Word o' the day

"Populist Constitutionalism"

This from Larrey Anderson – Sun Feb 7 at RealClearPolitics

So what makes the tea parties different? I have attended several local tea party gatherings (and addressed a couple of them). There is one document that is ubiquitous at these events: the Constitution for the United States of America.[iii] People hand out copies of the Constitution like hors d'oeuvres that are served at ... a de rigueur tea party...

"Populist Constitutionalism" - that's what the tea parties are all about. Love and respect for the Constitution is driving the movement. Sharing the document, and then discussing the meaning, purpose, and the ideas of the Constitution, that is the process that is taking place as a result of this love and respect.

read the whole thing...


If only Liberty Poles were so ubiquitous. /heh

Rules for (anti .gov) Radicals

John Hawkins Townhall column today lists "Ten Rules for Anti-Government Republican Radicals in D.C."

Here's the short version;

1) Always try to decentralize power as much as possible.
The further power is removed from the people, the less it serves them. That's why anti-government radicals should always look for ways to push power downhill. From the federal government to state governments, from state governments to local governments, from local governments to the people -- the more power that can be shifted away from the government towards the people, the better.

2) Earmarks are corruption...

3) The louder they scream "emergency," the more suspicious you should be...

4) There's always something to attack in a government program.
Everything government does is inevitably slow, stupid, and inefficient. That means there's always a big, juicy target for anti-government fighters to hit. Maybe the program costs more than a private program. Maybe the government employees are paid too much to do too little. Maybe there are special interests that will benefit. There's always something that can be used as a club against a government program you're trying to reform or kill...

5) The grassroots are your friend...

6) Tie everything back to how it helps the people...

7) We will never control spending unless we change the system.
Our current system is geared to politically reward spending and punish fiscal responsibility...

8) You've got to believe in your heart that Americans want responsible government...

9) We don't need new laws; we need reform...

10) It's better to kill a bad bill than improve it...

Read the whole thing

Redneck Palm Pilot

If you've seen the dust up over Palin's crib notes on her hand...

Gotta love her comeback.

Still a b-baller at heart. A bit of in your face, back at'cha good humored smack from the Sarahcuda.
link

Nevermind she's campaigning for Conservative Lite Rick Perry in the TX primary against the Tea Party conservative. grrrrr

Science Sunday

This from The Globe and Mail...

“The global warming movement as we have known it is dead,” the brilliant analyst Walter Russell Mead says in his blog on The American Interest. It was done in by a combination of bad science and
bad politics.”

entire summary article and obit

The Son&Heir started Phase 2 of Marine Basic Training this weekend. That means his Platoon got in buses and headed up to Pendleton for goodtimes on the rifle range and in the field.

As I look out the window at the San Diego (unseasonably cool) weather and El Nino-like rains I hope they're able to enjoy this little bit of global warming.

2nd Amendment Saturday

a little early this week...

"Thus, the peaceable part of mankind will be continually overrun by the vile and abandoned while they neglect the means of self-defense. The supposed quietude of a good man allures the ruffian; while on the other hand, arms like laws discourage and keep the invader and the plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world, as well as property. The balance of power is the scale of peace. The same balance would be preserved were all the world destitute of arms, for all would be alike; but since some will not, others dare not lay them aside... Horrid mischief would ensue were one half the world deprived of the use of them;... the weak will become a prey to the strong. The history of every age and nation establishes these truths, and facts need but little arguments when they prove themselves."

- Thomas Paine (1737-1809)

My head hurts

What with a bit of a sinus thing happening this past week, a door half hung, brake job in the driveway on yet another vehicle and...

the stuff on the national scene that seemed to start a crescendo with the State of the Union and peaked with the announcement of a $1.6Trillion deficit, sustained campaign speechifying and whining by the TheWunWhoWon, and now the House voting to raise the debt ceiling another 1.9(?) Trillion...

My head hurts.

This blog thing is mostly a release for me. The past week or two? Not so much.

As a good friend and old supervisor used to say, "I picked a heck of a day to stop drinking."


/heh

Looking forward to being back for another "2nd Amendment Saturday" post. Maybe I can get that going as a regular thing. I've been enjoying reading bits and pieces of a collection of historic 2nd Amendment related writings published by the NRA as a 2nd Amendment Primer. Some good sound bites in there (or blog bits if you please).

E-mails I get...

You might be in the aerospace industry if...

1. You sat at the same desk for 4 years and worked for 8 different managers. Or have moved 10 times in two years and have never known who your boss was.
2. Your resume is on a jumpdrive in your pocket.
3. Someone asks you what you do for a living and you lie.
4. You get really excited about a 2% pay increase.
5. Your biggest loss from a system crash, is that you lose your best jokes.
6. You sit in a cubicle smaller than your bedroom closet.
7. Its dark on your drive to and from work.
8. Fun is when "projects" are assigned to someone else.
9. Communication is something your "group" is having problems with.
10. You see a good-looking person and know it's a visitor.
11. Free food left over from a meeting is your main staple.
12. All art involves a white board.
13. All real work is done prior to 8:00am and after 4:30pm.
14. You're already late on the assignment you just received.
15. Dilbert is your favorite cartoon.
16. Your boss's favorite lines are ...
"When you get a few minutes ..."
"I have an opportunity for you ..."
"Cross-charging is forbidden."
"...the directional truth in a white water world ..."
"We have a new culture that will enable us to ..."
"We have a new engineering vice-president."
"This reorganization will allow us to streamline our way of doing
business, becoming more competitive."
17. 99% of the people in your company do not know what you do.
18. 99% of the people in your company do not care what you do.
19. Vacation is something you rollover to next year, every January.
20. Change is the norm.
21. Nepotism is strongly encouraged.
22. Your company announces no pay increase because it is investing money in a new EZ Go electric cart for management.
23. Your company announces no pay increase because the airline industry is in a downturn. And your boss gets voted "man of the year in aerospace"
24. Your fear to fly is becoming even worse.
25. Everyone at the company says that without his work there would be no aircraft.
26. An ordinary secretary has more power than an engineer.
27. You read this entire list and understand it.
28. Not allowing firearms on company property is seen strictly as a suicide prevention measure.
29. The only people you forward this to are in aerospace too because no one else would understand!