After weeks of focusing on objects that lower in the sky (and probably harder for those of you with typical backyards), time to go higher. This week, the moon hangs in the sky later and later, making fainter deep sky objects harder to spot in the process. So, we're going for steady skies and tempting doubles for a pair of challenges rising late in the evening/early in the morning that you can spot practically anywhere. more...

Posted by: CAC at 05:41 PM | Comments (145)
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Of course.

Why not.

Posted by: Ace at 04:46 PM | Comments (332)
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Holy shit.

President Barack Obama has thrown his acting IRS commissioner overboard, making Steven Miller the highest-ranking political casualty thus far in a series of scandals that have swept his administration in recent weeks.

...

'Lew took the first step by requesting and accepting the resignation of the acting director of the IRS,' Obama said.

'ItÂ’s important,' he added, 'to institute new leadership that can help restore confidence going forward.'

But in an email to IRS employees, Miller claimed he would only be leaving next month because his assignment would be over.

Posted by: Ace at 04:01 PM | Comments (329)
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You know how I enjoy lying in headlines, like the media does?

This time I didn't lie.

Posted by: Ace at 03:10 PM | Comments (214)
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Interestedin Obama's scandals?

"Racist," Matthews declares.

Oh, and Krauthammer rips Obama's reaction as "minimal" and hopelessly inadequate.

On the other hand, Shep Smith is amping it up like firing a guy who had nothing to do with it is heroic. (The Acting head actually just took over in 2012.)

Posted by: Ace at 02:47 PM | Comments (187)
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Live feed here.

Charles Krauthammer: "If all Obama offers [again] are just words, people are going to be very disappointed."

Bullshit. He said he'd "hold people responsible," and "follow up to find out what happened here." His big news was the resignation of the acting Commissioner of the IRS.

Claims to be angry, did not look angry at all.

Posted by: Ace at 02:06 PM | Comments (503)
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Yes, it's a 501(c)4, the same sort of organizational status that conservative-leaning groups have been denied.

Allah cites the law on this:

To be tax-exempt as a social welfare organization described in Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 501(c)(4), an organization must not be organized for profit and must be operated exclusively to promote social welfareÂ…

The promotion of social welfare does not include direct or indirect participation or intervention in political campaigns on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. However, a section 501(c)(4) social welfare organization may engage in some political activities, so long as that is not its primary activity.

I have never seen anything from MMFA or MMAN that wasn't political, so I rather doubt that MMAN's work is only "occasionally" political.

The point here is that MMAN has embarrassed itself, and not for the usual reasons. MMFA and MMAN are hack partisan groups -- the exact sort of tax-loophole scams the IRS ought to take a look at -- and are obviously, transparently so. Hell, even a reporter from CBS was moved to make mention of this obvious fact:

Well, MMAN put out a Talking Points sheet -- spin -- to counter charges against the Administration, regarding the AP wiretap scandal.

Allah makes a cynical, and accurate, point: The media loves MMFA and MMAN for writing their stories for them, and thus making their jobs easier. They loves them some MMFA talking points. They loves MMFA doing leftist research for them.

But MMAN might have gone too far in taking Obama's side versus the press. The press loves Obama, but it might be possible they love themselves more.

I'm not sure of that, actually. I think their love for Obama exceeds that of self. But it puts their loyalties to the test, and MMFA/MMAN, by reflexively, for the billionth time, reflexively, thoughtlessly, hackishly jumping to aid the Democrats, especially in a conflict with the press, may have finally pulled off the mask, and then doused it with lighter fluid and set it on fire, and then shat on it, and then rolled up the charred remains and used them as a sexual prosthesis to rape a hornet's nest.

But I doubt it. I think it's pretty obvious that the press is no different from MMFA/MMAN in terms of reflexive, dishonest partisanship; the latter is just tawdrier, cheaper, lower-class, and more obvious about it.

But the more expensive callgiirls will always fight hard to distinguish themselves from the common streetwalkers.

Posted by: Ace at 01:45 PM | Comments (123)
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The press is portraying this as all relevant emails, which of course they could not know, and is extremely doubtful.

But the liberals are determined to give Obama a cookie. And yes, that's a link to the WSJ, but its reporters tend to be liberal.

Let's hold off on this claim they've released all the emails until we can confirm that, huh?

The Selected, Redacted Emails You've Been Permitted to Read: Here.

Randy notes:

The emails conveniently start on 9/14. 3 days AFTER the attack.

Right, after the Talking Points had already been significantly massaged.

After smoking-gun witness evidence of a coordinated, planned attack was reported.

Posted by: Ace at 01:19 PM | Comments (224)
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10. Chez Ginch

9. The Shaftesbury Quimhouse

8. Ye Olde Tyme Bawdyhouse & Twatterie

7. The Ffolkeston Ffuckshack

6. L'Hôtel du Cootère

5. Barleigh & Spencer's Scamper Emporium

4. The chic nightclub/brothel, Vulva

3. Creighton's Quality Gentlemen's Accoutrements, Specializing in Steamer Trunks, Polo Gear, Ascots, and Muff

2. Vaigzheesh of London

...and the Number One Classy-Sounding Name for a Whorehouse...

1. The White House

"Shaftesbury Quimhouse" courtesy of @spongeworthy2

Posted by: Ace at 12:34 PM | Comments (564)
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I don't mean the media Narrative, I mean the public Narrative, what people tell themselves, the Conventional Wisdom people share.

I don't think the media will ever fall out of love with their Beloved -- he cheats and he lies, true, but it's nice to know there's a Bad Boy under that smooth, Nice Guy exterior -- but the national narrative might just.

Pollster Stu Rothenberg:

. ItÂ’s hard to overstate the potential significance of the past week. What we are witnessing is nothing less than a dramatic reversal of the nationÂ’s political narrative...

The danger for Obama, of course, is that many Americans will start to doubt his administration’s veracity and values. If that happens — and for now it is only a danger, not an inevitability — then the president could well turn into a serious liability for Democrats in next year’s elections.

An anonymous Democratic strategist wrote:

“The AP phone records thing just sealed the deal for what the newest narrative around the Obama administration is going to be. They are the new Nixon admin when it comes to bullying, withholding info and targeting enemies. The right won’t probably call him directly Nixon because you know, Nixon was a Republican, but it will be the basic idea. You will hear claims that there has never been an administration who reached so far to suppress information and dissent. While I don’t think this is actually the full truth, it is hard to not realize this is fully the fault of the administration that perception has gotten to this point."

McConnell had some advice for reporters which they'll ignore:

“Before taking a few questions,” McConnell said, “let me just add one thing. As you continue to file your stories on this subject, ask yourself before you write, how would I be writing this story if this were a Republican administration?”

Dennis Miller:

“Listen, a few more days like this — Obama’s going to claim he was born in Kenya just to get the heat off,” Miller said. “Listen, nothing is going to happen. Show’s over folks."

...

Miller said he suspected the AP angle will be the only thing that motivates the press to investigate the Obama administration because, unlike the other scandals, it impacts them personally.

“But when you tap an AP reporter’s phone line and find out how much they’re not getting laid, that’ll get the press P.O.’d. The rest of this is all smoke and mirrors. They don’t care about Benghazi. They don’t care about the IRS. They’ll feign a little indignation, but nobody’s going to go after this guy on that. To think he was tapping reporter’s phones — what a perfect symbiosis that they’re such ass-kissers and he’s someone who really just looks them in the eye and says ‘kiss my ass.’ It is beautiful, it is beautiful that they met each other on this planet.”

I agree. I've been annoyed at the AP and media trying to jockey for First Victim status, especially because you know they're just going to apologize to Obama for ever having suspected him by next week.

On the Me Front, I'm sneezing so hard I'm biting my tongue at the edges.

I wouldn't call myself a Hero.

Others might. But I shy away from such talk.

Posted by: Ace at 12:06 PM | Comments (246)
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