Yeah, Right, Whatever

Spc. Ross A. McGinnis
19 years old from Knox, Pennsylvania
1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division
December 4, 2006


His mission was to patrol the streets of Adhamiyah in northeast Baghdad and find a place to put a 250-kilowatt generator that would provide electricity for more than 100 homes. But it's a mission he wasn't able to accomplish.

Shortly after Pfc. McGinnis's convoy left the compound, and less than a mile from FOB Apache, an insurgent standing on a nearby rooftop threw a grenade into the sixth, and last, Humvee. "Grenade!" yelled McGinnis, who was manning the vehicle's M2 .50-caliber machine gun. He tried to deflect the grenade but it fell into the Humvee and lodged between the radios.

"McGinnis turned and looked down and realized no one in the truck knew where the grenade was," said Capt. Michael Baka, his company commander. "He knew everyone had their doors combat-locked and they wouldn't be able to get out."

Instead of jumping out of the truck to save his own life, like he had been trained to do, McGinnis threw his back against the radio mount, smothering the explosive with his body. The grenade exploded just as Pfc. McGinnis covered it. The blast filled the vehicle with black smoke and debris and blew the driver's door and right passenger's door wide open and blew the machine gun off its mount. The explosion hit McGinnis on his sides and his lower back, under his vest. He was killed instantly.

The other four soldiers in the Humvee suffered relatively minor injuries.

On the morning of December 4, 2006, before his convoy had left, Cpt. Baka has signed a waver promoting Pfc. McGinnis to Specialist and he was posthumously promoted to E-4.

For his heroic actions on that day, McGinnis was awarded the Silver Star and was nominated for a Medal of Honor which he received on June 2, 2008.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Y'all have heard that we can't deport all of the illegal aliens because our economy will collapse, right? Well... considering the recent unemployment news, maybe those Americans might want the "jobs Americans just won't do." And, believe it or not, there is historical precedent. Yes, all of this did happen. (h't to Dad, who got it from my aunt, who got it from...)

The people that are in Congress in Washington, tell us they can not deport 12 million illegal's?
We probably need to vote all of them out of office and send them back to school to learn history!
We pay more to illegal's in welfare than it would cost to deport them! Our career politicians need
to work for the voters and the good of the United States of America , not the lobbyist and big business.


HOOVER, TRUMAN AND EISENHOWER

Here is something that should be of great interest for you to pass around. I didn't know of this until it was pointed out to me.

Back during The Great Depression, President Herbert Hoover ordered the deportation of ALL illegal aliens in order to make jobs available to American citizens that desperately needed work.

Harry Truman deported over two million Illegal's after WWII to create jobs for returning veterans.

And then again in 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower deported 13 million Mexican nationals!
The program was called 'Operation Wetback' so that American WWII and Korean veterans
had a better chance at jobs. It took 2 Years, but they deported them!

Now, if they could deport the illegal's back then, they can sure do it today!! lf you have doubts about the veracity of this information, enter Operation Wetback into your favorite search engine and confirm it for yourself. (That link is to the wikepedia page. You're welcome. -B)

... and failing.

There's been a lot of talk about ways we can "save the world" from the upcoming ecological disaster... or something like that. Cracked has an interesting (and serious, for them) article about some of the more popular things you can do "to help the environment" that don't really work. (Slight language alert... it is Cracked, after all).

In case you don't want to click over, here are the 5 things that really don't help the environment:

1. buying organically grown food
2. rejecting vaccines
3. recycling
4. using antibacterial soap
5. buying carbon offsets.
   

You really should click over if you think they're nuts. They explain the reasons why these things don't help the environment. I just wish more people would figure this out.

If the media can just phone it in, why can't I? Seriously, I have stuff going on in a little while, so here are a few links that I found interesting.

• Are we in serious dog doo if China is warning us about protectionism and Russia is warning us about socialism? (h't to Jim)
  
• Yep... the Pope went there... 'bout time, too...
• Illinois' junior Senator isn't getting much love from liberal newspapers these days. I find it unbelievable that anyone thought that a Blago pick wouldn't end up scandalized.
• Xran explains why President Obama wants the census to be run from his office.
• Now that the spending bill has passed, The One has set up a website where you can track where the money is wasted. And, as per Amateur Hour precident, there are... um... deceptive charts...
• Uncle Neal has a list of all the neat changes we've had since The One ascended.

Have fun...

A local student met the working end of a taser yesterday.

A Westwood High School student was arrested Tuesday after being Tasered when he charged at the school's principal, Williamson County officials said.

Sherman Merritt, 18, got into an argument with his teacher about 10:45 a.m., said Detective John Foster, a sheriff's department spokesman. Foster said the teacher told Merritt to go to the principal's office, where the student got into an argument with the principal. Merritt then left campus. Deputy Deanna Lugo, the school's resource officer, and the principal went to look for Merritt, Foster said.

Foster said they found him near the intersection of Missel Thrush Drive and Millwright Parkway, where Foster said Merritt elbowed Lugo in the face. Foster said Merritt then charged at the principal and Lugo Tasered the student. Merritt was charged with assault on a police officer, a third-degree felony, Foster said.

Nice way to start adulthood, Sherman.

Of course, his father is upset. Evidently, assaulting a cop doesn't justify a jolt. In fact, according to DOD (Dear Old Dad), it's just his way. And I paraphrase... "He rants and raves and rages. It's just his way. He's not a criminal." (I can't find a link to the interview of the dad with this quote... I heard it on the radio this morning. Here's a link to a video with DOD saying that poor Junior is a "12 year old in an 18 year old's body.") When my boys were 12... or 10... maybe even 4... they knew that lashing out at a cop was a big NO NO. Then again, cussing out a teacher (which is how this whole Adventures in Neuromuscular Incapacitaion incident began) wouldn't have been on their radar, either.

This student young man kid punk is responsible for his actions. No doubt about that. That being said, he learned it somewhere. He didn't just decide to cuss out a teacher and bash a cop in the face yesterday morning. At some point, he came to understand that he could get what he wanted by lashing out (verbally or physically) at those in authority around him. I'm guessing here, but I'd put a dollar down that, when he was a little boy, he'd throw a tantrum and his parents gave in. Or one of his parents blew up to get their way, and he absorbed this information. Or he displayed abnormal anger responses, and the parents never taught him to deal with his anger without exploding. Or he showed psychiatric symptoms of some form, and no one thought to get him help. Or any of a number of possible scenarios. Yes, I know that, once in a while, parents do everything right and their child still ends up going bad- they are the exception, not the rule. Like I said, Junior here is responsible for his actions, but his parents are responsible for raising him to be a thug.

DOD says he's taking his son out of Westwood High School. uh... I don't think he has much of a choice... I doubt they'd let him back in... I'm sure he can get his GED in prison.

Sgt. Kelly Keck
34 years old from West Liberty, Kentucky


Secretary of the Army Pete Geren congratulates Sgt. Kelly Keck after presenting him the Purple Heart.

On September 13, 2008, Sgt. Kelly Keck, a combat medic serving in Afghanistan, was wounded while trying to aid his fellow soldiers who's truck had just been struck by an IED. "I stepped off the road to try to get to the side of the truck, and the next thing I know I hear a loud boom, and I'm laying on the ground," he said. Sgt. Kelly had stepped on a land mine. He was flown to a field hospital in Jalalabad where he ended up loosing three fingers on his left hand and his right leg below the knee. "It was quite an ordeal," the soft-spoken soldier said.


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

The House just passed the porkulus bill. Once again, not a single Republican voted for it, and seven Democrats voted against it, as well. One Democrat voted "present"... no idea why.

On Wednesday, the House passed (unanimously, btw) a resolution that the bill would be available for public viewing for 48 hours before a vote. The final bill was 1071 pages long, and the final draft was released last night around 11pm last night. And they passed it today... after about 12 hours... but there was a good reason... San Fran's Grand Nan had to hop on a plane to Rome. She's gonna get an award, doncha know?

Rep. Boehner had a good point.



There is no way that any of the Representatives stayed up all night to read that bill.

We didn't get 48 hours to read the bill... but lobbyists had 24...

It looks like the Senate is going to rush to vote on this, as well... and, no, they haven't had time to read it either.

If you're interested in reading the whole nightmare, you can go here. There's also some analysis.

Anyone want to bet that President Obama will forget his "5 day" promise? Since it's so important and all that...

Today, Class, we're going to learn some Greek. For many of you, it will review, but we all need some review from time to time.

Today's Greek phrase is...

Molon labe is a Greek phrase supposedly dating back to the Battle of Thermopylae (Y'all did see 300, didn't you?) Xerxes I tells the Spartans to lay down their weapons. Leonides yells back "Molon labe," which, loosely translated, means, " Come and get them." Recently, this Greek phrase has become a rally cry for Second Amendment proponents.

Why the Greek lesson? CongressCritter Bobby Rush, ever known for his sanity reason insight stupidity, has introduced a bill that has gun owners alternating between spitting angry and uncontrolled laughter. Let's see... all gun owners must be registered. All guns must be registered. All records will actually be maintained (as opposed to CCL records, which are supposed to be purged once the license is issued).

The Bill is named after Blair Holt, a teenager gunned down during a bus shooting in Chicago in 2007. From all accounts, he was a good kid, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time (on a city bus, right after school, and some other student came onto the bus and started shooting). Some reports say that he was protecting another student from the shooter when he was shot. He should be remembered for being one of the good kids, not for having his name on a flawed House bill.

On the surface, the bill seems ... innocent. What could be wrong with requiring registration to own a firearm? It's nothing that many states don't already require. Under the supposed innocence, we have a problem.

The NRA-ILA site has a good explanation of just some of the things wrong with this bill:

The measure calls for all handgun owners to submit to the federal government an application that shall include, among many other things: a photo; an address; a thumbprint; a completed, written firearm safety test; private mental health records; and a fee. And those are only some of the requirements to be licensed!

The bill would further require the attorney general to establish a database of every handgun sale, transfer, and owner's address in America. Moreover, the bill would make it illegal to own or possess a "qualifying firearm" -- defined as "any handgun; or any semiautomatic firearm that can accept any detachable ammunition feeding device…" [emphasis added] without one of the proposed licenses.

Additionally, the bill would make it illegal to transfer ownership of a "qualifying firearm" to anyone who is not a licensed gun dealer or collector (with very few exceptions), and would require "qualifying firearm" owners to report all transfers to the attorney general's database. It would also be illegal for a licensed gun owner to fail to record a gun loss or theft within 72 hours, or fail to report a change of address within 60 days. Further, if a minor obtains a firearm and injures someone with it, the owner of the firearm may face a multiple-year jail sentence.

Got that? That's just some of the provisions. There are more. The NRA-ILA doesn't even get into the states' rights issues. Or, it clearly violates the Fourth Amendment (warrantless search) and has a harsher sentence for non-compliance (10 years) than many violent crimes. Or, how about the fact that registrations have never led to a reduction of crime. And, as our friends in England and Australia can tell us, the "common sense" gun legislation leads to prohibition and gun grabs. It's a slippery slope, and it only takes a little push.

Did Rep. Rush talk with Rep. Hastings? They should have just combined their bills and saved time.

I guess my response to this is to first quote Patrick Henry:

"Are we at last brought to such an humiliating and debasing degradation that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own defense? Where is the difference between having our arms under our own possession and under our own direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?" - Patrick Henry

Unfortunately, we now defend ourselves against the criminal down the street and not the neighboring nation. But that's another post.

Second, e-mails have been fired off to my CongressCritter and my Senators. They now know my position on this particular legislation.

Third, I'm talking about it.

Anything else I can do?

In case you were wondering, this isn't the first time Rep. Rush has proposed this legislation. The last time he had several co-sponsors... Rahm Emanuel was one. He has no co-sponsors at this time. For now...

Anyone want to guess why so many members (and potential or former potential members) of the Obama Administration have trouble with their taxes? Evidently, they can't add...

A White House estimate of the number of jobs stimulus legislation will create includes some sharp discrepancies between state and local jobs claims.

Those differences -- which the document suggests are large rounding errors -- was spotted by the office of House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, which assembled the chart above. It comes as the White House is seeking to define the stimulus package as a jobs bill, and to focus locally on the jobs it will create.

The White House document (.doc) projects job creation both by state and by congressional district.

"State totals may not sum due to rounding," the chart says at the bottom, though in some cases -- most dramatically, understandably, in small states -- the rounding error represents a large share of the projected jobs. In small states with just one congressional district, which represents the whole state, the difference is particularly striking, presumably a result of different methods of calculating the job figures for the same set of residents.

The differences sometimes give larger jobs figures for the states, sometimes for the districts.

In California, the difference is 25,900 jobs.

The figures illustrate the roughness of economic estimates that are being promoted energetically to local press around the country.

A White House spokesman didn't immediately respond to a question about the differences.

A spokesman for Cantor, Brad Dayspring, emails, "I don't think that the 4600 people in Nevada or 1900 people in Wyoming – not to mention thousands of other Americans – will understand not getting a job due to a 'rounding error.'" He added, Dayspring also asked, “How there could be a rounding error in places like Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, or Washington, D.C., where there is exactly 1 state and 1 congressional district that encompass the exact same area and population?” (copied in its entirety because it's a really good piece by Ben Smith- B)

So... they can't just add? Is there some reason why the Average Joe, who has to add correctly on his taxes and even to balance his checkbook, should just accept this plan? I mean, I'm sure Average Joe has a calculator (I bought mine at Wal Mart for about $4)... President Obama's advisor's can afford one?

Oh, yeah... this stimulus package is our nation's economic salvation... sure, it is...

Oh, yeah... now I remember... Loose Lips Sink Ships. I guess Diane Feinstein didn't get the memo.

A senior U.S. lawmaker said Thursday that unmanned CIA Predator aircraft operating in Pakistan are flown from an air base in that country, a revelation likely to embarrass the Pakistani government and complicate its counter-terrorism collaboration with the United States.

The disclosure by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, marked the first time a U.S. official had publicly commented on where the Predator aircraft patrolling Pakistan take off and land. (emphasis mine- B)

After 9/11, when the invasions of Afghanistan and then Iraq were being discussed, the military and the Three Letter Agencies didn't really want to advise full Congressional committees. They had a good reason, too. Every time they'd have a briefing, some junior Congress Critter would run out and stand in front of a microphone, blabbing every single detail that they'd heard.

As the chair of the Intelligence Committee, you'd think Senator Feinstein would know what is classified information and what is for public consumption. And she should know when her actions could interfere with an ongoing operation. Since someone, somewhere, has told her this, we can only presume that she did it on purpose.

Isn't giving information (by leaking to the media or directly) to the enemy treason? Just saying...

I got this in an e-mail from a couple of people. I think that this has more to do with the $600 we received last year than the current plan, but the extra $13 a week can be viewed the same way.

America's stimulus payment

"This year, taxpayers will receive an Economic Stimulus Payment. This is a very exciting new program that I will explain using the Q and A format:

Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment?

A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.

Q. Where will the government get this money?

A. From taxpayers.

Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?

A. Only a smidgen.

Q. What is the purpose of this payment?

A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a high-definition TV set, thus stimulating the economy.

Q. But isn't that stimulating the economy of China ?

A. Shut up.



Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the US economy by spending your stimulus check wisely:

If you spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China.

If you spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs.

If you purchase a computer it will go to India.

If you purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras,
and
Guatemala (unless you buy organic).

If you buy a car it will go to Japan.

If you purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan.

And none of it will help the American economy.

We need to keep that money here in America. You can keep the money in America by spending it at yard sales, going to a baseball game, or spend it on prostitutes, beer and wine (domestic ONLY), or tattoos, since those are the only businesses still in the US.

This Weeks Post Was Suggested And Written By Brat

Sgt. Patrick Tainsh
33 years old from Oceanside, California
Troop E, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment
February 11, 2004


Five years ago today, Sgt. Patrick Tainsh sacrificed all as the mounted unit he
was part of was hit by an IED in Baghdad. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze and Sliver Stars saving the lives of his commanding officer and other soldiers before succumbing to his own wounds. Also killed in the attack was Pfc. William C. Ramirez from Portland, Oregon.

On Veteran’s Day, 2007, Deborah Tainsh, Sgt. Tainsh's mother, attended a school in Columbia, Georgia, and shared a story she had written called "A Boy Named Patrick."

Here is part of the story :

…a little boy named Patrick who loved football, beaches, surfing, and
skateboarding, and especially reading. Patrick watched his dad be a Marine for
over twenty years. During this time Patrick kept reading not only surfing and
skateboarding magazines, but history books, too. One day when Patrick was a man, he told his dad and best friend, “I want to do something that will make a
difference in the world, I’m going to be a soldier.” And so he did. And in 1999
he went to Fort Knox, Kentucky for boot camp and then went to Fort Polk,
Louisiana where he worked and trained hard to become a United States Army
Cavalry Scout. Then in 2003 Patrick had to say good bye to his mom and dad
because he had to go fight a war in Iraq to protect his country, friends, and
family from terrorists and to help fight for the freedoms of the boys and girls
in that country where they and their families were treated very badly by their
country’s leader. Patrick once wrote a letter to his mom and dad telling them
that he cried for the children because they were hungry and he didn’t have food
to give them. He said he couldn’t understand how a country’s leader could treat
the people so badly and make them live in such dirty conditions with trash and
wild dogs everywhere. And so Patrick's mom and dad keep a photo in their living
room of Patrick surrounded by Iraqi children.

You can read the story in it's entirety here.

Sgt Tainsh came to the military later than some, but rose through the ranks fast. In his last letter to his parents, Sgt Tainsh shared his thoughts about his mission. And in 2006, Sgt. Tainsh's mother wrote a book called Heart Of A Hawk about her son's life and her and her husband's struggles since their son was killed.


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

I think these... um... men... have a reason to be concerned about global warming... it's a killer...



shamelessly stolen from Denny.

How bad do you have to be to make Scott McClellan look like a brillant orator?


That was from a couple of days ago. FoxNews has today's verbal spasms on live. I don't remember them covering the daily press indoctrination when President Bush was in office. They did from time to time, but not every day. I guess that's their version of "fair and balanced." (Show the Administration's take, and then rip it to shreds... works for me...)

How long will Gibbs last as Press Secretary? The way the MSM is even going after him, I don't give him more than a couple of months...

UPDATE: I just re-read both articles... one said he returned the salute first, the other didn't. If he did return the salute, then it's very informal, but not quite a huge faux pas.

I'm pretty sure that prior to his swearing in on January 20th, President Obama had a bunch of briefings on everything Presidential. Important things like how the White House phone system works... who is Secret Service protectors would be... proper military etiquette...

I think he missed the last one...

Departing from the South Lawn, Obama broke from tradition as he boarded Marine One, the presidential helicopter. He seemed to stun the Marine standing at attention by reaching out to shake his hand. The Marine obliged, shaking the president's hand before returning to a steady salute.

As the commenter on the second link mentioned, of course the Marine was "stunned." Proper protocol would have been for the President to return the salute (supposedly, he's learned that one already) and then offer his hand. Not the other way around. The Marine Corps isn't there for him to get all buddy buddy with... they're there to do a job...

I guess this shouldn't be a surprise. He did replace the Marine Corps band with a piano player.

Yes, there are a lot of headlines today. There are every day. Today, there just isn't much worth mentioning. Here are the few I grabbed:

• Me thinks the President would have an easier time getting his stimulus spending bill passed if he could actually get his own party onboard... and maybe if he'd muzzle the CBO... just sayin...
• Pranks at the Pro Bowl... (h't to HDD)
• Do we really need that 2nd Senator from Minnesota? At the rate they're going, whoever does win will be certified just in time for the next election for that seat.
• The baby machine has spoken. I realize that it's really none of my business. She's still a selfish moron.
• I'm sure this is above President Obama's pay grade. And I'm sure he's already fired the speech writer who got him into hot water at the prayer breakfast. I doubt this legislation would get past him, though... considering his past votes.
• V is coming back... which is causing some high school flash backs... not all of them good...
• A Kennedy is going... um... hog wild over... pigs... evidently, the oinkers are subverting the government.
• Why is Vlad ashamed to be an Abba fan?

Like I said... just not much there... bleh...

Do y'all remember Jason McElwain? He's the kid from Rochester, NY who made the news a couple of years ago by shooting 20 points in his one and only high school basketball game. Here's the video, if you don't remember.



Well, we have another young basketball manager/player for you to get to know. His name is Patrick Thibodeau, and, like Jason, he started out as a manager, but his hoop dreams came true.


So... one game 2 for 3 from 3-point range... better than anything I can claim... how about you?

President Obama wants to save financial institutions, right? Our economy needs those institutions deemed "too big to fail" to... well... not fail, right? This just proves it's a crock.

The Obama administration is tackling the bailout of the battered financial sector on two tracks: overhauling how the government spends the money while devising new executive compensation restrictions for banks that get it.

Administration officials said the pay limits could be announced this week, but said the more complicated task of setting up a new framework for rescuing the nation's ailing banks would have to wait until early next week.

Let me see... you need the best and the brightest working at these companies to get them back on track, right? You need something to encourage them to either seek employment with these companies or to keep them employed by those companies, right? And you answer to this little concern is to restrict how much the best and brightest get paid? How does that work?

Obama is on FoxNews right now, saying that executives should not be rewarded for failure. If the company was going to lose $1 billion and, instead, only lost $500 million, whoever worked that out succeeded at his task, right? It's all how you look at it...

He's going to destroy the economy, finished what Presidents Carter and Clinton and members of Congress put into motion. I hope he's proud...

Just watch this video... and mourn the loss of intelligence in our country...



The good news is that all of the students in my classes at the co-op could probably tell exactly what's wrong with that quote. There may be hope for our nation.

UPDATE: A commenter on Hot Air made a good point (well, many commenters did, but this one stuck out...). Once Obama had been in office 12 or 13 days, we were at world-wide unemployment. What's his plan to save the world?

UPDATE 2: I misheard her... she said "a month" not "a day." So... worldwide unemployment in 7 months... my bad...

With cedar levels at critical mass, you should be happy that I can even string together a coherent thought, much less come up with a title, ok?

Here are the headlines that caught my eye this morning:

General:

• The baby machine isn't getting much love from corporations that usually lend a helping hand to parents of mass-multiples. Her doctors aren't getting any love, either.
• Alcee Hastings wants to build some detention centers in the US... just in case...
  

Politics:

• VP Cheney stays on target.
• Norm Coleman hasn't lost yet. Today the courts gave him some good news.
• You know... when President Bush read stories to kids, the Left made fun of him. When Obama does it... at a charter school, no less, it's no big deal.
• Maybe the Democrats should pay for their own retreats instead of the taxpayers. Just a thought. (Yeah... lobbyists paid for the GOP retreat... better than taxpayers, IMO.)
• Blago's just "misunderstood." uh... whatever...
• This Obama appointment will probably sail right through Congress... scary guy, though...
  

Economy:

• Auto loans are part of the stimulus package now... lovely...
• But the GO managed to block more $ for infrastucture backlogs...
• Lobbyists are... wait for it... lobbying for more money in the stimulus package... shocking...
• Cities are also trying to get some cash from Uncle Sam... neon? frisbee golf?
  
• Subaru and Hyundai made a profit last quarter. How'd that happen?
• Oh, yeah... that's just what we need during a recession... more regulations...
• I'm sure the fine people of Seattle think this a great use of their money. No, really... I bet they do...
• Mixed opinions about borrowing from China? Mixed?????
  

Sports:

• It's nice to know just how generous US taxpayers are. It looks like we gave Santonio Holmes a new Escalade.
• The Onion has expanded its empire.
• Why is it news that NFL players want to keep the Pro Bowl in Hawaii?
• Scott Boras is slime, but I can't help but wonder hope that Manny is just holding out for an offer to play with his buddy Albert. A girl can dream, right?
• In not-news, Clemens' DNA was in MacNamee's syringes. Didn't we know that? Did those syringes also contain performance-enhancing drugs? They don't know that yet... that would be news...
  

Science:

• That's one big snake!
• If they're going to "follow the science," quit calling it "man-made global warming!" It's getting colder, Senator!
• Speaking of "global climate change"... how'd that tropical turtle fossil end up in the Arctic? Those evil cavemen with their SUVs, I'm sure...
  
• Well... I guess it's getting colder everywhere except California. Or maybe they're just using bad science.
• The Mars rover Spirit had a bit of amnesia the other day. It just... forgot a bunch of stuff... NASA is saying "cosmic ray! cosmic ray!" and others are saying "age-related issues." Someone on CTC (either Richard Hoagland or Whitley Streiber... I was half asleep, and I can't find a link) thinks someone in the Obama administration wanted to take it for a virtual joy ride to see just what NASA's little toy has found...
  

Other:

• Did anyone else find it humorous when NYC's Mayor Bloomberg was bit by Charles G. Hogg?
  

Gunnery Sgt. Nick Popaditch


In 2003, Sgt. Popaditch, along with 1st Tank Battalion, rolled into Baghdad from Kuwait at the start of the Iraq War. They had just taken the city and the tank that Sgt. Popaditch was in had rolled up to a 40-ft statue of Saddam. I think we all remember that statue. Popaditch was given a cigar by a fellow Marine and as he smoked it an AP photographer snapped a picture of him.

Fast forward to April 7, 2004. Sgt. Popaditch's wife was vacationing with their son when she received a phone call informing her that her husband had been injured in an attack. The turret of his tank, that he was situated in, had taken two direct hits from RPG's. He fell through the hatch to the floor of the tank. As he struggled to his feet, he began to shout orders to his men but go no response. He then realized that the attack had caused him to go deaf in both ears. But that was only temporary. He then reached up and felt that his head was wet and knew it wasn't good.

In the aftermath of the attack, Gunnery Sgt. Nick Popaditch had lost his right eye. And because of that he now proudly wears a prosthetic eye with the Marine Corps. logo embossed on it. On November 10, 2005 Gunnery Sgt. Nick Popaditch was awarded the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest award for heroism in combat. He also has a book out titled Once A Marine.

You can read more about Gunnery Sgt. Nick Popaditch here and here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

So... from Senator Coburn via Michelle Malkin via Ken Emmanuelson, we have the bulk of the stimulus plan, as it stands right now, broken down for your viewing pleasure nausea inducing.

* $2 billion earmark to re-start FutureGen, a near-zero emissions coal power plant in Illinois that the Dept. of Energy defunded last year because the project was inefficient

* A $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film (An amendment proposed by Senator Coburn passed yesterday which removed this item. Woohoo!)

* $650 million for the digital television (DTV) converter box coupon program

* $88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker (arctic ship)

* $448 million for constructing the Dept. of Homeland Security headquarters

* $248 million for furniture at the new Dept. of Homeland Security headquarters

* $600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees

* $400 million for the CDC to screen and prevent STD’s

* $1.4 billion for a rural waste disposal programs

* $125 million for the Washington, D.C. sewer system

* $150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities

* $1 billion for the 2010 Census, which has a projected cost overrun of $3 billion

* $75 million for “smoking cessation activities”

* $200 million for public computer centers at community colleges

* $75 million for salaries of employees at the FBI

* $25 million for tribal alcohol and substance abuse reduction

* $500 million for flood reduction projects on the Mississippi River

* $10 million to inspect canals in urban areas

* $6 billion to turn federal buildings into “green” buildings

* $500 million for state and local fire stations

* $650 million for wildland fire management on Forest Service lands

* $150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities

* $1.2 billion for “youth activities,” including youth summer job programs

* $88 million for renovating the headquarters of the Public Health Service

* $412 million for CDC buildings and property

* $500 million for building and repairing NIH facilities in Bethesda, MD

* $160 million for “paid volunteers” at the Corporation for National and Community Service

* $5.5 million for “energy efficiency initiatives” at the VA “National Cemetery Administration”

* $850 million for Amtrak

* $100 million for reducing the hazard of lead-based paint

* $75M to construct a new “security training” facility for State Dept Security officers when they can be trained at existing facilities of other agencies.

* $110 million to the Farm Service Agency to upgrade computer systems

* $200 million in funding for the lease of alternative energy vehicles for use on military installations.

* IDEA, Part B State Grants: Formula grants to assist the States in meeting the excess costs of providing special education and related services to children with disabilities.

* IDEA Infants and Families: Formula grants to the States to assist them in making early intervention services available to children with disabilities aged birth through 2 and their families.

* State Medicaid Bailout: $87.7 billion Through 3 different mechanisms, the bill would provide additional federal funds to state Medicaid programs over the next 3 years. This is nearly $70 billion more than the governors asked President Obama for in December, and should be a loan to be repaid by the states.


Bad Policy

* Eliminates fees on loans from the Small Business Administration, thus pushing private capital toward unproductive businesses and away from productive businesses.

* Increases the definition of “youth” for certain summer job programs from age 21 to age 24.

* $160 million to the Job Corps program at the Dept. of Labor, but not for job programs - rather, to construct, alter or repair buildings.

* Requires a government study on the impact of minimum wage laws on the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa.

* $79 billion State Fiscal Stabilization (slush) Fund to bailout the States by providing billions of dollars for “education” costs of any kind.

* $47.843 billion is appropriated for a variety of energy programs that are primarily focused on renewable energy development and energy conservation/efficiency. Not one dollar is appropriated to make fossil fuels more affordable in the near future. More than $6 billion of these funds go to environmental clean ups.

* Increases eligibility for “weatherization” assistance to households 200 percent above the poverty level.

* The “Making Work Pay” credit of $500 to every individual making less than $75,000 (or $1000 to couples making $150,000 or less) would pay people whether they are productive or not - akin to welfare.

* The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP - food stamps) would temporarily suspend the 3-month limit for non-working adults to receive SNAP benefits, thus giving incentives not to find a job.

* Installs government as the creator of broadband deployment regardless of whether the specific local/regional market can sustain it.

* Funds new “green jobs” job-training program without eliminating inefficient job-training programs or consolidating duplicative job-training programs.

* $890 million to the Social Security Administration without any provisions to reduce improper payments, or any plan to increase solvency of the trust fund.

* Nothing requires the products that are purchased with these funds be here in America. Lithium ion batteries, for instance, are primarily made in Asia.

What does any of this have to do with stimulating the economy? Oh, right... it's not about stimulating the economy... it's about shoring up President Obama's base for his re-election.

UPDATE: Here's a video of San Fran's Grand Nan promising that there'd be NO pork in the stimulus bill that passes the House.


Keep talking, Nancy... keep talking...

The ECHL had a Rod Blagojevich Night. How exactly did they accomplish this? Like this:


Here's a video of the night's events. The soundtrack is... odd..

Blago, you are quite the little laughing stock, aren't you? (h't to HDD)

It's Monday... the Cardinals lost the Super Bowl (thanks, in part, to superb craptastic officiating)... there isn't much in the news today (except that Daschle is "sorry", but I don't think his version of "sorry" and my view of him as "sorry" are the same thing)... I have a bunch of stuff to get done today...

Since there isn't much to blog about, I thought I'd give you a couple of "Blago the impeached governor" funnies...

#1-


and #2-


You can find more Blago funnies here. Click on some of the "see all captions" if you need some more laughs.

OK... off to read some Civics and World History lessons for tomorrow... Have a good one, everyone!