Lionel McIntire is a Wuss

I decided to ask a question online about this earlier in the week (source: NY Post) :

"The punch was so loud, the kitchen workers in the back heard it over all the noise," bar back Richie Velez, 28, told The Post. "I was on my way over when he punched Camille and she fell on top of me."The other patron involved in the dispute said McIntyre then took a swing at him after he yelled, "You don't hit a woman!""He knocked the glasses right off my face," said the man, who would only give his first name as "Shannon." "The punch came out of nowhere. Mac was talking to us about white privilege and what I was doing about it -- apparently I wasn't doing enough."

The question is a three-parter:

As a pampered prof teaching at an exclusive institute of higher learning, and apparently seen as some kind of 'world leader' (by somebody anyway), can you tell me:

a.) exactly WHAT are you missing out on because of this so-called 'white privilege'?

b.) What does this so-called 'white privilege' look like?

c.) Does it entitle those who do not have it with a 'You can smack around people who don't see things your way' privilege?

Reader Thomas Hoyt’ is Dead Wrong

Instapundit posted a link to a Powerline post with a picture of President Obama bowing to Japan’s Emperor Akihito. Given the brouhaha that erupted when President Obama was photographed kowtowing to a Middle East despot, one would think that the White House would have been a little more careful in instructing the President on protocol. I realize that The One [yes..sarc] is busy remaking the world and eliminating the past, but perhaps he should refer to the past in finding out how his predecessors handled these things. Hint: You will have to wade through thousands of photos before you find any of them (not named Obama) bowing.

An Instapundit reader, one Thomas Hoyt, asserts:

Obama’s bow to the Saudi king was a breach of etiquette and a horrible symbolic act, but bowing in Japan is like shaking hands in America. Anytime you introduce yourself to someone, you bow, regardless of whether it’s the plumber come to fix your sink, your new assistant in the office, or the emperor. It is a common courtesy that has none of the meaning of bowing to a monarch that we have in the West. Refusing to bow, whether to your new assistant or the emperor [sic], has the same insulting connotation as refusing to shake hands does in the US.
The faux pas here, if there is one, is shaking hands while bowing. This is a somewhat common and humorous problem when an American meets a Japanese person in Japan. The American bows and the Japanese person reaches out to shake hands, each trying to anticipate the cultural expectations of the other...

Where does Mr. Hoyt go astray? His observations on etiquette are relevant ONLY to a personal encounter WITHIN a specific culture. They have no relevance across cultures.

Rules that apply ‘when in Rome’ are not the same as when Rome itself is interacting with (fill in other nation-state* here). While Barack Obama is just a guy, President Obama in his current office, in conducting affairs of state, as the Head of State, IS for all practical purposes, the United States.
The United States. For more than two centuries, our flag has flown below no other** and until this recent aberration of a Presidency, we have bowed to no other Nation either.

To head off nitpickers:
*I know Rome is no longer a nation-state, but it was when the original wording from which the now-common phrase came was first uttered.
**Except for the Chaplain’s flag aboard USN ships during religious services.

Update: 19 Nov 09 : When I stated above "You will have to wade through thousands of photos before you find any of them [Presidents] (not named Obama) bowing", I knew that there would be a few idle minds with the time on their hands to wade through those photos.

There will no doubt be more 'evidence' forthcoming, but here is what the lamest among us have come up with to-date:

Ben Smith at Politico has a video with what he describes a a 'deep bow' but the letdown in the video shows only what appears to be a vigorous nod (of agreement on something?) that Nixon makes while shaking hands with Mao on his trip to China.

Then there's four photos at Lawyers, Guns and Money showing Eisenhower apprently:
1. Checking out the Papal Seal inlaid in the floor with the Pope. Casually standing with his hands behind his back as military men often do (goes back to spending untold hours at Parade Rest)
2. Meeting a lady and enthusiastically behaving as Gentlemen did back in the day.
3. Shaking the hand of a Greek Orthodox Archbishop and leaning forward while doing so. (there's that enthusiasm again)
4. Standing around and looking at the ground while De Gaulle bloviates over some point.

The LG&M poster apparently thinks these are all 'bows' in the same sense as Obama's bowing . So here's another hint for you children of the 60s forward: people used to be a lot more animated in their movements before the unblinking eye gained a 24hr presence.

A Family That Serves Together

I've been meaning to post on this for a while. Here's a pic of D3's* Mom's car:

She's a four Blue-Star Mom and every one of her kids has now served in-theater (some multiple times) in the GWOT (call it what you want, it IS what it IS).
Kudo's to her! I'd say she raised a good set of kids.

*D3 is My 'Daughter-In-Law', now serving in Afghanistan.

Viva La Reagan Revolucion!

A 'Brand' upon which you can rely through good times and bad.

Hmmmm. Remember the recent calls by some morons to 'get over' Reagan?

(click here to shop for your own shirt).

"Never Forget" Means Never Forgetting

Amen to that,Mr Whittle!

In the face of a blatent attempt to 'reframe' our perception of what 9/11 is all about and what it should be remembered for, Bill Whittle at PJTV heads up today's Trifecta with Scott Ott and Stephen Green. Within they cogently remind us why no reframing is required. I am somewhat saddened by the need to state the obvious these days, but for the most part I'm just p***ed off.

I'm talkin' to you Obamabots.... I got yer' National Day of Service hangin'.

Capitalism is Evil?

Michael Moore 'thinks' so....

No Michael. But I think you and your ilk are evil. A stupid, vain, pinhead form of evil, but evil none the less.

The best way to deal with this kind of evil is to mock it, and point out just how stupid it is. Now, I'm sure Mr. Moore takes great care to NOT encounter people who are in a position to point out his stupidity, but there must be a couple of people he deals with on any given day who 1. recognizes him and 2. are not dependent upon his good graces for their livelihoods.

So... if any of you happen to run into Mr. Moore, please point at his pathetic self and laugh at him for me will you? I'd do the same for you. I thank you in advance.

P.S. Lance Fairchok at American Thinker has a timely post that illustrates quite clearly why the stupidity of the Left must not stand.

Godspeed Mr Allingham

Mission Accomplished:
"Allingham, who was the world's oldest man when he died Saturday at 113, attributed his remarkable longevity to "cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women."

AP apes my post title where I first posted on Mr Allingham in 2006.

Uncle Jimbo Reviews "Assassination as Theater"

Over at Blackfive, in a video that nails the 'players' and the 'play' perfectly, Uncle Jimbo reviews the latest Pelosi Production, now showing at the House of Representatives Playhouse in DC .

I'm forwarding this to D3 in the 'Stan so she can pass it around if she'd like.

Tip: Watch can the video until the end to see what's on the smoker. You can tell he ain't in North Texas where it was 106 degrees F today and 108 yesterday.

"Disdain for U.S. Policies"

You call that a defense?

Instapundit, links to another news story concerning the two 'govnoed' (see previous post) who were allegedly (wink wink) selling out our country due to some perceived disillusionment on their part.
Hmmm.
I wonder, what tipped them over the edge? Was it perhaps the disappointment of being able to only save up enough Dinero for a 38' yacht on a State Department salary? I mean, would a bigger one have kept them from selling us out?

But Gee! I thought they were happy with the one they had:

We have the most beautiful boat!
It is 8:00 PM here; we are having a drink and are practically melting in our chairs while repeating to one another, ”we have the most beautiful boat.”

Today the temperature was around 60 degrees and the wind from 4 to 8 knots. We sailed the good ship Helene on the Bay for 4 hours. Kendall sailed then napped for an hour on a pad behind the helm’s seat. I used a finger to occasionally touch the wheel while the boat sailed herself. Clouds were mesmerizing. No other boats around so thoroughly relaxed. Our only comments were how well balanced she is, how smoothly she sails, and how fast she is in any wind.
Two weeks ago we took her on her first sail of the spring and were surprised by a 24 knot gust. She took the blow like a champ, rounding up to wait for us to ”come to!”
We just want you to know our happy we are with our decision to purchase this gem from you!

Cheers,
Gwen and Kendall

Somehow I think the link to the above will disappear soon. Update 06/10/09 1020hrs: The link no longer works. No worries though, as I saved a copy:


We will next begin to hear that what they gave the Cubans wasn't THAT important. That will be even more disgusting.

Cuban Spies In The State Department?

Who'd a Thunk?

If the case is valid (and I'd say we have every reason to believe it is) these people are disgusting. The Soviets used to call them 'govnoed' (Sh**eaters):

Officers of both the GRU and the KGB have very much more respect for their agents than for the sh**-eaters. The motives of agents are clear — an easy life and plenty of money. If you take risks and lose, then no money and no easy life. To the end of his life the agent will not be able to tear himself away from this servitude — as is the case in the criminal world. But the behaviour of the numerous friends of the Soviet Union is utterly incomprehensible to Soviet people. --Victor Suvorov

Or could it just be the Conservative in me that makes me too easily disgusted? Well, that's probably what Psycheboy Pizarro thinks anyway.

~Sigh~ @#^*!%! Freaking Hippies and punk-a** Postmodern Academes.

Hopeychange n' Stuff #1

Maybe he's just trying to make Biden look smart.

NY Times Covers Up a Crime For "Their Guy"?

Aren't we lucky to have such an 'unbiased' press?

From Powerline:

"I am sorry," she wrote, "but I believe in Obama and did not want to help the Republicans."

Oh.

Well...I guess that makes it all right then?

Go. Read it all. Follow the link as well.

Hopefully (and I'm not a 'hope' kind of guy) every blog in America will soon have more readership than the NYT.

Jon Stewart Smackdown

As if you need another reason to kick Jon Stewart's a** if you ever see him outside his bubble, there's this.

The link takes you to a video of one of the most cogent decompositions of the 'Nukes Weren't Neccessary' revisionist bile ever delivered. Well done!

Yeah, That's Me! I'm Johnny Republico!

Iowahawk has outed me:

Republico matches every profile we have for a dangerous sleeper terrorist - pallid complexion, male, military veteran, weirdly unenthusiastic about paying taxes...
...In fact, we believe he may even have a gun.

Rats, I'm busted.

Read it all - TOO funny. Sad too...but funny!

Ron Howard: "Dopey Opie, Opie Dopey"

Whatever...

(H/T: Brent Baker)

If you are an Andy Griffith Show fan, or have just watched enough episodes over the years, you will remember the episode when the new kid comes to town and starts causing trouble with Opie and his friends by trying to lead them into what looks like a life of minor crime; stealing, vandalism, riding bikes on the sidewalk (Oh Barney Fife where are you now?!), etc. The interloper tries to dominate the Opie (Ron Howard) character and assume leadership of the group by making a fun of Opie's name, by various means including the use of a taunting rhyme: 'Dopey Opie'.

Now I admit, that as a kid I watched the Andy Griffith Show with more interest than most others (and it WAS the No. 1 show for years on TV) in part because I felt an affinity for Ron Howard and his character. We were about the same age and on the black and white TV sets we looked a lot alike as kids -- it was like having a near twin on TV, and I got a lot of "Hey! Are you...?, Well you look just like him" in the early years of the show. (Later in life , it would be the same, only with Drew Carey. But that is another story).

So I always had an affinity for Ron Howard and his work. Growing up I'd see him or his Dad on TV doing various talk shows/specials and other things and they seemed to be so common sense and otherwise 'Un-Hollywood'. As Ron Howard became a noted film maker, you had to admire and respect his transition from child-star to a powerful and successful movie maker.

Then, as they say, he had to "open his mouth and ruin everything".

It turns out that for all those years he only seemed to be 'Un-Hollywood' , while turning into some sort of BDS suffering, Obama-Idolizing idiot. After his Obama promo, I can honestly say I've felt no desire to watch any of his work and doubt if I ever will again. Since he produced that paean to Obama (and the whole Hope and Change 'thang) his movie "Frost/Nixon" was released, which from this quarter seems like an insecure attempt to endear him to the rest of the Hollywood set even more. Of course, it only helps that Frost/Nixon promotes the lefty view of the interviews, and the fact that the account of Frost interviewing the disgraced Former President is historical revisionism can only help his cause with his fellow travelers.

Well folks, Opie is still digging. On Bill Maher's show this week Howard let lose some real gems, not the least of which is:

"at a certain point I don't think we'll be so consumed with being the pre-eminent super-power and, you know, driven by sort of militarism and this need to export, you know, democracy.”

Now THAT folks, is Hybris. After seeing the 'interview', I wondered what's keeping Opie from moving to Europe already?

Go to Brent Baker's and read the rest. The post and comments are well worth the trip.

Leftard Foreign Policy or Something

Three hard-core Leftard Radicals, a Deadbeat Defaulter, and three other (but more generic) Useful Idiots of the (D) variety all went to the Workers Paradise for some fun in the sun.

Oh......and they also kissed a couple of murdering commie dictator asses. Who are the ringleaders? We shall know them by their deeds (and these are just the defense-related outrages).

The Leftard Radicals on Parade
Barbara Lee(D)
-Democratic Member of Congress, co-chair of the radical Progressive Caucus
-Former agent of Black Panther leader and convicted killer Huey Newton
-Collaborated with the Marxist dictatorship of Grenada to deceive the U.S. Congress
-Voted against using military force against terrorists following the 9/11 attacks
-Has consistently voted against U.S.-led military action, regardless of circumstances

Melvin Watt(D)
-Member of the radical Progressive Caucus

Watt has voted:
-Against the development of a national missile-defense system;
-Against the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001;
-Against the post-9/11 anti-terrorism measure known as the Patriot Act;
-Against allowing the U.S. government to use electronic surveillance to investigate suspected terrorist operatives;
-Against a bill permitting the government to combat potential terrorist threats by monitoring foreign electronic communications which are routed through the United States;
-Against an October 2002 joint resolution authorizing U.S. military action in Iraq;
-Against the establishment of military commissions to try enemy combatants captured in the war on terror;
-In favor of withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq immediately and by a preordained date;
-Against President Bush's 2007 decision to deploy some 21,500 additional U.S. soldiers in an effort to quell the violent insurgents in Iraq;
-In favor of a proposal to expedite the transfer of all prisoners in the Guantanamo Bay detention center;
-Against requiring hospitals to report (to the federal government) illegal aliens who receive emergency medical treatment;
-Against the Real ID Act, which proposed to set minimal security requirements for state driver licenses and identification cards;
-Against separate proposals calling for the construction of some 700 miles of fencing to prevent illegal immigration along America's southern border;
-Against a proposal to grant state and local officials the authority to investigate, identify, and arrest illegal immigrants.

Bobby Rush (D)
-Member of the Progressive Caucus
-In 1968, went AWOL from the U.S. Army
-Co-founder of the Illinois branch of the Black Panther Party
-In 1969, served six months in jail for an illegal weapons conviction

Rush has voted:
-Against the development of a national missile defense system;
-Against the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001; Against the post-9/11 anti-terrorism measure known as the Patriot Act;
-Against allowing the U.S. government to use electronic surveillance to investigate suspected terrorist operatives;
-Against a bill permitting the government to combat potential terrorist threats by monitoring foreign electronic communications which are routed through the United States;
-Against an October 2002 joint resolution authorizing U.S. military action in Iraq;
-Against the establishment of military commissions to try enemy combatants captured in the war on terror;
-In favor of withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq immediately and by a preordained date;
-Against President Bush's 2007 decision to deploy some 21,500 additional U.S. soldiers in an effort to quell the violent insurgents in Iraq;
-In favor of a proposal to expedite the transfer of all prisoners in the Guantanamo Bay detention center;
-Against requiring hospitals to report (to the federal government) illegal aliens who receive emergency medical treatment;
-Against the Real ID Act, which proposed to set minimal security requirements for state driver licenses and identification cards;
-Against separate proposals calling for the construction of some 700 miles of fencing to prevent illegal immigration along America's southern border;
-Against a proposal to grant state and local officials the authority to investigate, identify, and arrest illegal immigrants;

How’s this Leftard Do-it-yourself Foreign Policy working? Well the Murdering Commie Dictators are already making hay out of it.

BTW: The three generic Useful Idiots were: Emanuel Cleaver (MO), Marcia Fudge (OH) and Mike Honda (CA).

Gun Fear

I've been on the road for a few days and am just catching up with the world before I post a few items that I've been mulling. In the interim, here's a link to what seems to be a nice person fretting about all those conservatives with guns. (H/T Say Uncle).

I think her general lack of perspective on the subject probably arises from a life within a sheltered 'progressive' environment. She probably isn't widening her horizons much in a 'law school'. I'd recommend she begin a regimen of regularly visiting Clayton Cramer's Civilian Gun Defense blog as a prophylactic to the 'progressive' drivel surrounding gun ownership and use.

Perhaps someday she will refuse to be a victim.

The ACLU and Blind Pigs

File this under "even a blind pig finds an acorn every now and then".

This reads like a bad TV movie (IF you weren't/aren't living through it).

Hmmm. It occurs to me that normally within in these kinds of stories there's some easily identified 'worst case' villian involved, but in this one article I'm having a hard time deciding exactly which of these people truly present the greatest threat to the American Way of Life. Is it the paranoid and rationalizing school administrators? The strawman-creating Berkley-programmed Academe? The morality-stunted Ninth Circuit (apologies for the redundancy) Judge?

About the only one we know who isn't a threat is the Student victim.

Powerline's Scott Johnson Nails President Obama

Powerline's Scott Johnson has a riff on why he's 'depressed' in a personal reflection on Professor Victor Davis Hansen's recent post: Thoughts About Depressed Americans .

Johnson's bottom line: "I am depressed because the president of the United States is a fool who will immiserate us, render us wards of the state and lose us our life and liberty to those who understand what they are about."

I'm not depressed Mr. Johnson, but that's not saying that the source of your depression is not real or accurately perceived. Your reasoning is sound. I'm not depressed because there is a growing resistance to this fool (and his fellow fools of Pelosi, etal) who would immiserate us.

I'm more frustrated and angry but still optimistic because we have these folks on our side.

Conservatives! Ya gotta have faith and commitment, baby!

Making the Jersey Shore Safe for Summer

Thank goodness. Because when bikini waxes are outlawed, only outlaws will have bikini waxes!

Via JammieWearingFool


Updated out of the Box:
Cripes! Instapundit has already picked this up. Curses, Instapundit and your Legion Army of Davids!