Merry Christams to All

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David), to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord come upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this king which is to come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Luke 2:1

Charlette Church "What Child is This?"

News from the Hindu Kush

The Salmon Kid landed in Afghanastan a few weeks ago and is cooling his jets at Bagram while he awaits a transfer to a FOB to train the Afghan military. He passed along the following video.

This was a favorite of mine when I was his age. Everything old is new again I suppose and this version is actually better than the original.

The Deconstruction of Obama's Progressivism

The Hoover Institution's Peter Berkowitz in a long but thorough primer on Barack Obama and the sources of his deeply ingrained modern progressivism comes to this conclusion:

One reason for the resounding rebuke delivered by the electorate to the Democratic Party and its leader last month was the immoderation and un-pragmatic character of President Obama’s progressivism. In its pursuit of a transformative agenda, it treated the public as too simpleminded or mean-spirited to adopt the correct policies for the correct reasons. It overlooked that while government is in a good position to provide equality before the law and equal opportunity, it is often a bad judge of what citizens deserve and poorly equipped to ensure equal outcomes. And in seeking to expand government’s responsibility for managing citizens’ lives, it ignored the prospects for diminishing citizens’ freedom.

The president and his fellow progressives needn’t be seen as having acted cynically. In the progressive mind — as illustrated by the president’s rhetoric on the campaign trail and conduct in office, and professors’ theories about deliberative democracy, pragmatism, and empathy — progressives are moderate and post-partisan because progressivism itself is not a flawed and incomplete perspective but rather the comprehensive perspective that has at last transcended the flawed and incomplete perspectives of the past. Progressivism’s vision of reform, progressives suppose, is vouched for by reason, by practice, and by the heart. It is equivalent for them to justice itself.

It follows that those who depart from progressivism are unreasonable, indifferent to or disdainful of how the world really works, and heartless — in a word, unjust. From the point of view of the new progressivism, compromise is form of compassion; it means offering the unreasonable, the impractical, and the heartless a seat at the table and providing them an opportunity to recognize the wisdom of progressive ways. And moderation for the new progressivism is kind of resoluteness; it signifies flexibility, patience, and persistence in pursuing progressive ends.

Confidence that one possesses the complete and final understanding of morals and politics can encourage a politician to think of himself as a transformer and redeemer rather than as a statesman. It can impel a president confronting dramatic electoral backlash to attribute opposition to his party and his programs to a fear that blinds voters to “facts and science and argument.” And it can drive him to rouse loyalists to adopt the ancient warriors’ ethic and declare, “We’re going to punish our enemies and we’re going to reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us.” One reason that progressives under pressure so readily succumb to the common temptation to deride voters who disagree with them as frightened and foolish and to portray fellow citizens as adversaries to be vanquished is that progressive assumptions about knowledge and politics make such conclusions about those who decline to follow their lead hard to escape.

Although Berkowitz delves into the influence of modern philosophers Rawls and Rorty one aspect that I think is always lacking in the explanations of the New Progressives is the influences of the early 20th Century radicals on the Progressive movement; as I have said before these ain't your granddad’s progressives.

The Socialists, Anarchists, and Syndicalist didn’t just fade away; although they all still maintain a web presence  they largely, along with the progressives, melted into the Democratic Party in the 1940s. The last gasp effort for them to stand on their own was Iowa's own Henry Wallace's run for the presidency on the Socialist Party ticket in 1948. Many of their ideas and rhetoric became a part of the progressive movement which today takes the form of anti-capitalism and anti exceptional-ism, while the term democracy no longer refers to a  form of participatory politics but instead is a means of political control.

Taken together Progressivsism  becomes a superiority complex that sees non believers as cattle to be herded and Constitutionalism as a quaint but inadequate means of social order that unltimately must be replaced.

The Berkowitz piece is a long but definitely enlightening read.

As you know posting has been pretty non-existent here for the better part of two months because the teaching program I am in prides itself on weeding out us "undesirables" by burying them in up to there neck in crap and covering their heads with honey. I am proud to say I think I survived. With only few loose ends to wrap up today I have the next couple weeks off to prepare for Christmas.

So to get you into the spirit of the season here is Clay Aiken (sorry it's the best version I could come up with) singing "Mary Did You Know." Enjoy!

From the WTF Department

THE CELL PHONE ENTITLEMENT
Via: Heritage

Welfare recipients in approximately 20 states–with more to follow– are currently eligible to receive a free cell phone with a limited number of monthly minutes. All individuals that qualify for state or federal welfare–food stamps, Medicaid, etc.–and have an income at or below 135% of the poverty level, are eligible. According to a Fox News report, the cell phone service is currently the fastest growing welfare program in the country.
In 2008, the fund that foots the bill for this program contributed $819 million to subsidize low-income telephone services. The fund is projected to grow to over $1 billion this year. That’s $1 billion of over $800 billion the United States will spend on welfare in 2010.

Brought to my attention by an alert reader deep in the heart of Texas. Thx Steve.

DON'T TELL ME WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY!
Via: Catholic Online

When U.S. President Barack Obama visits Mumbai, the most populous City in India, it will cost a whopping $200 million a day. The majority of the expenses will go towards security.

The huge amount of around $200 million would be spent on security, stay and other aspects of the Presidential visit," a top official of the Maharashtra Government, who had access to information about the arrangements for the high-profile visit said.

About 3,000 people, including Secret Service agents, U.S. government officials and journalists will accompany the President. Several officials from the White House and U.S. security agencies have already been in Mumbai for the past week with helicopters, a ship and high-end security instruments.

You are going to move the equivalent of a small Iowa town to India for vacation!  Perhaps you haven't heard, India is the world leader in  call centers for Gods sake, how bout you just phone it in and save us all a couple billion dollars.

Election Day 2010

We the People were mad in 2006 and in disgust handed the congress to the Democrats. By 2008 we were thoroughly pissed and doubled down on a man that claimed to be a post partisan post racialist,  promising to unite the country, heal the planet, and stop the rise of the oceans. He won with 52 percent of the vote and took office with the support of nearly 70% of the population.

Determining whether he over promised, over reached, or was in over his head is for future historians to determine. One thing is clear however, he has lost the support of 50% of the people that had placed their bets on hope and change who now feel that they were taken by some two bit televangelist. Today, We the People will put the brakes on this socialist nonsense. Where we go from here remains to be seen but rest assured this chapter of our national nightmare is not over.

Several weeks ago I watched John McCain, with a wink and a grin, like he was talking about your crazy Uncle Ed, say that these new Tea Party congressmen were going to make for some "interesting" caucuses. I once had a professor that used the term interesting whenever you said something god awful stupid. Lets face it establishment Republicans like John McCain have no respect for the Tea Party and no intention of changing their ways; their interests are too ingrained.

So unless some in the GOP have genuinely had an epiphany we will spend the next two years wallowing around in the status quo while the media, the Democrats, and the President paint the Republicans as a bunch of  mouth breathing Slurpee drinkers headed for another ditch and this time they will be right.

Flotsam and Jetsam

No I haven't died yet, just busier than a one armed shoplifter at Wal-Mart right now. I am taking a full load of classes and have two practicums in two different schools, in two different towns.

So in the interest of keeping this blog on life support a  while longer here is a little piece of optimism that you can play over and over and over....... (Via Ace)



From the Just Want to Scream Department:

Build it and they will come and it only costs a half billion bucks. The wacky bureaucrat with the capital D behind her name is the poster child for all that is wrong with the Wasteland previously known as Detroit. I love the part where her delusion (because she has a degree in urban planning making her the smartest person in the Detroit Metro Area) believes that all she has to do is  "re-educate" the masses and this boondoggle will somehow have merit. Doesn't that sound familiar?

To top it off my dear sweet mother in law in Warren can't figure out who to vote for this year. AHHHHHH!!!!!!
(Via Maggies Farm)



Meet Alaska's Joe Miller

Everything Old Is New Again

"This is the issue of this election. Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far distant capitol can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves."

Ronald Reagan

Let me be the first to pee on the Democrats new logo.

Update 10/26: The best critique of the D logo so far:

Campaign-time, Team Obama knew marketing. The best visual talent crafted a campaign "look and feel" as polished as any roll out by Apple.

Remember that glorious day on the Mall in January? The new Pepsi cans were everywhere, its new logo ripping off the red, white and blue "O" sunrise glyph. For the next year, it seemed like everything coming out of a design shop mimicked the graceful font of an Obama campaign sign.
Now this. Deflated, dyspeptic. One more false dawn, promised, then snatched away. Obama used to be big. Maybe he can be so again. Maybe it's just the branding that got small. Let's hope.

Obama, like Steve Jobs, know its really pretty easy to get the herd to queue up; but once we get our shiny new gizmo home the bells and whistles never quite funtion as advertised.  In fact many of the complaints about BHO are the same gripes leveled at the IPhone.

• Poor reception.
• Inconsistent performance
• Text issues. Drops lines that are deemed patriotic or religious.
• Not good for business users.

And...
There's no replacement program!

Wouldn't you like a little hope with that change?

9/11 Nine Years Later

Another year has passed since evil descended upon America and we are no closer to resolving this conflict with Islam than we were in 2001. In fact we are probably in a worse position than we were on 9/12.

I base that on the two recent events that have again pitted Americans against the Religion of Peace. The Ground Zero Mosque controversy where this week the Imam makes the not so subtle hint that if this mosque is not built the US could "have national security issues". The second of course is the Florida pastor who feels the need to torch a few Korans. While I don’t necessarily condone his actions I support his right to voice his opinion in any manner that he sees fit.

Both cases illustrate the fact that while we are all endowed in this country with certain inalienable rights it sometimes takes more courage not to exercise them than to plow ahead at the expense of others. But more to the point however is that nine years later we have not come to grips with an ideology that has intrinsic anger management issues.

For all the dispositions one might find in any group or individual the one that has the potential be the most devastating, as we were to discover to our horror nine years ago, is one of an uncontrolled temper. Henry Drummond once wrote:

No form of vice, not worldliness, not greed of gold, not drunkenness itself, does more to unchristianize society than an evil temper. For embittering life, for breaking up communities, for destroying the most sacred relationships, for devastating homes, for withering up men and women, for taking the bloom of childhood, in short, for sheer gratuitous misery-producing power this influence stands alone…

The Muslim disposition is one that reacts to any insult, real or imagined, with a self flagellating flag burning hate fest. In the past we just shrugged at such antics. When Islamic religious leaders issued death warrants on writers, cartoonists, or Americans in general we reacted with the same indifference we might show the outbursts of a crazy uncle.

This indifference was a mistake in the past and it is a mistake that was compounded this week by the fear of upsetting an obviously ill tempered people. Kowtowing cannot change an evil disposition it only reinforces it.

We all have our moments when our temper bubbles to the surface of course but as a people the western tradition is centered on love and toleration and if we are ever to change the relationship between our two cultures, if Islam is ever to become compatable to modernity if you will, we have a moral obligation to stand up and scream "enough", just like we would scold a petulant child. This week we missed that opportunity.

Cf: Henry Drummond, "The Greatest Thing in the World"

Warriors vs The Baseball Furies

Christie Just Lost My Vote. (If I had one)

Sorry for the lack of posting lately but me and the little salmon have spent the last week getting back to the school.

In the video below Governor Christie of New Jersey, who in my book was begining to look like a conservative Superman, comes off today looking like a whiney little snot nose, stomping his foot and saying "thats not fair."

An inadvertent one page error in a grant application to the Department of Education cost the good citizens of New Jersey $400 Million dollars in the Obama Race to the Top Education Lottery. You never saw Superman play the victim card but essentially Christie complains that some faceless Washington bureaucrat finds a mistake made by some faceless New Jersey bureaucrat in a 1000 page  grant application and doesn't have the heart or common sense to pick up the phone and ask for a correction. That, states Christie "is the problem with Washington."



Had anyone tugged on the real Superman's cape he would have been screaming about the asininity of creating a $4.3 Billion slush fund at the Department of Education which pits state against state for the largesse of the Obama adminsitration.

Did Christie truly believe that New Jersey had any any chance to win this compitition. From Obama's perspective he is an acerbic Republican Governor from a solidly blue state. The fact is, this money is earmarked for battleground states like Penn, Fla, and Ohio.

Here is the list of the  19 finalists: Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina.

The Warthog

Fairchild-Republic A10 Thunderbolt

Every pilot has a list of favorite aircraft and if  money were no object we would fill our hangers with them. Now I haven't seen any A10s for sale on Ebay but If I had to do it all over again I may have reenlisted for the chance to fly one of these puppies.

 You start with one 20 foot long Gatling gun and then you simply build a plane around it. Details Here

From the Desk of CS Lewis

Of all tyrannies a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be "cured" against one's will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.

CS Lewis

How's that Pragmatism Working Out For Ya?

I wish I could say that I’m beginning to feel a little sorry for this President who has begun to morph into a Kerry-esque Muppet character that’s not quite ready to report for duty, “I was against the mosque before I was for the mosque before let me be clear it’s a local matter.”

Bob Beckel wrote in 2008 at the beginning of the Age of Obama (it seems likes eons ago doesn’t it) that Obama is Larry the Cable Guy that will do anything to get ’er done.

What the Republicans and many in the political chattering class are calling flip flopping by Obama is nothing more than political pragmatics, and Obama is very good at it.

Perhaps being pragmatic is essential when you are trying to ram through a piece of  legislation like healthcare. “Constitution be damned, legislative process be damned, public opinion be damned this it the right thing to do for the American people.” The pragmatist will take whatever twisting turning path it takes to get her done!

To us outsiders that kind if political sausage making can take on an usavory immoral aroma but Beckel assures us Obama’s pragmatism  does not "lack a moral compass." I disagree, pragmatism itself requires that you don’t hold too tightly to convictions because you need the flexibility to achieve your goal and convictions can be just sooo restricting. For example the Constitution can be useful if you want to argue for building a mosque but on the other hand  if you want the government to buy a bankrupt car company, not so much. The beauty of Pragmatism is that it lets you cherry pick your convictions.

Being president however is more than legislation, fundraising, and golf; people look to you for leadership in times of crisis and crisis generally requires that you make decisions that draw on your moral/philosophical base. Each and every time that Obama has been confronted with just such a crisis (The Gulf Oil Spill, the Fort Hood Shooter, The Iranian Uprising, The Christmas Day Bomber and now the Ground Zero Mosque) he has come up looking aloof, disconnected, professorial, cold, heartless, etc, etc, etc.

That’s the problem with being the Pragmatist President, it gives you the means to do whatever you damn well please but it also makes you look like a soulless ass.

On Toleration

Washington Post September 2009:

President Obama is distancing himself from the National Day of Prayer by nixing a formal early morning service and not attending a large Catholic prayer breakfast the next morning.

All Mr. Obama will do for the National Day of Prayer, which is Thursday, is sign a proclamation honoring the day, which originated in 1952 when Congress set aside the first Thursday in May for the observance.

Jump ahead to August 2010 and we find the President wasn’t satisfied sitting at his desk issuing Ramadan proclamations but was hosting a White House dinner with distinguished members of the Muslim community celebrating the Islamic holiday of Ishtar and proclaiming his support for the construction of the controversial mosque/cultural center near Ground Zero. This hypocrisy really should come as no surprise; Obama has always displayed a not so subtle Occidentalism which probably played a part in his decision to change his name from Barry to Barack.

It also comes as no surprise that those supporting the mosque think that tolerance for the mosque should be a one way street. Certainly as the President pointed out we have a history of tolerance in this country which says that any religion can build a place of worship whenever and wherever it's heart desires without intervention by the government. On the surface this argument tugs at the heartstrings of any red blooded American but it ignores the fact that liberalism (like Christianity from which is sprang) has the obligation to speak out, to fight if necessary, to preserve those ideals which it holds dear.

That is the paradox of liberalism that the Left would have us ignore. The liberal should be tolerant of other cultures to the extent that they operate in the private sphere (in this case the church) but that does not mean that every difference, particularly ones that are illiberal or are in this case a deliberate blow to the sensibilities of those still grappling with the horrors of 9-11, should be tolerated without question. The presidents demand for tolerance without reciprocity from the other side of this controversy is really just multiculturalism at its very worst.

Glacier Drama

For the last several days I have been following the story of another Alaska plane crash. On Sunday a PA 32 with five flightseers on board crashed at the 8000 foot level of Knik Glacier north of Anchorage. By the time the rescue was over 12 people were stranded on the ice and the army was out one Blackhawk helicopter. Fortunately no one was killed and all were safely back home today. Story here.

RIP Senator Ted Stevens

The Anchorage Daily News snidely referred to Ted Stevens as Senator for Life and if not for a corruption charge in 2008 that might have come true. Prosecutorial misconduct resulted in an acquittal but it also cost Stevens his seat in the US Senate. It was a sad ending for a man that had spent his entire life in the service of the people of Alaska.

Today Stevens and a group of friends returning from a fishing trip in south west Alaska crashed into a mountainside during poor weather conditions.

Fly around the backcountry of Alaska long enough and eventually you will be involved in an accident but Stevens was no stranger to the dangers of aviation. He was a decorated pilot in WW II and he survived a crash at Anchorage (now Ted Stevens) International Airport that took the life of his first wife in 1978.

A few reactions from the next generation of Alaska public servants.

"Last night, Alaska lost a hero and I lost a dear friend. The thought of losing Ted Stevens, a man who was known to business and community leaders, Native chiefs and everyday Alaskans as 'Uncle Ted,' is too difficult to fathom. His entire life was dedicated to public service, from his days as a pilot in World War II to his four decades of service in the United States Senate." — Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

 "Alaska has lost one of its greatest statesmen and a true pioneer of our state with the passing of Sen. Ted Sevens. Over his four decades of public service in the U.S. Senate, Sen. Stevens was a forceful advocate for Alaska who helped transform our state in the challenging years after Statehood." — Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska.

"In our land of towering mountains and larger than life characters, none were larger than the man who in 2000 was voted 'Alaskan of the Century.' This decorated World War II pilot was a warrior and a true champion of Alaska." — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Our prayers and condolences to those involved in todays accident.
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Being a pilot in Alaska ranks up there with lumberjack and crab fisherman in fatality rates. The following is from the National Institute of Occupational Health.

Alaska is uniquely dependent upon air transportation. Commuter and air taxi operators serve as the main link to much of Alaska, transporting people, cargo, and mail to more than 250 villages located off of the road system. This critical mode of transportation can be hazardous.

A disproportionate number of commuter and air taxi crashes occur in Alaska (Table 1). During 1990-2008 there were 1,566 commuter and air taxi crashes in the United States. Commuter and air taxi crashes in Alaska accounted for more than one-third of all commuter and air taxi crashes in the U.S., and approximately 20% of the fatal crashes and deaths.

Working as a pilot in Alaska continues to be a risky occupation. During 1990-2008, aviation crashes in Alaska caused 147 occupational pilot deaths (does not include military), an average of 8 pilot fatalities per year. These 147 fatalities over 19 years from a commercial pilot workforce of approximately 2,600 result in an annual pilot fatality rate of 298 per 100,000 pilots.

In recent years the pilot occupational fatality rate in Alaska has decreased to less than twice the rate for all U.S. pilots during 2003-2008. During this time there were 23 occupational pilot deaths (does not include military), resulting in an annual pilot fatality rate of 148 per 100,000 pilots. While this is an improvement, it is still approximately 41 times the mortality rate for all U.S. workers during the same time period.

Hiroshima Spin

On the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing we were once again bombarded by those commentators that feel that the bombing was a mistake. But what if those in power at the time didn't know what they were unleashing? What if Truman who was kept in the dark about the Manhattan Project until after the death of Roosevelt wasn't fully informed about the effects of the bomb? What if General Groves who was in charge of the project was  under the impression that the bomb was merely a larger version of a conventional explosive device?
 
George Washington University has the archives of the Manhattan Project and several years ago I had the opportunity to wade through some of this material and what I discovered tends to support the proposition that those at the top just didn't know about the radiological after effects and as a results were forced to spin the grizzly realities of the bomb into a narrative that the public could more easily digest.

A little humor to start the week.

To my deaf friends, sorry.

Deployment

Today a couple thousand family and friends gathered at the Cedar Rapids Cellular Center to say our final goodbyes to our sons and daughters who are part of the recent Iowa National Guard deployment to Afghanistan.

This is Justin’s second trip to that God forsaken spot on the globe and although I am still overflowing with pride in my sons commitment to the Guard and his dedication to his fellow soldiers this time I am also angry.

I’m angry that in the four years since he was last there conditions have deteriorated, casualties are increasing, and the rules of engagement may be getting our soldiers killed.

I’m angry that we haven’t thrown the full force of the nation behind the task of killing these bastards so our loved ones can come home. We have a wavering President apparently more concerned with the sensibilities of the region than the nation he leads, who is being played by “friends” (I use the term loosely) and foes alike.

Meanwhile we prop up the corrupt government of a brutal, backwards, tribal people that are incapable of pulling themselves out of the second century. When my son deployed five long years ago I thought we could make a difference, now I’m beginning to the see the futility of the mission and I’m angry.

More Plane Porn

Our friend Fred from the flatlands of western Iowa, upon returing from eight glorious days (except for the mosquito infested campground) was kind enough to pass along this Oshkosh video for your viewing pleasure. Fred writes, "...I spent about 10-12 hours a day on the grounds doing a lot of forums and talking to total strangers about airplanes and life in general. All 3 concerts were great. (Chicago, Lt Dan Band, and Asleep at the Wheel) The night airshow wall of flame and fireworks were spectacular. It gets better for me every year and like all other years I still don't get to see everything."




Thx Fred.