Economy grew by 0.6 percent in first quarter
Apparently, someone missed the memo about the recession.
It’s sad that a lot of folks are going to be quite disappointed in these numbers and will spend a lot of time arguing that blah blah blah.
We all joke about the quasi-pathetic 5.56mm round the US military uses in its assault rifles, but legislation introduced in Louisiana would ban a bunch of .22LR rifles in an “assault weapons ban.”
Amazing. Go read.
Murdoc is on the road (well, in the skies) today headed out to Denver for some day job training. Posting here at MO will continue to be a bit light, and if someone invites me to either tonight’s or Thursday’s playoff hockey game between Detroit and Colorado, all bets are off.
Oh, and readers may be surprised to learn that this West Michigan resident is NOT pulling for the Red Wings. Though it doesn’t look good for my Avalanche right now, I’ll be pulling for them all the way.
Just got A Conservative History of the American Left by Daniel J. Flynn:
From Communes to the Clintons
Why does Hillary Clinton crusade for government-provided health care for every American, for the redistribution of wealth, and for child rearing to become a collective obligation? Why does Al Gore say that it’s okay to –over-represent” the dangers of global warming in order to sell Americans on his draconian solutions? Why does Michael Moore call religion a device to manipulate –gullible” Americans?
Where did these radical ideas come from? And how did they enter the mainstream discourse?
In this groundbreaking and compelling new book, Daniel J. Flynn uncovers the surprising origins of today’s Left. The first work of its kind, A Conservative History of the American Left tells the story of this remarkably resilient extreme movement–one that came to America’s shores with the earliest settlers.
Flynn reveals a history that leftists themselves ignore, whitewash, or obscure. Partly the Left’s amnesia is convenient: Who wouldn’t want to forget an ugly history that includes eugenics, racism, violence, and sheer quackery? Partly it is self-aggrandizing: Bold schemes sound much more innovative when you refuse to acknowledge that they have been tried–and have failed–many times before. And partly it is unavoidable: The Left is so preoccupied with its triumphal future that it doesn’t pause to learn from its past mistakes. So it goes that would-be revolutionaries have repeatedly failed to recognize the one troubling obstacle to their grandiose visions: reality.
Received this amusing poster in the inbox.
Click below to view due to naughty word alert.
(more…)
NASA’s Super Guppy sits at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., where it waits for a maintenance inspection by Air Force specialists. Project planners say the work should be completed by Aug. 22. NASA officials brought the unique aircraft to Tinker AFB because of the capability of Tinker’s workforce to inspect and repair the large aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Debra Bennett)
A pic of the opened hinged nose below.
(more…)
Sadr calls for freeze in fighting; US, Iraqi forces kill 14 Mahdi fighters in Baghdad
No doubt another win for Mookie. Fights: win. Quits: win. Fights again: wins Quits again: win.
Stop Loss Fades Away
DoD plans to stop using Stop Loss within two years? I hadn’t heard of this. Is that really a good idea?
13W LED Bulb Can Replace 100W Incandescent
50,000 hour life and no mercury, but uses a fan to cool the circuit board (energy cost?) and runs $90.
NASA-based massively multiplayer online learning game
Should draw a huge percentage of WoW players. Cool concept, but unlikely to help much.
Pizza Hut gives driver the pepperoni
Pizza Guy who used gun to defend himself during an ambush has been fired for violating company’s no-carry policy.
Super-Fast Ship Set for Drug War Duty
Stiletto. Pics and links to more here.
It just depends which biofuels
I fear that the backlash (mostly deserved) against corn-based ethanol is going to harm the long-run quest for workable biofuels. Of course, the subsidation of corn-based ethanol is going to harm the long-run quest for workable biofuels.
Stimulus Payments to Go Out Ahead of Schedule
Show me the money.
Navy Re-Establishes U.S. Fourth Fleet
Noted this possibility some time back, but it’s happened. Says Defense Tech: Hugo Chavez is Gonna Love This One
Reapers Get Reaped
A quarter of the MQ-9 Reaper UAVs in service were destroyed in accidents during the last month.
Third Eye Camera
WTF? 4″x5″ camera made from Aluminium, Titanium, Brass, Silver, Gem Stones and a 150 year old skull of a 13 year old girl.
Air Force photographer becomes Marine grunt
Talk about a career change:
Cpl. Andrew M. Oquendo, a scout with Delta Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5, went from photographer with the U.S. Air Force to infantryman in the U.S. Marine Corps…
The new airman checked into the Defense Information School in Fort Meade, Md., to earn the military occupational specialty of photographer. Once earning the title of photographer, Oquendo deployed in July 2006 from Scott Air Force Base, Illi., in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
–I was in Qatar temporarily until my unit was visited by Maj. Gen. Anthony Przybyslawski (former commanding general of U.S. Air Force Personnel Center), and I took pictures of him,” Oquendo said. –He liked the photos so much he asked if I could accompany him through the rest of his tour.”
During the tour, Oquendo saw Marine infantrymen conducting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and had a feeling that something was missing in his life. He felt he wasn’t contributing enough to the Global War on Terrorism.
–I knew what I really wanted to do, so I had to do whatever it took to achieve it,” said Oquendo.
He’s currently on his first tour in Iraq with the Marines.
SSG David Bellavia is running for congress in New York State. Bellavia served in the First Infantry Division for six years. He has been recommended for the Medal of Honor and has been nominated for the Distinguished Service Cross. He wrote a book about his experience in Iraq called –House to House: An Epic Memoir of War”. He also formed the veterans group –Vets for Freedom”.
The book is a good one. Not many details on his congressional bid yet, but here’s the website. (Via Instapundit)
I’ve mentioned this book before, and I have a quick review with a number of excerpts up over at GunPundit.
Seriously, this isn’t a book just for gun owners and pro-gun activists. The situation in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina was understandably ugly, but the government put a lot of effort into making sure that the law-abiding citizens suffered and were unable to protect themselves and their property from looters.
Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?
