Friday Favorites #13

Boy, it's been a long time since I did a Friday Favorites!   It's not you, it's me.  Really.  I'm a mess, for a host of reasons, but chiefly because it's 2012 and stuff is happening every day.  Which doesn't help excuse it, but at least people will nod their heads an say "Yeah, I know, right?" and promptly forget about it and move on.


There's a lot to get to today, so let's jump in!


How to Deal With Slow Walkers - This cracks me up - every time.  I totally plan to buy one of these.


Hot Corn Dip - I am fanning myself, I swear.  Yum yum!


Wish I Didn't Know - And you will, but check it out anyway, because where else could you learn about fetching robbery attire and nail growth addiction.


Crime Doesn't Pay - but when beer is involved, sometimes it's very tempting.


Cat Stops Baby From Crying - You know you want this cat.  Squeeeeee!  


How To Make Yourself Charming - I love Gini Dietrich - she always has something helpful to put out.  A pretty good example here, but check out the other things she's done.


Lottery Winner Still on Food Stamps - Yeah, there's no problem in this country, not at all!


Austin Passes Plastic Bag Ban - Who's surprised by this?  Well, don't get to cocky if you love in Houston because...


Houston Attempting to Pass Feeding Ordinance - yeah, don't you DARE get caught sharing food with a homeless person!


TSA Scanners Exposed - Pardon the pun, but check out this video debunking these "sophisticated" full body scanners!  Then see how You Tube Censored It.  


Rush v. The Media - It all started with a Fluke, and went downhill from there, culminating in a series of sponsors leaving Rush's show.  But as expected from the Breitbart-influenced New Media, the story didn't end there. Amy Miller penned this awesome piece, and others have continued to turn the subject back from an imaginary "war on women" to a real discussion of religious liberty and fiscal responsibility.


Michelle Malkin Announces "TWITCHY" - I am loving this news site - even if you don't tweet, you can follow what's happening on Twitter!  Brilliant!


There IS a Tina Fey Effect - I've known this since 2008 and the How Obama Got Elected study.  Go back and look at it.  See what conservatives are up against this time around, and then ask yourself if the culture war is worthless.


RIP ANDREW BREITBART - The best list of tributes you'll find (mine's in there too) and a great testimony to the life of a great warrior.  Check out the BIG sites since the revamp, and also catch our own local "wake" held last weekend in his honor.




So sorry so short, but you'll have plenty to keep you busy until next time!  Love ya, mean it!

Where Does Big Government Come From?

I've been puzzling over this for a while now, and while I can't yet prove it, I think I have figured out part of the reason that government has grown to the extent it has, and how we let it happen.  I'm just scratching thoughts down here so I don't lose them, but I'd love to have a ton of comments on this one, to see whether I'm totally off base.

We talk about how we've lost the "community" aspect to our lives - how we don't know our neighbors and so on.  But why is that?  Could it be due to any of the following?

The double-income family phenomenon is likely making more families independent than ever before.  Rather than the historical multi-generational living arrangements, families are more likely now to be found living in completely separate units from other family members, and even in completely separate states.

The rise in the number of jobs a typical person has in a lifetime reflects more mobility in terms of moving to a new job.  It used to be that a person was more likely to do one thing, or work for one company, over his lifetime.  Whether a farmer or a factory worker, one typically signed on for the duration.  Studies place the number of jobs an average person works in a lifetime at something like 10 or 11 now.  Is that because companies feel more free to hire and fire?  Is it because a two-income family depends less on both people working?

Housing value bubbles could have spurred more families to "move up" in house.  As rising prices allowed homeowners to realize wealth by selling a large asset, the proceeds could then be used as a down payment on a larger home.  This means people could have moved out of established neighborhoods into newer, less settled subdivisions.

More education raised a child's potential standard of living far above his parents.  The G.I. Bill, Pell Grants and the student loan programs helped vast numbers of people attend colleges and universities, some of whom were the first in their families to attend college.  But that's not all - compulsory K-12 education (or as much of it as a district could force a child to attend) changed education entirely.  Children of farmers would not have been expected in prior generations to complete schooling past 8th grade, for example.  Now the national expectation is that all children will attend school through high school, and there are many initiatives to push those expectations upwards, stressing a college education for all students.  At any rate, more opportunity for education among poorer families meant that their children could easily outstrip their earning power, particularly if a young couple were both college-educated and worked.  No need to stay and live in the old neighborhood, then; just go back occasionally to visit the folks.

The focus on education outstripped the focus on a work ethic.  With more students continuing their education beyond a bachelor's degree and staying in school longer, the need to work (unless to make up gaps in the student loans or scholarships, or for drinking money) has been all but done away with.  This along with easy credit could be responsible for people making bad money decisions and having difficulty tying the value of "stuff" to the hours they work.

 A population with fewer ties to place feels less responsible for their places.  People who move around a lot develop fewer ties to the places they live, and thus less civic engagement and less community involvement.  Whereas small town living meant the neighbors knew all your business, it also meant they could more easily identify each others' needs.  A disconnected and transitory populace is far less likely to see a problem and say "I need to do something about that" and far more likely to say "SOMEBODY needs to do something about that" and then delegate the problem to a government entity.


So that's what I came up with - the less of a community we find where we are, the more likely we are to see a big government solution for everything.  Make sense?  What am I leaving out?  Thoughts?

Don't Take the Bait

There's no debate about access to contraception. - Newt


Newt's right.  And too many conservatives are getting sidetracked, as the administration drags red herrings across the campaign trail, hoping to get conservatives off message.


This past week we were all treated to THIS STORY - Sandra Fluke, described as a "young law student" testifying at a hearing on Women's Health held by Nancy Pelosi, followed by a scathing on-air rebuttal from Rush Limbaugh wherein he described Ms. Fluke as a slut.  It's the story that won't die, following on the heels of several weeks of media and debate questions attempting to paint socially conservative presidential hopeful Rick Santorum as a right-wing nutjob.  The leftist blogosphere has been having a field day with this, tag-teaming with the mainstream media to create the general feeling that social conservatives are nuts.  And they hate women.  And they go to church and listen to the pastor or minister and stuff.  And they are creepy.  I mean, who goes to church anymore?


Breitbart Conservatives know that this is not about access to birth control, or religious zealots trying to force everyone to adhere to their religious beliefs.  It's not about poor women denied health care or how the GOP hates women or college students being labelled "sluts."


It's about the First Amendment, and religious freedom.  


The backstory that the media is running from concerns (wouldn't you know it) Obamacare.  Apparently the "Affordable Care Act" contains a Contraceptive Coverage Regulation, which is supposed to  make those crusty religious organizations like Catholic universities and hospitals and charities (who exist, of course, solely to oppress women) offer, against the teachings of their faith, birth control coverage in their comprehensive medical coverage plans.


Let's go over that again.


Institutions like Catholic hospitals, which carry out their missions in accordance with certain tenets, are going to be forced to pay for coverage that will violate those tenets.  The administration's "compromise" of making insurers pay instead of these institutions is a false compromise - a university would still be paying the insurer for the coverage through increased rates for everyone, because no insurance company is going to just offer these services free.


No matter how you look at that, it's a violation of the institutions' right to freedom of religion.  End of story.  


As an aside, it's hugely comic that the left attacks people of religion for *not* following the teachings of their faith as hypocrites, and then attacks them when they *do* follow the teachings of their faith as "women-haters."


Follow the logic of Ms. Fluke and those who support her viewpoint: I'm attending a prestigious university costing me huge fees and tuition rates, and I can't afford (or can't find) cheap contraceptives.  Perish the thought of cutting back on other discretionary expenses (like most of the rest of the country) in order to afford contraceptives.  This isn't, and has never been, about "access" - I have "access" to a lot of things that I may not be able to afford right now.  It's about a cynical attempt to get young voters and women back on the Obama plantation and stop looking at the miserable unemployment numbers, the horrible foreign relations issues, the rising energy prices.


This "get your rosaries off my ovaries" thing would make much more sense if the people working in or attending these institutions did not end up there voluntarily, freely associating with an organization run by a faith tradition.  And they are certainly free to un-associate.  But no, they want to force *their* morality on Catholics, and guarantee that those bad old Catholics won't be allowed to make them feel "judged" by limiting their medical coverage to procedures and medications that actually follow the church teaching.


Perhaps Congressman Issa should have let Ms. Fluke testify after all, and while vetting her, subpoenaed her Visa debit card receipts for the past few months.  For the cost of a Starbucks a day, you can get some pretty decent birth control.  It isn't the church's problem if you want to have your Starbucks and your birth control pills too.

Who's Boycotting Rush?

UPDATE 3: Michelle Malkin's new site "TWITCHY" will advertise with Rush  http://twitchy.com/rush-limbaugh-press-release/




UPDATE 2:  It Sucks to be Sleep Train - http://www.therightscoop.com/rush-rejects-advertiser-begging-to-come-back/




UPDATE:  There's a sort of discrepancy about who is actually boycotting:  http://patdollard.com/2012/03/the-conservative-boycott-list-the-12-advertisers-who-bailed-on-rush-limbaugh/


Rush's Statement  - http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2012/03/07/clearing_up_misinformation_on_our_sponsors



Screw the Left and their double standards.


Companies pulling their advertising from Rush Limbaugh's show in light of his comments about Sandra Fluke:


@Carbonite 
@ProFlowrs
@LegalZoom 
@GoToMeeting 
@citrix 
@quickenloans
@SleepNumberaSara


More here:


http://www.topplebush.com/boycott_rush.shtml




I'll keep you updated if more pull out, and list new sponsors who may come on board as they take up the space used by these losers.

Braveheart is Dead

That was the first thought I had upon hearing about Andrew Breitbart's death yesterday morning, immediately after the one that went "This is a hoax, somehow. Please let it be a hoax."


He was our William Wallace. 


Wallace encouraged the Scots to defy the overwhelming force of the English.
Andrew encouraged us to defy the overwhelming force of the traditional media.


Wallace entreated the Scots not to surrender for a peace that was de facto slavery.
Andrew entreated us to fight political correctness rather than settle for squelching our voices to de facto tyranny.


Wallace took the battle to the English on their territory - England.
Andrew took the battle to the Left on their home turf - Mainstream media and the internet.


Wallace's fighting spirit inspired the Scots to continue the struggle against the English even after his death.
Andrew's fighting spirit reproduced itself hundreds of times over, with a band of warriors ready to step in and take his place in the struggle against the progressives.




Andrew would have laughed to see himself compared to William Wallace, but the line from Braveheart says it best:  


Every man dies, not every man really lives.


RIP Happy Warrior.  You are missed.

Thoughts on Saddle Up Texas Results

We're still finding event coverage, but given that Ron Paul won the text poll by a huge margin, and given that he won the in-person vote by 4 percentage points, I doubt the media will be reporting the story of the poll results, except, perhaps, as a means to pound on Perry for his poor showing.  


First, for the record, the results:

There were in-person votes of 707, and text votes of 3321.


I want to say a few words about the results.  First, Ron Paul did so well because his supporters invested time and money to participate and spread the word about the event.  They turned the event into a rally, a fun gathering, but one in which they were determined to have an impact on the results.  Anyone who supports a candidate and complains about how Ron Paul supporters push for their candidate needs to check himself and get over it.  These supporters recognized a chance to send a message about support for Ron Paul, and they took full advantage of it.  Only Newt Gingrich supporters had the vision to do the same, and guess what place Newt took in the poll?  SECOND.  RIGHT BEHIND RON PAUL.  After three years plus of opposing big government, wasteful spending and class warfare, one would think conservatives supporting an idea or a candidate would learn that they need to do more than just feel a certain way.  They MUST learn to act. They must do more than listen to speeches and watch debates and cheer from their armchairs.  They must also WORK for their cadidate of choice.  I already hear the grumbling of "Of COURSE Ron Paul won the poll."  There's no "OF COURSE" about it.  Get off your butt.  Support YOUR candidate like that, and there's no telling how far he will go.  Envision what would have happened if YOU cared enough to invest an entry fee, bring ten like-minded friends, sent e-mails to encourage others to do the same.  Quit bitching about Ron Paul and start taking notes.


So kudos to the Ron Paul team.  Well done.  I don't care what anyone says, you are learning a lot about campaigning, building momentum, and fighting for what you believe in.  For the record, I did not vote for Ron Paul in either poll, and can't be counted among the Supporter Class he has built, so don't even start with the accusations that I'm shilling for Ron Paul.


A few more things; Ron Paul supporters, numerous as they were at the event, couldn't dominate the in-person poll the way they did the text vote.  This reflects the fact that Paul has a long way to go to convince primary voters (whose votes can't be gamed like a text poll) that he should have their support.  The differences in the poll results between in-person and text polling should signal that the game isn't merely won by a battle of perception.  It must also be won on the streets, block by block, house by house, and person by person.  People discount Paul poll wins precisely because they are so easily gamed.  Serious candidates have ground game in the primary.  It will be interesting to see whether Paul has that level of support as the candidates, the Bedouin of politics, drag their caravans from state to state.


Also, Gingrich, Santorum, and Perry appear clustered in the middle.  People who discount Ron Paul automatically will say that this is now a three-way tie in Texas for the Not Romney slot.  Most interestingly, Mitt Romney finished fifth in both polls, indicating almost zero support for Romney in Texas.  I suspect that's because his team had no presence in Texas, because the voters at the poll trended towards tea party, and because perhaps Texans and conservatives wanted to tweak Iowa and New Hampshire a little.  


The event was a wonderful celebration, but the biggest loser wasn't Romney or Huntsman.  The biggest loser was the Texas GOP and the local Republican parties who did not support the event.  Harris County GOP and Fort Bend GOP both supported the event through their executive committees, and Fort Bend had a significant presence during the event, led by Chair Sharon Roberts (not so much HCRP Chair Jared Woodfill.)  But it would be difficult to find any other county Republican party who did anything to support the idea of a Texas GOP straw poll.  If anyone can find any other local party that supported the endeavor, I will publish a correction.  And eat my shorts.


Most disappointing was the lack of involvement from the state party.  The Republican Party of Texas had floated the idea of a poll well after Saddle Up planning was underway, and reported that there was not enough interest to put on the event.  That's fair.  Endeavors like this cost huge sums, involve many people, and involve a huge element of risk.


But given that the RPT didn't have to invest ANYTHING into such an event, one wonders why they were so loathe to help publicize it.  I have met Chairman Steve Munisteri, supported his election, and spoken with him at length before the planning for this event, and I am dumbfounded at the reason the party refused to send even one e-mail on behalf of the event.  I won't make wild accusations or surmises, but I personally believe he owes me an explanation.  Chairman Munisteri, if you're paying attention, you have my number.  I'm always available to take your call.  Just be aware, there are rumblings deep in the grassroots about the leadership in the RPT, and this deliberate snub has only increased it.  You will have a long way to climb before you're above ground.  Reelection is right around the corner, unless the primary dates keep getting pushed back, and Saddle Up now has a pretty extensive contact list.  I'm just saying.


It was a three-day political conference unlike anything else we've ever put on.  People had a great time; the speakers were phenomenal, the Veterans so inspiring, the musicians so fantastic, the emcees - all our favorite radio hosts in one weekend! - were so generous and gracious, the presenters were so informative, the attendees so responsive and supportive, the Minute Maid staff and contractors so professional and helpful.  We could not have asked for a better first-effort result.  As VP of the organization behind Saddle Up, I have to say I've got immense respect and inexpressible admiration for all the people who worked so hard for no personal gain, just the chance to give Texas a voice and help some Veterans' organizations with their good work.  You can still make donations to the cause at the Saddle Up website.


And to the Senate candidate who bailed without word, notice or even a "screw you" - I can not express how pissed I am.  David Dewhurst and his team owes all the attendees a huge apology, not to mention the organizers.  Again, you have my number.  Don't send a minion to talk to me, either.  I'm done with that.  I took this blow-off very personally.


Texas and the nation have not heard the last of Saddle Up Texas.  This is only the beginning.


Saddle Up!

Friday Favorites #12

Hello, my dears!  I hope the week since we've been together has been full of fun, family and food - I know mine was.  Our families enjoyed getting together to celebrate old traditions and create some new ones.  And I learned a few things, too.  Namely, don't play nice in a white elephant gift exchange with my sisters.


So let's hop right in with:


HOW TO WASH YOUR CAR WITH ONE BUCKET OF WATER - It's amazing what one bucket of water will do for a car.  Or to it.


BOX OFFICE STATS HIT 16 YEAR LOW - I can't afford the movies anymore, so this doesn't surprise me.  There are so many movies I want to see now, too, like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Muppets, Hugo; I'm even making an exception to my "No Tom Cruise Movies Ever Again" rule and thinking about seeing the new Mission Impossible movie.  But unlike other forms of entertainment, movie theatres don't seem to be very price sensitive.  Even a matinee rate is pretty steep nowadays.


Of course, one reason people are skipping the movies might be 15 BIGGEST BOX-OFFICE FLOPS OF 2011- Admit it - even Harrison Ford teaming up with Daniel Craig couldn't draw you in. Nor could Jack Black in a film with Steve Martin.


WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEW YEAR'S EVE - Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have more than just acting in their repertoire - they sing too!


OUR CHRISTMAS ELVES TRADITION - Why Christmas was a little difficult this year.


10 MOST ANNOYING MANAGEMENT TERMS OF 2011- Via The Mister - YES, you should internalize the ideation within the stakeholder community and reach out with the results to them.  Gaaaaaah, this is why I would fail in a real job job.  I don't speak this clearly.


LEFTOVER CHRISTMAS FAIL - I love, love, love reading Failblog, and the holiday fails (and wins) abound, like THIS HEARTWARMING FAMILY MESSAGE or THIS SENTIMENTAL CHRISTMAS STORY.   But for every one of those, there's THIS KIND OF WIN that makes up for it all.  But wait!  There's more!


PARENTING FAIL - nothing makes me feel more successful as a parent than seeing something like this, and realizing that my daughters won't have this to add to their therapy list.


SNOWED-IN WIN - Power go out in your blizzard?  At least your adult beverages will be taken care of in style with a little bit of clever.  But don't let the kitties get into your booze, or THIS COULD HAPPEN.


For your New Year's resolutions, you might consider:


GRAMMAR MATTERS - Learn it, please, for mankind's sake.  


GET ORGANIZED - Well, this is one way to do it, but you'll never find anything ever again.


LOSE WEIGHT - But maybe steer clear of these products.


But there's political holiday news as well...


CHRISTMAS DAY MASSACRE WAS AN HONOR KILLING? - Apparently that little nugget hasn't made much of a stir in the news.


TSA TO EXPAND AUTHORITY TO TRAIN STATIONS - Via Pat Dollard, your friendly TSA Groper Agent is now going to be hanging out in train stations as well!  Happy travelling!


BLACK VOTERS MUST BE ABLE TO KNOW WHICH CANDIDATES ARE DEMOCRATS - Also via Pat Dollard, who really ought to be on your "Read Every Day' list, a Federal judge has ruled that North Carolina's nonpartisan races are a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1965.  Could we live in more insane times?


BROADBAND IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT - Apparently, no, we cannot live in more insane times.


JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD HEARD THE LAST OF WEINER - Former congressman Anthony Weiner and his scandals just never go away.


ART LAFFER ENDORSES NEWT - I'm not too surprised by this - Laffer was one of the economists working for Reagan in the 80s.  His endorsement is worth at least a listen.


INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY BILLS MAY NOT WORK AS INTENDED - First, when did ANYTHING Congress passed work as intended?  Secondly, I had a nearly three hour conversation with an Occupy leader recently, and one "aha moment" he seemed to have in our discussion was the lack of "next step" thinking in politics.  When we're in "crisis mode" long-term thinking goes out the window, and we lurch from one quick fix to another.  The Russell Kirk definition of conservatism includes that one needs to examine possible consequences.  We just don't do that anymore.


CONGRESS GETS RICHER - Via Joe Pags, who's surprised here?  Damned crooks.


BARNEY FRANK RETIRES, WITH 7 BONUS DEMS! - Via Sean Murphy, at least 8 Democrat veteran congressvarmints are retiring ahead of the 2012 election.  Hmmmmm...


OCCUPY TICKS OFF IOWA DEMOCRATS - Go figure.  The 99% meme doesn't seem to be playing so well anymore.


RICH ARE UNRELIABLE TAXPAYERS - And not just because they seek out tax shelters.  Turns out the rich have more volatile income, AND their income is more portable.  So yeah, let's base funding massive entitlement projects on autopilot using just the wealthiest 1%.  That sounds like a winning strategy.




This week in PEOPLE I ADORE, I want to highlight JENNY ERIKSON AND ASHLEY SEWELL who host TOP 7 every week, with the top 7 news stories just in time for the Friday office parties and family get-togethers.  Their motto is "You can get your think on, before you get your drink on."  How could you not love that?  Catch Jenny and Ashley on Twitter too.  You won't find better, funnier, smarter, or lovelier babes in the conservative movement.


And on the READING LIST this week, I'm working through the Zombie Survival Guide.  Because, you just never know.




So that's it for this week, and I'll see you next week with another batch of fun, fail, and frivolity!