone else is. This arrogant hag of Nevadan shit couldn't find his ass with a map, compass, GPS, a roadmap and with his wife pointing at it. Where do we get this assholes? Our country is so fucked when our leaders piss in our ears and tell us it's raining. George Washington would have taken this jerk outside blown his brains out. He is such an asshole that only Dennis Miller can fully excoriate him:

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San Francisco Woman Gang Raped

A 28 year old San Francisco woman was brutally gang raped by four men. I have to wonder if San Francisco respected people's right to bear arms and she had done so, would the result have been different? This crime is horrendous and the aggravating circumstance is that they raped her because she is a lesbian. I hope they catch the men involved and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the the law, but I cannot help wondering if this situation illustrates the need and right of people to protect themselves. Thanks to LR.

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Fred Thompson Where are You? On the Radio...

From what I understand, Fred has a deal with Westwood One to replace Bill O'Reilly. Good deal Fred. 

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Beefcake? Pec-tacular? Give me a break

Beefcake? I don't get it. He has pecs? I've seen chicks with bigger pectoralis majoris. Obama looks like the skiny geek he is. In fact he wife is bigger than he is. If you want to see muscle at a similar age, look at Lou Ferrigno, my fellow NY paisano. Lou is 6'5 and probably is around 300 lbs here. Obama is a mere girly man. 

Or we can look at Magnus Samuelson, who at 6'6 and 330 Lbs, has no trouble bending frying pans. Magnus is the real deal. 

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Swedes In Denial

Youths looting or muslims rioting? The Swedes are in denial, trying their best to be dhimmis. When will the French, English, Dutch and Swedes learn? Protecting your people and your property isn't anti-immigrant, anti-diversity, or intolerant, it makes good sense and sets a good  precedence. This sets a bad one. What's next, sharia law in Sweden? Feckless, every one of you, except may be Magnus Samuelson.  The Europeans didn't learn with Hitler, they won't learn now. Thanks to Atlas.

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Convert to Christianity at The Risk of Your Life

Martha Samuel, an Egyptian, converted to Christianity five years ago. Since then she has faced detention, rape, torture and now she can't leave the country. Egypt is supposed to be a "modern" islamic country and this is how they treat their citizens. Can you imagine the backwards ones? Thanks to Atlas Shrugged. 

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Schwartzenegger Wants to Be President

Arnold said he wants to be president on 60 minutes. It should be easy now that Obama has broken the naturalization barrier. 

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2008 Jihad Watch Awards

The 2008 Jihad Watch Awards are out. I would have voted for Pat Condell for the Anti-Dhimmi Internationale. Congrats to Mark Steyn. Thanks to Pam. 

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A Blast From the Past: A Pat Buchanan TV Ad

How times have changed. 

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Is Bison Halal?

Kamrouz Saifi was visiting the Readington River Buffalo Company when he got flying lessons from a 2000 lb Bison. Mr. Saifi, who seemed to be ok demanded to go to the hospital and lawyered up quickly. He is now suing for unspecified damages due to permanent injury. Believe me, if the Bison wanted to kill him it would have. May be they should have Bison on aircraft instead of Air Marshals. This one seemed to know who the enemy was. 

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A Year Later, a Remembrance

A year after the attacks at The New Life Church, the victims are remembered. Thanks JR. Special thanks to Jeanne Assam. Who said the first and second amendments are not compatible?

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The Shape of Things to Come: Obamanomics

Thanks to Eric at World Wide Liberty.

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Car Prices: Where's the Crack?

I was thinking about purchasing another vehicle, as my current one is pushing on 9 years old and it's not exactly ergonomically suited for me. In the past, I have owned three trucks and decided to research a few models of SUVs and Pickup Trucks. Considering that the big three are in dire straights, you'd think there would be better deals then there are. What passes for GM's red tag sale is incredible. I'd like to know what drug these car dealers smoke, inject or snort before the come up with their pricing. It's no wonder they are in the mess they are in. I can understand the dealers probably have to pay some flooring fees and they have to make a profit, which is a good thing, but considering the inventories they have, they aren't priced to move and they aren't. Karl Chevrolet and Stew Hansen Dodge are the worst in my area in terms of pricing (In fact, I am surprised at the disparity in pricing with some vehicles between dealers, albeit too high in price anyway). And it doesn't seem to make much difference for new or used. A vehicle that is a year old or more isn't necessarily any cheaper. My take is that they want to make the new cars more attractive in price, but in either case, the prices haven't dropped to the point where I would buy, and I have a friend that would give me an employee discount voucher, which cuts the price only a little bit (Poor bastards that work for GM. You'd think they'd give them a better break). 

May be I am a cheap fuck, but I will tell you what: I have no car payment now, so why would I want one? In as much as I hate my car because of it's ergonomics and age, I like not sending several hundred dollars to a lender every month, and paying a higher insurance payment and registration fees. The big three and their dealers haven't gotten it yet and may be they never will. So my unanswered question is, what can you do for me to want to go from no car payment to increased debt (I could buy it cash, but why? Cars lose money the second they hit the street, so I'd rather have my money getting some interest)? As Scotty once said, "you're just not worth it." May be I just need to move somewhere that I can ride my motorcycle all year round and screw the car. The motorcycle is better on gas, cheaper on insurance, and if I have to buy a new one, a lot cheaper than a car. 

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Will Palin Suffer the Same Fate as Pat Buchanan?

Part I

Part II

Part III

Finale

Pat was blamed for Bush losing, will Palin suffer the same fate? Nether deserved that fate, both Pat was thrown under the bus and the country club scum republicans will try the same with Palin. Pat was probably the best man never to win the republican nomination in my lifetime, and may be longer. It's too bad we settle for milquetoasts and mountebanks. It seems it's more rare to get the best, to get genuine people in the office. Below is Palin's speech for the last convention. Thanks to RS McCain for the inspiration.

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Guess Who Will Be the Unemployed Meteorologist?

How long will it be before Chad Myers gets fired under a protest for not believing in the man caused global warming religion? If you think Islam is unforgiving of heresy, they have nothing on the left wing nut jobs that promulgate man caused global warming in order to further socialism. He's lucky Ted is not in charge anymore. Thanks to JR. 

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Guess Who is the Republican?

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Identity Politics: Jonah Goldberg and Peter Beinart

I have always been against identity politics, which is basically a crude and simplistic derivation of constituency based politics that was first fomented by FDR. If anything, this has kept our country divided to the extent that most people won't get what they want because on the political side, it keeps people divided enough that the power rests in two parties that may cater to 50 or 100 constituencies, with positions of said constituencies often conflicting with one another, in which case we have the 21st century version of the snake oil salesman going into politics. The quest for power generally draws the worst of society out, and sometimes the best. With Identity politics, it also draws out the most insane. Only the most compartmentalized narcissist can excel at this profession, which has become more like a combination of professional sports and soap opera. Ulysses Grant said that the best, most efficient service is from those that are called upon, not those that seek. May be he had a point. 

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Mika Brzezinski Mugged: Is There Hope?

Update: Mika was on the Joe Scarborough radio show and she says she has compassion for the criminal. One, obviously she is not and will not be a conservative. Two, she's stupid, and obviously likes being a victim. Someday she may not be so lucky, and with that attitude it is no wonder she got mugged. She must have "Easy Mark" written all over her. 

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They say a conservative is a liberal that has been mugged. So will Mika be a convert? Mika was mugged in Washington DC on Thursday morning while waiting for a car. My normal advice would be to arm oneself, but it happened in the People's Republic of Washington DC, so getting a carry license even after Heller would probably be futile. Even so, the guy did not appear to be armed, but just demanded $20 or else, and he was satisfied with $6. It's Ironic that it was DC, as what's the difference between the mugger and a politician? May be it was Barney Frank looking for some spare change for a new habitrail. 

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Chinese Fleet to Combat Pirates?

China may be sending ships to fight the pirates off Somalia. China has been establishing a presence in Africa in the last 10 years and a military presence is the next step in that process. India is getting involved as well. 

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Guess Who's the Democrat?

He could also qualify for asshole, but this was much more telling. 

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Why Didn't The Press Scrutinize Obama? Joe asks the Lackeys and Sycophants Point Blank

This is mint. Notice the corpse also know as Buchanan somewhere in there. Go Joe Scarborough. The retorts are as lame as they get. Props to Robert Stacy McCain at The Other McCain.

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The People's Republic of New York

The Dear Leader of the People's Republic of New York has just unveiled a new budget with 88 new taxes, including an 18% obesity tax on sugared soda. In addition, he proposes lay offs and cuts in services. This is one instance where I am glad I do not live there anymore. When politicians propose new spending increases for pet projects and social programs, they never take into consideration of a what if a bad economy comes along. Patterson, the new governor sfacime of New York, the new El Supremo has a responsibility to keep state finances in line, but obviously, he does not have the acumen or the balls to cut taxes and services. As usual, New Yorkers lose. I wonder if the blind man can see the effects of his folly. Then again, he did inherit a lot this mess, but he's taking the wrong tack.

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Away in a Manger

I had to do it... It was too funny to let go. 250th post!

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Should GM et al Make Cars in China (or India)?

The incomparable John Batchelor asserts that GM should make their cars in China. I have been saying this for awhile. They should file chapter 11 and relocate their manufacturing to China. The unions have outlived their usefulness and have been the downfall of the car companies. Honestly, the only reason they are getting such treatment is that the democrats owe the unions for getting Ostalin elected. At this point I don't know if they can file chapter 11, but they must do something quickly, and groveling to us, while keeping the status quo insofar as how they do business is a bad bet for us.  As they say is is throwing good money after bad. If they don't get it right, then creative destruction is in order. It is good when unprofitable ventures fail because behind them is another that will be profitable to take its place. I liken it to having a garden where we keep the rotting but still living plants because we do not want to see them die. Meanwhile the same fertile real estate could be used to grow a plant that is healthy and productive. The goal of capitalism isn't consumerism, but productivity and value. GM, Ford and Chrysler off very little of both. 

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The UAW is to Blame for Failed Bailout

Senator Coburn of Oklahoma blames the UAW for the failure of the auto bailout. The UAW would not commit to defining when they would have a competitive wage, thereby renegotiating their contracts with the Big 3. What the unions fail to realize that if the Big 3 go under, there will be no wages. The UAW has taken advantage of the car companies with the terms of their contracts, that the Big 3 did go along with, which have brought all of them to the place they are today. Look at this post from Carpe Diem to see the differences in pay and profitability between GM and Toyota. 2007 Profit/Loss GM vs. Toyota: Same # Cars . It's an eye opener. I say fuck both of them. Now is the time is for some creative destruction. 

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Obama: What Does He Know?

What does he know and when did he know it?

Props to Politico for the video.

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Employee Kills CEO

Ben Blanky, CEO of Tall Grass Distribution Ltd above was killed by an employee Eric Allen Kirkpatrick, who was recently laid off. With the economic downturn, is this the shape of things to come? In the 1930's, people jumped out of windows. I imagine the executive security business will have an upturn in this economy. I also imagine the stupid Canadians (Not the smart ones of course) going for more gun control over this. Here this the article.

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Fred Thompson Explains the Economic Mess

Why this guy didn't do better in the primaries I'll never know. 

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Will Obama Follow England's Suit?

Props to John R. Lott for the video. Tony Martin.

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Will We Get It Right This Time?

During the Vietnam War, many protesters mistreated soldiers coming home from the war. This was abominable behavior that shouldn't have been tolerated at all. Here is the story of a man who wants to make sure that does not happen again. Thank you Bert Brady. 

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Is Vaclav Klaus the Only One in Europe That Gets It?

Is the global warming hysteria a silly luxury?

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Obama Proposes Nuclear Umbrella for Israel

Obama has offered a nuclear umbrella to Israel if Iran nukes Israel. First off, Big Fucking Deal. Israel has their own nukes and has purchased subs to make them mobile. Secondly, it's cold comfort for Israel that somehow we will retaliate in the event Israel is wiped off the earth. Thirdly, I don't know if Obama has the balls to pull the trigger. It's one thing to talk shit, and another to actually do it. 

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More Global Warming: New Orleans gets snow?

This is New Orleans? A picture is worth a thousand carbon credits. 

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650 Scientists Dissent: Will Al Gore be Charge with Conspiracy to Commit Fraud?

The UN is having a global climate change conference in Poland. According to this article, 650 scientist disagree. I wonder if Gore will be charged with fraud and treason when people figure out his hoax, which was nothing more than to grab power, money, promote socialism and the religion of climate change. Cap and Trade is an extension of this, as is carbon credits. It's insane to build an industry around a fairy-tale. Al Gore is a candidate for Asshole of the decade. 

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The Economy, Detroit, and Job Losses: John Batchelor Analyses

The incomparable John Batchelor with Simon Constable renders his analysis of the current economy.

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Obama is an Immigrant? Bill Richardson says so.

Bill Richardson says Obama is an immigrant. Who knew?

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Guess Who's the Asshole

Governor of Illinois Salary: $155,000 a year

Length of Term: 4 years

What he is for getting busted for trying to sell a senate seat for a sinecure position: Asshole

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More Bad News on the Socialism Front: One World Order?

Gideon Rachman says a world government is possible and probable. Is Gideon just blowing his horn?

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Nationalized Automotive Industry?

40 acres and a mule, a chicken in every pot, and now a car in every garage? The Wall Street Journal surmises the government could take a stake in all three. More like a stake in capitalism's heart. Socialism is a coming boys and girls, and it's going to suck becoming like a European country. 

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Guess Who's the Asshole

Pistol: $500

cartridge: 50¢

Shooting yourself in the leg while carrying the pistol illegally in bar after a night of  drinking and now facing possible jail (when you could afford to get a license to carry in NYC): Asshole

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OP ED: Concealed Carry Could Stop Terrorism: This from England?

The London Times has an OP Ed that suggests that concealed carry could help stop terrorism and uses the massacre in India and others as examples. I have mentioned this before. Here is the article:

The firearms massacres that have periodically caused shock and horror around the world have been dwarfed by the Mumbai shootings, in which a handful of gunmen left some 500 people killed or wounded.

For anybody who still believed in it, the Mumbai shootings exposed the myth of “gun control”. India had some of the strictest firearms laws in the world, going back to the Indian Arms Act of 1878, by which Britain had sought to prevent a recurrence of the Indian Mutiny.

The guns used in last week’s Bombay massacre were all “prohibited weapons” under Indian law, just as they are in Britain. In this country we have seen the irrelevance of such bans (handgun crime, for instance, doubled here within five years of the prohibition of legal pistol ownership), but the largely drug-related nature of most extreme violence here has left most of us with a sheltered awareness of the threat. We have not yet faced a determined and broad-based attack.

The Mumbai massacre also exposed the myth that arming the police force guarantees security. Sebastian D’Souza, a picture editor on the Mumbai Mirror who took some of the dramatic pictures of the assault on the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station, was angered to find India’s armed police taking cover and apparently failing to engage the gunmen.

In Britain we might recall the prolonged failure of armed police to contain the Hungerford killer, whose rampage lasted more than four hours, and who in the end shot himself. In Dunblane, too, it was the killer who ended his own life: even at best, police response is almost always belated when gunmen are on the loose. One might think, too, of the McDonald’s massacre in San Ysidro, California, in 1984, where the Swat team waited for their leader (who was held up in a traffic jam) while 21 unarmed diners were murdered.

Rhetoric about standing firm against terrorists aside, in Britain we have no more legal deterrent to prevent an armed assault than did the people of Mumbai, and individually we would be just as helpless as victims. The Mumbai massacre could happen in London tomorrow; but probably it could not have happened to Londoners 100 years ago.

In January 1909 two such anarchists, lately come from an attempt to blow up the president of France, tried to commit a robbery in north London, armed with automatic pistols. Edwardian Londoners, however, shot back – and the anarchists were pursued through the streets by a spontaneous hue-and-cry. The police, who could not find the key to their own gun cupboard, borrowed at least four pistols from passers-by, while other citizens armed with revolvers and shotguns preferred to use their weapons themselves to bring the assailants down.

Today we are probably more shocked at the idea of so many ordinary Londoners carrying guns in the street than we are at the idea of an armed robbery. But the world of Conan Doyle’s Dr Watson, pocketing his revolver before he walked the London streets, was real. The arming of the populace guaranteed rather than disturbed the peace.

That armed England existed within living memory; but it is now so alien to our expectations that it has become a foreign country. Our image of an armed society is conditioned instead by America: or by what we imagine we know about America. It is a skewed image, because (despite the Second Amendment) until recently in much of the US it has been illegal to bear arms outside the home or workplace; and therefore only people willing to defy the law have carried weapons.

In the past two decades the enactment of “right to carry” legislation in the majority of states, and the issue of permits for the carrying of concealed firearms to citizens of good repute, has brought a radical change. Opponents of the right to bear arms predicted that right to carry would cause blood to flow in the streets, but the reverse has been true: violent crime in America has plummeted.

There are exceptions: Virginia Tech, the site of the 2007 massacre of 32 people, was one local “gun-free zone” that forbade the bearing of arms even to those with a licence to carry.

In Britain we are not yet ready to recall the final liberty of the subject listed by William Blackstone in his Commentaries on the Laws of England as underpinning all others: “The right of having and using arms for self-preservation and defence.” We would still not be ready to do so were the Mumbai massacre to happen in London tomorrow.

“Among the many misdeeds of British rule in India,” Mahatma Gandhi said, “history will look upon the act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.” The Mumbai massacre is a bitter postscript to Gandhi’s comment. D’Souza now laments his own helplessness in the face of the killers: “I only wish I had had a gun rather than a camera.”

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Remember Pearl Harbor

Remember Pearl Harbor, a day that lives in infamy. A good friend, Joe Hydrusko, was on a ship hear the Arizona and when the Arizona went down. Joe was a corpsman on a hospital ship and he dove in and saved over 20 men. Joe was never awarded the CMH, and he should have been. He was quite a character and sadly died in a plane accident over twenty years ago. He used to fly his Stinson Reliant around the statue of liberty on Pearl Harbor day and drop roses on it in remembrance of what happened and the people that lost their lives that day. It was something I have to admit seemed unreal to me until we had 9/11. God bless Joe, and the rest. 

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21st Century New Deal: It didn't work the first time, and it won't work now.

The New Deal didn't work the first time, and it won't work now. Socialism never was the answer and never should be. Just according to schedule, we now see that Obama IS going to require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism, that you put down your division, that you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones... Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual..." (Speech in February 2008). All I can say is that the Marxist is coming out. He has to. He has appointed centrist democrats as a rendition of Clinton III and now he has to pay back the far left, or may be he's just revealing his true beliefs. What ever the case, we don't need another New Deal. The New Deal was failure in economics, but served to keep FDR in power. With Obama, it's more than keeping him in power, but to transform our government and society into a socialist utopia that is in his mind. There are no words I can use here to describe my utter contempt and derision I have for this mountebank. With a democrat majority, I really don't see how we can head this off. It's going to be time for plan B or plan C. 

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