Sunday, June 13, 2010

Moving to wordpress.com

Hey,

I am transferring my blog to my new site at wordpress.com.  Wordpress has a more flexible software (and I get a better URL).  I invite you to join me there - all old content will be available there as well as here.

Thanks,
Bad to the Bohn

Friday, June 11, 2010

Rules for Radicals

I'm starting to read "Rules for Radicals" by that 1960's radical SOB, Saul Alinsky.  Even on the first page, he shows his love for Marxism and also minimizes the true Holocaust when he inaccurately describes the actions of Senator Joseph McCarthy to rid the US of anti-American Communists as a "holocaust".  This should be a good read.

Then "Rules for Conservative Radicals" by Michael Patrick Leahy. From the description, Leahy takes Alinksy's secular tactics and combines it with moral principles. But first, I need to get through "Rules for Radicals" before moving onto the good stuff.


*To be updated*

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

SEIU Calling AZ Law racist





h/t Patch

Rosie O'Donnell Calls for Communism



h/t Patch

WARNING: You are about to read the Constitution of the United States

Yesterday, Glenn talked about a disclaimer that someone put on copies of the Constitution they're selling.  Discraceful.



h/t Patch

Barney Frank

Besides Barney Frank asking for more authority to do what they're planning on doing to the country, he was essentially lying and misleading about the Republicans' platform.  The GOP will:
  • Damage the environment
  • Limit quality healthcare availability
  • Damage financial sector by deregulating
  • Limit rights of workers to organize and bargain collectively
    • Yeah, I'm sure it's a shame the GOP isn't a collection of socialists
  • Allow discrimination
What a fool...



h/t Patch

Tea Party member attacked

The media won't believe Kenneth Gladney's story; hopefully this will get out there though.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Katrina less unpopular than BP spill

According to ABC News Poll:
By more than a 2-to-1 margin, Americans support the pursuit of criminal charges in the nation's worst oil spill, with increasing numbers calling it a major environmental disaster. Eight in 10 criticize the way BP's handled it – and more people give the federal government's response a negative rating than did the response to Hurricane Katrina.
A month and a half after the spill began, 69 percent in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll rate the federal response negatively. That compares with a 62 negative rating for the response to Katrina two weeks after the August 2005 hurricane.
BP's response to the spill draws even broader criticism – 81 percent rate it negatively. And 64 percent say the government should pursue criminal charges against BP and other companies involved in the spill, which has poured oil into the Gulf from a well 5,000 feet beneath the surface since an explosion and fire destroyed the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig April 20.
But the BP spill isn't going to become Obama's Katrina?

Comedians on Current Economic Issues


2 Australian comedians:

9/11 Mosque Cartoon



h/t Sharp Elbows

Helen Thomas: Gone-zo

Anti-Semite Helen Thomas has "retired"


But at least the terrorist group Hamas loves her:
Israelis ignore the reality, that they never belong in Palestine but belong in some other countries they know better.


Thomas when she asked by David , where Jews should go ? she replied him: “They should go home, German , Poland, America and anywhere else”.
She also mentioned that “remember these people are occupied and it is their land , not German and not Poland”.
This statement by Thomas Helen reflects the opinion of American majority in USA and all masses who support justice and peace in Palestine an whole world.
Moreover, her statement serves peace process in -Middle East- as they like to call it, to a very great extent.
Peace process will be successful, only when Israel get out of Arab Areas, Golan and occupied Palestine, then we can say that peace is happily achieved, other wise, and as long Israel occupies Palestine and some Arab lands, peace will never be achieved and more headache will be brought to the world by state of terror-Israel.

Ground Zero Mosque

The Ground Zero Mosque led by a radical Imam linked to the "Freedom Flotilla" is apparently not as popular as the mainstream media thinks.

h/t Michelle Malkin

Whale of a Tale

Obama is planning on lifting the whaling ban:h/t Michelle Malkin
Environmentalists, already peeved with the administration’s handling of the Gulf oil spill, are accusing President Obama of breaking his campaign pledge to end the slaughter of whales.

The Obama administration is leading an effort within the International Whaling Commission to lift a 24-year international ban on commercial whaling for Japan, Norway and Iceland, the remaining three countries in the 88-member commission that still hunt whales.

The administration argues that the new deal will save thousands of whales over the next decade by stopping the three countries from illegally exploiting loopholes in the moratorium.

But environmentalists aren’t buying it.

Warren County Tea Party

This Friday, June 11th, the Warren County Tea Party will be holding a Tea Party at the Warren County Fairgrounds, about an hour west from St. Louis. Adam Sharp of Sharp Elbows will be MC'ing the event with a wide array of speakers:The PO'ed Patriot
I plan on going out there some time early afternoon - it promises to be a good time.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

WTC Mosque Imam linked to "Freedom" Flotilla

From the New York Post:
The imam behind a proposed mosque near Ground Zero is a prominent member of a group that helped sponsor the pro-Palestinian activists who clashed violently with Israeli commandos at sea this week.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is a key figure in Malaysian-based Perdana Global Peace Organization, according to its Website.

Perdana is the single biggest donor ($366,000) so far to the Free Gaza Movement, a key organizer of the six-ship flotilla that tried to break Israel’s blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip Monday.

Nine passengers aboard the largest ship died in clashes with Israeli commandos, and a new confrontation loomed today, when another Free Gaza Movement ship was due to reach Gaza waters in defiance of Israel.

… The Free Gaza Movement is a charity that has made nine seaborne aid missions in the past two years to break the Israeli blockade.

In the latest effort, the group’s ship, the MV Rachel Corrie, which sails under an Irish flag, had made it about 35 miles off the Gaza coast last night before it was intercepted.
h/t Gateway Pundit

Black Founding Fathers








2nd Verse of Star-Spangled Banner

Correction: This is actually the 4th Verse.
I found this video on Reboot Congress:



You can read along too:

Oh! thus be it e'er, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

'Red Meat' on Glenn Beck

Red Meat is a website which publishes a series of really disturbing cartoons.  It's been a few years since I've visited the site, I figured I'd catch up.  I was surprised to find a cartoon about Glenn Beck and his tendency to get all teared up.  Hilarious.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Chris Ross' new song, Freedom

Birthers = Tea Party, right? Wrong.




 This is something that's been in my drafts folder for a while.  Stu Burguiere posted a breakdown of an ABC poll.  His conclusion is that the Birther movement permeates all parties with a slight slant towards Republicans.

Let's break it down.  Based upon the poll:
  • 15% of Democrats are birthers.
  • 18% of Independents are birthers.
  • 31% of Republicans are birthers.
  • 34% of poll group are Democrats.
  • 38% of poll group are Independants.
  • 24% of poll group are Republicans.
Placing these into a probability tree:
  • 5.1% are D Birthers
  • 6.84% are I Birthers
  • 7.44% are R Birthers
For a grand total of 19.38% of the population.

Now to go backwards and find how this gets divided up among political group:
  • 26% of Birthers are Dem
  • 35% of Birthers are Ind
  • 38% of Birthers are Rep
So, yes, it's slightly more for Republicans, but the birther insanity permeates all groups.  Think of that the next time the mainstream media (or really anyone) label birthers as being a Tea Party phenomenon.

Coke and Mentos - Alternative Energy?



Kagan stance on Partial Birth Abortion

Who can be surprised that a Supreme Court pick by someone as moderate as President Obama could possibly be for the brutal murdering of children.

Life News:
A newly-produced document today from the Clinton archives is the second to show Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan defending ex-President Bill Clinton’s veto of a bill to ban partial-birth abortions. The memo, and others, may increase Republican opposition to her nomination.

In one of the documents that comprises the 46,000 pages of material the William J. Clinton Presidential Library released today, Kagan opined on the ban for Clinton as an attorney with the administration’s Office of Domestic Policy.

In a February 27, 1997 memo to top White House staff, Kagan referred to the startling admission from Ron Fitzsimmons, at the time the executive director of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers.

The debate then had been on whether the partial-birth abortion procedure was done for health reasons for the mother or essentially on healthy unborn children for elective reasons only.

Leading pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL made claims that flew in the face of medical practice by saying the three-day-long abortion procedure would somehow be able to save a woman’s life in a life-threatening medical circumstance.

Fitzsimmons signed on to that mantra but eventually relented, saying he “lied through my teeth” about the statistics and supposed reasons for the abortion procedure.

According to CNN, the new memo showed Kagan advising Clinton, saying it “it would be a great mistake to challenge” Fitzsimmons’ statements give how embarrassing they were for abortion advocates.

“The president’s position today remains what it has always been,” Kagan added, defending Clinton’s veto in the face of the admission, “that he will sign a bill banning partial-birth abortions, but only if it has an exception that will protect those women — even if few in number — who need this procedure to save their lives or prevent serious harm to their health.”

Helen Thomas on Israel

Not just ugly on the outside, but on the inside as well.

Illegals using Nazi symbols

And I thought it was the Tea Parties who use Swastikas.


h/t Patch

This Week in Tea - Black Panthers

Today, Dana Loesch and Alfonzo Rachel (i.e. Professor Zo) talked about the hate the media shows Black conservatives as well as the militant, revolutionary, and racist New Black Panther Party who portry the Tea Party as a bunch of racist white people.  Because of course, it's the white Tea Party people bringing guns to the events.

As stated by Kevin Jackson, racism lies not on the right, but on the left.  Read The Big Black Lie for more.

Napolitano to Help stop Illegal Border Crossing

in Iran.  Sounds like a bit of a double standard, no?

The United States government, which has difficulty controlling its own borders, has agreed to help Saudi Arabia secure its dangerous border areas near Yemen.

It is a very rough border, very difficult to protect from illegal crossings," U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said.

In late May, Ms. Napolitano met Saudi leaders to discuss a range of security programs, including training, joint exercises, intelligence and arms sales. Officials said both the Americans and Saudis agreed that the Iranian-backed Shi'ite insurgency from Yemen was the leading threat to Riyad.
...
Officials said the U.S. military was modernizing the Saudi Arabian National Guard as well as Interior Ministry security forces. They said Riyad has ordered hundreds of millions of dollars worth of air- and ground-based reconnaissance equipment to monitor the desert border with Yemen.

Flotilla Political Cartoon

IV Drug Recall for Pfizer

Pfizer is voluntarily recalling several IV medicatoins which it distributes, notably the antibiotics metronidazole (Flagyl) and ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and the anti-nuasea medication, ondansetron (Zofran).  Particulate matter has tainted the medications, affecting the sterility and purity of the products.  In addition to this recall, PFizer is temporarily freezing the distribution of all sterile injectibles and IV bags manufactured by Claris Lifesciences, the originator of the recalled products.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,593986,00.html

HILARIOUS - Flotilla Choir Video: "We Con the World"

At Gateway Pundit, I found a hilarious production by Caroline Glick at Latma this morning:

This week at Latma – the Hebrew-language media satire website I edit, we decided to do something new. We produced a clip in English. There we feature the Turkish-Hamas “love boat” captain, crew and passengers in a musical explanation of how they con the world.


We think this is an important Israeli contribution to the discussion of recent events and we hope you distribute it far and wide.


All the best,
Caroline
Enjoy:

Thursday, June 3, 2010

A Mexican Immigrant's view on SB 1070

From http://wwamerica.blogspot.com/2010/06/your-papers-pleeeze.html If you had tickets to a sports event, concert, Disneyland, or for an airline flight, and when you got to your assigned seat you found someone else was in that seat, what would you do? You would call for a person in charge of ticket checking and have the person in your seat removed. You would properly be asked to show your ticket, and you would gladly and proudly do so, for you have bought and paid for that seat. The person in your seat would also be asked for a ticket, which they would not be able to produce. They would be called "gate crashers" and they would properly be removed. Now in this huge stadium called the USA we have had millions of gate crashers. We have been asking security to check for tickets and remove the gate crashers. We have been asking security to have better controls in checking at the door. We have asked security to lock the back doors. Security has failed us. They are still looking the other way. They are afraid to ask to see the tickets. Many people say there is unlimited seating, and whether there is or not, no one should be allowed in for free while the rest of us pay full price! In "section AZ", of "Stadium USA", we have had enough of the failures of Security. We have decided to do our own ticket checking, and properly remove those who do not have tickets. Now it seems very strange to me that so many people in the other 49 "sections", and even many in our own "section" do not want tickets checked, or even to be asked to show their ticket! Even the head of Security is chastising us, while not doing his own job which he has sworn to do. My own ticket has been bought and paid for, so I am proudly going to show it when asked to do so. I have a right to my seat, and I want the gate crashers to be asked to show their tickets too. The only reason that I can imagine anyone objecting to being asked for their ticket is that they are in favor of gate crashing, and all of the illegal activities that go with it, such as drug smuggling, gang wars, murder, human smuggling for profit, and many more illegal and inhumane acts that we are trying to prevent with our new legislation. Is that what I am hearing from all of the protestors such as Phoenix Mayor Gordon, US Rep. Grijalva, even President Obama? If you are not in favor of showing tickets, (proof of citizenship, passport, green card, or other legal document) when asked, as I would do proudly, then you must be condoning those illegal activities."

Havens Center

The Havens Center is a self-described progressive organization which seeks "social and political change." Its biennial Real Utopias Project "examines various basic institutions ... and focuses on specific proposals for their fundamental redesign." Ah, there's nothing like a fundamental transformation, is there? A link to one of the Real Utopia Projects which brought me to this website, Using Pensions for Social Control of Capitalist Investment, is interesting to say the least. And the others are just as eerie.
Cloward and Piven, anyone? Or more of a "nudge"?

Black Panthers' Racism

I always knew they were racists, but now I know they're Anti-Semitic. I was just waiting for him to make a Zionist or Jewish slur at the beginning (subtly hidden in the Gaza/media reference), but he did pull through later on in the video when talking about Zionists controlling Obama. Then he goes into all the usual revolutionary/Black Power nonsense. Called the Tea Party racists and links Black Panthers with the Palestian "brothers and sisters." Then decried SB 1070 racism; I wonder if he even read it.

h/t Patch

Sarah Silverman uses Ethnic Slur

The same Sarah Silverman who labeled conservatives and Fox News as racists apparently also used some racist slurs and demanded an apology later. She obviously was making a joke, but still calls others racists with no evidence.

Christy gets it yet again!

Christie speaks in Washington DC, calling Newark schools 'absolutely disgraceful'

h/t Sharp Elbows

Bush would waterboard KSM again

President Bush talked to The Economic Club of Grand Rapids a few days ago, discussing various aspects of his presidency, including the Iraq War, the role of prayer during his presidency, and Social Security Reform, as well as his avoidance of the political spotlight. However, the aspect on which everyone seems to be concentrating is his statment that he would waterboard Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. This is such a welcome contrast to an administration which won't admit that radical Islam even exists, enacts reforms bring us forther to socialism and away from the Free Market principles like Bush's Social Security reform would have, and which couldn't be any more overtly anti-Israel. Full Story here

The Breitbart Plethora

Andrew Breitbart's arsenal against the Liberal Mainstream Media machine:
  • Breitbart.com
  • Breitbart.tv
  • BigHollywood.com
  • BigGovernment.com
  • BigJournalism.com

I luckily got a picture with him at the Quincy Tea Party event on 9/12/09.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

UN Resolution against Israel

http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/05/30/us-supports-un-resolution-against-israel-middle-east-peace-in-our-time/#more-57306 My favorite quote in here:
Short of publicly kicking Benjamin Netanyahu in the groin I can’t think of any clearer signal the Obama White House could have sent regarding their attitude towards, and plans for, Israel.

C&C Article about Pi-Lambda Zeta

The Cross and Crescent wrote up an article on our chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. Not nearly as exciting as winning the Grand High Alpha Award, but still pretty cool. Enjoy. I know I did. http://www.crossandcrescent.com/2010/06/stlcops-bright-future

I want one of those signs.

I'm trying to post more pharmacy content. One that caught my eye:

http://franticpharmacist.blogspot.com/2010/06/me-1-volcanic-ash-0.html

In several of the train stations, as well as at the airport, I took note of occasional signs which read "Abuse of Staff will not be Tolerated", followed by a warning about said abuse and what penalties could be incurred. My first thought was that it's unfortunate such signs are necessary. My second thought was, where can I get hold of one of those signs?.... you know, for those special days in the pharmacy. Yelling at me because your doctor hasn't authorized a refill has about the same result as yelling at a ticket agent to get the trains running on time.

h/t Counsel me

Chris Mattew's hit-piece: "Rise Of The New Right"

MSNBC's promo for Chris Matthews' new "documentary" on "Rise Of The New Right." This'll prove to be an objective hit piece, I'm sure.

Dana Loesch posted her thoughts on this "documentary"

Sara Silvermen on Progressivism and the Right

What a fool...

A lecture by Paul McCartney

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

More Pelosi Religiousity

... and hypocrisy.

In addition to Pelosi talking about her favorite Word:

Nancy Pelosi's Favorite Word

I wonder: what does "The Word" say about mudering innocent children because people can't handle the inconvenient consequences of their actions? This is such a hypocritical move when the secular left tries to create a non-Constitutionally based "Seperation of Church and State."

I thought this was the word:

or this:

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Progressive lies regarding politics and Violence

A conversation I'm having on a friend's wall. I blacked out their names for privacy's sake. He posted a link about the threats that Congressmen are facing by crazy people, but he made the conclusion that this is evidence of right-wing extremism. Despite the evidence that the violence has been mainly on the left (Greece, G-20, AZ protests) with limited evidence of conservative violence, it has never stopped the Progressives from mislabeling the 2 groups.
*UPDATE* - I changed the picture to reflect the Progressive's response to what I said.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Lewis Black v. Truth on Glenn Beck

A friend of mine posted a video on facebook of Lewis Black's segment on The Daily Show, in which he attacks Beck using a series of video clips: Unfortunately, Black's conclusion is not supported by facts... or context of the clips he uses. If you notice, many of the ones in the middle are very short, mere seconds. How can you get proper context in that time frame? I've seen enough anti-Beck rants/clips/idiocies by people to see that if you place what Glenn says into the rightful context of what he was talking about, the controversy goes away. But, it is Jon Stewart, so the lack of consideration in regards to nuance and context is to be expected. His MO is to take things so far out of context as to make everyone look foolish. Now, if one were to provide context by using transcripts and highlighting the quotes they selectively used: 0:06 - Special Report on April 28, 2010

[Bret] BAIER: And now some fresh pickings from the "Political Grapevine." Critics are using some inflammatory comparisons to describe their feeling about Arizona's new immigration law that would require immigrants to carry documents verifying their status. Some have likened having to carry papers around to Nazi Germany. Colorado Democrat Jared Polis was one of those saying, "It's absolutely reminiscent of second class status of Jews in Germany prior to World War II when they had to have their papers with them at all times." However, in the U.S. government official welcome guide for immigrants, it clearly states those legally in the U.S. must, "carry proof of your permanent resident status" at all times.
Bret is simply reporting others’ mischaracterizations of the law. It is hyperbole, just not Bret’s. 0:28 - Glenn Beck TV Show on April 27, 2010

Well, here's how Representative Jared Polis described the mood in Arizona. "Arizona law is like Nazi Germany. It's absolutely reminiscent of second class status of Jews in Germany. Prior to World War II when they had to show their papers and had them with them all the time, and they were subject to routine inspections at the suspicious of being Jewish. I fear that Arizona is headed for a police state." Boy, I'm glad somebody said it! Arizona sure is putting the AZ in "Nazi," aren't they? I hate to rain on the hate parade, but can we slow down just a second here? And ask -- you're out of your mind. Am I alone in that? You're out of your mind! Are you comparing the systemic cold-blooded extermination of millions of Jews to America making sure that people are here legally? Oh, the parallels are non-existent.

Beck is joking, commenting on how stupid Polis’ comment is; i.e., it’s not his opinion of the law, just his opinion of other people’s stupidity. In addition, they actually moved the latter portion of the clip to the beginning for whatever that's worth.

Then, they start showing clips of the show, making Glenn out to be a Nazi-obsessed whack-job. However, anyone who actually watches his show at all would know that he's a history nut who delves into the connections between Progressivism and Communism/Naziism. Again, nuance is not their goal...

1:20 - Glenn Beck on radio on May 1, 2007 AND on TV on Feb 5, 2009. Notice the wide date difference and how they're implying a link between the two clips. Audio and transcript of the first clip. Some highlights:

And I read this one part on global warming about how they got -- what was the first thing they did to get people to exterminate the Jews. Now, I'm not saying that anybody's going to -- you know Al Gore's not going to be rounding up Jews and exterminating them. It is the same tactic, however. The goal is different. The goal is globalization. The goal is global carbon tax. The goal is the United Nations running the world. That is the goal. Back in the 1930s, the goal was get rid of all of the Jews and have one global government.

You got to have an enemy to fight. And when you have an enemy to fight, then you can unite the entire world behind you, and you seize power. That was Hitler's plan. His enemy: the Jew. Al Gore's enemy, the U.N.'s enemy: global warming.

...

Now, how did you convince all of Europe to do it? You needed to have fear. You needed to have the fear of starvation. You needed to have the fear of the whole place going to hell in a handbasket. Which -- do we have that fear now with global warming? I mean, they're telling us things in Al Gore's global warming special that are not true, that the seas will rise 20 feet. Even the U.N. says that's not true. So you got to have the fear, we're all going to die.

Then you get the scientists -- eugenics. You get the scientists -- global warming. Then you have to discredit the scientists that say, "That's not right." And you must silence all dissenting voices. That's what Hitler did. That's what Al Gore, the U.N., and everybody on this global warming bandwagon -- all the way to RFK Junior, who has called me a fascist for doing it -- all the way over to the global warming special that happened over in London a couple of weeks ago that is fantastic.

Notice how they left out the antecedent for "that." "That" refers to uniting everyone around you against a common enemy, indoctrinating people with propaganda, AND silencing dissenting voices so you can do whatever you want. That doesn’t refer to the Holocaust or anything insidious like that. The next clip was put back to back with the first one, implying a link. However, the next clip on TV talks about Al Gore using children to indoctrinate parents because kids just know better.
BECK: OK. Bernie, nobody is talking about murdering millions of people here. That's -- I mean, that's not the motivation. I want to talk to you about the tactics. I'm not accusing Al Gore of being a Nazi or anything like that. ... I'm saying the tactics we have seen this many times before -- grab the youth and turn them against the parents.
1:59 - Obama talking about how he believes empathy is an important aspect of being a judge. 2:16 - Beck on TV on May 26, 2009.

EDWARD WHELAN, PRESIDENT, ETHICS AND PUBLIC POLICY CENTER: Well, the way that President Obama talks about empathy, he wants judicial activists who will impose their own values when they decide what the law means. That's entirely improper role for judges and simply has no place. Unfortunately, he said that is his main criteria in selecting a nominee. And he appears to have carried through his threat by selecting Judge Sotomayor.

... [J]udges should set aside their own passions, their own preferences and decide what the law is. And it's up to the legislatures to reflect empathy in the policies and laws that they enact. But President Obama has a very different view and he wants judges who will impose his own left-wing views rather than do the dirty work of actually getting them to enact law.

BECK: All right. Tell me some of the things that could have - I mean, tell me how Roe versus Wade would have been decided if we would have used empathy. Tell me how some of these other things would have been decided if we used empathy as our guide.

BARNETT: Well, take the D.C. gun ban case, the Keller case, for example. Which way does empathy cut in that case? You have, for example, empathy for crime victims who want to defend themselves. You should also, I suppose, have empathy for people who are the victims of gun crimes which is the justification for gun control. Empathy cuts both ways. Empathy always cuts both ways. In a medical marijuana case, I would have expected the Supreme Court to show empathy for the sick and dying in California who are using cannabis under the state of California's laws. But the more liberal justices on the Supreme Court put their commitment to big government ahead of any empathy they might have.

BECK: You know, I looked a case up from 1938, father of Baby Knauer, infant born blind, missing a leg and part of his arm. He wrote to have permission to have his child put to sleep. Well, this made it to the front page of the papers. And everybody said, "Oh, my gosh. This child is suffering and so are the parents." And everybody went crazy. Everybody went crazy and felt so bad for this child. Doctors came out and said this child has to be put to sleep. It is the only humane thing to do. Finally - well, he wasn't the president. He was the chancellor, Hitler, decided that it was the only empathetic thing to do, is to put this child down and put him out of his suffering. It was the beginning of the T4, which led to genocide everywhere. It was the beginning of it. Empathy leads you to very bad decisions many times.

Well, this one's kind of a bad comparison, but at least when looked with context, it shows that they were only talking about the inappropriateness of using "empathy" to augment your decisions. And then Black goes on to make ridiculous straw man arguments. And moves rapid fire through other clips without context.

3:12 - Beck on TV on November 3, 2009.

YOSI SERGANT, NEA DIRECTOR: I would encourage you to pick something, whether it's health care, education, the environment. You know, there's a -- there's four key areas that the corporation has identified as the areas of service.

BECK: OK. He, later on, on the phone call, said, look, we're having a hard time talking to you because we don't know how legally -- how -- what language we can use. I don't know. Why don't we stick to the truth and if it's against the law, maybe we shouldn't be saying it? Advocating through art is known as propaganda. You should look up the name Goebbels.

He was talking about the recently exposed NEA phone call. What they were doing was propaganda.

3:22 - Glenn Beck on TV on February 5, 2009.

When I finish this story, some may believe we're on the road to the Hitler Youth. Here is the latest example and buckle up because if you thought last night was bumpy -- well, this one is going to be a rollercoaster ride. One of my radio listeners gave me this story just a couple of days ago. I want to play it on a minute. You hear the voice of Al Gore he is speaking to a bunch of teens and pre-teens at a youth conference on global warming, or as he is calling it now, climate change.

This clip feels like deja vu since I already talked about this episode before, just a few paragraphs back. He's saying that the story about Al Gore's indoctrination may remind people of Hitler Youth indoctrination. I personally would have gone for a 1984 reference, but I don't think many people would get a "Junior Spies" reference.

3:27 - Glenn Beck on TV on May 7, 2009. Media Matters has the clip. He's talking about the thuggish nature of unions.

3:31 - Glenn on TV on July 1, 2009.

They weren't even remotely talking about TARP, so the implication that he's relating TARP to Nazis is asinine. They were talking about the expansion of governments, specifically regarding an employer mandate for health insurance by the Federal government.

3:42 - Glenn on TV on August 27, 2009. If you're going to smear someone, get your facts right. AmeriCorps. is not the same as the PeaceCorps. That aside, they're talking about the apparent need to have a civilian security force as well funded as the military.

Just goes to show what you can make someone look like without any context.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Schwarzenegger mocks Arizona

As if we needed more evidence Ah-nuld is a Progressive.

h/t Patch

Raquel Welch comments on the effect "The Pill" has on Marriage and Relationships

Recently, hormonal contraception (a.k.a "The Pill") has turned 50 years old on Mother's Day. Some are celebrating all the great things about birth control, but Raquel Welch, a 1970's sex symbol, blames the pill on a reduction of morals and how it has led to, essentially, marriageless sex:

The Hollywood actress said the widespread use of oral contraceptives had led to a breakdown in sexual morality and fuelled the growth of rampant promiscuity among the young.

Miss Welch, 69, said the situation has grown so grave that "these days nobody seems able to keep it in their pants or honour a commitment."

...

[A] "significant and enduring" effect on women was the idea that they could have sex without any consequences - with the result that fewer today saw marriage as a "viable option."

"Seriously, folks, if an ageing sex symbol like me starts waving the red flag of caution over how low moral standards have plummeted, you know it's gotta be pretty bad."

h/t Dana Loesch

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Bill Maher: Rush Limbaugh Says ‘F–ked Up S–t’ Just to Compete With Glenn Beck

h/t Patch

Progressives have Lower Level of Economic Knowledge than Conservatives

In the May 2010 Issue of Econ Journal Watch, the results of a survey performed by Zogby International in 2008. The results (pdf) solidified the common sense and correctness of conservative economic policies. As reported by the progressive blog, Think Progress:

According to Zeljka Buturovic and Dan Klein, people who self-identify as “progressive” have low levels of economic knowledge whereas those who self-identify as “libertarian” or “very conservative” rank very highly. For reasons suggested by Tyler Cowen, I think that conclusion is nonsense. But I do think they have the goods on the fact that people who self-identify with the left have some trouble grasping the interplay of prices and supply restrictions.

If you look at radical liberals' and progressives' policies of high taxes and big government and how those policies affect our economy, you shouldn't be surprised at these results in the least. I'd suggest reading the primary literature - its primary purpose regarded education levels and knowledge of "Economic Enlightenment" in addition to ideology. There they concluded that college education doesn't increase your knowledge about the mechanics about the economy. h/t Gateway Pundit

Monday, April 19, 2010

How does the infant mortality rate in the US compare?

So many times, healthcare "reform" supporters tout the high level of infant mortality (and the disparities between ethnicities) as evidence of the United States' poor health care system. According to the CDC, "The U.S. ranks 29th worldwide in infant mortality, tying Slovakia and Poland but lagging behind Cuba." But what is the truth behind this oft-used statistic? Differing methods of live birth measurement between countries, advances in medicine, and rates of low-birth-weight pregnancies all affect the "discrepancy." All babies showing any signs of life, such as muscle activity, a gasp for breath or a heartbeat, should be included as a live birth, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The United States abides by this definition; however, many other countries do not.
  • Switzerland doesn't count babies shorter than 30 cm
  • Italy doesn't have a standard definition for the whole country
  • Austria and Germany, fetal weight must be at least 500 grams before these countries count these infants as live births.
  • In Belgium and France, births at less than 26 weeks of pregnancy are registered as lifeless.
  • Some countries don't reliably register babies who die within the first 24 hours of birth
  • In many ex-Soviet CIS countries (who still use the Soviet era definition), "breathing is the only criterion for life. In addition, infants who are born at less than 28 weeks, weighing less than 1,000 grams or measuring less than 35 centimeters are not counted as live births if they die within seven days" according to UNICEF. "The communist system stressed the need to keep infant mortality low, and hospitals and medical staff faced penalties if they reported increases in infant deaths. As a result, they sometimes reported the deaths of babies in their care as miscarriages or stillbirths."
When the distribution of low-birth-weight babies are adjusted, infant mortality rates start to equalize. Teenage pregnancy, which is three times higher in the US than in Canada, produces more premature, low birth-weight babies. A 2007 (NEBR) paper (table 2 to the left) found that "[W]ithin birth weight specific categories, mortality rates in the U.S. are lower than Canada’s in the three lowest birth rate categories where mortality rates are highest and the same or slightly higher in the two highest weight categories." If the US had the Canadian birth weight distribution, the infant mortality rate would decrease to 5.4, which is less than Canada's 5.5. "Taking into account such data-reporting differences, the rates of low-birth-weight babies born in America are about the same as other developed countries," concluded economist John Goodman in his book, "Lives at Risk." Also, aside from counting discrepancies, US medicine has advanced to the point where heroic attempts to save low-weight infants' lives, which had previously been considered impossible, are now possible and considered to be the standard of care. Often these infants have a high risk of mortality and would have otherwise been considered miscarriages or stillbirths and not a live birth [see above] had an attempt not been made. Unfortunately, since these infants are counted as live births AND have high rates of mortality, it can only adversely affect the infant mortality rate. So, no, the US health care system doesn't fail infants. On the contrary, we're pretty on par with the rest of the world. Case closed on this failed usage of this statistic.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Less clothing = Earthquakes?

According to News One India, an Iranian cleric stated that "Many women who dress inappropriately ... cause youths to go astray, taint their chastity and incite extramarital sex in society, which increases earthquakes." He advises also that "Calamities are the result of people's deeds...We have no way but conform to Islam to ward off dangers." An easy argument could be made for the link between inappropriately dressed women, the decreasing value of intramarital sex, and the "incitement" of pre-marital/extra-marital sex. However, only a nutjob Iranian cleric would link women who don't abide by the strict dress code for women prescribed by Islamic law to natural disasters. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this man sounds a bit like that idiot, Fred Phelps. But, if earthquakes are the unintended consequence of bikinis, so be it. As seen on Gateway Pundit

Is the US #37 in health care in developed nations?

This is based off of a study done by the UN/WHO; an anti-US bias exists right there. Even they admit their data is "hampered by the weakness of routine information systems and insufficient attention to research" and that, when good numbers weren't available, they "developed [data] through a variety of techniques." And as those in the UN often do, they also just blindly believed what governments around the world told them about their systems (can we really believe corrupt regimes like Cuba?). The study's criteria include how progressive your tax system is as well as a subjective (i.e. what they think) measure of "fairness." This is the category which reduced our "grade" in the study the most, by getting 54th on this "fairness" scale. Their idea of "fairness" is like that of "equality of results," the idea behind the progressive "social justice" doctrine which tries to make everyone equal despite obvious inequalities in a population [Life isn't fair, but let's try our darndest to make it that way, even if we have to resort to socialism]. If two people go into a hospital and can only be cured by an expensive treatment, it is better in the eyes of the UN's standard to have both die than to have one live, even if one can afford it. The only 2 ways to achieve "fairness": "The healthy subsidize the sick" or "the rich subsidize the poor," with the first one being a basic tenent of insurance and the second one being the basic tenent of socialism. So, with a study that requires socialism to have a good health-care system, how can a non-socialist country (as of now) like ours be judged fairly against others? In order to figure out how to judge countries on "fairness," the WHO just conducted a survey, 1/2 of the respondants of which were themselves. And after the survey was "checked for consistency and bias," the UN then put 62.5% of the study on some sort of "equality" as defined by the UN. And we're supposed to believe this statistic when the entire study is stacked against the US by an anti-American organization like the United Nations? Next, how does Cuba stack up, really?