THE SUPREME COURT said that a lower court went too far in ordering the removal of a congressionally endorsed war memorial cross from its longtime home atop a remote outcropping in California.
A small step, perhaps, in returning to freedom of - and not from - religion.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
EVEN USING THE BEST COMPUTERS, garbage in still produces garbage out.
“The computer models used to determine whether it was safe for airlines to fly through the ash resulting from the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in southern Iceland were flawed ... and ‘based on incomplete science and limited data, according to European officials. As a result, they may have over-stated the risks to the public, needlessly grounding flights and damaging businesses.’ "
“The computer models used to determine whether it was safe for airlines to fly through the ash resulting from the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in southern Iceland were flawed ... and ‘based on incomplete science and limited data, according to European officials. As a result, they may have over-stated the risks to the public, needlessly grounding flights and damaging businesses.’ "
DON’T TREAD ON ME.
The Gadsden flag pictured here is seen flying – sometimes en masse - at almost all Tea Party protest rallies. At the Tax Day protest in Washington D.C. on April 15, I noted an individual, probably a journalist, talking to all the flag bearers, presumably about the flag.
If he was trying for a “gotcha” moment, he was clearly failing, as everyone I saw was enthusiastically talking to him.
Rummaging around the internet for the origins of the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag has been an interesting journey. The origin, as best as I can determine it, is with Benjamin Franklin, who in 1754 during the French and Indian War, published a woodcut of a snake cut into eight sections. It represented the colonies, with New England joined together as the head and South Carolina as the tail, following their order along the coast. Under the snake was the message "Join, or Die". It played off a common superstition of the time: a snake that had been cut into pieces could come back to life if you joined the sections together before sunset.
Franklin’s woodcut cartoon was popular and widely published throughout the colonies, and in the 20 years leading toward the American Revolution, the snake began to see more use as a symbol of the colonies. Many of the colonial militias used some variant of Franklin’s serpent as their unit insignia.
Two stand out. The now familiar Gadsden flag, a coiled rattlesnake with 13 rattles symbolizing the 13 colonies on a field of yellow and the words “Don’t Tread on Me” beneath the snake, and the Navy Jack, an uncoiled serpent on a field of alternating red and white bars, also with the words “Don’t Tread on Me” beneath the serpent.
Both have naval origins. The Gadsden flag, named after Christopher Gadsden, was presented to (Commodore) Esek Hopkins, as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Navy, to be used as his personal standard. Hopkins then directed that “a striped Jack” (presumably the Navy Jack) be flown on all Continental Navy vessels.
The Jack of the United States (Navy Jack) is still in use today, and one warship in the active Fleet is entitled to fly the original (First Navy Jack). In 1980, Edward Hidalgo, then Secretary of the Navy, directed that the ship with the longest active status shall display the First Navy Jack until decommissioned or transferred to inactive service, at which time the flag is passed to the next ship in line.
Today, the honor of flying the First Navy Jack belongs to the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65), commissioned in 1961.
In 2002, the Secretary of the Navy issued Instruction 10520.6[3] directing all Navy ships to fly the First Navy Jack as a temporary substitute for the Jack of the United States "for the duration of the Global War on Terrorism".
More flag history can be found here, here, and here.
The Gadsden flag pictured here is seen flying – sometimes en masse - at almost all Tea Party protest rallies. At the Tax Day protest in Washington D.C. on April 15, I noted an individual, probably a journalist, talking to all the flag bearers, presumably about the flag.
If he was trying for a “gotcha” moment, he was clearly failing, as everyone I saw was enthusiastically talking to him.
Rummaging around the internet for the origins of the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag has been an interesting journey. The origin, as best as I can determine it, is with Benjamin Franklin, who in 1754 during the French and Indian War, published a woodcut of a snake cut into eight sections. It represented the colonies, with New England joined together as the head and South Carolina as the tail, following their order along the coast. Under the snake was the message "Join, or Die". It played off a common superstition of the time: a snake that had been cut into pieces could come back to life if you joined the sections together before sunset.
Franklin’s woodcut cartoon was popular and widely published throughout the colonies, and in the 20 years leading toward the American Revolution, the snake began to see more use as a symbol of the colonies. Many of the colonial militias used some variant of Franklin’s serpent as their unit insignia.
Two stand out. The now familiar Gadsden flag, a coiled rattlesnake with 13 rattles symbolizing the 13 colonies on a field of yellow and the words “Don’t Tread on Me” beneath the snake, and the Navy Jack, an uncoiled serpent on a field of alternating red and white bars, also with the words “Don’t Tread on Me” beneath the serpent.
Both have naval origins. The Gadsden flag, named after Christopher Gadsden, was presented to (Commodore) Esek Hopkins, as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Navy, to be used as his personal standard. Hopkins then directed that “a striped Jack” (presumably the Navy Jack) be flown on all Continental Navy vessels.
The Jack of the United States (Navy Jack) is still in use today, and one warship in the active Fleet is entitled to fly the original (First Navy Jack). In 1980, Edward Hidalgo, then Secretary of the Navy, directed that the ship with the longest active status shall display the First Navy Jack until decommissioned or transferred to inactive service, at which time the flag is passed to the next ship in line.
Today, the honor of flying the First Navy Jack belongs to the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65), commissioned in 1961.
In 2002, the Secretary of the Navy issued Instruction 10520.6[3] directing all Navy ships to fly the First Navy Jack as a temporary substitute for the Jack of the United States "for the duration of the Global War on Terrorism".
More flag history can be found here, here, and here.
DEBT COMMISSION GETS STARTED with 'everything' on the table, including national sales tax.
I’ll go out on a limb and bet ‘everything’ doesn’t include spending cuts.
But taxpayers may prefer them. In the two most recent gubernatorial elections (New Jersey and Virginia), Governors Christie and McDonnell have in fact managed to cut back state spending: “What's happening in states like Virginia and New Jersey ... suggests that voters may support spending cuts more than most American politicians and pundits have assumed.”
And much more than additional taxes.
I’ll go out on a limb and bet ‘everything’ doesn’t include spending cuts.
But taxpayers may prefer them. In the two most recent gubernatorial elections (New Jersey and Virginia), Governors Christie and McDonnell have in fact managed to cut back state spending: “What's happening in states like Virginia and New Jersey ... suggests that voters may support spending cuts more than most American politicians and pundits have assumed.”
And much more than additional taxes.
REP. PATRICK KENNEDY SPEAKS ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE, then downs six shots of vodka at the Capitol Lounge.
Heh.
Heh.
NANTUCKET SOUND WIND FARM APPROVED: “A proposed wind-farm that liberal faux-environmentalist elites on the east coast have fought for the better part of a decade — because it would look so much better in your backyard instead of theirs — got the go-ahead today from the Obama administration.”
Heh: “Wind farms near blowhards: It only makes sense.”
Heh: “Wind farms near blowhards: It only makes sense.”
FINANCIAL OVERHAUL WILL END BAILOUTS: “Regulatory overhaul legislation working its way through Congress will end taxpayer-funded bailouts ‘once and for all,’ President Obama said Saturday.”
Possibly, though his arguments are unconvincing. In my view, the “financial overhaul” is missing the point – the bailouts shouldn’t have occurred in the first place.
Possibly, though his arguments are unconvincing. In my view, the “financial overhaul” is missing the point – the bailouts shouldn’t have occurred in the first place.
ACCORDING TO THE WASHINGTON POST, “Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law Friday the most restrictive immigration bill in the country, setting the stage for a showdown with the Obama administration and reigniting a divisive national debate ....”
The Post forgot to mention that the Arizona immigration law exactly follows current federal law. Oops.
Not to be outdone, current [Democrat) Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon published an editorial in the Post (Eh ... why the Post? Why not the Arizona Republic?) lambasting the law, calling it “humiliating,” and those responsible “bitter, small-minded and full of hate.”
Hmm. If it’s so godawful bad, then why do a majority of Arizonans approve of the law?
More pundit knee-jerk stupidity here.
The Post forgot to mention that the Arizona immigration law exactly follows current federal law. Oops.
Not to be outdone, current [Democrat) Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon published an editorial in the Post (Eh ... why the Post? Why not the Arizona Republic?) lambasting the law, calling it “humiliating,” and those responsible “bitter, small-minded and full of hate.”
Hmm. If it’s so godawful bad, then why do a majority of Arizonans approve of the law?
More pundit knee-jerk stupidity here.
SELF RIGHTEOUS OUTRAGE AND BONE-DEEP STUPIDITY: Glenn Reynolds reacts to liberal outrage over Arizona’s immigration law.
Follow the update link to this treasure:
Follow the update link to this treasure:
So what to do in the meantime? Here’s a modest proposal. Everyone remembers the wartime Danish king who drove through Copenhagen wearing a Star of David in support of his Jewish subjects. It’s an apocryphal story, actually, but an inspiring one. Let the good people of Arizona — and anyone passing through — walk the streets of Tucson and Phoenix wearing buttons that say: I Could Be Illegal.My guess is that one could walk the streets for days without getting more than a good-natured laugh from passers-by.
LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING.
The president's Earth Day speech may not have been as green as it looked.Translation: we must be green so he can remain in the long green.
[Last] Thursday President Obama spoke at a Des Moines, Iowa plant that makes towers for wind turbines. CBS News reports the president's team burned 9,116 gallons of fuel in the air during the 1,800 mile trip. That does not include the gasoline for the motorcade and all the various support vehicles.
A speech in the White House's Rose Garden definitely would have been more green.
BAD FLAG ... BAD, BAD FLAG: “The many nations helping Haiti recover from the devastating earthquake that struck there have set up their own military compounds and fly their flags at the entrances.... But the country whose contributions dwarf the rest of the world's — the United States — has no flag at its main installation near the Port-au-Prince airport....”
Because “Barack Obama has just ordered all U.S. installations to take down their American flags, lest we be seen as an ‘occupying army’ rather than ‘international partners’."
It is patently appalling that a president of the United States would consider our flag to be a symbol of militaristic takeovers and colonialism, especially when serving (to a greater degree than any other nation on Earth) a humanitarian purpose. No other country giving aid in Haiti has lowered its flag. But then again, no other country has a leader who is offended by their own flag.
NOTE: cartoon courtesy of Hope n’ Change.
Because “Barack Obama has just ordered all U.S. installations to take down their American flags, lest we be seen as an ‘occupying army’ rather than ‘international partners’."
It is patently appalling that a president of the United States would consider our flag to be a symbol of militaristic takeovers and colonialism, especially when serving (to a greater degree than any other nation on Earth) a humanitarian purpose. No other country giving aid in Haiti has lowered its flag. But then again, no other country has a leader who is offended by their own flag.
NOTE: cartoon courtesy of Hope n’ Change.
MSNBC’S CHRIS MATTHEWS: Palin aspiring to be “a professional ignorant”.
Er, Chris, I hardly think she aspires to be like you.
Er, Chris, I hardly think she aspires to be like you.
QUOTE OF THE DAY (second item): “Why do lawmakers always prefer comprehensive legislation? You can hide more in a big bill than you can in a small one.”
SUBSIDIZING AL GORE: A big bet on big government. “Almost any time you read about people making money with ‘green energy’ or the like, look for political connections.”
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