Minnesota and Green Bay. Two notorious teams who play in the tundra hald the time and I can't stand either of em.

BUT perhaps one of you stand em.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 04:00 PM | Comments (245)
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I submit to you for weighing and measuring, the esteemed Stephen Espalin, who has threatened to assassinate poor Bo, the first dog, as well as other less admirable occupants of the Whitehouse. Poor Bo lives under the threat of winding up in a pot every day.

Espalin had racked up 59 arrests under 24 names and 12 Social Security numbers, including two convictions for sexual offenses and numerous theft and fraud convictions, by the time of his 2002 sentencing [for threatening to assassinate GWB], federal prosecutors in Tennessee said.

An appellate ruling from 2003 said psychological tests on Espalin showed he had a pretty normal mental capacity and Espalin told a psychologist he was "80 per cent" regretful that he did not recant his threat against Bush.

"He stated that a part of him wants to continue making the threats because he enjoys the attention that he is getting," an appeals judge wrote.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 03:08 PM | Comments (105)
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Ace has been writing about the New Aristocracy lately, including a few posts about David Gregory waving around an illegal magazine on TV. Here is some contrast provided by the Washington Times, linked at Hot Air:

The Washington Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) inquiry into whether NBC’s David Gregory possession on national TV of an illegal 30-round “high-capacity” magazine has been ongoing for three weeks. Meanwhile, U.S. Army veteran James Brinkley is still grappling with the fallout from his arrest last year on the same charge.

. . .

Despite the evidence Mr. Brinkley had been legally transporting the gun, his attorney Richard Gardiner said the D.C. Office of the Attorney General “wouldn’t drop it.” This is the same office now showing apparent reluctance to charge Mr. Gregory.

Mr. Brinkley refused to take a plea bargain and admit guilt, so the matter went to trial Dec. 4. The judge sided with Mr. Brinkley, saying he had met the burden of proof that he was legally transporting. Mr. Brinkley was found not guilty on all firearms-related charges, including for the “high-capacity” magazines, and he was left with a $50 traffic ticket.

Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan told The Washington Times, “We feel it was a valid arrest, and the appropriate charges were brought.” Moments later, a spokesman for the D.C. attorney general's office, Ted Gest, called and provided the exact same quote. Mr. Gest added that, despite Mr. Brinkley’s acquittal, the ruling “doesn’t mean the judge is right, and we’re wrong.”

So we have a US attorney entrusted with the authority to enforce the laws equally who arguably abuses that discretion and goes after Mr. Brinkley, one of the Outs, while at the same ignoring the acts of Gregory, one of the Ins. Of course, he does this without regard to ethical consideration and to ingratiate himself with the Ins, with whom he would like to be associated. Right?

He is not unlike the IRS agent who breaks the rules and looks into neighbors' and friends' tax records, because it would be interesting to know how much money they make. Or the postal inspectors who spend the afternoon on the golf course and get a little red-faced when you jokingly voice surprise they spend their time off work together. Because they're not off work. Besides, maybe there is some postal crime on the 17th fairway. Or the regional FDIC field inspectors who drive to another city and also end up on the golf course, after which they spend five minutes on the property inspection, knowing they can fake a report from virtually nothing. Who is going to fire them for getting it wrong, causing the bank a headache, and costing the recipient of the loan potentially everything?

Or this guy.

What can you say? The natural tendency of people is to treat authority as power. The same thing that causes a person to rev a powerful motor at a stoplight or, in older days, to slap a horse with the reins while at the same time pulling back--to feel that surge of power--drives bureaucrats to abuse authority. People get a charge out of it. It makes them feel like masters of their domain. It's human nature.

This is why we're supposed to be a nation of laws and not men, by the way. It's why our country is based on a social contract that is, or should be, written in stone. People like to be unethical, evil. more...

Posted by: rdbrewer at 02:10 PM | Comments (142)
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Not voting.

Adoring.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 12:48 PM | Comments (164)
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What's this? Beyond Discouraged, 3 Million Workers Hopelessly Unemployed. Where the hell was this coverage from CNN before the election? While it is nice they are finally talking about the long term unemployed out there, they still cling to their narrative that the economy is improving.

The unemployment rate has dropped sharply since 2009, and the number of people unemployed for six months or more has declined. Plus, the number of so-called "discouraged workers" has also fallen.

Enjoying that lighter first pay check yet this year? Well, get ready For Rising Gas Prices. It is expected to go up 35 cents by April and peak at around $3.95 a gallon for the year. more...

Posted by: CDR M at 05:44 PM | Comments (733)
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Pitt and Miss.

Watch out for that elbow.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 09:19 AM | Comments (244)
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I see no particular problem with women in support roles in the military. Men are probably no better at driving trucks and cooking meals and pushing paper and all of the work that goes on behind the scenes in any military organization. But...allowing women in combat roles is insane. Luckily, it seems as if women in the military seem to agree with that.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 08:38 AM | Comments (165)
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No Heisman jinx for Manziel. That was an ass-whoopin'.

Pitt plays Ole Miss today at 1pm Eastern in the We Ran Out Of Bowl Names Bowl as we march towards Bama/Notre Dame and the end of another college football season.

And if you're in the AoSHQ NFL Playoff Fantasy League, don't forget to make your picks.

Posted by: andy at 03:39 AM | Comments (371)
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Recommendations as in got anything to recommend? I put up a lot of recommendations; I like hearing some, too.

Incidentally, to whomever recommended Matt Helm: Turns out Titan books (a paperback press) is going to republish them in 2013, so hopefully they'll be on Kindle. I assume they will. Now I kind of want to read some Matt Helm.

Anyone keeping to those New Year's declarations? I'm continuing trying to learn French (as you may have guessed by my sudden interest in French movies). It's slow going. I need a more systematic approach than the Think Method from the Music Man. I've been trying immersion-- natural learning, sort of -- and I guess I know some stuff but it's slow. And I still fall apart listening to it. Reading it, fine. I'm reading the Three Musketeers in French and, with the help of dozens of look-ups and guesses, I can manage to at least get the structure of the sentence, even though my actual comprehension is limited to "D'Artagnan placed his [something] against the guy's [other thing] and then had made [some reflexive verb I've never seen before, but context suggests it might have something to do with a horse. Shoeing a horse? Something like that.]."

I'm mostly using "French in Action," an immersion course from the 80s, which used to run on PBS. Anyone remember it? I actually did remember it -- seeing it here and there -- and it stuck in my mind chiefly because the main actress is gorgeous and has the highbeams on in 30% of her scenes (here, at about 1:40-2:00). I remember actually watching it just for the highbeams.

When the videos were used at Yale, three female students lodged a protest due to "sexism" -- because the girl's legs get featured a fair amount, and, of course, her highbeams. Which, in fairness, are halogen. Blinding.

But just further proof that Yale feminists are just hateful and horrible.

Anyway that's all over the internet now, on YouTube, and hosted at Annenberg Learning Center. It's actually got a fan site.

What are you guys up to?

more...

Posted by: Ace at 03:50 PM | Comments (448)
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Was just reading through old theory new theory list from ace's previous post. My theory is as societies and cultures become more prosperous, they get fatter. Cause Pizza Huts open there. As far as carbs go, when I put theory into practice and cut carbs, I lose weight. When I eat em I don't.

Also I pretty much hate him for linking that pic.

OU (11) and the Texas A&M Aggies (9) kick off in about 20 minutes. I can't offer up much for my Sooner and Aggies in this one, if it's any consolation I won't hate both teams tonight.

That's all I got. It'll have to do.

A&M doesn't do "cheerleaders", they do "Yell Leaders". Dudes in white pant suits.

Dudes. In White. Pant. Suits.

I like the dog. Collies are cute.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 03:44 PM | Comments (101)
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