It has been topsy-turvy around here, including an unexpected reassignment in one of my lines of employment, some crucial deadlines being miracles off of me, and not least, a collapse in my email and hosting. Long story, basically my fault, but they don’t make it easy. My other site was offline, and all email sent to me beginning 01FEB has simply been dropped, not delivered. I hope fail notices went out — I have no way to know. Anyway, going skiing this weekend. I’ll post pics!
I know it’s January, and I know that means it’s cold – even in the southern climes. Still, it seems everyone is simply in bed all bundled up. Myself, I have been working my way through the bureaucratic maze that is state licensing. Finally got my New Mexico license, only to find I now needed to apply for a New Mexico Controlled Substance License. Note there was no mention of this in the original license application, nor a steer about where to go. I guess you were just suppose “to know”. All my other state licenses had the CSL same time. When you renew, you pay an extra fee (of course! It’s government!) but it all comes about at the same time. So $75 and an overnight FedEx… Continue reading
So I saw the new Star Wars movie. Meh. There were good things about it and things that I didn’t like so much. More on that sort of thing later. Meanwhile, the movie is a walk-away break with the misery of the threequels. It’s worth seeing if you’re so inclined. On the other hand, if you don’t really care about Star Wars, you’re not missing anything. J. J. Abrams has delivered us from the idiot George Lucas. Huzzah! Whatever.
The Constitution not only lays out a framework for government, but passage and ratification of the Constitution by the States actually constituted a new government. The federal government is literally the creature of the states, a thing created by them. A government exercises sovereignty over its territory and its citizens, and our Constitution specifies that government sovereignty is at the sufferage of the citizens themselves. This point is repeatedly made in writings on how the Constitution came to be, in procedures spelled out in the Constitution itself, and explored thoroughly in associated writings by those who brought forth the Constitution itself. Citizenship is as tightly defined by custom and usage as any other term. We all know what it means for most purposes. Borders are also not much… Continue reading
So I’ve put up two posts at Ricochet, in very different moods. One is furious, one curious. This omnibus betrayal is going to ring like a bell for years.
THANKS – GIVINGS COURTESY OF MARINES Posted: 26 Nov 2015 05:59 AM PST THANKS – GIVINGS COURTESY OF MARINES by Andy Weddington Thursday, 26 November 2015 First published Thursday, 22 November 2012 – Thanksgiving Day “A Marine should be sworn to the patient endurance of hardships, like the ancient knights; and it is not the least of these necessary hardships to have to serve with sailors.” Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery Not everyone can be a Marine. Not everyone wants to be a Marine. And, some that want to be a Marine are told they do not have what it takes to be a Marine. But once you are a Marine, you are a Marine for eternity. It was a Marine who came up with, “Once a Marine, always a Marine.”… Continue reading
Everyone is aware of the events of Friday in France. Pres. Hollande has responded “with vigor”. As we speak, the French authorities are conducting raids on muslim strongholds, arresting left and right, and engaging the authorities of neighboring nations in the dragnet for violent muslims. But “violent muslim” is pretty much a redundant term. Violence is imbedded in islam. The old Flip Wilson remark, “The devil made me do it,” may be an integral part of islam ideology. One cannot solve such derangement with whack-a-mole arrests. Let us also remember that France is about the size of Massachusetts. All of Europe would fit into New England. WE, OTOH, have not done much to forward any such attack. We send troops to fight, more or less halfheartedly. I have… Continue reading
In case some of you out there are not aware, one of THE great dates in history is coming up for celebration here very shortly. I speak, of course, of the United Stated Marine Corps BIRTHDAY! 10 November, 1775 – Tun Tavern. This is a time of serious revelry, the consumption of much 2-carbon-chain liquids, the wearing of uniforms (if they still fit) and overall a day for feeling superior to all other human beings (sorry! can’t be helped!) In that spirit, I post this link (I hope it comes through) It is of a rock group called Madison Rising. They have (elsewhere) a great rendition of the national anthem, too.
Over at Sultan Knish (http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/) Greenfield is noting that Europe is making a serious attempt to die. All the muslim “migrants” are killing their welfare state, so that even Denmark and the Dutch are making changes in how they do things. Perhaps they will restrict the number of muslims that come in. Perhaps not. But the more interesting question may well be, ?is Europe worth saving. Europe certainly has been the center of much of the development of Western Civilization. But while one can make a very good argument that the Crusades saved Europe from a muslim fate back then – and just barely so – today the Europe we see isn’t much to talk about. The nations all have some socialist tyranny in place, the degree varying… Continue reading
So I called Peak Trump a few week ago, said he would be struggling for second by now. WRONG. Since then, the race has appeared almost frozen, with only three movers: Fiorina and Bush have faded, while Carson has picked up steam, edging toward 20% in the realclearpolitics.com average of polls. The Democrats have all the action right now, but when it’s media apparatchik action, it doesn’t work so well for them, as their swarm attack on Carson is just giving him an opportunity to shine. So they can have their Sanders and Clinton debacle, and the GOP field is sitting pretty. I cannot wait until one of our clowns gets to take apart theirs.