It’s Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013…and today we not only celebrate TLJ’s birthday…
…but mark a personal milestone: the 34th anniversary of our first carrier arrested landing aboard the USS Lexington:
TLJ and flying Navy; it’s like winning the lottery…twice!
Now, here’s The Gouge!
First up, from the folks that brought you Lindsay Grahamnesty…
Mark Sanford Wins Republican Primary Runoff in South Carolina
‘Twould perhaps be best if South Carolinians did secede…and took Sanford and Graham with them.
Next up, it’s the “The Older He Gets, The Better He Was” segment, courtesy today of Bill Meisen, Power Line and…
Hoop dreams from Obama’s autobiography
No…seriously guys; I was THAT good!
I don’t attach any significance to Barack (or Barry) Obama’s high school basketball career. However, several items in David Maraniss’s account of that career are interesting.
First, although Obama attributed his lack of playing time to not “play[ing] like white boys do,” there appears to be no merit to his complaint.
The notion that [Obama] was hampered in his progress because his style was more playground-oriented, that he played “black” and the coach coached “white,” distorts the dynamics of his own game, the performance of the other players and the coaching philosophy of [Chris] McLachlin. The reality was that Barry, as skilled and intelligent a player as he was, could not stand out in this group. He had good court sense and an ability to slash to the basket, but was an unreliable outside shooter and not much of a jumper, contradicting the stereotype of “black” ball.
“No…seriously; I was that good. It’s just that I shoot so much better with someone in my face!”
Decades later, a story emerged that his nickname was Barry O’Bomber, playing off his last name and a propensity to fire away from long range, but few team members recalled that nickname and said the real gunner was Darin Maurer, who was better than Obama but barely got more playing time. Maurer never started at Punahou but went on to play Division I basketball at Stanford as a walk-on. Maurer was . . . a caucasian; race had nothing to do with it. . . .
“He loved basketball so much, I think a lot of things have been blown out of proportion,” said Lum [a high school teammate]. “Anybody wants to play. His style of play was flashy, but it was okay. McLachlin didn’t really put a damper on it. If you did a behind-the-back pass, McLachlin would frown on that, but when it came down to playing time, he [Barry] wasn’t one of the five best.” In fact, Lum and other teammates pointed out, Barry was only occasionally considered one of the top eight, the number of players McLachlin usually used in his rotation, following the substitution pattern of John Wooden, the brilliant coach at UCLA.(Another white guy who disliked Negroes)
“You’d get more court time if you were white!”
Second, after his team won the state championship, Obama, who had played only after the team took a massive lead, turned into a quote machine for a reporter from the school newspaper:
Barry wanted to be part of history. He wanted recognition. He wanted to be recorded in this glorious moment. He had seemed so cool and laid back — never panicked, never fazed — but now his burning will was on rare display. “One thing that stuck in my mind was the extent to which Barry. . .was in my face giving me the equivalent of sound bites, giving quotes left and right,” Egami [sportswriter for the school paper] recalled decades later. “He made sure he got something he said in the paper. Such good stuff, I couldn’t leave it out, though kind of schmaltzy. That night I knew there was a side to him that was scary. This guy is ambitious. He wanted the quote, and he got it.”
Third, Obama’s account of his high school basketball days in Dreams From My Father includes false information (is based on “composites,” I mean):
No…seriously dude; if you weren’t the President, you wouldn’t have got a shot off, let alone touched the ball!
In one of the scenes with Keith Kakugawa, the character he called Ray in his memoir, Dreams from My Father, Obama broached the subject of basketball style, complaining that he did not get the breaks of other players on the team because “they play like white boys do” and that was the style preferred by the coach. Since Kakugawa was two years ahead of Barry, if this conversation took place he would have had to have been a sophomore, a fact that raises two contradictions. First, as a sophomore he was a long ways from making Varsity AA, and second, the head coach he was complaining about, Chris McLachlin, was on temporary leave during Obama’s sophomore year and did not return until the following season, when Kakugawa was gone.
In other words, Obama wrote an account of a conversation with Kakugawa that didn’t happen, in which he supposedly raised a complaint of race-based bias that didn’t exist.
“Here I am driving and shooting over Michael Jordan.”
What a guy.
As I said, I don’t care about Obama’s basketball career. But it would have been nice if, years later when he wrote his autobiography, he hadn’t misleadingly twisted that career to conform to a hack racial paradigm.
Allow us to call a spade a spade: it isn’t “misleading”, it’s LYING! As Harry Callahan would likely observe, were he ever unfortunate enough to encounter the Narcissist-in-Chief…
In another Obamego-related item…
Obama Names Himself ‘Scientist-in-Chief’
“We simply must determine how so many Liberals function without one!”
At a speech this morning at the White House to outline a new science initiative, President Barack Obama named himself “Scientist-in-Chief.” “I’m glad I’ve been promoted Scientist-in-Chief,” Obama said to laughter at the White House. “Given my grades in physics, I’m not sure it’s deserving. But I hold science in proper esteem, so maybe that gives me a little credit.”
Obama said he brought together a lot of smart people, which would help grow the economy. (Hang on; it’s about to get weird(er)!) “Today I’ve invited some of the smartest people in the country, some of the most imaginative and effective researchers in the country — some very smart people to talk about the challenge that I issued in my State of the Union address: to grow our economy, to create new jobs, to reignite a rising, thriving middle class by investing in one of our core strengths, and that’s American innovation,” said Obama.
Ideas are what power our economy. It’s what sets us apart. It’s what America has been all about. We have been a nation of dreamers and risk-takers; people who see what nobody else sees sooner than anybody else sees it. We do innovation better than anybody else — and that makes our economy stronger. When we invest in the best ideas before anybody else does, our businesses and our workers can make the best products and deliver the best services before anybody else.” (Seriously, WTF?!?)
Obama then explained his proposal:
“So the founders of Google got their early support from the National Science Foundation. The Apollo project that put a man on the moon also gave us eventually CAT scans. And every dollar we spent to map the human genome has returned $140 to our economy — $1 of investment, $140 in return. Dr. Collins helped lead that genome effort, and that’s why we thought it was appropriate to have him here to announce the next great American project, and that’s what we’re calling the BRAIN Initiative.
“We’re calling it BRAIN…because BIDEN and Total Friggin’ Waste of Money were already taken.”
“As humans, we can identify galaxies light years away, we can study particles smaller than an atom. But we still haven’t unlocked the mystery of the three pounds of matter that sits between our ears. (Laughter.) But today, scientists possess the capability to study individual neurons and figure out the main functions of certain areas of the brain. But a human brain contains almost 100 billion neurons making trillions of connections. So Dr. Collins says it’s like listening to the strings section and trying to figure out what the whole orchestra sounds like. So as a result, we’re still unable to cure diseases like Alzheimer’s or autism, or fully reverse the effects of a stroke. And the most powerful computer in the world isn’t nearly as intuitive as the one we’re born with.
“So there is this enormous mystery waiting to be unlocked, and the BRAIN Initiative will change that by giving scientists the tools they need to get a dynamic picture of the brain in action and better understand how we think and how we learn and how we remember. And that knowledge could be — will be — transformative.”
He guarantees it…but not personally, mind you! Now for the real punchline: he’s asking for Congress to fund his latest boondoggle to the tune of $100M. Gee…if he’d given the Palestinians only $400M, he could have funded BRAIN himself.
And before you credit Barry with any overriding interest in science, remember, he’s OBAMA, as in: Obfuscation, Beguilement, Affection, Misdirection and Affectation. Nothing with this Marxist Mephistopheles is as it seems.
But since we’re on the subject of obfuscation and misdirection, with all due respect (which is very little!) for the military leaders who have aided and abetted The Obamao’s betrayal of the Constitution, do the NoKo’s really pose a serious threat…
U.S. General Says North Korea Situation Is ‘Volatile’ and ‘Dangerous’
…or is this just another manufactured crisis designed to burnish The Dear Misleader’s image at a time his approval numbers are tanking, i.e., The Obamao’s equivalent of…
…an aspirin factory?!?
Meanwhile, as Daniel Halper relates in The Weekly Standard, back at the White House, the First Marxette declares:
‘This Is Your House, Too’
At a “workshop” for the film 42 in the State Dining Room of the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama told the assembled guests that “this is your house, too.”
“I want to make sure that you all know how welcome you are here in this house, because the truth is we do these things — we make sure that we do these workshops so that you all know that this is your house, too,” Obama told the guests. “So we want you to make yourselves at home. We want you to feel good and relaxed and learn and ask questions, okay?”
The White House is currently not allowing the public to tour or access the White House. Only invited guests are allowed inside.
Michelle Obama thanked the Hollywood actors for making it to the White House. “I want to thank Harrison Ford — I’ve wanted to say that for a while. (Laughter.) Harrison Ford. So you think you trip because I’m here? I’m tripping out — (laughter) — because he’s here. And look at this stage — Mr. Harrison Ford, Chadwick Boseman — he’s as cute as he was in the movie. (Laughter.) Just admit it. (Applause.) Outstanding — as well as Brian Helgeland, who is here as well. You’re going to hear from them,” she said.
Trust her; it’s everybody’s house; some just seem to own a bigger piece than others! It’s The Jefferbamas: movin’ on up…usin’ yo money!
Movin’ on to the “Where Have We Heard THAT Before?!?” segment…
Leahy says Senate must act ‘quickly’ on immigration, offers Republicans 1 hearing
“We have to pass the bill quickly find out what’s in it!”
Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy said Tuesday that he would consider holding just one hearing on comprehensive immigration legislation — which is still being drafted — despite calls from some Republican senators for a lengthy review.
Leahy clarified his hearing timetable in a letter to Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, a key member of the so-called “Gang of 8” senators drafting an immigration bill. Rubio had written to Leahy last month cautioning that “excessive haste in the pursuit of a lasting solution” is “dangerous” to the goals of immigration reform. He said a “rush to legislate” would be “fatal to the effort of earning the public’s confidence.”
Leahy, D-Vt., said he wants an open process, but he reiterated that the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he chairs, already has held a number of immigration reform hearings —though none of them have considered this particular proposal.
No wonder Dick Cheney said what he did:
Next up in the Business Section, Michael Barone offers Liberals a little Econ 101, explaining…
Why freight rail pays and passenger trains flunk
Forty years ago, American railroads were in trouble. The Penn Central, the largest railroad, had recently gone bankrupt. American freight rail was technologically obsolescent and hamstrung by union rules and government rate regulation. American passenger rail was unprofitable and unreliable. Freight rail was losing business to trucking firms. Passenger rail was losing out to cars on the new interstate highways and airplanes on long routes.
The past 40 years have seen a laboratory experiment on how to revive railroads. Government has gotten out of freight rail, while passenger rail has become largely a public-sector function. We’ve had a chance to see which works better and to understand why.
It took a while for the government to get out of the freight rail business. In 1973, Congress created Conrail, which took over the lines of the Penn Central and other Northeast railroads. Despite rosy projections, Conrail racked up big losses, with the federal government picking up the tab.
Fortunately, the idea of transportation deregulation — pushed by Ralph Nader as well as market-oriented think tanks — was picking up steam. In 1980, Congress passed and Jimmy Carter signed the Staggers Rail Act, ending the rigid rate regulation by the 1887-vintage Interstate Commerce Commission. Conrail began making profits and was sold to private investors in 1987.
The following quarter-century has seen a renaissance of American freight rail.As a March 27 Wall Street Journal story relates, rail companies have been investing in rail yards, refueling stations and new tracks. They are building new bridges, widening mountain tunnels and “turning their networks into double-lane steel freeways.” The Association of American Railroads says it will invest $14 billion this year, up from $6 billion in 2003.
But doesn’t this mean higher costs? No, freight rail rates are less than half what they were in the early 1980s. That’s because freight rail faces aggressive competition from trucking, which was also deregulated in 1980.
Each mode has its advantages. Freight rail is far cheaper per mile over long hauls. Trucks can deliver goods right up to the door. Train-truck and rail-rail competition has squeezed out huge amounts of cost. That means cheaper goods and services for consumers.(Not higher, publicly-subsidized salaries, benefits and pensions for union members.)And a bottom line that prompted superinvestor Warren Buffett to pay $44 billion to acquire BNSF (formerly Burlington Northern Santa Fe).
Passenger rail, alas, is a different story. It was a big money loser for railroad companies under the old regulatory regime, and they were happy to slough it off to the government-created Amtrak in 1971. Amtrak was supposed to be a profit-making enterprise but would receive government subsidies, uh, just temporarily.It’s still getting them 42 years later.
One reason is that Congress insists on passenger service in 46 of the 50 states. The long lines are huge money losers, but if Amtrak cuts off service to Havre, Montana, someone will complain — and get loads of publicity from the passenger-train lobby. (Can you say U.S. Postal Service?!?)Amtrak is also saddled with union restrictions and procurement rules that mean it loses money when it charges captive customers $15 for a hamburger.
Amtrak claims to make money on three lines in the Northeast, where population densities and travel distances make passenger trains a natural. But, curiously, it counts maintenance as a capital expenditure not an operating cost. Amtrak has been attracting Washington-New York passengers who used to take airplane shuttles. But it’s losing customers to private-sector Chinatown buses with much lower fares and better Wi-Fi.
Barack Obama and 36-year Amtrak passenger Joe Biden want government to double down and build high-speed rail lines across the country. “Imagine boarding a train in the center of a city,” Obama said in April 2009. “Imagine whisking through towns at speeds over 100 miles an hour, walking only a few steps to public transportation and ending up just blocks from your destination.”The problem is most Americans live in suburbs, not central cities, and most destinations are not just blocks from public transportation.
The Obama administration is pumping money into California’s lunatic high-speed rail project, whose estimated cost has jumped from $40 billion to $100 billion — for a line between the metropolises of Fresno and Bakersfield.
That’s nutty. And so may be the private investors who are trying to build Houston-Dallas and Miami-Orlando high-speed lines. But they’re betting their own money, with strong incentives to meet competition and squeeze out cost.Just like the people who made freight rail work.
And in the Muslim Minute, the latest from Muhammad’s Half-Acre:
Saudi religious police lift ban on women on bikes
Local daily says women must be accompanied by male relative and dressed in head-to-toe robe to ride bikes in parks, recreational areas
On the Lighter Side…
And in a curious mix of Tales From the Darkside meets “MSM Bias…WHAT Bias?!?”, another major MSM outlet abandons any semblance of objectivity:
Finally, we’ll call it a week with another sordid story ripped from the pages of the Crime Blotter:
Thieves take record amount of copper in Utah heist
The biggest copper heist in Utah memory has stripped more than six miles of wire from a stretch of Salt Lake City highway. The Utah Department of Transportation first noticed the theft Thursday, officials said, but they don’t know when exactly thieves snatched up the wire. The thieves either disguised themselves as a construction crew or worked in the middle of the night on multiple occasions to yank wire from the median of Interstate 15, said roadway lighting engineer Richard Hibbard.
“We can’t keep wire in the ground to save our lives,” he said, estimating that the department deals with smaller-scale thefts nearly every week. Thieves take the wire to recyclers who will pay for metal by the pound.
Officials are shocked, they say, to see a theft this big pulled off on a relatively urban and highly traveled stretch of road. Billboards dot the side of the six-lane highway that’s lined with warehouses, sandy dirt and red rock. “To say the least, this was an extremely risky operation that they pulled off here,” said UDOT spokesman John Gleason, adding, “This is by far the largest single copper wire theft we’ve dealt with here in Utah.”
…A few years ago, “when the recession hit, it got really bad,” Hibbard said, adding that the rate of thefts seemed to climb alongside unemployment rates.
Yeah…but according to the White House, copper theft should be on the decline!
That’s all for now; we’ll be taking Thursday and Friday off, so catch you next week. In the meantime, keep the faith; and remember Ecclesiastes 10:2:
“The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.“
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