Nice to wake up hungry

and knowing it'll stay down after you eat it.

Being as I can now sit here and feel something other than 'Where's the bag?!?', I now return to your usual noise.


Remember Joe Biden claiming 'Victory in Iraq is the greatest accomplishment of this administration!'?
WASHINGTON — The United States is quietly rushing dozens of Hellfire missiles and low-tech surveillance drones to Iraq to help government forces combat an explosion of violence by a Qaeda-backed insurgency that is gaining territory in both western Iraq and neighboring Syria.

The move follows an appeal for help in battling the extremist group by the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, who met with President Obama in Washington last month.

But some military experts question whether the patchwork response will be sufficient to reverse the sharp downturn in security that already led to the deaths of more than 8,000 Iraqis this year, 952 of them Iraqi security force members, according to the United Nations, the highest level of violence since 2008.


"Piranhas will not bother humans.
Except when they do."


That shock to the leftist system when a performer won't follow the 'We Need Government Money!' script:
Yes, I still feel that way. I’ll take the dirty socialized art money but I prefer crummy little clubs where there’s a promoter who is risking his own money to put the show on. I feel no urge to thank an audience. I thank the promoter – as should the audience.
Follow up re “dirty socialized money” – is this less a matter of political principle for you, and more a matter of personal pride as an artist?

I think the government has no business in the arts at all.

Follow up: do you not think it valid, in countries that cannot compete on equal footing with the American entertainment industry, like Canada, to support their artists through government funding? I doubt there’s a Canadian musician, filmmaker, writer, or novelist who hasn’t received some government support along the way, be it scholarships, grants, fellowships, things like the Canada Council.

No, see above.

I want you to pay close attention to this next bit from the interviewer:
Follow-up: In a purely market driven entertainment landscape, which is mostly what we see in the States, doesn’t that lead to the proliferation of Miley Cyruses and Britney Spears and other such phenomenon? Isn’t it bad for art?

No, it’s good for them.
It would appear that this champion of the arts likes the idea of the .gov having control of who gets to make it, or even try to.  Nasty little control freak, isn't he?


Looks like the psychiatric profession is moving toward a soviet-level of  'helping people'.
New mental illnesses identified by the DSM-IV include arrogance, narcissism, above-average creativity, cynicism, and antisocial behavior. In the past, these were called “personality traits,” but now they’re diseases. 

And there are treatments available.
Yeah, there are.  And if you don't accept them like a good little drone the nice armed agents of the .gov will show up to help you take them.
These people would've had Mark Twain drugged into insensibility.

This is from Captain's Journal a while back: various ways the UN small-arms treaty is a threat.

The sky is clear, the wind is strong out of the south this time,

and it's supposed to be back up to 50 today; outdoors I will be later today.

In the meantime,
As Insty puts it, because the 'art' world is full of cowards who act very brave toward those they know cannot or will not harm them; but face them with bloody-handed barbarians who will, or who they just fear will...
Added: words from Steyn:
Few industries congratulate themselves on their "courage" and "bravery" more incessantly than artists and journalists — at least when it comes to plays about a gay Jesus, or joining the all-star singalong for Rock Against Bush. But it's easy to be provocative with people who can't be provoked. Faced with an opportunity to demonstrate real courage, the arts and the media shrivel up like a bunch of dying pansies.


Democrat thugs protecting the annointed from any nasty media types who'll ask actual questions. Please note the update:
UPDATE: McCormack says it's a consultant the DNC brought in to the race; a DNC spokesman didn't immediately respond to a question about the incident.
Not 'denied', not 'laughed at', 'didn't immediately respond'; you get the feeling someone knows this here internets lets people spread the word fast, and a blunt lie won't be simply covered up by friendly major media anymore.

On the subject of Coakley, a bit more from Malkin on her life as a- well, would it be 'hooker' or 'pimp'? Or both? I mean, she's sold herself and buys others, so... Interesting, even some of the union people helping out don't like her and won't vote for her.


Ah, socialism, is there anything and anyplace it can't eff up? Especially with a clown like Chavez in charge.


Yeah, I heard about the earthquake that swatted Haiti; bad news.


A bit of a Climaquiddick timeline at Watts Up.


Putin wants it both ways, doesn't he?
“In addition to the global warming challenges, we need to address 'global cooling' effects and to do so promptly,” he said.


Actually, I think describing Rudd & Co. as 'retarded' was the right. Along with 'socialist' and 'uncaring' and 'tyrannical'. And this is just what Obama & Waxman & Co. would love to do to us. Hell, it's happened in Californicated, and the EPA has screwed people over just as badly with 'wetlands' bullshit.


"What? It's NOT melting? The water temperature isn't higher? But we said it was!"


Looks like a lot of people in MA are sick of the Barney Frank & Co. system of corru- er, government.
"This man is the only thing that can stop the socialists from taking over this country. He is our last and only hope. So, I'm putting my money where my mouth is this time. $200 is all I've got to spare, but it's Scott Brown's if he wants it. I'm sending it to him so he can kick some a** in the Senate and put those damn fools on notice that Americans are not going to take their socialist crap anymore. I'm fired up, I'm donating, I want that man to beat back those socialists and get them all Hell".


Pictures from Mars, freakin' cool.


What? Clowns in government wanting to screw retirees?
Anybody actually surprised?


Want a real good idea of just how bad the Obama and general progressive weenies are screwing things up?
They are of the mindset that the war against radical Islamists is nothing more then a law enforcement issue. Former Vice President Dick Cheney has said it repeatedly along with a small minority of Republican lawmakers, but as Mitch McConnell discovered on his recent trip to Afghanistan, we have reached an absurd level now.

He said at one point he asked a general about policies and the general "didn't want to answer the question without turning to his lawyer, who was also in the room."

There's just no damned telling how many people are going to die because of this shit.


Lovely people in Hamas, aren't they? And the Israelis are supposed to TRUST these bastards? And act like they can deal with them in good faith?

Geez.

More on the NEA and Corporation for National and Community Service working with the White House

In the newly obtained documents, Nell Abernathy, a representative of The Corporation, is shown providing the handpicked moderator a list of “concrete asks” to be emailed to the call participants following the conference call. The first concrete ask in the document [document 1] included volunteering on issues that were closely related to legislation being vehemently debated nationally:

“Serve in your community. You are probably already working to improve health care or green a neighborhood. Reach out to friends, colleagues and fans to serve with you. Ask five to pledge to serve with you.”

Health Care Reform and Cap-and-Trade legislation were both being intensely debated in Congress in August, causing town hall meetings at the time to go nuclear over the proposed health-care legislation. Democrats were widely viewed as losing the debate. Asking a stacked group of pro-Obama art activists to address these issues could only lead to policy advocacy – and it did, as we have shown (here & here).

The new documents also show that other efforts were underway. In response [document 2] to the “concrete asks” document, an artist that participated in the call sent the following (emphasis added):

“We’ve been doing a lot of brainstorming about how we can add our skillset to this effort, and here are some of our thoughts…Making prints that subtly encourage the progressive agenda. Health care, Employee free choice, immigration, energy conservation, etc.”

This is the type of propaganda art that Big Hollywood helped stop by publishing the article. The response was sent by a talented print designer (Tugboat Printshops) prior to, but on the same day that, the article was published.
And lots more, ending with
The obvious question is – if the NEA, the Corporation, and the White House weren’t doing anything wrong, why did this activity abruptly stop?