Why Are You All So Cynical?

It’s not often that you come across an article that is concise, insightful, and useful. Jon Gabriel at Ricochet has managed all that – and he put it into a handy chart (The Media Narrative Chart for reporting violent crime). A laminated copy would make a nice gift for any current or aspirational members of The Future Journ0lists of America club.

This single chart serves as the equivalent of a masters degree from any one of America’s foremost J-schools.

That certainly begins to explain our fascination with the size of Kim Kardashian’s butt doesn’t it?

Butt back to the chart: for any budding journOlists who may still be confused about the old school attribute of objectivity once considered a requirement for those who chose the reporting profession, Mr. Gabriel provides some helpful clarification:

Remember that the job of the Objective Journalist™ is not to tell the audience what happened, but to expand the event into an indictment of Western culture.

At the rate things are proceeding, I predict all of Western civilization will be not only indicted, butt tried, convicted and executed for crimes against humanity before Barry leaves office.

I’d like to nominated Calvin for Speaker of the House.

Linked By: Larwyn’s Linx on Doug Ross@Journal, and BlogsLucianneLoves, and Free Republic, Thanks!

Cross-Posted on Patriot Action Network

It’s enough to make a grown man cry.

We don’t know exactly what happened, all we know is that the attack left at least one man down.

By all accounts it was an “alcohol fueled” incident related to “nightlife”  shenanigans. Little is known about the perpetrators at this point butt apparently there had been a confrontation between the two groups earlier.

Early reports indicate that the wounds, while serious, do not appear to be life-threatening to the body.

Even so the whole affair is enough to make a grown man cry.

I sure hope they clear this mess on Capital Hill up quickly so we can get back to waging the war on terror (at least I think we’re still waging the war on terrorism.) However, this distraction is just unnerving. In fact it brought many members to tears:

“It is total confusion — a banana republic,” said Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), a Boehner ally, as he recounted seeing a handful of House Republicans weeping Thursday over the downfall of McCarthy and the broader discord. “Any plan, anything you anticipate, who knows what’ll happen. People are crying. They don’t have any idea how this will unfold at all.”

Which I think speaks volumes to why it really is time for the old sot rot to leave.

In other news: Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone is recovering from multiple stab wounds inflicted by either two or five men who may or may not be Asian. No relation to terrorism. So move along and enjoy your “Nightlife.”

Linked By: BlogsLucianneLoves, and Free Republic, Thanks!

Cross-Posted on Patriot Action Network

The Only Gun Law That Will End Mass Shootings

What does Barack Hussein Obama wish to achieve by politicizing mass shootings?  “Safe and sane gun laws? What are they? For a lot of progressives it entails a “a gun-free society.” 

I know I’m going to sleep better, now that Hilz has finally stated her position on gun control: she thinks it’s time for responsible gun-owners to 'take back' the 2nd amendment from those dangerous, nut-job extremists in the NRA. And she does this while managing to squeeze out a few tears (just to prove her humanity).

And just in case you don’t think she’s willing to take on the NRA, let me assure you she is; `

I predict this clip will be as infamous as the “I am sick and tired” rant back in the 2008 campaign.

She’s willing to do what-ever-it-takes to get some “common sense” gun control around here: she’ll even take on the Supreme Court. Nor is she afraid to use the power that BHO has invested in the Presidential Pen, if need be. And yes, that is a threat:

“I’m going to speak out, I’m going to do everything I can to rally people against this pernicious, corrupting influence of the NRA and we’re going to do whatever we can.”

Well praise glory, and page John Lennon and Yoko Ono: Hillary’s on board. Don’t let Dana Loesch’s pragmatism effect your final position:

I know a gun law that will prevent future mass shootings; one that requires every law-abiding citizen over the age of 21 to own, train with, and carry a gun for the express purpose of defending one’s self and the lives of others. Then when some maniac decides to go on a shooting spree the their will only be two casualties and the second one will be the maniac.

Butt since that’s not going to happen I suggest you get out of the way, because the Peace Train is headed toward a town near you.

“Everyone jump up on the peace train” (h/t: Yusuf Islam)

Go ahead, give peace a chance.

Linked By: Larwyn’s Linx on Doug Ross@Journal, and BlogsLucianneLoves, and Free Republic, Thanks!

Cross-Posted on Patriot Action Network

How About Them Sweet Potatoes?

I’ll be boarding a C-130 early this morning and heading west to an undisclosed location where Raj and I will be undergoing our annual hi-tech systems checks and undertaking some major rehab projects. Which is to say there will be a complete radio blackout for a few hours as we do a fly-over. 

So, while I’m out of contact, why don’t you reflect on Lady M’s ridiculously busy week:

First, her fugue in B&W minor with Beyoncé - which was billed as a Global Citizen Festival, whatever that is:

 Whew! That looks dangerously close to a Lenny Kravitz wardrobe malfunction!

Then there was the girl power gig, where MO tried to convince girls to give up boys in favor of an education;

“There is no boy at this age that is cute enough or interesting enough to stop you from getting your education.”

Uh huh.

Poor MO, nobody told her it wasn’t an either/or proposition. I’m pretty sure even Princeton has had a coed campus (and dorms) for the better part of a half century, which means she could have had both a boyfriend and an ivy league education. Unless you’re LGB and/or T - and who isn’t? – in which case you could have a girl/boy; boy/girl - or any combination thereof - friend.

In any event, hooking up doesn’t seem to be getting in the way of a girl’s education these days:

In 2013, according to the Current Population Survey, 25- to 34-year-old women were 21 percent more likely to have a college degree than men and 48 percent more likely to have finished graduate school.

While liberals love to talk about the War on Women, it clearly has not affected their educational prospects.

Butt you know, “war on women.”

Then there was the Chinese State Dinner, where in addition to serving as hostess she performed her wifely duties with aplomb – here she is trying to make sure that at least BHO’s tie was straight:

Reddit grabbed the pic and challenged people to “make it funny” – as if it wasn’t – and Reddit readers were happy to comply:

And, after all that, she still managed to find time to harvest the sweet potatoes!

Wow! What a woman: that’s like bringin’ home the bacon and cookin’ it up in the pan!

And of course, sweet potatoes are good for you; especially with bacon:

Enjoy! And don’t feel bad about spitting the pits out. They’re just there for looks.

Linked By: Larwyn’s Linx on Doug Ross@Journal, and BlogsLucianneLoves, and Free Republic, Thanks!

Cross-Posted on Patriot Action Network

Art Imitates Life Imitating Art

Art may imitate life, but life imitates television. – apologies to Woody Allen

What the heck’s up with Showtime?  I hope their income taxes are up to date. Did you see this, from Sunday’s premiere of Homeland?

They are going to be placed on somebody’s “enemies” list, and I’m not talking about ISIS’.

It’s like art imitating life, imitating art. Or something.

Linked By: BlogsLucianneLoves, and Free Republic, Thanks!

Cross-Posted on Patriot Action Network

A Brief Drive-By Ride With the Fourth Estate

The pressure of deadlines: who can’t relate?

Quarterly reports due, meetings to attend, proposal submissions…the clock just keeps ticking. And if you’re a reporter for, say, the New York Times, and you’re handed a story line with a tight deadline, mistakes will be made.

Even so, 6 mistakes in one drive-by hit job on Melania Trump seems a bit excessive.

Okay, technically it was a hit job on The Donald; Melania was just collateral damage.

Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful, hate me because I’m Melania Trump

I think I’ve found a solution for these overworked journalists:

A company called Automated Insights created a program called WordSmith that generates simple news stories based on things like sporting events and financial news. The stories are published on Yahoo! and via the Associated Press, among other outlets.

NPR even pitted one of it’s best business reporters against the machine; the machine completed the assignment in 2 minutes while the live reporter took 7. If you want to insert your own editorial bias into the story though, you’ll have to pony up for the optional political spin pac.

Of course there will always be a small group of individuals so gifted that the software will prove useless to them:

“Mr. Putin had to go into Syria not out of strength but out of weakness because his client Mr. Assad was crumbling and it was insufficient for him simply to send them arms and money. Now he’s got to put in his own planes and his own pilots.”

Those silver-tongued devils are few and far between and will not be relegated to reporting for the likes of the New York Times.

Linked By: BlogsLucianneLoves, and Free Republic, Thanks!

Cross-Posted on Patriot Action Network

Poetry Sunday: The Wisdom of the Gods of The Copybook Headings

I’ve outsourced my post today to Neo-Neocon and Rudyard Kipling, both of whom, in their own way, have written about black holes:

 Nature abhors a vacuum

First, Neo: she wrote an excellent article discussing the enigma that is our magic negro president.

Nature abhors a vacuum

It continues the ongoing debate of whether Barry is a fool or a knave (spoiler alert: they are not mutually exclusive). And she includes interesting insights from various other authors:

In my recent post exploring the life and work of the remarkable Brit F. L. Lucas, I came across a quotation that’s particularly apt:

“One may question whether real civilisation is so safely afloat,” he wrote in his last published letter (1966), “that we can afford to use our pens for boring holes in the bottom of it.”

It’s just a pen, what harm can can be done?

Obama could never have been elected, or in particular re-elected, if generations of intellectuals and not-so-intellectuals had not spent so much time and effort boring holes in the bottom of Western Civilization. Obama is merely reaping the fruits of their lengthy and patient labor.

And commenters:

Obama is not ideologically deceived. He is not doubling down on failure. He is doing what he is doing deliberately, and he is winning.

If it was incompetence, if there was an element of chance, if any statistical probability was operating; at least once in his two terms Obama would have done something that was not harmful to the country in either the foreign or domestic fields.

This is calculation. This is careful calculation and concerted action.

Once is chance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.

…And the Gods of the Copybook Headings are preparing a page to be written in Crimson.

Which of course brings us to Mr. Kipling, author of The Gods of the Copybook Headings, also writing about black holes:

As I pass through my incarnations in every age and race,
I make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market Place.
Peering through reverent fingers I watch them flourish and fall,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all

When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace.
They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease.
But when we disarmed They sold us and delivered us bound to our foe,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "Stick to the Devil you know."

On the first Feminian Sandstones we were promised the Fuller Life
(Which started by loving our neighbour and ended by loving his wife)
Till our women had no more children and the men lost reason and faith,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "The Wages of Sin is Death."

In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul;
But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "If you don't work you die."

Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew
And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true
That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four —
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more.
As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man —
There are only four things certain since Social Progress began: —
That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire,
And the burnt Fool's bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire;

And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return! - The Gods of the Copybook Headings, Rudyard Kipling, 1919  

One occasionally forgets that there really isn’t anything new under the sun. Kipling reflects on just one cycle of the world’s madness. The world churns on; the pendulum continues to arc with counterbalancing velocity tracing back over each subsequent cycle of debauchery. While we, the modern day Cassandras, are left to ponder the role of prophets who see the boat taking on water long before most people even know the pen has been poking holes in it.

The validation of so many sad insights is of little consolation unless one is like those movie paleontologists so happy to be vindicated in their prediction that dinosaurs still exist that they do not care that they are about to be eaten by one. One can only hope the readers of this site are not similarly consoled. A history of good guesses does nothing to answer the problem which desperately needs solving: alright we’re in a crisis, but what do we do now? How do we dig ourselves out of the hole? – Richard Fernandez

That’s a pretty deep rabbit hole you’ve dug for yourself

The truth is we can’t simply dig ourselves out of this mess, we’re going to need booster rockets. BIG booster rockets!

 

Linked By: Larwyn’s Linx on Doug Ross@Journal, and BlogsLucianneLoves, and Free Republic, Thanks!

Cross-Posted on Patriot Action Network

Liberalism: It’s not a choice, “it’s a need based on a disorder of the brain."

 

The story of Jewel Shuping demonstrates that there simply are no limits to the mental disorder of liberalism. Jewel is the woman suffering from a somewhat new affliction dubbed “body identity integrity disorder” (BIID) who chose to blind herself because “she always felt she was meant to be blind.”

The most amazing thing about this story is that after years of “dreaming of being blind” and “blind-simming” she found a sympathetic psychologist to help her fulfill her dream. Seriously - he poured drain cleaner in her eyes in order to blind her. It worked. Why isn’t he in jail? I guess the new parameters of the healing professions is to indulge the victim’s fantasies rather than address the underlying cause. Which seems pretty liberal of them.

Butt Jewel understands if you don’t understand – which is damn liberal of her:

"I do understand why some people would be angry about a person giving themselves a disability.

"They think it's a ploy to get social security, or a waste of advocacy that would be better focused on people with an involuntary disability.

"But I feel that the way I became disabled doesn’t really matter

"If someone were to say that its fundamentally selfish to blind myself, I would say that it’s selfish to refuse treatment to somebody with a disorder.

"This is not a choice, it’s a need based on a disorder of the brain." Daily Mail

If I were to suggest that mental health issues ought to be diagnosed and treated rather than obliged, does that make me a bad person? Or simply non-liberal? (not that there’s a difference)

You might see people suffering from BIID, butt I see crazy people

BHO suggests that “common sense gun control laws” would end the current rash of mass shootings. May I humbly suggest that even more effective might be a common sense approach to dealing with mental illness; you know, like we used to: lock them up if they show signs of being a threat to themselves or others.

Oh, and regarding that “my body my choice” meme? Here’s my choice: the Bodyguard 38 – by Smith and Wesson.

Because I also choose life - and I want to ensure that the chalk lines the police draw when they show up aren’t drawn around MY body.

Linked By: Larwyn’s Linx on Doug Ross@Journal, and BlogsLucianneLoves, and Free Republic, Thanks!

Cross-Posted on Patriot Action Network