Outbreak of Lung Disease at Iowa American Lung Association Offices

An outbreak of histoplasmosis, which causes flu-like symptoms.  They've apparently locked down the building and are doing tests, and I'm guessing they'll sterilize it.  The disease is common in Iowa, but having a large outbreak like this is unusual.

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The Buzzards Circle Overhead

Supposedly, Fox News has reported that there is a Britney Spears tape from when her head was shaved, it supposedly shows her having a four-way with two women and a guy, smoking weed and doing coke.  Of course, we've heard that Britney sex tapes were gonna surface what, a thousand times now, and they haven't shown up?  So I'm questioning whether this is real, or if it even exists. 

Even if it does, its pretty rotten to put it out there when she's clearly losing it.  Dr. Phil's shameless self-promotion was bad, I think this is worse.

The tape?  BOGUS!  This is what, the thousandth fake Britney Spears sex tape?

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Indian Car Company Creates Budget Car, Environmentalists Bitch

The market and an entrepreneur creates opportunities long out of reach for India's people, environmentalists look for excuses to take it away.  I hope Tata Motors makes a fucking fortune.

Tata makes small budget cars, and they think they might have a winner in their new Nano line.  Its a tiny peanut with four seats, a lawnmower motor and wheels, but it would be a huge improvement over what is currently being driven in India.  It will sell for 100K Rupees, which is a bit over $2,500 if the currency exchange widget I put the number through is right...if I'm wrong on that, maybe Tushar'll drop by and correct me.  You won't see it in the US or Europe because it doesn't meet our safety or emissions standards, but it meets all of India's current standards.  Here's a pic of the Nano,

Here's Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata talking about the Nano and the inspiration behind it,

"I observed families riding on two-wheelers - the father driving the scooter, his young kid standing in front of him, his wife seated behind him holding a little baby.

"It led me to wonder whether one could conceive of a safe, affordable, all-weather form of transport for such a family. Tata Motors' engineers and designers gave their all for about four years to realise this goal.

"Today, we indeed have a people's car which is affordable and yet built to meet safety requirements and emission norms, to be fuel efficient and low on emissions. We are happy to present the people's car to India and we hope it brings the joy, pride and utility of owning a car to many families who need personal mobility."

Neat, right?  And while I'm guessing this thing would be a deathtrap in the US, its a huge improvement over there.  Reminds me of a quote from the late Colonel Sanders I saw a while ago,

Feed the poor and get rich or feed the rich and get poor.

Of course, the Colonel has his whiny naysayers...

Tata is doing exactly what the Colonel said there, improving lives by offering a vehicle to people that could never afford one otherwise.  A car gives you much more opportunity, its much easier to go where the work is with the kind of mobility a car provides.  Beyond that, its a thing of pride to own one.

And, as is obligatory with any story where there is progress in bringing a better life to people, there are environmentalists whining and trying to stop it. In this case, they're complaining that its gonna cause more congestion and pollution in India's already congested and polluted cities. 

Now, I'm not dismissing those concerns, congestion, smog and pollution are serious problems in India's big cities already, but c'mon, give your own people some credit, they'll either innovate and create more efficient cars, find a cleaner energy source (or benefit from us or someone else doing the same), or they'll find some way to relieve congestion and pollution, maybe expand into suburbs or whatever an Indian equivalent would be, but I'm sure all the solutions offered would be met with bitching too.  Or maybe Indians at large will accept that pollution and congestion is more than a fair trade-off for not living in abject poverty, and try and work around it.  We have, Europeans have, Japanese have.

The funny part, I bet there are environmentalists who live in the comfort of a US or Western Europe who will have the audacity to bitch about this development.

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January 11th Approaches, And Fred Needs Monies

Yes, he needs the monies so he can smack down the rest of the RINO field.  If you have some extra scratch, help Fred out.  Fred made his goal handily last time, this time its gonna be close.

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General Honore Retires

You remember General Honore, right?  He was the General who led the National Guard in getting order back in Louisiana, particularly when FEMA, state and local officials were too busy playing grabass to get anything accomplished.

Honore's probably most famous for telling a reporter who was pestering him that the reporter was "Stuck on Stupid."  But he should be most known for his decades excellent service to the American people and the men and women under his command.  His retirement plans involve working to teach preparedness to people in the event of an emergency.

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Ace Unleashes Rhetorical Asskicking on Reason Magazine

Daaaaaayum.  Our Moron-in-Chief does an awesome takedown of Reason's weakass response and lack of condemnation of Ron Paul's conspiracy-theorizing and racist/anti-semitic newsletters.

As he says, its not their libertarianism that's the problem, its their refusal to put forth a solid condemnation towards Ron Paul for these newsletters, and they oughta be ashamed of themselves.  Read the whole thing (as if I have to tell most of my readers to read Ace's stuff), its definitely worthy of Ace's Best Hits in the sidebar.

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Pat Robertson Predicts Market Downturn, Oil Price Skyrocket, Suckers Will Give Him More Money

I know one of those is gonna be right.  Anyway, he predicted last year that cities were gonna get nuked by terrorists last year, but that never came to fruition, says Robertson,

"All I can think is that somehow the people of God prayed and God in his mercy spared us,"

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Credit Company Refusing to Allow Firearms Purchases With Their Credit?

Kinda looks like it, I'm thinking this might not be a smooth move, particularly given the business risk of pissing off gunowners, they're kinda well known for running effective boycotts. 

Ask the gun nut in your circle about Smith&Wesson's Deal With the Devil, where S&W agreed to deal offered by the Clinton Administration to enact a bunch of self-imposed gun control measures to avoid lawsuits. They faced a massive denunciation by the rest of the firearms industry, who had rejected similar deals, lobby groups, and massive boycotts by gunowners, the market flooded with used S&W's, they were being unloaded by pissed off gunowners.  Only when S&W was bought out and the Deal terminated did they get back on their feet. 

So what is Citi doing? They're refusing to allow transactions between FFLs (a federally licensed person who sells you a new firearm), and the manufacturers.  Which I guess means they'll either flock to new creditors or go to a cash system. 

Democrats have to hate this, the last thing they want or need politically speaking is gunowners being reminded of the 90s, when gun control measures were a major cause of their defeats.  They've been visibly backing off gun control, they know its a political loser.

I'll be curious about the legality of this, if there is some technical point that either side on this can argue, but I wonder if it'll even have to go that far if gunowners start galvanizing against Citi.

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The View From Your Window

I thought I'd put on my St. Andrew hat for this story, a child molester chokes to death on a hot dog in prison, and the sick pedo freak sends me the view from his window from beyond the grave,

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Did Hill's Tears Work?

Seems to be the question everyone's asking.  Everyone seemed to think Hillary was gonna flame out and Obama would be the nominee.  The media got most of us believing that Hillary would crash and burn with the rise of Obama, and are now trying to jerk people back into the same "Comeback Kid" crap that was slung by the media during Big Slick's run, and it seems to be working for Hillary. 

I'm starting to wonder if the Obama win in Iowa was a fluke, and no, that's not questioning the legitimacy of his win, but rather questioning if it was an outlier, and Hillary really is secure in her nomination.  On the flipside, he didn't lose by much, so maybe its actually Hill's win in NH itself that's the fluke, the vomit-inducing "Comeback Kid" narrative will help her certainly, and may put her back on her cloven hooves.

I don't know if she is secure in the nomination, we'll have to see if Obama can pull a few wins or at least stay competitive until Super Tuesday, and then see how he does there.  I think a lot of that is gonna rely on if he can get Silky Pony to drop out and agree to at least a Cabinet seat or something. 

As for the tears, did they work?  I'm not sure, again, I wonder if Obama's win in Iowa was an outlier, which wouldn't be unusual for Iowa's chosen candidates.  Could have helped though, its definitely a challenge to Obama's lock on Oprah voters.  Some people think its because Hill had a better ground game going.  I think that's more likely, and I'm betting McCain's strong showing in NH didn't help Obama either because it would have taken away some Independent voters.

I know most people think the tears were a calculated stunt, I'll admit to thinking that is more likely than I did, but I still leaning toward it being real, her and her campaign staff were reported to be pretty friggin' nervous going into NH, and given her insatiable desire for power, and the threat Obama is proving to be to her attaining the power she's been seeking for two decades, I don't think its completely out of the question that the Glacier might have cracked a bit out of self pity.

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Comrade Huckabee Wages Propaganda War on The Capitalist Pigs

Mike Huckabee, architect of the GOPs Great Leap Backward,

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Strategery and Fred's Stand in South Carolina

There's been a ongoing debate as to what New Hampshire means to Fred, and who Fredheads should be cheering for in NH, given Fred isn't competing there, and likely not to get much support there.

I'll note that I'm baffled by the fact that NH isn't supporting him, given that its a small government place.  The obvious reason NH isn't supporting him is because of the perceived 'snubbing' by Fred for skipping that debate in NH.  Of course, if that's the reason they're opposed to Fred, its a crappy one, and they're voting against their own interest.

Here's Ace talking about it, which goes back to Allah's commentary.  Allah thinks that Fredheads should hope for McCain to win to knock out Mitt, Ace thinks that it would be better if Romney wins to stifle McCain's comeback.  I agree with Allah, and here's why...

I think Mitt's support is a mile wide and an inch deep, and besides a small core of strong supporters, Mitt's broader support should be very easy to peel off once its obvious that the giant machine he's assembled can't make a dent in the electorate, and he can smack around people with his moneybag, but its not gonna amount to anything, because he's not gonna have the votes and'll flame out.  The guy is able to perform solidly and is a masterful manager, but support for him just feels hollow, it seems like he lacks a strong guttural base of support like a Fred or...blech, Huck. 

And I think once McCain heads to South Carolina, his RINOism and past glee in betraying the conservative movement will end any momentum he has, not to mention the fact that people hate Lindsay Graham with a passion right now for acting like a spoiled, hysterical manbitch during the amnesty fight.

Brit Hume projects, and I hate these projections, but they're projecting McCain at FNC.

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Rush to the Hucktards, WTF Are You People Doing?

Who does he point them to?  The only conservative who is running this election season, of course.

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Bill Introduced in Tennessee to Allow People to Conceal Carry in Liquor Stores, Bars

Its only for people who won't be drinking on premises, so it sounds like its designed to make it so that employees can carry, and given that liquor stores are often targets of armed robbery and bars can obviously attract the wrong types, I think in particular it would be good for women that work in bars who are worried about aggressive guys as she's heading back to her car or walking home. 

Owners could still ban firearms on premises.   Interesting enough, its a Democrat who introduced this bill, I bet his fellow Democrats love that.   Good on him.

I'm not gonna lie, I only did this piece because I was looking for an excuse to post this pic, as its oddly appropriate, and because when I want a pic that evokes laughter from me,

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Multitasker

I normally rag on stuff like this because they almost always suck in terms of function, but this is so awesomely wacky how can I not approve?  Taser has introduced a Taser/MP3 player combo during a major trade show.  It can hold up to 150 songs...I think its almost obligatory, you have to put this on, and these,





Unrelated, but since I mention multitaskers, Alton Brown just signed on for three more years at Food Network, kickass!   Alton's the only reason to watch FN, Rachel Ray is the Antichrist.  And yes, I know that a combo product and true multitaskers usually aren't the same thing.

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Another Fred Push

Fred's looking to pull in $540K by the 11th, and to get 50K people signed up into with the Friends of Fred, he's got a ways to go, particularly with the sign-ups.  If you've got a few extra pennies rattling around and support Fred, send'em his way, and if you want to get info or seeking to volunteer with Fred, I'm guessing the Friends of Fred is a good way to start.

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Tears of a Clown

I still haven't decided whether the Hildebeest's tears were a calculation or a genuine breakdown, I've been leaning toward breakdown, and Dick Morris just said that was a real crack in the Glacier on Dunce&Eyebrow. 

On one hand, its Dick Morris, and most of the time when he says something I assume the opposite is true, and that usually is a safe bet, but this time, I'm inclined to agree. 

I think the fact that Hillary has been working towards this end for over two decades to achieve the pinnacle of power and sees it slipping through her fingers finally made her crack.  Hillary Clinton loves one thing, and one thing only, power.  And the one thing she truly loves is being denied to her.

As much as we like to goof on Hillary and caricature her as a supremely malevolent force, she is human, and even the best of them crack.

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Michigan Sees Lower "Gun Deaths" and Lower Violent Crime With Relaxed Rules For Concealed Carry

B-b-b-but, I thought Conceal Carry would turn the streets into the Wild West?

I love stories like this...

Six years ago, Michigan decided go with the crowd and loosen up regulations on carrying a concealed firearm.  Within that six years, CCW permit carryers went up 6 times.  Anti-2nd advocates were of course making breathless warnings that it would cause yet more bloodshed, as they do every time a state decides to expand the rights of state residents.  And, as predictable as the breathless whining from the assorted anti-2nd groups is, so too is the fact that violent crime drops in the state.  Now, it sounds like a modest drop, and it probably is, but remember, Detroit is a portal to the gaping maw of hell itself, so even a modest improvement deserves major acknowledgment.

On average, not only did violent crime drop, people who died as a result of firearms, including accidents and suicide actually dropped as well.  Interesting, huh?  Anyway, here's the stock comment and reaction from a police chief who assumed giving his fellow citizens increased rights would cause anarchy.

"I think the general consensus out there from law enforcement is that things were not as bad as we expected," said Woodhaven Police Chief Michael Martin, cochair of the legislative committee for the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police. "There are problems with gun violence. But ... I think we can breathe a sigh of relief that what we anticipated didn't happen."

Again, "gun violence" is not the problem, criminals who use firearms are the problem. 

The fact that Michigan passed this law is kind of a fluke.  It was snuck into an unrelated bill, now normally I'm turned off by that sort of thing, but I know that anti-2nd politicians have tried slipping bans and restrictions into unrelated legislation, so as far as I'm concerned, turnabout is fair play.  Suck it, gungrabbers!

So now, we get the voices of dissent, you can almost tell it breaks their hearts that Michigan didn't turn into a bloodbath to in order prove them right.

Kenneth Levin, a West Bloomfield physician, was one of those critics. In a letter to the Free Press in July 2001, he referred to the "inevitable first victim of road or workplace rage as a result of this law."Last month, Levin said he suspected "it probably hasn't turned out as bad as I thought. I don't think I was wrong, but my worst fears weren't realized."

Lemme translate:  DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!!!!  WHY AREN'T YOU STUPID REDNECK WINGNUTS SHOOTING EACH OTHER???

He whines about the fact that the law was passed in a sneaky way, but I'm sure I could dig up a few instances where his people tried to sneak bans, restrictions or legislations, and I'm sure he had no problem with those.

Shikha Hamilton of Grosse Pointe, president of the Michigan chapter of the anti-gun group Million Moms March, said she believes overall gun violence (including suicide and accidental shootings) is up in Michigan since 2001. Many incidents involving CCW permit holders have not been widely reported, she said.

The Million Mom March?  I didn't even realize they were still around.  What I find hilarious is that the numbers apparently don't agree with Hamilton, and she refuses to accept it. 

This made me smile,

Michelle Reurink, 40, a consultant in Lansing, got her CCW permit last year, not so much because she felt an imminent threat to her well-being, she said, but because she's a strong believer in the Constitution's Second Amendment -- the right to bear arms.

"The primary reason I got it is because I feel like I have the right to have it," she said.

Liberty ain't dead yet, bitches! 

Now, she says she doesn't always carry, and I know some gunowners are gonna say, "if you got the permit, carry! be safe!", but I say to look at the bigger picture, she likes the sweet, sweet taste of liberty.  A CCW permit is in a way a declaration to the government of one's right to bear arms, and she wouldn't be the first to do that.

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More Fun With Tabloidy Crap

This time, its one of Duane "Dog" Chapman's assistants, who is also a Chapman, but is not related to "Dog".  He was found by a security guard naked in his truck, the guard says he saw Chapman performing a lewd act in the truck.  He told Chapman to put some friggin' pants on and step out of the truck, Chapman dressed and sped off. 

Chapman's lawyer:

"It was simply a man who wet his pants with orange juice inadvertently and was changing them, doing nothing wrong at all and believing he had sufficient privacy to do it,"

Yeah sure buddy, it was orange juice you got all over yourself,

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Ringling Bros. Wish They Could Put on a Show Like This!

I can't even believe this...Dr. Phil actually went to Cedar-Sinai Medical Center to try and exploit the Britney trainwreck for publicity counsel Britney Spears, and she threw his drawling ass out of her room! 

He's now going to all the different entertainment shows to tell them that this chick is nuts.  Thanks Dr. Phil!  None of us idiot non-doctor types could have put that hypothesis together after months of hearing the inescapable news reports of Britney Spears acting completely insane that day.

That said, she's apparently lucid enough to know to throw this BS artist out the door.

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