That Might Help Win A Vote Or Two...

The NY Times front page links to Charles Blow's column exhorting Obama to be more visibly emotional and empathetic.  OK, the notion is ghastly enough, but the Times link justifies the subscription price:

Blow: Obama, Give Them Something They Can Feel

Hmm, does the Times want a President who feels our pain or... oh, I am moving on.

BUT SERIOUSLY:  Blow, who is the Times other race-grievance columnist, exhorts Obama to be more visibly angry.  But I bet if I reprised the campaign coverage I could find many articles noting that Obama had a special burden to stay cool and avoid the unfortunate Angry Black Man stereotype that lurks in our collective conscious. 

So which is it - should Obama be cool, or angry?  Beats me (although I Boldly Bet that "calm and effective" would trump "angry and impotent").  But I am disappointed that Blow missed this obvious opportunity to blame Obama's seeming detachment on the prejudices of white America.  What kind of race grievance columnists is the Times running out there these days, anyway?  Oh, well - Frank Rich can pick up this slack tomorrow.

Comments

[anduril]

Here's what he shouldn't be, but probably will be, because he can't help being himself: Obama, the Thin-Skinned President.

[anduril]

And then there's this consideration from Steve Sailer: What should Obama do about the oil spill?

Personally, I think he should put on fins, a diving mask, and a snorkel and swim out and see if he can fix it.

I mean, that sounds about as likely to work as anything else Obama is qualified to do. It's not just that he doesn't know anything about the subject, but he doesn't know anybody who knows anything either. Who's he going to call up whom he knows is likely to give him good advice on deep sea oil drilling? Martha Minow? Elena Kagan? Jeremiah Wright? Laurence Tribe? Bill Ayers? Cass Sunstein? David Axelrod? Emil Jones?

If we are going to expect Presidents to know things, or at least know people who know things, we should probably worry about that before the election.

[NCC]

Tom, cool was so 2008.

[narciso]

He still comes off likr a petulant adolescent,
taking the ball, (shutting off all new drilling everywhere) attacking BP, with the false bravado that 'I'm in charge'

[MarkO]

If only he could campaign against the oil spill and beat it in some sort of rigged election. Then we would see some real energy.

He is incompetent. Take judicial notice.

[mefolkes]

My apologies for going off-topic early, but the real estate management in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that threatened to evict a veteran for displaying an American flag in his apartment window has now backed down. The first news was that they had reached a personal accommodation with the veteran, but their website now says that they are changing their policy to allow OUR flag. Apparently it is still an offense worthy of eviction if a cross or a painting depicting Jesus can be seen through someone's window. Unfortunately, many of the irate people complaining about the policy allegedly made death threats. But the message got through loud and clear.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

I'd be happy if the sonofabitch would just put his hand over his heart when the National Anthem is played.

[mefolkes]

Charlie, that's being unfair. I'm sure that Ear Leader shows proper respect when national anthems are being played, just not for OURS. I suspect that he is very circumspect when it comes to the national anthems of Mexico, Cuba, China and Libya.

[centralcal]

Apologies, but I just posted on the Sestak thread a link to a Real Clear Politics article written in June 2009.

Since everyone has moved on today, I am posting this little bit here. I found it interesting in light of the unpaid Intel Board seat Bubba supposedly was offering Sestak to get out of the Senate race:

In the interview, Sestak offered a long list of legislative accomplishments that went far beyond military matters. They include bills or provisions on veterans affairs, autism, education and small business. In fact, Sestak said he opted out of joining the Intelligence Committee in order to join the Education and Labor and Small Business panels, arguing that they were more relevant to his constituents.

Anyway, the rest of my thoughts are on the Sestak thread.

[Pofarmer]

(shutting off all new drilling everywhere)

How many people, if they even knew about it, would consider this a huge overreaction?

[matt]

That's just great. The clown from the times wants the only president who exhibits most of all that trait which we call smarm, and who regularly hectors and insults both the American people and his opponents to become more emotional and empathetic?

How about just plain presidential?

[mefolkes]

By the way, being Politically Correct does not mean being fair or logical. At my former employer, the majority of the employees were deprived of any vending machine choices that involved pork because a couple of illiterate Somalis had accidentally bought pork chop and ham sandwiches. They also banned any mention of two locally popular ethnic heritage celebrations, Syttende Mai for us of Norwegian heritage and St. Patrick's Day for the Irish, but the company made a great effort to celebrate Cinco de Mayo for the Hispanics and they tried to cater to the Somalis by celebrating Kwanzaa, which actually offended the Somalis, because they tend to hate African-Americans and West Africans. The company did score a hit by beating the drum for Eid and other Muslim celebrations.

[Ignatz]

While he does he not know how to fix a blown oil well, which after all is not part of a president's job description, he doesn't even know how to take responsibility, which most assuredly is.
Yesterday he declares he is in charge and the buck stops with him and then immediately starts whining not only about BP but amazingly enough blames it on Bush even though the well was drilled under his administration. Infantile.

[Ignatz]

*While he does not know...**

[MarkJ]

From the long-running DC musical production "West Wing Story". In this scene Obama is being advised by the leader of the "Sharks" gang Rahm Emanuel before a face-off with the "Sharks," led by David Axelrod, over White House turf.

COOL

Boy, boy, crazy boy.
Get cool, boy!
Got a rocket in your pocket,
Keep coolly cool, boy!
Don't get hot,
'Cause, man, you got
Some high times ahead.
Take it slow and Daddy-o,
You can live it up and die in bed!
Boy, boy, crazy boy.
Stay loose, boy!
Breeze it, buzz it, easy does it.
Turn off the juice, boy!
Go, man, go.
But not like a yo-yo
Schoolboy
Just play it cool, boy,
Real cool!

(Frenetic dance)

Boy, boy, crazy boy.
Stay loose, boy! etc.
Schoolboy...

Just play it cool, boy,
Real cool!

[Pagar]

"Apparently it is still an offense worthy of eviction if a cross or a painting depicting Jesus".

Pajamas Media carries an article today assuring the ones we are fighting against that all symbols of Christianity will be removed from the US military.

Of Course, that apparently does not apply to witchcraft symbols or any Muslim symbols.
Once all Christian symbols are removed from the US Military, it will be much easier to remove them from our entire nation.

"The ‘Secular Crusader’: Former Air Force JAG Looks to Drive All Christian Symbolism from Military"

[Don Brouhaha]

"Blow: Obama, Give Them Something They Can Feel"

Read a certain way, perhaps this is an appeal for the president to provide a better quality cocaine? Just an evil thought crossing my mind.

[Neo]

The day Obama is visibly angry in public, is the day he should announce his retirement.
He won on cool

[narciso]

Beinart, clueless as always, except possibly sometime in 2003, as this piece reveals, in the LUN

[glasater]

Michelle Malkin is absolutely scathing on Zero's emoting.

[Jane says obamasucks]

"Blow: Obama, Give Them Something They Can Feel"

After his press conference, everyone at MSNBC was cooing that he had saved his presidency with his comment about Mahlia.

I guess

We all know the left feels but doesn't think, so apparently that was the ticket.

[Tom Bowler]

Jane, how was Lisbon?

[Porchlight]

I would bet a year's salary that the Malia story is a total fabrication. It is incredible to me that people believe that sort of BS.

[Janet]

Thanks for that link Pagar.

[Gmax]

Sestak is not eligible for the Intell board, it does not allow government employees on it. This is really the best story they could concoct?

The sleaze just oozes from under the door of the office of Emanuel, does it not?

[Quick Weight Loss Diet]

I'm not American so I can't claim to have lived through Obama's domestic policies but I'm somewhat concerned with his broken promise re bring the troops home within 16 months.

[anduril]

Beinart, clueless as always, except possibly sometime in 2003, as this piece reveals, in the LUN

narciso, on a slightly different but equally OT topic, I wanted to ask you, is it your view that Folke Bernadotte got what he had coming to him? And did his terrorist murderers get what they deserved, too? Or is this one of those complicated topics best left undiscussed?

[anduril]

mrs. anduril is currently reading What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848 (Oxford History of the United States). She was telling me today how impressed she has been with the account of the origins of the Democrat Party in the worst sorts of class baiting, and how that has remained its consistent MO throughout the vicissitudes of history. In particular, she was struck by how demagogic Andrew Jackson was. The Amazon page has very informative reviews for those who are interested. Seemed a timely book in many ways. What did someone say--those who are ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it?

[Janet]

Deputy National Security Advisor John Brennan won't know what to do with this news - Muslims Kill 70 Plus Muslims In Mosques LUN

"But we thought that Muslims only killed each other because American troops are in Muslim countries. Or because Israel exists. Or because Western women wear pants."

[Janet]

Drew Carrey pitches less government, more competition, lower taxes to Cleveland council

LUN via Big Hollywood

A collection of videos at Reason that Drew did about Cleveland were very good. Him and that guy Nick Gillespie(? I think).

[Pagar]

Janet, Glad you liked the link. I try to only put up ones that some JOMers will have an interest in. Links from JOMers help me because I don't have time to read all the good stuff on the many great sites that we have available. I always hope mine help others.

"Deputy National" nor none of the others appeasers have a Clue IMO.

"In a dangerous and increasing trend, the politicians are ignoring their constituents. All of them are in lockstep with the Islamic supremacists,"

I have no idea how the politicians think they are going to survive when (us Christians and the Jews are gone) it is just the Islamic supremacists and them.

[Janet]

So true Pagar...The push for repeal of DADT and the increased lawsuits against Christianity in our military seems like it will affect recruitment. We went to an evening military tattoo at the Wash. Monument and school tour groups sat all around. They were all Christian schools. It was very patriotic, and all the branches of the service were highlighted. The military comes to our church youth group too and puts on demonstrations - the guys rappel down from helicopters, hand out literature, try out military gear,...
The Harvard crew won't let the military on campus.
LUN is a good Jan. 2009 post by Ace about repealing DADT and how it will affect recruitment.

[Captain Hate]

Some council members defended the city, saying Carey is proposing simplistic solutions to very complex problems. Carey says he's not suggesting his ideas are a quick fix.

But he says: "Whatever combination you have here in Cleveland just isn't cutting it."

I saw some news clips of the council idiots giving their blah-blah on the "very complex problems". Translation: "We worked very hard to put all these anti-competitive pitfalls in place and we're sure not removing them just because something else makes sense". I'm not sure how immersed Drew might be in nutjob Caliwhorenia thinking but I used to work with a few people that knew him when he was working his way up through the local comedy clubs and everybody thought well of him. His only mistake was thinking he could reason with the crooks in charge of Cleveland.

[anduril]

"But we thought that Muslims only killed each other because American troops are in Muslim countries. Or because Israel exists. Or because Western women wear pants."

Muslims kill--each other as well as non-Muslims--for too many reasons to keep track of, and are continually inventing new reasons to kill. This is why the obvious solution for the US is to exclude them from the country.

[Jane says obamasucks]

Tom,

Lisbon was fun - cold wet, but fun. I blogged about it at You too if you really want details. There are some spectacular pictures there too.

[Melinda Romanoff]

O/T-

Dennis Hopper has passed away.

[daddy]

Mark Steyn belts it out of the Ball Park again: ">http://article.nationalreview.com/435157/king-barack-the-verbose/mark-steyn"> King Barack the Verbose.

I am so happy the hapless NYTimes decided not to hire Steyn and instead opted for Brooks. Steyn mIght have kept them from going under.

[Pagar]

Daddy, that was a great Mark Steyn link.

In the future the Obama Admininstration envisions, there is a good chance we will never be able to read a Mark Steyn article or be able to Blog about them. Doug Ross has the story.

Welcome to Venezuela: FTC Proposes Federalizing Newspapers, and Killing off Blogs

Fidel Castro is going to be so proud of what he has wrought.

[daddy]

Since it seems to be a slow posting day, figured I might try my hand at stealing that paragraph from the BBC reporter yesterday, who bent himself into a corkscrew trying to avoid saying anything derogatory about Obama.

His original paragraph to his BBC readers:

"This is the first major crisis that has happened on Mr Obama's watch and his handling of it has not increased his reputation for competence, leadership or, strangely, empathy."

OK, here goes:

"The discovery of Monica's blue dress with the stain on it has not increased President Clinton's reputation for fidelity, integrity, or strangely, honesty."

"The discovery of the stolen documents in Sandy Berger's underwear has not increased his reputation for competence, credibility, or strangely, trustworthiness."

"The discovery of John Edwards in the locked toilet outside his Love Childs Hotel Room has not increased his reputation for sincerity, candor, or strangely, loose bowel syndrome."

[Frau Steyngehirn]

Steyn may be Jane's, but we all get to love him. He echoes Krauthammer and we should, too:

"Almost every problem we face today arises from the vanity of Big Government. Why has BP got oil wells 5,000 feet underwater in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico? Because government regulated them off-land, off-coast, and ever deeper into the briny."

[Frau Steyngehirn]

Joe Biden's hair plugs have not increased his ability to think, speak or deal honestly with the electorate.

[daddy]

An OT for mefolkes,

Per your request here's what I recommend for the Sis-in-Law in Anchorage.

Posted it late last week but don't know if you saw it

Just some quick stuff for your in-law since you're on thread.

To me you have to have a bicycle to do the town proper. Should be easy to rent or hopefully borrow. Our coastal trail is about13 miles long, simply gorgeous, and well maintained. I think on any blue sky day she'd love just slow peddling up toward the airport, and when I do the full route I'd say I spot moose on the trail 3 out of 4 times.

If she's in decent shape I also recommend climbing Flattop. Very near town, just overlooking everything. Easy to drive up to the upper hillside parking lot, and there are always plenty of other hikers and climbers and puppy dogs and kids around, so that she doesn't have to worry about bear attacks, etc. Just needs a good set of tennis shoes, a jug of water, and a wrap she can take on and off as the temp changes. Even just going halfway is a very nice not difficult hike, but the last 3rd is exciting and somewhat difficult, but by then she will have made friends on the way up.

Another beautiful bike ride is to park at Bird Creek in the visitor lot, then to back on the trail south to Girdwood and back.

Beluga Point is a beautiful safe place for a picnic etc, and basically the whole drive down to Portage Glacier, which I think she would love.

Great fun (a tad expensive) is doing the Prince William Sound Cruise. Make reservations on line, then drive down to the Portage Train depot, and then ride the train thru the Whittier Tunnel. Easy to figure out, and on the other side you wander the 2 streets of Whitier, then take the Cruise back to a number of beautiful glaciers calving in the Sound. Always a good way to spot seals/sealions, massive bird colonies, and big beautiful chunks of ice peeling off the glacier front. Simply beautiful.

Our Lussac Library is great.

Chow wise I would recommend Moose's Tooth for decent Pizza and good beer, tho' the Bear's Tooth has a better ladylike sit down menu. Midnight Sun as well has excellent beer but is hard to find. Cecil likes Humpy's (downtown) and so do I, but since I live south I don't spend much time in downtown Anchorage.

The Eagle River Nature Center is worth a visit.

Also recommend doing the drive to Girdwood and at the Princess Lodge taking the cable car/tram to the top of the mountain and watch the para-sailers launch.

The wife likes Simon and Seaforts restaurant, Double Muskey in Girdwood (Very Expensive), Glacier BrewHouse, Orso's (Italian) just next door, and the Snow Goose is beautiful to drink beer from on the top floor tho' the food is mediocre at best.

Oprah loves the milk cooked Fried Chicken at the Lucky Wishbone and it actually is quite good. And finally Chilcoot Charlies' if she's looking to score crack or for a knifefight between rival motorcycle gangs.

[Ignatz]

Pagar that link was amazing.
I guess the lefties are right; this bunch aren't socialists, they're outright marxists.

[Pagar]

Speaking of BBC, they are reporting that the British finance minister who claimed expenses of 40,000 pounds of rent paid to his partner
has done the honorable Thing.

"He said: "I can't escape the conclusion that what I did was some way wrong."

Hard to imagine an American leftist doing the honorable thing.
No comments from Barney Frank was available.

[daveinboca]

Anduril, I'm also reading

What hath God Wrought

and have an MA in History from the U. of Michigan. The history of the Dem Party, from Martin Van Buren's taking Jackson's racist populism and turning it into a machine in the North with the Know-Nothings, etc, through the secession due to slavery which caused the Civil War, largely a Democratic Party affair [even McClellan, a true Dem, in the '64 election vs. Lincoln wanted to retain slavery] and the slogan "The Party of Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion" was truer than modern day apologists like A. Schlesinger Jr. like to admit.

Big-City machines like the Daley machine in Chicago were usually Democratic muscle-and-money strongarm-tactic quasi-legal operations who had a penchant for appointing crooked judges and police to overlook their peculations. With Obama nothing has changed except now he has a choir of stenographers in the yessir-pleasesir mainstream media plus the Hollyweird and academicide commanding heights to snipe at Republicans and Conservatives from. So nowadays, to expect self-control from a narcissist like Obama is whistling Dixie, as they used to say.

[Manuel Transmission]

Mel -

If you are still hanging around, your ref a few threads ago about the Gl/Ex: I and a bunch of colleagues worked on her (at a distance) for quite a while. In fact, I was in the air flying to L.A. for a project review when the story broke. They told us to just go back home -- game over.

Well worth another bottle of wine to tell some of those stories.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Off to dinner with fellow Russians, back tomorrow.

Trying to remember what I was referring to....

[mefolkes]

Daddy, thanks for the suggestions. However, the gal in question is, ummm, a BIG girl, and major hiking and biking is out of the question, so those elements will not be passed along. I appreciate the effort. It will be a hoot to meet you in person sometime in the next few years. I've already got friends set up to pick up the boat I want in Homer and take it down to Prince of Wales Island for me, so that cancels my priority reason for visiting Anchorage, but I will get up there eventually. Hopefully I'll sell my Minnesota lake home within a few weeks and get my move underway.

[mefolkes]

Manuel Transmission, do you live out on the San Juan Islands, maybe around Friday Harbor? I've been thinking about the flight time you gave to the Bellingham airport. Do you ever run into the Sea Defenders types who base out of Friday Harbor?

[anduril]

daveinboca, I seem to come from a family of history buffs. I do think a knowledge of history allows for useful perspectives on current events--would that more people had it! Several reviews at Amazon note the liberal resistance to Howe's thesis re the Dem Party, but they also note his mastery of the material and his sound judgment.

[Manuel Transmission]

mefolkes, 'bout right on the location. Don't know about the Sea Defenders. Lots of "Save the _____s" around here. Some good, some commie bastards. A local guy with a world-wide techno reach was a major benefactor for the documentary on the porpoise killings in Japan.

[Extraneus]

The walls are cracking.

Rush is right, says … Chris Matthews?

CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Let`s take a look at Rush — I have to do this — Rush Limbaugh today impersonating Bill Clinton and assessing the situation. Let`s listen to [El] Rushbo.

ANDREA MITCHELL: Oh dear!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I`m going to kiss your (EXPLETIVE DELETED) if you kiss my (EXPLETIVE DELETED). I`ll make sure that you — if you come groveling to me, I`ll be happy to help you out here. Now look at what has happened here, they go to Bill Clinton. He`s famous for getting people jobs. Monica Lewinsky offered a job at Revlon. She was offered a job at the United Nations. She didn`t take any of them. But they`ve got Bill Clinton. Isn`t it great, folks, that they found a guy who they know will commit perjury to carry the water here?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEWS: Well sometimes even he can get it right. That was pretty good lampooning, I`ve got to say.

[Danube of Thought]

The headline makes me think of Bill and Monica.

[Extraneus]

Interesting post at HotAir by a former ACORN leftist, Anita Montcrief: Obama, ACORN and Stealth Socialism.

It's a long article, but here's some of a citation to the ACORN People's Platform:

“Our riches shall be the blooming of our communities, the bounty of a sure livelihood, the beauty of homes for our families with sickness driven from the door, the benefit of our taxes rather than their burden, and the best of our energy, land, and natural resources for all people.

“Our freedom is the force of democracy, not the farce of federal fat and personal profit. In our freedom, only the people shall rule. Corporations shall have their role; producing jobs, providing products, paying taxes. No more, no less. They shall obey our wishes, respond to our needs, serve our communities. Our country shall be the citizens’ wealth and our wealth shall build our country.

“Government shall have its role: public servant to our good, fast follower to our sure steps. No more, no less. Our government shall shout with the public voice and no longer to a private whisper. In our government, the common concerns shall be the collective cause.”

[Extraneus]

I like that, "the farce of personal profit."

Remember Obama 's health care comment, from 2009:

"[B]y avoiding some of the overhead that gets eaten up at private companies by profits, excessive administrative costs and executive salaries, it could provide a good deal for consumers."

That comment never got enough play.

[mefolkes]

Manuel Transmission, my bad. It's the Sea Shepherds, led by Paul Watson. These are the kooks in the documentary series "Whale Wars" on Animal Planet. They were so radical that they had to part company with Greenpeace. Their home base is Friday Harbor. Watson is so completely committed that one day someone is going to die, and it could be on either side.

[boris]

"In our government, the common concerns shall be the collective cause.”

Resistance is futile ...

[Ignatz]

--It's the Sea Shepherds, led by Paul Watson.--

That fat tub of s#&* is lucky the French aren't whalers or his rust bucket would be resting on the bottom of the sea alongside that Greenpeace garbage scow trying to interfere in the Frogs' nuke tests a few years back.

[narciso]

Steyn also points out how BP had come to think of itself as "Beyond Petroleum (hence
their involvedment in cap n trade) which served them in no way in the end, Back when
it was Anglo Persian, they had a better understanding of what was involved

[peter]

So true, Narciso, the BP stations around these parts all had photovoltaic cells installed over the gas pumps, which probably on a good sunny day could save, oh, a gallon of petroleum., Then again, they were probably just there for show, and not hooked up to anything. Even its logo is supposed to resemble the sun. I constantly marvel at Mark Steyn's ability to come up with great insight.

The latest is that the top kill operation failed. As Larry Kudlow pointed out today on his radio show, this is going to have a severe impact on our nation's economy.

[Extraneus]

What ever happened to "allegedly"?

Sestak Case Puts Rahm Emanuel's Backroom Politics Back in Spotlight

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who [alledgedly?] enlisted the help of his former boss Bill Clinton to approach a congressman about sitting out a Senate primary race, has been involved in several political controversies during his 20-year-plus career in Washington.

Sheesh. FoxNews?

[anduril]

"the benefit of our taxes rather than their burden,"

How many ACORN workers and people who support it do you think are actually paying taxes and how many are getting substantial transfer payments--EITC, etc. More like: "the benefit of someone else's taxes."

They brain wave of the founders of ACORN was to bring the country to its knees by maximizing claims on the welfare system.

[narciso]

I know Ex, they are better than the competition, generally, but they still swallow the latest meme, since when do you give a prize to the candidate that is winning, I understand the loser has to be paid off, except Specter has sold out his
soul, so this will be probably be his swan
song

[Extraneus]

[Allegedly] [a]t the behest of Emanuel, Clinton [allegedly] dangled an offer of an unpaid presidential advisory role to Sestak to help clear the field for the White House-backed Sen.

There, I fixed it for you, fool. Who the hell wrote this?

[narciso]

Nobody put their name on it, the comments section kind of makes up for it, in volume
and intensity.

Speaking of things that give me heartburn, they're going to have the stalker McGuiness
on MTP, glad I'm not going to be home. Lawrence Spivak is screaming from the great
beyond

[Manuel Transmission]

--It's the Sea Shepherds, led by Paul Watson.--

They must be using FH as a chic base location because of the Orca here. Lots of wackos around here, but a lot of locals are getting tired of the carp. Property values are plummeting because of the migration of CA restrictions on property use. The whale watching rules just about prohibit any boats within the entire Pac. NW.

If the tipping point is ever reached, there is going to be a lot of crab bait feeding the local Dungeness variety.

[Danube of Thought]

Is it fair to say that, on his performance to date, the election of Barack Obama is not likely to be remembered as the moment the planet began to heal?

[Ann]

narciso:

I haven't read all the threads yet, but have you seen this:

Stalker Joe McGinniss Reveals His Cards

By being here, I have learned things, and I’ve gotten an insight into her character, into her ability to incite hatred, that before I only knew about in the abstract.

LOL, Sounds like Todd scared the creepy little putz.

[Pagar]

Extraneus, I read the ACORN article, sounds like they expect it to be a lot like Cuba.
Only those who are unhappy with their carp won't have any place to go.

[mefolkes]

Manuel Transmission, I no longer joke about that sort of crab bait. One of my Alaska friends was nearly beaten to death by her ex-husband. Then he tried to dispose of her body by stuffing her in a modified king crab trap with weights and no marker buoy, but he was so afraid of being discovered that he rolled the trap overboard not far from shore. The cold water revived her and she swam to shore. The amazing thing is that he only served three years in prison.

[narciso]

That is an understatement of huge proportions, DoT, and I came across that segment, Ann, Tim Blair did the best justice
to that raving lunacy

[daddy]

What! Top Kill failed? And after O took responsibility?

How the heck is Obama gonna' tell Malia that he failed to "Plug The Damn Hole?"

Sure he's limber enuff to place his own head up his kazoo, but placing his own boot on his neck, now thats a stretch.

Bummer. Does this mean no vacation in Chicago, and will he now actually have to ask physicists with politically incorrect views of Gay Marriage to help heal the Sacred Ocean?

[Ann]

DoT:

Have you seen this?:

Republican Hopeful for Obama's Illinois Senate Seat in Flap Over U.S. Navy Award

What is "the U.S. Navy's Intelligence Officer of the Year" award?

It appears to have gone to Kirk's unit not to Kirk.

[narciso]

This is what I was referring to,in the LUN

[Jane says obamasucks]

Ann,

In the risk of piquing Anduril's rage, I've posted the podcast of this week's show on You Too.

[Thomas Collins]

Jane's podcast is great. She even appeals to the twentysomething crowd (I played the portion on the Arizona law for my son and he enjoyed it).

[Ann]

Jane:

Well, he doesn't like pictures either. So:

No one is happy on vacation in Chicago, daddy.

Now I am going over to listen to Jane. What was that terrific website? Oh, yeah, it is YOUTOOCONGRESS.COM :)

[Janet]

Tim Blair is great Narciso. I use to read him a lot more, but still go by every now and then. He had really funny comments at his site too.
He has a post up on a Kookaburra bird that is too fat to fly...one of the comments says, "Looks like that bird was in Gitmo." Ha!

[narciso]

That's much like David Hicks ,the Wallaby Taliban, who gained a fair amount of weight
and no end of ridicule from Blair, through out his stint there.

Great solo debut btw, Jane,

[Thomas Collins]

In Lord Stanley action, Blackhawks take game one over the Flyers, 6-5.

[Pofarmer]

LOL, Sounds like Todd scared the creepy little putz.

I'd really, really like ta meet Todd Palin.

[Thomas Collins]

Lakers eclipse Los Suns, 111-103. NBA Armageddon starts next Thursday (Lakers-Celtics).

[PD]

Is it fair to say that, on his performance to date, the election of Barack Obama is not likely to be remembered as the moment the planet began to heal?

Actually, it might be that moment, but not in the way that Obama intended: His election seems to have galvanized the people in this country who actually do the work, to unite in concerted political engagement toward the goal of rooting out corruption, cronyism, and all that appalling stuff that characterizes our ruling political classes who so richly deserve to be tossed out and replaced by people with principles worth believing in.

Sorry for the run-on sentence.

[Neo]

Oh my God. We've have Chance Gardener as President.

[Pofarmer]

Been thinking about Sarah Palin's resignation some, lately. Dunno why, other than the "quitter" meme get's brought up quite a lot. Local talk show host the other day said he was "quite disappointing" with that decision, and I haven't gotten to take it up with him yet. One thing I've been wondering, with all the commissions, and interviews, and testify, etc, etc, I wonder how much of the decision was to protect her friends and associates? You know that the Democrat's on these committees were busy baiting perjury traps, and just itching to get the Feds involved.

[daddy]

Kid Stuff:

Instapundit had a ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDD7Ohs5tAk"> wonderful little video today of an 8 month old kid getting cochlear implants and hearing his mothers voice for the first time ever. Simply a great smile on the kid and worth the 50 seconds it takes to watch. Very heartwarming.

That led me to the other cochlear implant videos at Youtube, also good." Ellie hears a What" was slow, but especially fun in the last minute as you see her loving the sound of her sandals smacking and echoing in the parking garage, and then see her laughing at hearing her laughing.

Anyhow,somewhere that had me thinking about kids while dash 2 ( the youngest) and I today climbed ">http://concierge.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/04/flat_top.jpg"> Flattop, our decent climbing peak in Anchorage.

Fun day, beautiful weather (65F) blue sky's, but the upper trail still has plenty of snow on it and in places is very slippery, and the top 5th requires always requires being on all fours going up or down.
Anyhow, the point being that today for some reason I observed kids. Saw probalbly 2 dozen--3 to 12 in age. T'was fascinating to watch and to try to figure out (the old nature/nurture conundrum) why some kids (boys and girls) take to being unafraid Mountain-goats unleashed in Paradise, whereas others are scared poodles, so petrified of their footing, that they whimper and shut down the trail.

It's not all nature, as 1 family's great 5 year old in a green jacket just went off like a rocket with all the rest of the family screaming. A good future SEAL that. One 4 year old on the way down proudly told me and Dash 2 that this was not his first time all the way up, but it was the first time he had done it himself. Daddy in the background was cool and proud.

Yet other military boys were all but dragging scared and older kids along. And then along would come some bunch of teenagers jogging down the hill or some little girls with their dog and athletic Mom sidestepping the cry-baby on the trail, scrambling like crabs above and below the standard path on big snowbanks, and then blasting onward.

My guess is both nature and nurture, but that the "blank slate theory" is pedantic sophistry, and that inside a kid is already something that is afraid of the mountain or that already as happy as a pig in poop to be unleashed on the mountain.

Anyhow, a very fun day. Couple good slips. Muddy as heck, and Dash 2 and daddy will sleep well tonight.

[Bill in AZ]

Sheriff Joe on in a few. Standwitharizona. There is a webcast somewhere. This has been awesome tonight.

[narciso]

There was certainly that thought with the defense fund, Po, and when then that was shot down, as an ethics violation, to protect against ethics violation, that was certainly
the final straw., and she said as much in her book. But she saw that the issues that concern
her, could not only be addressed from Juneau, but from a national stage

[bgates]

Republican Hopeful for Obama's Illinois Senate Seat in Flap Over U.S. Navy Award

So the contest isn't between an inexperienced mobbed-up buddy of Obama's whose family's bank's recent failure cost the country four hundred million dollars and a 5-term Congressman and 20-year Navy reservist (one of the two reservists in Congress) who won a medal for his service in Kosovo, it's between an inexperienced mobbed-up buddy of Obama's whose family's bank's recent failure cost the country four hundred million dollars and a 5-term Congressman and 20-year Navy reservist (one of the two reservists in Congress) whose unit won a medal for his service in Kosovo?

[narciso]

Well, yeah, when you put it like that bgates, it changes everything, sarc.

[Elroy Jetson]

Remember our fallen heroes on this weekend.
Sounds like a nice hiking day for you and the kid, daddy. I've been tearing up and down the trails here in Juneau lately as the spring has been outstanding.

[daddy]

While Republicans have challenged President Barack Obama’s response to the disaster, Pelosi said Thursday that she has not encountered any criticism from her side of the aisle.

“I’ve heard no complaints from my members about the way the president has handled it,” Pelosi stated. ">http://talkradionews.com/2010/05/pelosi-blames-bush-for-lax-offshore-drilling-oversight/"> Link.

[Ralph L]

whose unit won a medal for his service in Kosovo
I'd bring that up on dates, but I wouldn't put it on my resume.

[daddy]

Elroy,

Didn't know that was your territory. Looks like you'll have a new neighbor soon in mefolkes.

Weather here has been beautiful, but the ADN says we already have 80 active wildfires burning in the state as of today so if they are big I suspect we'll lose visibility over the next week.

[mefolkes]

I'd be happy to meet most JOM regulars, but Elroy is at the opposite end of the panhandle from where I will be. I have seen a number of items on Craigslist up in Juneau that I'd be interested in, but even if I had completed the move, it would be a long and expensive ferry trip or boat ride to get a bargain. Eventually I'll want to see the whole state, and Juneau will be part of that adventure.

[daddy]

Did some research tonite on Sarah Palin's stalker Joe McGinniss, that I doubt has been posted anywhere else and that certainly isn't being discussed by his Wapo apologists.

I don't know much about the guy but scouring the internet of old Anchorage Daily News papers for stories by his girl friend at the time, I came upon this May 22, 1976 article on him, over to the left in the link of the story by his girlfriend, reporter Nancy Doherty. (Hope this ">http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=93o0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=kr4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=2794,2170929&dq=nancy+doherty&hl=en"> Link works.) (It's page 6-of 22; thats him with his hand at his chin). It gives us some background on the guy, his dicked up personal life, and his quest to get as close to as many celebrities as possible in order to try to tear them down so as to fit them into his preconceived personal opinion that nobody is heroic. I Had to type this as it would not copy/paste, so hope the link works if anyone cares to read it. McGinniss was up here working on an upcoming book. He had just finished "Heroes."

"As Joe McGinniss tells you in his new book "Heroes", there aren't any.

"I had a theory" McGinness writes "America no longer had national heroes as it once did because the traditional source of heroes had dried up." Because of Vietnam, because of WaterGate, the computer, television, social upheaval, and general disenchangement, modern men have feet of clay.

McGinniss went on a personal search for heroes, to meet William Westmoreland, Eugene McCarthy, George McGovern, Daniel Berrigan, Joe Hooper,..William Styron and others.
Rising out of interviews with potential heroes, former heroes, and might-have-been-heroes is McGinniss's conclusion: "There are no heroes because there are no heroic acts to perform"...

The book is an outward search of the people benesath the hero myth, but it is also an inner search, to peel away his own fears and frustrations and come to some self-understanding.
He chronicles much of his life for the reader and plots his own self awareness journey. As McGinniss tells it, he grew up in Rye N.Y, as the only son of an alcoholic mother and a father who didn't know how to behave as one...Then at 26 he found himself bewildered at the course of his life, married with three children, but in love with another woman...

Then came "Heroes". In the course of researching the book he found his subjects "confronting the same terrors and fighting the same demons I did."
He found Ted Kennedy trying to fit himself into the kennedy legend, living the unlived portions of his brothers lives.
John Glenn was gracious, but evasive and decidedly unheroic. So were Eugene McCarthy and Daniel Berrigan.
McGinniss didn't see Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, who has become reclusive and teaches school in Cincinnati. He also couldn't get to Bob Dylan.

Those he could reach he found fallible, in part because of their public exposure. "You can't be larger than life when you're so exposed", he says. He mentions Charles Lindbergh as the last hero, partly because he kept himself so far from the Press...

He seems now to have sorted out many of the oppressive personal difficulties he reflected upon in "Heroes"..."Each of us will have to construct his own mosaic, will have to build his own myth."
"I am busy now", he says, "working on mine."

So according to McGinniss's own theory, you cannot be a hero in America if you let the Press get close to you, so therefore Sarah Palin let me get close to you since I'm the Press, and if you don't invite me in kindly to tear you down as a hero, then you are inciting hatred, just like Neil Armstrong and Bob Dylan who wouldn't talk to me either so that I could personally tear them down.

McGinniss strikes me as that cartoonish bad guy (Syndrome) in the Pixar movie "The Incredibles." He has a desperate personal condition because he's not a hero, therefore he purposefully goes out to destroy real heroes since he isn't one himself and he doesn't want real heroes around to remind guys like himself that he's not one. He's a psychological mess.

[daddy]

Hey,

When did Narciso ">http://militarytimes.com/blogs/battle-rattle/2010/05/27/gunnys-sarah-palin-tattoo-the-butt-of-jokes/"> join the Marines?

PLease accept in good humor Narciso.

[Jane says obamasucks]

Just watched the 5:30 AM Chris Matthews Sunday show, and not a word about Joe Sestak. The tingle has certainly returned to Chris's leg.

Thanks TC - constructive criticism would be gratefully accepted. You guys are too kind.

[Extraneus]

Hey, daddy, I know you're up on descriptions of Obama's emotions, withering questions, etc. Anyhow, it seems that...

President 'Enraged' Over Latest Failure to Stop Oil Gusher

The evidence for this is that he uttered the following statement:

"As I said yesterday, every day that this leak continues is an assault on the people of the Gulf Coast region, their livelihoods, and the natural bounty that belongs to all of us," Obama said. "It is as enraging as it is heartbreaking, and we will not relent until this leak is contained, until the waters and shores are cleaned up, and until the people unjustly victimized by this manmade disaster are made whole."

[Extraneus]

Gee, I have to help the editors again.

Clinton's [Alledged] Role in Sestak Controversy Stirs Questions About His and White House Motives

At the behest of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Clinton tried last summer to persuade Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak to abandon his primary challenge to Sen. Arlen Specter by offering an executive branch post, [according to a claim by the former President].

But in perhaps a sign of Clinton's fading influence, Sestak [allegedly] turned the offer down and whipped Specter in the primary last week.