Americans - the New Jews

The good salamander said "American - the new and improved Jews - hate and smear them with no guilt! Blame them for all your own failings"

This is true in so many ways. It constantly amazes me how the 'most civilized' Europeans can look down and sniff at us. These same Europeans who stepped aside in Srebrenica to allow their neighbors to murder their neighbors. The same Europeans who won't step up to the fight.

No it doesn't just amaze me. It makes me angry. Then more angry that many American s share their views. My only consolation is the thought that they are sheep in world of wolves. But does that then make me arrogant like them? I hope not. I'm a retired sheepdog anyway. Back to my shade tree.

No More Newspaper?

I finally canceled home delivery of my newspaper today. I've been thinking about it for a while. Not because when I travel, which is often, it doesn't get read, but because I've found that when I'm home it doesn't get read. More often than not it goes straight into the recycle* bin still in the plastic bag. Other than local news, there just isn't any news in it.

I noticed my kids have abandoned old media too.

Maybe I'll set my homepage to the local paper.

I sure will miss the Publix penny coupon. Wonder if I can get it online?

Meetings, Bloody Meetings

Some things are eternal.

A Useful Life Rule

My college age daughter was worrying over what to do this weekend. Some friends have invited her to go sailing, but she was thinking about working and whether or not she would get a chance to to see her boyfriend who's been out of town.

I took the opportunity to share one of my life rules. You may find it useful too.

"When you get an invitation to go sailing, accept."

The Arrogance of the President

Quiz. Who are they talking about here, Bush or Obama? (Answers below)

(1) "...never to consult, never to ask and always to fight against any constraint on the executive branch."

(2) "... too big for his britches and needs to be taken down a notch or two.

(3) "...non-responsive and arrogant,"

(4) “They think they know what’s right and everyone else is wrong on everything,” groused one senior Senate Democratic aide. “They are kind of insufferable at this point.”

(5) a “sense of entitlement” that leads to “arrogance.”

Answers


(1) Bush
(2) Bush
(3) Bush
(4) Obama
(5) Obama

The money quote

“At least Bush waited until he was in the White House before they started ignoring everybody,” the aide said.


via Hotair

Obama's Common Sense

Roger Simon made an interesting point that

"Common sense puts Obama on virtually the wrong side of everything with nowhere to go but the center and a hoard of ideologues from the Daily Kos and Moveon, chomping at his heels."

That common sense problem worries me. In February 2008 Obama said

"There is an individual right to bear arms, but it is subject to common-sense regulation just like most of our rights are subject to common-sense regulation. So I think there's a lot of room before you getting bumping against a constitutional barrier for us to institute some of the common-sense gun laws that I just spoke about."

As the saying goes, common sense ain't that common. Nowadays common sense gets replaced by laws and zero-tolerance policies (the refuge of the unimaginative). These approaches are for those who can't seem to apply priniciples to develop policy. It's leads to things like strip searching a child to find Advil or confiscating Granny's only means to protect her home.

For some people, having an armed populace during a civil emergency defies common sense. For others, it is the essence of it.

Marine Poetry

"...go get a few dozen of your closest friends, move to the desert and have a common goal to help rebuild a nation at the same time be ready to kill the enemy at the drop of the hat. That builds a bond."

Wow. That line captures so much about what I miss. Different war of course. But the friendship, difficult circumstances, higher purpose, and threat of violence should be common to all. Even us old Cold Warriors get it.

I love Marines.


Thanks to Thunder Run's In Their Own Wordsfor the pointer.

Zero KIA in Iraq, US Media MIA

According to the British press, the huge effort in Mosul is yielding fruit. Why isn't the US media covering this? See the link...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article4276486.ece

Also, after hearing so much about "grim milestones" US forces have now gone over ten days without a death in Iraq due to enemy action. The last combat deaths were June 26 when Corporal Pruedhomme, Captain Dykeman, and Lieutenant-Colonel Galeai were killed in Al-Anbar. See http://icasualties.org/oif/

So, we have a major victory against a tough enemy and at the SAME TIME have gone ten days with no one killed in action. Did you see the headlines? You gotta wonder why. My thoughts, because any hint of success would run counter to the current thinking about how big a "mistake" Iraq was, and worse than that, could show this administration in a positive light.

The press makes choices about what they report and what they don't report. Shame on them for choosing to ignore the hard won successes of our brave men and women.

(Yes I know the difference between Al-Anbar and Ninawa. My point holds.)

Professor Reynolds linked to an the article about the TV viewers' age that touched on something I noticed this weekend.

I borrowed my 17 year old son's SUV to help my daughter move out of her apartment. Using the stereo, I noticed that none of the local radio stations were programmed, even though he's had the car for almost a year. I asked him about it later, if he knew how to program the stations he likes. His response, "Dad, I NEVER listen to the radio."

The music he listens to in the car is either on a CD he's burned himself, or a flash drive.

A 17 year old who loves music, goes to concerts, buys songs through iTunes, but never listens to the radio. What does that mean for broadcast marketing?