Genghis is temporarily offline tonight due to computer issues. Something to do with his Tandy 386 and a fishing-line modem (?). His last few emails were pretty garbled so we're sketchy on the details other than that he's not here and is now defenseless against all online slurs and calumnies.

Anyway after the flame war tonight's theme is Reconciliation and Make-Up Commenting.

Here are a few items for your enjoyment:

Item #1: 16 Famous Man Myths Debunked
I believe all of these except maybe the baldness one. I vaguely recall reading an article a while back that some of the male pattern baldness genes live on the X chromosome which means that they do come from your mother. Of course coming from a long line of monkey-men, MPB is the least of my concerns.

Item #2: Bacon in a Can!
Kind of disgusting at first, then yummy. And it's good for 10 years.

Tonight's post brought to you by some kids with a big dream:

more...

Posted by: Open Blog at 03:20 PM | Add Comment
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It's been a while since we last discussed your appalling taste in music. (Here's the last one.)

What I'm listening to right now:

Absolutely and incontestably the best Aerosmith song. Hands down. The best. Dissenters will be shot, their bodies fed to the dogs.

Discuss and open thread.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 03:20 PM | Add Comment
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The Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, chief negotiator in the Honduran crisis talks proposed reinstating ousted President Manuel Zelaya, but with many conditions. The Washington Post reported:

Many of the proposals made by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias at U.S.-backed talks have already been rejected by one side or the other in the dispute over HondurasÂ’ June 28 military-backed coup, which has become a key test for democracy in Latin America and for U.S. diplomacy in the region.

“These agreements must be adopted as soon as possible because each day that goes by increases the weight on the shoulders of an innocent people,” said the Costa Rican president in a statement distributed to reporters.

Arias, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for helping end Central AmericaÂ’s wars, said that under his seven-point plan Zelaya would return to HondurasÂ’ presidency but cede control of the armed forces to an electoral court a month before elections, which would be moved forward a month to late October. The unity government would include representatives of HondurasÂ’ main political parties.

Other points of the plan are an amnesty for all political crimes committed before and after the coup, and that Zelaya agree to not hold a referendum on retooling the constitution – the proposal the sparked the coup. An international commission would monitor compliance with the accord.

There was no immediate reaction to the proposals from representatives of either Zelaya or the interim government of Roberto Micheletti.

Since that story was posted, there has been a reaction...

Via MSNBC, Proposal REJECTED:

The interim government of Honduras rejected a proposal to reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya on a day of crucial talks to resolve the leadership crisis. Negotiations began Saturday following an ultimatum from Zelaya that appeared to leave little room for compromise.

They don't want that sucka back.

Zelaya promised to to return no matter what the outcome of the negotiations would be:

“I am going back to Honduras, but I am not going to give you the date, hour or place, or say if I’m going to enter through land, air or sea.”

UPDATE:

Via Telasur T.V: Zelaya reportedly agreed with the plan and says he'll be back in Honduras "in a matter of hours":

''We agree, but only if all branches of government are integrated into the new government'', said Zelaya told Radio Globo, while adding that his return to Honduras is a matter of hours and could take place this Monday.

You can use Google translate is you don't speak Spanish, (like me).

Tomorrow may be an interesting day in Honduras.

RELATED:

According to Babalu:

A Spanish Catalan newspaper is reporting that Honduran authorities have seized computers found in the Presidential Palace belonging to deposed president Mel Zelaya. Taking a page right out of the leftist dictator's handbook, these computers, according to the news report, contained the official and certified results of the illegal constitutional referendum Zelaya wanted to conduct that never took place. The results of this fraudulent vote was tilted heavily in Zelaya's favor, ensuring he could go ahead and illegally change the constitution so he could remain in power for as long as he wanted to. ACORN, I'm sure, is taking notes.

HereÂ’s a video essay of the official chronology of events leading to ZelayaÂ’s ouster: more...

Posted by: Open Blog at 01:38 PM | Add Comment
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Getting back to our roots as a smart military blog here's a nice time-lapse video of an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter being built. This particular model is the AF/A-18F which was constructed for the Royal Australian Air Force as part of a 24 plane contract. It's interesting how the entire aircraft starts with just a few plates of metal.

Posted by: Open Blog at 12:16 PM | Comments (1)
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Will be out the whole weekend.

Posted by: Ace at 10:48 AM | Add Comment
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Here is a nice resource I hadn't noticed before. ColoradoPatriot has been keeping track of President Obama's habit of badmouthing the United States while standing on foreign soil. And he's got a shiny map:

Click over to see discussion and the list of countries.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 07:39 AM | Add Comment
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Via John at PowerLine, Gerald Walpin, the AmeriCorps inspector general who was fired after he began investigating a presidential pal, has sued for wrongful termination. Walpin isn't asking for money; he just wants to be reinstated--at least so far as the legal remedy goes.

I suspect that the real remedy he wants is vindication. Obama claimed that Walpin is old, senile, and unfit for work. Since a presidential apology isn't forthcoming (Obama only apologizes to tyrants and abusers), this is how Walpin can restore his reputation.

John looks at the legal angle:

The administration can deal with the suit in some combination of four ways: move for dismissal, move to stay the case, move for a confidentiality order that will prevent facts learned in discovery from becoming public, or buy Walpin off with a settlement. Based on my limited knowledge, it's hard to see grounds for either a dismissal or a stay, and it will be tough to run out the clock given that the Obama administration has 3 1/2 years left, at least. And Walpin may prove hard to buy off...

There is another option. Obama can double down. He can renew the claim that Walpin is unfit for work: that he is erratic; that he possibly abused his authority by working from home; that he is old and senile and needed to quietly be put to pasture. I expect memos from Walpin's "concerned" coworkers and subordinates may be leaked. The point being that if enough pressure is applied, Walpin may withdraw the suit voluntarily. This will be Obama's first choice, rather than the legal options John discusses.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 07:24 AM | Comments (1)
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The trouble with the Overnight Thread is that it's full of sub-morons. Perhaps the time has come to re-institute an old custom. Grant the noble morons "Primae Noctis" (Friday Night Flamewar in the original Latin) If we can't get them out, we'll flame them out.

Posted by: Open Blog at 04:30 PM | Comments (1)
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My own personal Friday Flame is sent to the fine folks over at CNN. "Multiple layers of painstaking editorial fact-checking" and they let this through a few hours ago: more...

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 03:50 PM | Add Comment
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Good, good, good.

After a tough week on health care reform, President Barack Obama used a hastily convened White House appearance Friday to press Congress to step up the pace, saying once again that “now is the not the time to slow down.”

Obama also tried to quiet naysayers with a bold prediction that he would sign a bill by yearÂ’s end, despite the frequent setbacks.

“That is why those who are betting against this happening this year are badly mistaken," Obama said. "We are going to get this done. We will reform health care. It will happen this year. I’m absolutely convinced of that.”

At the same time, Obama did not reiterate his August deadline for the House and Senate to pass bills – amid growing signs in the Senate that goal is simply out of reach.

Thanks to AHFF Geoff again.

Posted by: Ace at 02:27 PM | Comments (2)
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