Great News!

We now owe more than the economy is worth

The daunting tower of national, state and local debt in the United States will reach a level this year unmatched just after World War II and already exceeds the size of the entire economy, according to government estimates.

But any similarity between 1946 and now ends there. The U.S. debt levels tumbled in the years after World War II, but today they are still climbing and even deep cuts in spending won’t completely change that for several years.

We’re officially “underwater.”

What Biased Media?

I was listening to Newsradio88 this morning on the way to the bus stop and at the bottom of the hour at 4:30 the announcer (I think it was John Leisher) said

“And there are more protests scheduled for today in Wisconsin where the Republican Governor is trying to balance the budget on the backs of teachers.”

Uh-huh.

Oh, Lord ~ Christchurch New Zealand Hit HARD

Big, BIG quake hit at lunchtime. God bless, ’em. It’s bad.

UPDATE: There’s an Australian livefeed running here and one from New Zealand as well right now (Thanks to our good friend Spot the Dog for his yeoman’s work on Twitter), but the most horrible line of all is in the most recent West Australian Yahoo report and it chills you to the bone:

…New Zealand media is reporting the confirmation of mass fatalities.

Our prayers to our friends across the water.

Just…WOW

Via Twitter:

10 minutes ago: SultanAlQassemi Breaking Al Jazeera: Statement by Libyan Military Officers asks all members of the Libyan army to join the protestors.

There’re “Timelines”

…and there’re “timelines“.

A foundation set up to celebrate Navy aviation’s 100th birthday has disavowed an official history on its website, after former combat pilots complained of inaccuracies and political correctness.

As the first celebration commenced last month at a naval air base in California, a number of enraged former pilots began bombarding the 100th Anniversary of Naval Aviation Foundation with complaints. The Navy views the commemoration with high regard, with celebrations planned at Navy and Marine Corps air stations from California to Florida.

The foundation‘s official history slide show featured four “firsts” for women, such as the first female operations officer in 1992. It also accentuated humanitarian missions. But it devoted only two slides to World War II and barely mentioned Vietnam, during which the Navy orchestrated a decade of multiple aircraft carrier operations.

It gets more egregious than that, and I was wondering about it when I attended the cocktail party after the kick-off ceremonies for the Centennial itself. (They were held January 20th at NAS Pensacola and I honestly thought I’d blogged it…honestly.) It was held at the Mustin Beach Officers Club and there were beautifully done, free standing panels with “the timeline” and historic events. Blonde that I am, even I thought there were some significant gaps with some very odd “whoopees!”, but figured they were still working out the kinks. (They just got the Symposium schedule up about a week and a half ago.)

Guess the fellows who walked the walk can be counted on to, as we always said, throw the bullshit flag.

To make up for my tardiness, here are some of my lousy photographs from that foggy day:

-Former sailor and current Florida Governor Rick Scott had everybody howling.

A very well versed actor portrayed Naval Aviator No. 11 and Father of Naval Aviation, Lt. Commander Henry Mustin. He arrived in 1914 at a hurricane ravaged Pensacola Naval Base (so, what’s changed?) with orders to establish the Navy’s first flying school. (By the way. Mustin’s wife, Corrine, was Wallis Simpson’s first cousin, so guess who met her first husband at NAS Pensacola and lived here a spell…?)

(Obviously he was successful, as this 1915 photograph shows Lt. Commander Mustin performing the first ever catapault launch from a moving ship, right here in Pensacola Bay.)

Now, there’s a whole lotta history and firsts between Mustin’s magnificent men in their flying machines, and Rear Admiral Kilkenny and Governor Scott standing on that stage last month. And so sad that MOST of it was MAN made. But that’s HOW it happened.

Get over it. Sweet mother of God.

…Gen. Butcher, who is the 100th foundation‘s co-chairman, said the contested history was written by public affairs specialists. “It should not have actually been on the website,” he said. “But it did frankly get up on the website. And, of course, people objected to it because it was certainly not an accurate depiction of the significant events of naval aviation.”

I’m a Marine. A WOMAN Marine. And the Public Affairs “Specialists” would have me act as if Pappy Boyington never existed? I’ve got news for them. That’s OUR heritage. All the incredible things they did and the tales they could tell. When they’d come by the squadron, we’d listen. The passageways are lined with those pictures. Marines KNOW their heroes, their battles and their FIRSTS.

By heart.

Kcruella and I and our few fellow WM’s were pioneers in our own right. We were the first WM’s in Marine Corps Aviation and we celebrated EVERY. SINGLE. BLESSED. DAY. that we got to spend as part of that one time, all male club.

We still do.

“There’s Nothing I’ll Ever Paint…”

“…that’ll be more appreciated than that.”

Oh, man.

Reason #847 Why I’ll Never Vote for Bill Nelson

…again.

Democrat Nelson looks to sidestep Scott’s refusal of U.S. rail money

…“We are exploring with the Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, how we could keep this project going forward since the state of Florida will not participate. We have the lawyers researching it,” Nelson told The Palm Beach Post.

Oh, peachy. (And hey! Did anyone one besides these guys notice other flaws in the meticulous planning for BILLIONS of Federal spending…?)

…”what’s the point of spending millions on separate train lines in the same area if there’s no way to switch between them?“

D’oh!

Not only did Rick Scott mercifully kill the thing the other day, people (like OUR ELECTED DEMOCRATIC U.S. SENATOR) keep forgetting that, in 2004, an OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of Florida voters killed it themselves at the polls:

…That was the essence of Florida voters’ behavior on Nov. 2nd. Sunshine Staters went to the polls that day and defeated the very same constitutional mandate for a state bullet-train network (www.floridahighspeedrail.org) that they’d approved in 2000.

And the outcome was certainly no Bush-Gore nail-biter. Sixty-four percent of 2004 Florida voters cast a “yes” ballot on Amendment 6, repealing the bullet-train appendage to the state’s constitution.

Of course, if they can wangle the bucks without the state ponying up the cash, then they’re major magicians/big heros, right? But I think it’s a slap in the face of every other American to blow the money independently on this crap. BFD. It’s bringing X amount of jobs to Orlando (who, by the way, is the city really pushing it). They’re temporary. And you’ll have an empty, expensive boondoggle overhead from Tampa to Orlando that no one can afford to ride, even if they had a reason to, because the fares will have to skyrocket to make the bond repayments.

Or the state will have to subsidize it because Orlando will fold, which translates to “we get screwed anyway”.

Bill, buddy…

I can see 2012 from my house…

SPAM of the Day

And I quote:

“God this post was so good it distracted me from wow haha”

We live to serve.

The Straw That Broke The Camel’s Back

As we watch these events in Tunisia, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Libya and Yemen (and there are rumblings in other areas as well) unfold it is, to my mind, at least, incredible to trace it back to the one literal spark that, when fanned by the instant wind of the internet and texting, has set the Arabic world afire.

These tottering oppressive regimes depend on secrecy and ignorance to survive. Lift that veil ever so slightly and the subjects suddenly find the conditions of poverty and squalor much less tolerable.

As Sisters Go, THS Is Alright

I mean, I don’t want her to get a big head or nothing, but, seriously, she sent me many pounds of heritage pork porterhouses for Christmas.

You know, the kind of pig that looks like this

when you set it out properly seasoned before grilling. In case you lost count, that’s 5 porterhouses weighing in at 4.5 pounds. Yeah baby.

Unfortunately, it was windy as all get out tonight so I couldn’t cook them over charcoal and wood smoke but instead I had to throw them on the gasser. No worries.

A few weeks ago a co-worker who isn’t really a drinker offered me all the wine he had been given over the years. As an act of Christian Charity, how could I refuse? I hadn’t really had a chance to try any of it until tonight, so the first bottle I grabbed was a 10 year old shiraz

This wine actually rated a 91 from the Wine Spectator when it came out, and it has held up very well. Full, smooth body and fruit…and 15% alcohol. What’s not to love?

And the pig…well, the pig was divine

Juicy and so much more flavorful than regular commercial pork. My Bride said, and I quote, “Best Pig Evah!”

And I’ve got two porterhouses in the fridge which will be divine in tomorrow’s cassoulet!

Profiles In Sacrifice

Times are tough; everyone knows it. The economy is sluggish, and to pull our country out of this protracted recession we need real leadership in Washington. The President knows this. As he said

We can’t drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times… and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK. That’s not leadership. That’s not going to happen.

And he’s making a real, determined effort to show such leadership now. Following his wise words, his wife Michelle knows it would be irresponsible to drive her SUV for a weekend trip.

So she took a large Air Force jet instead

First Lady Michelle Obama is on “a private family trip” in Colorado where she is skiing with daughters Sasha and Malia, according to an administration official.

“The First Lady and several close friends are chaperoning their children on a ski trip,” the official told the press pool reporter who is following President Obama today.

Reports coming out of Colorado say she arrived Friday night and is staying at the Sebastian Hotel on Vail Mountain. Rooms start at $605 per night for a room with two queen beds and head north of $2,000 for multi-bedroom suites.

…Mrs. Obama has decided to jet out to Vail – instead of visiting slopes closer to Washington DC in Virginia or Pennsylvania – despite already incurring criticism for taking opulent excursions, particularly a trip last summer to Spain. There, she stayed at the country’s swankest hotel and, like this weekend, was traveling without her husband.

How do I get to share in some of that sacrifice?

Whatever Happened To The Guy Who Believed…

that “elections have consequences”? Or did he only believe that because “(he) won”?

At around the same time this same guy said “I don’t care whether you’re driving a hybrid or an SUV. If you’re headed for a cliff, you have to change direction. That’s what the American people called for in November, and that’s what we intend to deliver.”

The people of Wisconsin saw that they were heading for a cliff, and in their election they decided to change direction.

This is not a situation such as we saw in Little Rock in the 50s where the President needed to intervene to protect basic constitutional rights. Here we have a President directly interfering to thwart the will of a duly elected State government, and thereby its people, on a strictly internal fiscal matter, a matter that in no way shape or form can be stretched into any sort of Constitutional question.

Except of course as one of the most blatant violations of the 10th Amendment imaginable.

It is sadly ironic, yet at the same time extremely illustrative, that on the very same weekend wherein we honor the births and achievements of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln our current President chooses to act in such a manner.

If This Is True, Under the Definition of “Despicable”

…you’ll find his picture.

TUCSON, Ariz. – A veteran firefighter refused to respond to last month’s deadly shooting spree that left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords wounded because he had different political views than his colleagues and “did not want to be part of it,” according to internal city memos

You’ve willingly put that uniform on, asshole.

If someone’s in trouble, you’re part of it.

I’ve Got to Get Ready for Work, So Here’s a Wisconsin Senate Democrat

…short musical interlude to keep you all busy on this beautiful Friday.

Our quote of the day will leave you gasping in its sheer audacity…

“Being nice goes a long way. People don’t like to help jerks.”

…considering who said it…

— Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)

Pick your jaw up OFF the floor, smile and say, “CHEESE!” After all, Gallup says unemployment’s now at 10%, underemployment’s surged to 19.5%, a gallon of gas here in Pensacola has taken a dive two cents to $3.10, but oil’s back up over $86bbl today, so BUY NOW (I did), your President has waddled into the fray in the Cheese State under the Union Label, Democrats are blaming Bush Republicans for a dead NFL season that isn’t quite dead yet, and I can’t get BeauBeau to do his business so I can leave.

He seems to be the only one unwilling to unload left in the country.

It’s FRIDAY.

Ciao!!

BATTLEGROUND WISCONSIN: Fighting for Your Rights and Keeping a Stiff

…well…something.

Milwaukee Teachers Fight for Viagra Coverage
Despite Facing Budget Cuts and Layoffs, Teachers Fight For Taxpayer-Funded Erectile Dysfunction Drug

(AP) With the district in a financial crisis and hundreds of its members facing layoffs, the Milwaukee teachers union is taking a peculiar stand: fighting to get its taxpayer-funded Viagra back.

The union has asked a judge to order the school board to again include Pfizer Inc.’s erectile dysfunction drug and similar pills in its health insurance plans.

All for the children.

Nir Rosen

Douche.

…I also don’t think this would have become such a story if I were not a leftist opponent of American wars (even the Washington Post stressed my “pro-Palestinian and pro-Arab political views”) and I have a hard time taking a lot of the sanctimonious condemnation from right-wingers very seriously, given what right-wing pundits say on a daily basis. But every creep I skewered or outraged in public now has the chance at a cheap revenge. Unfortunately, what I said in glib frustration didn’t really damage the culture I was targeting, it just damaged my allies, my friends and the causes I struggle for.

Yeah, really. You are.

Wisconsin Senate Democrats Bravely Run Away, Away Bugger Out

Senate Dems leaving city to avoid participating in budget vote

Senate Democrats were leaving Madison to avoid participating in the vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s controversial budget repair bill, which has sparked four days of protests at the Capitol, an aide confirmed Thursday morning.

They’re sending police out to gather them up.

Shouldn’t be hard. Birds of a feather have easily identifiable features…

As the Resident Druid

…even I’m offended.

The upcoming film “Soul Surfer,” slated for release in April, is based on the true story of spirited teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a 2003 shark attack, but courageously returned to her board and become a champion again months later.

However, it appears as though the uplifting story hit a sour note with the film’s producers where the family’s Christianity was concerned.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the real-life Hamilton family – all devout Christians – were upset to learn that the words “Holy Bible” were digitally removed from the cover of a Bible in a scene featuring Bethany Hamilton’s father Tom reading by his ailing daughter’s hospital bedside.

The DOOOOSHES put it back on the book…eventually.

…Furthermore, Hamilton said that in one scene Carrie Underwood, who plays a spiritual mentor to the group of young Christian surfers, quotes scripture. Some involved with the production were fine with the verse, but didn’t want it known that those words came from the Bible, THR reported.

Excuse me, but WHAT?!?!?!??!

This isn’t some made up Hollywood story, or a reworked, “pulled from the pages of history” tome where you get to jerk the facts around, because the heroine either never existed to begin with, or is long dead.

She’s very much alive, very much one of the most INCREDIBLE individuals EVER to walk the face of God’s earth, and her DEEP and abiding faith in that very God and his only begotten son happen to BE a HUGE and INDISTINGUISHABLE part of that. You CANNOT separate her life, her very survival and triumph, from her faith.

You can’t make her Miley Cyrus.

Thank God.

Forever Scarred by the MARK OF SATAN!!

“Felix reacted as if someone had slaughtered a pig for his ham sandwich,” said his father…

There’s abuse and then there’s A.B.U.S.E..

Isabel Theoret was preparing a sandwich for her 6-year-old son’s Kindergarten class one day last week, when he screamed out,

“No Mommy! Not a Ziploc!“

The child, who lives with his family in the town of Laval in Quebec, explained that his teacher would exclude him from a contest to win a stuffed teddy bear if he brought an environmentally unfriendly plastic baggie to school.

…He [Mr. Lanciault] acknowledged children need to learn not to waste natural resources and said his wife usually puts sandwiches in Tupperware, but those containers were in the dishwasher.

Lanciault said his son had only learned to fear plastic bags.

FEAR. The bag.

(“Family Company” my ass. I see what that nice Mr. Johnson’s up to now…)

Jesus, I can only hope Michelle Obama hasn’t read this.

Spam Of The Day

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Hey, we live to serve.

We Taught Them Too Well

Some of those 35 poor traumatized Canadians who ran away and left a guy to be butchered on a bus two years ago have decided that they’re the victims

WINNIPEG — Two women are suing Greyhound, the RCMP, the Government of Canada and Vince Li — the man who beheaded and cannibalized 22-year-old Tim McLean in rural Manitoba two years ago aboard a Winnipeg-bound bus — reportedly over trauma suffered as a result of witnessing the violent attack.

A court official with the Manitoba Court of Queen’s bench confirmed that two separate lawsuits each seeking $3 million in damages from the defendents were filed Wednesday in Winnipeg.

The plaintiffs named in the statements of claim are Debra Tucker and Kayli Shaw, two passengers who were aboard the Greyhound bus near Portage La Prairie, Man., on July 30, 2008, when Li slashed fellow passenger McLean’s throat with a knife before beheading him.

Pathetic.

“The Candy of American Politics”

Somebody else thinks highspeed rail is going nowhere fast, too.

I Think We’re Going NOwhere FAST

And that’s alright by me.

Florida Governor Joins Two More in Rejecting Federal High-Speed Rail Spending

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is canceling a proposed high-speed train line between Orlando and Tampa, rejecting more than $2 billion from the federal government in a move echoing decisions by Republican governors in Ohio and Wisconsin.

Scott said Wednesday the proposal is too costly for Florida and could put the state’s taxpayers on the hook for roughly $3 billion, while ridership is unlikely to pay for the operating cost, meaning the state would have to pump even more money into the line each year.

Therefore, I’d like to dedicate this song from one of favoritest ALL time flicks to my cue-ball headed Governor, ’cause “I’m dependin’ on him now”.

Attention Gorebal Warming Deniers and Polar Bear H8Rs!!!!

Go vote for WattsUpWithThat for 2011 Bloggie Science Blog of the Year.

NOW.

Voting closes 20 Feb., and they’re up against four blogs chock full of true…”believers“. Whose comments threads are already filled with love towards Anthony’s blog, as you can imagine.

Do it for the children. Do it…

…for the auld sod.

Egypt’s “Islamic Dear Abby”

…During a visit to London, then Mayor Ken Livingstone asked the sheikh how he felt about the rights of homosexuals. “He told me that he was against attacks on homosexuals,” Livingstone recalls. But the mufti isn’t opposed to 100 lashes for gays and lesbians if that is the punishment imposed by a Sharia judge, at least according to statements he has made on his program.

Just the sort of secular, cuddly, Sharia mufti f*cker you’d expect, n’est pas?

Great.