Livin' In America

After watching Obama's contortionist act this weekend, it seems to me that the bottom line on his campaign is that he embraces everything you like about him, and repudiates everything else.

He's basically another Bill Clinton, but without the sex scandals.

I'm afraid this denial is completely unbelievable.

Obama sought out this church, got married there, had his children christened there. He listened to this hateful anti-American shit for two decades.

Barack Hussein Obama is obviously a Hate America First Democrat. Which is, unfortunately, the default position of too many Democrats.

Of course, if he is elected President, he'll probably raise our approval ratings, overseas. While he puts the humane killer to our heads, I suppose. (Sorry, I just finished watching "No Country for Old Men.")


UPDATE: Quick question: Is this what blacks are listening to every Sunday? Is this what Obama feeds his daughters? Is this what he and his wife like to listen to? If so, well, Jeezus!

Obama is not fit to be President.

I think the internet is going to save Irish.

A buddy of mine is interested in learning a bit of Irish. Spurred by his questioning, I went to Google, entered "irish language podcast", and was bowled over by s list of sites like this one.

One of the podcasts I listed to was about Wikipedia. There was much discussion of search terms. Since the Irish word for "word" - "focal" (pronounced like "buckle", with an "f" for the "b"), I kept getting distracted. I discovered that the Irish word for "dot" sounds like "punk". Probably spelt "ponc" in Irish. Live and learn.

When I was a kid, Irish was dying. The way it was taught in school was horrible, the gaeltachts were reservations, and English was seen as a step to wealth. Now I can listen to podcasts of current affairs, and read the language as written. The site above sounds like Munster Irish, but I can get most of it. I now need to find a Connaught Irish podcast, and I'm good.

I watched no news over the weekend, as I was taking care of a friend stranded in Atlanta by snow in Columbus, OH. This morning, while walking the treadmill at LA Fitness, I saw this bit about Dennis Hastert's seat in Illinois.

I never thought much of Hastert. He always seemed to me like a machine politician who got to the House speakership because he was next in line, not because he was particularly able or energetic. In fact, he always struck me as the acme of sloth, venality, and brute stupidity.

Under him, Republicans became addicted to Congressional Pork, to the point that they happily spent all the extra income generated by the tax cuts implemented during Dubya's first administration, and then some. The only thing to distract from robbing the till was protecting perks, as demonstrated by the case of William Jefferson (D, Louisiana).

You'd hope this would wake up the Republicans, but I doubt it will. We're probably not going to see another Republican House or Senate until the Democrats become more venal than the current crop of Republicans. That shouldn't take long, but I am concerned that the US Imperial Federal Government seems to be engaged in a race to the bottom.

"I pulled the throttles to idle just south of Sicily, but we still overran the refueling tanker awaiting us over Gibraltar."

Quid distat inter sottum et Scottum? Mensa tantum.

Best.. Headline. Ever.

I have recently been re-watcing the "Black Adder" series. Most recently, I've been watching the program involving Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington. I'm pretty sure the "Black Adder" episode is unfair to the man. Why? Well, this:

Message from the Duke of Wellington to the British Foreign Office in London.
Written from Central Spain, August 1812

Gentlemen,

Whilst marching from Portugal to a position which commands the approach to Madrid and the French forces, my officers have been diligently complying with your requests which have been sent by H.M. ship from London to Lisbon and thence by dispatch to our headquarters.

We have enumerated our saddles, briddles, tents, and tent poles, and all manner of sundry items for which His Majesty's Government holds me accountable. I have dispatched reports on the character, wit, and spleen of every officer. Each item and every farthing has been accounted for, with two regrettable exceptions for which I beg your indulgence.

Unfortunately the sum of one shilling and ninepence remains unaccounted for in one infantry battalion's petty cash and there has been a hideous confusion as the number of jars of raspberry jam issued to one cavalry regiment during a sandstorm in Western Spain. This reprehensible carelessness may be related to the pressure of circumstance, since we are at war with France, a fact which may come as a bit of a surprise to you gentlemen in Whitehall.

This brings me to my present purpose, which is to request an elucidation of my instructions from His Majesty's Government so that I may better understand why I am dragging an army over these barren plains. I construe that perforce it must be one of two alternative duties, as given below. I shall pursue either one with the best of my ability, but I cannot do both:

1. To train an army of uniformed British clerks in Spain for the benefit of the accountants and copy-boys in London, or perchance

2. To see to it that the forces of Napoleon are driven out of Spain.

Your most obedient servant,

Wellington

Or, referring to his Irish troops:

I don't know what they'll do to the enemy; but, by God, they frighten me.

And finally:

Next to a battle lost, the saddest thing is a battle won.

Forget "E Pluribus Unum", America has a new motto:

Our Worst Critics Prefer to Stay

Runner up:

You Should See the Other Guy