COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Senator Obama, where is your indignation over Democratic big shots laughing about hurricane coming to New Orleans?



Here is the HOPE artist months ago in New Orleans. Heard anything from him yet about this? Anyone seen anything on CNN, New York Times, Washington Post?




126 comments:

  1. Oh Man, we need a Good Laugh. There's Always a Catch!

    This is Great. Just One Question, "Where did they hide the Damned camera?"

    ReplyDelete
  2. How the GOP Convention should deal with Gustav.

    Seen posted over at FreeRepublic. A Professional PR guy makes a bunch of suggestions including running a telethon to raise cash for hurricane victims.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Katrina has gotten itself into the language as a synonym for government screw up.

    But I still maintain that most of the screw up was with the local and state governments.

    When the Feds brought all that equipment down from the mid west, they almost had to fight their way in, in a sense. Had to clear roads, bulldoze trees and so forth out of the way, etc. I don't see it as a massive failure of the federal bureaucracy, which is always slow.

    But, we got to live with the myth, and it's a good call to put on hold/cancel the convention, even if it is all for show.

    Katrina was a good stage setting for Geraldo Rivera to get some good tv time, among other professional followers of disasters.

    ReplyDelete
  4. From somewhere in the bowels of the comments on Maggies Farm:



    Hello Everybody

    Just wanted to share my new experience.

    If your Windows XP fails to start due to an error related to missing HAL.DLL, invalid Boot.ini or any other critical system boot files you can fix this by using the XP installation CD. Simply boot from your XP Setup CD and enter the Recovery Console. Then launch "attrib -H -R -S" on the C:\Boot.ini file and remove it. Run "Bootcfg /Rebuild" and then Fixboot

    Cheers,
    Carl
    #17 admin_papa on 2008-08-30 05:25 (Reply)
    WTF??
    #17.1 Steve on 2008-08-30 08:22 (Reply)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Katrina has gotten itself

    Point of language.

    A storm itself in our talk is neither male nor female. Then, with our system of naming willy-willys from the alphabet, and, as I think we do, changing the gender with each new letter, should I have said, "Katrina has gotten herself" or, did I make a lucky guess when I wrote 'itself"?

    Bill Bryson might know.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What's the credibility level of the tape?

    Could it be a fraud?

    There are no faces, lots of background noise and marginal audio.

    How good is the source?

    ReplyDelete
  7. The Levee by Johnny Lang


    I have been to Memphis but I couldn't find no peace
    My soul is feeling restless and I need some relief
    I'm heading for the Delta, see what I can find
    I know the river holds the answers that'll ease my worried mind

    Take me down to the levee where the women sing
    Lay me down like an angel with a broken wing
    Take me down to the levee where the river flows
    Gon' throw my blues off the levee and let them go

    Well, I have been to Natchez, been down to Baton Rouge
    But the Delta keeps on callin' me no matter what I do

    Chorus

    Solo

    I'm drivin' through the darkness, down Highway 61
    Heading for the crossroads like the ones before me done

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  8. If you think running a small town anywhere as Mayor is a lark, consider that Our Lady Palin probably had to put up with the Alaskan equivalent of THIS

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Bobby Jindal just did a presser updating the status of LA's efforts.

    Very impressive. FWIW.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The initial failures in New Orleans during the Katrina episode were at the Federal level, at the Corps of Engineers.

    At the local level the Mayor was guilty of negligence, at least. The school buses flooded in testimony to that reality.

    The State, in the person of the Governor failed to take decisive action. Did not declare a State of Emergency quickly, did not call out the Nat Guard.

    FEMA, headed by Brownie, performed as anyone who knew him would have expected. Slowly.

    Bush appointed him, it is a secret why. His tenure at the Arabian Horse Association of America, not a qualifier on its' own merits.
    They say he was someone's roomie in college, and that was the qualifier, for FEMA chief, post 9-11-01.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Indian floods cut off thousands

    The BBC's Damian Grammaticas

    Half a million people in the Indian state of Bihar remain stranded in villages which have been devastated by massive flooding, officials say.


    A BBC correspondent reports chaotic scenes as soldiers try to reach those cut off and people attempt to scramble from rooftops into rescue boats.

    With 1.2 million people homeless, India is struggling to cope with the crisis.

    The flood waters are spreading to new areas, and conditions in relief camps are overcrowded and unsanitary.

    The floods are known to have killed at least 75 people in Bihar but the death toll could climb once the situation in remote areas emerges.

    Tens of thousands of people have also been displaced in neighbouring Nepal where some of those who have lost their homes are camping under plastic sheets.

    Disorganisation

    Visiting the Bageecha relief camp in Purnea, the BBC's Sanjoy Majumder could find no camp co-ordinator or government official in charge of distributing aid.

    ReplyDelete
  12. That's true in a way, Whit. It's a fact that a lot of the good guys and gals had more important things to do.

    But, finally, it got so bad that the Greater Moscow Alliance was formed, and in one election the whole darned bunch of them were swept out of office.

    I think, hope, we've seen the last of Linda.

    Who actually isn't a bad person, she just wants to freeze life in Moscow, stop it dead cold, and has never seen a private initiative that she was for.

    If it's the University, that's another matter.

    --
    Didn't I just see a post by Whit saying something like no one wants to run for a position like Pall has held, or, am I going nuts?

    ReplyDelete
  13. RE: young(ish) people doing remarkable things. Johnny Lang recorded this song when he was all of 15 years old. He was considered one of several to inherit the legacy of Stevie Ray Vaughn. Lang made three blockbuster albums before the talents scouts put him in a studio with professional producers. The fourth album (actually fifth I think - there was a lesser very early release) was the "produced" version of the "dirty guitar" genre. The noise of the protest was deafening. Out of curiosity, I bought it, thinking the fan base didn't appreciate musicality married to raw talent. Wrong again. I am hoping this artist will recover from his Milli Vanilli phase. The song below has to be heard to be appreciated but I can't find it online. Use your imagination. 15 years old.



    Artist: Johnny Lang
    Song: Louise
    Album: Kid Jonny Lang & The Big Bang - Smokin'
    [B u y " Kid Jonny Lang & The Big Bang - Smokin' " CD]

    Her name was Louise,
    she came from Mississip'
    She had a way with her walk,
    her gown was really hip
    I met her on the corner,
    she was looking mighty fine
    Well I knew right when she kissed my lips,
    she was mine
    She loved me in the morning,
    she loved me noon and night
    She dressed just like a pretty girl,
    the girl was out of sight
    Her name was Louise,
    and you know she aimed to please
    Louise
    Well I met her on the street one day,
    I saw her with my eyes
    She looked and said hello to me,
    I thought I would die
    Next morning when she left me,
    a smile upon my lips
    She kissed me and she said good-bye,
    I watched her crazy hips
    She loved me in the morning,
    she loved me noon and night
    She dressed just like a pretty girl,
    the girl was out of sight
    Her name was Louise,
    and you know she aimed to please
    Louise
    Well now a year has past,
    she's been seeing other guys
    I never thought a pretty face,
    could tell so many lies
    The guys that she's been seeing,
    all have her on their minds
    But by the time she's done with them,
    they all look so satisfied
    She loved me in the morning,
    she loved me noon and night
    She dressed just like a pretty girl,
    the girl was out of sight
    Her name was Louise,
    and you know she aimed to please
    Louise

    ReplyDelete
  14. Obama's Ratings Touchdown
    29. August 2008 - 14:15
    by Joal Ryan

    Even a football stadium couldn't hold Barack Obama's audience.

    An Oscars-esque 38.4 million watched Obama's speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination, Nielsen Media Research said today.

    Actually, the Oscar ceremony hasn't averaged 38 million-plus viewers since 2006.

    Obama's Thursday speech, delivered before about 75,000 at the football home of the Denver Broncos, not only topped this past year's Oscars (32 million), but every night of the just-concluded Beijing Games (which, at its best, scored 34.9 million), and last spring's American Idol finale (31.7 million).

    The speech drew more viewers than President Bush's last State of the Union address (37.5 million) and was easily the most-watched hour of this week's Democratic convention.

    Nielsen stopped short of outright declaring it the most-watched convention event ever as its data for night-by-night, convention viewership only goes back to 2000.

    Also unknown is exactly how many people watched the Obama speech live on TV.

    Nielsen counted everybody who caught the speech on one of 10 broadcast or cable channels, but, as is its way, did not count those who watched it on a noncommercial outlet, à la PBS or CSPAN.

    ReplyDelete
  15. A poster at BC raised the subject of Book of Job again - God's wrath in the form of natural disasters. Another interpretation is that Job is the "myth" that allows man to conclude he has a right to object to injustice. God remains infuriatingly silent on the subject. That being the interpretation of William Safire.

    It does seem that natural disasters are clustering. The Indians have elementary flood control if any. Many of the interior drainages are shallow with heavy sediment loads. They don't carry anywhere near a large storm event like 100-yr or whatever, closer to a 5-yr to 10-yr capacity if that. The point being, these floods in India will continue and the damage will be substantial.

    ReplyDelete
  16. The Book of Job is great, but God wins in the end.

    Why in the hell should anyone repent in dust and ashes when they haven't done anything wrong?

    It is much better and manly to say with the Greeks, "I don't give a fig for Zeus, let him do as he will."

    The Greeks were on man's side, the Old and New Testaments, not so much.

    Let Zeus do what he will.

    We'll elect Sarah Palin if we choose to do so.

    ReplyDelete
  17. bobal said...
    "Where's Ash in all this discussion--crying under a socialist bed?"

    Been on the road the past couple of days visiting friends and playing some golf. When I first heard about the Palin pick my immediate reaction was "Is McCain TRYING to lose?". I see by reading the comments here that it please the pub base though. How many votes of those not in the base she'll garner I'm guessing is quite low. Maybe she'll win all the debates, have a squeaky clean background, and be able to think on her feet well enough to appear capable but the first editorial cartoon I saw wasn't encouraging: Basically they had an aging looking McCain with a 72nd birthday flag (or something) and a big boobed cheerleader dressed Palin saying "What's an oval office?" (I haven't been able to find the cartoon published online)

    I find it kind of funny all you hard nosed foreign policy folk gushing over her selection because she is anti-abortion and loves her guns. Carry on!

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  18. the first editorial cartoon I saw

    Which of course is right in line with your deep thinking.

    ReplyDelete
  19. "When does life begin?"

    Obama--"It's beyond my pay grade."

    Sarah Palin--gives birth.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Why in the hell should anyone repent in dust and ashes when they haven't done anything wrong?


    That being Safire's point:


    To be a Joban, Safire suggests, "is to be outraged by injustice and to be determined to right Authority's wrongs."

    Job, "the first dissident," is Safire's "political metaphor for ... principled resistance to authoritarian rule." Or, more succinctly, "dissent is Godly."

    Reviewers did note the burden of the Biblical context in Safire's secular thesis:

    We know that Job suffered, in solitude if not in silence, as the pawn in a power struggle between God and Satan. But it is risky to isolate the Book of Job from its context. If there is an overriding theme in the Hebrew Bible, surely it is the necessity for obedience to divine command, and the terrible consequences that inevitably follow upon disobedience. This would hardly satisfy Mr. Safire's penchant for dissent, which, of course, explains his preference for the Book of Job. But even Job, in the end, recognized and respected the inaccessible mystery of divine behavior. He knew, better than anyone, the distinction between authority and Authority.



    It's a good read. Safire looking for the human needle in the divine haystack.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm sure she'll dazzle US with here probing thoughts on the economy (she'd be well advised to read Slade I think) and her approach to foreign policy illuminating a means to stem the russian menace spearheaded by the wily Putin.

    Maybe she really has a good policy head, what's your bet Bobal?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Maybe she really has a good policy head, what's your bet Bobal?

    My outlook is she has the best noodle of McCain, Obama or Biden.

    And she has a son in the military.

    And I think she has a very quick mind, and a great outlook on life.

    Will she make mistakes? Sure, everyone does, but I see her as being on the side of the angels.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hey Rufus,

    Thanks for the laugh. Them fellers sound like my neighbors.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'm sure she'll dazzle US with here probing thoughts on the economy

    Dammit Ash, it's that smarmy kind of crap that ticks people off.

    What are your probing thoughts on the economy, and how to deal with energy for our country of 300 million people? Let's hear it from Ash, how to deal with this, with all the conflicting interest groups, demands and political infighting.

    She at least, as a starter, has the good sense to advocate drilling in her home state, rather than sit on the curb and cry.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Ash said...

    I'm sure she'll dazzle US with here probing thoughts on the economy (she'd be well advised to read Slade I think) and her approach to foreign policy illuminating a means to stem the russian menace spearheaded by the wily Putin.


    I dunno Ash. Seems she'll take the lead from the President on this one.

    Wonder what Obama's vast foreign policy experience will guide him on how to respond to Putin? Care to give all of us bitter, religious, gun-nuts the view from the Obama perspective?

    I am ready to be edumacated. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  26. If there is an overriding theme in the Hebrew Bible, surely it is the necessity for obedience to divine command

    Which is, exactly, what?

    Exactly what is this 'divine command'?

    To the muzzies it is to kill you.

    When the Hebrews were in the desert, it was to attack the cities, and kill 'em all, and take the booty.

    Just who says, and what is, this 'divine command'?

    Many are the crazies in the nut house proclaiming a 'divine command'.

    The Germans for a while thought they were listening to a divine command. And if they had won the war they'd still be thinking so.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Meanwhile, when we are all focused on our election here, a news report has it that Israel might Go It Alone

    ReplyDelete
  28. If I'm not mistaken she's probably had some dealings with Putin, already. Law of the Sea, Oil, and all that.

    I think I read, somewhere, that Putin said she was the only one he talked to over here that had any sense at all. He, also, seemed to think the Hildebeast was a moron. I'll try to find the link.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Putin said she was the only one he talked to over here that had any sense at all.

    Which is high praise, even if, and maybe particularily since, it is coming from a stone cold killer.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Putin 'n Pallin.

    Just pallin' around.

    Got kind of a ring to it.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Should John McCain lose in November, Sarah Palin has just pole-vaulted into front-runner status for 2012. Should Mr. McCain win, her grip on the next Republican nomination will become a lock.

    So this is the future of the Republican party you are looking at: a future in which national security has bumped down the list of priorities behind abortion politics, gender politics, and energy politics. Ms. Palin is a bold pick, and probably a shrewd one.

    It's not nearly so clear that she is a responsible pick, or a wise one.


    Irresponsible Choice?

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  32. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  33. bobal said...

    "My outlook is she has the best noodle of McCain, Obama or Biden."

    What do you base your outlook on bobal? What indicators are there that we can look to to determine the veracity of your statement?

    bobal said...

    "And she has a son in the military."

    whaaa??? Are you friggin' kidding? She'll make a great VP because she has a son in the military?
    bobal said...

    "And I think she has a very quick mind, and a great outlook on life."

    Again, what do you base this on. So far I've seen she is good with guns and she has 5 kids. Have you got more? Maybe she really is all you think she is but, so far, I've seen little in the media to date which supports this. It may very well be true and time will tell but precious little has been out there for us average folk to evaluate. Condi's got a track record at State, Romney and Lieberman pretty well known. Obama's got policy planks all over the place but what have you got for Palin? She's pretty, anti-abortion, and shoots a mean gun. Good for the base I guess, but not much else.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Yeah Ash, I watched three times a video last night where she was asked questions about Alaska and energy policy.

    I was impressed how her mind grabbed the question, and formulated the answer, all at once. Having done that, all that was left was to put the answer into words, which she did with grace. I think she is a bright girl.

    "And she has a son in the military."

    Of course that would not mean anything to you, but the people in uniform will do their best to protect you just the same.

    "And I think she has a very quick mind, and a great outlook on life."

    As above about the mind, as to the outlook on life, she is willing to take the chances that come with being alive, and be true to her babies even if they are disadvantaged. I call that a good outlook on life. She seems vibrant and alive in a good anti/Paris Hilton kind of way. The fact that she and her husband are outdoor types is good too, something couch potato America should take a lesson from.

    These foreign policy questions are big questions. When you look at the options, it usually comes down to only two, maybe three, choices. And we have foreign policy 'experts' in all our colleges arguing the exact opposite positions, with many credentials to back them up.

    I'd trust Sarah Palin to make a good choice, just as much as I would trust Bush, Obama, McCain, Biden or any of the others.

    You must admit, Obama hasn't done so well--Iran is a little country, no threat to us, and then changes that tune, one day he's going to invade Pakistan, the next he thinks Afghanistan is more important than Iraq, which any fool can see is not the case, he wants to gut the military, stop weapons development, etc.

    No sir, I'll take Palin, who knows at least not to kill her own children, rather than think them, as Obama said, an 'inconvenience'.

    ReplyDelete
  35. well, there is the advantage that Mr. Obama has past mentors and associates who could serve as special envoys or liaisons in his new administration

    some farmers believe the soil has a little something to do with the outcome of the crop

    ReplyDelete
  36. some farmers believe the soil has a little something to do with the outcome of the crop

    :)

    Plow deep and plant early, nurse the crop along, and harvest and celebrate in the fall. Then, all is well, and all will be well.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Plow deep and plant early, nurse the crop along, and harvest and celebrate in the fall. Then, all is well, and all will be well.


    Deep and early, Obama's tactical plan, he has nursed the crop along.
    He had not work that New Hampshire soil like McCain did, though.

    Guess we'll have to wait and see what the fall harvest brings.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Heard a good one trollin' around the "intertubes."

    What's the Difference between McCain and Palin?

    McCain, being an ex-Naval Aviator knows how to fly an airplane.

    Palin, being a Bush Pilot, knows how to Land one.

    Come to think of it: McCrash did seem to spend a lot of time gathering up his parachutes. heh.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Rat--I think the pubs have a fighting chance now.

    I was pessimistic before, even with the polls kind of even steven, but I think this is a good choice, we got a woman on our side now, who isn't another old white haired guy, she will bring a lot of folks along to give the Republican ticket a real look, and no one is going to have to say with apology why they didn't vote for the socialist black guy.

    But what's her position on immigration?

    ReplyDelete
  40. The most real candidate in our lifetimes vs the most unreal.
    And a mediocre slimeball Lawyer for Veep.

    ReplyDelete
  41. From Bob's "Go It Alone" link:

    Hearing his hosts speak of their future investments, Sneh replied quietly "it's a shame, because Ido will light all this up." He was referring to Maj. Gen. Ido Nehushtan, the recently appointed IAF commander and the man most likely to be the one to orchestrate Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, should this become a necessity.

    "Investing in Iran in 2008," Sneh told his Austrian hosts, "is like investing in the Krupp steelworks in 1938, it's a high risk investment." The Austrians, according to Sneh, turned pale.

    In related news, a top official said Friday that
    Iran had increased the number of operating centrifuges at its uranium enrichment plant to 4,000.

    [...]

    "Right now, nearly 4,000 centrifuges are operating at Natanz," Attar told the state news agency IRNA. "Currently, 3,000 other centrifuges are being installed."


    On the other hand, the timeframe is now expressed as a year and a half to two years, same article. Not the recently mentioned period between the election and inauguration.

    We've been hearing the same threats from similar voices now for what, two years or more?

    I think the only thing to bank on is that when the Israelis get serious, there'll be no warning. That, and nothing will happen until Olmert is gone.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Or, as the Rand Corp tells US:

    How Terrorist Groups End

    Abstract
    How do terrorist groups end? The evidence since 1968 indicates that terrorist groups rarely cease to exist as a result of winning or losing a military campaign. Rather, most groups end because of operations carried out by local police or intelligence agencies or

    because they join the political process.


    So, if elijah's link is accurate and
    BEIRUT -- Hezbollah has extended its international reach by establishing contacts with left-leaning, environmental and peace groups opposed to U.S.-led economic globalization, analysts and people tied to the group say.

    The Lebanese Shiite Muslim militant organization and political party, which is designated as a terrorist group by the United States, has participated through a front organization in dozens of gatherings where attendees criticized U.S. foreign policy and global financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.


    Hezbollah may be well on the way to their own end, as terrorists.
    If the Rand Corp is wrong, no harm done. All they are saying, is give peace a chance.

    To paraphrase John Lennon.

    ReplyDelete
  43. I think the only thing to bank on is that when the Israelis get serious, there'll be no warning.

    Right, there was never any warning before.

    ReplyDelete
  44. It would have to come some time after the US is no longer responsible for the security of Iraq.

    Or we could not allow the over flight of Iraq, without interference. If Iraqi airspace was Iraq's responsibility, the Istaeli would have clear flying.

    The US's UN mandate to provide security for Iraq expires, 20Dec08, I do believe.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Provides about a thirty day window that the Israelis could operate in, with Team43 "looking the other way".

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  46. See if this makes it past the Ivy Covered Gates:
    ---
    Yeah, hd, gas.
    Like she wants nothing to do with a flatulent old fart like you, that’s why it’s platonic.

    ReplyDelete
  47. They wanted to buy some new tanker aircraft from us, and we didn't do it.

    If I was President, I would have sold those planes to them.

    But then, if I was President, I would have bombed Iran years ago, for the sake of sanity in the world.

    ReplyDelete
  48. They'll have to buy those tankers directly from AirBus, bob, just like US.

    We may not have any surplus to sell, we are way short, ourselves.

    ReplyDelete
  49. "Michelle Odrama"
    - Miller's Son

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  50. Interesting twist. The Great Satan gets deniability by turning the air space responsibility over to a Shiite led muslim nation, under UN rules.

    Only how much deniability would there be, in reality? Or be needed?

    I don't question Israel's motives or will. I would worry about their physical ability to sustain an air campaign alone long enough to accomplish the job.

    ReplyDelete
  51. We may not have any surplus to sell, we are way short, ourselves.

    :) That's what I get for mouthing off outside of my expertise of farming.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Maybe now they could land and refuel in Tbilisi.

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  53. According to some @ BC, Bob, your services are needed in Afghanistan to grow crops for Biofuels for our Troops when the Pakis cut us off.

    ReplyDelete
  54. It's a long way to Iran, however they think about doing it.

    I think there must be discussions in the Israel defense departments about using nuclear weapons.

    This is as serious as it gets. As Whit said one time, God help us all.

    It's idiotic what the Russians are doing. And the EU, that won't put real sanctions in place.

    We are drifting down an unknown river here.

    ReplyDelete
  55. The following is a Comment by Tom W. at Gateway Pundit:

    I was looking forward to the speeches of Bush and VP Cheney at the convention where they would explain why Palin is such an[sic] great VP choice because she has such excellent foreign affairs[sic] and national security experience due to Alaska being close to Russia.

    Well, since Bush and Cheney are otherwise occupied, my semiliterate friend, I'll do it for them:

    Alaska is the first line of defense in our missile interceptor defense system. The 49th Missile Defense Battalion of the Alaska National Guard is the unit that protects the entire nation from ballistic missile attacks. It’s on permanent active duty, 24 hours a day, unlike other Guard units, which means that Palin has unique experience among governors.

    Palin is regularly briefed on highly classified military issues, homeland security, and counterterrorism.

    She's also the commander in chief of the Alaska State Defense Force (ASDF), a federally recognized militia incorporated into Homeland Security's counterterrorism plans.

    Palin is privy to military and intelligence secrets that are vital to the entire country's defense. Given Alaska's proximity to Russia and the presence of Fort Greely, the home base of the 49th Missile Defense Battalion, there’s no doubt she has security clearances we don't even know about.

    In August of 2007, Russia resumed its bomber patrols off the Alaskan coast. Fighters of the Alaska Air National Guard have intercepted Russian bombers on several occasions. Each incursion has to be treated as a potentially hostile act, and the governor must be informed and ready. Sometimes the interceptions are coordinated with Canadian fighters as well.

    Then there's the oil and gas infrastructure that must be protected for reasons of national security. Al Qaeda has called specifically for attacks on the Trans-Alaska pipeline, and at least one American terrorist was arrested for such plans.

    Sarah Palin has dealt with issues no other governor has. She can be entrusted with our national security, because she already is.

    6:48 PM

    I googled the 49th missile defense battalion; and, sure enough, Sarah Palin is in charge of the Unit that provides the Missile Defense for our Country.

    Also, every incursion by Russia's Bear Bombers have to be treated as a Hostile Act. Care to guess what her security clearance is? Bet it's higher than the Bambam man's.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Tell 'em I'm retired Doug, but there are lots of younger up and coming farmers around. Call the local Farm Service Agency for leads.

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  57. Let's assume for a moment McCain/Palin win. What're chances that John Bolton could be appointed to State? He'd be my pick.

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  58. Great post, Rufus.

    Ash, you listening?

    ReplyDelete
  59. bobal said...

    If there is an overriding theme in the Hebrew Bible, surely it is the necessity for obedience to divine command

    Which is, exactly, what?

    Exactly what is this 'divine command'?
    ////////////
    King James
    Mark 12
    28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

    ReplyDelete
  60. bobal said...

    If there is an overriding theme in the Hebrew Bible, surely it is the necessity for obedience to divine command

    Which is, exactly, what?

    Exactly what is this 'divine command'?
    //////////////////
    Exodus 20:2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;

    3 Do not have any other gods before me.

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  61. And thy neighbor as thyself, which is even better, the former having no meaning, as we know from St. Aquinas, who said, you only begin to know God when you know that everything you might say about him is false. (not exact quote)

    He had his moment of infused comtemplation, and before he died, said, everything I have written is like straw. Then, he died.

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  62. Oops, it seems I might have gotten a little carried away on the National Guard, thing. It seems that on National Security/Defense matters it comes under control of the Feds.

    ReplyDelete
  63. But some people have had that moment of infused contemplation, they just can't put it into words.

    But they all say, love thy neighbor as thyself.

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  64. Exodus 20:2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery

    Yes! The Hebrew Bible is a book of liberation, though you got to overlook some passages to see it.

    But it is really wonderful, even having the younger sib, who is beat on by his elder sibs, coming out on top.

    This happens so often, that you finally realize, it ain't no mistake.

    That is to say, it doesn't have to be this way.

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  65. Schopenhauer said something to the point that when a man or a woman, or anyone, as frequently happens, will dive, taking his life at risk, into a cold winter river to save a drowning child--that is a valid metaphysical realization. Spontaneously, at once, a person realizes that the other really is oneself. A spontaneous realization of something of the truth.

    The ancient Egyptians, builders of pyramids, understood this, with their myth of the Two Brothers, who fought here in our four dimensions, but were at one behind the scenes. The Secret of the Two Brothers.

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  66. Meister Eckhart, Doctor of the Church, and darned near burned to death for heresy, said, "Why do you flap you gums about God? Let Christ be born in your being, which is the Second Coming, then, you will be getting somewhere."

    Or words almost exactly like that, from his German.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Boulton sure should have some important place in a new administration, State, or somewhere else.

    ReplyDelete
  68. Cheney for Defense. :-)

    :)

    Riots in the streets.

    Rumsfeld for Ambassador at Large.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Chairman of Haliburton for Commerce.

    ReplyDelete
  70. George W. Bush for Ambassador to Iraq.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Secretary of Agriculture--Bobal.

    Secretary of Cultural Affairs--Mat.

    ReplyDelete
  72. Secretary of Domestic Affairs--Miss T.

    ReplyDelete
  73. Ambassador to Islamic Lands--What is Occupation.

    ReplyDelete
  74. Ambassador to
    Venezuela--
    Trish.

    ReplyDelete
  75. The eye of the hurricane looks like it will miss New Orleans. Heading for Lake Charles. Probably bring lots of rain and tidal surge to NO though. Too bad North Carolina couldn't get some of that rain.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Cheney will decline the bid.

    So Desert Rat for SecDef.

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  77. Secretary of the Interior and Park Service--Desert Rat.

    ReplyDelete
  78. Director of Marine Fisheries--Todd Palin

    ReplyDelete
  79. Ambassador to Russia: Ash?

    Taken under consideration.

    If he lived, he'd learn alot, but, let's think about this one for awhile.

    ReplyDelete
  80. Directors of Communications--deuce and Whit.

    ReplyDelete
  81. You must realize this thread led off with:

    rufus said...

    Oh Man, we need a Good Laugh.

    ------------

    Director Central Intelligence--Habu

    ReplyDelete
  82. Director Central Intelligence--Habu

    Perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  83. White House Press Secretary--Ann Coulter

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  84. Do you suppose deuce and Whit will leave us alone in an untended bar again?

    ReplyDelete
  85. Ambassador to Russia: Ash?

    Taken under consideration.

    If he lived, he'd learn alot, but, let's think about this one for awhile.


    At this point in time, it may be "above his pay grade."

    ReplyDelete
  86. I had an experience like that once. Owner got tired...said bar's open guys, you're on your honor...we'll settle up later.

    Nice to be trusted.

    ReplyDelete
  87. I think if they knew what we are doing, they'd kick us out of here.

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  88. But, we've agreed on a damned good functioning gov'ment.

    ReplyDelete
  89. Still need a hard ass for Atty Gen.

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  90. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  91. hmmm, that's a tough one.

    Who is that hard assed lawyer from NYC or Chicago that has so many convictions, not that he has any real ethical convictions himself?

    We need a guy like that, a real son of a bitch, read in the law.

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  92. Some slime bucket like that guy from New York, that was fucking all the whores, some real piece of crap, that's what we need.

    ReplyDelete
  93. Were you thinking of Patrick Fitzgerald? Or Gerald Fitzpatrick, or something like that?

    ReplyDelete
  94. Elliott Spitzer--AG

    Perfect! Give 'em something to bitch about.

    Director of Outreach to MADD--Joe Biden

    ReplyDelete
  95. Yeah, some guy like that, some asshole that would sue his own grandmother, that even a corrupt Priest wouldn't give communion to.

    ReplyDelete
  96. Spitzer, that comes close, with Bernie Ward as his adviser.

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  97. Folks, this Palin woman really is (man, I hate to use this term) a Rock Star!

    Read this article about the Rally in St. Louis. It was all about, Sarah, Sarah!

    ReplyDelete
  98. (ring, ring)

    Hello?

    -Hi is this Wolf Blitzer?

    Yes

    -Wolf, this is Elliot Spitzer.

    Yeah?

    -Just wondering if you might be interested in a Blitzer/Spitzer 3-way.

    ReplyDelete
  99. Ruf, you are Secretary of Energy, and Sam, you are the Ambassador to Australia with open portfolio to do as you wish.

    ReplyDelete
  100. Thanks, Bob!

    I will do just that!

    Out of here for the day. Have a good one!

    ReplyDelete
  101. My ISP said they'd cut off service to my mtn community today, and I'm having troubles with the new DSL service modem.

    If I disappear, you'll know why. I'll be around 'til then, but Good Nite, all in case I go dark.

    ReplyDelete
  102. Night Linear, and all you other fellows.

    ReplyDelete
  103. We've always had good luck with Help from Verizon, Linear.
    Now Called Hawaiin Tel, I think, but back when it was Verizon, if the online help didn't do the job, they'd send a guy out, esp right after it's put in.
    What Company You got?

    ReplyDelete
  104. "Still need a hard ass for Atty Gen."
    ---
    BORK!

    ReplyDelete
  105. I was going to stuff Barry taking the flag off his plane down benj's throat, only to find that fellow egomaniac McCain's plane had none either.
    (they both now have SMALL flags painted on their fuselages)
    Betcha President Palin will have a big-ass American Flag on her plane!

    No American Flag on the Republican John McCain's Plane Tail on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

    Photos Boeing 727-212-Adv Aircraft Pictures Airliners.net DOLE

    Photos Boeing 757-28A Aircraft Pictures Airliners.net Bush Cheney

    Photos Boeing 757-236 Aircraft Pictures Airliners.net Kerry Edwards

    ReplyDelete
  106. McCain's isn't even red white and blue!

    Interior of Obama's kicks McCCain's ass.

    O-Force One - From The Road

    ReplyDelete
  107. "His chair has his name and campaign logo embroidered on the back top -- “Obama ‘08” on one line and “President” underneath."
    ---
    Typical

    ReplyDelete
  108. That Dole shot looks a lot like San Luis Obispo, to me, Linear, do you recognize where it might be?
    (never spent much time @ SLO Airport)

    ReplyDelete
  109. It's Normie Minetta International San Jose!
    You know the guy that got the Medal of freedom for putting Muslims at the front of the line in public transportation.

    ReplyDelete
  110. Secretary of Cultural Affairs--Mat.
    ==
    For those wondering, that's just code for General Secretary. :)

    ReplyDelete
  111. For those of you who are foto buffs, Leica is now producing a new 50mm Noctilux f0.95 lens to go with the digital M8 body. You can check flickr for some of that gorgeous Noctilux photography.

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete