The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Barack Obama’s Political Career Reduced To A Brace Of Guns`n`Roses Videos

Posted on | May 22, 2012 | 4 Comments

by Smitty

2008: “It’s so easy, easy, when everybody’s trying to please me. . .”

2012: “Funny how everything was roses when we held onto the guns. . .”

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Category: Barack Obama, Music

Investing Yourself

Posted on | May 22, 2012 | 47 Comments

by Smitty

An item in the blogs yesterday talked about snooty eating.

After viewing a few organic foods, comfort foods, or control foods, participants who were exposed to organic foods volunteered significantly less time to help a needy stranger, and they judged moral transgressions significantly harsher than those who viewed nonorganic foods. These results suggest that exposure to organic foods may lead people to affirm their moral identities, which attenuates their desire to be altruistic.

Wasn’t A Diabolical, Oldworld, Legendary Fascist also vegetarian? Not that there is any meat on the connecting bone between our Lefty friends and that monster, mind you.

The more interesting point I’ve noted in life is that the more of yourself you invest in, well, anything, the more tedious you can become. I went to a two-week school, years ago, on highland bagpipe. Jimmy McIntosh was instructing on the topic of Pìobaireachd (note how I opted for the most anal-retentive spelling, replete with snooty ‘i’). The musical form is strictly solo. Spitball thrower that I am, I inquired if two world-class pipers such as himself could do a duet. His head ‘sploded. There are less than 200 or so canonical examples of Ceòl Mór. Sure, it’s still written today, but it’s far cooler to decry the loss of the Noble Savage air breathed by the MacCrimmons, know ye not?

Done correctly, it constitutes performance art. You really have to have the instrument and the piper in top shape to rattle off one correctly. Done sloppily (e.g. by me) it’s a dog’s breakfast. Here is Dave Mason working out on The Massacre of Glecoe
You really have to commit to the full tune to understand how, acoustically, it’s like a blurry image that is slowly brought into focus as the variations get gnarlier. By the time it climaxes, the piper is truly getting the most out that instrument.

The thing is that these pieces take years to get any good at playing. Or at least it would me.

But the point of this post is that one of life’s challenges is to pick enjoyable things like the pipe, do them well, but not become insufferable about them. Writing software is another example I could have chosen, but which uses fewer Unicode vowels than Gaelic, proving software’s inferiority. :-)

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Category: Culture, Music

LIVE AT FIVE – 05.22.12

Posted on | May 22, 2012 | 2 Comments

– compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Summit Doubleheader Short On Surprises

NATO agrees on Afghanistan roadmap

Obama’s advisers whine about time spent away from campaign trail

Sri Lanka’s Former Army Chief Pardoned
Ex-general Sarath Fonseka released from jail following years of protests

Putin Names Former Ministers As Aides
Move expected to weaken PM Medvedev’s new government, centralize power in Kremlin



POLITICS
WaPo/ABC Poll: Obama, Romney In Dead Heat

Mitt Romney: coming on hard

Poll respondents agree on Surber Rule.

Opening Statements Set In Fort Hood Bomb Plot Trial

Old Bush Administration Feud Resurfaces In Arizona Senate Race

Catholic Dioceses, Colleges File Suit Over Contraception Mandate

Chairman Of NRC Resigns Under Fire

Supreme Court Won’t Hear Music Piracy Case

GOP Senators Slam 9th Circuit Maui Conference Plans

Chicago PD Gets High Marks For Handling NATO Protesters



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Oil Prices Up On Expectations PRC, US Economies Will Improve; NYMEX $92.57, Brent $108.81
Germany, France Want Greece To Stay In Eurozone
Where Are Facebook’s Friends? Stock Drops After IPO
ROK Looking For Exemption From Iranian Oil Sanctions
Accor Sells Motel 6 To Blackstone For $1.9 Billion
Asian Stocks Up For Second Day As Germany, PRC Vow To Spur Growth
Spain: No Need For European Funds To Help Banks
CFTC Uses JP Morgan Chase Losses As Pretext For More Regulation
Iraq Says Kurdish Oil Deals Need Baghdad Approval
Chrome Overtakes IE (Again)
Cable Companies To Expand Free Wi-fi
Microsoft Quietly Launches So.cl Social Network
Jews Say No To Online Porn, Mormons Applaud
Virgin Mobile Adds $40 Unlimited Talk & Text Plan



SPORTS
Thunder Top Lakers 106-90, Head For Finals

Sad Kobe is sad

Kobe’s 42 not enough to overcome Oklahoma City
Multiple people shot after Thunder game, two suspects being held
Pau Gasol Already Designated Scapegoat In Lakers’ Defeat


Rangers Stumble Out Of Gate In Game 4, Can’t Recover

Bass Erupts For Celtics In 101-85 Rout Of Sixers

Peyton Manning Looks Good In First Workout With Broncos

King Felix Outduels Darvish As M’s Beat Rangers 6-1

Paulino, Royals Shut Out Yankees

Magic Make Coach, GM Disappear

Nats Hold On For 2-1 Win After Rodriguez Immolates In 9th



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Katy Perry Splits From Robert Ackroyd, Sings About Divorce

Katy & Bobby at Coachella

Yep, she’s back on the market again; romance with Florence & The Machine guitarist not serious

Pink, Carey Hart Bash Chris Brown’s Billboard Awards Performance

Justin Bieber Takes High School Student To BMA

A&E Cancels “Dog The Bounty Hunter”

Three Networks “Very Interested” In Arsenio Hall’s Talk-Show Comeback



Masseurs’ Original Lawyer In Travolta Groping Case Sues Allred

Lindsay Lohan’s Taylor Biopic: Still No Dick In “Liz & Dick”

“Chernobyl Diaries” Horror Flick Ripped By Victim Support Group

“Smash” Shakes Up Cast, Adding Three Regulars



FOREIGNERS
Yemen: Al Qaeda Behind Blast That Killed 100 Soldiers
UN Nuke Monitor Strikes Deal With Iran?
Lebanon Sunnis Call On Hezbollah-Aligned PM To Resign
Celebrating The Queen’s Jubilee With Tea
Malaysian Opposition’s Anwar Charged Over Protest
Egyptians In Street Say Israel Treaty Will Be Upheld
Newly Elected Serb President Reaffirms EU Integration
US Warns Norks About Another Nuke Test
Exposed South African Presidential Portrait Stirs Controversy (NSFW)



BLOGS & STUFF
WyBlog: Dharun Ravi Gets 30 Days And 300 Hours Of Homosexual Indoctrination
American Power: Big Bain Backfire
NRO Corner: RNC Starts “I Stand With Cory” Petition
NewsBusters: Furious Chris Matthews Explodes – Cory Booker “Betrayed” And “Sabotaged” Obama
Power Line: NYT – Businessmen Are Psycho! No, Wait…
Sister Toldjah: Country Club Liberals Say “Hell No” To Low-Income Housing In Their County
Jammie Wearing Fools: Deranged NC Teacher Suspended With Pay After Telling Students Not To Criticize Dear Leader
Gateway Pundit: NBPP Leader Says “Be Thankful We’re Not Hanging Crackers By Nooses…Yet”
Lonely Conservative: WaPo Finally Notices All The Lobbyists Visiting The White House
Daily Pundit: Throw The Book At Them
JustOneMinute: Extending The Annals Of Dumb

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Category: Live at Five

The Kimberlin Files–Fresh Mint Juleps Requested Anonymously

Posted on | May 21, 2012 | 10 Comments

by Smitty

A certain person requested I flex my SQL-fu and produce a special FMJRA for him in his anonymous location where he may or may not be enjoying refreshment with Dick Cheney, IYKWIMAITYD. That’s OK. I’m going to get my pound of flesh in the form of some editing on a writing project I have in mind.

Thank you to all the readers and bloggers who recognize the value of this blog. Apologies in advance to those who did link us, but are getting rooked by the pingback/trackback mechanism. I blame Zuckerberg. Read more

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Category: Blogging

Never Doubt That God Answers Prayer

Posted on | May 21, 2012 | 125 Comments

‘Speedway Bomber’: Criminal terrorist Brett Kimberlin was convicted in 1981

FROM AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION
Law enforcement officials have been made aware that convicted terrorist Brett Kimberlin appears to be engaged in an attempt to intimidate me into being silent about his sordid criminal history.

Appropriate precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of my family and others who might be endangered if Kimberlin resorts to violence to accomplish his malicious purposes. At the urging of concerned friends, we have vacated our former residence and I am now blogging from a secret location which Kimberlin will be unable to discover or reach. Nevertheless, we sincerely ask for intercessory prayer, that God will send angels to guard us in this grave crisis.

In fact, this crisis is an answer to prayer: My wife and I had been contemplating whether to leave Maryland, and had asked that God would give us a sign. Guess we got what we prayed for — unexpectedly!

Nevertheless, my sudden relocation — The Mother of All Road Trips, as it were — will involve large expenses.  We will have to rent a new house, pay people to pack up the belongings at our former residence, and move everything to the new location.

Remember that this is still a Shameless Capitalist Blog, and keep in mind The Five Most Important Words in the English Language . . .

HIT THE FREAKING TIP JAR!

 

 

THE KIMBERLIN FILES:

UPDATE: Working here at the Ray Kroc Memorial Journalism Center — free WiFi and $1 double cheeseburgers while I await my ride — I’ll try to catch up on some thanks to recent tip-jar hitters: Robin in Alexandria. Jeff in Walla Walla, Richard in Hollywood, James in Orlando, Victor in Virginia, Christopher in New Jersey, Mark in Spring Valley, Coley in Kentucky, John in Annapolis, Mr. E. in Alabama, Matthew in Solana Beach, Dianna in San Jose, Adam in Van Nuys and Bradley in Arizona.

UPDATE II (Smitty): Godspeed to Stacy and Instapundit and Darth Chipmunk. Those seeking something lighter might enjoy my Page & Plant Interview in Strolling Drone

UPDATE III (RSM): To people trying to guess my destination, good luck. Kimberlin loves to sue people to shut them up, but first he has to find the appropriate jurisdiction. Last time I checked, a one-way ticket to Vanuatu was $1,497 via Auckland. Just sayin’ . . .

 


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Category: Crime, Shoe Leather Fund, Terrorism, The Kimberlin Files

Yet Another Honor for Which I’m Eliminated From Consideration
UPDATE: Nominate Instapundit

Posted on | May 21, 2012 | 78 Comments

There’s never an end to these things, is there? Conferences at Which I’m Persona Non Grata, where they present Awards I’ll Never Get:

The latest honor to keep Andrew’s name and work alive is an awards dinner from The Heritage Foundation and The Franklin Center.
Rob Bluey of The Heritage Foundation told me:

“The Heritage Foundation and The Franklin Center want to recognize Andrew’s contribution to journalism, blogging and activism and we’re excited to be able to launch The Breitbart Awards at the Future of Journalism conference in June.”

The honors will be given in three categories that are well thought out to honor three main areas of Andrew’s legacy: full-time professional journalism; the new media frontier; and bold citizen action by conservatives. Nominations for these awards are currently being accepted at BreitbartAwards.com and must be submitted by May 25th.
As the website explains the awards:

Full-time Reporter: In a media environment that tells reporters to go along to get along, a few still consider it a sacred trust to keep the people informed. A few still recognize the awesome responsibility in belonging to the only profession to be enshrined in the Bill of Rights. We’ll present one Breitbart Award to a full-time news reporter to honor courage and honesty in telling the real stories that matter to people’s lives.
Blogger: When the legacy media fails to do its job, we are fortunate to have an army waiting on the Internet to hold the institutions of power accountable. We’ll honor a blogger for intrepid reporting that goes over the heads of the legacy media to communicate directly to the people.
Citizen: The fight for freedom requires a constant stream of new recruits willing to make time in their lives to serve as watchdogs in their local communities. We’ll honor an information activist committed to digging up the truth.

READ THE WHOLE THING

* * * * * * *

As if the involvement of the Heritage Foundation were not an automatic guarantee that I’d be pre-emptively blackballed — I’ve given them excellent publicity over the past 15 years, so naturally they treat me like an unwelcome embarrassment every time I show up there — the awards are co-sponsored by the Franklin Center, which recently hired Tabitha Hale, who has waged a relentless three-year campaign to destroy my career and livelihood.

Because I’m 1/32nd Cherokee (like Elizabeth Warren), I’m thinking about changing my name to Dances With Scapegoats. Read more

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Category: Andrew Breitbart

Among The More Stunning Ironies Of Modern Public Discourse

Posted on | May 21, 2012 | 6 Comments

by Smitty

Newsalert quotes the NYT:

The wealthiest 1 percent of New York City residents took in nearly one-third of the personal income in the city in 2009 — almost double the comparable proportion nationwide, a new study shows.
In a report scheduled to be released Monday, the city comptroller’s office found that large percentages of New Yorkers earned high incomes and low incomes, leaving a smaller middle class than in the nation as a whole.

More generally, please check my logic:

  1. Blue states good, red states bad.
  2. Common people good, Wall Street bankers bad.
  3. Wall Street is in what city/state? — New York
  4. New York is a red/blue state? — Blue
  5. Head ‘splodes.

via Instapundit

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Category: New York

Creative Ideas About Media Bias

Posted on | May 21, 2012 | 16 Comments

There are few things more boring than listening to conservatives complain about liberal bias in the media. We’ve heard it all before and nothing ever changes, because the people who run the media sincerely believe one of two things:

  1. Their coverage is actually objective and balanced; or
  2. Republicans are a dangerous menace — genuinely evil — so that publishing “news” slanted in favor of Democrats is a valuable public service, a sort of philanthropic humanitarian project.

Maybe it’s a little of both.

Discerning the motives for liberal media bias, however, is less important than teaching our fellow citizens to recognize such bias — which is often subtle enough that you don’t notice it unless you know what to look for — and doing what little we can to counteract it.

Trying to push back against media bias can be a frustrating endeavor. One suspects there are idle hours when RNC chairman Reince Priebus ponders the possibility of violent revenge on the bastards. At the wilder reaches of his imagination, for example, Reince might dream about hiring a production company to gin up a fake al-Qaeda video, with a masked actor portraying a fanatical jihadi guerrilla, issuing a new directive, ranting in Arabic about how those vicious infidels at the New York Times — owned by a notorious Zionist dog! — have incurred the righteous wrath of Mohammed’s servants by their heinous insults. The ranting jihadi would hold up a picture of Paul Krugman or Tom Friedman and explain how these willing tools of the Great Satan have abetted the schemes of Imperialist Aggressors. “Strike now! The Prophet must be Avenged!”

The chairman of the Republican National Committee would never actually try a devious scheme like that, for obvious reasons. You’d never be able to keep a  thing like that secret. Somebody would talk, or the CIA would spot the video as a fake. It might turn into a scandal or something.

All I’m saying is that we could understand — perhaps even sympathize — if that kind of crazy idea occasionally crossed Reince Priebus’s mind.

Instead of plotting twisted ways of striking back against those wretched liberal bastards, what Republicans end up doing is spending lots of money for TV ads in an effort to counteract the impact of the allegedly objective “news” that the media cranks out. Politico:

Obama super PAC slump continues
The pro-Barack Obama super PAC Priorities USA Action is still struggling to keep up with GOP super PACs preparing to unleash millions of dollars in independent advertisements. . . .

See? Republican super-PACs are out-raising Democrat super-PACs, and this development is worrying enough to the liberals at Politico that they turn it into a big headline that serves two purposes:

  1. It alerts Politico‘s liberal readership that Democrats need to raise lots of money to fight the (objectively evil) Republicans, thus to help encourage liberals to give generously next time they get a fundraising letter from the DNC or the Obama Campaign; and
  2. It helps lay the pretext of an excuse in case Mitt Romney manages to beat Obama, namely that those greedy evil rich Republicans stole the election by illegally spending their own money.

This is how bias works. Good news for Republicans is bad news for liberals, and so any success for the GOP must be A Very Bad Thing. Big headline from the New York Times Zionist Imperialist Dogs:

‘Super PACs’ Changing How Political Operatives Operate

This is Very Bad News, you see. Without even reading the story, you know that this article will leave liberal readers feeling a profound concern about the influence of Republican super-PACs, a concern these reader have never felt in regard to the influence of labor unions or MSNBC. And the next time the liberal gets a letter, phone call or e-mail from a Democratic fundraiser, they’ll be psychologically primed to give money, because they’ve been told repeatedly, by the New York Times and other media outlets they trust, that those evil Republicans are trying to use sneaky super-PACs to steal the election.

Reince Priebus does everything he can to fight back, short of inciting radical Islamists to blow up the New York Times office (620 Eighth Avenue) which would, however, only be a small (although not insignificant) step toward solving the media-bias problem. John Hinderaker spots this Associated Press headline today:

Is GOP trying to sabotage economy to hurt Obama?

Here’s a better question: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

Stunned disbelief is the only possible reaction to finding this kind of partisan accusation — quite literally a DNC talking point, as though reporter Charles Babington started with a press release from Debbie Wasserman-Schultz — being made in an Associated Press headline.

Imagine the reaction at GOP HQ this morning: How do you even find the will to keep on trying, when every day brings more and more examples of purposeful partisanship by the press? What can possibly be done, when the Associated Press, the New York Times and every other major media venue pushes out a constant flow of Democrat propaganda?

It’s enough to make a Republican want to denounce these dishonest biased weasels for what they really are . . .

Infidel dogs who blaspheme against Allah!

 


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Category: Election 2012, Media Bias, New York Times, Reince Priebus, Republicans

LIVE AT FIVE – 05.21.12

Posted on | May 21, 2012 | 2 Comments

– compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Chicago PD Clashes With Summit Protesters

Protester about to discover why Chicago isn't Oakland

Black Bloc triggers baton-wielding crackdown, 45 arrested; #Occupods whine about brutality

Millions Watch Pacific “Ring Of Fire” Eclipse
Millions in Asia, Western U.S. get to watch rare solar event

Suspect Roomie In Tyler Clementi Suicide Convicted
Could face ten years in jail, deportation to India



POLITICS
Newark Mayor Cory Booker Supports Obama, But Hits Campaign For Bain Attack

Newark Mayor (and ex-financier) Cory Booker

“I have to just say, from a very personal level, I’m not about to sit here and indict private equity…”

Romney, GOP Could Beat Obama, Dems In Fundraising


Police Bag “Love Bomber” In New York

Wisconsin Democrats Worry About Recall’s Effects In November

Violence Against Women Act Hits Snag In Congress; House Balks At New Language Covering Illegals, LGBT, Native Americans

Axelrod: Romney’s Religion Off-Limits

Poll: Oklahoma Shuns Obama, 66-27

Americans Elect Fails To Field Candidate In NC

Ron Paul Wins Majority Of Minnesota Delegates



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Oil Gains For First Time In Week As PRC Pledges To Boost Economy; NYMEX $92.34, Brent $107.75
Europe Shares Seen Lower As Debt Crisis Drags On
Alibaba BUys Back Half Of Yahoo! Stake
PRC Conglomerate Buys AMC Movie Theaters
No-Frills Ryanair Posts Record $715 Million Profit
DaVita, Healthcare Partners Announce Merger Agreement
Connecticut Ends Ban On Sunday Liquor Sales, NY Package Stores Hardest Hit
Lundberg Survery: US Gasoline Falls To Three-Month Low
Is Air Leaking From The Facebook Bubble?
PRC Signs Off On Google/Motorola Merger
Apple, Samsung CEOs Face Court-Ordered Mediation
Ultra-Orthodox Jews Rent Mets Stadium For Meeting On Dangers Of Internet
Google Chairman Challenges Grads To Turn Off (Their Devices) And Drop Out (Of The Internet)
Advertisers Still Fans Of Facebook



SPORTS
Finished: Spurs Edge Clippers, Complete Sweep
Spurs' Tim Duncan scores 21 with 9 rebounds in winning effort
Spurs win Game 4 102-99; Clippers rebound from Game 3 disaster but can’t stop San Antonio squad

James, Wade Combine For 70 Points To Keep Heat Alive



Kings Can’t Close In Desert; Coyotes Win 2-0

Rangers’ Prust Gets One-Game Suspension For Elbowing

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Extends His Reign At Iowa Speedway

Cueto’s Arm And Ludwick’s Bat Lift Reds Over Yankees

Bombs Away: Flores, Strasburg, Espinosa Homer In 9-3 Drubbing Of Birds



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Facebook’s Zuckerberg Gets Married

Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chen

973,075 people like this

Robin Gibb “Started a Joke”, Left Us In Tears At 62

Ashton, Stepdaughter Rumer Spend Time Together Despite Pending Divorce From Demi

Nick Stahl Checks Into Rehab

“Avengers” Still #1, Now Disney’s Highest-Grossing Film

Mick Jagger Rocks The House On SNL Finale

Timothy Busfield Accused Of Sexual Battery

Woman Arrested At Corey Feldman’s Home For Violating Restraining Order

“Battleship” Sinking After $9.1 Million Friday Opener

Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy Team Up For Cop Comedy



FOREIGNERS
Lockerbie Bomber Finally Dead
Pakistan Blocks Twitter Over Blasphemy
Aftershocks Rattle Northern Italy After Earthquake Kills Six
Clashes Erupt In Beirut Between Pro & Anti-
Syrian Groups
Car Bomb Hits Military Compound In Damascus, 9 Dead
NATO Missile Defense Shield “Up And Running”
Three Climbers Die On Everest, Two Still Missing
Taiwan’s Ma Plays It cool
Norks Release Seized PRC Fishermen
PM Cameron’s Meeting With Dalai Lama Brings Predictable PRC Whining



BLOGS & STUFF
Copious Gasser: Democrats Vote To Cut Government Spending
Power Line: The Long Shadow Of Barack Obama’s Identity Crisis
Ed Driscoll: Former NBC/CNN Anchor Rips Obama For Sexism
NewsBusters: George Will, Laura Ingraham Slam NYT For Romney SuperPAC Piece
Weasel Zippers: Pelosi Defends Using Rev. Wright To solicit Campaign Contributions
Jawa Report: 18 Men In Hoodies Attack Restaurant Patrons With Hammers & Nightsticks
Just One Minute: The Asbestos Will Remain In Altgeld GardensAfghanistan
Hugh Hewitt: The Week Of Walker – Big Labor’s Waterloo
Legal Insurrection: Obama On Verge Of His Grand Iranian Bargain

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Category: Live at Five

Rule 5 Sunday: I Need To Know

Posted on | May 20, 2012 | 6 Comments

– compiled by Wombat-socho


A View From The Beach was clever, and sent his linkagery in early, which is to say with last week’s, since he’s going on a cruise or some such lame excuse. Therefore, some warmed-over Carla Bruni, an overheated biermaedchen inexplicably appearing in a post about oyster beer, an extremely late model cavegirl with obligatory dinosaur*, some non-Amish gals, and more Julia Orayen.


WyBlog updates us on the career of Ashley Dupre, Randy’s Roundtable takes a break with Alexandra Kemp and Alina Vacariu, and POlitically Incorrect returns with Dana Hamm. Fishersville Mike goes country with Jennifer Nettles while Three Beers Later prefers Alannah Myles. Reaganite Republican skips the beauty queens this week in favor of Fox babe Michelle Fields, and Laughing Conservative goes with this Welsh lass. The Rio Norte Line has Thandie Newton (to continue with the UK gals), and First Street Journal features Women With Wheels this week.
At Dustbury, it’s singer/artist April March and the late Donna Summer.


Soylent Green kicked off the week with Monday Motivationer Bella, provided Tuesday Titillation with Indira, supplied Humpday Hawtness with Vivien Sandi, and became distracted on Thursday. Lynda supplies Friday’s corsetation fascination, and a fascinating website header before being tempted to run off and join the circus.


Proof Positive also paid tribute to la Bruni, as well as vintage babe Senta Berger. Also, Sex in Advertising! At The Camp of the Saints, Bob provided six days of cheesecake: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.


The DaleyGator’s DaleyBabes included Saya Tachibana, Lena Yada, Tara, Maki Fukumi, Britney Palmer, Rimu Himeno, Rachelle Leah (with more Rule 5 linkagery!), Risa Yoshiki, Ali Sonoma, Thea Trinidad, Shizuka Nakamura, Mercedes Terrell, Sayaka Isomura, and Claudia Varela with more linkagery! Also, ice bras!


Thanks to everyone for their linkagery! Contributions to next week’s Rule 5 roundup are due by Saturday, May 26.


*I am well aware cavemen and dinosaurs did not co-exist, and anyone commenting on, or sending me e-mail correcting my presumed ignorance is going to get banned.

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Category: Rule 5

Hawaiian Nativity Now Seemingly Clear

Posted on | May 20, 2012 | 21 Comments

by Smitty

I’ve always thought the Birther thing was a Red Herring. Now that someone has gone back and done the research, we may need a new category. Call it a deR Herring. Being born in Hawaii was to far from the vein of racial emotion that BHO was seeking to tap. So we have the the literary agent tart up the mundane Hawaiian origin into something that can be mined for racial cred.

But it’s a twofer. After deciding to run for POTUS, the fiction is shed. But the skin cluttering the area becomes a major distractor. The birth certificate becomes to Barack what WMD were to Saddam Hussein: a closely-held card that is really, really driving some among the opposition snaky. Barack has, at least for 2008, maximized the political value of a bogus Kenyan birth claim for support, while turning birth suspicion into a powerful weapon to discredit detractors.

Lies are purely tactical. The entropy they inject into human life requires increasing energy to maintain. At this point, anyone who believes Barack Obama on, well, any count (roughly 1 in 4 think he’s doing a boffo job, according to Rasmussen) is pretty much a fool.

Update: more at Scared Monkeys.

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Category: Barack Obama

‘Other Computer Savvy Activists’

Posted on | May 20, 2012 | 29 Comments

From the “About” page at Brett Kimberlin’s “Justice Through Music Project” Web site:

Justice Through Music Project (“JTM”) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that uses famous musicians and bands to organize, educate and activate young people about the importance of civil rights, human rights and voting. . . .
Nationally known entertainment attorney Jeff Cohen and other computer savvy activists founded JTMP in 2003 in order to fill a particular need in today’s world – connecting with and giving a voice to youth by speaking a language they understand, music and freedom of expression.

They forgot to add: “Send money so we can pay a convicted terrorist to go around suing every blogger who says bad things about him, because – hey! – we’re all about democracy. Also, music.”

UPDATE: Popehat discusses “the astoundingly vile and terrifyingly sociopathic Brett Kimberlin, who for reasons that passeth understanding is still a darling to certain political activists despite the contemptible life he has led and continues to lead.” (Hat-tip: Patterico.)

Permit me to note that “sociopathic narcissism” is not a political ideology. Kimberlin seems to be under the impression that, if he just keeps doing the signifying jive — shout-outs on a behalf of progressivism, and attacks on various Republican bogeyman – this will justify all his wretched personal evil: Politics as a redeeming religion, as it were.

That kind of works for various successful and powerful Democrats, like the hideous drunken buffoon Ted Kennedy, whose stentorian voice, partisan ferocity and famous name seemed to have enshrouded him with secular sainthood in the eyes of many liberals.

But is Brett Kimberlin really such a progressive MVP that he can command the same worshipful reverence on the Left? I doubt it.

Maybe somebody should ask some of Kimberlin’s former BFFs — the liberals he may have screwed over and/or ripped off — if they think he’s an honest and worthwhile ally. Ask around, eh?

An award-winning reporter for the New Yorker, Mark Singer, wrote a book called Citizen K: The Deeply Weird American Journey of Brett Kimberlin. Singer is a total lefty – out there on the progressive fringe where MSNBC and Daily Kos are taken as gospel — and yet Singer recognized Kimberlin as a selfish scammer:

“After Garry Trudeau in ‘Doonesbury,’ the New Yorker’s Mark Singer was possibly the most prominent journalist to sympathetically report allegations that convict Brett Kimberlin had sold marijuana to Dan Quayle when the Vice-President was a law student. Indeed, Singer signed a contract with Kimberlin to write a book, but Kimberlin turns out to be a top-flight con man — as the author reveals with dismay and near admiration. So this picaresque detective story has a mea culpa at its heart, an effort to explain how certain things — such as former Harvard Law dean Erwin Griswold’s support for Kimberlin’s court appeal and Kimberlin’s muzzling by federal officials — helped build an edifice of sand. Singer conscientiously reconstructs Kimberlin’s history of crime — he was a drug smuggler and, mostly likely, the man behind some vicious bombings in Indianapolis. Some of this narrative gets tedious, yet it’s part of Singer’s effort to contrast facts with Kimberlin’s confident but ‘apparitional’ explanations. Leavening the story are Singer’s tales of Kimberlin’s charmed life behind bars: he wangled unlimited long-distance phone service, became the jailhouse lawyer for numerous Mafiosi and snared an impressive legal support group. Now free, the former dope smuggler helps ship commodities to Ukraine; but when Kimberlin (with Singer in tow) had a chance to meet Quayle at a book signing, he refused to confront him. Quayle, it now seems, deserves apologies.”
– Publisher’s Weekly, 1996

More recent coverage of Kimberlin activities — including a 2007 Time magazine article — makes clear that the scammer keeps on scamming.

 

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Category: The Kimberlin Files
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