I don't want to display the picture -- it's safe for work, just... ugh -- but if you want to look at the fashions that no one will be wearing, click here.

Thanks to @rdbrewer4.

I just got an email about this:

Sirs,

It might be considered a little politically incorrect to say, but those dresses are, in a word, gay. Men should not adorn themselves as if they were women, but should dress in a manner consistent with the masculine ideals of strength, restraint, and practicality.

Sincerely,

The London Boys

xoxoxo!!!

Posted by: Ace at 02:02 PM | Comments (266)
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Meet the New Blacklist, pretty much the same as the old blacklist, except the people now being blacklisted are loyal to a different Foreign Alien Power.

In this case, the people now being blacklisted are loyal to What Was Once America, rather than the Soviet Union (What Was Once Russia).

Posted by: Ace at 01:20 PM | Comments (129)
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No he doesn't say that. I lied for the headline. I learned that from The Media (TM).

But what he does say is that America seems to have reached a tipping point from which it will not recover -- which is the same premise that underlies the "Let It Burn" impulse.

Via Hot Air, Byron York reports a key moment in the new Romney documentary film, relaying Romney's thoughts upon realizing he wouldn't be the next President of the United States.

As defeat settled in, Romney discussed what to say in a concession speech — which, for all his natural pessimism, Romney had not considered ahead of time. And it was in that moment that some of Romney's passion about the race finally came out, far from the view of voters and television cameras. Stevens suggested that the losing candidate should play an almost "pastoral" role, "soothing" the American people after a long and divisive campaign.

"I don't think it is a time for soothing and everything's fine," said Romney. "I think this is a time for [saying], 'This is really serious, guys. This is really serious.'"

"To get up and soothe is not my inclination," an obviously anguished Romney continued. "I cannot believe that [Obama] is an aberration in the country. I believe we're following the same path of every other great nation, which is we're following greater government, tax rich people, promise more stuff to everybody, borrow until you go over a cliff. And I think we have a very high risk of reaching the tipping point sometime in the next five years. And the idea of saying 'it's just fine, don't worry about it' -- no, it's really not."

Given what has come before it in the film — Romney's defeatism in the debates — the scene leaves the impression that perhaps in his heart of hearts Romney never really believed he could win.

I think this is what we all felt, and all feel: That Obama is not an aberration. The man and the moment met at the precisely perfect time. Prior to 2008, a socialist could not have won the White House. In 2008, and thereafter, a socialist could win the White House -- if he was the exact perfect socialist.

Which, in 2008, Obama was.

But Obama's excellence as a candidate (at least in 200 and perfect timing -- the Perfect Semi-Stealth Socialist Candidate at the perfect Socialist Moment for such a thing -- cannot obscure the fact that something has changed in America. We all feel it; we all know it. Even the very reasonable and moderate-tempered Mitt Romney, who wouldn't start yelling "Socialist!" at the drop of the hat (to the chagrin of some of us), can feel it.

I think we have not been quite the same since 2008, and probably never will be the same again. We didn't leave America; America has left us.

2012 was our opportunity to right the American ship. After all, Obama's socialist agenda had produced nothing except exactly that which we had predicted -- a miserable economy in which a record number were on food stamps our out of work, and an unpopular statist takeover of health care.

And yet, even with the proof of Socialism's failings in our pockets... We still lost.

And it wasn't even really that close.

2012, I think, represented in our minds the Last Best Chance we had to prove America was still America... and we failed in that, or, perhaps, America failed to prove that about itself.

And so what now? Who knows. As Romney suggests, this may be the long slow sinking of the ship, the looting phase of an Empire which has rotted from within, a period in which not enough people are creating wealth, because banditry is now so lucrative (and state-sponsored).

The links above (Allah's and York's) contain interesting stuff about whether Romney ever really believed he could win the Presidency. For example, he seemed resigned to the idea of losing his debates with Obama, or hoping for, at best, ties.

But I think it's Romney's observation about America the Once-Great Nation, the Once Shining City on a Hill, which are most important.

Posted by: Ace at 11:40 AM | Comments (653)
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Count de Monet linked this in the comments. Apparently sports goof Skip Bayless had challenged Sherman's assertion that he was the best in the league at his position. (Apparently his pronouncement is now substantially vindicated, as one commentator (Troy Aikman?) did call him the league's best corner last night.)

Many commenters have said Sherman's trash-talk is certainly not isolated to post-game adrenaline rushes. I don't know anything about the man -- I just heard of him yesterday. (I stopped watching football a year ago.)

At any rate, his trash-talking occurs during moments of perfect clarity as well.

I... look, I think I'm locked into my previous position now (having taken a position, my ego is invested, and now I resolve all questions in favor of my original position), but I gotta say, I don't really know who this Skip Bayless character is, apart from some kind of sports reporter, and I just love a reporter being told "I'm better than you" to his face.

more...

Posted by: Ace at 10:34 AM | Comments (267)
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Seahawks' shutdown cornerback Richard Sherman usually sounds like this -- polished, friendly, media-savvy.

But moments after he deflected a pass to become what would be the game-ending interception, he sounded like this.

There was a lot of silliness over this outburst, with various people declaring that a man they had only heard of three minutes ago was some kind of socially-malignant psychopath.

And a raft of people also decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to note that Sherman was both a "n*gger" and a "monkey."

Look: Athletes whip themselves up into an emotional froth for a game -- "Game Faces" -- which are scarcely different from ancient war dances before a battle.

They deliberately put themselves into an emotional and angry place, inventing slights and insults and injustices that must be avenged ("The opposing quarterback called us a good team..?!! He thinks we're only good?!!").

That's why few athletes ever say anything provocative (or even borderline interesting) about the other team before a game: Because any stray remark will be seized upon (and posted on the team bulletin board) as a method of stoking actual hatred and, I guess they think, improved (emotional) on-field performance.

So Erin Andrews interviewed this guy less than a minute after he had just ended the game with a deflection-turned-interception. He is now going to the Super Bowl. He is still in Maori War Dance mode.

He was, get this, emotional. Apparently this is now a Very Important Concern with all sorts of Social (and Racial) Implications.

I really think people are really judgmental dicks at heart. Not a single person would castigate himself for exhibiting the after-effects of adrenaline after an adrenaline-fueled ordeal. But then we see someone else doing it, and we're all like, "Damn, that man should have been able to turn off his fight-or-flight hormones one second after winning a game. Has he no self-mastery? Is he, in fact, deranged?"

There apparently is a reason, apart from madness and lack of self-control, for Sherman's emotional grudge against Michael Crabtree. Apparently the game ended not just with Sherman deflecting a pass straight into the Super Bowl, but with him doing so against a specific man he actually hates. (Though he denies he "hates" anyone. But it seems he does.)

And meanwhile, Richard Sherman has in fact stopped being an emotional psychopath who has no self-control, penning a calm explanation for the post-game interview.

And Sherman himself seems to understand that the in-game "Game Face" is not acceptable outside the context of a football game. At 2:01 here, a reporter asks him a question about the "Legion of Boom" personae (I guess they have some kind of pro-wrestler like schtick, but I don't know; I don't watch football anymore) and he responds thus:

Everybody has a switch... that they turn on on game day. You know, you can't be these intense, super-aggressive, super-physical guys off the field or you'd go to jail. (Laughs)

And I think he made that comment before he even realized that "Richard Sherman, Dangerous Psychopathic Black Menace" was trending on Twitter. He seems unaware of any controversy; he's just discussing, generally, the idea of Game Faces.

Video of Richard Sherman's Very Hurtful Words below.

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Posted by: Ace at 09:32 AM | Comments (336)
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Avik Roy is considered one of the right's leading healthcare policy experts. Unfortunately, his current plan isn't exactly conservative.

His latest idea does away with Medicaid & Medicare as we know it. A laudable goal to be sure but there are a few catches.

To credibly advance this approach, conservatives must make one change to their stance: They have to agree that universal coverage is a morally worthy goal.

Color me cynical but if your "conservative" plan relies on first redefining conservative principles to make what you want to do fit the definition of conservative, it's not actually...conservative.

So what approach is Roy advancing?

First, weÂ’d deregulate the Obamacare exchanges and modify the lawÂ’s subsidies to broaden AmericansÂ’ coverage choices and encourage adoption of health savings accounts and catastrophic coverage.

Second, weÂ’d raise MedicareÂ’s retirement age by three to four months per year forever. Since people below the Medicare retirement age would be in the means-tested exchanges, this would gradually replace the fully subsidized Medicare program. For example, over 15 years the retirement age would be roughly 70, meaning that individuals aged 65 to 69 would get their health insurance through the exchanges.

Third, weÂ’d transform the Medicaid program by folding its acute-care population into the deregulated exchanges, while returning its long-term care and disabled populations fully back to the states, free of federal interference.

Let's unpack that a bit.

First, we're keeping and reforming the ObamaCare exchanges, not doing away with them.

Given that conservatives have campaigned on repealing Obamacare for nearly four years, itÂ’s jarring to consider a reform plan that does not formally scrap the law. But such a plan has several advantages.

Say it with me...we all hate ObamaCare equally. Even those of us who want to keep parts of it or implement it at the state level.

Second, his plan basically requires the privatization of Medicare and Medicaid. Is there anyone who has half a clue about American politics who thinks that's anything but a fantasy?

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Posted by: DrewM at 08:13 AM | Comments (232)
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I was going to lead yesterday's gun thread with this story, but after I posted my Lone Survivor review, the gun thread became a casualty of honey-do list prioritization.

You probably know the basics by now: a Florida resident and CCW holder named John Filippidis was traveling down I-95 on the way home from New Jersey, when he was pulled over and his car was rifled through by Maryland law enforcement officers looking for the gun in his safe in Florida.

Filippidis keeps his gun — a palm-sized Kel-Tec .38 semiautomatic, barely larger than a smartphone in a protective case — in one of two places, always: in the right-hand pocket of his jeans, or in the safe at home.

“There are kids in the house,” Filippidis says, “and I don’t think they’d ever bother with it, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

HeÂ’s not looking for any trouble, after all.

Trouble, in fact, was the last thing on his mind a few weeks back as the Filippidises packed for Christmas and a family wedding in Woodridge, N.J., so he left the pistol locked in the safe. The state of Florida might have codified his Second Amendment rights, but he knew heÂ’d be passing through states where recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions affirming the rights of individuals to keep and bear arms have been met by hostile legislatures and local officials.

“I know the laws and I know the rules,” Filippidis says. There are, after all, ways gun owners can travel legally with firearms through hostile states. “But I just think it’s a better idea to leave it home.”

He's right about this on both counts, apparently. Before getting to some of the other issues with this incident, let's look at the relevant federal statute, 18 U.S.C. § 926A, Interstate Transportation of Firearms, which reads as follows:

Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited by this chapter from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle: Provided, That in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driverÂ’s compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.

The article makes no mention of whether Mr. Filippidis has a New Jersey gun permit, but New Jersey does not recognize his Florida permit. Presuming he is only licensed in Florida, had he been transporting his pistol from New Jersey, where he wasn't licensed, to Florida, where he is, he would not have been shielded from Maryland's unlawful possession of firearms statutes by the federal interstate transportation law.

If he wasn't licensed in New Jersey, he made the right choice in leaving his gun at home. It would've helped even more if he'd informed his wife of this fact.

... Retreating to the space between the SUV and the unmarked car, the officer orders John to hook his thumbs behind his back and spread his feet. “You own a gun,” the officer says. “Where is it?”

“At home in my safe,” John answers.

“Don’t move,” says the officer.

Now he’s at the passenger’s window. “Your husband owns a gun,” he says. “Where is it?”

First [John's wife] Kally says, “I don’t know.” Retelling it later she says, “And that’s all I should have said.” Instead, attempting to be helpful, she added, “Maybe in the glove [box]. Maybe in the console. I’m scared of it. I don’t want to have anything to do with it. I might shoot right through my foot.”

The officer came back to John. “You’re a liar. You’re lying to me. Your family says you have it. Where is the gun? Tell me where it is and we can resolve this right now.” (emphasis added)

His wife made one of the classic mistakes. Never, ever volunteer information to the police, especially when you're just guessing. My father is a Sheriff's investigator; he'd tell you the same thing.

And look at the two places she said the pistol might be ... the glove box or the console. Those are two places the federal statute specifically does not protect in an SUV like the Filippidis family was driving. She might as well have sent the cops an engraved invitation to tear into the car.

I've seen this story portrayed as "man stopped in Maryland for having a Florida CCW permit" and I keep watching to see if there's more to it. It seems like an incredible waste of law enforcement resources to stake out the Ft. McHenry Tunnel looking for CCW holders to harass, but I haven't seen a better theory yet.

The Conservative Treehouse has requested the following information from the Maryland Transportation Authority Police that made the initial stop:

(A) the record/incident report, outlining the initial infraction which led to the traffic stop in question – and all subsequent written documentation pertaining to the encounter/traffic stop; and

(B) a recorded copy of the full Police Band radio transmission (between initial officer and all subsequent officers) as it pertains to the initial officer contact with the vehicle, to the stoppage, search, detention and subsequent release; and

(C) a copy of the dash camera recording for the initial MTAP officer encounter with the vehicle of Mr. John Filippidis (if available) during the entire timeframe of encounter with the vehicle, personage, and family of: Mr. John Filippidis, outlined in the traffic stop in question; and

(D) the full contact information for any other police, state or local agency who also responded to the traffic stop in question.

This will be a very interesting story to follow. At the outset it has the feel of yet another abuse of police power. Fortunately for Filippidis, he wasn't suspected of muling drugs in New Mexico.

Update: A good question from Bomber in the comments.

I have a Florida permit. I'll spend most of the summer in and around Maryland. I am very interested in how they knew the guy even had a permit in the first place.

More from The Conservative Treehouse:

Maryland State has a network of technical security databases which access the databases of all other states who comply and coordinate with them. For states who do not willfully comply, or those who are not set up to align technically, Maryland mines data from various LEO systems.

Maryland has a rather innocuous sounding name for the intelligence hub which contains this data, itÂ’s called Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center.

The intelligence analysis hub has access to, and contains, FloridaÂ’s CCW list (among other identification systems) and mines the stateÂ’s database systems for vehicle plate numbers of the holders. These license plate numbers are then stored in a cross referencing database within the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center.

Posted by: andy at 06:51 AM | Comments (342)
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Posted by: Open Blogger at 05:19 AM | Comments (206)
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Rusty Shackleford has been putting out quality content for 10 years. Well, y'know. For most of 10 years. Some of it. A portion, say. Maybe like a bit.

As a fellow MuNuvian and a certified Old Man of the Internet (10 years in blog time is a lifetime), best Moron wishes to Rusty and the Pet Jawa Report. I think that's what it's called, right?

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 04:42 AM | Comments (50)
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Looks like the blog has the day off.

Posted by: andy at 03:30 AM | Comments (160)
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