Peace in our Time!

How nice! "The Israeli media on Tuesday picked up on the fact that renewed Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations in Washington had gotten off to a rocky start after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas declared that what he was aiming for was an independent state ethnically cleansed of all Jews. 'In a final resolution, we would not see the presence of a single Israeli — civilian or soldier — on our lands,' Abbas told reporters in Cairo on Monday following a meeting with interim Egyptian President Adly Mansour."
At first I thought it said "In a final solution" -- but it's close enough.

From Champ to Chump

Want an excellent piece of writing? I heard about this article about Johnny Manziel on the radio this morning. It's amazing how a person's reputation can change almost overnight.

"The New Abnormal"

Perfect! Here is Robert Stacy McCain's answer to Obama's "new normal".

Why Work, Part 300

If you work for a living, these statistics will infuriate you:
"Many disability recipients admit they could work. Recipients of federal disability checks often admit that they are capable of working but cannot or will not find a job, that those closest to them tell them they should be working, and that working to get off the disability rolls is not among their goals. More baffling, most have never received significant medical treatment and not seen a doctor about their condition in the last year, even though medical problems are the official reason they don't work. Those who acknowledge they're on disability because they can't find a job say they make little effort to find one, according to a Washington Examiner analysis of federal survey results."
There's nothing baffling about it. These people are taking advantage of the system, and there's no shame, stigma, or incentive enough to make them stop.

Global Warming Fanatics

Daniel Greenfield sums it up in one headline: "Global Warming Activists Arrive in Nebraska, Begin Shivering."

Peace Talks? Enough Already!

Here we go again!  Rachel Raskin-Zrihen writes,  "Israel is again being asked to release cold-blooded killers, who will hailed as heroes at home and who likely will at least try to kill again. They are being asked to do this in exchange for nothing whatsoever...So, once again, the Jews are given little choice but to agree to a lopsided arrangement to avoid looking like the intransigent ones, because no one remembers, and journalists don’t remind them, of the countless similar arrangements that have come before and produced few positive results."

Louis Zamperini

Here's a nice article about Louis Zamperini, the hero of Laura Hillenbrand's wonderfully written "Unbroken".  He's not only unbroken, he is now 96 years old!

The Bad and the Good

I think the Internet should have the ability to spray calming scents or play soothing music when you read stories that make you angry, like these:

Our defeatist President is at it again: "President Obama said the proposed Keystone XL oil sands pipeline would not be a major job creator and could increase gasoline prices, but added that the White House decision will rest on climate change." Thanks a lot for your support!


Here's another infuriating story:  "This iconic picture of firefighters raising the stars and stripes in the rubble of Ground Zero was nearly excluded from the 9/11 Memorial Museum — because it was 'rah-rah' American, a new book says." And that's a bad thing???

To counter the above stories, you can read that Ed Koch corresponded with many famous people, and you can read some of his letters here. 

Watcher's Council

The Council has spoken! Here are the latest Watcher's Council winners.

REALLY Stuck on Stupid

I was looking at a free samples website last night and came across this free sticker promoting Obamacare.  Hurry -- order yours today and become a member of Team Obamacare!

Space Video

This is an awe-inspiring video about Saturn, and the music elevates it even more. Check out this one, too, by the same creator. (Via Little Green Footballs)

What's In A Name?

Here's a thought-provoking column from the Forward titled "When a Name Screams 'I'm Jewish!': There's a Star of David Hanging Over Every Introduction".  I've never thought of this before and have never felt the way Fran Walfish feels (“Every now and then I feel a little bit of fear, because I know anti-Semitism still exists"), even though my own name fairly bellows "I'm Jewish".

Extreme Political Correctness

Sometimes I think there must be a competition going on to see who can come up with the most inoffensive things to get offended about. This time, atheist morons are offended by a Star of David -- at a Holocaust museum! Just shut up and get over it!

Ah, So!

Greg Crosby amusingly discusses one of my pet peeves: this new fad of starting a sentence with the word "so", as if the speaker is already halfway through a story. It's very annoying, and Crosby captures it perfectly by giving some famous examples:  

"Daphne du Maurier, 'Rebecca': 'So last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again'.  And using 'so' to start famous speeches would really dumb down their impact. Can you see Abraham Lincoln standing solemnly at Gettysburg, looking out over the crowd and saying, 'So it was four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation…' Think how FDR's address to Congress would have sounded if he had said, 'So yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan'"

Vandalism

The inexcusable vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial is like the vandalism Obama has been committing in this country since he first became President -- lots of smearing and destruction.

Lots 'o Links

 

There's so much to read this week with all the news and scandals, and you can't do better than the posts at Maggie's Farm (where the above graphic was seen), Betsy's Page, and Larwyn's Linx.

Liberalese

Deroy Murdock has written a good column about liberal jargon and what it really means:  "So, when progressives oppose climate change and seek more investment in SNAP, Reaganites should reject such jargon. Instead, remind Americans that these are just liberals screaming about global warming and demanding more government spending on food stamps."

"Phony Scandals"

Just when you think that Obama couldn't possibly irritate and infuriate you more, something else happens, and today it was his speech on the economy (which is still Bush's fault):  "After claiming the country was on the right track economically, Obama proceeded to blame Republicans for 'distractions' and 'phony' scandals coming out of Washington. 'With an endless parade of distractions, political posturing and phony scandals, Washington has taken its eye off the ball.  And I am here to say this needs to stop.  Short-term thinking and stale debates are not what this moment requires.  Our focus must be on the basic economic issues that the matter most to you – the people we represent,' Obama said."  If this isn't sheer chutzpah, I don't know what is. Ask Ambassador Stevens' family if 4 dead in Benghazi is a phony scandal. The only thing that's phony is this president.

Obamacare Brainwashing

Do most people find this disturbing? I do.  Obama is enlisting the help of high school students and celebrities, among others, in a desperate attempt to sell Obamacare to the public.  It may work with gullible people, but it won't work with me.  The more they push it, the worse it sounds. I didn't ask for it, and I don't want it.

The Heritage Foundation offers a some charts: "If a picture is normally worth a thousand words, the Obamacare chart above should be worth trillions. Because Congress—seeing that Obamacare is not just too big to fail, but too big to succeed—should refuse to spend a single dime implementing this behemoth of a health care law."

Schmucks of the Week

This article describes Ryan Braun perfectly: "Of the many things Ryan Braun is – a liar nonpareil, a serial doper, a raging narcissist – he is, above all, a self-preservationist. Never did he show that instinct more than when he publicly impugned Dino Laurenzi Jr., the innocent man who happened to collect a vial of Braun's urine that started baseball down the sordid, tortuous path that found its first measure of closure Monday when Braun accepted a suspension for the rest of the season: 65 games gone, hundreds of apologies owed, $3 million-plus lost and one man left to sort through the damage done by his decisions and his alone."   What happened to this country when people find it so easy to cheat, lie, avoid  personality responsibility, and play the victim card?  If this is Obama's "new normal" that we're expected to accept,  then we're in very sad shape.

These  headlines show that New York has become a laughingstock: "Eliot Spitzer advises Geraldo Rivera on ‘selfie’", and "Anthony Weiner admits to sending more lewd images, texts but vows to stay in mayor's race."Let's hope the voters are smarter.

Dennis Farina

Here's a nice tribute to Dennis Farina, cop-turned-actor, who I always liked.

Encouraging News From Poland

Richard Z. Chesnoff writes, "Seven decades after more than 90 percent of Poland's Jewish population of 3.6 million was slaughtered by the Nazis (with an occasional assist from a few local anti-Semites) everything from Jewish history to Jewish food to Jewish music to Jewish art has suddenly become Poland's in-thing."

Priorities

Sadly, these facts about Detroit's collapse won't get nearly so much attention as the Duchess of Cambridge's labor.

Too Much Information

What has happened in our society when everyone from young girls to old men feel the need to put nude photos of themselves on the Internet?  The self-absorption, the lack of any shame, the constant need to do anything to promote themselves -- it keeps getting worse. Here is the latest  nauseating example. I'd rather not see or hear this sort of desperate compulsion to reveal every detail of people's (formerly) private lives.

In Memory

I like Glenn Reynolds' obituary for Helen Thomas.

A Triumph for Decency

Congratulations to Phil Mickelson, winner of the British Open, a decent, classy man who plays in pain and never whines.

Watcher's Council

The Council has spoken! Here are the latest Watcher's Council winners!

Goodbye, Old Schoep

Sad news about the death of the famous dog Schoep, but thanks to the love and devotion of his owner, John Unger, he lived a long life.

Schnucks, or Schmucks

This idiocy is from the Best of the Web column.  "'A dried-out batch of asparagus has touched off a debate about racial discrimination, grocery stores and the role of citizen-led commissions,' reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch."  How do people actually think like this?

Auctioning Off Schindler's List

On eBay!  Maybe it's just me, but I don't think historical artifacts should be sold that way.

Rabbi Cop

I thoroughly enjoyed this amusing spin on the otherwise embarrassing story of the rabbi who impersonated a policeman.

Space Photos

Wow! Here are some awe-inspiring space photographs from the UK Guardian.

Largest Municipal Bankruptcy in History

It looks like the Motor City has run out of gas.  Just look at this chart showing Detroit's labor force.  Funny how nobody is marching and protesting over this. Yes, this is yet another triumph for Obama's hope and change, and for the transformation of America. (Perfect cartoon by Ramirez)

Lots 'o Links

Here are the latest news items courtesy of Betsy's Page, Maggie's Farm,  and Larwyn's Linx.

Mariano Rivera

There are some pitchers you have to stop to watch whenever a game is on TV.  Mariano Rivera is one of those pitchers, and his appearance elevated the All Star Game last night.

Another Example of Media Manipulation

What is wrong with people? Why glorify the Boston Marathon bomber by putting him on the cover of Rolling Stone?  This is just one more example of the decline of common decency in this country.

Baby Blues

I have a feeling that Benghazi, the IRS scandal, the NSA scandal, the Associated Press, Jamie Rosen, and all the other Obama trials and tribulations will soon fall by the wayside thanks to the imminent arrival of the Royal Baby. The President himself won't mind a bit.

Argus Hamilton Quips

In his latest column, you can read such news items as this one: "Barack Obama's job approval rating fell to forty-four percent on Friday. He'll bounce back. To get Obama's numbers back up the White House has decided to play down the fact that he killed Osama bin Laden and play up the fact that he brought back Hostess Twinkies."

Definition of Political Correctness

This is from Taki's Magazine:  "Political correctness – the default position for those who cannot think for themselves.” — James Jackson

Obama Dictionary

Read Victor Davis Hanson's list of the new Obama vocabulary.

Putting Today's Unemployed To Shame

Now here is someone that Obama  should call to congratulate: "A 98-year-old bartender working in Bridgeport, Connecticut in the US, may be the world’s oldest and longest-serving bartender...Born in 1915, MacLean is still working full-time as a bartender at Panama Joe’s Café in Bridgeport, pouring drinks for eight hours a day, six days a week."

Louis Armstrong and The Jews

Louis Armstrong said, “I will love the Jewish people, all of my life.”

Watcher's Council

The Council has spoken! Here are the latest Watcher's Council winners.

Interesting Posts

Read this Friday afternoon roundup by Daniel Greenfield, and read about a judge's sentence.

Obama repeals 40-hour work week: part-time workers, unite! - See more at: http://thepeoplescube.com/peoples-blog/obama-repeals-40-hour-work-week-part-time-workers-unite-t11341.html#sthash.fvy4oh0e.dpuf

Obama repeals 40-hour work week: part-time workers, unite! - See more at: http://thepeoplescube.com/peoples-blog/obama-repeals-40-hour-work-week-part-time-workers-unite-t11341.html#sthash.fvy4oh0e.dpuf

Obama repeals 40-hour work week: part-time workers, unite! - See more at: http://thepeoplescube.com/peoples-blog/obama-repeals-40-hour-work-week-part-time-workers-unite-t11341.html#sthash.fvy4oh0e.dpuf

Obama repeals 40-hour work week: part-time workers, unite! - See more at: http://thepeoplescube.com/peoples-blog/obama-repeals-40-hour-work-week-part-time-workers-unite-t11341.html#sthash.VNOcQURZ.dpuf

Meet Me In St. Louis

Here's one of Greg Crosby's delightful columns, this one about ice cream and the St Louis World's Fair.

Nostalgia

Here's a terrific Cindy Adams column  about the good old days and how inexpensive everything was.

Lots 'o Links

Here's today's important reading, brought to you by Maggie's Farm, Betsy's Page, and Larwyn's Linx.   Also, check out these Side-Lines over at American Digest.

How Liberals Think

Here's the latest tidbits from the Media Research Center. I love this item: "For the second day in a row, the journalists at Good Morning America failed to identify prostitution patron Eliot Spitzer as a Democrat. Yet, in a story on the politician's comeback, reporter Claire Shipman made sure to highlight former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford as a Republican. Regarding Spitzer's bid to be the New York City comptroller, Shipman enthused, 'A new political lesson for Eliot Spitzer: Infamy might work to his advantage.' She continued, 'It certainly brought the former New York governor crowds he could not have imagined before his prostitution scandal cost him his job in 2008.' What the reporter conveniently ignored is that Spitzer was mercilessly heckled on Thursday. A Manhattan man screamed at the Democrat, 'Why were you late? Were you with a hooker?'"

I Couldn't Agree More

I like Roger L. Simon's column about the George Zimmerman trial.  He writes, "As I write this, Egypt teeters on the brink of civil war, Syria is still in civil war, Lebanon is also on the brink, Iran marches forward to nuclear arms, the U.S. economy remains a mess, unemployment is rampant, more people are on food stamps than work in the private sector, the deficit grows exponentially by the second, Social Security is going bankrupt, Medicare is going bankrupt, the IRS has virtually taken over the country and is about to subsume healthcare, Benghazi remains unresolved, the NSA is spying on everything and everybody between here and Alpha Centauri and we’re (I) worrying George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin?!"

Substitute the name Jodi Arias for George Zimmerman, and it's the same old story -- sensationalism for ratings.  I love how the networks call this the case "everyone in America" is talking about. I personally don't know a soul who's talking about it. (Of course, I don't know many people who are talking about the real issues, either, but that may be the way Obama prefers it.) (Cartoon by Gary Varvel)

Medicine Chest Memories

What a wonderfully nostalgic article! It's from Mental_Floss and it's titled "11 Memories of Not-So-Modern Medicine". I can still taste those disclosing tablets now! And what was even worse than castor oil was cod liver oil -- ugh!

Muslim Maniacs

Item: "Islamists attack school, kill 29 students".  Item: "Egypt: Islamists call for uprising after 50 shot dead on the streets of Cairo."  Still think this is the religion of peace?

Argus Hamilton Quips

Here is one of the takes on the news in today's Argus Hamilton column: "Egypt's newly-installed president addressed the nation on Cairo TV Thursday. He gave pretty much the standard plan. He promised to turn around unemployment and fix the economy and if that doesn't work, he's going to blame everything on President Bush."

Politics and The Employer Mandate

This column by Wesley Pruden discusses the decision to conveniently delay the Obamacare employer mandate until after the 2014 elections:  "Pundits and professors are rifling through the thesaurus, looking for the right word to describe what the Wall Street Journal calls 'a fiasco for the ages.' The Journal editorialists reminded everyone that they 'fought the Affordable Care Act from start to passage, and we’d like to apologize to our readers. It turns out we weren’t nearly critical enough.' The editors of the New York Times, Mr. Obama’s most reliable sycophants, are deep in mourning, but working furiously to apply more rouge to the corpse before it turns the parlor too fragrant for a wake. It’s summer and they’re running out of ice."
(Cartoon by Gary Varvel)

Miracle at the Airport

It's a wonder more passengers weren't killed in today's terrible crash. (But I have to say that if I were in a plane crash or any other tragic accident, the furthest thing from my mind would be posting it on Twitter and Facebook!)

Watcher's Council

The Council has spoken! Here are the latest Watcher's Council winners!

Obama + Egypt

Here's what Obama thinks about the military coup in Egypt. Jonathan S. Tobin writes, "In other words, you don’t have to read too closely between the lines to understand that Obama is angrier about regime change in Cairo than he ever was about the Islamist attempt to remake Egypt in their own image." The Egyptian people have just shown what they think of Obama as well as of Morsi. (Via Instapundit)

Freedom of Religion - Unless You Are Politically Correct

I heard that the idiots who ordered a college student to remove her cross have since apologized, but it's just amazing that this happened at all.  If a cross makes you feel offended or "unwelcome", it's YOU that has the problem!

Lots 'o Links

Get your Independence Day reading at Larwyn's Linx, Maggie's Farm, and Betsy's Page.

Happy Independence Day!

(From Someecards)

Piling On Paula

Here's a good article about the rush to demonize Paula Deen while turning a blind eye to genuinely filthy and racist language.

Argus Hamilton Quips

I like this one from today's column: "NSA fugitive Edward Snowden stayed last week inside a Moscow Airport hotel room in the transit concourse in a diplomatic no-man's-land. The only food available to him was from the Burger King and Cinnabon in the concourse. The good thing about being in a diplomatic no-man's-land is that Mayor Bloomberg has no jurisdiction over the restaurants."

Anti-Americanism Abroad

I see that Obama's apology tour is continuing. He travels to foreign countries not only to bash America, but to bash our way of life.  Here's what The Anchoress had to say about his speech in South Africa: "Not sure where Obama is going to pull the energy from — the political hot air in Washington? — but what really strikes me here is Obama’s artlessness: he’s an American President who manages to make it sound like cars, air-conditioning and big houses are bad things that 'everyone' should not have. Because the planet might 'boil over.'" This is the first (and hopefully the last) President in my lifetime who has openly despised his own country. It's almost as if he feels that, having won a 2nd term, he has carte blanche to say and do the most outrageous things.

Goodbye to Asay

One of my favorite editorial cartoonists, Chuck Asay, has retired. I will certainly miss him.

9/11 Photographs

Take a look at these rare scenes from September 11, from Vanity Fair magazine.

Jews At Gettysburg

This article from the Daily Forward pays tribute to Jewish heroes at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Argus Hamilton Quips

Here are the author's latest takes on the news, including this item: "Los Angeles school kids were asked in a poll what job they want when they grow up and most said they want to star in their own TV reality series. It's inherited narcissism. Los Angeles is the only place in the U.S. that thinks the NSA doesn't watch us closely enough."