Of course, there are cries of how unfair it all is from the NannyStateProfessionals, but math is math. Texas is 15 billion short, and spending must be reduced.
From Associated Press, who of course, never miss an opportunity to spit on a conservative:
AUSTIN, TX -- Public education in Texas is facing billions in proposed budget cuts that would include slashing arts education, pre-kindergarten programs and teacher incentive pay as lawmakers take on a massive deficit with the promise of no new taxes.
Lawmakers got their first glimpse of what the next state budget might look like late Tuesday, including the $5 billion cut to public schools, as Republican Gov. Rick Perry and his supporters were dancing at an inaugural celebration.
Texas is facing a $15 billion revenue shortfall, and few corners of state government were spared in the draft proposal for the next two years. The Texas Constitution requires a balanced budget, and Republican leaders have vowed not to raise taxes.
Now, one must understand that had the incoming governor been a Hopey-Changey type, the AP would have breathlessly detailed the details of the ball, down to the first lady's shoe buckles, and buried news of any revenue shortfalls. Or blamed them on George Bush.
But, math is math is math. Texas, unlike the Federal gubbmint, must operate on balanced budgets, and doesn't have its own magic unlimited money-printing machine down the street.
It's not just Texas, ya'll. It's a lot of places, like Tennessee.
Himself and Miz Nancy and Mr. Harry went and borrowed hundreds of billions (freshly printed up by Zimbabwe Ben), and threw it out of the gubbmint helicopter to the states, confident that they would sprout votes and employment and votes and growth, and votes, by 2012. It kills economies and cultures, just ask Argentina. And, it didn't work this time either.
Here's a partial list of ObamaPork for which the money has run out in Tennessee:
STIMULUS FUNDED PROGRAMS:
Coordinated school health: $15.3 million
Extended contracts: $15 million
Safe schools: $4.8 million
Statewide Student Management System: $3.7 million
Family resource centers: $3.5 million
Exemplary educators: $2.3 million
K-2 assessment: $2.3 million
TN early intervention services: $2.3 million
Public TV grants: $2.8 million
Internet connectivity: $2.4 million
Tennessee School for the Deaf transportation: $800,000
Science Alliance museum grants: $750,000
Professional development: $582,000
Governor's Books from Birth Fund: $340,000
Governor's Schools: $240,000
Arts Academy: $150,000
Early childhood education operational savings: $150,000
Holocaust Commission grants: $128,300
Little Tennessee Valley Educational Cooperative: $47,700
Obama went and borrowed money from the Chinese to fund this. Our grandchildren will be paying for it.
The states will have to lead the way. Hopey-Changey just wants to spend more.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The US Unemployment Rate, Sans The Spin
From Gallup Research:
Lots of chatter yesterday about how an economy the size of ours only created 36,000 jobs last month, and yet the unemployment rate dropped from 9.4% to 9%. 150,000 people enter the work force every month, net--new entries minus deaths and retirements. 36k is less than 150k, even in ObamaMath.
The short answer is, Someone may be trying to blow smoke up our skirts. Or, things are so hinky that normal means of measurement are breaking down.
If you'll hit that link above, you'll see the reality. Flat-line, 19.9% underemployment, 9.9 unemployment. Gallup isn't running for office, he's in the accuracy bidness.
Back in 1992, Bill Clinton beat George Bush Sr about the ears over a mild recession we were in, declaring it 'The Worst Recession Since World War II', and 'I Feel Your Pain'.
Bill? Why so silent? You're an elder statesman now, you can say whatever you want.
Bill?
OS used to shop regularly at WalMart, and now tends to avoid it. He shopped there this week, as a reality check of sorts. It's disturbing to walk the isles and see so many shabby people who look completely beaten down by life. So many seem to have given up, looking to survive this month, this week, today. Homeless people are showing up in new places in Nashville, and local churches are feeding more people every month in OS's county. These are the folks responsible for the drop in the unemployment rate...they've done the Department of Labor the favor of simply dropping off the radar.
For a more dispassionate view of reality, visit Calculated Risk.
Lots of chatter yesterday about how an economy the size of ours only created 36,000 jobs last month, and yet the unemployment rate dropped from 9.4% to 9%. 150,000 people enter the work force every month, net--new entries minus deaths and retirements. 36k is less than 150k, even in ObamaMath.
The short answer is, Someone may be trying to blow smoke up our skirts. Or, things are so hinky that normal means of measurement are breaking down.
If you'll hit that link above, you'll see the reality. Flat-line, 19.9% underemployment, 9.9 unemployment. Gallup isn't running for office, he's in the accuracy bidness.
Back in 1992, Bill Clinton beat George Bush Sr about the ears over a mild recession we were in, declaring it 'The Worst Recession Since World War II', and 'I Feel Your Pain'.
Bill? Why so silent? You're an elder statesman now, you can say whatever you want.
Bill?
OS used to shop regularly at WalMart, and now tends to avoid it. He shopped there this week, as a reality check of sorts. It's disturbing to walk the isles and see so many shabby people who look completely beaten down by life. So many seem to have given up, looking to survive this month, this week, today. Homeless people are showing up in new places in Nashville, and local churches are feeding more people every month in OS's county. These are the folks responsible for the drop in the unemployment rate...they've done the Department of Labor the favor of simply dropping off the radar.
For a more dispassionate view of reality, visit Calculated Risk.
Obama Sells The UK To The Russians: START Treaty Revelations Published Today
Turns out the guy in the Oval Office is actually the Pimp-In-Chief.
Just when you think these people have run through their supply of mendacious venality, something else comes to light. This is like living through the Nixon Administration, only Nixon was a rank amateur by comparison.
From The Telegraph on 4 February:
Information about every Trident missile the US supplies to Britain will be given to Russia as part of an arms control deal signed by President Barack Obama next week.
Defence analysts claim the agreement risks undermining Britain’s policy of refusing to confirm the exact size of its nuclear arsenal.
The fact that the Americans used British nuclear secrets as a bargaining chip also sheds new light on the so-called “special relationship”, which is shown often to be a one-sided affair by US diplomatic communications obtained by the WikiLeaks website.
Details of the behind-the-scenes talks are contained in more than 1,400 US embassy cables published to date by the Telegraph, including almost 800 sent from the London Embassy, which are published online today.
Words, well...fail.
OldSouth has a number of regular readers from the UK, so he wants to say it again:
Obama and company do not represent the views of the vast majority of the citizens of this country. They have a completely separate agenda from ours.
If you live in the UK, OS urges you to contact your MP and raise unshirted hell. Demand hearings, and more hearings. Picket our embassy. Write your papers, and demand the truth be published. Obama and his posse have sold you out! If your country were destroyed tomorrow, he would never lose a moment's sleep, just like he sleeps soundly as this one slowly unravels. Just understand that that American tourist or student you encounter has also been victimized by his government, and should not be on the receiving end of your displeasure.
The question arises: What other side deals were made with Putin over this treaty? Little wonder that Obama, Reid, and Hilary were so eager to ram this thing through the Senate in December, when no one was paying attention.
God only knows what he and his are doing with and to Egypt, ostensibly in our name.
Sit tight, ya'll, and keep faith. We're still in those Good Hands, and 2012 is fast approaching.
In the meantime, our apologies from across the pond. We knew he was a bad actor, but had no idea just how bad.
Just when you think these people have run through their supply of mendacious venality, something else comes to light. This is like living through the Nixon Administration, only Nixon was a rank amateur by comparison.
From The Telegraph on 4 February:
Information about every Trident missile the US supplies to Britain will be given to Russia as part of an arms control deal signed by President Barack Obama next week.
Defence analysts claim the agreement risks undermining Britain’s policy of refusing to confirm the exact size of its nuclear arsenal.
The fact that the Americans used British nuclear secrets as a bargaining chip also sheds new light on the so-called “special relationship”, which is shown often to be a one-sided affair by US diplomatic communications obtained by the WikiLeaks website.
Details of the behind-the-scenes talks are contained in more than 1,400 US embassy cables published to date by the Telegraph, including almost 800 sent from the London Embassy, which are published online today.
Words, well...fail.
OldSouth has a number of regular readers from the UK, so he wants to say it again:
Obama and company do not represent the views of the vast majority of the citizens of this country. They have a completely separate agenda from ours.
If you live in the UK, OS urges you to contact your MP and raise unshirted hell. Demand hearings, and more hearings. Picket our embassy. Write your papers, and demand the truth be published. Obama and his posse have sold you out! If your country were destroyed tomorrow, he would never lose a moment's sleep, just like he sleeps soundly as this one slowly unravels. Just understand that that American tourist or student you encounter has also been victimized by his government, and should not be on the receiving end of your displeasure.
The question arises: What other side deals were made with Putin over this treaty? Little wonder that Obama, Reid, and Hilary were so eager to ram this thing through the Senate in December, when no one was paying attention.
God only knows what he and his are doing with and to Egypt, ostensibly in our name.
Sit tight, ya'll, and keep faith. We're still in those Good Hands, and 2012 is fast approaching.
In the meantime, our apologies from across the pond. We knew he was a bad actor, but had no idea just how bad.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s 105th Birthday | Acton Institute PowerBlog
Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s 105th Birthday | Acton Institute PowerBlog
More to say later.
This man was truly a hero. OS hopes you take time to read this tribute to Pastor Bonhoeffer.
More to say later.
This man was truly a hero. OS hopes you take time to read this tribute to Pastor Bonhoeffer.
Mubarak's Thugs: Thugz-Iz-Thugz, Wherever You Go
Funny, how common it is for dictators of all stripes, from Castro to Mubarak, to empty the jails and pay thugs to thug on their behalf, when push comes to shove.
This from France24.
Mohamed Abd Elatty is a freelance journalist and blogger in Cairo. He filmed this man's confession.
During the clashes on Wednesday, when anti-government demonstrators managed to catch Mubarak supporters, they disarmed them and handed them over to soldiers Late in the evening, I approached a group of protesters that had detained several baltgia militiamen, and asked the pro-Mubarak men if they would agree to be filmed explaining what their motivations were, because there are a lot of rumours going around on the subject. This young man was the only one who accepted.
He told me that he came from Alexandria and had been arrested – wrongfully, according to him – for drug trafficking. While he was in jail awaiting trial, a policeman reportedly came to see him and around 30 other prisoners and offered them each 5,000 Egyptian pounds if they accepted to participate in pro-Mubarak protests in Cairo. Unlike the other men he was with when protesters captured him on Wednesday, he didn’t have an ID card on him, which makes sense if he was a prisoner.
Another interesting point is that he claims to be from Alexandria. Right now, transportation between Egyptian cities is so bad that he can only have been brought by a government vehicle. In fact, most of the pro-Mubarak protesters that were arrested were unemployed men from outside Cairo: how did they all make it to Tahrir square?
A good question, indeed.
BTW, OS's Friend-of-Friend journalist made it safely out of Egypt and back to Europe.
Away from the thugs.
This from France24.
Mohamed Abd Elatty is a freelance journalist and blogger in Cairo. He filmed this man's confession.
During the clashes on Wednesday, when anti-government demonstrators managed to catch Mubarak supporters, they disarmed them and handed them over to soldiers Late in the evening, I approached a group of protesters that had detained several baltgia militiamen, and asked the pro-Mubarak men if they would agree to be filmed explaining what their motivations were, because there are a lot of rumours going around on the subject. This young man was the only one who accepted.
He told me that he came from Alexandria and had been arrested – wrongfully, according to him – for drug trafficking. While he was in jail awaiting trial, a policeman reportedly came to see him and around 30 other prisoners and offered them each 5,000 Egyptian pounds if they accepted to participate in pro-Mubarak protests in Cairo. Unlike the other men he was with when protesters captured him on Wednesday, he didn’t have an ID card on him, which makes sense if he was a prisoner.
Another interesting point is that he claims to be from Alexandria. Right now, transportation between Egyptian cities is so bad that he can only have been brought by a government vehicle. In fact, most of the pro-Mubarak protesters that were arrested were unemployed men from outside Cairo: how did they all make it to Tahrir square?
A good question, indeed.
BTW, OS's Friend-of-Friend journalist made it safely out of Egypt and back to Europe.
Away from the thugs.
Just Because It's Friday: Psalm 1 In The King James Version
Nothing is quite so relevant to contemporary crises as eternal verities; especially as expressed in the language of the King James Bible, whose 400th anniversary is celebrated this year.
Psalm 1, King James Version:
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Be of good cheer, ya'll, even as things turn ugly. We're in good hands.
And please pray for the safety of OS's journalist friend-of-friend, held captive in Cairo, arrested today by the secret police. His mom heard from him very briefly, but the call was cut off. He's terrified, and it's hard to imagine the pain his family endures.
And, for good measure, from New College Oxford:
Psalm 1, King James Version:
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Be of good cheer, ya'll, even as things turn ugly. We're in good hands.
And please pray for the safety of OS's journalist friend-of-friend, held captive in Cairo, arrested today by the secret police. His mom heard from him very briefly, but the call was cut off. He's terrified, and it's hard to imagine the pain his family endures.
And, for good measure, from New College Oxford:
The GulfStream Moment Approaches
It's not a matter of if, just when.
From this evening's New York Times:
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is discussing with Egyptian officials a proposal for President Hosni Mubarak to resign immediately, turning over power to a transitional government headed by Vice President Omar Suleiman with the support of the Egyptian military, administration officials and Arab diplomats said Thursday.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall and overhear the conversations...
From this evening's New York Times:
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is discussing with Egyptian officials a proposal for President Hosni Mubarak to resign immediately, turning over power to a transitional government headed by Vice President Omar Suleiman with the support of the Egyptian military, administration officials and Arab diplomats said Thursday.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall and overhear the conversations...
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Egypt From Tennessee Thursday 3 February: Journalist Roundup In Cairo
Washington Post crews detained.
OS is keep AlJazeera on (Heaven help us...), and they report a lot of their gear has been seized. Recent footage and reports from the square indicate both small arms and automatic weapons fire, with one claim of 'snipers'--hard to know if that's accurate.
France24 indicates the army is moving in to restore order in the square.
France24 also reports: Bert Sundströms, a senior journalist with Sweden's Sveriges Television has been arrested while reporting from Cairo, the public broadcaster has said.
Shahira Amin, who resigned the official Egyptian news service this week, reports she is being followed and threatened.
OS has his own reliable sources, with a widening readership. He just learned that a friend of a friend is amongst the journalists seized.
Reason has departed. If Mubarak and company think they can crush this thing, arrest journalists and send thugs out to attack, they are just delusional.
OS's greater concern is that something a lot more malevolent than Mubarak may be waiting in the wings. Often, there is.
OS will check back later. Happy to pass on news if it will help friends and friends of friends.
Still a lot of movement, rock throwing, etc. on the square.
We're in good hands, ya'll, even when it gets scary. Prayers asked for OS's friend of friend.
OS is keep AlJazeera on (Heaven help us...), and they report a lot of their gear has been seized. Recent footage and reports from the square indicate both small arms and automatic weapons fire, with one claim of 'snipers'--hard to know if that's accurate.
France24 indicates the army is moving in to restore order in the square.
France24 also reports: Bert Sundströms, a senior journalist with Sweden's Sveriges Television has been arrested while reporting from Cairo, the public broadcaster has said.
Shahira Amin, who resigned the official Egyptian news service this week, reports she is being followed and threatened.
OS has his own reliable sources, with a widening readership. He just learned that a friend of a friend is amongst the journalists seized.
Reason has departed. If Mubarak and company think they can crush this thing, arrest journalists and send thugs out to attack, they are just delusional.
OS's greater concern is that something a lot more malevolent than Mubarak may be waiting in the wings. Often, there is.
OS will check back later. Happy to pass on news if it will help friends and friends of friends.
Still a lot of movement, rock throwing, etc. on the square.
We're in good hands, ya'll, even when it gets scary. Prayers asked for OS's friend of friend.
Mubarak And Barack O'Reagan Obama Prepare For The GulfStreamMoment
Robert Gibbs, after another testy press briefing, in which he imparts no real information: Uh, Mr. President, The Press, who helped elect you 'cuz you kept preaching about 'transparency', they're, well-uh...pretty pissed that you won't talk to them yourself. You still need them, sir, if you want to keep this gig for another four years. Remember, I'm outta here soon, and can't fend them off for you.
Barry, impatiently: Screw 'em. I'm all they've got. Remember, I'm channeling Reagan now, Time Magazine sez so, 'cuz that's what we told them to say. That was a great shot with the football, wasn't it? Staged to mirror image The Gipper and everything. Damn, I'm good!
Gibbs: Mr. President, the embassy's on the phone from Cairo. They've worn out all the paper shredders, and those incinerators they ordered never arrived. Is it ok to let the local contractor haul all those cables and docs away? They promise to burn them, honest. It's a reputable firm the State Department has used a lot lately, Assange and Associates. Besides the crowd's growing out there, and they're really pissed. The ambassador wants to know where the helicopters are, and can the Marines load their weapons, please. Things went really sour in Tehran when they weren't allowed to shoot back, Mr. President. That's how Carter lost his reelection to Reagan. That and the general ineptitude...
Barry: No, the Marines can't load their weapons, 'cuz they might hurt somebody if they defend the embassy, and how would that make me look? Borrow some shredders from the Brits and the French, and rent a herd of goats to eat the papers. Do I have to think of everything? Tell the ambassador to cool his jets, that Hilary lent the choppers to Bill for one of his weekend socials with Berlusconi, and once they get them cleaned out and the pilots sobered up, they'll be around to fetch him. What's the hurry? Our boy Hosni's in firm control of the situation. Man, didjou see them camels charging the crowd? That'll make the highlight reels fer sure. Our homeboyz even gotta sense of humor! We gotta remember that one for the next time Glenn Beck and his teabaggers show up. Damn!
Gibbs: Uh, Mr. President, Hosni's on the phone. He sez he needs three GulfStreams now: One for him and the fam, one for the harem, and one for the gold reserves and antiquities he's had his boyz loot from the banks and museums during the camel attack. Sez he'll turn truckloads of really interesting docs over to that Assange guy if you don't get him what he wants.
Barry: Call Hilary, tell her to work it out. Hell, call Jimmy Carter! He put Hosni in power--it's his fault, and he keeps bugging me, wanting a 'do-over'.
I'm the next Reagan, and he never got his hands dirty on little stuff! Hell, after Jimmy Carter, all he needed to do was exchange oxygen to look like a hero. Breathe in, breathe out, tilt your head, smile and say 'Well...?'--how come he gets all the love?
Gibbs: Mr. President, HomeboyHosni has another question. Where's his plane gonna land, and Tel-Aviv is not an option. The French don't want him. You can't pay off anybody in the Emirates, they're all rich. Jordan, Yemen, Syria and Tunisia got their own sets of problems, and Riyadh's getting crowded--they've already taken their quota of disgraced Muslim dictators, they said.
Barry: Call Scotland. They like Arab mass-murderers. Yes, it's cold, but they're broke. Hell, call Iceland! They're even broker and colder. That's what a harem is for. He can even learn to like haggis and haddock. Beats being lynched in public. Tell him to stop whining. Anything else, Gibbs?
Gibbs: No, nothing comes to mind. You've got it all under control. The world sure is lucky to have you at the helm, Mr. President.
Barry: Well...?
Barry, impatiently: Screw 'em. I'm all they've got. Remember, I'm channeling Reagan now, Time Magazine sez so, 'cuz that's what we told them to say. That was a great shot with the football, wasn't it? Staged to mirror image The Gipper and everything. Damn, I'm good!
Gibbs: Mr. President, the embassy's on the phone from Cairo. They've worn out all the paper shredders, and those incinerators they ordered never arrived. Is it ok to let the local contractor haul all those cables and docs away? They promise to burn them, honest. It's a reputable firm the State Department has used a lot lately, Assange and Associates. Besides the crowd's growing out there, and they're really pissed. The ambassador wants to know where the helicopters are, and can the Marines load their weapons, please. Things went really sour in Tehran when they weren't allowed to shoot back, Mr. President. That's how Carter lost his reelection to Reagan. That and the general ineptitude...
Barry: No, the Marines can't load their weapons, 'cuz they might hurt somebody if they defend the embassy, and how would that make me look? Borrow some shredders from the Brits and the French, and rent a herd of goats to eat the papers. Do I have to think of everything? Tell the ambassador to cool his jets, that Hilary lent the choppers to Bill for one of his weekend socials with Berlusconi, and once they get them cleaned out and the pilots sobered up, they'll be around to fetch him. What's the hurry? Our boy Hosni's in firm control of the situation. Man, didjou see them camels charging the crowd? That'll make the highlight reels fer sure. Our homeboyz even gotta sense of humor! We gotta remember that one for the next time Glenn Beck and his teabaggers show up. Damn!
Gibbs: Uh, Mr. President, Hosni's on the phone. He sez he needs three GulfStreams now: One for him and the fam, one for the harem, and one for the gold reserves and antiquities he's had his boyz loot from the banks and museums during the camel attack. Sez he'll turn truckloads of really interesting docs over to that Assange guy if you don't get him what he wants.
Barry: Call Hilary, tell her to work it out. Hell, call Jimmy Carter! He put Hosni in power--it's his fault, and he keeps bugging me, wanting a 'do-over'.
I'm the next Reagan, and he never got his hands dirty on little stuff! Hell, after Jimmy Carter, all he needed to do was exchange oxygen to look like a hero. Breathe in, breathe out, tilt your head, smile and say 'Well...?'--how come he gets all the love?
Gibbs: Mr. President, HomeboyHosni has another question. Where's his plane gonna land, and Tel-Aviv is not an option. The French don't want him. You can't pay off anybody in the Emirates, they're all rich. Jordan, Yemen, Syria and Tunisia got their own sets of problems, and Riyadh's getting crowded--they've already taken their quota of disgraced Muslim dictators, they said.
Barry: Call Scotland. They like Arab mass-murderers. Yes, it's cold, but they're broke. Hell, call Iceland! They're even broker and colder. That's what a harem is for. He can even learn to like haggis and haddock. Beats being lynched in public. Tell him to stop whining. Anything else, Gibbs?
Gibbs: No, nothing comes to mind. You've got it all under control. The world sure is lucky to have you at the helm, Mr. President.
Barry: Well...?
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Cairo: All Video Links Shut Down, And Mubarak's Supporters Hit The Streets
This just announced by Neil Cavuto at 17:50 CST US (01:50 AM in Egypt):
All video links from Egypt have gone dark, simultaneously. There are reports of Mubarak's supporters hitting the streets to go after the protesters in the square in Cairo.
Perhaps, last night's speech was delivered to create confusion and buy time for the internal security types to reorganize?
Could be, he's also buying time in order to get the GulfStream loaded up with the bullion, the helo to the airport warmed up, the numbered bank accounts stuffed with the final few billion.
Blood has already spilled, scenes of chaos all day.
Here we go.
Remember, we're still in good hands. All will be well, and all manner of things will be well, but it will be pretty ugly short-term, in OS's humble opinion.
All video links from Egypt have gone dark, simultaneously. There are reports of Mubarak's supporters hitting the streets to go after the protesters in the square in Cairo.
Perhaps, last night's speech was delivered to create confusion and buy time for the internal security types to reorganize?
Could be, he's also buying time in order to get the GulfStream loaded up with the bullion, the helo to the airport warmed up, the numbered bank accounts stuffed with the final few billion.
Blood has already spilled, scenes of chaos all day.
Here we go.
Remember, we're still in good hands. All will be well, and all manner of things will be well, but it will be pretty ugly short-term, in OS's humble opinion.
Candlemas 2011
Candlemas is not much celebrated these days, which is unfortunate.
Following the events of Bethlehem--a birth, and angels, and shepherds--life returned to its more normal rhythms. Joseph takes Mary to the Temple of Jerusalem for presentation of their child, to fulfill the traditions of the faith and the day.
Of, course, with this child and family, not much would ever be considered 'normal'.
As found in the account in Luke 2, the day included a divine appointment:
(beginning v. 25) And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
One of the great 'Whoodathunkit' moments of history. The old man knew, as bleak as the situation was, that he had every reason for optimism, and that before departing this vale, he would see his hopes realized in the flesh. Not some platitude or good feeling or promise--he was gonna see the Real Deal. All he had to do was wait, remain faithful, and go about his business. And that's what he was doing that same morning; going about his business, just like Mary and Joseph were going about theirs.
So, OS, before heading back to his overcrowded schedule, wants to post a word of hope to all ya'll who are watching a large part of the world beginning to burn down:
Sit tight, you're in safe hands, so go about your business and remain faithful. You never know who you might run into later today, when you least expect it.
And, in honor of the day, the BBC broadcast this week's Evensong from King's College Cambridge. It's an hour of utter beauty and inspiration, and will be archived for a week. Don't ya'll procrastinate, and don't neglect to listen. It'll do your soul good.
Following the events of Bethlehem--a birth, and angels, and shepherds--life returned to its more normal rhythms. Joseph takes Mary to the Temple of Jerusalem for presentation of their child, to fulfill the traditions of the faith and the day.
Of, course, with this child and family, not much would ever be considered 'normal'.
As found in the account in Luke 2, the day included a divine appointment:
(beginning v. 25) And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
One of the great 'Whoodathunkit' moments of history. The old man knew, as bleak as the situation was, that he had every reason for optimism, and that before departing this vale, he would see his hopes realized in the flesh. Not some platitude or good feeling or promise--he was gonna see the Real Deal. All he had to do was wait, remain faithful, and go about his business. And that's what he was doing that same morning; going about his business, just like Mary and Joseph were going about theirs.
So, OS, before heading back to his overcrowded schedule, wants to post a word of hope to all ya'll who are watching a large part of the world beginning to burn down:
Sit tight, you're in safe hands, so go about your business and remain faithful. You never know who you might run into later today, when you least expect it.
And, in honor of the day, the BBC broadcast this week's Evensong from King's College Cambridge. It's an hour of utter beauty and inspiration, and will be archived for a week. Don't ya'll procrastinate, and don't neglect to listen. It'll do your soul good.
Introducing: Sense Of Events
From time to time, it's time to update the list of intrepid bloggers on the right hand side of OldSouth's world-wide junction of wit and wisdom.
Sense of Events is a team effort, led by fellow Tennessean Donald Sensing, who has had a distinguished career in the military, public service, and the Methodist ministry.
He never fails to inform and amuse, and OS tips his hat (with just a wee bit of envy) in Don's direction.
Stay warm and dry, ya'll. It's gonna get ugly this week.
Sense of Events is a team effort, led by fellow Tennessean Donald Sensing, who has had a distinguished career in the military, public service, and the Methodist ministry.
He never fails to inform and amuse, and OS tips his hat (with just a wee bit of envy) in Don's direction.
Stay warm and dry, ya'll. It's gonna get ugly this week.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Well, That Went Over Well... Mubarak's Speech Tuesday Night
Not!
If ya wanna get the crowd of aggrieved citizenry on your side, at least long enough to get them to listen to you for a few minutes, don't begin by calling them hoodlums and vandals. It just irritates them more, bubbah.
OS watched the Al-Jazeera feed. The crowd just went ballistic after Hosni spoke, promising to leave office in September, vowing to die on Egyptian soil, etc. etc.
He may get his wish. Time to head for the airport, Hosni. Your Gulfstream awaits.
Time to send the helicopters to the embassy, Barry. No need to sacrifice any Marines to the mob.
You just can't make this stuff up. Wonder how Hilary's doing just now?
If ya wanna get the crowd of aggrieved citizenry on your side, at least long enough to get them to listen to you for a few minutes, don't begin by calling them hoodlums and vandals. It just irritates them more, bubbah.
OS watched the Al-Jazeera feed. The crowd just went ballistic after Hosni spoke, promising to leave office in September, vowing to die on Egyptian soil, etc. etc.
He may get his wish. Time to head for the airport, Hosni. Your Gulfstream awaits.
Time to send the helicopters to the embassy, Barry. No need to sacrifice any Marines to the mob.
You just can't make this stuff up. Wonder how Hilary's doing just now?
Judge Rules The Health Care Law Unconstitutional, And Obama Sez He Has No Intent To Comply With The Ruling
Obama has crossed the Rubicon.
The White House officials said that the ruling would not have an impact on implementation of the law, which is being phased in gradually. (The individual mandate, for example, does not begin until 2014.) They said that states cannot use the ruling as a basis to delay implementation in part because the ruling does not rest on "anything like a conventional Constitutional analysis." Twenty-six states were involved in the lawsuit.
In other words, 'We disagree, therefore we order the States to ignore the court's ruling. We're in charge, and the law is what we say the law is.'
Wowee...
Denninger has a view on this behavior.
Obama's just gonna double-down and bluff his way through, using the power of the Executive Branch to force his will upon an unwilling Republic and its citizenry.
It's Obama's MubarakMoment.
Heaven help us.
The White House officials said that the ruling would not have an impact on implementation of the law, which is being phased in gradually. (The individual mandate, for example, does not begin until 2014.) They said that states cannot use the ruling as a basis to delay implementation in part because the ruling does not rest on "anything like a conventional Constitutional analysis." Twenty-six states were involved in the lawsuit.
In other words, 'We disagree, therefore we order the States to ignore the court's ruling. We're in charge, and the law is what we say the law is.'
Wowee...
Denninger has a view on this behavior.
Obama's just gonna double-down and bluff his way through, using the power of the Executive Branch to force his will upon an unwilling Republic and its citizenry.
It's Obama's MubarakMoment.
Heaven help us.
Egypt From Tennessee, Tuesday Noon: Mubarak's GulfstreamMoment
Link TV is carrying the Al-Jazeera feed on our satellite TV, and the announcement just came from the State Department that the US ambassador to Egypt has met with opposition leader ElBaradei.
So, it's Mubarak's GulfstreamMoment. As in, load up the State Department Gulfstream with as much of Egypt's bullion as it can safely hold, load up yet another discredited dictator and his suitcase full of antiquities, and find a friendly place to deposit his 82-year-old discredited ass.
The Enterprise carrier group is steaming through the Med toward Egypt, preparing for our ChinookMoment. As in, the helicopters extracting our people from the US Embassy before the angry mobs overwhelm the reinforced Marine guards (who of course, won't be allowed to defend themselves), so that we can avoid a repeat of the Tehran1979Moment, or the Saigon1974Moment. (Anybody else notice how much Obama hates the Marines, until he needs them to save his ass?)
The US, UK and Europe are pulling their people out as quickly as possible. The term is known as 'bugging out'. It's not going smoothly.
It's all like a John LeCarre novel, played out on live TV, except that it's too bizarre even for a gifted novelist to create. A true JeffFoxworthyMoment, whose favorite quote is 'I can't make this stuff up, ya'll!'
And, for today's little RuhRohMoment, these greetings from the Muslim Brotherhood. Waiting in the wings, so they can push the country over the cliff into mass bloodshed. Sweeeeet....
But, the Suez Canal is still open, so all is well with the world. The Dow is up 146 points at noon US Central time.
The Al-Jazeera live stream is here.
So, it's Mubarak's GulfstreamMoment. As in, load up the State Department Gulfstream with as much of Egypt's bullion as it can safely hold, load up yet another discredited dictator and his suitcase full of antiquities, and find a friendly place to deposit his 82-year-old discredited ass.
The Enterprise carrier group is steaming through the Med toward Egypt, preparing for our ChinookMoment. As in, the helicopters extracting our people from the US Embassy before the angry mobs overwhelm the reinforced Marine guards (who of course, won't be allowed to defend themselves), so that we can avoid a repeat of the Tehran1979Moment, or the Saigon1974Moment. (Anybody else notice how much Obama hates the Marines, until he needs them to save his ass?)
The US, UK and Europe are pulling their people out as quickly as possible. The term is known as 'bugging out'. It's not going smoothly.
It's all like a John LeCarre novel, played out on live TV, except that it's too bizarre even for a gifted novelist to create. A true JeffFoxworthyMoment, whose favorite quote is 'I can't make this stuff up, ya'll!'
And, for today's little RuhRohMoment, these greetings from the Muslim Brotherhood. Waiting in the wings, so they can push the country over the cliff into mass bloodshed. Sweeeeet....
But, the Suez Canal is still open, so all is well with the world. The Dow is up 146 points at noon US Central time.
The Al-Jazeera live stream is here.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Egypt, From Tennessee
OS has a huge week ahead of him, so will be very sporadic in his ruminations for his legions of readers...
What Egypt looks like from here, through the glimpses seen via Al-Jazeera, CNN, the papers, etc., is:
These kids in the street don't look like Islamic fundies. They look like really frustrated young people with educations, ambitions, and nowhere to use them. All they've known is this old horse's ass in charge their entire lives, propped up by the US, the UK, and Europe, corrupt to the core, with his boot on the neck of the culture.
They also have access to the outside world and one another via satellite TV, internet, mobile devices, Twitter, etc. etc., and they don't for a minute buy the official line from anybody. They know there's a better life out there, and that freedom is the cure to the problem. They just don't know how to get from where they are to where they want to be. But in the meantime, burning down the offices of the official state party looks like a good place to begin.
They hate the United States, the UK, and Europe for propping up the old horse's ass, 'cuz they know that each barrel of oil transiting the Suez Canal means infinitely more to those places that the quality of any normal person's life in Egypt. OS thinks his country has failed the morality test by refusing to develop its own reserves of oil, coal, gas, and nuclear, thus ending the dependence on oil coming through that canal. Our self-righteous insistence on pristine wilderness above the Arctic Circle is paid for by the young unemployed in places like Cairo and Alexandria.
Shame on us. We know better, and refuse to act on what we know. It is unsurprising to see the Stars and Stripes set ablaze in the streets of Cairo.
Upsetting, yes. Surprising, no.
Religious crazies can appeal to such people, by creating a sense of communal persecution, the prospect of participating in the delivery of divine righteous wrath upon the guilty, and offering the hope of some sort of KingdomOfGodOnEarth with which to replace the current situation. Sane people know that these three items are lies by which unhappy people are seduced, but it looks like a lot of these young people have run out of patience, and think the insane people are the ones running the government, especially the 82-year-old horse's ass.
Here's hoping, here's hoping, here's hoping that they will not listen to the siren song of Islamic fundamentalism, and will insist instead on a government that allows them to live their lives, pursue their dreams for themselves and their families, knows how to hand over power peacefully, and otherwise leaves them the hell alone.
Here's hoping, from Tennessee.
What Egypt looks like from here, through the glimpses seen via Al-Jazeera, CNN, the papers, etc., is:
These kids in the street don't look like Islamic fundies. They look like really frustrated young people with educations, ambitions, and nowhere to use them. All they've known is this old horse's ass in charge their entire lives, propped up by the US, the UK, and Europe, corrupt to the core, with his boot on the neck of the culture.
They also have access to the outside world and one another via satellite TV, internet, mobile devices, Twitter, etc. etc., and they don't for a minute buy the official line from anybody. They know there's a better life out there, and that freedom is the cure to the problem. They just don't know how to get from where they are to where they want to be. But in the meantime, burning down the offices of the official state party looks like a good place to begin.
They hate the United States, the UK, and Europe for propping up the old horse's ass, 'cuz they know that each barrel of oil transiting the Suez Canal means infinitely more to those places that the quality of any normal person's life in Egypt. OS thinks his country has failed the morality test by refusing to develop its own reserves of oil, coal, gas, and nuclear, thus ending the dependence on oil coming through that canal. Our self-righteous insistence on pristine wilderness above the Arctic Circle is paid for by the young unemployed in places like Cairo and Alexandria.
Shame on us. We know better, and refuse to act on what we know. It is unsurprising to see the Stars and Stripes set ablaze in the streets of Cairo.
Upsetting, yes. Surprising, no.
Religious crazies can appeal to such people, by creating a sense of communal persecution, the prospect of participating in the delivery of divine righteous wrath upon the guilty, and offering the hope of some sort of KingdomOfGodOnEarth with which to replace the current situation. Sane people know that these three items are lies by which unhappy people are seduced, but it looks like a lot of these young people have run out of patience, and think the insane people are the ones running the government, especially the 82-year-old horse's ass.
Here's hoping, here's hoping, here's hoping that they will not listen to the siren song of Islamic fundamentalism, and will insist instead on a government that allows them to live their lives, pursue their dreams for themselves and their families, knows how to hand over power peacefully, and otherwise leaves them the hell alone.
Here's hoping, from Tennessee.
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