RedStateEclectic

Bugs, Purple Belts, and Pioneers

I’m afraid I’ve been mostly AWOL today.  Couple of reasons for that.  The morning was spent in Lincoln driving a friend to a doctor’s appointment.  Got home around lunch time, and felt wiped out.  Seems I’ve been fighting either a strange set of allergies, or else some sort of virus—nothing debilitating, but just irritating: aches (mitigated by some ibuprofen or Tylenol); sinus stuff; a moderately sore throat, and just fatigue.  So I took a quick look at our comments section, added a line or two, and then took a nap. 

This evening, my daughter had Taekwondo testing—she got her purple belt.  That’s considered an intermediate level yet.  So I was there.

And tomorrow, I’ll be absent for the better part of the day at “Pioneer Day.”  Fourth grade is that traditional time in the schools in Nebraska to teach Nebraska history, and the capstone of the year for probably 20-25 years has been “Pioneer Day.”  There is an old homestead sort of place outside of town, as well as a local museum, and the activities take place out there.  The kids dress up in something approaching authentic “pioneer wear” (my mother has now sewn two Pioneer Day dresses in the last 10 years; my older daughter, a 4th grader 10 years ago, did a lot of her growing earlier in her childhood than has daughter number 2, and her dress would have overwhelmed the very petite frame of daughter, the younger).  I’m actually looking forward to figuring out what to put the boy in when he’s in 4th grade in 4 years—should be easier: jeans and a plaid shirt, or something.  Anyway, I’m helping in a couple of the stations and will be mostly away (unless I decide to snap a picture and photo blog a story via my BlackBerry). 

Support Agricultural Freedom. Ask your rep to support Ron Paul's HR 1866.

Here's an excellent article.  This should be a no-brainer.  Why is it that Ron Paul seems to be just about the only honest and rational being in the halls of Congress?

New York Could Grow Strong on Hemp
Earl Callahan pens an excellent opinion piece in the Press & Sun-Bulletin of Binghamton, NY.

Man Killed by Rare Form of Lightning

Governments around the world urged caution after a man in Tampe, FL was truck and killed by what seemed to be a particularly electrical form of lightning yesterday. Health organizations pleaded with people to remain calm despite what looks to be a lightning outbreak unlike others in past years. Reports show that lightning strikes have been confirmed in almost all countries worldwide. Government health organizations are bracing for what could be a very severe year for lightning strikes.

In the U.S., homeland Security forces have fanned out across the country, confiscating anything pointy that may attract the lightning. Fishing hooks, writing utensils, and assorted goth paraphernalia have been singled out as the most dangerous. A complete list is being formalized by a group of aichmophobiacs who were  reported to be overly enthusiastic at the prospect. When asked about the pointy-headed makeup of a large portion of the Homeland Security personnel, a spokesmen replied that, as a precaution, each officer would be required to wear specialized bright orange rubberized head gear until the threat of lightning strikes subside.

"It's crazy." said Arthur Watt, of Orlando, FL. "Everywhere I go, people are looking up as if the lightning is going to get them.  Except the golfers. They seem to be used to this kind of thing."

When asked if he was going to stay away from open skies as a precaution, he replied, "I doubt it. I think all of those pictures of people curled up in balls and hanging out in low-lying areas are just the news media trying to scare everyone."

Be on the Lookout for Egypt

He seems to be a crazed pig killer.

Egypt began slaughtering roughly 300,000 pigs Wednesday even though experts said swine flu is not linked to pigs and not spread by eating pork. Angry farmers protested ...

Who is this guy, Egypt, and how is it he is killing pigs that belong to other people? what right does he have to their property?

Another Impressive Hannon Interview

I loved how he referred to this quote by Edmund Burke:

Because half a dozen grasshoppers under a fern make the field ring with their importunate chink, whilst thousands of great cattle... chew the cud and are silent, pray do not imagine that those who make the noise are the only inhabitants of the field; that, of course, they are many in number; or that, after all, they are other than the little, shriveled, meagre, hopping, though loud and troublesome insects of the hour. – Edmund Burke

The Changeling

The “I would like to remain a Senator principle.”

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Changeling
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

Republicans Go After Former Republican Specter

This one is pretty good.  Apparently the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee has decided to introduce Democrat voters to the man they once thought of as one of their own, in a robocall.  Here’s the text—a link to the audio is embedded:

Here's the script and audio:

ANNOUNCER:  (Disclaimer) Hello, this is Jack. I've recorded this message on behalf of the National Republican Senatorial Committee located at 425 2nd St, Washington, DC or 202-675-4260 to help you welcome your newest Democrat Senator, Arlen Specter.

We wanted to make sure that we properly introduced him to you.  Former President George W. Bush said this about Arlen Specter.

PRESIDENT BUSH:  I’m here to say it as plainly as I can, Arlen Specter is the right man for the United States Senate. I can count on this man - see that's important. He’s a firm ally when it matters most.  I’m proud to tell you I think he’s earned another term as the United States Senator.

ANNOUNCER: Now here is Senator Specter on important issues to Labor and Democrat interest groups.

SEN SPECTER: I will not be an automatic 60th vote. And I would illustrate that by my position on employee’s choice also known as card check. Uh, I think it is a bad deal and I’m opposed to it and would not vote to invoke cloture.

ANNOUNCER: (Disclaimer) For more information, please visit nrsc.org/meetarlen. This call is paid for by the National Republican Senatorial Committee at www.nrsc.org and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Really, Specter deserves this—although the GOP, for backing him in 2004 a better GOP candidate in Pat Toomey deserves having him switch, too.

LLE

What Bank is Lending at 48-1?

From the post: The Fed: Our Next Troubled Bank?, we learn this:

Bottom line:

• The quality of the balance sheet of the U.S. central bank is deteriorating.
• The Fed is now heavily burdened by the same kind of crappy paper that has been hammering private U.S. banks for several quarters.
• And the Fed banks are holding total capital of just $45.7 billion against the sum total of $2.19 trillion in assets, meaning the Fed is leveraging its capital 48-to-1. That compares to only 27-to-1 two years ago.

With all this lousy asset purchasing the Fed is doing, it looks like the Fed is going to need more than just an audit.  It needs a bailout.

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Live

Now reporting from Reykjavik, Iceland.

Larson 2012

I won’t copy it all here, but just let it be noted that a few of us devolved into a bit of whimsy this morning (and early afternoon) in the comments to this post.