Archive for 2011

CALLING FOR AN INVESTIGATION OF COMMON CAUSE: “Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert wants Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate whether the liberal group Common Cause should lose its nonprofit status, after a conservative website published footage of protesters calling for the lynching of conservative Supreme Court justices. The footage shows enraged protesters making inflammatory and threatening comments about Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, as well as Thomas’s wife, Ginni Thomas. Gohmert said that the inflammatory remarks are more troubling given the attack on Arizona Democratic Rep. Gabby Giffords earlier this year.”

DAVID BERNSTEIN MOCKS Khaddafy-sellout Stephen Walt. In Walt’s defense, lots of academics were apparently taking money from Khaddafy.

PART OF WHAT TIM BLAIR CALLS THE GRAND CONVERGENCE OF IDIOCIES: Scientist Imam threatened over Darwinist views. “A prominent British imam has been forced to retract his claims that Islam is compatible with Darwin’s theory of evolution after receiving death threats from fundamentalists. . . . The campaign is part of a growing movement by a small but vocal group of largely Saudi-influenced orthodox Muslims who use evolution as a way of discrediting imams whom they deem to be overly progressive or ‘western orientated’.” Ah, yes, those progressive Saudis.

THEY TOLD ME IF I VOTED REPUBLICAN, WE’D BE TORTURING AMERICAN CITIZENS WHO HADN’T BEEN CONVICTED OF ANY CRIME: And they were right! People who voted for Obama are unhappy, though most of them aren’t exactly blaming him yet. But why not? They didn’t give Bush a pass. How’s that hopey-changey stuff working for you?

BRIBERY, MOSTLY: How The Loon Of Libya Won The West. “At least Nelly and Mariah, along with Beyoncé, Lionel Richie, Jay-Z and Usher – who’ve also performed for the Gadhafi clan – held out for decent sums of money. I suspect the intellectuals came far more cheap.”

ON SALE: Lost: The Complete Series, on Blu-Ray for $167.99. So if I sat down and watched the whole thing from beginning to end, would it make sense?

UPDATE: Reader Don Brockette emails: “No, but it would certainly entertain you to no end and you’d be pissed off at the ending just like the rest of us.” Heh. I think I’ll pass.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Reader Ted Nolan sends this. Also this.

HOW THE NANOBOT SWARM will be stopped.

THE COUNTRY’S IN THE VERY BEST OF HANDS: Report details HUD failures to protect FHA insurance fund from bad loans. “The Office of Inspector General found these lenders did not properly underwrite 140 of 284 loans reviewed, or 49%, because they weren’t following FHA requirements. For the 140 loans that did not meet FHA requirements, the borrowers made an average of only five payments before defaulting.” (Via NewsAlert).

UPDATE: C.J. Burch emails his suspicions: “Hmmm. A smart investigator would take a close look at the sellers and the real estate agencies and the closing attorneys and the bank’s attorneys. A real, real close look. A lawyer or real estate agent involved in enough of these would take all sorts of chances to cover them up. They’d figure they had nothing to lose in the covering. And no entity but a government would be this careless with other people’s money. Might pay to see how politically connected the real estate people and attorneys are too. A mayor or a governor or a congressman might really be in a position to profit. In the future everyone will be a friend of Angelo for fifteen minutes.”

A 21ST CENTURY WATERGATE?”

At 3:00, we see the use of fingernails to scrape off the stickers that have been moistened with something from a spray bottle that is referred to as “fresh water” (at 5:06) but produces foam.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

SPECIAL OPERATIONS: Egypt Quietly Invades Libya. “The rebellion against the Kadaffi dictatorship in Libya has not produced any official outside help, but Egypt has apparently sent some of its commandos in to help out the largely amateur rebel force. Wearing civilian clothes, the hundred or so Egyptian commandos are officially not there, but are providing crucial skills and experience to help the rebels cope with the largely irregular, and mercenary, force still controlled by the Kadaffi clan. There are also some commandos from Britain (SAS) and American (Special Forces) operators are also believed wandering around, mainly to escort diplomats or perform reconnaissance (and find out who is in charge among the rebels).”

MY EARLIER LINK TO A roundup of shoot-and-share videocams led reader Carol Sweet to email: “Quick. Since I agree with second sentence. A recommendation for someone with no experience and to this point no interest.”

They’re pretty much all good, really, but I recommended the Kodak Playsport, since it’s cheap, easy, and rugged.