I didn't really want to write about some of this stuff today,

but it needs to be noted. Starting with this:
There's an old expression that you can't get blood from a stone. The government cannot command the impossible -- whether from an evil corporation or from nature itself.

Charles Krauthammer sees Obama as King Canute attempting to command the impossible, while continuing to labor under the belief that a great speech can solve everything. But other than delivering another speech blaming the oil companies and Bush what can he do? Command the oil to stop gushing?

Krauthammer asks, "Why are we drilling in 5,000 feet of water in the first place?" and notes the major role of environmentalists in pushing these operations further and further out -- to places so precarious than when disasters occur (which they inevitably will), they're so much harder to fix. As to the federal government, it is clueless:

The federal government can fight wars, conduct a census, and hand out billions in earmarks, but it has not a clue how to cap a one-mile-deep out-of-control oil well.

In the end, speeches will make no difference. If BP can cap the well in time to prevent an absolute calamity in the Gulf, the president will escape politically. If it doesn't -- if the gusher isn't stopped before the relief wells are completed in August -- it will become Obama's Katrina.

That will be unfair, because Obama is no more responsible for the damage caused by this than Bush was for the damage caused by Katrina. But that's the nature of American politics and its presidential cult of personality: We expect our presidents to play Superman. Helplessness, however undeniable, is no defense.

Moreover, Obama has never been overly modest about his own powers. Two years ago next week, he declared that history will mark his ascent to the presidency as the moment when "our planet began to heal" and "the rise of the oceans began to slow."

Well, when you anoint yourself King Canute, you mustn't be surprised when your subjects expect you to command the tides.

I'd say there's two separate things here: one is that, despite his "The Constitution doesn't give the government the powers I think it should" crap and his insistent demands that the gummint can take care of EVERYTHING, Obama can't fix this. Never could, any more than Bush could magically make all right after Katrina. It was the left that really began this "The PRESIDENT is responsible for it all!" crap, and this is the continuation: they can't insist Bush was negligent for not waving a magic wand and then excuse their "Thrill up my leg" Lightworker when he doesn't.

The other is the flat-out arrogant lies: "We were on this from day one", etc. WE KNOW BETTER. EVERYONE knows better. And yet he stood there in front of all and lied. And he apparently expected the lies to simply be accepted because HE said them.

Put those two together, stir in the thin-skinned arrogance he's demonstrated time and again, and...


Well, this is interesting and just found it: do you have this restriction on your camera?


I can't remember who pointed to this article; lady wound up having to shoot a dog that attacked a girl. Pretty straightforward story, it's the comments that get interesting: lots of "She just HAD to play cowboy!" bullcrap.


Further reason why Chuck Schumer(NSD-NY-Asshole) ought to be tarred and feathered. Then flogged. Then hanged if there's any rope left over:
Under the DISCLOSE Act, certain incorporated entities would be restricted in how they can exercise their free speech rights. There is an exemption for some in the media sphere like newspapers, TV news, and the like. However, there is one driving force in today's public debate that is NOT exempt. Bloggers will not have the same exemption provided to other media sources. Never mind that the Supreme Court's opinion in the Citizens United case stated, "Differential treatment of media corporations and other corporations cannot be squared with the First Amendment."

For many bloggers to exercise their free speech rights, they would have to jump through the same onerous new hoops as many businesses, nonprofit groups, and even such threats to democracy as your local chamber of commerce. If this sounds like an absurd overreach by one party in power, I invite you to take a look at their government takeover of health care, taxpayer-funded bailouts, and general hostility to private sector economic growth.
This slimy little bastard has such a contempt for the concept of actual free speech, it's amazing. And he'll happily violate his oath of office to attack it.
Connected to this, a proposal to license 'official' journalists. Y'know, if some more of these 'journalists' were actual damned reporters, there'd be a lot less of this bullshit because the politicians would be more worried about their crap being reported on in the major media.


The level of idiocy that the War on Some Drugs has come to; read this to see another prosecutor and bunch of idiots who deserve their place at the tar wagon.
Yeah, a bunch of links to Classical Values; hadn't looked there in a while and he's been busy.


Israeli subs in the Persian Gulf, and the Med as I recall. From what I've read, these newer-generation diesel-electric boats are a bitch to try to locate, very quiet and efficient.


A fine demonstration by the Fruits of Calypso Louie.


And that's enough of that stuff for this day.