Khalid Sheik O’Donnell

If you’re like me you are now wiping a mouthful of coffee from your computer screen. As mere words would detract from such a masterful photoshop, if it is in fact a photoshop, I have no further comment. 

Feel free to add your own however.

How Gubbmint Works

We’ve all heard it said that a people will get the government that they deserve. This little story floating around the intartubes the last few days couldn’t spell it out any clearer. Via Shrinkwrapped.

Once upon a time the government had a vast scrap yard in the middle of a desert. Congress said, “Someone may steal from it at night.”

So they created a night watchman position and hired a person for the job.

Then Congress said, “How does the watchman do his job without instruction?” So they created a planning department and hired two people, one person to write the instructions, and one person to do time studies.

Then Congress said, “How will we know the night watchman is doing the tasks correctly?” So they created a Quality Control department and hired two people. One to do the studies and one to write the reports..

Then Congress said, “How are these people going to get paid?” So they created the following positions, a time keeper, and a payroll officer, then hired two people.

Then Congress said, “Who will be accountable for all of these people?” So they created an administrative section and hired three people, an Administrative Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer, and a Legal Secretary.

Then Congress said, “We have had this command in operation for one Year and we are $18,000 over budget, we must cutback overall cost.”

So they laid off the night watchman.

NOW slowly, let it sink in.

Quietly, we go like sheep to slaughter..

Does anybody remember the reason given for the establishment of the DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY…. during the Carter Administration?

Anybody?

Anything?

No?

Didn’t think so!

Bottom line. We’ve spent several hundred billion dollars in support of an agency….the reason for which not one person who reads this can remember!

Ready??

It was very simple…and at the time, everybody thought it very appropriate.

The Department of Energy was instituted on 8-04-1977.
TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL.

Hey, pretty efficient, huh???

AND NOW IT’S 2009 — 32 YEARS LATER — AND THE BUDGET FOR THIS “NECESSARY” DEPARTMENT IS AT $24.2 BILLION A YEAR. THEY HAVE 16,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND APPROXIMATELY 100,000 CONTRACT EMPLOYEES; AND LOOK AT THE JOB THEY HAVE DONE! THIS IS WHERE YOU SLAP YOUR FOREHEAD AND SAY, “WHAT WAS I THINKING?”

Ah, yes — good ole bureaucracy.

AND, NOW, WE ARE GOING TO TURN THE BANKING SYSTEM, HEALTH CARE, AND THE AUTO INDUSTRY OVER TO THE SAME GOVERNMENT?
HELLOOO! Anybody Home?

For Sale: Great value in up and coming neighborhood!

 Short Sale!! Purchased by Detroit taxpayers for $55,000,000, this suburban oasis is awaiting a new owners personal touches. Spacious with open floor plan, ample parking, great for entertaining. Priced below assesment!

We’re Doomed!!

I’m watching the TV news out of the corner of my eye and they breathlessly proclaim “We’re running out of domain names. THAT COULD MEAN NO NEW WEB SITES!!”

Jebus. Would they run a headline saying “We’ve run out of names for new recipes. WE”RE ALL GONNA STARVE!!”

Relax. I’m sure somebody will think of something.

Update: That’s it! I’m done with the tube. Even as background noise.

While certainly a blowhard and egomaniac, Bill O’Reilly occasionally makes some good points in his bombastic way but come on! Again I’m watching and listening from a distance while he is having a perfectly nice interview with ex-CNN talking head Lou Dobbs when as his finisher…his big wrap up question in the interview, he asks earnestly, “So, is Barack Obama the Devil?” Sweet Jesus on the Cross WTF?

Often I find myself at least partially in agreement with many of his views regarding government corruption, the exploitation of children, etc., but from now on please..please..PLEASE..PLEASE!! stay off of my side!

Update to update: Commentor marianne7 responds that it was a joke and perhaps I should lighten up a bit. Point taken.

Whatever you do, don’t stand up for yourself.

So my oldest son gets on the bus for school last week and searches for a seat on the nearly full coach. He spots an opening on one of the large bench seats near his friends that is occupied by a red haired school mate and his trumpet case. He asks the kid to put his trumpet on the floor so he can sit down. The kid refuses. As the bus is now moving and he knows he will be in dutch with the driver if he looks in his rear view mirror and sees him standing in the aisle, he says a little more forcefully and perhaps a bit provocatively ” Move over ginger”, grabs a hand hold, (ass hold?) on the seat and moves the kid and case over enough to provide purchase for half a cheek. Red haired kid then raises his trumpet case over his head and wollops Jackson on the point of his dome. Hard enough to raise a good goose egg. Much to my later satisfaction, as the kid raised the instument for a second blow Jack turned and delivered a few quick right and left hands until the offending trumpet case had dropped to the floor. Just as my father taught me. Just as I now teach my son. Never start a fight, always finish it.

Of course this is not the proper course of action for boys in these PC times. You are expected to run to the driver and snivellingly rat on the offender while your friends observe and snicker to themselves, “What a pussy”. How far we’ve come in training our young men to become adults able to stand on their own in this world.

I understand he broke the rules and while I think he did the correct thing in defending himself, I explained to him that while he didn’t break my rules, he broke school rules and had to accept his punishment of three days suspension from riding the bus like a man and then move on. I thought that was that until I received a letter from the Director of Transportation from the school district this afternoon explaining the suspension. It stated that while my son would be suspended from riding for three days, the other boy was excused due to my son provoking the incident by using the “racist” term of Ginger. Racist? Really!?
Has hair color now become a racial characteristic? I guess he should have just called him an asshole as those are not a designated victim group…yet.

I’m a pretty big guy and can come across as rather menacing when I choose too to those who don’t know me. I’m going to get in the face of a certain District Transportation Director. My childhood freckles have mostly faded and my red hair gone gray but pray he doesn’t call me Ginger. I won’t be held responsible for my actions.

Now that’s nuance.

My father spent a few years in Japan in the 1950’s and he described to me as a curious young man the intricacies of the bow in Japanese culture. Each movement, the depth of the bow, placement of the hands, every aspect, has a specific intended meaning between the bower and the bowee as it were. The picture of Obama bowing before the Japanese Emperor making the rounds today is truly cringe worthy, particularly as it is directed towards the one person in Japan who is likely the most knowledgeable and sensitive to the intricacies of the culture.

Let’s review. A deep bow is a sign of respect to whom you are bowing, but can also be a signal to him that you regard him as your superior. Hand placement is also paramount with the palms flat at your side. The length of time the bow is held, who returns to a standing position first, and even the time it takes to return to a standing position have meaning as well. When an equally deep bow is not returned, as appears to be the case here, the only conclusion to be drawn is that the reciever of the bow is in agreement as to their respective status. Seems Obama’s not the only one who can slip in a sly FU to knowing eyes.

The bow Obama is presenting to the Emperor below is the cultural equivalent of the leader of the free world offering his right hand to a foreign dignitary and having said dignitary grab his dick instead. No wonder the Emperor has such a bemused look on his face while he pointedly neglects to politely return the bow in kind. He is merely returning the sentiment of such a sloppily executed salutation. I guess you have to give “O” a bit of credit for attempting to be culturally sensitive but let’s try a little harder shall we? 

This from a commenter over at Gerard’s.

Foreigners are not expected to bow, as they lack the requisite knowledge of the elaborate etiquette governing this for at least 1000 years.

This BHO bow, because of its degree of declination and the shamefully rounded back, is in Japanese eyes the bow of a crippled toilet attendant to his supreme master.
Posted by: Takuan Seiyo at November 14, 2009 12:19 PM

Update: It has been brought to my attention via a comment thread at neoneocon that it is not customary for the Japanese emperor to bow to anyone. Fair enough. Last I checked it wasn’t customary for American Presidents either.

You Are There

Via Instapundit, amazing video simulation of U.S. Air 1549

The Fix Is In.

The AM radio noise machine has been in high dudgeon today regarding the decision to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed in a civilian courtroom with all of the rights of any ordinary citizen to cross examine his accusers and have the results splattered over the pages and TV screens of our daunted media ala the O.J. trial. The shrill cries of these pundits braying that he might get off scott free due to a sympathetic judge or brain dead jury and then, finally, the people will see our President for what he is and run him out of town on a rail.

As usual they are misunderestimating the most politically cunning administration in recent history. Believe me, KSM is not going to walk after Obama making such a show about Truth, Justice, and the American Way, which was not in evidence in this country before November 3rd 2008 by the way. Ain’t gonna happen. Not the Chicago way. KSM will get his trial and then quietly hook up with his promised 72 virgins while Obama basks in the light of his halo.

In the interim however we are about to witness a trial the likes of which will make O.J’s last starring role look like a low grade Bollywood production, but instead of Mark Furhman and the LAPD on trial it will be a 24/7 Bush and Cheney traveling waterboard torture freak show.

Obama placates his slobbering base and the rest of the American Idol citizenry gets to watch the previous administration frog marched across the television screen for months on end. Win win for “The One” I’d say.

Don’t suppose he’d try to sneak Pelosicare past us while we’re pre-occupied with such important matters. See the quickly moving hand drawing your eye? The Ace is in the other hand.

Snorfle.
H/T to Morgan

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

According to Fox News, Mao loving White House Communications Director Anita Dunn is taking her little red book and going home.

Any more bodies under that bus and it will high center.