Friday, August 05, 2011

Hither and thither 8/5/11

Glad to have you here this week. As will soon become apparent, I did not have a trainee this week, so I could do a bit more foraging for you.

Remember: updates possible up to 12pm. Invite a friend! Re-Tweet! I have a top agent assigned to keep the door open for all readers.
  • Bureaucracy: enemy of free enterprise. There is a map of government crackdowns on lemonade stands and the like. As Iain Murray (not that Iain Murray) well says, "The kids have been taught a lesson, but it’s one we should learn, too: You can’t be an entrepreneur in modern-day America without bureaucrats giving you permission in the first place."
  • Murray goes on to say, "The costs of regulation today amount to $10,000 per employee per year for small businesses in the U.S. ...That’s why businesses aren’t hiring. That’s why unemployment is still at 10 percent (except around the bureaucrats’ nirvana of Washington, D.C., where it’s 4 percent). That’s why the president’s revenues have dried up." Murray concludes: "If we want to get America back to work, we need to lighten up on the lemonade stands, lighten up on small businesses, and stop the bureaucrats destroying free enterprise." Hear, hear.
  • As if that weren't enough, the wonderful Mark Steyn adds a few pointed thoughts.
  • Show of hands: who agrees that owls are the COOLEST. BIRDS. EVAR?
  • Again, show of hands: who else loves the movies of Hayao Miyazaki? (Counts)  Yep, so do we. So you might be interested in this profile in which Miyazaki reflects on some of his movies.
  • BTW, what are your favorites? I think my family would say My Neighbor Totoro. I'd say Spirited Away.
  • WOW!! Did you hear about the interview that MSNBC host Martin Bashir did with addiction expert Stanton Peele, where they discussed Obama voters as addicts and potentially murderous psychopaths? It was amazing! Peele said that Obama voters are detached from reality, that they pursue pipe dreams that can never be true, and that they make him think of the mass murders in Norway! In fact, Peele said that Obama voters may well turn violent if they don't get their way.
  • Then did you hear the explosion of outrage from the rest of the MSM, the Democratic Party, the ACLU, Sojourners, and the NAACP? Did you see the protests and the endless outraged features all over the media? Did you see where Bashir was fired?
  • Of course you didn't. That's because everything I said happened — except that they were talking about the Tea Party, and not Obama voters. That's what makes it "okay."
  • You'll want to see this gent who has used Legos to do a bunch of repairs. Here's just one sample:
  • Only a Democratic organization would poll God's job-performance. Yep, that's right; it's not a joke, not The Onion. People were asked to rate how they thought God was doing in managing the universe. Only 52% of voters approved of the job God is doing. And there's the legacy of Adam's sons and daughters, judging the Deity. (thx Gil Sebenste)
  • Hm; there's potential for an infinite do-loop of sorts here:
  • For over twenty years, Air Force chaplains have taught a course titled "Christian Just War Theory." But no more. Why? Because "the material included Bible passages." So some group calling itself — you've got to love these Orwellian names — Military Religious Freedom Foundation whined lodged a threat complaint, and our warriors instantly caved and closed the course down. David Smith, AF spokesman for Air Education and Training Command, delivered himself of this amazing statement: “In an effort to serve all faiths, we try to introduce none in our briefings and our lectures.” Read that again. I did not make it up.
  • Kids: one important thing in life is being able to stand your ground, no matter what.

  • Goodness, here's yet another brand-new way to be driven right up the wall. This poor man can literally hear his own eyeballs move, as well as other bodily functions. Poor soul. (thx Chris Carney)
  • Still on the body-theme, kinda, Tim Margheim found an adoptive couple who struck back at some of the treatment adopting couples receive with a series of metaphorical maternity shots. You really do need to read the text to "get" the pictures.
  • Fred Butler provides us with this moment of...huh??!
  • It's a Church, and a Metaphor alert: a local Assembly of God literally has a drive-thru service. (thx Joel Griffith)
  • By contrast...
  • John MacArthur had a word or two to the "Young, Restless and Reformed" crowd. But almost more worthwhile than MacArthur's words is the essay by Travis Allen giving advice on how to listen like a man. I earnestly commend it to every young reader.
  • The very words I live by:
  • Okay, okay, I understand: not everyone loves cats.
  • DAOD has found us a picture of what just may be The Perfect Food:
  • However this, I think, is not:
  • And with that, I think I'll be toddling off.
  • Leaving you only these:









34 comments:

Pierre Saikaley said...

H&T! THAT'S what I'm TALKIN' ABOUT!

Man, I hate when I'm just trying to attempt nuclear fission in my kitchen, and the cops knock at my door-what's up with that???

So McPRAYER has come to America...can I get a supersize fries and a prayer for my family? Boogity-Boogity...

YR&R...I'm not young enough, cool enough, or smart enough to belong.

Have a blessed weekend all.

Kirby said...

Good Morning Everyone,

The adoptive parents photo gallery is so funny. I've occasionally happened upon the kinds of photos that inspire their beachball work, and think to myself: "eww, ewwwww" OR "really, REALLY, you want THAT hanging in your house...because I will NOT come to visit twice."

So their photos had me laughing so hard I had to put my coffee down so as to protect my laptop screen. And, it only gets funnier (if you know what I mean).

re: Communist party. I didn't vote CP last time, and now that I know who they endorse, I won't be voting with them next time.

have a great weekend. thanks for the fun (and serious, too)

-Kirby in Michigan

Fred Butler said...

On that crayon graph, I couldn't find two colors I recall from my childhood: "Indian red" and "flesh" (which was something of a dark pink color). Anyone else recall those or am I losing my mind?

DJP said...

We joke a lot (and appropriately) about the overuse of the cry of "racism!" — but even I've thought for some time that "flesh" was a bit racist. Maybe "Caucasian"... though I imagine a 6yo would have some struggle getting his mouth around that.

Lilian said...

One hand for owl and one hand for Miyazaki.

Tom said...

That owl picture isn't cool cuz of the owl; it's cuz of the guy. His arms move independent of his body! Weeeiiird.

I remember Indian Red. I was also fascinated by "maize." But I agree "flesh" is a bit assuming. Why not "pink-ish"? Some Caucasians are pretty red, while others are borderline transparent.

Tom

Brad Williams said...

I have never heard of Miyazaki. Is that a cartoon?

Fred Butler said...

Just one more thing on the crayons.
The graph is suppose to be a "history" of crayon colors. So, if these two colors, indian red and flesh were at one point a legitimate part of a crayon box, you would think that the graph maker would note this when you hover over the color chart, say in the 1940s or whatever. Yet, it seems as though his P.C. is retroactive, re-writing the past in the development of Crayola.

Robert said...

The write up about the confusion of Hebrews is great. I still walk away from it thinking that out of the options he listed, that I'd go with 1 or 2. And it probably says as much about me as him that I lean more towards option 2 (He knows better, but is fine with completely misusing scripture to make a minor rhetorical point.)

threegirldad said...

Anyone else recall those or am I losing my mind?

Yes...and No. :-)

"Flesh" had already been renamed "Peach" by the time I got my first set. I remember using what must have been an old set at my grandparents' house, and at some point realizing that the "Peach" used to be "Flesh."

"Indian Red" had become "Chestnut" by the time I bought the first set for my daughters.

(Binney & Smith's official chronology of color names)

Scot said...

Thanks for my weekly dose of bang my head against the wall government stupidity. My new slogan for them will be: "Life's hard enough, we're giving you an added challenge."

Melatonin is a beautiful drug for sleeping on long-haul flights and adjusting to the local time zone. I believe it's OTC. I also recommend shoes that easily slip off.

threegirldad said...

The waving signs along Hammer Lane and Kelley Drive drew in people in need of many things. "People praying for their finances, the've been praying for their children, their marriages, their foreclosures, their physical needs."

As with your observation about the two Chicago Christmas albums, it's interesting to note what is missing from the above "list."

"We just came here to get prayed for to make our life easier, basically."

[facepalm]

Trinian said...

Howl's Moving Castle, definitely - though Spirited Away is a close second.

Herding Grasshoppers said...

Whoa... Dan is BACK!

Too much to absorb at one sitting. LOVE the bird, standing his ground :D

Am equally creeped out by the "maternity" pics the beach-ball folks are mocking.

And the crayons... I remember Flesh. But where's Macaroni and Cheese?

Julie

Rita Tomassetti said...

okkk you know, i'm all for going green and not wasting precious water and all that, but who in their right mind would drink water in the bathroom, on top of the toilet, where people pee and poo...that's just gross! :P

ooh my word verification thingy is Coloide...which is spanish for colloid which can be defined as: "A colloid is a substance microscopically dispersed evenly throughout another substance." neat! :)

Paula Bolyard said...

MSNBC's Martin Bashir is the same guy who roughed up Rob Bell in an interview last year He's reportedly a Christian who attends Tim Keller's church. His other claim to fame is the series of creepy interviews with Michael Jackson about those sleepovers he had with little boys. He seems to have a penchant for the odd.

Did the Air Force administrators somehow miss that the class was called Just War Theory? Courts have consistently ruled that the study of religion in a historical context is permissible. As long as they're not proselytizing, there's no problem with it. And while they're at it, they should add a course on Muslim War Theory.

I suppose,though, that these folks prefer that our solders be trained in Norwegian War Theory. Pshh.

Robert said...

I don't think I even have the words to describe the poll by Dems about how good of a job God is doing. How about they rate their own performance in keeping God's law? I'd like to see what they give themselves.

trogdor said...

That blasphemous poll reminds me of the accusation that if someone else had been in Adam's place, we wouldn't be in this mess now. Just by even axing the question, it's an automatic fail.

Gilbert said...

I saw that poll and laughed my head off...for a second, out of the sheer gall of it. Then I just shook my head as I hit "forward" to Dan.

I found myself first laughing, then shaking my fist in righteous anger, and then laughing my head off at this H&T. If anybody saw me, they would have thought I was bipolar. This is an H&T classic.

Wendy said...

When I registered to vote about 12 years ago, I wrote in Communist for my party. I may have to change that.

Away From The Brink said...

A major portion of Sarah's charm lies in her virtually unlimited ability to annoy the right people.

Aaron said...

Like I needed a poll to tell me most of the world hates God. I could have saved the pollsters a lot of work by simply quoting Jesus when he said the path is narrow and few are those who find it.

The government beaucracy is easy to understand. They don't want anybody to get food poisoning from people selling unlicensed food. If they were selling marijuana...well, that would have been ok.

Paula Bolyard said...

So, do you think people should have the right to buy unregulated food, Aaron? Like should I be allowed to purchase milk from the Amish?

Susan said...

One more reason to that last graph of "Why people slow down on highways":

They think they own it! >:(

(Sorry. If you only saw [good thing you didn't] how angry I was today with the driver in front of me. He was taking his sweet time, talking to the guy in the passenger's seat, cruising leisurely in the left lane on the 101-N and holding up rush hour traffic behind him! I have very low tolerance for people like that.)

Solameanie said...

Off the H&T trail a bit, but a funny I couldn't resist. Obama is no longer blaming Bush for everything. Since Standard and Poors downgraded the U.S. credit rating yesterday, Obama hit on the idea of blaming Charles Spurgeon for the economy since Spurgeon was involved in the Downgrade Controversy.

Okay, that was bad. I repent in sackcloth and ashes.

Anonymous said...

I did find mac and cheese on there...it's more orange than I recalled.

Michael Russell and Vicki Fox Productions said...

Miyazaki's "Kiki's Delivery Service" is among my most favorite cartoons. A British friend showed me the original Japanese release with English subtitles. It completely changed my attitude and perspective on anime. The music is different in the Japanese version than found in the Disney American version. I prefer the Japanese soundtrack.

I think I have most of the Studio Ghibli films in my collection.

Pastor Howard Brown said...

Check out the buildings of cash! Are you guys sure you want a medicare like we have in Canada? Some of us are finding the tax load quite...taxing. Most things governments do as nanny it does at 1/4 the speed with 4 times the employees at six times the cost - poorly.

Aaron said...

@Paula:

I'm not sure how I feel about unregulated food. On one hand, I don't like false advertising, questionable claims, or not being able to know about the quality of the food I'm going to eat (if I desire to find out). On the other hand, I don't like the government shutting down lemonade stands, rabbit farms, and everything in between under the guise of safety. And personally, I think people should be able to buy unpasteurized milk from the Amish if they so desire. I'd like people to know about the inherent dangers....but I don't like freedom being taken away.

Paula Bolyard said...

I'd like to hear some thoughts from someone in CA. Last year in Ohio we had the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) (not to be confused with your local humane societies) come in to demand strict regulations on farms, including poultry and veal. We attend church with a lot of farming families who really felt their livelihood was being threatened by this out of state PETA-like organization (they like to run those commercials with puppies and kittens suffering...when you send them a donation, they use it to put farmers out of buisiness)

These farmers, while not cuddly animal-rights types, do generally try to treat their animals decently (if nothing else, because there's a financial incentive to do so - sick animals don't produce as much).

Anyway, one of the issues that came up during the discussions was that HSUS had pretty much run the poultry industry out of CA because of overregulation and now most Californians are importing their eggs from Mexico. I think I remember looking that up and verifying it, but not sure.

We have a Mennonite-run market up the street that opened this year. They sell this amazing Amish cheese and lunchmeat at unheard of prices - $2.50-$3.00/lb (the moms here who do the shopping will have to pick their jaws off the ground - you can't even buy it at Walmart for that price). They have a line almost out the door every time I go there - maybe it's the sign that says "God bless you for dressing modestly" : )

The problem is, the feds passed that wretched food safety law last year. If that little market ever clears $500,000 in profits, they're going to be hit with oppressive federal food safety regulations and that will be the end of the Hilltop Country Market. Forgive me for hoping they're never that profitable!

Anonymous said...

No matter what anybody thinks of Obama, he was put there by God, whether we like it or not. Me personally, I think he's doing a good job. He's not superman. And considering what he got into when he stepped into the presidency, I think he's doing the best he can.

I like the one where the dog pushes the door, and the bird is on the windshield. too cute!

Peter said...

Many mothers (and wives) may wish to require that their children (and husbands) commit this to memory...
Set the table the table wear from outside in; so, unless you live in France, the salad forks goes on the outside of the plate.

Hm; there's potential for an infinite do-loop of sorts here...
Yes, this adds new meaning to the biblical phrase, "streams of living water." (Yes, we are.)

Mike Slone said...

I'm pretty sure the Obama-Commie thing is hokum. I did some research and couldn't find anything outside Tea Party blogs and such.

I'd be surprised if they did, because he isn't a communist. He just isn't.

Also, the Democratic Party itself hasn't promised to run him again, unless my facts are confused.

Correct me if I'm wrong, though.

DJP said...

I also did some searching last week and believed I'd verified it, though I didn't put up the link. Without doing a full-court press, I did find verified Sam Webb's oft-quoted (in those sources) statement, "Millions who have to be at the core of this party still operate under the umbrella of the Democratic Party, albeit in an increasingly independent fashion." The Democratic Party is obviously the current best home to Communists, though they're not 100% happy with it. In that article, he specifically discusses the 2012 election, and clearly says that voting Democratic is Communists' only best choice.