quotable

"Once abolish God and the government becomes the God." -G.K. Chesterton

Monday, October 12, 2009

Democrat Grayson to Hold Meeting in Tiniest Town Hall Available, Possibly a Van Down by the River



Guess who's holding a town hall meeting tonight? Representative Alan Grayson, Democrat of Florida, who said Republicans want you die quickly and refused to apologize for it. That is, if you reserved your seats in advance to attend a venue that holds less than 200 people. With those kind of restrictions, why hold a meeting at all? He should just stay in his living room and invite family, friends, and staff over to celebrate Obamamania.

This is the same man that was cheered by all the unreasonable voices on the Left for calling America's current health care system "a holocaust." But to listen to Rep. Grayson tell it, he has a conscience and Republicans don't. Democrats can pass anything they want, because they're the good guys and Republicans are "knuckle-dragging Neanderthals."

Does an elected official who limits the number of citizens allowed to participate in his town hall meeting sound like a champion of the people? Does he sound like a man with a conscience? Or does he sound like a simple-minded Neanderthal who is going to vote his far Left agenda regardless of the opinion of his constituents? In fact, dare I say it, but since he brought it up, Rep. Grayson sounds like a tyrant. He evokes the language of Nazis, who after all, just wanted to do what was best for Germany. In their mind, the Nazis were "serving the collective good." Rep. Grayson wants to tell us what's in our own best interest, even if it violates our liberties. Those willing to stand up for their individual rights are to be demonized, ostracized, and silenced.

But let's look at the representative's claim for a second. A holocaust usually involves a government or sect of the government actively infringing on the rights of others. Since the poor receive aid and by law no one can be turned away from treatment at a hospital, and since we have free will to spend money on insurance at our discretion, that's a ridiculous claim to make. However, once everyone is funneled into a government run health care plan complete with rationing boards, boards that take away choices and decide when you can live and when it's your time to die, we might then arrive at a moment where "holocaust" is an appropriate term to describe the state's actions.

Let's look at some examples of the socialized "care" Rep. Grayson's conscience hopes to bring to America. Cases like this in England, where a woman had to step in to save her mother from being starved to death by the NHA, because they determined she only had a few days to live. That was nine months ago, and her mother is doing just fine, thank you. It's amazing what food and water will do for someone's longevity.

Maybe one day Rep. Grayson can actually say that he helped pass the law that caused millions of Americans to face situations just like this, condemning them to die prematurely. He can say he helped bring the holocaust of starving the sick to America. And again, I only use these terms because the congressman so eloquently brought them up.

Representative Grayson is a Democrat Congressman who has made a mockery of our system of government. We sent these people to Washington, D.C. to represent us, not to rule over us. This is an issue that will affect every American's life, their health, and the health of their family members. But Rep. Grayson would rather shout insults than work for reasonable reforms that a majority of Americans support. Maybe they should give him a Nobel Peace prize, because there's little doubt where he's learning this behavior.

To attend the meeting or call and complain about the restrictions: 866-939-3737

Friday, October 9, 2009

Neville Chamberlain Welcomes Barack Obama to Nobel Appeasement Club


I can't say that I'm shocked at the announcement that President Obama won the Nobel Peace prize this morning. For shock value, they would have to award it to someone actually deserving. Like General Petraeus or the current government of Honduras for ousting would-be tyrant Zelaya. In other words, those citizens of the world willing to stand up and fight to achieve long-term security and peace. The Nobel Peace prize is really just an appeasement award (the name carries more weight than most of its recipients) and has hardly been a measure of any kind of success. With past winners like Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, and the International Panel on Climate Change taking home trophies, there might as well be a spot for SpongeBob SquarePants or Susan Sarandon (I don't know which to take more seriously). One can only assume the Norwegians felt bad seeing Obama leave Europe empty-handed after his failed Olympic bid, and therefore deserving of at least some sort of consolation prize to make up for the embarrassment.

If anything, Barack Obama's Nobel Peace prize confirms what most conservatives have always feared from Democratic presidents, that America's position in the world has been terribly weakened. We have abandoned a principled position of standing for freedom to appease dictators like Ahmadinejad, Chavez, and Gaddafi. You might recall that these ruthless, authoritarian despots had nothing but high praise when they spoke of our president at the U.N. When dictators who ceased their power ruthlessly start praising an American president, you have to be concerned about what we're doing that they like. If I was over at the RNC, I'd be editing their Obama endorsements into a campaign ad.

These are dangerous times, and this award doesn't bode well for our national security. America has always been a beacon of hope and a voice for the oppressed. If we fail to keep the embers of freedom burning, we risk letting the darkness of tyranny overtake us. Those who don't know history are condemned to repeat it. Neville Chamberlain was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1939 for appeasing Hitler, just as today our president tries to appease all the James Bond villains of our time. Earlier this week, Obama chose to support a UN referendum condemning free speech that can be found "irresponsible", "intolerant", or "religious and racial stereotyping". You know, the sort of speech Iran, China, and Syria like to suppress by jailing and sometimes killing innocent protesters.

Of course, we all know what devastating events occurred a year after Chamberlain won his award. Let's hope the same thing doesn't happen under Obama's presidency. America certainly appears to be softening on terror. Now might be a good time for the president to counter that perception by adding troops in Afghanistan, assuming he doesn't tie their hands behind their backs (I won't hold my breath).

As a reminder of what perils we face, here's how the
world revered Mr. Chamberlain before history proved him to be the goat of his time:
Suggestions to honour Mr Chamberlain in some tangible form for his great services to peace continue to be made in many parts of Europe. The French nation is now concentrating on how it can repay "the first artisan of peace".

Numerous proposals for renaming streets, starting funds and erecting statues are contained in the French press, and Le Figaro states that the British prime minister should be immediately invited to Paris so that all can acclaim him. One paper suggests starting a fund so that monuments and statues might be erected to the "saviour of modern Europe" in every capital in the world. Strasbourg has overnight renamed streets: the Avenue de la Paix is now the Avenue Neville Chamberlain.

The assertion that Mr Chamberlain should receive the Nobel peace prize, says the Stockholm Tidningen [newspaper], is warmly supported in all quarters in Sweden and Norway, and England. Mahmond Pasha, the prime minister of Egypt, has telegraphed Mr Chamberlain the thanks of the Egyptian government and people for averting war. The telegram concludes: "Your name will go down in history as a statesman who saved civilisation from destruction."

The administration, the Far Left, the European elites, the frauds at the UN, and the mainstream media will tell you Barack Obama has brought peace to our time. Go home and get a nice quiet sleep.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Keith Olbermann's Super Horrific Health Care Hour


Years ago, there was a Seinfeld episode where Jerry's hand cramped up from having to endorse too many residual checks from his appearance on a popular Japanese show called the Super Terrific Happy Hour. On Wednesday night, MSNDNC's favorite Daily Kos blogger, Keith Olbermoron, introduced Americans to the antithesis of this by filibustering about health care for a super horrific, almost unwatchable hour of special commentary.

Keith's special commentaries, which usually last a few minutes at the end of each show, are often amusing in a sophomoric kind of way. His grasp on liberal logic is excellent, which is to say it's completely incoherent, his points backed by nothing but unsubstantiated anecdotes, personal prejudices, non-sequiturs, and ad hominem attacks. Needless to say, a full hour of Keith shuffling papers, dramatically changing camera angles, furrowing his manicured unibrow, and lecturing viewers in his pompous, self-righteous tone was about 55 minutes too long to take sober.

Now I'm not a heavy drinker, but when Keith started quoting Tiny Tim from Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and referring to progressive multi-millionaire Michael Moore's anti-capitalist film as source material, I knew I had to self-medicate or risk throwing my plasma TV at the first Austin hippie to walk past my balcony. I needed vodka.

So I am hungover today, and I'm not sure if it was the alcohol or Keith's shrieking, irrelevant pleas for "All Americans to stand up, stand up for life. Death is the issue! How can we not be unified against death?" Does Keith actually believe there are Americans out there opposing FauxbamaCare because they are in favor of dying? He sounds like Rep. Grayson, the Democratic Congressman who said Republicans wanted everyone to die quicker. I thought the narcissistic dribble Michelle Obama presented in front of the International Olympic Committee last week was the worst speech I'd ever heard, but Keith is running a close second.

We are fortunate so few actually watch MSNDNC or thousands of alcoholics would have surely fallen off the wagon after staring at Keith's mug for an hour and trying to comprehend what the heck he was saying. Many more Americans might have succumbed to drug use. I know I thought about indulging in valium as the Countdown counted down way too slowly.

At one point, Keith described his father's ordeal of lying on the floor with a failed kidney and refusing to call for help. Twenty minutes later he was bragging about how quickly he decided to euthanize his mom rather than extend her life with uncomfortable cancer treatments ("it took five seconds to decide.") Hmm. I'm beginning to see why the senior Olbermann refused to tell his son about that kidney. He might want to keep the overanxious Keith out of the hospital room less the plug be pulled.

In between these disturbing personal stories, Keith quoted Winston Churchill for being against socialized medicine as a reason why we should all be for it (?) and chastised those who used terms like death panels, referring to this as completely over-the-top rhetoric. Except when he needed to vilify private insurance companies a few sentences later, which an unapologetic Keith referred to as death panels.

If there was a modus operandi other than making a fool of himself, it was definitely attacking the insurance companies. Keith later reiterated:
"Your life is in the hands of people, insurance companies, who can still make money by betting against your good health. There is only one comfort here and it is cold indeed. Profit while you can, insurers. Sickness and death wait not just for your customer. They also wait for you. And they are double-parked."
He went on to call us all slaves of the insurance companies:
"We must recognize the enemy here: an enemy capable of perverting reform meant for you and me, into its own ATM that mandates only that more of us become the slaves to the insurance companies."
"The monied interests that have bled their customers white, and used their customers' money to buy the system, to buy the politicians, to buy the press, cannot now even be checked by the government."
Keith actually makes a good point here, but of course he has the argument backwards. Let me explain how slavery works. You have no freedom or choice. There's only one master offering health insurance and you take what they give you. There aren't thousands of health insurance companies like today competing in a free market, where profit is an incentive to provide the best service. Instead, the state controls everything. They have a monopoly and a monopsony. The government becomes the only seller of health insurance and the only buyer of medical care. We already have a way to hold companies in check, but like Obama, Olbermoron wants to eliminate private insurance completely, putting in power a single-payer, state-run entity. Who holds their power in check?

The government will make life and death decisions for you. You are only a number to them, represented by a dollar amount. If the unelected bureaucrats don't believe you can contribute to society, if the cost to save your life is greater than the benefit, then you will be denied treatment for the collective state, thank you very much. This is your death panel, similar to the Orwellian NICE Board in England. Of course, under these circumstances, it becomes more important to keep citizens alive that pay the highest taxes, so the super rich and politically connected will receive better care. Ultimately, this results in a greater gap between health care for the rich and poor, not to mention a substantial difference in life expectancy.

As it turns out, incoherent Keith has actually made a very good argument against socialized medicine. Obviously, it was accidental. Even a broken watch is right twice a day. But at least now I feel better for having viewed his super horrific health care hour.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Michael Moore: Walmart Is an Evil Corporation Where You Can Buy All My Flicks on DVD


In Michael Moore's latest movie, "Capitalism: A Love Story", he attacks Walmart for filing (and in some cases collecting on) life insurance policies on employees during the 1990s. The company stopped the practice (which was apparently for tax purposes) nearly 15 years ago and has settled several lawsuits since then. Still, that's not enough time for Moore, who singles out one such incident in his new movie as proof that Walmart is a greedy company that deserves our scorn.

Of course, that hasn't stopped Moore from trying to make a few bucks by selling his own DVDs at the Walmart.com website. But hey, if it's okay for President Obama to cut a deal with an evil tyrant like Ahmadinejad, it must be okay for an "anti-capitalist" to cut a deal with Sam Walton's evil empire of low, low prices. So long as it lines the progressive filmmaker's pockets.

That's right. Capitalism is so bad even Moore can't resist it. He personally made over $20 million from "Fahrenheit 911", a movie which undoubtedly helped put Obama in the White House. Did I mention Moore's agent is Ari Emanuel, brother of Obama's chief-of-staff? And word on the street is Moore has a lucrative DVD contract that earns him considerable money from all those Walmart sales. Perhaps they should have called it "National Lampoon's Capitalism." If only Michael Moore's principles ran as deep as his giant layer of fat.

By the way, if you ask me Walmart shoppers are being way too generous with their stars.



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Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Michael Moore is a Capitalist Pig


If there's a bigger farce in the world of "documentary filmmaking", I can't think of one. Millionaire Michael Moore making a movie bashing capitalism is like Jacques Cousteau making a film bashing SCUBA diving. It's like Steven Spielberg making a film against film. It's like Barack Obama apologizing for America's "horrible" past (a country so horrible we elected him, mind you) and then trying to convince the world to send us the Olympics.

Where did you get your millions from, Michael? Making documentary films for the BBC about the entomology of stag beetles? Filming travelogues for Siberia? Not hardly. There's a reason you never see a fat documentary filmmaker in China. It's called the free enterprise system, something China lacks. The only country where a self-righteous, fat, screaming, egotistical loudmouth without any other talent can rise above mediocrity and get filthy rich is the United States of America. So be glad you were born in the land of opportunity.

Yep, there's nothing like a millionaire charging everyday Americans $12 to see how they are being ripped off by millionaires. I wouldn't be surprised if I stopped in at Burger King on the way to the theater and saw them promoting "Capitalism: A Love Story" travel mugs. Collect all four!

Michael Moore is a capitalist pig, the biggest hypocrite of all. And if you don't believe me, just visit one of the lovely online stores where he sells his overpriced wares.


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Saturday, October 3, 2009

Morning Jo(k)e




Paging Joe Scarborough. Joe, please call Arlen Specter's office. He has some advice for you on how to turn those flimsy, moderate views and nuanced positions into full-fledged Democratic Party support.

Joe presents the conservative case so meekly, it's almost as if he expects progressives to offer a better argument. Or maybe he's afraid he might fit the Left's characterization of a conservative too well. He's already a southern white male. Best to whisper his dissent to Obama or stir the suspicions of his colleagues that he's an angry teabagger. No wonder MS-DNC keeps him on the payroll. He's like the Alan Colmes of their network, graciously losing every argument and providing cover for MS-DNC to tout its "balanced" political coverage. The only thing less balanced than a panel with Matthews, Olbermann, Schultz, and Scarborough is Calista Flockhart sharing a canoe with Michael Moore.

Here's some advice, Joe. If you can't win a conservative argument, stop pretending you're a conservative. Join the Jim Jeffords and Colin Powells of the world. Anyone who bashes Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh while appearing on the venom-spewing Bill Maher show and writing for the Huffington Post is no friend of the conservative movement. No matter what David Brooks tells you.

Joe's latest article at Huffington, "Thank You, Mr. President", is another lame effort to make himself sound like a reasonable centrist while painting mainstream Republicans as unreasonable (or racist) for criticizing Obama's trip to Copenhagen to lobby for the Olympics. The article is littered with so many assumptions and empty cheerleading for the president, I'm not even sure he turned in his own work. It sounds a lot like that of his MS-NBC co-worker and softball teammate Richie Maddow.

Here's what Morning Joke wrote yesterday:

Today on Morning Joe, NBC News Legend Tom Brokaw remarked to Pat Buchanan about how the level of partisanship is even more intense today than during the depths of the Watergate crisis. Brokaw was commenting on Congressman Grayson's comments, but he could have easily been talking about Joe Wilson or death panels or the bizarre claim that the President "hates all white people."
Some of the rhetoric is dangerous. But what we saw from some conservative corners regarding the President's failed Olympics bid was just plain stupid.

Geez, a Republican wrote that? With friends like these, who needs enemies?

First of all, the partisanship isn't any worse today than it was eight years ago when Bush was elected president. Secondly, the rhetoric isn't dangerous. It's messy, but that's part of the democratic process. The only countries where everyone agrees are the countries where disagreeing is a punishable offense (see Iran, China, or Venezuela). There are strong ideological differences dividing our nation, and I say good for us!

As for the claim that opposing the president's bid for the Olympics is stupid, Chicago was a terrible choice for the Olympics. It has enough problems already including a corrupt government, a 550 million dollar budget shortfall, failing schools, and excessively violent crime. That's why many conservatives opposed it. We're not against having the Olympics in America. We love the Olympics! We're against raising taxes and spending valuable resources on something that's not going to help the people in the long-run.

Even half of Chicago was against it. Is Morning Joke calling half of Chicago stupid? That sounds a lot like Bill Maher to me. I don't think it's stupid to stand up for your rights as a citizen. These Chicagoans didn't want to see Mayor Daley's political machine funnel more federal dollars away from taxpayers and underfunded schools and neighborhoods into a political boondoggle rife with cronyism. Does anyone think Obama would have made the trip to campaign on behalf of any other American city, say Phoenix or Nashville? Seriously?

Obama's trip to Copenhagen wasn't about the United States or the Olympics any more than OJ's acquittal was about the gloves. This was about paying back the fat cats that helped launch his political career in the Windy City. Period. And possibly making Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett money off her Grove Parc investment.

Chicago has enough problems without the Olympics. All one needs to look at is Millennium Park (built 4 years late at 3 times the projected cost) or Chicago's subsidized housing fiasco (see Tony Rezco). It's also the murder capital of America. More people died in the streets of Chicago in 2008 than died fighting in Iraq. Just last week an honor student was beaten to death by gangs with railroad ties for simply walking home from school, which was all caught on video.

If the president acted concerned about any of this or went to Chicago and apologized to the family of the victim, Derrion Albert, for the government's failure to protect law-abiding citizens in broad daylight then I would say, "Thank you, Mr. President." If he improved Chicago's schools, I would say, "Good job, President Obama." Instead, he attached his ego to the city's Olympic bid and made it all about him. He flew two jumbo jets halfway across the world for an unnecessary trip that cost taxpayers millions with two wars going on and the worst unemployment rate the nation has seen in 30 years. It's not just conservatives saying this. Kevin Powell, a liberal columnist I don't often agree with, made the same argument.

But what really irks me are the examples Morning Joke uses to try and demonize conservatives. Rep. Joe Wilson may have violated House decorum when he shouted "You Lie", but that wasn't a premeditated statement full of false and offensive language like Democratic Congressman Grayson presented when he said "Republicans want you to die quickly."

Someone needs to tell Morning Joke that Republicans lost an election in 2008 because McCain failed to articulate a conservative message that captured the imagination of voters. Instead, he acted like a Democrat with a big government fix for everything. Conservatives stayed at home or cast their ballot for third party candidates as a result. Some even voted for Obama, and why not? Very little John McCain said sounded different than the most liberal Senator to ever capture the White House. Maybe Morning Joke was one of them. He sure seems anxious for the Republican Party repeat the failures of the last election.

Mr. Scarborough plays right into the Democrats hands when he acts ashamed of conservatives for being vocal about what they perceive as intrusive government and wasteful spending. Where have you gone, Joe Scarborough? Stop demonizing your own party. It might win you friends in the short-term, but it won't win any votes. Just ask John McCain.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Austin's Deadman Kicks Off ACL Music Festival Weekend


There are a lot of great shows in Austin this week and a lot of great food to eat - like the chicken cone from Hudson's on the Bend. It will change the way you look at festival food forever. What else should you look forward to at Austin City Limits music festival this year? The forecast calls for a few scattered showers, mostly on Saturday, but don't knock it until you've been through 69 days of over 100 degree heat or seen bands play during a dust storm. We'll take a little rain. Besides, Patty Griffin delivered one of the best performances ever in the rain during the second year of the music festival.

Of course, we all know Dave Matthews and Pearl Jam headline. But who are some of the other acts you should see? We recommend Phoenix, Los Amigos Invisibles, Citizen Cope, Devotchka, Raul Malo, Federico Aubele, David Garza, and the Heartless Bastards. You can sample many of them at the ACL Music Festival website.

If you're an ACL veteran, you probably got to town a few days early or have plans to stay a few days after the festival to check out some of the smaller live acts making headlines. Last night, the place to be was Momo's on W. Sixth Street. Deadman, fronted by songwriter extraordinaire Steven Collins, played a stellar set to kick off one of the biggest weeks of live music in the Live Music Capital of the World. With roots rock influences like The Byrds, The Band, Neil Young, The Black Crowes, and Van Morrison, Deadman brought a foot-stomping, spirit-filled blend of gospel, soul, blues, and rock to the stage.

Deadman will also be playing the Twin Creeks C.C. on Friday night and again on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Momo's with Dan Dyer. Don't leave Austin without checking out one of their shows. Trust me. I've been seeing live music in Austin for over 15 years, and this is one of the best local bands to come along since Storyville.

Below you'll find audio from a Deadman performance recorded at the Saxon Pub earlier this summer. I've also included a link to a DVD that the band will be releasing at the end of this year, featuring the John Lennon inspired single, "We All Need Love." All of their music is available on itunes, and for a short time you can download some of their newer stuff for free at Reverb Nation.





I've talked about America's spiritual drought before. Well, this is music to help cure it. Have a safe weekend and enjoy the live music, fall weather, and friendly Texas hospitality. More ACL Festival updates to follow.

Tsunami Animation Shows How Wave Spread




NOAA has put a fascinating timeline together along with some very interesting graphs that chart the wave triggered by the earthquake as it moved across the Pacific and affected coastlines. Apparently, early detection based on warning buoys collected data that helped them alert Samoa and other nearby islands several minutes before the wave hit, possibly saving hundreds of lives. The wave arrived in Pago Pago, American Samoa about 20 minutes after the earthquake. Click on the link below to see the animation:

NOAA Center for Tsunami Research