Long Live the Republic!

E.J. Dionne Jr. wrote in the WaPo "Supreme Court Activists: Conservative justices forget we're a democracy."

This highlights exactly what is wrong with liberal pundits. The facts are never allowed to get in the way of a bias toward their own point of view.

1) If you want to see activism on the Court, take a look at the "liberal" justices.
2) Dionne needs to bone up on history, could discover exactly why we are not a democracy.
3) I've got to quit reading the WaPo opinion pages.

Riddle Me This

How is it that pharmaceutical companies in advertising must list the possible negative side-effects to the use of their products,
but
Electronics gadget purveryors are not required to caution you of the negative side-effects to the use of their products?

"For buyers of Apple’s new iPad, ‘4G’ can quickly turn into ‘4 grand’

"Users quickly are discovering the new iPad gobbles data from cellular networks at a monstrous rate. Some find their monthly allotment can be eaten up after watching a two-hour movie. That has left consumers with a dilemma: Pay up for more data or hold back on using the device’s best features." --WaPo 3/23/12

First Person: How to Earn $100,000 and Still Feel Poor
Although I admire people who live on fixed incomes or minimum wage I have no idea how they do it. --Laura Cone, on Yahoo! Contributor Network, relating the vicissitudes of life for the family with a one hundred grand annual income.

At which point in my reading I had to stop and mop up the blood dripping from my bleeding heart.

Oil, Algae or Solar

WaPo news bulletin: The president called Thursday for new and faster construction of the nation's petroleum pipelines, delivering a message of reassurance in deep-red Oklahoma that the oil industry has a key role in his energy plan.

...and they call Mitt a Flip-flopper. Be not deceived BHO hasn't changed his stance, just his words. Tailored to the audience, they are. Wait! That's what politicians do!

Energy Memo

Panel, "fair and balanced" of course, discussing Secretary Chu's policies with regard to promotion of "renewable sources."

One of the panelists, in her summary, said that if Secretary Chu is sincere, he should give up his car, and plastics, and his crayons.

"Crayons?" exclaimed Megan. "Then how would he write his memos to the President?"

Grocery Store

Pushed the shopping cart alongside Mrs. W for twenty minutes. "Well," she said, "I think that's it, then." She took the cart. I walked on ahead. Farther and farther ahead. I stopped at the head of the checkout tier. Leaned against product boxes. Looked at time. Looked at other shoppers. Looked down the aisle for the Missus.

Twenty-two minutes. After she had pronounced it finished.

(Further irrelevancy: There were seven items on the list. There were twenty-seven items in the cart. "So?" she said. Will I ever learn? I have a real ID ten tee problem.)

Breaking News

Obama campaigning at a Maryland Community college, receives thunderous applause.

Let him campaign in Tipton, Indiana, and let all the people in without vetting their socio-political bent, then listen to the applause.

HaHa

It's really not fair that 1% of the bloggers have 99% of the talent...

--Jay G.

Well, we can't all be genii.

About Time

Three, four years ago WallyWorld here installed "self checkout" stations in docks one through four. Shopping there this winter I note that they are gone and registers are manned by real people now. Good. Enough with the nonsense, already.

This is related to the hiring of enough people to take "your call (which) is important to us" that Pat Sajak and I were on about a few days ago. And yes, I did just finish (is snapping shut the phone the modern-day equivalent of banging down the receiver?) a very unsatisfying automated phone experience.

Really Sarcastic

Have never watched an episode of 30 Rock. As I was flipping channels and landed on NBC, this is the first line I heard, uttered by the Tina Fey character:

"Oh, god. Don't adopt. It'd be better off in Somalia. It could be a pirate or a warlord concubine."

That is funny. That may be one of the funniest insults I ever heard.
Still, I'm not watching 30 Rock.

Social

The evening social was scheduled for 5:30 and I arrived a few minutes early. Though some tables were filling up, I selected a seat at a thus-far vacant table. But soon others began to sit nearby. A couple came in, sat directly across. I introduced myself, as did the gentleman. The lady radiated chill, and the sniff was nearly audible. I said, We can move if someone else sits here." "No, no," she said. "That's all right." We start to get up, but the gentleman says, "Set your a$$ down. No one owns this table." "Well," she says, " we have been sitting here for twenty-one years." (Emphasize "have" as you read that.)

This is a "social" but not necessarily a sociable!

Try It!

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.

--Herm Albright

More Than a Handsome Face

"Your call is important to us."
"Not important enough," said Pat Sajak, "to hire enough operators to take it."

Here's a Quarter

I have been reduced to stealing from others. Well, no. Attribution included. My mind is still working fine, except for the creative mill part of it.

The instrument that would measure my level of caring does not yet exist.
--Pearl, the funniest blogger in Minnesota, and perhaps in all the Midwest.

Visit Pearl. http://pearl-whyyoulittle.blogspot.com/

At Home in the Holler

I was fourteen. Mom and Dad were gone for the day. I was rummaging through drawers and stuff in the interest of learning, don't you know. I came upon a birth certificate in the name of Wallace Wright. But the birthdate was mine, and father's name was "Wallace Wright, jr."

It's the first I ever knew I had any name but Junior, because I was always called: "Junior Junior." I knew Dad's name was Junior. But Wallace? I'm Wallace? Well, I'm glad no one knows that; I'll just go on being Junior Junior.

News Flash

Just heard this on Valley Central News 4

The Mission/McAllen/Edinburg metroplex is the fattest city in the country.

Jaw dropping? Maybe, maybe not. Just look around. I believe they went on to say that 38% of the populace is overweight.

Well, they continued, there are a lot of good places to eat in the area!

Green Planet

General Motors has told 1,300 employees at its Detroit Hamtramck that they will be temporarily laid off for five weeks as the company halts production of the Chevrolet Volt and its European counterpart, the Opel Ampera.

“Even with sales up in February over January, we are still seeking to align our production with demand,” said GM spokesman Chris Lee.
--from The Detroit Free Press
Abound solar lays of production employees.
--The Denver Post

Indeed. The people are not so easily duped as the politicians and the greenies would like to think them to be. It all fits. The people are smart enough to know that the return in "green living" is not nearly so great as the cost.

(Actually, some have actually figured out that biofuels are more harmful than helpful and that the electricity that powers the Volt and its ilk is generated in large measure by fossil fuels!)

You might be interested in this WaPo piece about electric cars and the politics of science.

I've Seen That

...a woman's love is like the morning dew, it's just as apt to settle on a horse turd as it is on a rose. --Larry McMurtry, in Leaving Cheyenne

Better Lucky than Good

Captain of the Concordia: I did not abandon ship; I fell into the lifeboat when she capsized.

I laughed maniacally when I heard this. That's not right. Laughing, I mean.

Still and all, he did not stay with his ship. Serendipity can be cruel.

ZTR, I Hope

The accented English of Deep South Texas is not unpleasant to the ear. It is quite easily understood, and yet there are certain quirks that evoke images not intended by the speaker. For example, there is a car dealership that runs ads on TV touting its service department. The gentleman tells us that when you bring your veekle in for service, they will "put you in a lawner, and you can be on your way."

On your way, in my mind's eye, to mow your lawn.

Why's a White Duck?