The Other McCain

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

At Least One Chief Executive Is Doing The Correct Thing

Posted on | January 15, 2013 | 3 Comments

by Smitty

So the guy who already knows he’s not going to meet his budget deadline is going to surround himself with children and infringe upon the 2nd Amendment. Mataconis figures that flinging this much humus is likely to make something stick, in particular, the executive orders. One can hope the fiasco proves a bridge too far for the President. Is there some kind of psychological theory about repeatedly playing the Bad Guy as a means of weakening the opposing resolve?

For some green shoot of intellectual life peeking through the humus, Mike Pence in Indiana is enacting a regulatory moratorium. One is confident that the policy of “If DC can’t take credit, it won’t notice” will remain in effect. Also, Senator Rand Paul will be addressing CPAC 2013, in just two short months. Which, on the current course, will be a desperately needed therapy session. Register, and get your fedora down there.

Category: Uncategorized

Eighteen Severed Human Heads Stopped En Route to Chicago ‘Research Facility’

Posted on | January 15, 2013 | 42 Comments

Somewhere in Illinois, a “research facility” is being operated by zombies, cannibals or, perhaps, a mad scientist from Transylvania:

The 18 human head specimens that arrived at O’Hare International Airport from Rome just before Christmas were on their way to a research facility in the Chicago suburbs — a facility that is “under investigation,” a source told the Chicago Sun-Times Tuesday morning.
Officials initially said a paperwork problem prevented the shipment from being delivered to its final destination, but the Sun-Times has learned that the hold-up is connected to an ongoing investigation at the suburban facility in question. The investigation is “absolutely not” connected to the shipment of the heads, the source said.
The heads were shipped from Rome as cargo on a Lufthansa Airlines flight, arriving at O’Hare about one week before Christmas.
“They were properly preserved and tagged as human specimens,” said Tony Brucci, chief investigator for the medical examiner’s office.
Brucci said U.S. Customs officials at O’Hare initially held up the shipment, when they found the paperwork to be “a little confusing.”
Brian Bell, a spokesman with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said earlier Tuesday that the specimens appear to be legitimate medical samples.

Why won’t the newspaper name the facility “under investigation”? Why do I suspect the “facility” is a castle with a laboratory in the cellar?

 

(Via Gawker; hat-tip to David Freddoso on Twitter.)

 

Category: Illinois, Science

Why Doesn’t President Obama Support ‘Citizens Against Senseless Violence’?

Posted on | January 15, 2013 | 9 Comments

New York Times headline today:

Obama Poised to Back Comprehensive
Plan to Curb Gun Violence

If he’s against “gun violence,” why would his attorney general call the cops on a peaceful group promoting its own “comprehensive plan”?

Posing as “Citizens Against Senseless Violence,” [James] O’Keefe and company visited the homes of anti-gun journalists employed by The Journal News in New York and the Star-Ledger in New Jersey.
They also swung by Touré’s place and paid a visit to the ol’ Eric Holder homestead. Each household was asked to display a yard sign with the words “This Home is Proudly Gun Free.”
Any guesses how that turned out?

You don’t have to guess:

“FBI Police confronted our reporters within minutes of their knocking on the Attorney General’s home. Eric Holder is safe and sound under armed protection, unlike the nation’s children.”

 

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO PROJECT VERITAS

 

Category: Barack Obama, Constitution, Eric Holder, James O'Keefe

The Problem With ‘Sponsored Content’: Atlantic Unpublishes Scientology Article

Posted on | January 15, 2013 | 24 Comments

How do you turn pixels into profits? This is an industry-wide issue for journalism in the digital New Media age, and the “sponsored content” approach — selling ads that look like articles — is supposed to be the wave of the future. Well . . .

The Atlantic apparently sold space to the Church Creepy Ripoff Brainwashing Cult of Scientology for an “advertorial” with this headline:

David Miscavige Leads Scientology to Milestone Year

To say the very least, the article attracted unflattering attention:

The Atlantic — the one time publisher of Mark Twain, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edith Wharton — is now publishing blatant Scientology propaganda. The “sponsored content,” which went up Monday around noon, features all sorts of breathless praise for Scientology and its alleged growth last year.
The post is basically one long tribute to David Miscavige, the “ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion” . . .

Given the high-toned image and upscale readership of the Atlantic, this invitation to public ridicule was an embarrassment to the staff:

Twitchy collected the ROTFLMAO reaction from Twitter, and MediaGazer aggregated the firestorm of journalistic shame, which predictably ended with the de-publication of the non-article:

The Atlantic has U-turned on its controversial paid-for feature article from the Church of Scientology. The publication had sparked a debate on media ethics and business models after allowing the advertorial from the religious group to appear on its site but — as of 21:00, UTC-8 — the page now redirects to one with the following message: “We have temporarily suspended this advertising campaign pending a review of our policies that govern sponsor content and subsequent comment threads.”

Of course, this is just an occasion to laugh at the snobbish hypocrisy of the Atlantic, another elite-oriented neoliberal institution caught in the economic crunch that has affected so many other Legacy Media outposts. Paying for actual journalism in a post-literate age is an increasing challenge for every outfit not attached to an entertainment conglomerate that can afford to subsidize the written word as a “loss leader.”

For my own Shameless Capitalist self, I say shop our Amazon specials and remember the Five Most Important Words in the English Language:

HIT THE FREAKING TIP JAR!
A Feasible Alternative to Scientology Ads, So Far

 

UPDATE: Ed Driscoll offers a dish best served cold:

As I said, “Old Media Belatedly Discovers That Elections Have Consequences”‘ the moribund Obamaconomy is impacting the Atlantic as well.

The widespread belief among journalists that they can safely ignore market forces is crumbling under the weight of contradictory evidence. Jeff Bercovici of Forbes notes that it took less than 12 hours for the Atlantic to pull the ad, and issue an embarrassed statement:

We screwed up. It shouldn’t have taken a wave of constructive criticism — but it has — to alert us that we’ve made a mistake, possibly several mistakes. We now realize that as we explored new forms of digital advertising, we failed to update the policies that must govern the decisions we make along the way. It’s safe to say that we are thinking a lot more about these policies after running this ad than we did beforehand. In the meantime, we have decided to withdraw the ad until we figure all of this out. We remain committed to and enthusiastic about innovation in digital advertising, but acknowledge — sheepishly — that we got ahead of ourselves. We are sorry, and we’re working very hard to put things right.

Maybe the Atlantic can sell out to the Qatari oil sheikhs . . .

 


Category: Journalism, Shoe Leather Fund

Transsexual Bullies Successfully Censor Feminist Writers Who Criticized Them

Posted on | January 15, 2013 | 42 Comments

News from the competitive victimhood sweepstakes in Great Britain indicates that transsexuals have won the Most Oppressed Group prize, and are now able to demand complete deference. Kathy Shaidle and Donald Douglas have covered this bizarre controversy. To summarize:

All of this uproar began, remember, with a feminist’s jocular complaint about ridiculous pressures on women about their looks. And the moral of the story: Angry bullies always win!

From whom did the transgender community learn this lesson?

Why, yes, of course: From feminists themselves, who ruthlessly bullied their way to power by organizing hate-fests to denounce men whom they accused of sexism, discrimination, and/or harassment.

The boomerang of ironic payback . . .

 

Category: Feminism, Gays, Great Britain

LIVE AT FIVE: 01.15.13

Posted on | January 15, 2013 | 1 Comment

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Despite French Airstrikes, Jihadis Continue Advance In Mali

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius

Shortage of ground troops makes defense problematic


Obama Weighs Executive Action On Guns
Nineteen possibilities for executive orders


Thousands Rally For Second Day In Islamabad
“Last chance to save Pakistan”?



POLITICS
NY Senate Passes Package Of Tougher Gun Laws

Adams calls for Congress to follow NY example, ban already-illegal assault rifles

Assembly expected to vote early today

Obama, GOP Issue Challenges On Debt Limit

Newtown Parents, Residents Form “Sandy Hook Promise” Group


Swartz’ Suicide Fuels MIT Probe, Petition To Fire Prosecutor

Military Suicides Hit Record High In 2012

Sandy Relief Bill Faces Big Test Today In House

California’s Independent Legislative Analyst Gives Jerry Brown Good Marks On Budget



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Oil Up On Completion Of US Pipeline: NYMEX $94.05, Brent $111.79
UPS Drops Bid For TNT Express
Japan’s Nikkei Index Hits 32-Month High, Other Asian Markets Mixed
S&P 500 Drops As Apple Loss Offsets Dell Gain; Crops Lead Commodities Higher
Treasuries Gain For A Second Day On Debt Ceiling Impasse
Radio Shack Calls Off Mobile Venture With Target
USDA To Begin Offering Farm Microloans
Has Apple’s Innovation Engine Stalled?
“Red October” Cyberattack Found By Russian Researchers
Study: Smartphones Outpacing Tablets In Data Consumption
Homeland Security Still Advises Disabling Java, Even After Patch
PRC Adds 51 Million Internet Users In 2012
Uber Taxi-Hailing App Lands In DC
Amazon Instant Video Now Available On The Wii
Diablo 3 Patch Preview, Dueling Detailed



SPORTS
LeBron James’ Missteps Cost The Heat As Jazz Prevails

Miami’s LeBron James

Utah gets hot, contains late Miami rally for 104-97 win

Armstrong Admits Doping On Oprah

Clippers Win Without Chris Paul, Beat Grizzlies 99-73

USC Fires Hoops Coach O’Neill

Visnovsky A No-Show At Islanders Camp, Won’t Leave Russia’s Continental League

Bulls Shut Down Hawks In 97-58 Rout


Rajon Rondo Paces Celtics In Win Over Bobcats

Black Caps Capitulate On “Tour From Hell”

Where Have You Gone, Chris Marrero?



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Brad Cooper: I’m Not Dating Jennifer Lawrence

Brad Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence

“I could literally be her father.”

Lindsay Lohan Fires Her Attorney

Jodie Foster: I’m Not Retiring, Speech Speaks For Itself


Britney Steps Out In “Love” Sweatshirt After Split

Matt Lauer Tells NBC Bosses To Release Ann Curry To CNN

Olympic Gymnast Shannon Miller Expecting Baby #2

Zack Snyder Shoots Down “Star Wars” Development Rumors

Maggie Smith Returning To “Downton Abbey” For Season 4

Brazilian Waxing Makes Crab Louse Endangered Species



FOREIGNERS
France Seeks Arab Backing For Mali Campaign
Nick Clegg Warns PM On EU Referendum
Indian LGen Parnaik: Pakistan Always In Denial, Always Fabricating Things
19 Killed In Cairo Rail Accident
Afghans Want Village Police Trainers Out
Gang Rape Victim’s Mother Calls For Death Penalty
UN Human Rights Chief Calls For Investigation Of Norks
Snow Forces 3400 To Spend The Night At Tokyo Airport
Olmert Accuses Netanyahu Of Wasting Billions On “Security Delirium”



BLOGS & STUFF
Gateway Pundit: Obama White House Readies 19 Executive Orders On Gun Control
Jake Sullum: How False Urgency Creates Stupid Gun Laws
Rick Moran: Are Republicans Crazy, Or Just Irresponsible?
Power Line: Obama Plays Hardball On Debt Ceiling, But Can’t Escape His Past
Weekly Standard Blog: The Sophist
Questions And Observations: The Debt Ceiling – Orwell Just Missed It By A Few Years
Althouse: Jodie Foster’s Golden Globes Speech Isn’t Nutty Or Incoherent
NRO Corner: Those New Gun-Control Polls
Ed Driscoll: You Kids Are So Damn Screwed
Patterico: WSJ On The Swartz Plea Bargain
Protein Wisdom: Mark Levin Reacts To Obama Presser – “We Have An Imperial President”
Weasel Zippers: Rep. Stockman Threatens Obama Impeachment Over Guns

Category: Live at Five

Let’s Call It ‘The Doritos Argument’

Posted on | January 14, 2013 | 10 Comments

by Smitty

Apparently, this tweet brought me to the attention of some folks on Twitter:

This triggered some fun back’n’forth:

 

The traditional thumb-wrestling over who owns the definitions culminated in:

 

Somewhere in the middle of the fracas, I got hit with this:


So, Tori seems to think that taxpayer dollars form a tidy, velvet-handcuff sort of entrapment. The Doritos Argument, as I’ll label it until I can find some more generally accepted name for the form, seems to be:

If you’ve eaten Doritos, you cannot go to the gym. The first agent-orange colored, star-destroyer shaped, infernally spiced, unnaturally crunching, finger-and-soul staining encounter with one of these diabolical digestives marks a human eternally. That marked person is precluded from ever prying themselves off the couch, liberating themselves from the torrid stigma of snack food, and burning off a few calories, despite the undeniably healthy consequences.

No, that’s daft. You can manage your caloric input/output ration, and you can continue to think clearly in the face of your government bribing you with the money of the as-yet unborn. As badly as the Progressives want to think they’ve successfully re-created man in the image of sheep, they fail.

Get bent, Tori.

Category: Uncategorized

Lynching Big Red: National Media’s Journalistic Crime Against Steubenville

Posted on | January 14, 2013 | 12 Comments

“Families of Big Red athletes have reported being harassed and threatened. . . . Police increased patrols around city schools after a threat of violence triggered a lockdown.
“[Local parent Jackie] Sacripanti said children in the community who had nothing to do with the parties or the alleged rape ‘are being taunted and harassed, just because they attend Steubenville City Schools.'”
— Linda Harris, “Standing up for Steubenville: Rally supports scandal-shocked residents,” Steubenville (Ohio) Herald-Star

What happened the night of Saturday, Aug. 11? We can’t yet say we know “beyond a reasonable doubt,” but Lee Stranahan, who visited Steubenville last week and has examined testimony in a preliminary hearing, is beginning to express entirely reasonable doubts about how the media have covered the accusations of rape against two football players — and insinuations against many others in the community.

An attorney for one of the two accused football players is seeking to have the trial moved out of Steubenville:

Attorney Walter Madison . . . says the case has gone “out of control” amid extensive online and media attention.
The case has gained international attention through the work of bloggers and hacker-activists who allege that other football players should be charged in the August incident but have been protected through a cover-up.

The involvement of “bloggers and hacker-activists” in this case has been problematic, as Lee Stranahan documents extensively:

Alexandria Goddard’s role in this story is an object of particular scrutiny by Stranahan. The former Steubenville resident is being hailed as a heroine by some in the media, who are treating “facts” she has “reported” as if they were . . . well, factual reporting.

This has fostered suspicions of a conspiratorial cover-up by law enforcement, suspicions which may be wholly unwarranted because, in case it has previously escaped your notice, the two suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and there has not yet been a trial.

Nevertheless, the national media have jumped to conclusions faster than you can say “Duke lacrosse team.” Not only has the accusation of rape been assumed as a proven fact, but the shadow of guilty complicity has been cast over the entire city of Steubenville. When the truth is finally known, the media’s credibility is not likely to be enhanced, but who can the innocent people of Steubenville sue to get their reputations back?

PREVIOUSLY: ‘Anonymous’ and Steubenville: Online Lynch Mob Complicates Rape Case

 


Category: Crime, Media Bias, Ohio
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