End of the world?

Obama may crack jokes about his role in ushering in the end of the world...

On the other hand, he apparently dares not joke about his role in ushering in an ever deeper era of American decline.

Riots? What riots?

Hillary Clinton's apparently too busy pimping campaign bumper stickers to notice what's happening in Baltimore. 

Don't miss your chance to get a free Hillary 2016 bumper sticker! https://t.co/l2lPjM5p2l
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 27, 2015

Six hours after the bumper sticker tweet, Clinton did manage to cough up this. Then again, it seems to come down on the side that the rioting is at least somewhat justified.

Tonight I am praying for peace & safety for all in Baltimore, & for Freddie Gray's family - his death is a tragedy that demands answers. -H
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 28, 2015

Hope and change revisiited

Via Twitter:

Hope and change involves a lot more rioting and looting than I expected.
— jon gabriel (@exjon) April 27, 2015

By the way, anyone notice that the rioting in Baltimore started Saturday night, the same night Obama and the media elites gathered in DC to self-congratulate and yuck-it-up a bit as they enjoy their era of fundamental transformation?

How bad is it?

From Hope n' Change Cartoons:

Maybe it's not that bad.

What's the good news?

There's still time to insulate yourself a little more from the mounting tide of bad news, time to dig a little deeper in your figurative personal foxholes.

America is in an ever steeper rate of decline. If you're depending on government to be the one to turn things around, you're screwed. It's government that orchestrating the decline.

Sometimes you just have to get away

Even if it only means retreating as far as the backyard. 

Popular camping practices seem to have changed a bit in recent years, and hammocks have soared in popularity.  I'm new to hammocks, so I'm doing some experimentation, and used this combination last night. 

It's a Kelty 9-foot Noah's Tarp over an ENO doublenest hammock. The tarp's mostly a "putty" beige color that's similar to pine bark, but my camera and fading sunlight seem to have captured both the tarp and the tree in a funkier hue. 

I have a set of Atlas straps, but last night I chose to hang the hammock with a couple of cheap cargo straps from Harbor Freight. Using a 20-percent off coupon, the Harbor Freight straps cost me about nine bucks.

I lined the hammock with a USGI foam sleep mat, and pulled a wool blanket over me to keep warm. 

Temps were in the low 60s overnight, and the set-up was real comfy. 

Had a few rain showers overnight, but had no water on the hammock. 

We live in a society where people are increasingly helpless

Are you  old enough to remember when people mowed their own lawn, did their own home repairs, and managed to handle "pest control" at home on their own as well?

Don and I explored some of these topics on last Friday's podcast, though we did open up the program with discussion of Hillary Clinton and some new entanglements recently revealed.

Check Out Politics Conservative Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with TalkSouthRadio on BlogTalkRadio

The deadly fruit of destabilizing policies

Remember when Obama and NATO thought it would be a swell idea to unleash an air war, and destabilize Libya?

Years later, the death toll continues to rise. 

The "genius" of HIllary Clinton

"The true genius of Hillary is that she manages to epitomize every failure of our current political life: the obsessive micro-manipulation of image, the obscene moneygrubbing, the tired cronyism, the entitlement masquerading as sexual equality. Mostly, though, she has no idea where history is taking us, in case you’re wondering at the stupefying platitudes offered up as representative of her thinking." - James Howard Kunstler, writing at Kunstler.com

Wait a sec...

Are we talking about the same Iranians that Obama trusts to tinker with nuclear stuff? 

Prognostications

 I worry about gloomers and doomers who publish timetables

When the dates miss, it undermines the credibility for those of us ascribing to a more basic premise that the irrational nature of things can't continue.

That said, some interesting charts here.

The problem with living in an irrational bubble is that it behaves irrationally,  and it can often last far longer than our rational minds can fathom. But eventually, laws of nature or economics do win out, and when reality returns, it does so in a very big and punishing way.

Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam

Looks like the feds are buying bunches of ammo again.

Family dog shot by police

Seems the family was moving into a new home, and left the dog in a closed, detached garage. While the family was away, officers apparently let themselves into the garage to have a look around...

Gimme a break

Hillary Clinton's demanded well over 200-grand to give speeches in recent years.

Nobody's gonna fall for her desperate attempts to remake her elitist image, no matter how many times she invokes Scooby-Doo or flies coach now.

Busy spring

Work demands have been heavy. Not much time for posting. 

Weather permitting, next week should be about the same. 

I also have a teen daughter in a play this week, and another wrapping up her first season of high school lacrosse. 

I hope to bring more to the table in the way of blogging next week. 

Don and I will do Friday's webcast tomorrow. 

Too Much Information

Why's Facebook trying to recruit me to "friend" someone I evicted from a rental three or four years ago for non-payment of rent?

The woman in question also left the water running to stick me with a $450 water bill on top of what she owed in back rent.

I suspect Facebook had to snoop pretty darn deep to find the connection to suggest this "friend."

No, I don't want to be Facebook friends with her.

If these kinds of suggestions keep popping up, I may exit the Facebook thingy altogether.  At the very least, I may strop my personal profile to be more bare bones.

And I have to wonder who Facebook is pitching me as a friend to. Anyone I long ago decided I never wanted to hear from again?

Cheney channels "Don and Doug"

For those who've followed the webcast Don Dickinson and I've done for the past four years, you might think Dick Cheney's now channeling some of our early webcasts.

Cheney was on Hugh Hewitt's radio program yesterday.

Via the Daily Caller:

HEWITT: Is he naive, Mr. Vice President? Or does he have a far reaching vision that only he entertains of a realigned Middle East. That somehow it all works out in the end.  

CHENEY: I don’t know Hugh. I vacillate between the various theories I’ve heard. If you had somebody who, as president — who wanted to take America down. Who wanted to fundamentally weaken our position in the world, reduce our capacity to influence events. Turn our back on our allies and encourage our enemies, it would look exactly like what Barack Obama is doing. I think his actions are constituted in my mind are those of the worst president we’ve ever had.

With Congress doing little more than cowering in the shadows, and many on the federal bench aligned with Obama and the progressive Democrats, the next two years in America will be an especially perilous time, with dire potential for worse things to be inflicted on this country by a president either too naive (and too arrogant to see his incompetence) to function as a leader or by someone intentionally bent on inflicting harm on America.

Personally, I've come to believe no one could be as incompetent as the Obama team has apparently shown itself to be, but I admit there's still a chunk of speculation mixed into my assessment.

What's that just ahead? Can you say recession?

Up to four jobs outside the industry may vanish for every American oil job cut. 

Cheap Saudi oil is a curse.

Saudis are waging economic war on America, yet most Americans are too stupid to see it as our government sits in silence and lets it continue.

A federal judge sees troubling signs

We live in perilous times under an increasingly rogue government that seemingly relishes its dishonesty. 

Byron York writes at the Washington Examiner: 

A federal judge has issued a scathing rebuke to lawyers for the Obama administration in a case involving the president's unilateral immigration action. In an order issued Tuesday night, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen, who had put a temporary hold on the action, not only refused to lift the hold — he also came very near to accusing administration lawyers of flat-out lying to him.  

The administration's assertions in the immigration case have been "misleading," "troublesome," and "belied by the facts," Hanen wrote. "Any number of federal judges, given this misconduct, would consider striking the government's pleadings." Doing so would effectively end the case altogether, and Hanen wrote that he had decided not to take that action because the issues at stake are of great national importance. 

Glad someone's willing to stand in the gap, calling out the roguish nature of the Obama team and its efforts toward executive amnesty.

It's still very disturbing how spineless Republicans in Congress have refused to intervene, and have fully funded Obama's executive action plan should the administration find a court willing to clear the way for implementation.

C'mon, it's not that hard

USAF / file photo

LA Times can't seem to figure out Russia's game, and declares with a headline:

Intent of Russian military aircraft near U.S. shores remains unclear

 Idiots who don't study history are oft baffled by the present. And the media's full of idiots.

 I think it's clear. Obama and Putin have revived full flown cold war.

 Trouble is, Obama has no clue how to play the game that Putin knows all too well.

 Or maybe I should say Obama and his team see it as a game, while Putin and company understand it really is a form of war.

Old school fiscal policy

Of course, it makes too much sense for government to think this way now.

The whole Coolidge inaugural is worth a read.

Are we there yet? No, but it's later than you think

"The most important thing to understand about this phase of the culture war is that the left’s goal is to break you as an individual, to take away your values and to replace them with their own. If it cannot do these things, it will try to destroy you and even use you as a cautionary tale to warn others." - Daniel Greenfield, writing at FrontPageMag

Radical stuff

In an age where progressive media pundits mock those who say our individual rights come from God, I found this quote encouraging.

And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God. 

We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution.

Care to guess the source?

Not a self-styled militia member nor someone aligned with what's called the sovereign citizens movement.

No, not a Tea Party darling in today's Congress.

Nor someone from the age of quill pens and powdered wigs.

The quote's lifted from an inaugural address.

The one delivered by John F. Kennedy on January 20, 1961.

Just goes to show how far to the left the country, and especially the Democrats, have moved in the last 50 years or so.

Question is, how will those who cherish the godless shift try to thwart us Americans who refuse to embrace any further shift, stand our ground, and demand a counter-swing toward restoration of this nation's tradition and principle of the people over government, as opposed to ever burdensome demanding and controlling government we have now.

What happens when a good number of us Americans start to act like the people Mr. Kennedy exhorted us to be?

What's open/What's closed on Easter

Twenty-five years ago, you've have been hard pressed to find a retailer open on Easter.

Today, there's a growing list of commercial establishments that are open, likely infringing on their employees able to embrace the holy holiday with family and friends.

Found this open/closed list online. I've checked some of the retailers' sites, and the list is accurate for those I've checked.

Kohl's, Belk, Sam's Club, Publix, even Best Buy among those closed on Easter.

I thank these retailers for respecting the holiday.

Events in Indiana/Some lyrics from the '70s

In Indiana, the owners of Memories Pizza are said to be in hiding after death threats. 

The offense that triggered hostility? Telling a TV news reporter that, because of their Christian beliefs, they would decline to cater a gay wedding if asked to do so. 

Reminds me of some lyrics from Larry Norman from the early 1970s.

There are Christians in Russia, they meet underground,
In China they're killed when they're found.
And in Cuba the Christians live up in the hills
Because it's not safe in the towns. 

And to think it might happen right here in America,
I know you think it's not true,
But it's happening to Christians right here in America,
Wait 'til it happens to you. 

The Christians in Berkeley are passing out Bibles
And food to the hungry
They're hoping to help out the people this way.
But there are threats of the lives
Of their leaders and wives,
They're not welcome to stay. 

And to think it might happen right here in America,
Maybe you think it's not true,
If you it's not happening to Christians right here in America,
Wait 'til it happens to you.

DHS is oh so sorry

Say this at The Blaze:

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson has apologized to Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) after the GOP lawmaker’s personal information was leaked, possibly by Secret Service employees.

Is Johnson sorry, or just sorry the leak's been pinned back to his people?

One more thought: If members of Congress aren't safe from malicious acts by government employees, exactly how safe do you think you are?

 

More ugly transformation

Only Americans 55 and older found jobs in March.

And yet Obama and his cronies in Congress (Democrat and Republican) keep flooding the country with more young immigrants.

Exactly how are America's young citizens supposed to exist in this fundamentally transforming America?

More than six years in, this is what we got for voting "hope and change"

A few links from today's Drudge:

RECORD 93,175,000 AMERICANS NOT WORKING...

Record 12,202,000 Blacks Not In Labor Force...

Record 56,131,000 Women... 

January, February jobs numbers revised down dramatically... 

Fed Cuts Growth Forecast to ZERO...

Well, well... Where are we now?

Bill Whittle frames the scenario, and poses a question:

Let’s just assume for a moment that you’re a radical, left-wing zealot, who was raised by actual communists, and who, naturally enough views the United States military as the tool of capitalist exploitation and colonial racism. Now, further assume that through a perfect storm of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, fate, money, power and media bias somehow conspired to make you Commander in Chief of those same armed forces. 

What would you do?

His conclusion?

Pretty much do what Barack Obama and his administration have done.


H/T Sipsey Street Irregulars

More snubs and power grabs from Team Obama

It seems Obama's rogue government gets a little more ballsy with each passing day.

Homeland Security apparently believes it is no longer accountable to we the people, or the representatives we've elected and sent to Congress.

Citing a lack of cooperation from the Secret Service, Chairman Jason Chaffetz of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform issued subpoenas for two Secret Service agents to testify to the committee about recent security breaches and other disfunction at the agency. Chaffetz said that Secret Service director Clancy has gone back on a promise to make the two unnamed agents available to be interviewed by his committee, prompting the subpoenas. Within hours, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson fired back a sharply worded statement denying the charges of uncooperativeness along with a veiled threat to defy the subpoenas.

Meanwhile, Obama may bypass Congress in favor of UN climate mandates.

Yeah, yeah. Republicans bluster with their usual objections.

But as long as Republicans continue to fully fund the Obama administration, including Obama's rogue agencies and executive actions, I see Republicans as complicit with every misdeed the president undertakes.

The insanity of the political class

An observation from the UK:

The political class now inhabits a different planet from the rest of Britain. It has no interest or understanding of the needs and opinions of real people. Amid a battery of PR consultants brandishing spreadsheets recording the drivellings of focus groups, it is now incapable of communicating with the British people. 

Methinks the same is true here in America.

Change of heart squandered

Atlanta area teen who got a controversial heart transplant has died.

Wasn't the new heart that killed him.

It was the fatal car crash following a crime spree that included an attempted burglary, a carjacking, and striking a pedestrian.