Executive Fly Execution

Who said President Obama was against capital punishment? At least, that's what PETA's attitude towards the act is. What act? During an interview, Obama swatted and killed a fly. Oh, no! At least PETA did concede that Obama "isn't the Buddha, he's a human being," something that the media may also accept, given enough time and provokation.

If on nothing else, I'm behind President Obama all the way on this issue. He and I are both firmly pro-bug-execution.

By the way, I love how everyone on set gushes over his hand-eye coordination.

Random URLs From March through May

After a few months of...less activity, I have collected a number of URLs which I have meant to turn into blog articles. The time for that has passed for most of these. Rather than creating a number of discrete articles, I will publish them together.

Here's something from back in March. Pro-abortion groups simply cannot stand having pro-life license plates floating around. How DARE people express that life begins at conception wherever they go?

And another golden Obama moment...

The Citizens' Briefing Book gave me some pleasure. HotAir called it the laugh of the day. It is Obama's attempt to look like he has the same agenda of the people. If only he did!

Lastly, my favorite forum, the InstantCert Forum, deserves a link. It is a place where people discuss non-tradition methods of obtaining college degrees.

Creepy but Cool Technological Innovations

Microsoft excels itself - for once.

Saying No to the DFL

I found this story extremely inspiring.

Like most states, Minnesota has been facing a huge budget shortfall -- an estimated $4.6 billion over two years. These dire financial straits didn't deter the DFL-controlled legislature (the DFL is Minnesota's chapter of the Democratic Party), which got to work on big new spending bills. Included were not just the usual increases in appropriations but gems like $1.2 million in grants for TV and film producers and $200,000 for a youth environmental education program. Recession? What recession?

To fill in the hole they'd blown in the upcoming fiscal budget the DFL then proceeded to float every tax hike known to Garrison Keillor. A short list: A new top income tax rate of 9% (the fourth highest in the nation); across-the-board income tax increases; sales taxes on Internet downloads; the end of the local property tax cap (enacted only last year); alcohol taxes; cigarette taxes; eliminating the deduction for an organ donation (no joke); and killing the home mortgage interest deduction.

Throughout this spectacle, Mr. Pawlenty kept voicing three simple principles. "Number one, we must have [because of the constitution] and should have a balanced budget," he told me. "Number two, the state government needs to live within its means, just like everybody else. Number three, we shouldn't raise taxes in the worst recession in 60 years." Minnesota already has one of the highest tax burdens in the nation.

The DFL wasn't listening. As the clock wound down (the session ended at midnight this past Monday), the legislature sent Mr. Pawlenty one large spending bill after another. The assumption was he'd veto them, be forced to call a special session, and then be negotiated into tax hikes. That's when the governor got Minnesota nice.

Upon receiving the last spending bill, he announced that he would exercise the power of "unallotment," which has been on the books since 1939 and which has been used four times. Under it, the governor is allowed to "unallot" (take away) any state spending for which there is no money to pay. Panicked, the DFL passed tax legislation to cover its blowout spending bills, 10 minutes before the session's end. Too late. The governor said he'd veto the bill and would not be calling back the legislature to do any more mischief.

Go Pawlenty! Mr. Pawlenty just went up in my book. His determination to thwart ridiculous Democratic spending is admirable. Really, though, hiking spending on film grants??? Do films even represent a part of the arts anymore? (That's a whole other discussion.) Two hundred thousand dollars for a youth environmental program? Puhlease.

Anyway, this is worth sharing with Democrats and Republicans alike. Anyone who appreciates governmental responsibility should laud Pawlenty's actions.

Entrepreneur in for Rude Aweakening

What would you do if you were an atheist possibly anticipating the rapture? Well, capitalize on it, of course!

The man claims he has read the entire "Left Behind" series, so I wonder if he has some nagging fears in the back of his mind.

And speaking of the rapture, this was e-mailed to me recently. Make sure your sound is on:

The Latest Offering From "Science"

They really do think we will swallow anything! (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

"The mysterious disappearance of Neanderthals about 30,000 years ago has baffled scientists for centuries.
But now, according to a leading fossil expert, it seems the race may have met a rather grisly end. They were eaten by our ancestors, the modern humans."

Anything to keep the evolution ship sailing, huh? Since activist 'scientists' can't find any evidence to support their theories (a.k.a. whatever they can invent to avoid recognizing a creator of the universe,) they have to come up with any unreasonable stretch they can.

And all of this based on markings on one 'neanderthal's' jawbone. And the obligatory striking social commentary:

"The cuts to the bone are similar to those left on those of deer and other animals butchered by humans in the Stone Age." (Emphasis mine)

Maybe Obama will issue an apology on behalf of all humanity for its atrocious treatment of ancient animals and cavemen.