OldSouth keeps watching events from afar, but will be traveling Florida himself tomorrow for a few days.
His basic premise is that once we take action to fix the culture, we'll be on the way to fixing the economy. And, slowly but surely, a narrative is beginning to take hold:
Two themes emerge:
The Federal Government is incompetent, venal, intrusive, and absolutely oblivious and uncaring about the consequences of its decisions and behaviours in the lives of the citizens. The same government that brought us the SEC that looked the other way as Madoff and company looted and burned down the economy of this country (while the regulators were surfing porn and angling for jobs with the looters) is the same government that seized Alabama's oil boom, grounded the skimming boats in Louisiana, and delayed the building of the sand berms that would have saved many square miles of marshes--all in the name of 'we know best, and if you dare disagree we'll come after you'.
Local governments and citizens are beginning to take matters into their own hands. Today's story of Oskaloosa Island is just one of what may well be many to come. They played by the Fed'ral Guv'mint rules, and it became clear that only disaster awaited them if they continued to play by the Fed'ral Guv'mint rules. So they took matters into their own hands.
So, what's the Fed'ral Guv'mint gonna do?
Arrest the mayor and city council? Just imagine that jury trial, with full discovery required! Wouldn't you just love to sit in that jury box?
Sue the city? Ditto on that thar' trial thingy--discovery and deposition can really be a bitch! And there's that little inconvenient thang called the counter-suit. And juries determining culpability and awards. Makes one salivate, just to think of it.
Send in the National Guard to seize the city? Are those troops really going to fire on the citizens? Which officer will order them to open fire, here in the Age of YouTube? The citizens may well fire on the troops, if push comes to shove. The citizens have a lot more guns and ammo than your average Guard unit, the local knowledge of the terrain, and a hell of a lot more motivation than that enlisted Guardsman. The last time the Guard fired on citizens was 1969, Kent State University. Look it up, if you wish. Things did not go well for the Ohio Guard that day or subsequently.
It's always heartening to see Americans acting like Americans. This is something The Winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize probably did not factor in when he set about to create chaos on the Gulf Coast. One part of OS's family hails from that coast. These are tough, tough, determined, hard-headed, proud and cantankerous people. They are not impressed by your Harvard JD.
Now comes the big question: What if folks in Ohio and Utah and Nebraska and Tennessee tumble to the same conclusion as they watch events unfold on the Gulf Coast?
Can ya'll say 'Katie, bar the door!'?
So, a bit of the story of Oskaloosa Island.
A Florida Panhandle community that's been victimized by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico says it can fight the destruction of its beaches and waterways better than the federal government -- but it's left with one problem: "Who will pay the bill?
Now that tar balls are washing ashore along the beaches of Okaloosa Island, county commissioners say it's time to stop waiting for the federal government's Unified Command Center to approve closing its East Pass -- the area leading to the docks of the profitable fishing village in the town of Destin.
“Over the last 50 days," Okaloosa County Commissioner Chairman Wayne Harris told FoxNews.com, "I like to say we played the game, if you will. We did what we were required to do, which was wait for all the permitting processes and wait for all the permission ....
"Over that period of time, it was obvious to us that somebody in those levels were not communicating with each other.”
Frustration started when the county devised a $9 million plan to implement an extensive boom system of barges and air curtains to close off all inlets and bayous from incoming oil. But the government rejected that proposal and began reducing the number of areas a system would protect. That, Harris says, is when the county decided to take matters into its own hands.
“We were getting the bureaucratic shuffle," he said. "We couldn’t wait for the bureaucratic process. We could not wait for indecisiveness.
"This is our county, and our people depend on us to make decisions.”
Our county, our people, our decisions, our lives, our homes, our businesses.
We've had enough, ya'll. We'll get it done, and figure out how it gets paid for.
Screw the Feds. They are the problem, not the solution.
(And this insight from Planet Gore, with a journey down Memory Lane.)
Friday, June 18, 2010
Quote of the Morning: Larry Gatlin Sits In For Imus
'Scuse me, if'n you happen to find seventeen Afghan officers who all went AWOL at once from their military base in Texas yestidday, would ya'll please let us know?
Now, we got us one leeeetle problem: They all bin' in pilot training, and we issued them high-clearance passes that gets them onto any base in the country.
But don'tcha worry--we got it all under control! Honest.
Now for the quote of the morning, from Larry Gatlin (approximate words...):
Well, I'd like to know what happened, 'cuz they're seventy-six miles from my house!
Now, we got us one leeeetle problem: They all bin' in pilot training, and we issued them high-clearance passes that gets them onto any base in the country.
But don'tcha worry--we got it all under control! Honest.
Now for the quote of the morning, from Larry Gatlin (approximate words...):
Well, I'd like to know what happened, 'cuz they're seventy-six miles from my house!
We Got Us Oil On the Way, And The US Coast Guard Shuts Down The Cleanup
Either the Coast Guard is run by morons, or they're out to embarrass Governor Jindal for publicly criticizing The One?
What'cha wanna bet it's the latter scenario?
This, in a normal sane country, would be hard to believe. Here in Hopey-Changey-Land, we've come to expect it.
From ABC News:
Eight days ago, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ordered barges to begin vacuuming crude oil out of his state's oil-soaked waters. Today, against the governor's wishes, those barges sat idle, even as more oil flowed toward the Louisiana shore.
Louisiana Governor Jindal frustrated over decision-making red tape.
"It's the most frustrating thing," the Republican governor said today in Buras, La. "Literally, yesterday morning we found out that they were halting all of these barges."
Sixteen barges sat stationary today, although they were sucking up thousands of gallons of BP's oil as recently as Tuesday. Workers in hazmat suits and gas masks pumped the oil out of the Louisiana waters and into steel tanks. It was a homegrown idea that seemed to be effective at collecting the thick gunk.
"These barges work. You've seen them work. You've seen them suck oil out of the water," said Jindal.
That's precisely the problem, Guv'nah. They work! We ain't got no interest in no solution, Missah Jindal, yew jes' don't git it yet! We wantz the problem! We needz us a biiiiig crisis, 'cuz we be bleedin' BP friggin dry!
But OS digresses:
"The Coast Guard came and shut them down," Jindal said. "You got men on the barges in the oil, and they have been told by the Coast Guard, 'Cease and desist. Stop sucking up that oil.'"
A Coast Guard representative told ABC News today that it shares the same goal as the governor.
"We are all in this together. The enemy is the oil," said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Dan Lauer.
But the Coast Guard ordered the stoppage because of reasons that Jindal found frustrating. The Coast Guard needed to confirm that there were fire extinguishers and life vests on board, and then it had trouble contacting the people who built the barges.
Fire extinguishers and life vests??? Howz about this, Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Dan Lauer: If you think there might be a question, go requisition some from your base, pull up alongside, and hand them over to the boats! How stinking hard is that?
Remember when The One looked at the camera and said: 'If there's a problem, we want to know about it!', in his best faux-authoritative voice?
Governor Jindal took him at his word, and called The One's minions at the White House. Let's see how that worked out:
The governor said he didn't have the authority to overrule the Coast Guard's decision, though he said he tried to reach the White House to raise his concerns.
"They promised us they were going to get it done as quickly as possible," he said. But "every time you talk to someone different at the Coast Guard, you get a different answer."
After Jindal strenuously made his case, the barges finally got the go-ahead today to return to the Gulf and get back to work, after more than 24 hours of sitting idle.
Fifty-nine days into the crisis, it still can be tough to figure out who is in charge in Louisiana, and the problem appears to be the same in other Gulf Coast states.
Fifty-nine days into this mess, and The Winner of The 2010 Nobel Peace Prize either obviously does not know his ass from his elbow...
Or, more likely, he is helping to fuel the confusion, to create a real crisis--you know, the kind He never lets go to waste. Riots in NawLeenz and Mobile, people moving north en masse. Real crisis, calling for real intervention, and real expansion of power.
Sort of like, well, GM--which he allowed to bleed white, encouraged lunatic militarism by the UAW, before stepping in and turning bankruptcy law on its head. Maybe that was just a warm-up.
Makes the Coast Guard's behavior make sense, doesn't it?
Otherwise, the explanation is that we are in the hands of blithering idiots.
Ya' buyz yer tikit, ya' takes yer choice!
What'cha wanna bet it's the latter scenario?
This, in a normal sane country, would be hard to believe. Here in Hopey-Changey-Land, we've come to expect it.
From ABC News:
Eight days ago, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ordered barges to begin vacuuming crude oil out of his state's oil-soaked waters. Today, against the governor's wishes, those barges sat idle, even as more oil flowed toward the Louisiana shore.
Louisiana Governor Jindal frustrated over decision-making red tape.
"It's the most frustrating thing," the Republican governor said today in Buras, La. "Literally, yesterday morning we found out that they were halting all of these barges."
Sixteen barges sat stationary today, although they were sucking up thousands of gallons of BP's oil as recently as Tuesday. Workers in hazmat suits and gas masks pumped the oil out of the Louisiana waters and into steel tanks. It was a homegrown idea that seemed to be effective at collecting the thick gunk.
"These barges work. You've seen them work. You've seen them suck oil out of the water," said Jindal.
That's precisely the problem, Guv'nah. They work! We ain't got no interest in no solution, Missah Jindal, yew jes' don't git it yet! We wantz the problem! We needz us a biiiiig crisis, 'cuz we be bleedin' BP friggin dry!
But OS digresses:
"The Coast Guard came and shut them down," Jindal said. "You got men on the barges in the oil, and they have been told by the Coast Guard, 'Cease and desist. Stop sucking up that oil.'"
A Coast Guard representative told ABC News today that it shares the same goal as the governor.
"We are all in this together. The enemy is the oil," said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Dan Lauer.
But the Coast Guard ordered the stoppage because of reasons that Jindal found frustrating. The Coast Guard needed to confirm that there were fire extinguishers and life vests on board, and then it had trouble contacting the people who built the barges.
Fire extinguishers and life vests??? Howz about this, Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Dan Lauer: If you think there might be a question, go requisition some from your base, pull up alongside, and hand them over to the boats! How stinking hard is that?
Remember when The One looked at the camera and said: 'If there's a problem, we want to know about it!', in his best faux-authoritative voice?
Governor Jindal took him at his word, and called The One's minions at the White House. Let's see how that worked out:
The governor said he didn't have the authority to overrule the Coast Guard's decision, though he said he tried to reach the White House to raise his concerns.
"They promised us they were going to get it done as quickly as possible," he said. But "every time you talk to someone different at the Coast Guard, you get a different answer."
After Jindal strenuously made his case, the barges finally got the go-ahead today to return to the Gulf and get back to work, after more than 24 hours of sitting idle.
Fifty-nine days into the crisis, it still can be tough to figure out who is in charge in Louisiana, and the problem appears to be the same in other Gulf Coast states.
Fifty-nine days into this mess, and The Winner of The 2010 Nobel Peace Prize either obviously does not know his ass from his elbow...
Or, more likely, he is helping to fuel the confusion, to create a real crisis--you know, the kind He never lets go to waste. Riots in NawLeenz and Mobile, people moving north en masse. Real crisis, calling for real intervention, and real expansion of power.
Sort of like, well, GM--which he allowed to bleed white, encouraged lunatic militarism by the UAW, before stepping in and turning bankruptcy law on its head. Maybe that was just a warm-up.
Makes the Coast Guard's behavior make sense, doesn't it?
Otherwise, the explanation is that we are in the hands of blithering idiots.
Ya' buyz yer tikit, ya' takes yer choice!
Well, At Least This Hombre Will Have A Lot Of 'Splainin' To Do When (If) He Goes Home
Ok, in the meantime, someone 'splain this to OS:
From The Dickson (TN) Herald:
Dickson County agents from the Drug Interdiction Crime Enforcement unit seized more than $80,000 in cash they found stashed in the spare tire of a pickup truck on westbound Interstate 40 in Cheatham County Wednesday afternoon.
So far so good--but wait, there's more!
According to Dickson County Sheriff Tom Wall, the D.I.C.E. unit, which also has a trained K-9 officer, was patrolling the interstate just after noon when agents stopped the truck for a moving violation on the interstate. Wall said the dog, Paco, hit on the rear of the truck, leading agents to the cash.
The agents found the spare tire, located underneath the truck bed, and used a density meter to determine if something was in the tire. The meter read positive, he said. Agents also discovered a slit in the sidewall of the spare tire. When one of the agents slid his hand into the slit he “felt something plastic.”
Two black trash bags were pulled out of the tire and the money was seized. Wall said some of the cash was wrapped in the bundles and there was also loose cash.
Well done, Paco! Good dog! Could it be this is drug related?
In addition, a swab test was taken on the spare tire and tested positive for cocaine residue.
Yes, indeedy! OS is shocked, positively shocked to read that this might related to the drug trade. After all, he carries 80k in his truck's spare tire on a regular basis....
But wait, there's more!
Agents said the driver appeared nervous when he was stopped and there appeared to be “a lot of new items” in the truck, as if he’d been “on a shopping spree.” Items included clothes, electronic equipment and items for an infant.
They said the driver also displayed “other indicators” and produced a Mexican driver’s license. The driver was questioned and denied any knowledge of the money being in the tire. He told authorities he was headed home from Ohio to Texas after visiting family in Cincinnatti for the past several days. He also said he’d only purchased the late ‘90s Ford Ranger pickup truck a couple of months ago, the sheriff said.
The DICE unit will seek a forfeiture warrant for the money but the pickup was in poor condition and it was not seized.
The driver was released and the cash was taken to the D.I.C.E. office.
What? This whole incident screams 'illegal alien muling cash back to Mexico', and the local cops send him on his merry way...
Now, departing some 80k lighter on his way home, he'll have some 'splainin'-to-do-Lucy' to the 'gentlemen' who'll expect their money from him.
Lucy, 'splain-this-to-me, por favor...
From The Dickson (TN) Herald:
Dickson County agents from the Drug Interdiction Crime Enforcement unit seized more than $80,000 in cash they found stashed in the spare tire of a pickup truck on westbound Interstate 40 in Cheatham County Wednesday afternoon.
So far so good--but wait, there's more!
According to Dickson County Sheriff Tom Wall, the D.I.C.E. unit, which also has a trained K-9 officer, was patrolling the interstate just after noon when agents stopped the truck for a moving violation on the interstate. Wall said the dog, Paco, hit on the rear of the truck, leading agents to the cash.
The agents found the spare tire, located underneath the truck bed, and used a density meter to determine if something was in the tire. The meter read positive, he said. Agents also discovered a slit in the sidewall of the spare tire. When one of the agents slid his hand into the slit he “felt something plastic.”
Two black trash bags were pulled out of the tire and the money was seized. Wall said some of the cash was wrapped in the bundles and there was also loose cash.
Well done, Paco! Good dog! Could it be this is drug related?
In addition, a swab test was taken on the spare tire and tested positive for cocaine residue.
Yes, indeedy! OS is shocked, positively shocked to read that this might related to the drug trade. After all, he carries 80k in his truck's spare tire on a regular basis....
But wait, there's more!
Agents said the driver appeared nervous when he was stopped and there appeared to be “a lot of new items” in the truck, as if he’d been “on a shopping spree.” Items included clothes, electronic equipment and items for an infant.
They said the driver also displayed “other indicators” and produced a Mexican driver’s license. The driver was questioned and denied any knowledge of the money being in the tire. He told authorities he was headed home from Ohio to Texas after visiting family in Cincinnatti for the past several days. He also said he’d only purchased the late ‘90s Ford Ranger pickup truck a couple of months ago, the sheriff said.
The DICE unit will seek a forfeiture warrant for the money but the pickup was in poor condition and it was not seized.
The driver was released and the cash was taken to the D.I.C.E. office.
What? This whole incident screams 'illegal alien muling cash back to Mexico', and the local cops send him on his merry way...
Now, departing some 80k lighter on his way home, he'll have some 'splainin'-to-do-Lucy' to the 'gentlemen' who'll expect their money from him.
Lucy, 'splain-this-to-me, por favor...
The BP Dividend Suspension And Da Boyz In Da Wide-Brimmed Hats
The droll Robert Peston offers insight on the suspension of the BP dividend:
The cost of insuring its debt has gone To-The-Moon-Alice, so every bit of dry powder they can keep on hand will be needed.
The markets know what that one poor Congressman was excoriated for expressing in public: The Obama Administration has performed a shake-down of BP, with $100 million as down-payment to cover Himself's backside for shutting down deep-water drilling for six months. At least $20 billion to follow, to flow into friendly 'third-party' hands. No moral hazard there, ya'll.
As OS continues to quietly insist: This is not about finding solutions, it's about seizing power.
Obama and friends just made BP an offer they couldn't refuse, because they were in no position to...
Welcome to the Chicago Way, big-time.
The cost of insuring its debt has gone To-The-Moon-Alice, so every bit of dry powder they can keep on hand will be needed.
The markets know what that one poor Congressman was excoriated for expressing in public: The Obama Administration has performed a shake-down of BP, with $100 million as down-payment to cover Himself's backside for shutting down deep-water drilling for six months. At least $20 billion to follow, to flow into friendly 'third-party' hands. No moral hazard there, ya'll.
As OS continues to quietly insist: This is not about finding solutions, it's about seizing power.
Obama and friends just made BP an offer they couldn't refuse, because they were in no position to...
Welcome to the Chicago Way, big-time.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Lord Lavendon Has A Few Questions for Mr. Obama: A Reasoned View From The UK
The erudite Lord Lavendon has requested that OldSouth pass his thoughts along to The One, The Winner Of The 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, The Editor Of The Harvard Law Review Who Never Had A Word Of His Own Published , Our Beloved Leader, The Messiah, aka The President of The United States:
Thanks, your Lordship! As often noted before, just 'cuz every word is true, it don't mean it will matter a bit to The One. Truth don't matter when there is power to acquire, ya'll.
And, trust me, we're doing our best to send Barney and Nancy on their way. They just like deer ticks on the fanny of this great country, blood-suckin', dug-in, hangin' on fer dear life, and hard to get rid of.
Stand Tall, Ya'll. And come visit us heah' in the Heartland. We are yoh' friends!
Dear Mr Obama,
Usually I would let this one go, but I am so incensed by the latest proclamation of the President of the USA, that I feel compelled to say it, i.e. the leader of our greatest ally has now compared BP and the disaster in the gulf of Mexico as being a new "9/11".
Thanks a bloody lot Mr President, so BP is now on the same level as the terrorists , suicide bombers and general threats to the USA, the civilised world and the whole of Christendom as well know it? Please, Mr President, get a bally grip. BP (which is half American anyway) has admitted responsibility for the cleanup and is going out of its way to rectify the oil flood which is playing out in American waters. But, I would hope that you understand that whereas this oil spill was an accident and that BP will pay out and rebuild what has been destroyed, the 9/11 terrorist scum leashed destruction on the USA, by choice, not accident. Furthermore, you cannot sue the terrorists nor are they an ally of yours.
If, as some of your colleagues are saying, that BP should be nationalised and asset stripped to pay for this terrible occurrence, will you not agree with me, that the UK should nationalise the UK subsidiaries of JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and the other "vampire squids" which have borne the UK economy to her knees? Seems wrong, illogical and wrong doesn't it ? But what is good for the goose..
Thanks a bloody lot Mr President, so BP is now on the same level as the terrorists , suicide bombers and general threats to the USA, the civilised world and the whole of Christendom as well know it? Please, Mr President, get a bally grip. BP (which is half American anyway) has admitted responsibility for the cleanup and is going out of its way to rectify the oil flood which is playing out in American waters. But, I would hope that you understand that whereas this oil spill was an accident and that BP will pay out and rebuild what has been destroyed, the 9/11 terrorist scum leashed destruction on the USA, by choice, not accident. Furthermore, you cannot sue the terrorists nor are they an ally of yours.
If, as some of your colleagues are saying, that BP should be nationalised and asset stripped to pay for this terrible occurrence, will you not agree with me, that the UK should nationalise the UK subsidiaries of JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and the other "vampire squids" which have borne the UK economy to her knees? Seems wrong, illogical and wrong doesn't it ? But what is good for the goose..
Also, I think that you can have the DVDs back, which you gave our former PM (not that he could watch them anyway) , in the same way that you returned the bust of Britain's greatest -yes greatest- Prime Minister Churchill. Churchill was a bally hero to us Brits, who bought us through Britain's darkest hour- yes our darkest hour- when the forces of national socialism had conquered all of Europe, it was only Britain and her Dominions who stood between the light and the dark, until the Japs made sure your entry on the right side. How would you feel if we had a bust of George Washington or Lincoln and gave it back? Clearly you need a lesson in manners, honour and decency.
Whilst I am ranting, I would just like to let you know that, with regret, many of my patriots are becoming increasingly anti- American. Those of us , who argue for strong Anglo-American ties, are becoming a minority. Your actions are quickly adding fuel to the fire of those who wish the UK to become a province of the Euro-Super state; a state which would be nothing more than a pro-French, anti- American front.
Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the people of your great nation- tribute for putting up with you for so long. If you had been in Britain, you would be in the tower by now. I only hope that your great nation will vote against you and your socialist Democrat party, to restore one of the great nations of this earth, to restore the liberties and freedoms of America, which are are light and a treasure to the rest of the world. We in the UK had to put up with 13 years of failed socialist government- we are bust and a beggar to the world. I pray that such a state will not happen in your country.
God Bless America, God bless the Anglo-American special relationship!
Yours Lavendon
P.S- when the next financial crisis hits us, can you please have sacked that bloody irritating 'Barney Frank', who looks like he belongs in an Al Capone movie?
P.P.S- also can you please retire Nancy Pelosi, as I fear than any further Botox, will send her over the edge.....
Thanks, your Lordship! As often noted before, just 'cuz every word is true, it don't mean it will matter a bit to The One. Truth don't matter when there is power to acquire, ya'll.
And, trust me, we're doing our best to send Barney and Nancy on their way. They just like deer ticks on the fanny of this great country, blood-suckin', dug-in, hangin' on fer dear life, and hard to get rid of.
Stand Tall, Ya'll. And come visit us heah' in the Heartland. We are yoh' friends!
Baldwin County Alabama: Residents Build Their Own Oil Booms
...and blessedly aren't bothering to wait for approval from the Feds.
Hopefully this will become the 'new normal', as local governments and citizens take control back from the inept and the venal.
Sooner or later, though, someone in the vast web of Fed'ralGuvmintdom will get his panties in a wad and go after the locals who have the temerity to act in their own best interests.
The fur will then begin to fly in earnest. Long overdue.
Green Shoots nomination to these folks.
HT Mobile Press-Register
Hopefully this will become the 'new normal', as local governments and citizens take control back from the inept and the venal.
Sooner or later, though, someone in the vast web of Fed'ralGuvmintdom will get his panties in a wad and go after the locals who have the temerity to act in their own best interests.
The fur will then begin to fly in earnest. Long overdue.
Green Shoots nomination to these folks.
HT Mobile Press-Register
Duh Speech: Obama's Speech Coach Does The Final Touches
7:55 pm EST, 1 June 2010, The Oval Office. Dustin Hoffman has been called in to coach The One, who is up to his upturned nose in crude oil and ill will.
The Winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize is now seated in front the teleprompters. The first one, and the backup. Can't be too careful these days.
(Remember, Barry--it's not British Petroleum anymore, it's just 'BP'. Let's go over it again, Barry: 'BP', c'mon repeat after me, 'BP', 'BP', 'BP'.)
Aw Geez--Didn't anybody check this guy out to see if he could actually manage anything before we put him up for office? Hillary, where are you? Barry, remember, keep glued to that teleprompter, stick to the script! The script, Barry! That's all you gotta think about! (We're doomed!)
Here we go, Barry! Showtime!
Be sure to talk with your hands, you gotta try to make people think you empathize. Use your tough voice when you talk about BP. And use your empathy voice when you talk about those poor dead people. Remember which one to use when, Barry. Sell it, Barry, sell it! Make 'em believe you got it under control, even though everybody knows you don't got the brains to pick up the phone and call somebody up at BP when their well blows up. (Geez, from under which rock did this guy get found? Who dug him up? Hillary!!)
OK, Barry, here's the real sell--we gotta announce we're taking over another big chunk of the economy, that everybody's electric and driving costs are gonna go thru-the-moon-Alice, but don't (God, whatever you do!) don't tell 'em that part! Stick to that teleprompter, Barry! Make 'em think you believe that wind and solar will make up for the shutdown of all oil and coal production. (At least he's stupid enough to believe it--whew!)
Wind it up Barry, attention spans are short, talk about God, tell the story of the priest and the fishermen.
Make 'em think you're Reagan. Sell it, sell it, sell it! Pretend you're on the stump in October 2008.
You're losing the Kool-Aid drinkers already! Geeeez!
Hillary!!!!!
The Winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize is now seated in front the teleprompters. The first one, and the backup. Can't be too careful these days.
(Remember, Barry--it's not British Petroleum anymore, it's just 'BP'. Let's go over it again, Barry: 'BP', c'mon repeat after me, 'BP', 'BP', 'BP'.)
Aw Geez--Didn't anybody check this guy out to see if he could actually manage anything before we put him up for office? Hillary, where are you? Barry, remember, keep glued to that teleprompter, stick to the script! The script, Barry! That's all you gotta think about! (We're doomed!)
Here we go, Barry! Showtime!
Be sure to talk with your hands, you gotta try to make people think you empathize. Use your tough voice when you talk about BP. And use your empathy voice when you talk about those poor dead people. Remember which one to use when, Barry. Sell it, Barry, sell it! Make 'em believe you got it under control, even though everybody knows you don't got the brains to pick up the phone and call somebody up at BP when their well blows up. (Geez, from under which rock did this guy get found? Who dug him up? Hillary!!)
OK, Barry, here's the real sell--we gotta announce we're taking over another big chunk of the economy, that everybody's electric and driving costs are gonna go thru-the-moon-Alice, but don't (God, whatever you do!) don't tell 'em that part! Stick to that teleprompter, Barry! Make 'em think you believe that wind and solar will make up for the shutdown of all oil and coal production. (At least he's stupid enough to believe it--whew!)
Wind it up Barry, attention spans are short, talk about God, tell the story of the priest and the fishermen.
Make 'em think you're Reagan. Sell it, sell it, sell it! Pretend you're on the stump in October 2008.
You're losing the Kool-Aid drinkers already! Geeeez!
Hillary!!!!!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Louisiana Polling On Obama
Ouch! This wasn't spo'zed to happen! He's The One!
Folks in Louisiana, in response to polling, think GW Bush did a better job responding to Katrina than The Beloved Leader has in responding to the oil spill.
And, futhermore...
One thing the oil spill has not done is created a spike of opposition to offshore drilling in Louisiana. 77% of voters still support it with only 12% against. Only 31% say the spill has made them less inclined to be in favor of drilling while 42% say it hasn't made a difference to them and 28% say they're now stronger in their support.
Wait for it: Tonight the Winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize will explain that none of it his his fault, that the response has been wonderful, and that he'll be shutting down oil production ASAP. And, oh by the way--he has a bunch of new taxes to impose on anything that moves.
'Cuz, after all, He knows better.
Or words to that effect...
Folks in Louisiana, in response to polling, think GW Bush did a better job responding to Katrina than The Beloved Leader has in responding to the oil spill.
And, futhermore...
One thing the oil spill has not done is created a spike of opposition to offshore drilling in Louisiana. 77% of voters still support it with only 12% against. Only 31% say the spill has made them less inclined to be in favor of drilling while 42% say it hasn't made a difference to them and 28% say they're now stronger in their support.
Wait for it: Tonight the Winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize will explain that none of it his his fault, that the response has been wonderful, and that he'll be shutting down oil production ASAP. And, oh by the way--he has a bunch of new taxes to impose on anything that moves.
'Cuz, after all, He knows better.
Or words to that effect...
Never Let A Crisis Go To Waste: The BP Spill And Cap-N-Tax
Rahm Emanuel's famous quote rings in the ears.
An oil well blows up and pollutes the Gulf of Mexico.
The White House has a decision to make: All hands on deck and get this mess cleaned up, or (behind door number 2!) drag our feet, let things really really go to hell on the Gulf Coast (again), blame 'the corporations', 'big oil', Republicans (and any form of conservative), blame-blame-blame, and let the problem fester, rip Alabama's oil boom off for the Louisiana photo-op, and then....
Push for a massive tax increase!
And make damn sure it all gets done by November, cuz' we gonna a lose a lot of House members that first Tuesday. (If you're gonna make war on a culture, you gotta expect a few casualties, you know.) Ain't got no time to read no legislation--it's time to pass this thang!
In the meantime, OS talked with a friend from New Orleans, who said the 143-year old business that supplies oysters to the city has had to close down, due to pollution of the oyster beds.
Didn't have to happen. A timely response would have saved them, but that wasn't the plan.
That business is just another casualty of the Fundamental Transformation of America, and now can be conveniently used as a guilt-club to beat Congress into submission.
An oil well blows up and pollutes the Gulf of Mexico.
The White House has a decision to make: All hands on deck and get this mess cleaned up, or (behind door number 2!) drag our feet, let things really really go to hell on the Gulf Coast (again), blame 'the corporations', 'big oil', Republicans (and any form of conservative), blame-blame-blame, and let the problem fester, rip Alabama's oil boom off for the Louisiana photo-op, and then....
Push for a massive tax increase!
And make damn sure it all gets done by November, cuz' we gonna a lose a lot of House members that first Tuesday. (If you're gonna make war on a culture, you gotta expect a few casualties, you know.) Ain't got no time to read no legislation--it's time to pass this thang!
In the meantime, OS talked with a friend from New Orleans, who said the 143-year old business that supplies oysters to the city has had to close down, due to pollution of the oyster beds.
Didn't have to happen. A timely response would have saved them, but that wasn't the plan.
That business is just another casualty of the Fundamental Transformation of America, and now can be conveniently used as a guilt-club to beat Congress into submission.
Alabama's Gov. Riley Has Reason To Steam: The Case Of The Purloined Oil Boom, And The Polluted Bay
The term 'moral bankruptcy' floats to mind.
From The Wall Street Journal:
Last month, as oil began spreading eastward from Louisiana, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley made it a top priority to stop oil infiltrating the scenic Perdido Pass, a waterway near the Florida border that leads into Perdido Bay, one of the centerpieces of the fishing and tourism industry for both Alabama and Florida.
In mid-May, Riley and Coast Guard officials worked out a plan to hold the oil back, using a reverse funnel design to deflect the currents. Alabama authorities scoured the globe looking for the thick, heavy ocean boom to make the funnel, said Todd Stacy, a spokesman for the governor.
In the third week of May, they finally found it in Bahrain, and had it flown from the Persian Gulf to a staging area on the Alabama coast. Then, in the last week of May, just before Obama’s second trip to the region, the Coast Guard took the boom from Alabama and gave it to Louisiana, Alabama and Coast Guard officials acknowledge.
Tony Russell, a spokesman for U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the leader of the federal oil spill response, said today the boom was rushed to Louisiana’s Terrebonne Parish to protect Terrebonne Bay from oil in Barataria Bay, adjacent to it.
Riley was furious. At a June 4 meeting with the president and Allen, the governor sat seething as the admiral went over the materials that had been deployed throughout the Gulf, including Alabama. He told Allen he knew full well the ocean boom had been taken from his state, according to officials at the meeting.
“It was pretty testy,” said Charlotte Randolph, president of Louisiana’s LaFourche Parish.
In its stead, the Coast Guard and Alabama authorities deployed 18-inch boom, far more flimsy, into the configuration worked out. They then waited and hoped.
On Wednesday, June 10, oil breached Perdido Bay.
Well, it's all ok, 'cuz after all, The One got his photo op in Louisiana. That's what matters most, ya'll.
This is not an urban legend cooked up by some nutter. It' a documented series of events, recounted in the Wall Street Journal.
OldSouth has one purpose in recounting this tale. He gets visits from folks in Alabama, and hopes they'll pass this post along, far and wide, to every neighbor, family member, church member and friend.
Betcha' if it circulates enough between now and November, Alabama voters will figure out what kind of message to send Mr. Obama's direction.
From The Wall Street Journal:
Last month, as oil began spreading eastward from Louisiana, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley made it a top priority to stop oil infiltrating the scenic Perdido Pass, a waterway near the Florida border that leads into Perdido Bay, one of the centerpieces of the fishing and tourism industry for both Alabama and Florida.
In mid-May, Riley and Coast Guard officials worked out a plan to hold the oil back, using a reverse funnel design to deflect the currents. Alabama authorities scoured the globe looking for the thick, heavy ocean boom to make the funnel, said Todd Stacy, a spokesman for the governor.
In the third week of May, they finally found it in Bahrain, and had it flown from the Persian Gulf to a staging area on the Alabama coast. Then, in the last week of May, just before Obama’s second trip to the region, the Coast Guard took the boom from Alabama and gave it to Louisiana, Alabama and Coast Guard officials acknowledge.
Tony Russell, a spokesman for U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the leader of the federal oil spill response, said today the boom was rushed to Louisiana’s Terrebonne Parish to protect Terrebonne Bay from oil in Barataria Bay, adjacent to it.
Riley was furious. At a June 4 meeting with the president and Allen, the governor sat seething as the admiral went over the materials that had been deployed throughout the Gulf, including Alabama. He told Allen he knew full well the ocean boom had been taken from his state, according to officials at the meeting.
“It was pretty testy,” said Charlotte Randolph, president of Louisiana’s LaFourche Parish.
In its stead, the Coast Guard and Alabama authorities deployed 18-inch boom, far more flimsy, into the configuration worked out. They then waited and hoped.
On Wednesday, June 10, oil breached Perdido Bay.
Well, it's all ok, 'cuz after all, The One got his photo op in Louisiana. That's what matters most, ya'll.
This is not an urban legend cooked up by some nutter. It' a documented series of events, recounted in the Wall Street Journal.
OldSouth has one purpose in recounting this tale. He gets visits from folks in Alabama, and hopes they'll pass this post along, far and wide, to every neighbor, family member, church member and friend.
Betcha' if it circulates enough between now and November, Alabama voters will figure out what kind of message to send Mr. Obama's direction.
After Massive Damage Already Inflicted, Obama Accepts Offers Of Help
This nugget from the Washington Post.
Four weeks after the nation's worst environmental disaster, the Obama administration saw no need to accept offers of state-of-the-art skimmers, miles of boom or technical assistance from nations around the globe with experience fighting oil spills.
"We'll let BP decide on what expertise they do need," State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid told reporters on May 19. "We are keeping an eye on what supplies we do need. And as we see that our supplies are running low, it may be at that point in time to accept offers from particular governments."
That time has come.
In the past week, the United States submitted its second request to the European Union for any specialized equipment to contain the oil now seeping onto the Gulf of Mexico's marshes and beaches, and it accepted Canada's offer of 9,842 feet of boom. The government is soliciting additional boom and skimmers from nearly two dozen countries and international organizations.
This is not a right-wing crazy slamming Obama--this is the Washington Post, aka Kool-Aid Central.
Obama will end up making Jimmy Carter look like a genius or a saint, or both.
It's not about solving the problem--it's about seizing power in a time of crisis.
Tomorrow, He will begin to ratchet up the pressure on BP, to throw it under the bus because he can, and to distract attention from his inept response.
Four weeks after the nation's worst environmental disaster, the Obama administration saw no need to accept offers of state-of-the-art skimmers, miles of boom or technical assistance from nations around the globe with experience fighting oil spills.
"We'll let BP decide on what expertise they do need," State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid told reporters on May 19. "We are keeping an eye on what supplies we do need. And as we see that our supplies are running low, it may be at that point in time to accept offers from particular governments."
That time has come.
In the past week, the United States submitted its second request to the European Union for any specialized equipment to contain the oil now seeping onto the Gulf of Mexico's marshes and beaches, and it accepted Canada's offer of 9,842 feet of boom. The government is soliciting additional boom and skimmers from nearly two dozen countries and international organizations.
This is not a right-wing crazy slamming Obama--this is the Washington Post, aka Kool-Aid Central.
Obama will end up making Jimmy Carter look like a genius or a saint, or both.
It's not about solving the problem--it's about seizing power in a time of crisis.
Tomorrow, He will begin to ratchet up the pressure on BP, to throw it under the bus because he can, and to distract attention from his inept response.
Monday, June 14, 2010
The Etheridge Incident: Whatever This Is, It's Not Journalism
A pox on both their houses.
The 'students' (from which institution, working on what course, toward which degree?) were waiting laying in wait for Etheridge. He was on his way elsewhere, thinking of something else, and the kids caught his attention, much in the way a panhandler (or mugger) approaches someone on the street. Etheridge was caught off guard, and irritated at being accosted.
Should he have cold-cocked the cameraman? Nope!
Grabbed the kid by the wrist? Nope!
Should those kids have been there, attempting to stage a mugging on his reputation?
Definitely, no.
The posing of the question was not about eliciting information--and the question posed was something that could have been discerned from the public record.
It was all about provoking an angry reaction from a guy who appears to possess a short fuse.
It was not journalism, by any legitimate definition. It was 1:10 of ugliness from both sides of the equation.
OS keeps hammering, hopefully clearly, that the questions before us are about The Culture. Every day, do the things we do (and refrain from doing) improve The Culture?
Has anyone who witnessed this dust-up had their life improved thereby? Was this moment necessary? Etheridge is a doddering, angry old politician, but that would be clear to his constituents anyway, were they paying attention. HellsBells, now he elicits a bit of sympathy!
Whatever this was, it was not journalism, and The Culture was cheapened by it.
The Gulf Oil Spill: Maybe The Administration Is Just Not Competent...
...maybe they really relish crisis.
In either case, the governor of Alabama has had his fill of Hopey-Changey.
In either case, the governor of Alabama has had his fill of Hopey-Changey.
Score One For The Good Guys: Three Hostages Liberated From FARC
News just broke a few minutes ago across OS's facebook feed, and confirmed by New York Times report.
Colombian soldiers stalking leftist guerrillas in the country’s remote jungles have rescued three hostages held by the rebels, including a police general who was their highest-ranking captive, Colombian officials said Sunday.
The rescue carried out by about 300 military personnel in Guaviare, a sparsely populated region in southern Colombia, freed Gen. Luis Mendieta, captured by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, in 1998, as well as Col. Luis Murillo, who had also been held by the rebels since that year, and Sgt. Arbey Delgado, captured in 1998.
Mendiata had almost given up hope, as these plaintive words he wrote in December 2007 attest:
“It is not the physical pain that wounds me, nor the chain around my neck that torments me, but the mental agony of all this, the evilness of bad people and the indifference of good people,” General Mendieta wrote in a letter dated Dec. 21, 2007. “It is as if we are worthless, that we do not exist.”
The FARC is actively supported by Chavez, who is actively applauded by Obama and Miz Hillary. This rescue was undertaken without US involvement, which probably explains its success...no one leaking details to Caracas.
So, a healthy slap-down of a bunch of narco-terrorists and their sponsor, and of the venal crew in Washington who cheer their sponsor on.
All in all, a good way to start the week.
Colombian soldiers stalking leftist guerrillas in the country’s remote jungles have rescued three hostages held by the rebels, including a police general who was their highest-ranking captive, Colombian officials said Sunday.
The rescue carried out by about 300 military personnel in Guaviare, a sparsely populated region in southern Colombia, freed Gen. Luis Mendieta, captured by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, in 1998, as well as Col. Luis Murillo, who had also been held by the rebels since that year, and Sgt. Arbey Delgado, captured in 1998.
Mendiata had almost given up hope, as these plaintive words he wrote in December 2007 attest:
“It is not the physical pain that wounds me, nor the chain around my neck that torments me, but the mental agony of all this, the evilness of bad people and the indifference of good people,” General Mendieta wrote in a letter dated Dec. 21, 2007. “It is as if we are worthless, that we do not exist.”
The FARC is actively supported by Chavez, who is actively applauded by Obama and Miz Hillary. This rescue was undertaken without US involvement, which probably explains its success...no one leaking details to Caracas.
So, a healthy slap-down of a bunch of narco-terrorists and their sponsor, and of the venal crew in Washington who cheer their sponsor on.
All in all, a good way to start the week.
A Beautiful, Small Event For The Culture: The Music Of Eric Whitacre
Definitely not a household name, but maybe in some more civilized day, he will be.
Here is one sample from his new album that releases Tuesday, June 15, Choral Music.
This Marriage (2 minutes, 30 seconds of inspiring beauty)
May these vows and this marriage be blessed.
May it be sweet milk,
this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade
like the date palm.
May this marriage be full of laughter,
our every day a day in paradise.
May this marriage be a sign of compassion,
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcomes the moon in a clear blue sky.
I am out of words to describe
how spirit mingles in this marriage.
Here is one sample from his new album that releases Tuesday, June 15, Choral Music.
This Marriage (2 minutes, 30 seconds of inspiring beauty)
May these vows and this marriage be blessed.
May it be sweet milk,
this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade
like the date palm.
May this marriage be full of laughter,
our every day a day in paradise.
May this marriage be a sign of compassion,
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcomes the moon in a clear blue sky.
I am out of words to describe
how spirit mingles in this marriage.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Louisiana The Victim: James Carville Rants
And, he has a point, in today's rant.
For too long, the federal government and industry alike has simultaneously abused and neglected, patronized and plundered, and now polluted the people of Louisiana. And our plight is now a national emergency.
For decades, massive engineering projects across the country have made us more vulnerable. We lose a football field of land every 38 minutes. Since World War II, we've lost wetlands the size of the state of Delaware. I bet Joe Biden would be screaming on national television too if it was happening on his turf. Or if the Hamptons lost 16,000 acres a year, you bet there'd be a Million Hedge Fund Managers march on Washington to demand action.
Well yes, James, this is true. But look in the mirror, bro'! You have spent your life as a professional attack dog in the service of Democrat politicians, no matter how venal (Bill and Hilary come immediately to mind..), vilifying anyone--happily attempting to destroy anyone--who dared object to the venality and dishonesty of your clients. Since the end of Reconstruction until very recent times, Louisiana has been ruled by...Democrats, state house and legislature, US House members and Senators.
Your guys! Can you say Huey (Kingfish) Long? I knew you could! Here's just one little factoid about a Louisiana politcal hero:
Once in office as governor Long moved quickly to consolidate his power, firing hundreds of opponents in the state bureaucracy, at all ranks from cabinet-level heads of departments and board members to rank-and-file civil servants and state road workers. Like previous governors, he filled the vacancies with patronage appointments from his own network of political supporters. Every state employee who depended on Long for a job was expected to pay a portion of his or her salary directly into Long’s political war-chest. These funds were kept in a famous locked “deduct box” to be used at Long's discretion for political purposes.
Mr. Carville, you spent your entire career working for this day: A left-wing Democrat in the White House, with both houses controlled by the left wing of the Democrat party.
Wow, it really sucks, doesn't it?
So, James: Perhaps you might reconsider your 1992 advice to Bill Clinton--It's the economy, stupid!
No, James, it's not. It's the culture, the one you see now eroding away under your feet after decades of rule by the very people you have spent your life advising. And shilling for. You couldn't get Louisiana's case heard in Washington, because your boss was too busy chasing skirts. You loved the power too much to step back and consider there might really be bad consequences down the road. You enjoyed your role as the Clintons' pit bull, you reveled in it. You were the Ragin' Cajun.
It's gonna take years to undo this mess. But, at least, man up enough to admit your role in it. After all, these are the words that ended your rant today:
And in this, the most critical hour in our region's long, tortured, and yet glorious history, let's remind ourselves that Louisiana expects every person to do their duty.
This is a struggle for the preservation of our culture, way of life and the land we love.
It is, indeed. You have a country full of people willing to help, but uninterested in perpetuating the disastrous governance that led to this tragedy.
For too long, the federal government and industry alike has simultaneously abused and neglected, patronized and plundered, and now polluted the people of Louisiana. And our plight is now a national emergency.
For decades, massive engineering projects across the country have made us more vulnerable. We lose a football field of land every 38 minutes. Since World War II, we've lost wetlands the size of the state of Delaware. I bet Joe Biden would be screaming on national television too if it was happening on his turf. Or if the Hamptons lost 16,000 acres a year, you bet there'd be a Million Hedge Fund Managers march on Washington to demand action.
Well yes, James, this is true. But look in the mirror, bro'! You have spent your life as a professional attack dog in the service of Democrat politicians, no matter how venal (Bill and Hilary come immediately to mind..), vilifying anyone--happily attempting to destroy anyone--who dared object to the venality and dishonesty of your clients. Since the end of Reconstruction until very recent times, Louisiana has been ruled by...Democrats, state house and legislature, US House members and Senators.
Your guys! Can you say Huey (Kingfish) Long? I knew you could! Here's just one little factoid about a Louisiana politcal hero:
Once in office as governor Long moved quickly to consolidate his power, firing hundreds of opponents in the state bureaucracy, at all ranks from cabinet-level heads of departments and board members to rank-and-file civil servants and state road workers. Like previous governors, he filled the vacancies with patronage appointments from his own network of political supporters. Every state employee who depended on Long for a job was expected to pay a portion of his or her salary directly into Long’s political war-chest. These funds were kept in a famous locked “deduct box” to be used at Long's discretion for political purposes.
Mr. Carville, you spent your entire career working for this day: A left-wing Democrat in the White House, with both houses controlled by the left wing of the Democrat party.
Wow, it really sucks, doesn't it?
So, James: Perhaps you might reconsider your 1992 advice to Bill Clinton--It's the economy, stupid!
No, James, it's not. It's the culture, the one you see now eroding away under your feet after decades of rule by the very people you have spent your life advising. And shilling for. You couldn't get Louisiana's case heard in Washington, because your boss was too busy chasing skirts. You loved the power too much to step back and consider there might really be bad consequences down the road. You enjoyed your role as the Clintons' pit bull, you reveled in it. You were the Ragin' Cajun.
It's gonna take years to undo this mess. But, at least, man up enough to admit your role in it. After all, these are the words that ended your rant today:
And in this, the most critical hour in our region's long, tortured, and yet glorious history, let's remind ourselves that Louisiana expects every person to do their duty.
This is a struggle for the preservation of our culture, way of life and the land we love.
It is, indeed. You have a country full of people willing to help, but uninterested in perpetuating the disastrous governance that led to this tragedy.
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