Monday, February 28, 2011

Charlie Sheen Today Show Interview Video 2/28

More for our readers, who can't get enough of Charlie!
More: http://punditpress.blogspot.com/2011/02/charlie-sheen-today-show-interview.html




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Charlie Sheen Today Show Interview Video

Well, you asked for it. Here's crazy Charlie Sheen on the Today Show explaining about how great he is. Reminds me of someone I know:
http://punditpress.blogspot.com/2011/02/charlie-sheen-today-show-interview_28.html




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The Month in Review

It's that time again, folks.  We had a doozy of a month and a lot of fun.  Plenty of articles were written, a new writer was introduced, and some great websites linked to us.  A lot has happened since the last MiR on January 30. So, without further ado, the Month in Review:

In February, Pundit Press received 134,694 pageviews, a 212% increase from January.  And remember, we increased over 500% from December to January, so it looks like we are moving up in the world!

Our Top Articles of the Last Month:

1.  University of Wisconsin, Department of Family Medicine is not Responsible? (Updated with Video), by Unlikely Hospitalist, with 16,451 views, or 12.2% of the views in the last month

2.  The Scrubbing has Begun..., by Unlikely Hospitalist, with 12,628 views, or 9.4% of the views

3.  Go Figure: Obama White House Can't Spell "Libya," by Aurelius, with 12,199 views, or 9.1% of the views

4.  Lara Logan Rape Video?, by Aurelius, with 10,175 views, or 7.6% of the views

5.  Dean Robert Golden, MD, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Releases a Statement, by Unlikely Hospitalist, with 5,774 views, or 4.3% of the views

6.  Physicians Betraying Their Oath and Their Professionalism!, by Unlikely Hospitalist, with 5,706 views, or 4.2% of the views

7.  NY Teachers Union Calls for Members to 'Agitate,' by Thomas Ferdousi, with 4,546 views, or 3.4% of the views

8.  Commentary about The Rape and Sexual Molestation of Lara Logan Video, by Unlikely Hospitalist, with 4,402 views, or 3.3% of the views

9.  Lara Logan Raped, Beaten in Egypt, by Aurelius, with 3,297 views, or 2.4% of the views

10.  Anti-Mubarak Protesters Scream for "Jihad" While Attacking other Egyptians, by Aurelius, with 3,272 views, or 2.4% of the views

11.  Muslim Brotherhood Leader: Gaddafi Must Die, by Aurelius, with 2,921 views, or 2.2% of the views

12.  Rape of CBS reporterette Lara Logan by Egyptian Muslims raises questions about US Women Soldiers in Combat, by Eric Dondero, with 2,733 views, or 2.0% of the views

13.  Gaddafi Speech Live, February 22, 2011, by Aurelius, with 2,646 views, or 2.0% of the views

14.  Reports: Gaddafi Has Left Libya, Fled for Venezuela, by Aurelius, with 1,978 views, or 1.5% of the views

15.  Gaddafi Speaks from Underground Bunker: "I Will Die a Martyr," by Aurelius, with 1,377 views, or 1.0% of the views

16.  Watch Obama Speech Live, February 11, 2011, by Aurelius, with 1,290 views, or 1.0% of the views

17.  Ireland Election Results, by Mr. K, with 1,282 views, or 1.0% of the views

18.  Obama Speech Transcript, by Aurelius, with 1,025 views, or .8% of the views


Most Prolific Posters in February (Out of 313 total articles)

- Aurelius with 109 articles or 34.8% of the total, down from 43.6% of the total when he had 98 articles last month. His top article was Go Figure: Obama White House Can't Spell "Libya" with 12,199 views.
- Thomas Ferdousi with 101 articles or 32.3%., up from 30.2% from 68 articles last time. His top article was NY Teachers Union Calls for Members to 'Agitate, with 4,546 views.
- Unlikely Hospitalist with 48 articles or 15.3% of the total, up from 11.6% of the pieces, or 26. His top article was University of Wisconsin, Department of Family Medicine is not Responsible? with 16,451 views.
- Mr. K with 37 pieces, or 11.8%, down slightly from 12.0% but up from 27 last month. His top article was Ireland Election Results with 1,282 views.
- Eric Dondero with 8 articles or 2.6%, up from one article last time. His top article was Rape of CBS reporterette Lara Logan by Egyptian Muslims raises questions about US Women Soldiers in Combat with 2,733 views.
- Dr. Owens with 4 articles or 1.3%, holding steady from his total of three last month.
- Kaptain Krude with 3 articles or 1.0%. He had one article last time. His top article was A One Time Post with exactly 100 views.
- Dr. White with 3 articles or 1.0% of the total.
- Joe C. with 0 articles.... with 0.00% of the total.


Those that Linked to Us:

Hot Air
Jammie Wearing Fool
Instapundit
Weasel Zippers
Reaganite Republican
Pirates Cove
Libertarian Republican
Gateway Pundit
The Lonely Conservative
Tomb of the Unknown Blogger (for those that linked but we missed)


Our Writer of the Month

This is a new feature of ours, so who will claim the coveted inaugural Writer of the Month award?  Will it be long-time blog veteran Mr. K?  Or that rapscallion Joe C.?  No, with all pomp and circumstance deserved, the honor goes to:

Unlikely Hospitalist

He wrote quite a bit this month, but more importantly, the writing quality was quite high.  Don't believe me?  Instapundit and Hot Air agree, as they found it fit to link to UH a number of times in February.


Notes of Interest for the Past Month:

-Pundit Press was happy to welcome Lawrence W. White MD as a new writer.
-Our site had four articles with 10,000 hits or more and 18 articles with over 1,000 hits or more.
-Hot Air was kind enough to link to us twice, while the great Instapundit linked to us six times.
-According to Alexa, Pundit Press's current internet ranking is 271,216
-According to Alexa, on February 24, Pundit Press was approximately the 30,000th largest website on the internet.  That may not sound impressive, but trust us, it's certainly isn't bad

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Qaddafi Interview BBC 2011

 Muommar Qaddafi has been making the television rounds lately, giving several interviews. One of them was with the BBC-- we have some excerpts below.

Jeremy Bowen: "In recent years you had a rapprochement with Western countries, you had important Western leaders like Tony Blair coming here. Now there are Western leaders who are queuing up to say that you should go. Do you feel a sense of betrayal about that?"
Colonel Gaddafi: "Of course it's betrayal. They have no morals. Besides, if they want me to step down, what do I step down from? I'm not a monarch or a king."
Bowen: "But you make speeches at the UN and you identify very much with Libya even if you don't have a formal title."
Gaddafi: "It's honorary, it's nothing to do with exercising power or authority. In Britain, who has the power? Is it Queen Elizabeth or David Cameron? You don't understand the Libyan system."
Bowen: "I understand the system you have here, but internationally you are regarded as the leader."
Gaddafi: "You don't understand the system here. Don't say 'I understand' - you don't understand. And the world don't understand the system here. The authority of the people. You don't understand it."
Bowen: "How do the people show their authority then? Because some people here who have gone out on to the streets to protest say that your people have shot at them."
Gaddafi: "No demonstration at all in the streets. Did you see demonstrations?"
Bowen: "Yes I have."
Gaddafi: "Where?"
Bowen: "I saw some today."
Gaddafi: "Where?"
Bowen: "I saw some in Zawiya. Yesterday I saw demonstrations."
Gaddafi: "Are they supporting us?"
Bowen: "No they're not supporting you. Some were against you, and some were for you."
Gaddafi: "They are not against us. No-one is against us. Against us for what? Because I'm not a president. They love me. All my people are with me, they love me all. They will die to protect me, my people."
Christiane Amanpour: "If you say they do love you, then why are they capturing Benghazi and saying they're against you?"
Gaddafi: "It's al-Qaeda. It's not my people. They came from outside."
Bowen: "So they're the people pulling down the posters and putting up the flag of the king?"
Gaddafi: "It's al-Qaeda, they went into military bases and seized arms and they're terrorising the people. The people who had the weapons were youngsters. They're starting to lay down their weapons now, as the drugs al-Qaeda gave them wear off."
 The original interview:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12604102

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"I work for Noodles, It's a Dictatorship"

Cry me a river!

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Charlie Sheen Interview Video

I feel bad for Charlie Sheen.  The guy needs help but doesn't want it.  I would post his explosive interview from the Today Show, but it has been taken down due to copyright claims.  So here is his interview on the Alex Jones show, from February 24:



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Herman Cain Wins 2012 Straw Poll.

The first American Policy Summit concluded their weekend-long conference yesterday afternoon by announcing the results of their 2012 Presidential straw poll, which 1,600 attendees took part in, and the winner might just surprise you when we're used to folks like Romney and Huckabee topping opinion polls.

Coming in with 22% of the vote was Herman Cain, a former candidate* for U.S. Senate and a talk show host out of Atlanta, who spoke at the Tea Party Patriots sponsored conference along with Tim Pawlenty and Ron Paul.

Mr. Pawlenty finished second with 16% of the vote; Mr. Paul finished third with 15%; Governor Palin finished fourth with 10%; Governor Romney finished fifth with 6.5% and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann finished sixth with 5.6%.

So what does this tell us?

Not much in the grand scheme of things.

Herman Cain is popular with Tea Partiers - no surprise there. Tim Pawlenty continues to place respectively in opinion and straw polls - nothing new there. Ron Paul's obsessed fanbase spams another 2012 Presidential poll - is anyone surprised there? I am surprised by Sarah Palin's lack of support at this event.

Besides from the 1,000,000 articles that will result from this straw poll, I don't think this will have any impact on the 2012 GOP Primary.

What say you?

* - Cain ran for the Republican nomination in Georgia's 2004 Senate race.

Paranoia and the Great Zionist Conspiracy!

Ever since Google Earth unmasked the Star of David, hidden in plain sight, atop Air headquarters in Tehran, the Mullahs have been looking under every rock and behind every tree they could find to ferret out conspiracies propagated by those pesky Jews.



But today I would argue that they have let their paranoia get the better of them. Iran is threatening to boycott the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England because of the logo. That's right, according to a letter sent to IOC president Jacques Rogge by Bahram Afsharzadeh, the secretary-general of Iran's National Olympic Committee, the logo design is described as racist and fraught with pro-zionist propaganda. The letter that was sent reads in part, " There is no doubt that Negligence of the issue from you side may affect the presence of some countries
in the games, especially Iran, which abided by commitment to the values and principles,".



Obviously this takes a keen eye, but can you see the reference? If not, drop a little acid and try again. It will jump out at you then!


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Walker to Fleeing Dems: You've Got 24 Hours

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has certainly had a very interesting governorship. His proposal for financial concessions and the reversal of some collective bargaining rights has caused a furor like no other. With Democrats out of the state he has laid down an ultimatum:

24 hours to go.

Walker
After the deadline, the state loses an opportunity to refinance its debt to save money. Without the extra cash, Wisconsin will have to lay off over 1,000 employees.
"Now they have one day to return to work before the state loses out on the chance to refinance debt, saving taxpayers $165 million this fiscal year," Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie said. "Failure to return to work and cast their votes will lead to more painful and aggressive spending cuts in the very near future."
Werwie said Walker was giving the Democrats 24-hour notice. He added that the governor will delay sending out layoff notices "as long as possible."

Tick tock.

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Walter Williams and Nullification.

Note: Please read up on the South Carolina nullification crisis that occurred in the 1830's, and President Andrew Jackson's response to South Carolina......

I consider Walter E. Williams to be one of the most important Conservative intellectual thinkers of the 21st century. His astuteness on the Constitution is refreshing and his columns remind you of Socrates. However, he has it wrong on the Founding Fathers and the illegitimate theory of state nullification.

Mr. Williams, who was filling in for Rush Limbaugh this afternoon, said that the Founders believed in "State Nullification" of federal laws that were thought to be unconstitutional, and he pointed out Thomas Jefferson who was responsible for the Kentucky Resolution that nullified John Adams's alien and sedition laws in 1798.

He has it wrong on a couple of big counts, but the most important is Article Six, Section Two of the U.S. Constitution where the Founding Fathers declared that federal law "shall be the supreme Law of the Land", which renders the argument for nullification, quite ironically, null and void in all cases.

What say you?

BREAKING: Mousavi and Karroubi Arrested in Iran

There have been rumors circulating that the theocracy in Iran was planning to arrest members of the opposition. Just last week Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi were under what was called "house arrest." Now, according to the BBC the two leaders, who ran in the coutnry's fradulent 2009 presidential "election" have been incarcerated with their wives.

Karroubi and Mousavi

Mr Karroubi's son told the BBC he had heard his father had been moved, but did not know where he had been taken.

A website close to Mr Mousavi claims the men have been taken to Heshmatiyeh jail in Tehran. The men had previously been under house arrest.
There are protests due tomorrow and this is definitely a red flag. The regime fears what is happening in Libya and believes that this is their last option before the people hit the streets.

Cross-posted at WorldThreats.


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Looking to Solve Global Warming? Why, Launch a Nuclear War!

A couple weeks back I read something in a similarly morbid vein. Apparently researchers have declared that Genghis Khan was the most "green" conquerer because his actions led to less carbon dioxide emissions. The magic formula? Killing 40 million people and allowing forests to grow over formerly populated areas. Simple!

How people usually solve their problems

Now we get this from National Geographic, which should please both believers and skeptics in man-made global warming. The solution-- a "small-scale" nuclear war should solve our problems, and then some!

Earth is currently in a long-term warming trend. After a regional nuclear war, though, average global temperatures would drop by 2.25 degrees F (1.25 degrees C) for two to three years afterward, the models suggest.

At the extreme, the tropics, Europe, Asia, and Alaska would cool by 5.4 to 7.2 degrees F (3 to 4 degrees C), according to the models. Parts of the Arctic and Antarctic would actually warm a bit, due to shifted wind and ocean-circulation patterns, the researchers said.

Something kind of like this happened in the 14th century and lasted into the 1800s. It's called the Little Ice Age-- google it. After about 1310, probably from a volcanic eruption, the planet's temperatures dropped. Within the next ten years was widespread famine and cannibalism. If that wasn't enough, it also helped spread diseases like diptheria and the flu. And by about 1347-1348 came the kicker: the Black Death, which killed more than a quarter of the population of Europe, the Middle East, and China.

But that couldn't be worse than the global temperatures possibly going up a tenth of a degree, could it?


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PaleoCons and NeoCons start in different places, end up at the same spot

Meet the Weak-on-Defenser Cons

From Eric Dondero:

It's not often that Lew Rockwell and David Frum are thought of as cut from the same cloth. But to pro-defensers they are two sides of the same coin. They may start from entirely different areas of the spectrum, but they both end up in the same exact weak-on-defense side.

Chris Queen a national security conservative from Georgia has penned the First Top Ten List of Islamapologits Blogs at Newsreal.

Making the list are many Left Blogs such as HuffPo, Daily Kos, and CNN, of course. But Rockwell and Frum also make the list and are normally considered "Right."

Excerpts from Queen's descriptions of the Top Ten, in spot Number 3:
Sometimes Islamapologism doesn’t just come from the Left. You can even find it on the Right, believe it or not. One prime example can be found at FrumForum.

Apparently for one of the site’s bloggers, “modernization and renewal” means sucking up to Islamists and defending their right to attempt to destroy us

Frum actually refers to those expressing concern over [Grover Norquist friend and C-PAC board member] Suhail Khan as “(mis)representing some very minor personalities as central figures in a giant continuing conspiracy.” Frum intimates that Khan’s dangerous associations are nothing to be worried about. Yet the truth is, we simply cannot ignore what Frum sees as “minor.”
And in the Number 2 position...
Possibly one of the most mystifying websites I’ve seen in a long time is the one run by anti-American libertarian Lew Rockwell.

Scratch the surface (which is not-so-charmingly retro, looking like a relic from 1996), and you’ll discover a radical libertarian site with plenty of vitriol toward America’s defense, especially when it comes to radical Islam.
Justin Raimondo lashed out at conservatives for being intolerant toward those who are bent on destroying our freedom and our way of life:
In more 9/11 anniversary news: a rally sponsored by the David Horowitz-affiliated “Jihad Watch,” in alliance with Pamela “Shrieking Harpy” Geller’s “Stop the Islamization of America” grouplet and the British neo-fascist “English Defense League,” attracted a few thousand wackos to a site a few blocks from Ground Zero, where uber-wacko Geert Wilders (Dutch neo-fascist and leading Islamophobe) made the case for banning Islam…

Wilders, Geller, and “Jihad Watch” anti-Islam guru Robert Spencer want to import Europe’s Muslim-hating racist fringe to America: their thesis is that Islam is not a religion, but a political conspiracy to impose Sharia law on non-Muslims. They raise the specter of an Islamic States of America, with American women draped in the chador and mandatory mosque attendance — a scenario that doesn’t even qualify as credible science fiction.
Isn’t it comforting to know that there are people out there who think of those of us who don’t want to live under the thumb of Islam as “kooky”?
It would be more comfortable to know that all Americans, especially those who claim to be on the Right, stand up for America and American values.

Qaddafi Forces Launch Counterattack, Surround Zawiya

Forces loyal to Libyan dictator Muommar Qaddafi have launched a counterattack against anti-government rebels. The rebels, which now have an interim government, had taken the city of Zawiya, around 30 miles from Tripoli. Now it appears that the pro-regime militia has surrounded the city and intend to push back.


The number of pro-Qaddafi forces are estimated at 2,000.


"We will do our best to fight them off. They will attack soon," said a former police major who switched sides and joined the rebellion. "If we are fighting for freedom, we are ready to die for it."
This could be the defining moment of the struggle. If Qaddafi's forces fail, then his aides may see the futility in a protracted fight and kill him or force him into exile. Before then, the regime won't go quietly.

Cross posted at World Threats.


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America's Last World War I Veteran, Frank Buckles, Has Died

Unfortunately we have some bad news to share with our audience this morning. The United States has lost its last hero from the First World War. Frank Buckles, 110, has died. Buckles had lied about his age to join the military and was captured in World War II.


Picture credit HyperVocals

He is one of the last remaining veterans of World War I. There are reportedly just two remaining on the planet.
Born in Missouri in 1901 and raised in Oklahoma, Buckles visited a string of military recruiters after the United States entered the "war to end all wars" in April 1917. He was repeatedly rejected before convincing an Army captain he was 18. He was 16½.

"A boy of (that age), he's not afraid of anything. He wants to get in there," Buckles said.
Rest in peace.
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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Herman Cain Wins Tea Party Straw Poll!


Just so everyone knows I am on the Herman Cain bandwagon!

"Capturing 22% of the 1600 votes cast, Cain, the conservative talk show host and former Godgather's Pizza chief executive won handily." Cain is the only candidate, thus far, who has officially announced his intent to run. He is a Tea Party favorite and this represents a big boost to his campaign.


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Yet Another Reason That Dogs are Man's Best Friend




Urine was obtained from 66 patients referred to an urologist for elevated prostate-specific antigen or abnormal digital rectal examination. All patients underwent prostate biopsy and two groups were considered: 33 patients with cancer and 33 controls presenting negative biopsies. The dog completed all the runs and correctly designated the cancer samples in 30 of 33 cases. Of the three cases wrongly classified as cancer, one patient was re-biopsied and a PCa was diagnosed. The sensitivity and specificity were both 91%.

This study shows that dogs can be trained to detect PCa by smelling urine with a significant success rate. It also suggests that PCa gives an odor signature to urine. Identification of the VOCs involved could lead to a potentially useful screening tool for PCa.
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NY Teachers Union Calls for Members to 'Agitate'

Being an educator in Upstate New York I am forced to pay dues into the corrupt union structure, even though I am not a member nor intend to be. Among the many benefits of (not) joining one of the public employees unions in New York include the union taking nearly one percent of my gross pay to use towards political campaigns.

Among the "benefits" not immediately clear is a mandatory subscription to their monthly propaganda. This month's naturally rails against the cuts of Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo as well as against Governor Walker's actions in Wisconsin.

In this era of civility in which the public employees unions want to appear reasonable and striving for the best for our children, the New York State Union of Teachers' publication NYSUT United's headline screams:
DEFEND WHAT MATTERS! EDUCATE, COLLABORATE, AGITATE!
NYSUT United calls for the state to reject a property tax cap-- even after the state has seen massive tax increases over the last decade, especially in rural and suburban areas. They call the cuts made by then-Governor David Paterson last year 'draconian' and rail against Andrew Cuomo's cuts of $1.5 billion, or triple last year's cut.

Their self-centeredness can be exemplified by the first paragraph of its article calling for its members to 'agitate.' It cites a 2,000-strong protest in rich Long Island calling against budget cuts "in a turnout so large than [sic] it closed an exit of the Long Island Expressway." So the turnout was so large that it clogged one of the busiest roads in New York State! And cost taxpayers their time and money idling so these union thugs could pressure elected officials.

Further in the article the cuts are called "horrendous" by NYSUT's Execurtive Vice President Andy Pallotta to "cheering throngs."

So what does the union call for its members to do? Some are pretty basic, like sending out emails and postcards. But the methods become more sinister.
  • One is to give money to NYSUT's political fund VOTE-COPE, which is extremely liberal and donates almost exclusively to Democrats. Considering the union involuntarily takes 3% of its members' gross incomes and gives a lot to Democratic candidates anyway, this is particularly putrid.
  • Next, and perhaps most wretching is calling for its members to "attend school board and PTA meetings." In other words, interrupt concerned parents who are trying to take action for their children or elected officials who are already under massive pressure to try and prevent layoffs. Forgive me for being cynical, but it's hard to call for 5% raises while boards across the country are dealing with who to lay off.
There's an entire section called "Mythbusters" about how the tenure system is not corrupt and that if it was overhauled, teachers would be summarily fired "for no reason." Nothing like overstating things to catch attention!

To see how horrible the potential cuts are, read this excerpt from a story about "NYSUT Activists:"
Argyros, a junior from Comse­wogue on Long Island, is already feeling the effects of budget cuts from last year. Her Advanced Place­ment English language course has 35 students in what is supposed to be an intense seminar.
"Two to three programs have been cut already," said Argyros, in­cluding a women's history elective she was planning to take.
Within the publication comes an exhortation to retain the so-called 'millionaire's tax' in New York State-- that affects those making $209,000 a year. According to the article:
NYSUT... is insisting lawmakers extend the surcharge on high earners...to help the state deal with its $10 billion shortfall.
NYSUT is one of the most politically corrupting unions in the country. They have driven New York State's education system into the ground and have devastated college education programs in order to drive down potential teachers and create an artificial shortage of teachers.

Meanwhile their union dues are being spent hiring people to run the union with cushy salaries and benefits while also coercing the New York State Senate and Assembly into doing its will, or else. It's time to shut these crooks down.

Don't like what you just read? Call the union:
For more information, contact editor-in-chief Mary Fran Gleason, c/o NYSUT United, 800 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, New York, 12110-2455, (800) 342-9810 or (518) 213-6000; e-mail is united@nysutmail.org. Please include your name and address.
Related:
Physicians Betraying Their Oath and Their Professionalism!
Muslim Brotherhood Leader: Gaddafi Must Die
Go Figure: Obama White House Can't Spell....
Looking to Solve Global Warming? Why, Launch a Nuclear War!
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Rule 5 Sunday

Check out these links!  And just to make sure you pay attention, here is a picture of Salma Hayek:
Salma says: Check out these links!
Jammie Wearing Fool asks aloud: when will Obama join the union protesters?

Reaganite Republican has plenty of Sunday Funnies.

The Lonely Conservative shows footage of crazed teachers in Wisconsin.

Mean ol' Meany has a bunch of links.

Pirate's Cove details an Obama-like sign in Lybia.

Libertarian Republican writes about Muslims burning down brothels in Tunisia.

Director Blue has plenty of links.

World Threats covers a huge story: Iran's Revolutionary Guard will NOT fire on Civilians. 

Innominatus wonders if you are paying attention.

American Power Blog examines left-wing hatred.

IowaHawk is awesome, as always.

And so is Manhattan Infidel.

The Wild West Coconut Show is too.

Not Another New England Sports Blog discusses Democrats gathering in Wisconsin.




Pundit and Pundette cover the fake doctors' notes in Wisconsin.

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Sec. Clinton: US Ready to Aid Libyan Rebels

Today, Hillary Clinton stated:
"We've been reaching out to many different Libyans who are attempting to organize in the east... We are ready and prepared to offer any type of assistance."
Go figure, the Obama White House standing up for the liberty of the downtrodden.  Don't get me wrong, this is certainly a good thing and the United States should help those being oppressed, but where was this two years ago when Iran was murdering protesters on the street?

I guess at the time it didn't get enough media coverage.  Either that or President Obama still believed he could talk (without preconditions!) to crazed dictators and authoritarian presidents.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
And not for nothing, but where was this when the United States liberated Iraq from Saddam Hussein?  You might have disagreed that we should have invaded in the first place, but at least we freed millions from oppression.  But at the time, it felt good to attack President Bush.  At the time it was easier from Secretary Clinton and President Obama to make political hay and say, "the death toll can't go high enough," and "Bush is a war-monger."

Now it's a different tune.  Now everything is different because it helps them politically.

Hypocrites.

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Vote in Our Poll: Should Newt Gingrich Run for President in 2012?

 The rumblings around the political community seem to be that Newt Gingrich is thinking about running for President. Apparently the scuttlebutt is that he is likely to announce an exploratory committee within the next several weeks. He's certainly well-known enough to get attention-- so do you think he should run for President?




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A Possible Gingrich for President Campaign? Don't Run, Newt!

 There can be no doubt that Newt Gingrich is a smart man. He rapidly rose in the Congress in the 1990s to become one of the youngest Speakers of the House. He commanded attention wherever he went and was the focus of the media for years, sometimes even eclipsing President Clinton. Congress, partially under his direction, helped reduce spending and balance the federal budget. All of these sound good, don't they? But Newt is not suitable for the Republican nomination.

UPDATE: Vote in our poll

Newt's been running around the country lately. He published a book (yet another) and has been giving speeches. The most recent was one on "faith." This from a man that not once but twice cheated on his disease-stricken wives! He thinks that since he talks about Roe v. Wade and made a film about Pope John Paul II he will now be a conservative darling:

“To a surprising degree, we are in a situation similar to Poland’s in 1979,” he told the audience, which had gathered at a banquet for Ohio Right to Life, one of the nation’s oldest anti-abortion groups. “In America, religious belief is being challenged by a cultural elite trying to create a secularized America, in which God is driven out of public life.” 

Not quite. He's acting like everyone has forgotten his cameo with Nancy Pelosi:

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Wisconsin Teachers Skip Teachers Conference to Protest

At least they are consistent. Not only do the refuse to educate our children, they refuse to educate themselves.


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The Hydrofracking Controversy not so Controversial?


If my recollection serves, it all started in the spring in 2010. It seems that almost overnight the lawns of upstate New York were littered with signs proclaiming the mantra, "No Drill, No Spill". I still have no idea where they came from or who provided them but they are now ubiquitous to the area. If you live in in the area, you know what I mean. This was obviously a concerted and coordinated effort to turn public opinion against the extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus shale formation. At the time, the New York state assembly and senate were debating a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing. The bill eventually passed both chambers by a resounding margin. But why? I consider myself a bit of a political junkie and I had heard next to nothing about what the true issues were in this debate, if you can call it that.

I have to say that I was skeptical from the start. This issue was being driven by a decidedly left wing cohort and I have learned over the years that progressive ideologues can be less than honest. Therefore, I decided to look into the controversy myself.

The Marcellus shale is the largest unconventional natural gas reserve in the world. While reserve estimates should be considered somewhat uncertain at this early stage, aseach new Marcellus well is completed, estimates of recoverable reserves of at least 489 trillion cubic feet seem increasingly reasonable. The market and strategic value of the Marcellus Shale will no doubt grow as conventional natural gas reserves are depleted and our economy adjusts to a path with lower greenhouse gas emissions. Natural gas has considerably lower carbon content than petroleum and coal. The market share of natural gas in electric power generation continues to expand and opportunities for switching from petroleum to natural gas beckon in the transportation sector.
This is a technique that has been used since the 1960's and over a million wells have been drilled. It "is a process employed to cause natural gas to move more freely from the rock pores where it is trapped into a drilled well than it could otherwise move. Fracing involves the high-pressure injection of fracturing fluids into discrete sections of the drilled well, causing fractures in the rock and pushing them open. The fracturing fluids consist primarily of water and sand. A small percentage of the fluid consists of chemical additives, including friction reducers and bactericides. The function of the sand is to prevent the fractures from closing when the high pressure is released."


The arguments against hydrofracking seem to boil down to only a few issues. That fracturing shale formations will result in the ultimate contamination of drinking water. That above ground wastewater containment will ultimately fail resulting in the contamination of rivers, streams and lakes and finally that this process will be a blight on the communities in which it is utilized. 

UN Votes to Sanction Libya

The United Nations has voted (unanimously) and has announced sanctions on Libya.

The sanctions come as a result of the brutal crackdown on protesters orchestrated by Dictator Maummar Gaddafi.  It is unsure as to how long these sanctions will last, as Gaddafi's regime is expected to topple in the near future.
Gaddafi
One of the greatest pushes for sanctions came from Libya's own ambassador to the UN, Abdurrahman Mohammed Shalgham.  After denouncing Gaddafi, Shalgham begged the UN to "save Libya."

The Indian ambassador stated, in part: "We deplore the use of force, which is totally unacceptable."

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Video of Scott Walker on Union Protests

 Enjoy:



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Iraqi Refinery Hit by Blasts

One of Iraq’s key refineries has been closed down after explosions there. This is reportedly the work of a team of armed terrorists who planted bombs. The Baiji refinery was once a source of income for al Qaeda and may be an attempt to shut down its production to knock the Iraqi government off track.
Baiji

It is one of three major refineries in Iraq, the others being in the capital Baghdad and at Basra in the south.
Police said it took 50 fire engines to control the fire at the refinery, which processes about 150,000 barrels of oil per day.
While the terrorists have hit one of the three major refineries in the south, there efforts will likely fail. This refinery is heavily depended upon by the people of Iraq but will hopefully be repaired soon. In any case, this will likely spur the government to invest more in refining capacity.

Cross-posted at WorldThreats.

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Obama's Union Bosses Ad from the RNC



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Ireland Election Results.

UPDATE (5:46 PM):

Fine Gael and Labour are discussing a governing coalition for the 31st Dail.

UPDATE (5:44 PM):

Nothing has changed much since yesterday: Fine Gael has 70 seats; Labour has 36; Fianna Fail has 18; Independents has 17 and Sinn Fein has 13.

-- Sunday Updates --

UPDATE (5:34 PM):

Fine Gael now has 70 seats; Labour has 35; Fianna Fail has 18; Independents has 17 and Sinn Fein has 13.

UPDATE (2:23 PM):

I am done updating for a while. Please continue to visit the Irish Times for the latest election news and please keep in mind that several constituencies will be recounting tomorrow morning - so we wont learn much more until then.

UPDATE (2:18 PM):

Fine Gael has 68 seats; Labour has 35; Fianna Fail has 17; Independents has 17 and Sinn Fein has 13.

UPDATE (2:13 PM):

There will also be a recount in Galway West. Labour's Derek Nolan and Fianna Fail's Eamon O Cuiv have already claimed seats in the constituency.

UPDATE (2:08 PM):

Wicklow's recount will begin tomorrow morning. Nothing more we can learn from there today, except that Fianna Fail's Dick Roche cannot accept reality.

UPDATE (2:04 PM):

Irish pundits should not overestimate the demise of Fianna Fail. In America the Republican Party once held under 80 seats in our House during the 1930's, but we came roaring back in the 1940's-50's to retake the Presidency - Fianna Fail's day will come again - the only question is when.

UPDATE (1:59 pm):

I do apologize to everyone for referring to Fianna Fail as Fianna Fine in several of my updates this morning. Corrections have been made.

UPDATE (1:55 PM):

Wicklow still has no declared victors at this point, which should prevent Fine Gael from reaching 70+ seats until tomorrow morning, unless they win elsewhere.

UPDATE (1:52 PM):

Fine Gael is demanding a complete recount in Laois/Offally, due to the small number of votes separating their candidate from a Fianna Fail candidate.

UPDATE (1:49 PM):

Not much has changed since my last update - Fine Gael has 68 seats; Labour has 35; Fianna Fail has 17; Independents have 17 and Sinn Fein has 13.

UPDATE (10:35 AM):

I'm done updating for a while. Remember to visit the Irish Times for latest results.

UPDATE (10:33 AM):

Fine Gael has 65 seats; Labour has 34; Fianna Fail has 17; Independents have 17 and Sinn Fein has 13.

UPDATE (10:31 AM):

Sinn Fein is still holding out for two more TD's - Brian Stanley in Laois/Offaly and John Brady in Wicklow - both are likely to win a seat.

UPDATE (10:21 AM):

Fianna Fail's John McGuinness tops Carlow/Kilkenny. Labour's Ann Phelan wins a seat as well.

UPDATE (10:16 AM):

Looks like Fianna Fail will reach 20-22 seats, just as their general secretary predicted.

UPDATE (10:14 AM):

Fianna Fail's Eamon O Cuiv tops Galway West. Labour's Derek Nolan looks strong to nab a seat.

UPDATE (10:09 AM):

Fianna Fail's Timmy Dooley won nicely in Clare, but his forename probably did not help him. I remember the days of being called Timmy.... when I was a seven year old who still wanted to be a railroad conductor.

UPDATE (10:04 AM):

The United Alliance Left wins a seat in Dun Laoghaire. Only 20 seats have no declared victor at this point.

UPDATE (10:00 AM):

The Irish Times has proclaimed "Fianna Fail's vote decimated in Dublin" one million times! I live 3,000 miles away and I get the point already!

UPDATE (9:58 AM):

Independent's Michael Haley-Rae and Tim Fleming carry Kerry South's two remaining seats. Fine Gael's Brendan Griffin topped the constituency.

UPDATE (9:54 AM):

Fianna Fail's best constituency is Cork South Central with 2 seats. Not much to celebrate.

UPDATE (9:50 AM):

No candidates have officially topped Wicklow. However, all three of the leading candidates are with Fine Gael, while one Sinn Fein is on the outside.

UPDATE (9:47 AM):

Fine Gael did take four of five seats in Enda Kenny's home constituency of Mayo, while Fianna Fail carried one.

UPDATE (9:38 AM):

Please note that Fine Gael won 51 seats in 2007 - they have 65 so far this year. Both Labour and Sinn Fein have also gained impressively, while Fianna Fail has 62 seats (as of now) fewer than they did in 2007.

UPDATE (9:34 AM):

Labour's Ivana Bacik demanded a recount for no reason in Dun Laoghaire - Fine Gael's Mary Mitchell-O'Connor claims third seat anyway.

UPDATE (9:26 AM):

Fine Gael's Charles Flanagan officially tops Laois/Offaly.

UPDATE (9:22 AM):

Only 25 seats remain undecided at this point. Fine Gael has 64 seats; Labour 33; Fianna Fine 15; Independents 14 and Sinn Fein 13.

UPDATE (9:18 AM):

Fianna Fail's Barry Cowen and Sinn Fein's Brian Stanley look strong in the Laois/Offaly constituency.

UPDATE (9:15 AM):

If Fine Gael and Labour were to form a governing coalition: talk about power with over 100 combined TD's in the Dail.

UPDATE (9:09 AM):

Sinn Fein's Kathryn Reilly, who finished sixth in Cavan/Monaghan behind Fine Gael's Sean Conlan, conceded on Twitter this morning.

UPDATE (8:55 AM):

Fianna Fail claims second seat in Cork South Central with the victory of Michael McGrath on the 12th count.

UPDATE (8:52 AM):

If anyone has any comments about this election - please leave a comment, or email me at aaaabraves@yahoo.com to be published.

UPDATE (8:51 AM):

Fine Gael's Peter Fitzpatrick elected after 13th count in Louth. Amazing.

UPDATE (8:43 AM):

Nearly all of the seats have been decided - Fine Gael has won 61; Labour 33; Fianna Fail 14; Independent 14 and Sinn Fein 13. The Greens were completely destroyed on Friday.

-- Saturday Updates --

UPDATE (11:45 PM):

Sinn Fein's Michael Colreavy has been reelected in Sligo-North Leitrim, along with Fine Gael's Tony McLoughlin and John Perry by solid margins.

UPDATE (11:38 PM):

One last update for the evening.

Sinn Fein's website has Fine Gael with 49 seats; Labour with 28; Sinn Fein with 12 and Fianna Fail with only 9. These results are several hours fresher than the tally I published at 10:20.

History has been made in Ireland.

UPDATE (11:33 PM):

Stay tuned for more updates tomorrow morning on this developing story.

UPDATE (11:27 PM):

For all of those visiting this article - Fianna Fail led Ireland for fourteen years before Friday's election, and are considered "centrist". Fine Gael was the main opposition, and are considered "right-wing". Labour was the minor opposition and are considered "left-wing".

Fine Gael's landslide victory is the political equivalent of a 9.0 earthquake, and Fianna Fail's disastrous defeat has many questioning their survival.

UPDATE (11:20 PM):

Fine Gael has won 36 seats; Labour 21; Fianna Fail 8 and Sinn Fein 7. We will know the entire results tomorrow when counting resumes.

UPDATE (6:08 PM):

I will probably not be updating for the rest of the night..... Please visit the Irish Times for the latest election results.

UPDATE (6:02 PM):

The Fianna Fail has been wiped out in Kildare North by one Fine Gael, one Labour and one Independent.

UPDATE (5:53 PM):

Fianna Fail's Willie O'Dea wins seat in Limerick City after sixth count.

UPDATE (5:49 PM):

Ireland's complete election results will probably not be known until tomorrow morning in both Ireland and the United States.

UPDATE (5:42 PM):

Five constituencies have completed their count: Donegal South West, Kildare North, Tipperary South, Limerick and Cork North West.

UPDATE (5:38 PM):

The Irish Times has Fine Gael at 28 seats; Labour at 16 and Fianna Fail at 5 with Sinn Fein.

UPDATE (5:35 PM):

Independent Shane Ross has topped Dublin South; Labour's Alex White has also claimed a seat.

UPDATE (5:31 PM):

Wicklow is still up in the air; Fine Gael could claim 3 seats.

UPDATE (5:23 PM):

Fianna Fail's general secretary is predicting 20-22 seats for party; Fine Gael's has predicted 72-75

UPDATE (5:20 PM):

Pretty pathetic when Sinn Fein has more declared victories than Fianna Fail at this point. Some have questioned whether the former can rebuild at all....

UPDATE (5:08 PM):

Who will receive more votes: Labour or Fianna Fail? Labour's looking strong.

UPDATE (5:02 PM):

None of the Green's have won a seat, including their leader John Gormley.

UPDATE (4:59 PM):

Fine Gael has 24 seats; Labour 14 according to Sinn Fein's official website.

UPDATE (4:55 PM):

Both of Dun Laoghaire's Fianna Fail TD's have been defeated.

UPDATE (4:52 PM):

Counting in Dun Laoghaire has been suspended; Labour's Ivana Bacik has called for a recount.

UPDATE (4:46 PM):

With 44 seats called Fianna Fail has 74 fewer Teachta Dala's than in 2007. I would call this a political massacre.

UPDATE (4:38 PM):

Fine Gael has 19 confirmed seats; Labour has 11; Sinn Fein has 4; Fianna Fail has 3 and Independent candidates have won 7.

UPDATE (10:29 AM):

Early vote share has Fine Gael and Labour on top; Fianna Fail third.

UPDATE (10:26 AM):

I am done updating for a while; Sinn Fein has tallies on their website.

UPDATE (10:23 AM):

Fine Gael's Jimmy Deenihan tops Kerry North-West Limerick.

UPDATE (10:20 AM):

Fine Gael's general secretary is predicting 72-75 seats for party.

UPDATE (10:15 AM):

Fianna Fail is definitely going down, but the question is: by how much?

UPDATE (10:13 AM):

I wonder if one day a free, independent and united Ireland will vote......

UPDATE (10:05 AM):

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams is on course to win a seat in Louth.

UPDATE (9:56 AM):

Labour's Joan Burton is first candidate to officially be elected to 31st Dail.

UPDATE (9:53 AM):

I've been reading some rumors of a possible Fine Gael-Labour coalition.

UPDATE (9:46 AM):

I'm doing the best to follow the results, but the Irish Times is doing superb.

UPDATE (9:41 AM):

Labour is topping the polls in Dublin West, Dublin Mid West, Dublin North West, Cork East and Kildare North.

UPDATE (9:35 AM):

Sinn Fein could win a seat in Cork East for the first time in three decades.

-- Original article --

The ballots are being counted and the winners are being announced in Ireland.

As expected Fine Gael is leading Fianna Fail in numerous constituencies where the reverse was true in 2007 and the Irish citizenry will have a new non-Fianna Fail governing coalition for the first time in fourteen years.

Fine Gail is on track to win four of five seats in party leader Enda Kenny's home constituency of Mayor, which is quite unusual for a party leader to perform that well in Ireland - All of Dublin's constituencies are utter disasters for Fianna Fail, but then again few aren't this year.

Stay tuned for updates.