Mathematics anyone?

As I write this it appears that the Norway terrorist attacks are the work of one, possibly two, killer(s).

And it is being trumpeted wide and far that this killer is a right wing fundamentalist Nazi Christian who hates Muslims.

Perhaps. Also perhaps he is a nutcase like the IRS attacker and the killer who attacked Rep Gifford.

Of course they will be ignored, or perhaps the lie that they are "right wingers" will be trotted out again and again in a thousand Leftie genres for the education of those of us who are not paying attention.

We get this whenever a non-Muslim attacks and whenever a Muslim attacks. Always the same.... "But....but.....just look at all of those "Christian attacks!"

I have a great deal of trouble accepting that the Oklahoma killers or the Norway killers or the IRS killer were practicing Christians.

I also have a tendency to bring this up.

Given that the US Christian population is around 300 million and the Muslim population is around 1.5 million, what weighting should we give to the population size disparity?? 300:1? 280:1?

I mean if all factors besides population number are the same, shouldn't the number of attacks be the same?

And don't forget the known planned/attempted unsuccessful attacks stopped by our security forces.

So if the number of attacks by radical Muslims since 1991 are around 20, shouldn't there be a million or so attacks by Christians???

And could you show me the international organization that is sponsoring/teaching/preaching that Christians attack us, and other Christians of different denominations??

Of course no such organization exists. Islamic organizations do.

And I return to what I wrote earlier. ......if all factors besides population number are the same, shouldn't the number of attacks be the same?

There is a difference. There is a driver and Osama bin Ladin explained it during his interview with Peter Arnett, then employed by CNN:

REPORTER: Mr. Bin Ladin, will the end of the United States' presence in Saudi Arabia, their withdrawal, will that end your call for jihad against the United States and against the US ?

BIN LADIN: The cause of the reaction must be sought and the act that has triggered this reaction must be eliminated. The reaction came as a result of the US aggressive policy towards the entire Muslim world and not just towards the Arabian peninsula. So if the cause that has called for this act comes to an end, this act, in turn, will come to an end. So, the driving-away jihad against the US does not stop with its withdrawal from the Arabian peninsula, but rather it must desist from aggressive intervention against Muslims in the whole world.

Interview Link

In case anyone is geography challenged, the US and western Europe is part of "the whole world." We exist. Therefore we are attacked.


OnTwitter I am Lesabre1

"Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them." - Karl Popper

“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves.” - William Pitt

"Logic. There is little logic among the cultural elite, maybe because there is little omnipresent fear of job losses or the absence of money, and so arises a rather comfortable margin to indulge in nonsense." - Victor Davis Hanson

A Dark Avenger marathon

If AMC and TCM can do it, so can I.

If you haven't figured out that I'm Yman................
By Dark Avenger on A golden oldie on 6/26/11

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Yman is my New Shadow over at TalkLeft. DA was before he was banished. I think DA is jealous.

Just wanted to say that I feel very sorry for your struggles against Yman over at Talkleft not. Have a good day, and hopefully he'll teach you about our Constitution without using all them fancy-pants big words that you has trouble understanding.

By Dark Avenger on A golden oldie on 6/26/11
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Yeah, dem big words has me pizzled.

Sorry you're so afraid of me and what I might say that would knock your rantings into a cocked hat.
By Dark Avenger on Palin and Kasie and speedo on 6/14/11
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He has proved his point. Rantings are him.

That certainly is how you win friends and influence people toward your cause, as this gentleman would be glad to explain to you: Over the past two years, we have seen Republicans use long-held racist imagery in portrayals of Obama. The president has been depicted as a communist witch doctor, a man inclined to plant watermelons on the White House lawn, and we watched in disbelief as his face was placed on an "Obama Buck Food Stamp" along with stereotyped pictures of fried chicken, barbecue ribs, Kool-Aid and the obligatory watermelon. What does any of this have to do with public policy or conservative values? Here is a man who excelled academically at the finest schools in the world, has a wonderful in-tact family, worked hard and rose to become president of the United States. Yet in spite of his accomplishments, the president is still labeled an illegitimate, socialist, African witch doctor and has his face superimposed on a chimpanzee. If this can be done to a black man who is the leader of the free world, how long will it be before fellow Republicans insert my face on a chimpanzee? These behaviors also raise larger issues for African Americans and other minority groups within the GOP. How can I look my parents in the eye and tell them I'm a Republican in spite of these offenses? If he were still living, could my Latino father-in-law be proud that his daughter supports the GOP, in spite of the constant anti-Latino rhetoric that comes from the party? Can gay family members reconcile my support of a party that seeks to strip them of their basic human rights? These are not issues which pit moderate against conservative views, but rather consequential matters which transcend political positioning and speak to universal human values. There are a number of Republicans (and Democrats) who will view my switch to "decline to state" as a net gain for the Democratic Party. However, I reject the theory of zero-sum politics which claim we live in a binary world of Democrats and Republicans, where a lack of support for one side works only to empower the other. Having now been active in both major political parties, I've discovered the common prohibited activity is critical thinking. President Ronald Reagan once famously said, "I did not leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me," and I can now say that I have been abandoned by both Democrats and Republicans. In order to stay true to myself, my family and values, the only rational, responsible option is independence. Racist Cartoon of Obama forces me to leave GOP As a commentator on that page put it: What a shame that things have changed so much over the years! I remember when the office of President of the United States was to be respected! Whether or not you liked the person sitting there, he was "Mr. President". Talk like I've seen on some of the websites out there would never have happened because you couldn't insult the president! I think we should go back to that era!

Would someone tell him that I don't care if anyone likes me or doesn't like me?? That's one of the very few advantages of getting old. You realize that putting up with some things just isn't worth it.

OnTwitter I am Lesabre1

"Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them." - Karl Popper

“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves.” - William Pitt

"Logic. There is little logic among the cultural elite, maybe because there is little omnipresent fear of job losses or the absence of money, and so arises a rather comfortable margin to indulge in nonsense." - Victor Davis Hanson

I swore I wouldn't comment on this



There once was a congressman named Weiner

Who had a perverted demeanor

Forced from the Hill

For acting like Bill

Now Congress is one weiner leaner.

Hat Tip to Mike L!
OnTwitter I am Lesabre1

"Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them." - Karl Popper

“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves.” - William Pitt

"Logic. There is little logic among the cultural elite, maybe because there is little omnipresent fear of job losses or the absence of money, and so arises a rather comfortable margin to indulge in nonsense." - Victor Davis Hanson

eonvrye taht can raed tihs rsaie yuor hnad.

Only great minds can read this!

This is weird, but interesting!

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Hat tip to Mike L!

OnTwitter I am Lesabre1

"Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them." - Karl Popper

“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves.” - William Pitt

"Logic. There is little logic among the cultural elite, maybe because there is little omnipresent fear of job losses or the absence of money, and so arises a rather comfortable margin to indulge in nonsense." - Victor Davis Hanson

Walmart, chain sawing, baseball and use to be

Yes, I remain busy. Chain sawing, gardening, yard maintenance and baseball has disrupted my blogging.

I don’t care. All of that is real. Something that I can see, hear and touch. Blogging is interesting, but not really as important as picking fresh veggies and watching Grandson play. This week is the playoffs. They won their first game tonight, 8 to 6. He made the last out, fielding a routine ground ball at second and tossing it to first base.

I gave him a fist bump as he came to the dugout. “Nice,” I said. “Nothing to it,” he replied. “Who do we beat next?”

The confidence of youth. I just wish the country had it. We use to. What happened?

When did we decide that success is terrible? And when did we decide that small local shops with local owners become the goal? When did Walmart become evil because it offers a wide selection at low prices? Perhaps it was when most of us forgot what those shops actually meant.

I grew up in a small town in the 40’s and early 50's.

All the stores were locally owned and while it's true that the local stores employed local people, so does Walmart. While it is true they were locally owned, local people own Walmart stock.

The local store owners were the second part of the "gentry." You had them and the land owners. To fill out the foursome there were the poor white farmers and poor blacks. The local bankers, doctors, lawyers, teachers and law enforcement worked as management.

The stores’ merchandise selection was poor, the quality low and prices high. Sharecroppers and such white trash were automatically steered to the low end merchandise.

If you were white you escaped by saving enough money to buy a small piece of land and farming it while renting additional land. Your wife worked at the local shoe, shirt or coat factory. Of course this was possible only if you had an impeccable reputation and had never failed to pay back a loan.

Blacks could do that too but the odds were way higher that something would happen, an arrest for being uppity, etc., that would suck up resources needed otherwise.

I know this because I lived it.

Now I have no love from Walmart, or any large corporation for that matter.

But do be careful what you ask for when you wishfully remember the small shops and local ownership and hope for a return to yesteryear. You probably won't like what you get.

Part of the above also published in TalkLeft.

OnTwitter I am Lesabre1

"Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them." - Karl Popper

“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves.” - William Pitt

"Logic. There is little logic among the cultural elite, maybe because there is little omnipresent fear of job losses or the absence of money, and so arises a rather comfortable margin to indulge in nonsense." - Victor Davis Hanson

A golden oldie

I posted this about three years ago. I still like it.


These are all famous lines from movies.


SCENE I: A Bar: The Dew Drop Inn

Stella: Make me a martini, baby, and don't be stingy.
Bartender: Show me the money.
Stella: I've always depended on the kindness of strangers...
Bartender (aside): Of all the gin-joints in all the towns
in all the world, she walks into mine.
Stella: You talking to ME? Surely you can't be serious.
Bartender: I am serious, and don't call me Shirley.
Stella (gets up to leave): I'll be baaack...

James (enters bar): Stella! Hey Stellaaa!!
Stella: Hello gorgeous! Gotta name?
James: Bond, James Bond. Remember last year in Kansas City?
You were polymorphously perverse.
Stella: Yeh, I used to be pure as the driven snow, but I've
drifted a little. Buy a little lady a drink, my preciousss?
James: Bartender, two martinis, shaken not stirred.
Bartender (aside): Hang on to your seatbelts, it's gonna be a bumpy night.

Stella: Here's looking at you, kid. I think this is the
beginning of a beautiful friendship.
James: Tonight I consider myself the luckiest man
on the face of the earth.
Stella (aside): I need him like an axe needs a turkey.
James: I'm crazy about you, baby.
Stella: Is that a pistol in your pocket
or are you just glad to see me?
James: I feel the need, the need for speed.
Stella: I'd say you're doin' ninety.
James: You've got to ask yourself one question:
'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya...?

SCENE II: A Motel: The Do Flop Inn

Stella: What a dump.
James: Say hello to my little friend...
Stella: Well, nobody's perfect.
James: It's alive! It's alive!!
Stella: May I feel it?
James: Might go off in your face.
Stella: Listen, mister. You're gonna get on the horse
and I'm gonna hold on tight and away we're gonna
go, go, go!
James: So go ahead, make my day.
Stella: Ohhh...I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.

SCENE III: Later

James: Woh! I'm king of the world! Woh!
Stella: Life is a banquet, and most poor sons of bitches
are starving to death. Did FuzzyWuzzy enjoy his dinner?
James: That's the most fun I've ever had without laughing.
Stella: Snap out of it! Pay me! Whaddyagot?
James: What we got here is a failure to communicate.
Hasta la vista, baby.
Stella: I'll GET you, my pretty!
James: Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.
La-dee-da...yeh...la-dee-da...


Link to SharePoetry

Click on the link and you can find the movies they came from. A very nice job.

But they missed my favorite:


"Fill your hands you son of a bitch!"


and


Mattie Ross: You are too old and fat to be jumping horses.
Rooster Cogburn: Well, come see a fat old man some time!
[jumps the fence and rides away]


And if I have to tell you the last two are from "True Grit," well then...

"You aint never caught a rabbit and you aint no friend of mine!"

OnTwitter I am Lesabre1

"Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them." - Karl Popper

“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves.” - William Pitt

"Logic. There is little logic among the cultural elite, maybe because there is little omnipresent fear of job losses or the absence of money, and so arises a rather comfortable margin to indulge in nonsense." - Victor Davis Hanson

Why centrally controlled economies fail

A cowboy named Bud was overseeing his herd in a remote Pasco pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced toward him out of a cloud of dust.

The driver, a young man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, RayBan sunglasses and YSL tie, leaned out the window and asked the cowboy, "If I tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, Will you give me a calf?"

Bud looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at his peacefully grazing herd and calmly answers, "Sure, Why not?"

The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, connects it to his Cingular RAZR V3 cell phone, and surfs to a NASApage on the Internet, where he calls up a GPS satellite to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans the area in an ultra-high-resolution photo.

The young man then opens the digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg , Germany ..

Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has been processed and the data stored. He then accesses an MS-SQL database through an ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with email on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response.

Finally, he prints out a full-color, 150-page report on his hi-tech, miniaturized HP LaserJet printer, turns to the cowboy and says, "You have exactly 1,586 cows and calves."

"That's right. Well, I guess you can take one of my calves," says Bud.

He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on with amusement as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car.

Then Bud says to the young man, "Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my calf?"

The young man thinks about it for a second and then says, "Okay, why not?"

"You're an aide in the Obama Administration", says Bud.

"Wow! That's correct," says the yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"

"No guessing required." answered the cowboy. "You showed up here even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I never asked. You used millions of dollars worth of equipment trying to show me how much smarter than me you are; and you don't know a thing about how working people make a living - or about cows, for that matter. This is a herd of sheep. ...

Now give me back my dog

Hat tip to Mike L!


OnTwitter I am Lesabre1

"Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them." - Karl Popper

“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves.” - William Pitt

"Logic. There is little logic among the cultural elite, maybe because there is little omnipresent fear of job losses or the absence of money, and so arises a rather comfortable margin to indulge in nonsense." - Victor Davis Hanson