The Other McCain

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

Making ‘Anglo-Saxon’ Scandalous

Posted on | July 25, 2012 | 76 Comments

The English-speaking world shares a culture as well as a language, and the term “Anglo-Saxon” has long been employed as a shorthand designation of this culture, for good or ill. But use of the term becomes a shocking scandal when it is employed by Republicans:

As the Republican presidential challenger accused Barack Obama of appeasing America’s enemies in his first foreign policy speech of the US general election campaign, advisers told The Daily Telegraph that he would abandon Mr Obama’s “Left-wing” coolness towards London.
In remarks that may prompt accusations of racial insensitivity, one suggested that Mr Romney was better placed to understand the depth of ties between the two countries than Mr Obama, whose father was from Africa.
“We are part of an Anglo-Saxon heritage, and he feels that the special relationship is special,” the adviser said of Mr Romney, adding: “The White House didn’t fully appreciate the shared history we have”.

Oh, how terrible: Acknowledging that our history and common culture creates a “special relationship” between the United States and Great Britain, our ally in both world wars of the 20th century. How awful that anyone would risk “accusations of racial insensitivity” by expressing pride in “an Anglo-Saxon heritage” that includes William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.

This is a dreadful scandal, you see, in the same way that practically everything any Republican does is interpreted as scandalous.

Ann Romney owns a horse? Scandalous!

Mitt Romney’s business made profits? Scandalous!

Democrats can engage in routine corruption, enact ruinous policies and leave campaign aides to die in submerged Oldsmobiles and nobody in the media ever blinks an eye, but anything done by any Republican is automatically a controversial scandal.

Category: Election 2012, Great Britain, Mitt Romney, Scandal

Like a Jeff Foxworthy Joke

Posted on | July 25, 2012 | 30 Comments

“You might be a redneck if …”

Richmond Co. Sheriff’s Office investigators say 36 year old William Bonner of Thomson was highly intoxicated late Friday night, and had a friend pour a shot of high-proof alcohol, Bacardi 151, over his head, then another friend set him ablaze. . . .
“He actually bet the people he was with that he could do this,” says RCSO Investigator Lt. Blaise Dresser.
It happened near the bar’s darts area, and witnesses say when they realized what was actually going on, the ordeal was over.
“Pretty much confusion,” says Adam Harden as he describes the scene. “I mean, not knowing what’s going on, what’s going to happen, what are we going to do. Then somebody drenched him out.”
Bonner was on fire for 10 full seconds before the flames were extinguished.
“It was the longest ten seconds you could think of,” says Harden, who stood just feet away when the flames erupted.
As Bonner burned, everyone in the crowded bar watched in stunned silence.
“All of us just stopped,” says Harden. . . .
Bonner ran around, trying to pat out the flames. After the fire was out, he walked out of the bar.
“His face was red, real glistening almost,” says Birmingham. “It had the consistency of melted plastic. It didn’t look good at all.”

Allahpundit headlined this, “Dude,” as if it were amazing, but I actually know guys like that down home. This incident is a manifestation of Southern honor culture — the double-dog-dare-ya impulse, the wild appetite for risk, the sense that one’s manhood is at stake in any challenge. Southerners are a people whose idea of a sport is driving bumper-to-bumper 190 mph into the third turn at Daytona.

And if you hit the wall, so what?

Dale Earnhardt is an immortal legend down home, for basically the same reason a guy lights his head on fire to win a bar bet.

William Bonner won the bet and walked out of the bar. The burns are probably superficial and he’ll be telling that story the rest of his life.

Thank God for rednecks. They make America a great country.

Category: Culture

LIVE AT FIVE: 07.25.12

Posted on | July 25, 2012 | 2 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Romney Blasts Obama For “Betrayal” Of National Security In VFW Convention Speech

Mitt Romney pressing the flesh in Reno

Assails administration for leaking in pursuit of political gains

Rare Miss For Apple As iPhone Sales Cool
Only second time in ten years company has missed expectations

Number Of Civilian Refugees Grows As Fighting In Syria Moves To Cities
Assad regime concentrating on stamping out rebellion in Aleppo, Damascus



POLITICS
Obama Still Trying To Explain “You Didn’t Build That” Comment

President Obama addresses the VFW

Romney attacks on Obama’s understanding of capitalism gain traction as the latter’s campaign desperately spins

New Orleans Accepts Federal Plan To Clean Up Police Department



Senate Democrats Learn Nothing From DISCLOSE Act Debacle, Push Constitutional Amendment To Overturn “Citizens United” Decision

Hundreds Protest Over Anaheim Police Shootings; City Asks For Federal Probe

Feinstein Does A Booker On National Security Leaks

NY Congressional Candidate’s Father Arrested For Bribery

NJ Supreme Court Exempts State Judges From Increased Contributions To Health Insurance, Pension Funds



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Oil Recovers Slightly On Mixed Economic News; NYMEX $88.50, Brent $103.42
NY Fed Mum On Braclays’ Admission Of LIBOR Rigging
AT&T Gets A Boost On Rising Smartphone Use
Euro Hovers Near Two-Year Low As Spanish Worries Continue
Spain Feeling Debt Heat, Greece Way Off Bailout Terms
Dow Marks Triple-Digit Loss Three-Peat
Walmart Joins Target In Opposing Credit Card Swipe Fee Settlement
The New Fear Index: Treasury Yields Hit Record Low Below 1.4%
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Banned In Europe
Apple To Release Mountain Lion OS Today
Google Agrees To EU Antitrust Deal Outline
Comcast Debuts Xfinity Platinum Internet
AOL’s PLAY App Might Be The Best Cross-Platform MP3 Player
After Malware Scare, Apple Makes First Appearance At Black Hat Conference



SPORTS
Astros Trade Wandy Rodriguez To Pirates For Prospects

LHP Wandy Rodriguez, formerly of Houston

Astros get two promising pitchers and a solid outfield prospect to help with ongoing rebuilding effort

Team USA Routs Spain In Exhibition Hoops, 100-78


NASCAR Suspends Allmendinger For Failing Backup Drug Test

Buchholz Hangs Tough, Aviles Delivers In 9th As Red Sox Top Rangers 2-1

Predators Match Flyers’ 14-Year Offer, Keep Weber In Nashville

Big Donkey Slams Homer #30 As Chisox Rout Twins 11-4

Gio Bounces Back As Nats Solve Knuckleball, Beat Mets 5-2



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Christian Bale Shows Awesome Class

Christain Bale sits with shooting victim Carey Rothman

Visits shooting victims, hospital staff, unprompted by studio
Warner Brothers to make “substantial” donation to victims

Police Called To Katherine Jackson’s Home After Fight

Kristen Stewart Cheats On Boyfriend Rob Pattinson With Married Director Of “Snow White”

Sherman Hemsley Dead At 74; Played George Jefferson In “All In The Family”, “The Jeffersons”

“Modern Family” Cast Sues As Contract Negotiations Turn Ugly



FOREIGNERS
Philippines Refuses To Budge Over South China Sea Row
Ghana’s President John Atta Mills Dead At 68
Egypt’s Mursi Names Little-Known Water Minister As PM
Zimbabwe PM: Mugabe Will Accept Election Result
Ethnic Riots Sweep Assam Province; Army Shoots Four Rioters
Australia Gives Up Bid To Seize Jihadi’s Book Profits
ROK President Makes Public Apology For Corruption Scandals
Tajikistan Government Launches Offensive Against Rebels After General Murdered
Up To 50 Arrested At Paya Funeral As Family Continues To Insist Death Was No Accident



BLOGS & STUFF
Weasel Zippers: Obama Invokes Daughters In Defense Of Planned Parenthood’s Abortion Services
The Lid: ABC Shows Once Again That It’s A Mickey Mouse News Organization
Q&O: Obama Tries To Use The Middle Class To Spin Increasing Taxes On The “Wealthy”
Legal Insurrection: DiFi Accuses White House Of Classified Intel Leaks, Then Does A Booker
Hit & Run: SCOTUS Ruling Means ObamaCare Will Cover Fewer People, Cost A Little Less
Protein Wisdom: The Ruling Class Vs. The Rest Of Us
Da Tech Guy: Demoralized As Hell D+11 Poll Edition
Jammie Wearing Fools: Bloomberg Thinks Maybe Cops Should Go On Strike Until We Disarm The Public
Veronique De Rugy: The Price Of Gun Control
Clayton Cramer: You Didn’t Build That Massacre…
Althouse: Could Gary Johnson Be This Year’s Ralph Nader?
Allahpundit: Aurora Victim’s Brother Tells MSNBC’s Dyson He Doesn’t Want To Talk About Gun Control
Lonely Conservative: Two Prominent Solyndra Figures Now Fundraising For Obama

Category: Live at Five

If Mitt Romney Used A Dog Whistle, Would A Bitch Hear It?

Posted on | July 24, 2012 | 46 Comments

by Smitty (via American Glob)

Test my logic. One can be fairly certain a lady like Andrea Mitchell is not a bitch; therefore, Romney’s use of ‘foreign’, which she clearly heard, must be something other than a dog whistle. Maybe ‘foreign’ is just a non-domestic word:

The irony here is that Barack’s foreign upbringing was part of his glamor in 2008. He was the urbane, cosmopolitan wunderkind who brought Hopium and Change-oom from exotic places.

Clearly, Romney’s use of ‘foreign’ is going after ‘alien to traditional American thought’. And, yes, the Marxist underpinnings of Obama’s collectivist thinking are foreign, to put it as mildly as possible.

For safety reasons, I recommend Andrea Mitchell and Amanda Marcotte  maintain a two-mile standoff, lest their combined intellectual suction trigger a singularity.

What has that foreign influence wrought: Under Me “People Have A New Attitude Toward America” And “More Confidence”

Also, via The Lonely Conservative, more piling on for “You didn’t do that”:

Category: Election 2012, Mitt Romney

Is Barack’s “I Didn’t Do That” Reclama Of His 13 July Roanoke Speech Worthy?

Posted on | July 24, 2012 | 18 Comments

by Smitty

BHO in Roanoke delivered, after the opening rah-rah, about 5k words. He Who Is Too Cool to release his college documentation had to take to YouTube and deliver this:
Emphasis still mine:

“Those ads taking my words about small business out of context; they’re flat out wrong. Of course Americans build their own business. Everyday hard-working people sacrifice to meet a payroll, create jobs, and make our economy run.
And what I said was that we need to stand behind them as America always has. By investing in education, training, roads and bridges, research and technology. I’m Barack Obama and I approve this message because I believe we’re all in this together.”

And here is a hefty, contextual quote from the speech: Read more

Category: Barack Obama

Not Surprising: Tina Brown’s ‘Newsbeast’ Still Losing Millions of Dollars a Year

Posted on | July 24, 2012 | 14 Comments

“The investors can expect to lose a crapload of cash in the process. The New Yorker reportedly lost $42 million in three years (1995-97) under Ms. Brown’s editorship. Talk lost an impressive $80 million during its two-year existence. Whatever else you might say about Tina Brown, she’s undeniably brilliant at convincing investors to lose money on her projects.”
— Robert Stacy McCain, Nov. 11, 2010

Some 20 months after it was announced that the worthless magazine Newsweek would merge with Tina Brown’s Daily Beast, we learn that Brown’s deep-pocketed patron Barry Diller has taken over controlling interest from the family of Rep. Jane Harman (D-Hezbollah).

Peter Lauria of Reuters explains the incredible sums of cash Tina’s “Newsbeast” has lost in the past couple of years:

The Harman family confirmed its ownership stake has been diluted by its decision to cap contributions to the loss-making venture, but would not give a figure. . . .
Sidney Harman acquired Newsweek from the Washington Post Co in August 2010 for $1 plus the assumption of the magazine’s more than $50 million in liabilities.
Barry Diller launched The Daily Beast under the auspices of former New Yorker and Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown in October 2008. . . .
[M]edia reports have estimated losses at The Daily Beast at around $10 million annually.
Diller and Harman decided to merge their titles in November 2010 — the rationale was to leverage the combined audiences to cross-sell advertising at both publications and subscriptions for Newsweek. . . .
So far, however, the combined venture is still losing money, according to Diller, though he has said this year’s loss will be substantially less than last year’s. He did not give a figure and Brown has called reports of $30 million in losses last year “excessive.”

OK, if $30 million is an “excessive” estimate of their 2011 losses, but nobody’s arguing with estimates of $10 million of red ink a year, isn’t it a fair guess that Tina has pissed away at least $50 million in the past four years, including about a million a month since the merger?

Y’know, with a million bucks a month, maybe I could put together a kinda trendy Web site or something. Even without Barry Diller-sized cash infusions, we haven’t done too badly.

Hit the freaking tip jar. Like you were a multimillionaire media mogul and Tina Brown was giving you a hand job in the backseat of your limo.

Because we all know that’s how she does it, right?

 




 

PREVIOUSLY:

Category: Newsweek

Old and Boring: ‘Safe Sex’
New and Hot: ‘Let’s Make Babies’

Posted on | July 24, 2012 | 26 Comments

Young folks have discovered a kinky new sexual phenomenon: If a man places his penis inside a woman’s vagina, she can have a baby.

This shockingly weird activity is being promoted by a Web site called 1Flesh.org, whose founders describe their revolutionary idea:

We want awesome marriages and mind-blowing sex lives. We want women and men to be respected and loved for who they are, to the very depths of their being. We want sex free from fear, love free from use, and a world of people who love and respect their own bodies. In short, we want sexy back. In fact, we demand it.

Wow! What a bizarre concept: Sex that begins with “I do,” and ends with “Till death do us part.” Being fruitful and muliplying!

Exactly how dangerous is this “one flesh” concept? It has already been denounced by Amanda Marcotte, and you know what that means.

It’s 100% pure awesomeness.

1Flesh.org
Let’s Do It Until Amanda Marcotte Screams

 

UPDATE: Jackie Wellfonder explains that 1Flesh.org was the brainchild of “Bad Catholic” blogger Marc Barnes, who announced it in late June and has already been denounced by Amanda Marcotte. Which means you should follow Marc Barnes on Twitter, because he’s awesome.

UPDATE II: For my own thoughts on the Contraceptive Culture, please see, “The Pill at 50: Unhappy Un-Birthday” (May 8, 2010).

UPDATE III (Smitty): Welcome, Instapundit readers!

Category: Contraceptive Culture, Religion, Sex

2012 Not The Most Important Election Ever–It’s A Constitutional Referendum

Posted on | July 24, 2012 | 10 Comments

by Smitty


You can either give #OccupyResoluteDesk the heave-ho, or PYHBYLAKYAG: Put Your Head Between Your Legs And Kiss Your Arugula Goodbye.

If Obama retains any grip on power, the evidence of his disregard for the Rule of Law, Separation of Powers, and the Constitution in general points toward increasing over-reach. A suspension of elections prior to 2016 doesn’t seem far-fetched at all with this chap in office.

He’s still busy trying to explain how his entire “You didn’t build that” speech was taken out of context. But, no, every miserable Commie syllable of that wretched speech was consistent with every Commie day of this misbegotten administration.

As nailed by Ramirez:Albatross

Maybe Amanda Marcotte can explain it all for #OccupyResoluteDesk

More good blogging at Nice Deb.

via Breitbart

Category: Barack Obama, Election 2012
« go back — keep looking »

    About

    This is an area on your website where you can add text. This will serve as an informative location on your website, where you can talk about your site.

    Subscribe to our feed

    Search

    Admin