Thursday, November 29, 2012

The Media and the Message: Terror in Elementary School

Hat tip to El Opinador Compulsivo.  Recognize anyone in the video?

 

"El Opinador Compulsivo": a Conservative Spanish Blog Now Linked

I am studying the Spanish language at a nearby community college, so I like to read Spanish for practice.  I became aware of a Spanish language, conservative blog, El Opinador Compulsivo, which I have now linked in my sidebar.  The writers blog in what I might call "deep" Spanish, using all the proper tenses of verbs and such, which keeps me busy thumbing through my reference texts.  (Actually, I heavily rely on the excellent online resource SpanishDict.com, which is not a gay porn site in spite of its name.)

El Opinador Compulsivo publishes a lot of articles I would otherwise miss, along with very impressive photos of movie scenes -- where they get them, I do not know, but they are enjoyable to see.

Like a lot of conservative blogs, they also like to publish photos of semi-nude, beautiful women.  I don't generally do that myself, but what the heck.  I read the blog for the articles, y'see.

There was an interesting article there today about a 33 year old mom in Santiagao, who, with the help of her two teenage daughters, accosted a young man passing by their door.  They forced him inside, made him lay down on a bed, then the mother got on top him and forced him to kiss her breasts.  She demanded sex, but the young man refused, so the woman choked him until he passed out, saying "Si no me haces el amor, te mato!" which means, "If you don't make love to me, I'll kill you."

Obviously the lady hasn't learned that men don't really like overly aggressive women.  She needs to employ more tact in her approach.

This is what I like about "El Opinador Compulsivo":  there are some great lessons in social skills there.  Among other things!

Deck the Halls With Fiscal Folly, Fa la la la la, la la la la

This is Not Harry Reid
Elections have consequences.  There's a phrase we hear a lot these days.  And the disastrous consequences of Obama's re-election are becoming clearer by day.

Nasty little Democrats like Dick Durbin are saying that the Dems won't negotiate on spending.  They are just going to continue spending like drunken sailors on loco weed.  The wretched Harry Reid, who looks like that evil preacher in Poltergeist, is trying to get rid of the filibuster so his neo-Marxist party can continue to turn the USA into the next Venezuela (but without the oil).

According to Rush Limbaugh today, the Dems are again talking about seizing all private pension funds (like 401K's), nationalizing them so they can spend the money on more pork, welfare and entitlements, putting everyone on a government pension payment plan like Social Security, which as we all know is going broke.  So when the Dems do this, they will effectively be stealing the retirement of millions of people, exchanging those pension funds for worthless federal government IOU's.  (If this happens, it will undoubtedly be the trigger that launches the actual secession of various states and the shooting may start.)

My feeling is, if we are going to be transformed into a banana republic, why not act like one?  Here's hoping for a coup d'etat and summary executions of "progressives" in power, media and academia.  Okay, I wasn't really serious about the summary executions.  Concentration camps will do fine.  We can store them in Gitmo with the rest of the terrorists.

Am I joking?  Of course, but I have a legitimate point to make with this satire.  The Democrats have already dispensed with elections through massive vote fraud, partisan redistricting and disenfranchisement of the military.  They are dedicated to the acquisition of power through any means necessary; they are not committed to constitutional, representative, republican government.  So why would they object to a little thing like a coup?  It would just be taking Democrat tactics to the next level.


Tuesday, November 27, 2012

A Stogie Christmas Stocking (Can I Make One For You?)

Yesterday I created this Christmas tree graphic (see previous post). The nice thing with Photoshop is that you can easily substitute backgrounds. I thought it might be fun to create special Christmas stockings for bloggers and friends. Mine is on top (note the extra large sock). I created one for Robert Stacy McCain below, using his familiar blog theme of "hit the freakin' tip jar!" If any bloggers out there want one, email me or leave a comment on the message you want on your Christmas stocking.

















Monday, November 26, 2012

Christmas Scene: Christmas Tree and Fireplace (Photoshop)

I must be bored.  I Photoshop a lot when I'm bored.

Here's another Christmas scene, of a closeup of a decorated Christmas tree, with fireplace and sleeping cat in the background.  Use freely anyway you like.

To make the tree, I collected various photos of pine tree branches off the web, used the background eraser tool to create a transparent image, then bunched the branches together to make the tree.

I created the round glass decorations from Photoshop, tried to put a reflection into the ornaments with a bit of shine.  I also created the silvery tinsel icicles using Photoshop; the effect is so-so.  (UPDATE:  I improved the realism of the icicles using filters to "crinkle" them - now they more closely resemble the tinfoil ones you buy in stores.)  Trees without a bit of tinsel always seemed somewhat bare to me.

Then I hung a couple of candy canes and an angel (all from the web) onto the branches, and added some lights (also from the web).  I put a little background glow behind the lights.

Finally, a fireplace and a sleeping cat to finish it off.

I do Photoshops for the fun of it, but also to continually learn new techniques.  And now I am somewhat less bored than when I started.



Sunday, November 25, 2012

Asinine Professor Robert Jensen Calls Thanksgiving a "White Supremacist Holiday" (Yawn)

Robert Jensen, another politically insane professor of "higher learning" has revealed that Thanksgiving is actually a White Supremacist holiday and that the original crowd at the First Thanksgiving had views "virtually identical to that of Nazis."

Jensen pollutes the air at the University of Texas at Austin, where he pretends to be a scholar while marinating young minds in Marxist propaganda and other forms of sheer nonsense.

There was a time when such asinine pronouncements like this really irked me.  Now I can barely stifle a yawn.  According to far-left whack-jobs like Professor Jensen, every rock and tree is racist, every blade of grass and wildflower pregnant with fascism, and the whole world is tap-dancing in white Klan robes to a racist remake of a Busbe Berkeley extravaganza on steroids.  This new spectacle would make "Springtime for Hitler" look puny by comparison.

Robert Jensen is a bad joke, a caricature of a completely out-of-touch moonbat.  It will be wonderful if some day such non-serious, unprofessional and undeserving "academics" are given their walking papers and actual scholars once again hired to teach in our colleges and universities.

Christmas Scene (Photoshop): Candle, Table & Dog

I like doing Photoshops of holiday scenes.  Here's a Christmas candle, decorated with pine branches, in front of a window looking out on a snowy evening.  Pooch is sleeping beneath the table.

All images were unrelated and taken off the web, then combined to create the scene.  The candle was created in Photoshop, as was the snow.

Use it freely anyway you like.

Click on pic to see it full size.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

I Finish Parmy Olson's Book on "Anonymous"; Some Observations

"Anonymous" Logo
Parmy Olson's book on "Anonymous" and "Lulzsec" is an excellent piece of research, expertly written and very entertaining as well as educational.  The full title and Amazon link are here:  We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyber Insurgency.

The myth of "Anonymous" is that they are without a leadership or an organizational structure, but for most of their huge, well-publicized cyber-crimes, they did indeed have a leadership and a structure.  Such things naturally evolve in any undertaking, and there were six top hackers who selected targets and planned operations.  All but one of these top hackers is now in the penal system, which destroys another "Anonymous" myth, that they are unstoppable and untraceable.

The top echelon of "Anonymous" met in online IRC channels, often hosted on a server owned by one of the six.  The minions supporting Anonymous were thousands of wannabe hackers of various skills, unknown nerds in chat rooms and IRC channels who were made to feel that they were part of the big cyber insurgency, by supporting operations against targeted websites, personalities, organizations and companies.  The cyber-peasantry were advised to use downloadable programs like LOIC, or "Low Orbit Ion Cannon," an open-source, free program that is allegedly designed for stress-testing websites.  LOIC is used to send large numbers of packets of information to websites, overloading their ability to receive such information and slowing or stopping online access to the website, effectively shutting out users who want to log on.  This kind of attack is called a "Denial of Service" (DOS) attack, and can deny commercial websites customer traffic, resulting in lost revenues, sometimes in the millions of dollars.  (The "Anonymous" DOS attacks relied mainly on the use of botnets -- the LOIC users contributed only marginally to the efforts.)

I attempted to download LOIC to see what it was all about, but my virus checker warned me away, stating that the program contains a trojan.  Don't download it.

The Anonymous wannabes who used the program to join in Anonymous DOS attacks were told that their use of the program couldn't be traced back to them.  That information was wrong, and around 15 of these followers were subsequently traced and arrested.  One of them, who participated in the attack on Scientology web servers, was ordered to pay $15,000 in damages and serve a year in jail.  So much for being "anonymous."

DOS attacks are only one form of cyber-crime.  The top six hackers received information from other hackers advising them of vulnerabilities in the websites of companies and government.  Using a method called "SQL Insertion," hackers could take over entire websites with administrator capabilities, downloading databases containing credit card numbers, user passwords, and private emails containing sensitive and private information.  The hackers would then either sell the information, or simply post it for public view, using the website pastebin, or a website for bit torrent downloads like Pirate Bay.

Finally, after stealing this valuable information, the targeted websites were defaced, with a message page substituted for the website's main page, containing images and slogans from "Anonymous."  The ultimate final step was to delete all other contents of the website, destroying it completely.  These various tactics were used against major websites like Visa, MasterCard, Paypal, Sony and even an entity of the FBI.

There is no higher purpose for this destruction, no grand design, no noble ideal, no core ideology or philosophy.  These cyber-thugs seek the destruction of both individuals and organizations simply for thrills, for the feeling of power it gives, and for recognition from their sick peer group.  They are like graffiti taggers, defacing property for recognition and respect from fellow criminals, or in the worst case, like gang members who murder random individuals to prove their worth to the group.  "Anonymous" didn't murder anyone, but they delight in the ruthless destruction of individual lives and reputations.

"Anonymous" members like to brag about their "hive mind," in which thousands of similarly deluded individuals are committed to a massive act of destruction.  The description is apt.  An anonymous bunch of thugs take on the well-known psychology of the mob, the group-think, the veil of anonymity that allows the worst aspects of human nature to emerge without fear of retribution:  cruelty, viciousness, a complete lack of empathy for other human beings.  Whatever "Anonymous" members think of themselves, "heroes" they are not.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Thanksgiving 2012

Happy Thanksgiving
Even in these troubled economic times, my wife and I have much to be thankful for:  we live in a nice home in a nice neighborhood, our bills are current, the fridge if filled with good food.  There are many Americans who are much worse off than we are.  Our three sons are all employed or otherwise provided for, and none of them are suffering any kind of privation.  Everyone is in good health.

Thanksgiving is a special day for me and for millions of others.  I remember many Thanksgivings with family, going back sixty years or more, to childhood Thanksgivings in Joplin, Missouri or Stockton, California, surrounded by parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings, with a big turkey on the table with all the trimmings.  The days were growing increasingly cold and short in a world multicolored by dying leaves and filled with the familiar smells of autumn:  the sweet fragrance of dying grasses, pungent wood smoke from chimneys, the musty smell of dead leaves raked into piles.

In school as children, we always marked the day with pilgrims and Indians and turkeys, cut out of construction paper and pasted together, or drawn with color crayons, the images pinned to classroom walls.  As wee lads and lasses in the second grade, I remember singing "Over the River and Through the Woods," a song that made the day seem even more magical:

Over the River and Through the Woods:

Over the river, and through the woods,
To Grandmother's house we go;
the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river, and through the woods—
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes and bites the nose
as over the ground we go.

Over the river, and through the woods—
and straight through the barnyard gate,
We seem to go extremely slow,
it is so hard to wait!

Over the river, and through the woods—
now Grandmother's cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

******
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and may it be as memorable and as special to you as it has long been to me.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Blog Break: Devouring a Great Book

Sorry for the lack of posting recently.

For the past three days I have been immersing myself in Parmy Olson's great book, We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyber Insurgency.

The book is all about computer hackers and "hactivists" (hackers who are activists), their crimes, their methods, their websites, their software tools.  There are cyber world villains (Anonymous) as well as heroes, e.g. Jennifer Emick and The Jester, "white hat" hackers who have worked hard to discover the identities of cyber-criminals and bring them to justice.  Some of the top echelon of "Anonymous" are now cooling their heels in the Graybar Hotel thanks to Emick and her firm, Backtrace Security.

I am creating bookmarks to websites, forums and news articles that deal with the criminal hackers and have made a new goal for myself, to learn as much as I can about them for the purpose of fighting them.

So I am sitting here enjoying a warm cup of coffee, looking through the sliding glass doors into my damp backyard.  It is an overcast, rainy day -- a great day for reading a great book.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

The Union Label and What It Means (Graphic)


I Am Israel (Graphic)

Back in 2006 I had a post titled Why Israel is Right and the Palestinians are Wrong. It references an article by David Horowitz that explains the history and the facts of the middle east conflict, and proves that the so-called Palestinians are the aggressors in the conflict. Read it here.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

SMASH ANONYMOUS (twitter feed #anonymous)

"Anonymous" is an international network of anarchist computer hackers who hate western civilization, capitalism and Israel.  Like most leftists, they instinctively side with whatever evil exists in the world and oppose justice and the rule of law.  In short, they are cyber criminals who, like any organized crime syndicate, must be taken down.

Currently, this loosely-knit group have targeted the State of Israel, opposing Israel's defensive efforts against unending warfare directed against it by Hamas and other followers of the anti-Semitic death cult known as Islam.

For conservatives, "Anonymous" is a natural enemy and we should oppose it vigorously.  We need to develop our own computer hacker force, not to create crime, but to uncover it.  We must constantly track and trace this evil force, identify its members, methods and websites, and bring them to justice.

I have created the above graphic, "Smash Anonymous."  Feel free to use it on your blogs and websites.

"Anonymous" has a slogan.  It goes:

We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.

To which I reply:

Anonymous:  You are scum.  You are criminals.  Expect a counter thrust.  We are coming for you.  Expect us.

Note:  A related hacker group, similar to Anonymous, was known as LulzSec.  It was started by the top hackers in Anonymous and can be viewed as merely another arm of same.  It was taken down by authorities after an indicted member revealed the identities of the other members in a plea deal. Although difficult, it is not impossible to track, identify and prosecute criminal hackers.  It has been done and the efforts to identify these criminals are increasingly effective.



Friday, November 16, 2012

Vox Popoli Hates Californians -- Even Conservatives

Too Liberal for Texas?
Lately I have been fighting with conservatives in other red states, particularly Texas, about the desirability of Californians migrating there.  Vox Popoli, a site that is included in my blog list, holds that Californians are undesirable red state transplants, because we are all really stupid liberals.  Vox Popoli even has a post titled "Don't Move," saying that Californians shouldn't be allowed to move anywhere but to another blue state.

Now I come from a long line of Texans, dating back to the Civil War, and I have family there.  However, there is a redneck attitude that I hate, and which I now see at Vox Popoli and in several of its commenters.  That redneck attitude says that vast swatches of humanity must all be the same, there is no variability within groups, and therefore it is not only okay to hate whole groups, but the natural and wise thing to do.

There are exceptions, like prohibiting Nazis or Communists from immigrating to your country or state.  That would be wise discrimination.  Not-so-wise discrimination would be assuming that all Germans are Nazis and all Russians are Communists...or all Californians are liberal moonbats.

The fact is, there are millions of conservatives in California.  Living in a blue state does not make one a blue voter.  Having the kind of prejudice exhibited at Vox Popoli is not indicative of anything resembling actual thought.  If all the conservatives in California moved to Texas, that state's hold on conservatism would be immensely strengthened, not weakened.  Liberal Californians wouldn't move -- what, trade cous-cous for grits?  Bean sprouts for polk salad?  Sushi for barbecue?  Doc Martins for cowboy boots?  I don't think so.

California conservatives are still conservatives.  John Wayne, Ronald Reagan and Chuck Norris were all California Republicans.  Brian Sussman, Melanie Morgan, Tom McClintock and Michael Savage still are.  Likewise, black conservatives, Hispanic conservatives, university student conservatives, Asian conservatives, even gay conservatives....are still conservatives.   These folks are my allies and I won't condemn these conservatives because they belong to a larger group that is not conservative.  Everyone is an individual and should be treated as such (except when their larger group is a voluntary association that is based on a violent ideology, like Communism, Fascism or Islam).

If the bigots at Vox Popoli can't figure that out, then maybe I should remove them from my blog list.  And that will be ironic, since I was first referred to that website by another California conservative, a San Francisco Attorney who blogs at Free Will.

Update:  I have removed Vox Popoli from my blog roll.  Suggest you do the same.


Bitch-Slapping "Anonymous"

I have been enjoying myself this morning, fighting with "Anonymous" punks at the Other McCain's post on that same creepshow.  Check out the messages at "Thugs of a Feather:  #Anonymous Supports Hamas Terrorists Against Israel."

My comments to these do-rag wearing trash are not intended to be sagacious, insightful political analysis.  They are merely intended to insult, belittle and wound the Anonymous commenters.  Bitch-slapping can be fun!

Why did I bother?  Because it's fun.  Because I am so mentally superior to these purveyors of evil and it is fun to prove it.  I like making damn fools look like damn fools.  Also, there is absolutely no chance that these human canker-sores are amenable to reason or facts.  So I torture them instead.

Screw "Anonymous."

Update:  It appears the mama's-basement dwelling scum have launched a "denial of service" attack against The Other McCain.  Right now I cannot log onto that site as a result.

We need build our own team of hackers, to track down, disclose and prosecute these scum.

Update:  Wombat, one of McCain's assistants, deleted most of Anonymous's comments so now you can't see what I was replying to.  Too bad, the verbal fight was a lot of fun.  (I like McCain but am not crazy about his P.C. assistants.)

Update:  I received a nastygram from an Anonymous supporter (see messages below).  Her email address is dixiechicks1@yahoo.com and she lives in Grigio Tempe Town Lake apartments in Tempe, Arizona.  I am publishing her email address here so Nigerian scammers can fill up her inbox with offers for great rewards and riches.  If anyone out there has any info on this commenter, please relay it to me so I can post it here online.  Meanwhile, I will continue my online search for her identity so I can turn it over to the FBI and the Israeli Defense Force.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Gov Rick Perry Refuses to Set Up Obamacare Health Insurance Exchange in Texas!

Another red state governor, Rick Perry of Texas, has refused to set up a heath insurance exchange required by Obamacare.  Technically, the [misnamed] Affordable Care Act allows the Federal Government to do it if the states will not.  So it is not clear how this refusal will affect the implementation of this execrable act.

I am hoping that these red states will block ALL implementation of Obamacare, essentially nullifying the law and preventing its taking effect.

Read about it here.


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Resistance Begins: Alabama Just Says "NO" to Obamacare

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley said yesterday that Alabama will not be setting up a state insurance exchange to implement the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare").  The Governor stated that the tax increase that this act imposes on Alabama's citizens is unacceptable.  He also stated that his conversations with other governors indicate that many of them feel the same way.

This is what I have been advocating for some time:  the states must NULLIFY unconstitutional edicts by the federal government and simply REFUSE to go along.  Further, the nullifying states should communicate and coordinate resistance to federal tyranny imposed by Barack Obama.

I am proud to say that my Confederate ancestors were Alabamans.

Read more about it at Moonbattery here.


Monday, November 12, 2012

Your Lives Are About to Get Much Worse, Americans

Monty Pelerin at American Thinker has a very depressing analysis of what Obama's re-election means to Americans (hat tip Donald Douglas at American Power).  Pelerin, like others, is predicting an economic collapse.  He writes:
His election ensures the continuing shift away from the Rule of Law, property rights, free men, and free markets. Obama's vision of how the world works ensures a dire economy until an economic collapse resets everything.
And this:
The United States and Europe have abandoned the fundamentals necessary for progress. Both are hopelessly committed to the failed ideas of Socialism. Both are headed for great catastrophe. The catastrophe extends beyond economic well-being and touches the foundations of society and civilization itself.

We are headed into an economic dark age, where standards of living will continue to decline and may collapse. Societies and civilizations will also regress.
Read the whole depressing article here.

Another article at Doug Ross Journal portrays a similar scenario, "We Have Lost" by Casey.  Casey writes:
The most productive people, the small business owners, the entrepreneurs and the honest wage earners of America are so demoralized right now I am not sure we will recover as a country. We have lost the most important election of our lifetime and did so after giving our best effort, spent the most money ever and working the hardest we have ever worked. The very people that America needs the most to generate a real recovery now have the least motivation to do so and worse, lack the confidence necessary to even justify the effort.
On polarization, he writes:
As a country we are hopelessly divided by a malignant polarization approaching that which divided us prior to the Civil War....The American can-do spirit, our optimism, our traditional dependence on our own ingenuity is now mere kindling on the advancing flame of an insidious yet steadily advancing socialism.
On the feeling of despair many now have:
Those of us who create real jobs, invest our capital, our fortunes and take the risks to build America, feel betrayed. The fundamentals of honest effort and hard work rendering the rewards associated with capitalism seem now like a cruel joke. We are now a targeted enemy not to be governed but coerced into submission by a lazy, corrupt, vindictive, arrogant government that is out for revenge, redistribution -- and to add a final insult -- one we believe is too morally bankrupt to lead.
Do read it all here.

Politics as usual is unlikely to turn the tide in time to avoid financial disaster and societal collapse.  Radical action may be necessary at some point, like the fledgling secession movements now underway.  Political protests of Obama's re-election are said to be proliferating -- that remains to be seen.  We must encourage their growth.  The legislatures of the red states must discuss and coordinate a unified refusal to cooperate with the radical regime now in Washington, including nullification of unconstitutional laws like Obamacare, open defiance of the Supreme Court's unconstitutional edicts, and suspension of the taxing authority of the federal government if that becomes necessary.  Note:  this is NOT a call for violence.  Our actions must proceed mainly through our state and local representatives.  Individual protests should proceed in peaceful ways, like this one.

We will not go gently into the dark night that looms before us.  We have not yet begun to fight.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Has the American Union Outlived Its Usefulness?

This article was posted at my other blog, Confederate Gray.  I am cross-posting it here as I think it has facts we should all consider.

Update:  Nineteen states have now filed petitions with Washington to secede from the Union.

********

Peter Morrison is a business man in Texas and has concluded that our "sacred union" is not so sacred anymore, that our political alliances with other states have outlived their historical purpose and usefulness, and it is time for the states to go their own way.

He writes:
I think Romney saw the polls last week and decided on a risky strategy of playing for Pennsylvania as his only way out. Just as it was 149 years ago, the fate of the nation was decided in Pennsylvania. The Romney campaign may be remembered as the Pickett's Charge of the conservative movement, a last desperate effort to stave off the cruel arithmetic of superior numbers overcoming principle and valor.
Others have noted the same analogy, noting that the 2012 election may have been "the high water mark" of conservatism -- and it's all downhill from here.

Morrison has concluded what I also did in a prior post:
It would be nice for Republicans if the facts were different and we could build a multi-ethnic, colorblind, conservative America, but the evidence is quite to the contrary.
The awful truth is that non-whites are largely biased against whites and will even vote against their own best interests (as Asians did) in order to punish whites.  Fifty years of slander of whites, in schools from kindergarten to the university, has emphasized the evil of white people, and how we (as a group) are responsible for all the world's ills.  Many whites have become self-hating as a result, and are paralyzed by the cultural bugaboo against "racism" that says whites can never act in their own self-interest.

However, Morrison thinks we should resist to the bitter end, and I agree.  He says:
Like the remainder of Lee's army after Gettysburg, it is our duty to keep fighting to the bitter end, in hopes that Providence might shine upon our cause before it is too late. We must contest every single inch of ground and delay the baby-murdering, tax-raising socialists at every opportunity. But in due time, the maggots will have eaten every morsel of flesh off of the rotting corpse of the Republic.
The long-term solution?  Secession, and again I agree.  Morrison writes
The bond between a husband and wife is sacred. National borders, once they have exhausted their historical purpose, are not.
It is time for an amicable divorce.  Read it all here.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

The Most Interesting Man In The World Votes For Obama (Graphic)


The Environmental Extremism of Democrats

Living the Environmentally Friendly Life
Moonbattery has a profile of an environmental extremist named Bill McKibben.  McKibben is credited with stopping the Keystone Pipeline that would have brought oil from Canada to the United States, but which will now be going to China instead.

McKibben is doing everything he can to stop the use of fossil fuels for energy and is typical of the extremists who comprise the Democratic Party.  This is why gasoline prices are through the roof, and why they will go higher.  It is not an exaggeration to say that the Democratic Party wants you to suffer.  The reason is that they have an extreme view on the environment and want to force Americans to use far less energy.  In  order to do this we must car pool more, ride trains or buses or use bicycles for transportation (or walk).  We must live in smaller houses.  We must consume less, i.e. to live at a lower standard of living than we do now.  We must produce fewer children and dramatically shrink the population (hence the fanatical support of any and all abortion).

The Democrats' anti-energy policies are designed to force you into a simpler lifestyle that they have selected for you, and even high unemployment helps to achieve their goals.  Economic activity consumes energy, enriches and empowers people to have families and to consume more, all of which runs counter to the goals of the environmental extremists in the Democratic Party.

The biggest problem with this agenda is that it is largely hidden.  The Democrats don't openly espouse these goals, lest the populace wake up and throw them out en mass.  This is unfortunate, since we cannot know what Dems are thinking and why, what data (if any) that they rely on, what future they envision, or what their arguments are.  Without debate on these extreme policies, we cannot refute them.

Welcome to the grim future, fellow peasants.



Republican Establishment Ready To Commit Hara Kiri Over Election Loss

John Boehner is a man I have instinctively distrusted since he was made Speaker of the House.  There is just something about the man that rubs me the wrong way -- too establishment, too "moderate," too spineless.  He's a Republican along the lines of John McCain and other RINOs who are too willing to compromise their principles.

Now the GOP Establishment fools are ready to drive the Hara Kiri knife deeper into the bowels of the Party they represent, by caving on "immigration reform."  Immigration reform, of course, means more Hispanics who will register and vote as Democrats.

Doug Ross Journal has the story here.

Friday, November 09, 2012

Letting the Rotten Edifice Collapse

Last night as I went to bed I noticed something:  my chronic depression had lessened considerably.  Somehow, knowing that the country is lost cheered me up.  Not because I want America to enter the dust bin of history -- I don't.  But knowing that I could no longer hope to stop it, relieved me of the burden of trying.

I once read something that advised "giving up" in certain situations.  Instead of trying to hold up the major support beam with your back, just get the hell out and let the whole rotten edifice collapse.  Then you can sort through the rubble, see what can be salvaged, and begin again on a better footing.

The high joblessness is increasing as many companies begin massive layoffs due to Obamacare and Obama's re-election.  Gas prices will continue soaring.  American prosperity will continue to erode, and there will be much fewer job opportunities for young people graduating from college.

Now the burden of America's decline is on the backs of the Democrats.  They voted for it, and they own it.  Enjoy it, liberals.  When you fill up your gas tanks at exorbitant prices, when you get laid off, think of us Republicans -- we are not the only ones you defeated.  You defeated America, common sense, prosperity and opportunity.  You defeated yourselves.


Why Amnesty for Hispanics Will Not Create More Republicans

Some intelligent writers are getting into the amnesty discussion today.  They agree with other writers discussed here yesterday -- that amnesty for illegal aliens will kill the Republican Party even faster.  Supporting amnesty would be foolish indeed.  The Hispanic question, however, is more than amnesty, we must slow or stop legal Hispanic immigration as well -- for the simple reason that Hispanics overwhelmingly vote for Democrats.

The best essay on the subject comes from Heather McDonald at the Corner,  "Why Hispanics Don't Vote For Republicans."   She quotes statistics showing that Hispanics are not particularly concerned with the amnesty question; they vote for Democrats for other reasons, i.e. "free stuff."

Also see:

Mickey Kaus at the Daily Caller, "Alert:  Immigration Sellout Underway?"

Scott Johnson at Powerline:  "In Search of the Hispanic Vote."

Paul Mirengoff at Powerline:  "Concurring With Scott:  In Search of the Hispanic Vote."

Paul Mirengoff at Powerline:  "Demography May Be Destiny, But We Have Some Say About Our Demography."

Also see Mark Levin's commentary, "Why Amnesty is Not the Immigration Answer for Republicans." video embedded below.

Thursday, November 08, 2012

A Big Factor in the GOP Defeat: Many Whites Stayed Home. Why?

Lawrence Auster discussed another key reason why the GOP lost the 2012 presidential election:  several million white voters stayed home.  Had they showed up as expected, Romney would have won the election, in spite of the non-white vote for Obama.  Auster writes:
It appears that the reason Obama won was that many conservatives, including readers of this site, disliked Romney so much that they preferred to have Obamacare, preferred to have the contraceptive mandate, preferred to have the destruction of the private health insurance industry and of the private medical care industry leading to outright socialized medicine, preferred to have an annual trillion dollar increase in the deficit, preferred to have a president allied with and actively facilitating the spread of jihadist regimes in the Mideast, than to have Romney as president. In short, if what the commenters are saying is true, it appears that the most terrible event in the history of this country, the final destruction of the constitutional American Republic, was brought about by conservatives for whom McCain was conservative enough, but Romney was not conservative enough.
Why did they stay home?  Was it because Romney is a Mormon?  Probably not, or the evangelical South would not have gone heavily for Romney.

Some speculation says that many whites are simply fed up with the GOP being too liberal and not adequately conservative.  I hope that answer is true...but I really don't know.  It sounds too simplistic and self-serving.  I suspect that Obama's negative campaign, which started very early in the campaign, was a major factor.  It was exacerbated by Romney's late entrance into the fray and a less than effective rebuttal of the Obama slander against him.

See the discussion at View From the Right here.

Why the GOP Is Headed for the Boneyard

Pat Buchanan is a paleoconservative and I disagree with much of that philosophy.  However, in this essay from Vdare he discusses the political ramifications of amnesty for illegal aliens and the current influx of legal immigrants from the third world.  It is worth your attention.

Buchanan makes a very good point when he writes:
What does government do for them [the third-world immigrants]?

Subsidizes their housing and provides free education for their kids from Head Start through K-12, plus food stamps and school lunches, Pell Grants and student loans for college, Medicaid if they are sick, earned income tax credits if they work and 99 weeks of unemployment checks if they lose their job.

These are people who depend upon government.

Why would they vote for a party that is going to cut taxes they do not pay, but take away government benefits they do receive?
Why indeed.  Read it all here.

Sean Hannity Endorses Amnesty for Illegal Aliens

According to Michael of the Southern Nationalist Network, Sean Hannity has just now endorsed amnesty for illegal aliens.  Michael says this would be a big mistake for Republicans, because these new citizens would register as Democrats and vote against Republican policies.  He writes:
Republican leaders apparently believe that if they give citizenship to millions of Third World immigrants that those immigrants will become Republican voters. However, Hispanics voted more than two-to-one against the GOP in the recent presidential race. When Ronald Reagan gave amnesty to two million Mexicans back in 1980 he created nearly two million more Democratic voters. Most of the people that Hannity wants to give voting rights to will end up voting against his party. California, only a few decades ago a mostly-White State that leaned Republican, now has a White minority and is a solidly Democratic State. The more Hispanic the State has become, the more Democratic it has become. Granting citizenship to millions more Hispanics will only weaken the Republican Party.
I very much agree with Michael on this issue.  Read his entire article here.

Update:  The Daily Caller also addresses the GOP's possible move towards amnesty:  Alert: Immigration Sellout Underway?

Mark Levin Swears No Compromise, No Bi-Partisanship in Wake of Republican Defeat

Some Republicans are now saying we need to move left in order to win elections (like Charles Krauthammer, who advocates amnesty for illegals).  These people fail to realize that Republican victories are a means to an end, that of freedom and prosperity.  Republican victories are not an end in themselves.  If the GOP cannot deliver conservative victories, then it is time to jettison the Republican Party.

Yesterday, Mark Levin swore not to compromise with liberals on essential things, saying "We will not be compliant in our demise."  I very much agree with him.  He said:
We conservatives, we do not accept bipartisanship in the pursuit of tyranny. Period. We will not negotiate the terms of our economic and political servitude. Period. We will not abandon our child to a dark and bleak future. We will not accept a fate that is alien to the legacy we inherited from every single future generation in this country. We will not accept social engineering by politicians and bureaucrats who treat us like lab rats, rather than self-sufficient human beings. There are those in this country who choose tyranny over liberty. They do not speak for us, 57 million of us who voted against this yesterday, and they do not get to dictate to us under our Constitution.
Interestingly enough, Levin openly discusses the latino demographic which has proven so deleterious to the American ethos, stating the obvious, that the Democrats support unbridled immigration of third-worlders because such immigrants will become Democrats and vote for the welfare state.

See the video here.

Youth of France Declare War on Multiculturalism (Video)

There is a youth movement in France that seems to be gaining steam.  It is called "Generation Identitaire."  Would our own youth wake up and follow suit.  Hear what they have to say.

Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Conservative Contemplations on the Electoral Disaster

Many conservatives, including this one, are in a deep blue funk over the election disaster.  Some have posted well-written essays on what it all means.  The first step in a long-term solution is understanding what happened and why, and these essays are soothing to the troubled soul.  Unvarnished truth is liberating and may lead to a better future for those who love liberty.  Once we have an accurate diagnosis, then we can work on a cure.

Here are some quotes from some of these essays.

Lawrence Auster, of View From the Right:
.... even if the historical American order is finished, which I believe it is and have said so repeatedly, the world hasn't ended, we are still living in it and have to try to understand it and make sense of it and figure out how we are going to live in it. Indeed, I and readers are at this moment trying to come to terms with the overwhelming disaster that has come upon us, and that’s part of what VFR is about.
 Flyovercountry, of The Blogmocracy:
There really are two America’s, and the problem is that they are geographically intertwined. One American wishes to live under the rule of law established by our founders, who saw the destructive potential of a democracy, and the lasting virtue of a republic. Protecting individual rights against the tyranny of a majority who would simply vote themselves authority to systematically rob the fruits of the labors of those who chose to be productive. The second American wishes to live in a society that would seek to cede all responsibility and consequence to a federal authority in exchange for having their basic needs provided for. The second America is no longer the land of the free and the home of the brave, but is instead the land of the kept and the home of the clueless. They seek nothing more than to have their freedoms traded one by one for a stream of relatively cheap consumer products and state run reeducation at one of the labor camps known as land grant colleges. Unfortunately, these two Americas live side by side, and have very little if any geographical division, which would be necessary for the divorce that I believe is now inevitable. Said divorce will be a messy affair, but there is no chance of a reconciliation that I can see as being possible.
Kurt Silverfiddle of Western Hero:
If we couldn’t sell a conservative, small-government message with a moderate-friendly candidate running against an imperious ruler many perceived to be a crypto-marxist, or at best constitutionally-challenged, then small-government conservatism is a spent force. Many conservatives will drift to the middle looking for morsels, while the rump right will meet the fate of its European cousins, enduring a meager existence as either principled cranks or angry extremists.
One bright spot: We conservatives and libertarians are now the subversives.
Oh, and GOP, you can kiss my ass. I hate your party more than the Democrats. At least the Donkeys know who they are and aren't suffering a perpetual identity crisis. And they know how to grab what they want. The typical Republican politician couldn't grab his ass with both hands and a mirror.
Melanie Phillips -- "America Goes Into the Darkness":
The greatest satisfaction today over the re-election of Obama is not being felt in the Democratic Party. It is not being felt among the media, who are no longer objective observers but have turned instead into corrupt partisans who ruthlessly censored the truth about Obama and helped peddle his demonising propaganda about his opponent. It is not being felt among the gloating, drooling decadents of the western left who now scent a great blood-letting of all who dare defy their secular inquisition. No, the greatest satisfaction is surely being felt in Iran. 
Four years ago, America put into the White House a sulky narcissist with an unbroken history of involvement in thuggish, corrupt, far-left, black power, Jew-bashing, west-hating politics. Obama’s agenda has been crystal clear from the get-go: to increase the power of the state over the citizen at home, and to neutralise American power abroad. Four more years of this and he’ll almost certainly have succeeded. The impact upon western security could be cataclysmic.
John Hinderaker of Powerline:
Then there is the fact that relatively few Americans actually pay for the government they consume. To a greater extent than any other developed nation, we rely on upper-income people to finance our federal government. When that is combined with the fact that around 40% of our federal spending isn’t paid for at all–it is borrowed–it is small wonder that many self-interested voters are happy to vote themselves more government. Mitt Romney proclaimed that Barack Obama was the candidate of “free stuff,” and voters took him at his word.
The question is, can this vicious cycle ever be broken? Once we are governed by a majority that no longer believes in the America of the Founding, is there any path back to freedom and prosperity? The next four years will bring unprecedented levels of spending, borrowing and taxation. The national debt will rise to $20 trillion or more. When interest rates increase, as they inevitably must, interest costs will squeeze out other government spending. That might not be all bad, except that defense will go first. If Obama’s second term turns into a disaster, fiscal or otherwise, voter revulsion may return the Republicans to power. But that doesn’t mean that America will be saved.
Daniel Greenfield of Sultan Knish:
The left got this far by having a plan. We will either find a plan or we will be gone. America will go the way of Latin America, with gated communities, conservative oligarchs, violent ghettos and red politicians screaming about power to the people. There will be no law, just men with guns and newspapers, and generals in convenient positions, and suitcases full of cocaine in the right hands. If you like this system, it's probably only a generation away. Given enough immigration from south of the border-- maybe less. And then California turns into Brazil and America turns into California.
Revolutions are not born out of success, they are born out of despair. They rise out of the dark hours of the night. They come from the understanding that all the other options are running out. Sometimes you have to fall down to rise and sometimes you have to hit bottom, to gather one last breath and fight to reach the top.
 We live in a very troubling time.  Can America be saved, or is the culture too corrupted by third-world immigration and the demise of the western ethos?  I tend to agree with flyovercountry, that a divorce between two groups of Americans (left vs right) is inevitable.  Yes, I am talking about secession.  I do not believe that America, as we knew it and loved it, can be saved.  It is already gone.

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Obama Wins Re-Election

Ohio has now gone to Obama and the election is all but over.  Obama wins re-election.

We're toast.

Now Obamacare will survive and we will have nationalized health care.

Social Security and Medicare will go broke.

High unemployment will continue, along with higher taxes.

Gas prices will continue their ascent into the stratosphere.

America is over.

Final Electoral Map and I'm going to bed:



Election Watch 2012

Based on the Twitter feed, it looks like the election will come down to Ohio:  whoever wins that will probably win the election.  Right now it is trending towards Obama.

Looks like my friend Lawrence Auster, of View From the Right, is correct again.  It appears likely that Obama will win re-election in a close contest.  The old Mencken axiom of "never betting on the intelligence of the American people" has been proven correct...again.

It is a bitter pill to swallow, but the America we believed in is gone.

Update:  7:20 PM, PST:  Twitter feeds show conservative morale falling quickly as it appears Obama will win re-election.  Dems will retain control of the Senate.

Update:  8:10 PM, PST:  Obama leads in electoral votes 229 to 190.  California alone will put Obama over the top.  It's over.  We have lost the election.

That will end my reporting for tonight.  Tomorrow we can begin digesting the results and figuring a strategy for the future.  Right now, America is a socialist state along the lines of Europe.  America will suffer much for this election, but have no one to blame but themselves.

Robert Stacy McCain of The Other McCain writes:
Please forgive me for having encouraged anyone to believe that there was still hope to save America. We’re obviously doomed beyond all hope of redemption.
The sad thing is that Romney will win the popular vote, but lose the election.

Interactive Map of Election Returns (Google)

6:27 PM - PST - Google has a map of the election returns here.  At this moment, Romney has won 153 electoral votes to 123 for Obama.  270 electoral votes are needed to win.

These results are from the east but also include Texas; the west coast polls haven't yet closed, but will add a large number of electoral votes for Obama.

So as of right now, it is still too close to call.

6:56 PM, PST:  Electoral count is now R 153 O 143.

8:07 PM, PST:  Electoral count is now O 229, R 190.  We're going to lose.

Voted and Nervously Awaiting the Election Returns

I got up at 6:15 AM, got to the polling place at 7:30 AM, and the place was packed.  There is a heavy turnout here in Northern California.  I voted and left for my morning Spanish class.  The teacher is a very good instructor and a great guy, but a Democrat.  He was wearing a campaign button that said "Yes on 30" and "No on 32."  I voted the exact opposite of his wishes.

It will be a long day, and hours will pass before we know any election results.  I think I'll drive over to Morgan Hill and buy some cigars for use as pacifiers to ward off anxiety.  They taste so much better than my thumb, and you can light them as well.

Monday, November 05, 2012

Hispanics For Romney #juntosconromney

Here's a great Twitter thread that features Hispanics for Romney. Great to know these good people are out there: it is #juntosconromney ("together with Romney").

Not all Hispanics are Democrat-deluded. A Twitter hashtag #juntosconromney ("together with Romney") is for Hispanics who are voting for Romney. Some of them have some great things to say! I especially like those of Stephen Sanchez and Marisa Marshall -- see the link here. Bueno, mis amigos!

Here's a screen grab of some of the tweeters:


Who Will Win the Presidential Election of 2012?

Beats the Hell outta me.  My intuition says Romney will win and it won't be that close.  However, whether reality conforms itself to my intuition or not remains to be seen.

Here are the factors that impress me:
1.  Romney is tied or slightly ahead or slighly behind Obama in several key states like Ohio, Colorado, Virginia and Florida.  Turnout will be the key to victory, and Romney's crowds are large and enthusiastic; Obama's not so much.  Only 800 people turned out to hear Joe Biden speak today.

2.  All the traditional reasons for picking a winner line up behind Romney:  the economy is terrible and Obama hasn't helped; gas prices are sky high, unemployment is not improving.  Only the fervently faithful to their Party will vote for Obama.

3.  Independents are overwhelmingly for Romney, by double digits.  Traditionally, no one wins without winning the independents.

4.  Most polls showing Obama ahead are skewed from oversampling Democrats, and are based on the undoubtedly false belief that the Democrat turnout will be the same as in 2008.  Most pundits expect it to be substantially lower.  The sharp decline in Democrats voting early and the sharp increase in Republicans voting early confirm this impression.

5.  Republican registrations are up considerably and Democrat registrations are down.  The former have the enthusiasm and the determination to win.  They will show up at the polls, whereas many disappointed Democrats will stay home.

6.  Undecided voters traditionally go for the challenger, and will go for Romney this time.

Of course, I could be completely wrong.  By this time tomorrow, we should know.


Sunday, November 04, 2012

Photoshopping as Therapy: Creating Some in Expectancy of a Romney Win

I hate this anxiety, waiting for Tuesday, waiting to know if we will have to suffer another four years of radical-leftwing-college-sophomore-redistributionism.  If Obama is re-elected, what will the gas prices be in 2016 when he leaves office?  If they double again, like they did in his first four years, we are looking at $9 a gallon gas.  Yes indeedy, liberals, do vote for Obama if you enjoy poverty.

All the news indicates the race is tied; one poll shows Romney up, another shows Obama up, one pundit says this, and another says that.  I suspect that Romney will win, because not all voters like to put their hand in the fire twice.  Most learn the first time that it hurts.

Nevertheless, who really knows?  Not I.  So instead of assuring my readers that I know the answer and that I have crunched the numbers proving a Romney victory, I Photoshop instead.  It's good therapy for my anxiety.  This morning I Photoshopped Nat Silverman dining on a big crow sandwich and Paul Krugman's facial expression when he learns Romney has won.  Both are funny and fun, but won't be posted until I know Romney and Ryan have been elected beyond all doubt.

So who else can I skewer?  I know, Cher said she would "cry forever" if Romney wins, that would be a worthy subject for Photoshop.  Who else?

Friday, November 02, 2012

Las Vegas Oddsmaker Predicts Landslide Victory For Romney Over Obama

Wayn Allyn Root is a Las Vegas odds-maker with a reputation for accuracy in predicting political outcomes. That doesn't mean he is infallible, but his argument in favor of a Romney victory next Tuesday is compelling.

Root argues that Obama has alienated too many important voting blocs to be re-elected.  Root predicts the race will remain close until election day, when the vote will break heavily for Romney.

He writes:
Most pollsters miss one ingredient — common sense. My gut instinct is that not one American who voted for McCain four years ago will switch to Obama.  But many millions of people who voted for an unknown Obama four years ago are angry, disillusioned, turned off or scared about the future. Voters know Obama now — and that is a bad harbinger.
Read it all here.

Obama More Than Incompetent, May Be Treasonous as Well

As the details of Benghazi continue to emerge, it is more and more obvious that Barack Obama deliberately left Americans to die when they could have been saved.  An article in the American Thinker makes this clear.

The former Navy Seals who died on a roof were killed by terrorist mortar fire.  They gave up their position to the jihadis by laser-painting a target on the mortar nest, expected that their targeting it would be swiftly followed by a US air attack that never came.

The facts about Benghazi are these:

1.  Obama knew of Jihadi activity in the region thirty days before the attack.  He took no precautions and did nothing to improve security.

2.  Obama knew the nature of the jihadi attack in real time as it unfolded but took no action nor gave any orders to the military to take any action to save the embassy staff.  In fact, he ordered the CIA to "stand down," meaning, "do nothing."  This, in spite of the fact that two drones and a helicopter gun ship were overhead.

3.  Obama apparently failed to act on behalf of the embassy staff for ideological and political reasons.  Karen McQuillan, writing at the American Thinker writes:
Obama does not believe in using the military to defend our national security, which he sees as aggressive, Republican, and cowboy. This was Obama's 9/11, not Bush's. He did not see the attack on our embassy as a jihadi attack on American soil. He saw a group of aggrieved Muslim citizens, with good reason to be angry -- the spontaneous mob enraged by an offensive video. He would follow a Democrat policy of promoting peace, not war, in which avoiding civilian casualties is the paramount goal.

The other answer is directly political. It would be damaging for Obama's already weak record to admit that there was a 9/11 attack by al-Qaeda in one of the supposed successes of the Arab Spring. Responding militarily would have made the weaknesses of Obama's foreign policy all too evident. An American military response would have undercut one of Obama's main campaign slogans: "GM is alive and Osama is dead."
In other words, Barack Obama was willing to sacrifice the lives of 37 embassy personnel through inaction and gross negligence, in pursuit of a leftist ideology.  (Due to CIA Agent Tyrone Woods disobeying orders to "stand down," only four were killed -- including Woods.)  If the truth were known, the American people would ride Obama's worthless butt out of DC on a rail.  The mainstream media, of course, will not allow that to happen.

Read the entire article, Why Obama Chose to Let Them Die in Benghazi.