Nice.

KENNEBUNKPORT -- President George H.W. Bush celebrated his 85th birthday today by parachuting from an altitude of 10,500 feet into the churchyard of St. Ann's Episcopal Chapel in Kennebunkport. He landed at 1:44 p.m. and was greeted by his wife Barbara Bush.

The plane, a C-31 Fokker, had to make several passes before finding an opening in the clouds where Bush could make the jump.

As Bush landed at the church about 150 people waiting there burst into applause, and the crowd began chanting "Gampy Gammy," the Bush family name for grandfather.

Just offshore from the seaside church, onlookers in pleasure boats erupted into a version of the "Happy Birthday" song.

"It's a great day in the air," Bush said. "It's an exhilarating feeling. I don't feel a day over 84."

All the best, Mr. President.

Posted by: Slublog at 11:53 AM | Comments (1)
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I realize I've sort of pushed the Open Blog thing a bit far already today, but with the defeatist RINO douche who showed his true self last fall (with Peggy "what, me conservative?" Noonan) back in the news, I figured a video antidote might be in order.

Update: full interview now embedded from the NBC site more...

Posted by: Open Blog at 10:39 AM | Comments (1)
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Mike Murphy writes the latest chapter in the GOP book of lamentations.

Despairing Republican friends have been asking me what I think we should do to rebuild the GOP and begin our certain and inevitable comeback. My answer disappoints them: "Build an ark."

I say this because I've made a career out of counting votes, and the numbers tell a clear story; the demographics of America are changing in a way that is deadly for the Republican Party as it exists today. A GOP ice age is on the way.

Demographic change is irritating to politicos, since it works on elections much as rigged dice do on a Las Vegas craps table: it is a game changer. For years, Republicans won elections because the country was chock-full of white middle-class voters who mostly pulled the GOP lever on Election Day. Today, however, that formula is no longer enough.

The article is not just a jeremiad, however. Murphy has a prescription for the GOP's ills. You'll never guess what it is.

No, really.

Young voters need to see a GOP that is more socially libertarian, particularly toward gay rights. With changing demographics come changing attitudes, and aping the grim town elders from Footloose is not the path back to a Republican White House. The pro-life movement can still be a central part of the GOP — it has support among all ages (and a slim majority of Latino voters) — but the overall GOP view on abortion must aggressively embrace the big tent.

Obama is already losing support on his handling of the economy, and even the NY Times is growing weary of his 'blame Bush' excuses.

Murphy ignores the fact that when strong arguments are made on behalf of conservative ideas, the population responds - Dick Cheney proved that and Obama's now losing the battle over whether to close Guantanamo. Neither George W. Bush nor John McCain communicated their vision or their ideas to the American people well. Murphy's assumption seems to be that Latinos (the main focus of his article) will not respond to conservative ideas, so let's not try. Liberalize and retreat from one's convictions in the face of demography is not a strategy. Why not instead communicate our ideas in a way that reaches the new population?

Here's something else Murphy ignores. Last year, we ran a moderate who refused to engage his opponent. He lost, badly. Murphy says we shouldn't be stuck in a "swoon of nostalgia" for Ronald Reagan, but his alternative is a McCain-like candidate?

With guys like this setting strategy, it's no wonder we're losing. (h/t: Hot Air)

Posted by: Slublog at 10:05 AM | Comments (1)
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The difference is, in this version, the media is the Charles Colson-esque attack dog protecting the president. Other than that, this smells a lot like abuse of power.

Some strange and potentially suspicious events tonight concerning the Obama White House and the AmeriCorps program. I've been told that on Wednesday night the AmeriCorps inspector general, Gerald Walpin, received a call from the White House counsel's office telling him that he had one hour to either resign or be fired. The White House did not cite a reason. "The answer that was given was that it's just time to move on," one Senate source told me tonight. "The president would like to have someone else in that position."

Inspectors General are part of every federal department. They are given the responsibility of independently investigating allegations of waste, fraud, and corruption in the government, without fear of interference by political appointees or the White House. Last year Congress passed the Inspectors General Reform Act, which added new protections for IGs, including a measure requiring the president to give Congress 30 days prior notice before dismissing an IG. The president must also give Congress an explanation of why the action is needed. Then-Sen. Barack Obama was one of the co-sponsors of the Act.

Now, there is the hurried attempt to dismiss Walpin, without the required notice or cause.

Update - Did the First Lady play a role in this?

Posted by: Slublog at 04:25 AM | Comments (1)
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How many of you have undergone a major career change?

I'm not really talking about the economically driven kind where former investment bankers are doing lawn care and gay porn now, rather ones of choice and and serendipitous coincidence.

My path has been a damn curious one so far. Computer geek->Electrician->Research scientist

Posted by: Purple Avenger at 03:17 AM | Add Comment
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Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 02:04 AM | Comments (2)
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Democrats are warning businesses, health care providers, hospitals and other stakeholders in the healthcare debate not to attend meetings with Republicans. According to aides working for Senator Max Baucus, stakeholders who express public opposition to Democratic plans will be excluded from future negotiations.

Top aides to Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) called a last-minute, pre-emptive strike on Wednesday with a group of prominent Democratic lobbyists, warning them to advise their clients not to attend a meeting with Senate Republicans set for Thursday.

Russell Sullivan, the top staffer on Finance, and Jon Selib, BaucusÂ’ chief of staff, met with a bloc of more than 20 contract lobbyists, including several former Baucus aides.

“They said, ‘Republicans are having this meeting and you need to let all of your clients know if they have someone there, that will be viewed as a hostile act,’” said a Democratic lobbyist who attended the meeting.

“Going to the Republican meeting will say, ‘I’m interested in working with Republicans to stop health care reform,’” the lobbyist added.

Republican leaders have been meeting with health care stakeholders for months, with those sessions occurring “more frequently than once a month,” according to a senior Senate GOP aide.

Apparently, even talking to Republicans cannot be tolerated in Obama's America.

Via GatewayPundit.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 09:42 PM | Add Comment
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Item #1: Got some free time on your hands? (Actually thatÂ’s kind of a stupid question considering what youÂ’re doing right this minute. But indulge me if you will). If you do find yourself with four or so extra hours to spare from your busy lives, why not listen to the Ted Bundy Confession Tapes?

They’re all there at the link in 25 easy-to-digest clips. Perhaps you could record them to CD and listen in the car during your 1 1/2 hour morning commute on the way to the job you despise, working for that miserable S.O.B. that is your so-called “superior.” Why waste time at those worthless motivational seminars and “team-building retreats” when all the answers are right there in one crisp, clean package? I can almost assure you that by the time you arrive at the office, you’ll have an entirely different outlook on life and be ready to take care of business. If for some sick, deranged reason you like your job and/or boss, I’m told these also provide some excellent tips that may make your next hobo-hunt a bit more fruitful and enjoyable.

More fun below the fold... more...

Posted by: Open Blog at 06:00 PM | Add Comment
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The WHO has officially said it, spread of this flu strain is a "pandemic".

The term's meaning has been modified a few times since the last huge ones(1968, 1957). But it generally means what they say it does, significantly measurable rates of infection in x number of countries.

About half of those in the US.

Not quite 30,000 people in 74 countries, and it's killed 140+ people. A lower rate of lethality than other influenza strains, still, it's flu.

The UN claims it wishes to avoid spreading "panic". Words, deeds, etc.

I'm probably out here in left by myself, but I'm interested in seeing the effect of immunization (H1N1) and how that may have lowered lethality in this particular strain. The last bad round of H1N1 was called "Russian Flu", a 1977-78 epidemic. They've included that booger in the brew since then, which may have helped those of us who take the shots every year.

Also don't cough on me.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 05:50 PM | Add Comment
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Admits it by saying that when he said "them Jews," he meant "them zionists."

Tomatoh tamatoh with these people. Whenever they get called on their antisemitism, they claim they just hate Zionists. Well, Wright blamed "them Jews," not "them Zionists." So when speaking his mind, unguardedly, he revealed himself.

What he says now that Wright has been given a talking to by non-Jewish political flacks (told to make the call by "them Jews," of course) is meaningless.

Mel Gibson should have said this, eh? "When I said 'Jews start all the wars,' I meant 'zionists start all the wars.' And when I called that woman 'sugar-tits,' I meant to call her 'sugar-zionists,' too."

Incidentally, on this point Wright is in 100% agreement with Holocaust Museum Murderer Von Braunn. From Von Braunn's notebooks:

Obama was created by Jews. Obama does what his Jew owners tell him to do.

If only them Jews had allowed Von Braunn to speak to Obama, perhaps this crime might have been averted.

Obama: We Must be Vigilant Against Anti-Semetism, But No Way in Hell Could I Possibly Chastise My Former Spirtual Advisor: Vigilance begins in the home, dickbag.

Barack Obama, Resident of the United States:

"This outrageous act reminds us that we must remain vigilant against anti-Semitism and prejudice in all its forms. No American institution is more important to this effort than the Holocaust Museum, and no act of violence will diminish our determination to honor those who were lost by building a more peaceful and tolerant world."

This is so obvious I hate saying it, but yeah: You think the media might notice this if the President whose spiritual advisor was making anti-semitic remarks even as he calls for "vigilance against anti-semitism" were a Republican?

I don't really see anything about this -- not even on FoxNews.

Thanks to muffy.

Posted by: Ace at 01:14 PM | Comments (1)
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