Old Jarhead's Political SitRep for February 5, 2013

Old Jarhead's Political SitRep for February 5, 2013

Robert A. Hall

Happy birthday to my dad, born February 5, 1925. He’d be 88 today, been gone since 2004. Sorry for no Monday SitRep. I took the weekend off for family and the Super Bowl (I watched both games, before and after the blackout). That meant, of course, there was more e-mail than I and my team of secretaries could get through Monday night—sorry. There are a lot of interesting links today, but it is long. ~Bob.

C.Y.A. Protecting Yourself in the Modern Jungle

If you order directly from CreateSpace, the PFF receives a larger royalty:

https://www.createspace.com/4133396http://www.amazon.com/C-Y-Protecting-Yourself-Modern-Jungle/dp/1481989103/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358787454&sr=1-8&keywords=C.Y.A+.+Robert+A+Hall

First published in 2010, this book has been reissued through CreateSpace/Amazon at a lower price, with all royalties going to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. A humor/self-help book, this is advice with an attitude.

Worth Reading: An Horrific Congressional Oversight. By Andy Weddington

http://acoloneloftruth.blogspot.com/2013/02/an-horrific-congressional-oversight.html

Excerpt: So, in the name of fairness - of "sexual equality" (a bewildering term popular these days), and of responsible use of tight fiscal resources let's end this "men's" and "women's" athletic competition model. It's dated. It's so "old-fashioned" - not meeting with today's modern American hip culture.

March West: China’s Response to the U.S. Rebalancing

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/up-front/posts/2013/01/31-china-us-sun#channel=f1153ead4fabad7%26origin=http://www.brookings.edu%26channel_path=/blogs/up-front/posts/2013/01/31-china-us-sun?fb_xd_fragment%23xd_sig%3Df3d23af51ef6c7%26

Excerpt: In China, Mao Zedong once had a famous exposition on military strategy: “Where the enemy advances, we retreat. Where the enemy retreats, we pursue.“ (敌进我退，敌退我追) As China’s foreign policy community contemplates how to counter the U.S. rebalancing to Asia, a grand strategic proposal has been made that China shift its attention from the heated competition in East Asia and rebalance its geographical focus westwards to the vast area from Central Asia to the Middle East, where the U.S. is pivoting away from. (I think Mao swiped this from Sun Tzu. ~Bob)

Senate GOP probes Treasury pick Lew’s failure to comply with Medicare law

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/280755-senate-gop-probes-jack-lews-role-in-failure-to-comply-with-medicare-law

Excerpt: Senate Republicans are demanding the administration hand over all documents related to Jack Lew's failure, when he was head of the Office of Management and Budget, to comply with a law aimed at ensuring Medicare's solvency. (Democrats have to comply with the law? Who knew? What difference does it make? ~Bob.)

Why Do We Subsidize Retirement? By John Goodman

http://healthblog.ncpa.org/why-do-we-subsidize-retirement/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=HA#more-28794

Excerpt: At the time the Social Security system was created, life expectancy was 64 years. The average person wasn’t expected to reach the retirement age of 65. Those that did were generally thought to be too old to work. Yet with the passage of time, life expectancy grew, the health of 60 year olds improved and the system evolved into one that literally subsidized retirement.

Student Loans: Another Federal Debacle. By Jay Bowen

http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/student-loans-another-federal-debacle#ixzz2JwUOsdgq

Excerpt: Even if you aren’t considering going back to school, you’re about to pick up the tab for a college education. The same cast of characters that brought you the housing crisis, a post office hemorrhaging billions, and a school system that gets more expensive as it gets worse has now brought us a student loan crisis. (And the fiscal avalanche gathers speed. ~Bob.)

The Financial Burden of Compliance and Paperwork

http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=22807&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DPD

Excerpt: Embedded in the Notice of Proposed Rule Making for every proposed executive agency rule that appears in the Federal Register is a formal cost-benefit analysis that includes the amount of labor hours the rule's implementation would require. Theoretically, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) tracks the compliance cost of every new rule, but in reality, it only tracks the paperwork hours and tax compliance costs for significant rules, says Wayne Crews, vice president for policy and director of technology studies at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. The OMB estimates that 8.783 billion hours were required to complete regulatory paperwork in 2010, a decrease from 2009. A newer Information Collection Budget report that has yet to impact official calculations estimates that the public spent 9.14 billion hours in fiscal year 2011. A conservative estimate of just $20 per hour by the OMB means compliance costs are nearly $182 billion per year. This may be low, however, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics cites hourly wages for compliance officers as about $30 an hour, accountants as $33 an hour and human resources professionals as $52 per hour.

79 Percent of Americans Say Federal Spending Hasn’t Improved America’s Quality of Life, 49 Percent Support Going Back to Clinton-Era Spending Levels

http://reason.com/poll/2013/01/30/january-2013-landing-page

Excerpt: Nearly half the country, 49 percent, says it would help the economy if the federal government returned to Clinton-era spending levels, while 30 percent believe it would make no difference and 12 percent think returning to those spending levels would hurt the economy. (The public wants to cut spending except, of course, on anything that directly benefits them. And the fiscal avalanche gathers speed. ~Bob.)

“I’m Tired” enjoying another resurgence

I’m getting a lot of new comments on the blog, including ones thanking Bill Cosby for writing it. Too funny. I bet Bill is not amused. Here’s one: Mr. Hall, Coming from a 24 year old (middle classed and STILL Republican) American, that was very well spoken. I wish I could shake your hand. You give me hope that the world just may not be doomed through stupidity. -Sarah 

A longer “I’m Tired” comment

I'm writing to let you know that I really appreciated your blog entry entitled, "I'm Tired." I am tired too, for different reasons. I agree with everything you said, but I would just like to go a little further. This is not a criticism by any means; it's my frustration that I'm venting. Seventeen years ago my husband left me with five children, ages 5,4,3,2,and a newborn with Down syndrome and major heart problems. I chose to stay home with the children at a great financial sacrifice to all of us, but it was something I felt was necessary. For the first fifteen years we scraped by on child support and SSI for my youngest daughter, and Medicaid. Ten years ago I went back for my Master's degree at Grand Valley State University, which I received in 2006. When I completed school, my oldest was just starting high school, with the others close behind. I chose not to look very hard for a job because again, I felt it was very important for the children to have the full time presence of a parent (at this point their father never saw them.) Two years ago, with only one left in high school and one in middle school, I started a serious job hunt. I have had to go on food stamps, which I'm not very proud of, but I'm in a quandary. I now have a job as a cook in an assisted living home, for $8.50 an hour (I live in Michigan, where unemployment is high). If I work more than twenty hours a week, I lose Medicaid, and at this point in my life, that's not an option I want to consider. At least it is work experience, which I need on my resume. Do you know what I hear from employers? "Why haven't you been working the last twenty years?" It doesn't seem to matter that my four oldest are in college now, including one in the seminary who is studying to be a Catholic priest, and the youngest tells everyone that she is happy she has Down's because that makes her special. I want to scream in frustration that if these kids had been ignored while they were growing up it is unlikely that we would be in the same position. I don't want to take money from the government. I want a job in my field (Social Work) so that I can pay off my school loans and have my own insurance. I want to be recognized as someone who made a contribution to the world because I did what I thought was the right thing to do by taking care of my children when they were young. By the way, they are all drug (and for the most part, alcohol) free. They are hoping to make their own positive contribution to the world. Well, that's my frustration. Thanks for reading. --Melissa M. (This woman has had a very tough row. Unfortunately, the “safety net” to help folks like her is being destroyed by those riding the system, which is going to collapse. The numbers don’t work. ~Bob.)

What Ideas Are Conservatives FOR? By Matthew Spalding, Ph.D.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/02/04/morning-bell-what-ideas-are-conservatives-for/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email;utm_campaign=&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell

Excerpt: Government in the last half century has expanded, centralized and bureaucratized to the point that it is now the chief barrier to creativity, innovation and economic growth.

Reid backs Sen. Bob Menendez on ABC’s ‘This Week’

http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/03/reid-backs-sen-bob-menendez-on-abcs-this-week/

Excerpt: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he has the “utmost confidence” in fellow Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez and says he has confidence the New Jersey senator “did nothing wrong” in associating with a prominent political donor who appears to be under investigation by the FBI.

Too Funny: Top 10: Best tweets about the Bob Menendez prostitute scandal
http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/03/top-10-best-tweets-about-the-bob-menendez-prostitute-scandal/#ixzz2Jx0pVJGp

Tweet from Ari FleischerVerified‏ @AriFleischer: I don't know of Sen. Bob Menendez belongs in the Senate, but he definitely belongs on the foreign relations committee.

Egypt tensions rise as footage emerges of police beating protester

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/03/egypt-footage-police-beating-protester

Graphic footage of a naked Egyptian man being dragged across a street and beaten by at least eight riot policemen during a protest in Cairo on Friday night has intensified popular fury at President Mohamed Morsi and sparked calls from Egypt's opposition for "an end to this regime of tyranny"…..Yet in a bizarre twist, Saber later claimed in an interview from a police hospital that the police had in fact saved him from thieving protesters. Saber's account sparked fears that he had either been threatened into silence, or paid off.

Two Supreme Court Decisions The Anti-Gunners Don't Want You To See. By Carl F. Worden

http://www.apfn.org/apfn/gun-law.htm

Excerpt: Even though Miller lost that argument, the Miller case set the precedent that protected firearms have a military, and thus a legitimate and protected Militia use. 

French president visits Mali to cheers of support

http://news.yahoo.com/french-president-visits-mali-cheers-support-153817963.html

Excerpt: French President Francois Holland bathed in the cheers and accolades of the thousands of people of this embattled city on Saturday, making a triumphant stop six days after French forces parachuted into Timbuktu to liberate the fabled city from the radical Islamists occupying it. His arrival comes three weeks after France unilaterally launched a military intervention in order to stem the advance of the al-Qaida-linked fighters, and since then French troops have succeeded in ousting the rebels from the three main northern cities they occupied, including Timbuktu.

Israel arrests 25 Hamas members in West Bank

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gejUqtmdqral-bO6DR5EO42rKhyQ?docId=CNG.1b42b383631cf67f0e4f0ad04c39ad47.751

Excerpt: The Israeli army said it arrested 25 Hamas members during the night in the West Bank, among them three parliamentarians, according to sources in the Islamist movement.

Students asked to withdraw as Harvard cheating scandal ends

http://yaledailynews.com/crosscampus/2013/02/03/students-asked-to-withdraw-as-harvard-cheating-scandal-ends/

Excerpt: The announcement marks the end to a months long investigation that began at the start of the school year after nearly half of the 279 students in the course Government 1310 “Introduction to Congress” were accused of collaboration on their take-home final exam. (Harvard liberals cheat on course about Congress? Is this a spoof? A reprint from The Onion? ~Bob.)

State: Foster care agency owner misused nearly $5M of taxpayer money

http://host.madison.com/news/local/crime_and_courts/state-foster-care-agency-owner-misused-nearly-m-of-taxpayer/article_16ad5bb6-6ce3-11e2-8215-0019bb2963f4.html

Excerpt: A Middleton foster care agency and its top officials allegedly misused nearly $5 million in taxpayer dollars to pay for inflated salaries, luxury cars, personal travel and other inappropriate expenses over a three-year period, according to a letter from the state Department of Children and Families revoking the license of Community Care Resources, Inc.

Egypt opposition: Police torture activist to death

http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-opposition-police-torture-activist-death-100830319.html

Excerpt: An Egyptian opposition party on Monday claimed police tortured one of its members to death, electrocuting him and beating him repeatedly on the head — the latest case alleging police brutality in a crackdown on anti-government protesters. (By the Freedom-loving, democratic Muslim Brotherhood? Say it isn’t so. ~Bob.)

Vietnam jails 22 for subversion

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21318836

Excerpt: A court in Vietnam's Phu Yen province has jailed 22 people for between 10 years and life on subversion charges. Prosecutors said the group had set up an eco-tourism company as a front for activities aimed at overthrowing the government. (Waiting for strong protest from Secretary of State “Hanoi John” Kerry. ~Bob.)

Richard III dig: DNA confirms bones are king's

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-21063882

Excerpt: A skeleton found beneath a Leicester car park has been confirmed as that of English king Richard III. Experts from the University of Leicester said DNA from the bones matched that of descendants of the monarch's family. (So did he murder his nephews? Or were they killed by Henry Tudor? We will likely never know. ~Bob.)

Chris Kyle, RIP

http://patriotpost.us/perspective/16567

Excerpt: Former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, a Patriot from Texas and author of the outstanding book, "American Sniper," was killed Saturday while assisting fellow veterans suffering from PTSD. Chris served with the SEAL Team 3 Sniper Element Charlie platoon, and was the most lethal sniper in U.S. history, with 160 confirmed kills and another 95 probables. He was known to his enemies as Al-Shaitan Ramad (The Devil of Ramadi). (Chris Kyle was in and with Marc Lee, who was the first SEAL KIA in Iraq on 2August2006. I met Marc's mom, Debbie in '08 and we are in touch frequently. Chris was one of Debbie's 'adopted sons' and now he's gone as well. While it is sad that he left a widow and child, at least he is at peace with his battlefield buddy and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Rest easy Chief Kyle...Ken)

Renowned Navy SEAL sniper shot dead at Texas gun range; suspect charged

http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/02/renowned-navy-seal-sniper-shot-dead-at-texas-gun-range/

Excerpt: Kyle, a former Navy SEAL sniper and author of the best-seller “American Sniper,” and a friend were found dead at the Rough Creek Lodge shooting range. According to WWFA-TV in Dallas, “Kyle was shot point-blank while helping another soldier who is recovering from post traumatic stress syndrome.”

Worth Reading: The Price of Moral Grandstanding. By George Will 

http://patriotpost.us/opinion/16549

Excerpt: Chicago's government, which is not normally known for elevated thinking, is feeling so morally upright and financially flush that it proposes to rise above the banal business of maximizing the value of its employees' and retirees' pension fund assets. Although seven funds have cumulative unfunded liabilities of $25 billion, Chicago will sacrifice the growth of those assets to the striking of a political pose so pure it is untainted by practicality.

Barack "Skeeter" Obama Punks Gun Owners With Smoke and ... More Smoke

http://patriotpost.us/pages/297

Excerpt: 1) It appears that Obama is actually shouldering a Browning Citori, model 525 or 625, made in Japan, though he could clearly use some instruction on proper handling. 2) Obama may be posing with this shotgun, but there is too much smoke for modern shot shells that use smokeless powder. It may be that he fired a "popper" or blank round, which still use Black Powder, and does produce a fair amount of smoke.

Virtual Reality! Networks Cover Manti Te’o 521 Times More than March for Life. By Katie Yoder

http://www.mrc.org/bias-numbers/virtual-reality-networks-cover-manti-teo-521-times-more-march-life

Excerpt: Fact usually triumphs over fiction – except on TV news. The major networks have been obsessed with Manti Te’o’s fantasy football story of a fictional girlfriend. But when 500,000 people showed up in Washington to speak out for the unborn, it was barely a footnote. ABC, CBS, and NBC devoted close to two-and-a-half hours (147 minutes and 43 seconds) to the Te’o fiasco and just 17 seconds to the Washington, D.C., March for Life.

Failing Our Troops. By Kathleen Parker

http://214.14.134.30/ebird2/ebfiles/e20130203915560.html

Excerpt: Polling that shows Americans favor women in combat by a 2-to-1 margin is evidence only of the power of misinformation. And, yes, indoctrination. Arguments favoring women in direct combat are perhaps well-intentioned, focusing on fairness, opportunity and pride in certain women's abilities. Unfortunately, most people who make those arguments are operating on false assumptions. And, shall we say, mis-truths. (The writer is correct about the meaning of the polls saying women should be in combat. That's another case of an ideology trumping mere reality. The physical differences between men and women don't really matter in many military functions (e.g. piloting, artillery, tank crew), but for the day to day grind of being in the field humping 80+ lbs of gear, those differences do matter. Anyone who's been in the field as infantry knows very well how true that is, but of course that's only a tiny fraction of Americans. If/when Congress really lets women into infantry units in Afghanistan, it will not take very long for problems to start popping up, and some of those problems will have cost American lives. That's too high a price to pay to test out social engineering in the military. --Del)

In Hard Economy for All Ages, Older Isn’t Better ... It’s Brutal

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/business/americans-closest-to-retirement-were-hardest-hit-by-recession.html

Excerpt: Young graduates are in debt, out of work and on their parents’ couches. People in their 30s and 40s can’t afford to buy homes or have children. Retirees are earning near-zero interest on their savings. In the current listless economy, every generation has a claim to having been most injured. (Obama, in his inaugural: "An economic recovery has begun." – Jim Geraghty.)

How We Can End Our Modern-Day Depression. By Mortimer B. Zuckerman

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/mzuckerman/articles/2013/02/01/mort-zuckerman-how-we-can-end-our-modern-day-depression

Excerpt: The reality is, we are experiencing a modern-day Depression. It is harder to find work than it has been in any previous economic recovery period. 

Ram Trucks Super Bowl Commercial "Farmer"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMpZ0TGjbWE

I don’t get into watching and talking about the ads, no time, but this gets my vote for best Super Bowl ad. ~Bob

Chicago murder rate far worse than during Al Capone 'gangland' days

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?id=8977635&section=news/iteam

Well, that was before Gun Control, so not a fair comparison. ~Bob

Act Worthy of Yourselves.

"Our country is in danger, but not to be despaired of. Our enemies are numerous and powerful; but we have many friends, determining to be free, and heaven and earth will aid the resolution. On you depend on the fortunes of America. You are to decide the important question, on which rest the happiness and liberty of millions yet unborn. Act worthy of yourselves." --Joseph Warren, Boston Massacre Oration, 1775. "I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same." An oath taken by all military, representatives, senators, and presidents. It's an oath taken by many public office holders including sheriffs, deputies, and others involved in law enforcement. It's an oath that can be taken by anyone and once taken it should be honored. Act worthy of yourselves! --MM

Fewer Dollars and Babies Threaten Social Programs. By Michael Barone 

http://townhall.com/columnists/michaelbarone/2013/02/04/fewer-dollars-and-babies-threaten-social-programs-n1503523?utm_source=thdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl

Excerpt: Our major public policies are based on the assumption that America will continue to enjoy growth. Economic growth and population growth. Through most of our history, this assumption has proved to be correct. These days, not so much.

Cyber Breach Energy Department networks hit by sophisticated cyber attack

http://freebeacon.com/cyber-breach/

Excerpt: Computer networks at the Energy Department were attacked by sophisticated hackers in a major cyber incident two weeks ago and personal information on several hundred employees was compromised by the intruders.

Tahrir becomes terrifying, tainted. By Kristen Chick

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0213/Tahrir_terrifying.php3#.UQ_sph3WI0E

Excerpt: They begin with a group of men surrounding a woman during a large protest in Tahrir Square, often after night falls. They form a tight circle, then attack. They rip off her clothes, sometimes stripping her completely naked, then sexually assault her. Her screams usually only make the violence worse. (The real War on Women. ~Bob.)

US keeps building new highways while letting old ones crumble. By David G. Savage

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0213/highway_waste.php3#.UQ_tGR3WI0E

Excerpt: America's highway system, once a symbol of freedom and mobility envied the world over, is crumbling physically and financially, the potentially disastrous consequence of a politically driven road-building binge.

Things Only a Democrat Could Get Away With. By Daniel Greenfield 

http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/things-only-a-democrat-could-get-away-with/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1de4b30062-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag

Excerpt: Hillary Clinton presided over the first murder of an American ambassador in thirty years. It was the closest thing to a notable moment in her time as Secretary of State, which concluded, in true Clinton style, with a cover-up, Senate hearings and more finger-wagging.

Muslim Roulette. By Bosch Fawstin 

http://frontpagemag.com/2013/bosch-fawstin/muslim-roulette/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1de4b30062-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag

Excerpt: Can anyone tell which Muslim will go jihad before he or she does? Non-Muslim Muslims, or as some call them “Moderate Muslims,” give the Jihadist enemy cover. They’re pointed to as “proof” that violence has nothing to do with Islam when, in fact, non-violent Muslims are reluctant Muslims. And they’re the reason we’re playing a game of Muslim Roulette in the middle of the Muslim world’s jihad on us. (While the bitter joke is that a moderate Muslim is one who is out of ammo, the reality is that Muslims are by far the most frequent victims of Allahmurder by their fellow Muslims. See the next article. ~Bob.)

At least 30 killed, 70 injured in attacks on Iraqi police station

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/02/03/264088.html

Excerpt: The attackers struck at morning rush hour in the city centre, Sabr said, with the militants armed with guns, grenades and suicide vests looking to force their way into the police headquarters in the chaotic aftermath of the car bombing.

Record-setting asteroid to shave past Earth next month
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/01/31/record-setting-asteroid-to-shave-past-earth-next-month/#ixzz2JuKd6y3p

An asteroid about half the size of a football field will zoom past Earth on Feb. 15, closer than the man-made satellites that power GPS, says NASA. (I blame Global warming. ~Bob.)

Why the Government is Stockpiling Guns-Ammo

http://www.wnd.com/2013/02/why-is-government-stockpiling-guns-ammo/

If the author is right, you will be watching the collapse of the Republic. This may also be why gun control and the 2nd Amendment have become such a major issue by this Administration. --GBH

Why we went to war in Vietnam. By Michael Lind

http://www.legion.org/magazine/213233/why-we-went-war-vietnam

Excerpt: The emerging scholarly synthesis interprets the war in the global context of the Cold War that lasted from the aftermath of World War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. In this view, Vietnam was neither a crime, a forfeit nor a tragic mistake. It was a proxy conflict in the Cold War. (Some of us have held this "new" view of the war for a long time, but it's good to see a clear presentation of the theories of the war's meaning, and the case for this particular view. Lind makes a good case for this view, which says in the end our involvement in Viet Nam was a productive effort overall, despite the actual loss of South Viet Nam. Those of use who hold affection and respect for our allies of RVN can only reflect that yes, we won the Cold War, but the price paid by the Vietnamese was tragically huge. As it happens, today I attended the local community's celebration of Tet, and again had occasion to speak with a range of VN immigrants. As always, every one of them has a story that is fearsome or amazing or heartbreaking. The oldest one today, a lady born in the North, who lived under communism when Ho took power even before the French were gone, and then fled to the South during partition, leaving everything behind. To marry a young officer once in the South, and lose him in the war, and then flee again in '75, and finally come here and marry again, and build yet another new life. Or the man who did not fight in the ARVN because he had 9 children, and who had saved up a small fortune over the years, safe in a Saigon bank. Who did not flee in '75 because he thought the new rulers were, after all, Vietnamese, how bad could they be? To find out, sadly, how bad they could be, because communists are not Vietnamese anymore. And all his savings were frozen when the communists took over the banks, so it took him 12 years to find a way to get his family out; his daughter can only shake her head when asked about the 1975-85 years, her instant memory of those years is how often they were desperately hungry, and how every bit of life was controlled by the Party. And our most recent refugees, Catholic families from the parish that tried to fight the seizure of their cemetery by the bureaucrats, who were identified as "ringleaders" acting against the interest of the state. Which brought on arrests and beatings by government thugs, and continual harassment. They hadn't planned to come to the USA, and are deeply sad about leaving the homeland and the graves of their ancestors. But as one man said (through an interpreter), it is difficult to adjust to a new land, but at least I know no one will come in the night to take me away and beat me again. When the national anthem was played, the whole crowd stood, hands on heart, with deep respect. They know perhaps better than many born Americans the fantastic value of freedom. --Del)

ICE Agents Shut Out of Immigration Reform Talks By White House. By Tim Brown
http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/02/ice-agents-shut-out-of-immigration-reform-talks-by-white-house/

Excerpt: It looks like unionized Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents are starting to make some noise against the White House and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka about being shut out of talks involving immigration reform. They expressed concern about how such reform would affect federal agents, specifically those that are in the Border Patrol and work along the United States/Mexico border. (And the answer from The Powers That Be is.... hell, no! This is really amazing and depressing. Shutting out the people who are intimately involved with the problem from discussions of what to do about the problem just tells us once again that arrogance and ignorance are running wild at the command center of the nation. Gee, that's just so great.....Del)

Failing History: Colleges Neglect Core U.S. Principles. By Peter Berkowitz

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/01/15/failing_history_colleges_neglect_core_us_principles.html

Excerpt: Unfortunately, according to a new report by the National Association of Scholars (NAS), “Recasting History: Are Race, Class, and Gender Dominating American History?,” our colleges and universities are doing a bad job. More precisely, as the NAS report documents, history departments promote a drastically incomplete and distorted vision of America by concentrating on the teaching of race, class, and gender at the expense of nearly everything else. (A hell of a case about the slant in education. Something that many of us have been sure is there for a long time, but now the actual facts have been established. And as the writer points out, this mindset is so established that attempting to move back towards a more balanced approach to teaching will be perceived by most of the professors as heavy-handed interference in the teaching process. --Del)

More 911 calls won't get in-person response (In Chicago)

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-02-03/news/chi-more-911-calls-wont-get-inperson-response-starting-sunday-20130202_1_police-officer-crime-scene-officers

Excerpt: The Chicago Police Department hopes to free up the equivalent of 44 officers a day by no longer dispatching cops for certain crimes, like burglaries and car thefts in which the offender is no longer at the scene and no one is in immediate danger.

Immigration Platitudes and Press Conferences. By Victor Davis Hanson

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/339127/immigration-platitudes-and-press-conferences-victor-davis-hanson

Excerpt: For all the familiar boilerplate rhetoric, the president will probably reject linkage between border enforcement and de facto amnesty, because he philosophically and politically does not seem to mind a porous border, given the manner in which changing demography seems to help the short-term political prospects of his party, and given that massive influxes have diminished somewhat because of poor economic times here. In any case, border enforcement has gone the way of holding the line on taxes — a so pre-2010 thing. (Hanson is picking holes in the supposed wonderful remedy for the illegals problem. Surprise, surprise, it won't actually be the smooth, easy, and effective solution to the problem. In fact, it may not be much of a remedy of anything, except to increase the number of Latinos in the population who can vote. Or at least, vote now with bona fide ID. –Del. ID? Since when do illegals need ID to vote as often as they wish? Asking for ID is racist, you know. ~Bob.)

Man caught on border has rare strain of TB

 http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Man-caught-on-border-has-rare-strain-of-TB-4199836.php

Excerpt: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is holding a young immigrant from Asia who officials say is infected with a rare drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis. The man was detained by the Border Patrol trying to sneak into South Texas on Nov. 27.

What Near-Death Experiences Tell Us: What happens when science demonstrates consciousness can exist outside the body?

http://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2013/01/27/what-near-death-experiences-tell-us/?singlepage=true

There is an afterlife, and a benign deity. At least, that’s the testament of tens of thousands (some say it’s now millions) of people all over the world who have had near-death experiences (NDEs) (an online collection of these reports is here). Two books now at or near the top of the New York Times bestseller list are about NDEs. One is by Eben Alexander, a neurosurgeon whose brain was attacked by a rare bacterial meningitis.

Deadly deserts The next great clash of civilizations is in northern Africa. By Ralph Peters

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/deadly_deserts_fB9Lxd4DQt4Q1S8WdZYsqO

Excerpt: Violence in Allah’s name in northern Africa won’t end in my lifetime — and probably not in yours. The core question is: To what extent can the savagery be contained?

Obama To Build Himself Second Oval Office

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/02/02/Obama-To-Get-A-Second-Oval-Office

Excerpt: President Barack Obama is soon to have not one but two Oval Offices. As part of a two-year, $376 million West Wing renovation, builders will create a nearly identical replica of the Oval Office at the south end of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building for the president to work from, reports Real Clear Politics. The West Wing makeover, which originally began in September 2010, was put on hold during the presidential election. …Real Clear Politics reports that the current redesign project includes security features. (Now that DOJ helped rig the reelection, spending can continue at taxpayer expense until the collapse. But O will have an armored bomb shelter for himself and his family, a tank limo called the Beast (Hmmm) and armed guards for life. Doesn’t sound real optimistic for the future of the common American citizen does it? –Barb. Nah. Things will be so bad by 2016, he’ll be glad to retire to Hawaii and make millions on books and speaking. ~Bob.)

The American Revolution against British Gun Control. By Dave Kopel

http://www.davekopel.org/2A/LawRev/american-revolution-against-british-gun-control.html

Excerpt: This Article reviews the British gun control program that precipitated the American Revolution: the 1774 import ban on firearms and gunpowder; the 1774-75 confiscations of firearms and gunpowder; and the use of violence to effectuate the confiscations. It was these events that changed a situation of political tension into a shooting war. Each of these British abuses provides insights into the scope of the modern Second Amendment.

‘One Nation Under Allah’ : CO High School Recites Pledge Of Allegiance In Arabic

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/01/31/Colorado-High-School-One-Nation-Under-Allah

Excerpt: A "multicultural student group" at Rocky Mountain High School recited the Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic on Monday, replacing "one nation under God" with "one nation under Allah." School principal Tom Lopez supported the decision to have the pledge recited in this manner, and even after an outraged public contacted the school to complain Lopez stood his ground. Lopez claims the kids weren't trying to be "un-American," but to "[accentuate] the meaning of the words as regularly spoken in English." (Oh, gee, I was psychic! I think we should insist this principal buy a one-way ticket to the Islamic country of his choice, the more radical, the better. –Barb.)

Islamists chase nuns from Libya, people pray for their return. By Simone Cantarini
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Islamists-chase-nuns-from-Libya,-people-pray-for-their-return-27021.html

Excerpt: Islamic extremists threatened us to leave, not the Libyan people, who instead protected us by coming to visit every day until our departure", Sister Celeste Biasolo, former superior of the convent of the Holy Family of Spoleto in Derna tells AsiaNews.

Lance and Barack: the Content of their Characters. By Andre Lofthus
http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/02/lance_and_barack_the_content_of_their_characters.html#ixzz2JxSAkGlc 

Excerpt: In fact, we are probably further from his dream today then we were on the day he gave the speech. It is ironic to me that Obama's second inauguration occurred on the anniversary of Dr. King's birthday. Obama was elected, then reelected, as President of the United States. Was that judgment based on the color of his skin or the content of his character?

10 Stories That Prove Guns Save Lives

http://patriotoutdoornews.com/5305/10-stories-that-prove-guns-save-lives

Excerpt: In a nation that already has more than 200 million guns, gun control does little other than make the work of rapists, robbers, murderers and nuts like Adam Lanza easier.

Do we really need a 'policy intervention' to prevent cats from chasing mice? By Thomas Lifson
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2013/02/do_we_really_need_a_policy_intervention_to_prevent_cats_from_chasing_mice.html#ixzz2JmYDwpUg
Excerpt: The Huffington Post reports that a new study, led by Scott Loss of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, is calling attention to the baneful problem of domesticated cats chasing mice, birds, and other prey to kill and eat them. Oh, the horror. Our findings suggest that free-ranging cats cause substantially greater wildlife mortality than previously thought and are likely the single greatest source of anthropogenic mortality for US birds and mammals.

Obama Eliminates Breakfast for US Troops in Afghanistan, Stuffs Own Face. By. Daniel Greenfield

http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/obama-eliminates-breakfast-for-us-troops-in-afghanistan-stuffs-own-face/

Excerpt: If only American soldiers in Afghanistan were unemployed Democratic voters in Chicago, then they might be getting three square meals a day from the government.

But the military is the one place that Obama feels comfortable slashing expenses. While spending at an uncontrollable rate unseen since the last days of the Roman Empire in every other area, Obama has been cutting “waste” in the military like 20,000 Marines, Tricare healthcare for veterans and breakfast for soldiers serving in areas where he would only venture accompanied by heavy firepower.

Does this shadow make my ears look big? Shadows of Groundhog Day. Michelle Obama's Mirror Blog
http://losangelescitycollege.blogspot.com/2013/02/shadows-of-groundhog-day-michelle.html
Excerpt: Ever since the release of the seminal Groundhog Day movie, February 2 has become synonymous with a type of recurring déjà vu. The movie veers into Nietzsche's eternal recurrence of the same, Camus' Myth of Sisyphus – and even the possibility of man becoming a god-like Superman. Boy, does this have “BHO’s” fingerprints all over it or what?

Love a happy ending: Gun-toting thugs attack basketball coach escorting girl players to their cars, coach pulls out concealed weapon, shoots both attackers
http://weaselzippers.us/2013/02/02/gun-toting-thugs-attack-basketball-coach-escorting-girl-players-to-their-cars-coach-pulls-out-his-concealed-weapon-shoots-both-attackers/
Excerpt: The man who shot the attackers was 70 years old, according to police. One of the attackers was found dead in the median on Lafayette Boulevard, and the other was taken to a local hospital, according to police sources.

Iraq vet brutalized over guns in D.C.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/guns/2012/may/23/miller-iraq-vet-brutalized-over-guns-dc/#ixzz2JxXu5WW3 

Excerpt: the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) seems to have it out for our military. The department is using the city’s pointless firearm registration mandate to harass, arrest and jail servicemen. (Some people wonder why others of us have some concerns about various state and federal agencies overstepping proper bounds and abusing citizens. Well, for starters there's always Ruby Ridge and Waco Texas as prime examples of bureaucracies behaving badly, overreacting, and using extreme force that either was not justified or precipitated much more harm than anything else. Below are two parts of a four part series on how the DC cops totally overreacted to an erroneous report from a VA phone counselor, and mistreated a decorated veteran very badly. And how long it is taking for him to get proper redress in the courts. This is exactly the kind of event that keeps many of us somewhat less than totally trusting in all agencies of the government. The good news is that in this country the abused person can, if they are determined enough, plow ahead through all the obstacles and finally get their complaint in front of a judge. So they have at least some chance of getting justice. I hope this guy collects big time from the DC Police Dept, and the careers of the officers in charge take a serious hit. --Del)

Inviting gun manufactures to move their jobs to Arizona

http://gosar.house.gov/sites/gosar.house.gov/files/ltr%20to%20Remington%201-16-13.pdf

The Vanishing. Moonbattery.com
http://moonbattery.com/?p=25023
Excerpt: By now most everyone understands the effect of tax & spend liberal policies on employment, but since many aren’t near old enough to retire, where do all the workers go? Here’s a clue for investigators: disability.

PHOTO: Gun Expert: Obama Shoots a Gun Like He Throws a Baseball

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/02/gun-expert-obama-shoots-a-gun-like-he-throws-a-baseball-panzy-pants/
Excerpt: They don’t want you to Photoshop the picture. Too late. It’s obvious why they waited so long to released the photo.

How hippies are ruining the Middle East (too). By Christopher Bedford
http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/02/how-hippies-are-ruining-the-middle-east-too/
Excerpt: While a lot of different factors played into the revolutions that swept the region, one thing that really gets folks going is when they can’t afford to feed their wife and kids. But why were the food prices spiking? One major factor: ethanol mandates and subsidies.

Egypt: Free People Not Going Quietly Into The Sharia Night. By Robert Spencer
http://frontpagemag.com/2013/robert-spencer/egypt-free-people-not-going-quietly-into-the-sharia-night/
Excerpt: Survey after survey, as well as the election results that put the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi in the presidential palace, show that most Egyptians want Islamic law. But those who do not are not submitting quietly to Sharia tyranny. Morsi has declared a state of emergency and given the military the power to arrest civilian protesters, yet still the anti-Morsi demonstrations continue.

1 in 4 Swedish women will be raped as sexual assaults increase 500%. By Daniel Greenfield
http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/1-in-4-swedish-women-will-be-raped-as-sexual-assaults-increase-500/
Excerpt: Statistics now suggest that 1 out of every 4 Swedish women will be raped. In 2003, Sweden’s rape statistics were higher than average at 9.24, but in 2005 they shot up to 36.8 and by 2008 were up to 53.2. Now they are almost certainly even higher as Muslim immigrants continue forming a larger percentage of the population. (The real war on Women. ~Bob.)

VIDEO: Zero Tolerance Mall Cop Tasers Abusive Woman, Is Given $20,000 By Well-Wishers in Atlanta.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2272392/Zero-tolerance-mall-cop-filmed-tasers-abusive-mother-given-20-000-wishers-helping-clean-Atlanta.html#axzz2JlYetNH1
Excerpt: Supporters have raised $20,000 for an Atlanta security guard who became an internet sensation this week after he posted videos online showing his refusal to give in to abuse from troublemakers. Darien Long made headlines earlier this week after a video showing him tasering a violent woman outside Atlanta's Metro Mall spread online – it has now been viewed more than one million times. And since then more and more videos are emerging of the zero-tolerance guard refusing to give in to violent threats.

USDA unveils healthy snack proposals for nation’s schools
http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/02/usda-unveils-healthy-snack-proposals-for-nations-schools/#ixzz2JlRwlDPk

Excerpt: Under the proposed snack guidelines, food sold in schools must be either a fruit, vegetable, dairy product; “protein food”; food with 50 percent or more whole grains by weight or primary ingredient; combination food with 1/4 cup of fruit or vegetables; or contain 10 percent calcium, potassium, vitamin D, or fiber.

Wounded Warrior Project Rejects Funds from Local Church

http://www.gopusa.com/freshink/2013/02/02/wounded-warrior-project-rejects-funds-from-local-church/?subscriber=1

Excerpt: Here's a story that will leave you scratching your head. A Christian church and affiliated school in Florida held a fundraising drive to help the Wounded Warrior Project. Children in the school were excited about the task, but later were crushed when the funds were turned down, because the organization is "religious in nature." (I’ve been uncomfortable with the WWP heavy advertising and reports of executive salaries. I give to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. ~Bob.)

Nukes could be hijacked by radicals: Pak scientist

http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asia/nukes-could-be-hijacked-by-radicals-pak-scientist_826291.html

Excerpt: Increasing radicalisation within Pakistan's military could lead to its nuclear weapons being hijacked by radical Islamists, a Pakistani scientist has warned. (Only question is do we lose Washing DC, NYC or both. Very likely to happen, I fear. ~Bob.)

Melody Valentin, 5th-Grader, Scolded And Searched After Bringing Paper Gun To School

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/23/melody-valentin-fifth-grader-paper-gun-searched_n_2535689.html

Excerpt: A Philadelphia fifth-grader was searched and reprimanded by school officials after bringing a piece of paper that resembled a gun to school. (A country with idiots in charge cannot survive. ~Bob)

The Debt Star We're Building. By Paul Jacob 

http://townhall.com/columnists/pauljacob/2013/01/27/the-debt-star-were-building-n1498657/page/full/

Excerpt: But as far as President Barack Obama is concerned, the federal government shan’t build a Death Star. So, why not? Paul Shawcross, a budget official, noted the prohibitive cost, estimated at $850,000,000,000,000,000. (I wonder how much the estimate cost.) “We’re working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it,” Shawcross reminded. (In his inaugural speech, Pres. Obama showed great concern for future generations. “We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations.” Blinded by the power of his own rhetoric, Pres. Obama fails to see the inconsistency of his worries for the younger generation. Having voted overwhelmingly for him, these younger than 40 stooges do not pay attention. They do not realize that the guy they put in office will burden them with onerous taxes for their entire working careers. And what about my granddaughters? One can count to ten, the other is 6 weeks old. They, too, are stuck with the burden of Obamacare and other programs that are metastasizing. His seeming complete disinterest in solving the program betrays the very people who identify with him. See below. Cordially, Larry Greenberg)

Can't Wait for Washington

http://formerspook.blogspot.com/2013/01/cant-wait-for-washington.html

Excerpt: According to western diplomats in Syria (who were interviewed by the publication), Israeli F-16s launched air-to-surface missiles against the complex and dropped at least one "bunker-buster" bomb. The same sources claim the facility was guarded by 3,000 members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), and a number were killed in the attack. If this account is accurate--and we have our doubts--it suggests the Assad regime is nearing collapse. Entrusting security of a WMD complex to the IRGC suggests the Syrian dictator can't trust the most elite members of his military, or the fight is going so badly that all ground force elements have been committed to the fight against the rebels.

NASA's Mission is not safety. By Rand Simburg
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/01/31/nasas-mission-is-not-safety-column/1881667/
Excerpt: This week sees a somber anniversary for NASA and the nation. Three, actually. Sunday was the 46th anniversary of the loss of three astronauts on the launch pad in the Apollo 1 fire, and Monday was the 27th anniversary of the loss of the space shuttle Challenger with its crew of seven. Today marks 10 years since the Columbia was torn apart in the skies over northern Texas, scattering debris and the charred remains of seven astronauts over the plains of the Lone Star state.

Is Rahm losing his grip on the city of Chicago? Anne Sorock
http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/02/is-rahm-losing-his-grip-on-the-city-of-chicago/
Excerpt: How, in the city of Chicago where the Democrat Machine is so strong, could there be 17 Democrat candidates vying for one open seat? It could hardly be imagined under the iron rule of former Mayor Daley. The candidates run the gamut from completely clueless, yet dangerous in their ignorance to practiced Chicago pols like Alderman Beale and Robin Kelly, who worked for the anti-gun maven of Chicago Toni Preckwinkle.

The Global Leadership Vacuum: Europe Incapable, America Unwilling. Der Spiegel
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/the-global-leadership-vacuum-europe-incapable-america-unwilling-a-880945.html
Excerpt: Still, this new division of duties isn't the end of the world anymore than cuts in US military spending are. They are easier to implement than the grumbling military brass lets on. The real drama would be if America decided to completely retreat behind its own borders.

10 ways to talk about libertarianism. By David Boaz
http://www.cato.org/policy-report/januaryfebruary-2013/top-10-ways-talk-about-libertarianism
Excerpt: Inspired by Robert Fulghum’s bestseller All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, I like to tell people that you learn the essence of libertarianism— which is also the essence of civilization — in kindergarten: Don’t hit other people. Don’t take their stuff. Keep your promises.

Economic Adventure Book Series for kids aged 6 to 12. From Helen's Page: for liberty-minded people
http://www.helenspage.com/p/milton-friedman-for-kids-absolutely-an-e/478
Excerpt: It’s time to stop playing defense. For all the parents (and grandparents) out there who are searching for the right words, or the right time, or the best delivery (because we know our kids will run away if they think a speech is heading their way)…I hope you’ll consider supporting the upcoming Under the Staircase economic adventure book series (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/855544254/under-the-staircase-an-economic-adventure-series-f).

[Mahatma Gandhi,]The Great Depression, the joy of cummerbunds, and the unbearable smugness of Dom Joly. Damian Thompson
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100201143/the-great-depression-the-joy-of-cummerbunds-and-the-unbearable-smugness-of-dom-joly/
Excerpt: I’ve had my doubts about Gandhi ever since sitting through Attenborough’s biopic snoozefest, though my objections weren’t so much to the historical figure as to the fact that he was played by Ben Kingsley. That was when he was plain Mr Kingsley – but, as the actor explained when he was knighted, “there is no Mr Ben Kingsley any more”. Amusingly, Kingsley is now more famous for this comical display of luvvie grandeur than he is for any of his dreary screen performance.

Heartbreaking video: Mother deceived by Planned Parenthood sees her ultrasound for the first time

http://liveactionnews.org/mother-deceived-by-planned-parenthood/

Excerpt: Live Action’s Rosa Acuna Project showed how Planned Parenthood would lie to women in order to ensure that they would get an abortion, using incorrect and unscientific medical information. This is a violation of the American Medical Association’s principle of informed consent, which states that physicians must give their patients accurate medical information. But Planned Parenthood seemingly does not want women to have accurate medical information about their pregnancy.

Outrage over Saudi 'blood money' in 5-year-old girl's beating death

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/02/04/outrage-over-saudi-blood-money-in-5-year-old-girl-beating-death/

Excerpt: Online activists in Saudi Arabia are calling for harsher punishments for child abuse after reports that a prominent cleric received only a light sentence after confessing to the beating death of his 5-year-old daughter.

Rowdy Fans Pack The Streets After Ravens Win The Super Bowl

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2013/02/04/rowdy-fans-pack-the-streets-after-ravens-win-the-super-bowl/

Excerpt: At a 7-Eleven at Lombard and Broadway in Fells Point, looters took advantage of the celebrations, rushed in, grabbed what they could and ran. Managers say about 100 people took part in looting the store. The entire event lasted about 3 minutes. (Video. If they riot and loot in the inner cities over a win, what happens when the money runs out? Why people want to be armed. ~Bob.)

Chuck Hagel's Defenseless Performance: Nothing could have harmed the nominee for secretary of defense more than his own confirmation answers. By Dorothy Rabinowitz

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324445904578281851978137578.html#printMode

Excerpt: It shouldn't have been surprising that the Senate hearings to confirm Chuck Hagel as the next secretary of defense ended up shedding light on much more than this nominee and his qualifications. (I wish I could have some enthusiasm for Hagel, since he's a Vietnam Vet, but that can't begin to counter all the negatives about him, his opinions, and his ability to handle just a simple interview. Another choice by Mr. Obama that tells us how poor his judgment is. --Del)