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The San Diego Local Order of BloggersSan Diego's Finest Tea Party Bloggershttp://www.theslobs.org/Copyright 20142014-11-22T03:10:11-08:00http://www.theslobs.org/images/lglogo.pngDooDooEconhttp://email@example.com://firstname.lastname@example.com (Left Coast Rebel)Silvio Canto, Jr.http://email@example.com://email@example.com T Cathttp://firstname.lastname@example.com. Varoneshttp://email@example.com://email@example.com://templeofmut.wordpress.com/Doo Doo Econhttp://email@example.com://bloggerinchiefblog.com/http://wordwarriorsandiego.wordpress.com/Shane Atwellhttp://email@example.com://networks.org/?feed=news-casthttp://www.bing.com:80/news/search?q=federal-government&qft=interval%3d%227%22&format=rsshttp://legalinsurrection.comhttp://lipstickunderground.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/defaulthttp://collegeinsurrection.comtheSLOBs.orgLeft Coast RebelTen Buck Friday Rides AgainTen Buck Friday was a success in seeing a majority of Republicans elected to the Senate and Harry Reid being relegated back to the Recycling Bin of History.But there is one Senate race still undecided in Louisiana and that's our man Bill Cassidy against Mary "I live in Washington, D.C. but I list my residence as my parents' basement in LA so I can vote here" Landrieu.A runoff means more campaigning, more advertising and more expenses.[...]2014-11-21T22:30:00-08:002014-11-21T22:31:33-08:00http://www.leftcoastrebel.com/2014/11/ten-buck-friday-rides-again.htmlhttp://www.leftcoastrebel.com/2014/11/ten-buck-friday-rides-again.htmlTen Buck Friday was a success in seeing a majority of Republicans elected to the Senate and Harry Reid being relegated back to the Recycling Bin of History.

But there is one Senate race still undecided in Louisiana and that's our man Bill Cassidy against Mary "I live in Washington, D.C. but I list my residence as my parents' basement in LA so I can vote here" Landrieu.

A runoff means more campaigning, more advertising and more expenses. While it is true that the DSCC has officially withdrawn their ad buys for their dubious candidate, I'm sure there will be a host of surrogates trying to raise money for poor Mary, so she doesn't have to go out and get a real job. (And maybe really move in with her parents this time!)

 So, I'm sure there will be tons of breathless fundraising emails about how Republicans eat babies and that's why the want to ban all forms of birth control, and, BTW, did you know they want to replace the national anthem with Tony Orlando's "Knock Three Times"? Crazy!

All of the sudden, after sitting on her hands for six years, Mary Landfill is a crusader for the Keystone XL pipeline. Not for getting it passed necessarily, but for bring it to a vote that she hopes will not sustain her president's veto.

First of all, let me congratulate all of you for kicking Harry Reid's keister to the curb. Well done! And, unlike most politicians, I hate to keep coming back to you for money, so I promise, this is the last time!

Think of the nice warm schadenfreude feeling you got when Harry Reid was demoted. Now think of how warm and fuzzy you'll feel going into the holidays, if we give Mary Landrieu her just desserts as well?

Let's go the the well one last time before the holidays start taking up our time and energy, before the December runoff, and give an early present to Bill Cassidy (and yourself) of a larger majority in the US Senate. Think how much happier Barack Obama will be at the prospect of governing in a bi-partisan manner. Actually, think of how much damage from the last six years needs to be undone over Barack Obama's vetoes and objections.

Just ten more bucks. It's what we honorary Koch brothers do.

You can contribute to Bill here.

And visit Our Fellow Ten Buck Friday bloggers:
Adrienne's Corner
Fishersville Mike
For God, Family, and Country
Laughing Conservative
Left Coast Rebel
 Mind Numbed Robot
Polination
Political Clown Parade
Proof Positive
Texas Conservative News
 Theo Spark
Wyblog

Twitter: #TenBuckFridayCopyright 11/21/2014 10:30:00 PMhttp://i57.tinypic.com/2f0gks4.jpgLeft Coast RebelTime's Person of the Year? Well, he has gone from obscurity to You Tube phenomenon in record time. He's quoted by politicians of both major political parties and his name has become a verb overnight: Jonathan Gruber, Mr. Transparency is our choice for Time's Person of the Year award.2014-11-20T21:19:00-08:002014-11-20T21:19:21-08:00http://www.leftcoastrebel.com/2014/11/times-person-of-year.htmlhttp://www.leftcoastrebel.com/2014/11/times-person-of-year.html
Well, he has gone from obscurity to You Tube phenomenon in record time. He's quoted by politicians of both major political parties and his name has become a verb overnight: Jonathan Gruber, Mr. Transparency is our choice for Time's Person of the Year award.Copyright 11/20/2014 9:19:00 PMhttp://i60.tinypic.com/15nlkl0.jpgMy View by Silvio Canto, Jr.More on President Obamas immigration speech More on President Obamas immigration speech.....by Silvio Canto Jr on #BlogTalkRadio - http://t.co/JzPnEa6r8H Silvio Canto, Jr. (SCantojr) November 21, 2014

Tags: Immigration speech  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

Copyright 11/21/2014 10:01:00 PMhttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VzZXwQlFACQ/UYg_7kGEq_I/AAAAAAAATxk/WnVLXj-wJ2A/s1600/btr-cover.jpgMy View by Silvio Canto, Jr.Hoax is 'farsa' in Spanish Let's leave the constitutional issues to people a lot smarter than me. My guess is that President Obama's action is lawless, but I am not a constitutional lawyer. President Obama's speech is a cruel hoax, and that really makes me mad.First, President Obama is trying to pick a fight with the GOP. He wants an issue to rally the base. He is hoping that the GOP will overreact and[...]2014-11-21T04:30:00-08:002014-11-21T04:30:01-08:00Silvio Canto, Jr.http://cantotalk.blogspot.com/2014/11/hoax-is-farsa-in-spanish.htmlSilvio Canto, Jr.http://cantotalk.blogspot.com/2014/11/hoax-is-farsa-in-spanish.html

Let's leave the constitutional issues to people a lot smarter than me. My guess is that President Obama's action is lawless, but I am not a constitutional lawyer.

President Obama's speech is a cruel hoax, and that really makes me mad.

First, President Obama is trying to pick a fight with the GOP. He wants an issue to rally the base. He is hoping that the GOP will overreact and unleash a bunch of stupid statements against immigrants.

Second, President Obama's speech was cynical and not motivated by any concern for what he called "undocumented immigrants." Why didn't he do something about this problem back in 2009-10, when he enjoyed huge majorities? He avoided the issue before, especially during the most recent campaign.

Third, President Obama cited former presidents but forgot to say that no one ever stopped deportations for 5 million people.

Fourth, President Obama's actions will likely be deleted by the next president or a court.

Fifth, it will create chaos in law enforcement, as Pat Buchanan wrote:

The political, psychological and moral effects of Obama's action will be dramatic.
Sheriffs, border patrol and immigration authorities, who have put their lives on the line to secure our broken borders, have been made to look like fools. Resentment and cynicism over Obama's action will be deeply corrosive to all law enforcement.
Businessmen who obeyed the law and refused to hire illegals, hiring Americans and legal immigrants instead, and following U.S. and state law on taxes, wages and withholding, also look like fools today.
Last but not least, what about the people who are waiting in line to come to the U.S.?
They would have been better flying to the U.S. and overstaying their visas or cross the border.

A bad night for "the rule of law," and a good night for cynicism.

P.S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.

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Check Out Politics Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Silvio Canto Jr on BlogTalkRadio

Tags: Immigration reform To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

Copyright 11/21/2014 4:30:00 AMhttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KN8aEEazfOw/UXPy9qNwfZI/AAAAAAAATuY/oZ2gSfTynGk/s1600/immigration.jpg//img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.pngThe Liberator TodayDeny Obama Entry to Congress for SOTU Address - UPDATED Under the concept of separation of powers, the President is invited annually by the Congress to address the "State of the Union." While it is a constitutional requirement that the President provide a report or address as to the State of the Union, there is no requirement as to the form it takes. In 2013, Speaker Boehner invited the President to deliver the address: Dear Mr. President:As we round out the first session of the 113th Congress, we look ahead to the new year and with it the annual tradition of the presidents State of the Union address. In the coming year, Americans expect Washington to focus on their priorities and to look for common ground in addressing the[...]2014-11-20T23:12:00-08:002014-11-21T16:30:31-08:00B-Daddyhttp://theliberatortoday.blogspot.com/2014/11/deny-obama-entry-to-congress-for-sotu.htmlB-Daddyhttp://theliberatortoday.blogspot.com/2014/11/deny-obama-entry-to-congress-for-sotu.html
Under the concept of separation of powers, the President is invited annually by the Congress to address the "State of the Union." While it is a constitutional requirement that the President provide a report or address as to the State of the Union, there is no requirement as to the form it takes. In 2013, Speaker Boehner invited the President to deliver the address:

Dear Mr. President:
As we round out the first session of the 113th Congress, we look ahead to the new year and with it the annual tradition of the president's State of the Union address. In the coming year, Americans expect Washington to focus on their priorities and to look for common ground in addressing the challenges facing our country. In that spirit, we welcome an opportunity to hear your ideas, particularly for putting Americans back to work. It's my honor to invite you to speak before a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, January 28, 2014 in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol Building. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
JOHN BOEHNER
Speaker of the House
However, under the current circumstances of the President's unprecedented extra-legal usurpation of powers, especially, but not only with respect to illegal immigration; Speaker Boehner and soon-to-be Majority Leader McConnell should send a letter to the President that reads something like this:

Dear Mr. President:
As we look forward to the first session of the 114th Congress, we look ahead to the new year and with it the annual tradition of the President providing the Congress a report on the State of the Union address. In the coming year, Americans expect Washington to focus on their priorities and to look for common ground in addressing the challenges facing our country. However, through your executive actions that have exceeded the authority provided you under law, you have failed to include the Congress in addressing the nation's challenges. In the spirit of Constitutional observance, we welcome an opportunity to hear your ideas on addressing these issue, but not through personal appearance, rather in the form of written correspondence to be delivered by January 28, 2015. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
JOHN BOEHNER
Speaker of the House
Such action is entirely within tradition and legitimate constitutionality. The Congressional Research Service documents that:

Between 1801 and 1913, Presidents fulfilled their constitutional duty by sending their yearly report as a formal written letter to Congress. These written messages contained information about the state of the nation, and also included policy recommendations.
This action would underscore Congressional prerogative in the face of the President's unprecedented and unilateral usurpation of power. There will be howls from the left; but no one can claim that anything other than Obama's feelings would be hurt. However, that would hit him where he lives, because, like any would be dictator, he loves the trappings of power. Indeed, the delivery of the SOTU was discontinued for a long period for just such a reason:

Likening it to a "speech from the throne" reminiscent of monarchy's vestiges, Thomas Jefferson changed course and instead submitted his Annual Message in writing.
Obama can just get used to his coming retirement a little early by losing this perquisite due to his own arrogance.

Not Barack Obama, in any way. (Thomas Jefferson if you didn't know.)

UPDATE

Andrew McCoy (@DrewMTips), writing in the Ace of Spades blog, echoes my thoughts and adds this:

Yesterday, Boehner said, "The president had said before that he's not king and he's not an emperor," Boehner says. "But he's sure acting like one."

Why would the Speaker invite such a man to address "the people's house"? All Obama would do would use the time to lecture members of a co-equal branch on what they must do and what he deems acceptable work product for them. Members of the United States Congress are under no obligation to sit mutely while the President brow beats them.

Obama has said he doesn't feel compelled to listen to the voters who showed up to the polls a little over two weeks ago. The Representatives elected by those people should make it clear they are simply acting in kind, they will not listen to him.

Copyright 11/20/2014 11:12:00 PMhttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M2zki3nK0_M/VG7lr3N4lyI/AAAAAAAAEHY/LiZZcjBsSTY/s1600/Thmoas-Jefferson.jpgThe Liberator TodayTweet of the Day - Defund UniversitiesRunsonmagic tweeted this today:If conservatives were serious about winning, they would defund universities - social justice training centers - and reinforce marriage. runsonmagic (runsonmagic) November 14, 2014I couldn't agree more, but since it is hard to make a nuanced argument on twitter, I would add the following. The specific manner in which I would defund universities is to end the taxpayer subsidies and forgiveness polices for student loans. <a[...]2014-11-13T20:51:00-08:002014-11-13T21:14:53-08:00B-Daddyhttp://theliberatortoday.blogspot.com/2014/11/tweet-of-day-defund-universities.htmlB-Daddyhttp://theliberatortoday.blogspot.com/2014/11/tweet-of-day-defund-universities.html@Runsonmagic tweeted this today:

If conservatives were serious about winning, they would defund universities - social justice training centers - and reinforce marriage.
— runsonmagic (@runsonmagic) November 14, 2014

I couldn't agree more, but since it is hard to make a nuanced argument on twitter, I would add the following. The specific manner in which I would defund universities is to end the taxpayer subsidies and forgiveness polices for student loans. Veronque de Rugy explains the connection:

". . . by keeping student loan rates artificially low, the federal government is contributing to the rapid increase in college tuition. As it did in the housing market, free or reduced-priced money has artificially inflated the price of a college education."
This inflated pricing is what keeps professors of comparative dance employed, indoctrinating America's youth in actual and social Marxism. Further, under Obama, forgiveness of loans, especially for "public service" has greatly expanded. Essentially, the student loan program has become a direct funding line to the leftist professoriat. End these programs and let banks make loans to students based on the earning potential of their degree; drive the mewling manlets and manjawed feminist fatties of the left back to the brackish backwater that is their birthright.

She wants to indoctrinate your kids and maybe flirt with your daughter.

Meanwhile, why stop with the uni's? All of the institutions of the left need defunding; Scott Walker and Rick Snyder have led the way in Wisconsin and Michigan by making union dues for state government workers non-compulsory. For this reason, Scott Walker has been subjected to vilest vitriol. Next, we should go after so called environmental advocacy groups, who receive a surprising amount of funding from the federal government.

And let's be clear, this defunding is legitimate, because those our your tax dollars being spent subverting the moral and rational basis for the republic.

What You Should Be Reading

Dean, because he hasn't blogged in a while and he completely takes down a leftist tool on Veteran's Day.

KTCat explains the bankster-industrial complex in one easy lesson from Japan. Warning: Get any of your assets out of Japanese companies and currency. The inflection point is nigh.

Dalrock cracks me up with a tale of a Criminal Lack of Game.

Cell phone attacks? It's not just for the NSA anymore.

Copyright 11/13/2014 8:51:00 PMfile://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sPqAPlkSGQE/VGWOooIdJ7I/AAAAAAAAEHE/DNjX1hLl4Iw/s1600/Jackie-Gill-213x300.jpgThe Scratching PostI Miss The Border AlreadySo if we're not going to deport anyone, just what are Border Patrol agents going to do now?Why have a fence at all?Is the border a marker for which government gets the taxes? If you're on this side, the taxes go to Mexico City, if you're on that side they go to Washington, DC?2014-11-21T05:34:00-08:002014-11-21T05:34:17-08:00K T Cathttp://ktcatspost.blogspot.com/2014/11/i-miss-border-already.htmlK T Cathttp://ktcatspost.blogspot.com/2014/11/i-miss-border-already.htmlSo if we're not going to deport anyone, just what are Border Patrol agents going to do now?

Why have a fence at all?

Is the border a marker for which government gets the taxes? If you're on this side, the taxes go to Mexico City, if you're on that side they go to Washington, DC?Copyright 11/21/2014 5:34:00 AMThe Scratching PostChuck NorrisA routine patrol took an unexpected turn for police in Gresham, Oregon, when they spotted a goat stuck on a roof...The goat will charge you, one neighbour told the officers during the incident last week. Another told the perplexed[...]2014-11-20T06:22:00-08:002014-11-20T06:22:30-08:00K T Cathttp://ktcatspost.blogspot.com/2014/11/chuck-norris.htmlK T Cathttp://ktcatspost.blogspot.com/2014/11/chuck-norris.html

A routine patrol took an unexpected turn for police in Gresham, Oregon, when they spotted a goat stuck on a roof...

'The goat will charge you,' one neighbour told the officers during the incident last week. Another told the perplexed Gresham police team that the 'goat only respects one man' and warned them to stay away.

The goat only respects one man...Copyright 11/20/2014 6:22:00 AMhttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LSUvhxASGRk/VG34jW7rIeI/AAAAAAAAX2o/SBcoxCO_mXI/s1600/angry-goat.jpgW.C. VaronesBest Bill Cosby impression everOriginal footage courtesy of BBC: Seals raping penguins.2014-11-19T15:51:00-08:002014-11-19T15:51:00-08:00W.C. Varoneshttp://www.wcvarones.com/2014/11/best-bill-cosby-impression-ever.htmlW.C. Varoneshttp://www.wcvarones.com/2014/11/best-bill-cosby-impression-ever.html

Original footage courtesy of BBC: Seals raping penguins.Copyright 11/19/2014 3:51:00 PMW.C. VaronesIn exchange for Obama unilaterally ordering cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, China agrees to keep increasing emissions for 15 yearsCNN's Matt Hoye is an idiot, mindlessly regurgitating White House talking points.At the end of the APEC trade summit in China, U.S. President Barack Obama announced a climate change agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping that would cut both countries' greenhouse gas emissions by close to a third over the next two decades.Under the deal, the United States would cut its carbon emissions between 26-28% -- from levels established in 2005 -- by 2025. China would peak its carbon emissions no later than 2030 and would also increase the use of non-fossil fuels to 20% by 2030.<br[...]2014-11-12T04:55:00-08:002014-11-12T06:06:22-08:00W.C. Varoneshttp://www.wcvarones.com/2014/11/in-exchange-for-obama-agreeing-to-cut.htmlW.C. Varoneshttp://www.wcvarones.com/2014/11/in-exchange-for-obama-agreeing-to-cut.htmlCNN's Matt Hoye is an idiot, mindlessly regurgitating White House talking points.

At the end of the APEC trade summit in China, U.S. President Barack Obama announced a climate change agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping that would cut both countries' greenhouse gas emissions by close to a third over the next two decades.

Under the deal, the United States would cut its carbon emissions between 26-28% -- from levels established in 2005 -- by 2025. China would peak its carbon emissions no later than 2030 and would also increase the use of non-fossil fuels to 20% by 2030.

[...]

A senior administration official calls the goals both "ambitious and achievable," but also acknowledged that U.S. domestic politics could put a damper on the announcement. Saying "leading climate deniers" in the GOP might try to stop the initiative, the official hinted the President may act alone if necessary.
China promising to do something 16 years from now in exchange for Obama issuing executive orders today is bad enough (and of extremely dubious enforceability), but Hoye's opening two paragraphs flatly contradict each other. How does China continually increasing emissions through 2030 "cut both countries' greenhouse gas emissions by close to a third over the next two decades?"

China is already a much larger greenhouse gas producer than the U.S., so any hypothetical cuts in the U.S. will be dwarfed by the increases that Obama negotiated for China.

P.S. China is dumping thick, black smog into its cities which causes serious health problems and causes public discontentment with leadership. Then when they don't meet smog reduction goals, they just hide the data. Do you really think China gives a rat's ass about a little clean, naturally occurring CO2?Copyright 11/12/2014 4:55:00 AMBeers with DemoAnd where a Salon writer wades into (for him) completely uncharted waters. *Over the weekend, Salon writer, DAVID MASCIOTRA, caused quite a bit of dust-up on social media with his own salute to the troops ahead of Veterans Day . Here is the headline, followed by the sub-headline and then followed by the first paragraph of the piece. You dont protect my freedom: Our childish insistence on calling soldiers heroes deadens real democracyIt's[...]2014-11-10T16:52:00-08:002014-11-10T16:52:12-08:00Deanhttp://beerswithdemo.blogspot.com/2014/11/and-where-salon-writer-wades-into-for.htmlDeanhttp://beerswithdemo.blogspot.com/2014/11/and-where-salon-writer-wades-into-for.html
.

*

Over the weekend, Salon writer, DAVID MASCIOTRA, caused quite a bit of dust-up on social media with his own "salute to the troops" ahead of Veteran's Day . Here is the headline, followed by the sub-headline and then followed by the first paragraph of the piece.

You don't protect my freedom: Our childish insistence on calling soldiers heroes deadens real democracy

It's been 70 years since we fought a war about freedom. Forced troop worship and compulsory patriotism must end

Put a man in uniform, preferably a white man, give him a gun, and Americans will worship him. It is a particularly childish trait, of a childlike culture, that insists on anointing all active military members and police officers as "heroes."

 If you desire, you can read it in its entirety, here.

The first thing that jumped out at us was the use of "forced" and "compulsory". His definition of the words would be at odds with ours or else he would be in some sort of legal trouble outside of being roundly criticized on the internet. But, we suppose, if you are going to pen this on the weekend prior to Veteran's Day, you'd be well-served to go big on hyperbole. And what we've seen on T.V. this weekend, mostly at sporting events, was expressions of thankfulness and gratitude, not worship. But, again, if you are going to go there, go big.

So, let's put semantics aside and dig right into this with a critique angle that originates from the American left, Saul Alinsky specifically, and which is rooted in using one's own arguments against them. Are you familiar with the term "mansplaining"? Wiki has got it covered here, but in short it is: "a man condescendingly explain[ing] something to female listeners".

And more expansively, it is the phenomena of the explainer knowing less about the subject than the explainee. Narrowing it down again, we've seen the term used most consistently in the abortion argument where men have no right to an opinion on the matter since they are biologically incapable of having one. OK, then. So, what say you, Mr. Masciotra? Oh, wait. Who cares what this guy has to say? He is the ideological heir of those who spit on the G.I.s and Marines returning home from Vietnam. The man despises the military as an institution so WTF right does he have on even opining on the subject? By the logic of the left, his arguments are null and void from the start. See how that works?

But shutting down dissent is no fun, right? Especially when we can have more fun deconstructing his argument.

Maybe ol' boy is pitching such a fit because he's jealous. That's right, jealous. Gallup has been tracking respect in/confidence in various American institutions for decades. Follow the link here and you'll see the military has, over the years, been the most respected institution in America. And where would Masciotra's profession(s) be? Newspapers, Television news, internet news, i.e., the mainstream media, are towards or right at the bottom of the heap.

Scroll down to the performances of the individual institutions over the years and you'll see that the military's numbers have remained steady where the public's confidence in the media has eroded over time. So, perhaps having a 4th estate, the watchdog of democracy, that is so un-respected because the public lacks confidence they are doing their job is more deadening to real democracy than "worshipping" the troops.

The definition of "hero" is very much open to interpretation as it should be. One man's hero may not be another's and that's fine. But here's the thing Masciotra and his ilk don't understand: Members of the most respected institution in the country will get the benefit of the doubt in this country's cultural lexicon. And members of the least respected institutions in this country, the media hackeratti, of which he is a member, will not. Sorry, Dave, no one likes you.

Pre-historic societies passed along history and the pillars of that particular culture through story-telling and myth-making. Warriors were held up as models of physical bravery, courage and honor. There is a positive aspect to mythologizing the favorable aspects of society be they soldiers or not. Characters in our country's past like, Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed and John Henry have been mythologized and made figuratively larger-than-life in an effort to strengthen a shared American cultural experience and to perhaps serve as an anology to vastness of our country.

The vet = hero narrative is really no different. We've seen it a couple of times when we are out with my little brother and his family where he will "force" his 3 young children to approach members of the Huntington Beach Fire Department to express their gratitude and thanks for the work they do that if it hasn't already, may certainly in the future, put their limb and life in harm's way. My little brother is mythologizing (making his children look up to) the best aspects of our culture through these men: sacrifice, courage and bravery being among them.

And almost identically, the vet = hero narrative mythologizes and makes larger-than-life its subject because a huge swath of the country of which Masciotra finds foreign, still believe these traits to be important to our country.

Let's leave with this: Guys: when you were growing up, what did you play? "Army" or "crap-weasel columnist at a lefty rag"? Ladies: "Into whose arms do you wish to fall? A fireman's (mustachio and all), or David Masciotra?

* Pearl Harbor survivor Houston James of Dallas, Texas embraces Marine Staff Sgt. Mark Graunke Jr. during a Veterans Day commemoration in Dallas. Graunke lost a hand, a leg and and eye when he was injured by a bomb in Iraq.

A special Veterans' Day shoutout to my two older brothers who also happen to be two of my favorite Cold War warriors who served with distinction and honor in this country's nuclear sub fleet and the U.S. Army's vaunted 82nd Airborne Division, respectively.Copyright 11/10/2014 4:52:00 PMhttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9-EYO1kns7s/VGFZRn8VbeI/AAAAAAAAM2g/joKi9ZGRc48/s400/veterans+day.jpgBeers with DemoNext, they came for the craft beer and you said nothing Want to know how to goon up a perfectly good win-win situation for all participating parties? You get the federal government involved, thats how.The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will now be regulating the spent grains from the brewing process because of pet food or something.For centuries, brewers have given or sold the leftover grain from the brewing process to local ranchers and dairy farmers for[...]2014-04-19T11:47:00-07:002014-04-19T11:47:13-07:00Deanhttp://beerswithdemo.blogspot.com/2014/04/next-they-came-for-craft-beer-and-you.htmlDeanhttp://beerswithdemo.blogspot.com/2014/04/next-they-came-for-craft-beer-and-you.html

Want to know how to goon up a perfectly good win-win situation for all participating parties? You get the federal government involved, that's how.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will now be regulating the spent grains from the brewing process because of pet food or something.

For centuries, brewers have given or sold the leftover grain from the brewing process to local ranchers and dairy farmers for cattle feed. But new regulations proposed by the Food and Drug Administration threaten to end that relationship.

"The whole brewing community was shocked about it," said Josh Deth, co-owner of Revolution Brewing in Chicago, Ill.
Deth, whose title is "Chairman of the Party," says it's always been a great deal for both sides. The ranchers get the grain, and the brewers get those leftovers removed from their facilities for free.

"We're trading, giving something of value to each other and working it out. I think that's one of the really great things, and people really hate to see the government get involved in something where they can just as easily stay out of this."

Under the FDA's proposed regulations, so-called spent grains would be regulated the same as pet food.

Deth said the regulations would make it far too costly for him to prepare the grains to be passed along to farmers. The only remaining option would be sending it to a landfill, which would cost more than $100,000 a year.

That would be bad for dairy and cattle farmers like Jim Minich, who gets 30 tons of spent grain from Revolution Brewing each week. Not only does the grain save him more than $100,000 a year in feed costs, his 750 cows also produce more milk after chowing down on their "happy hour."

"I mean it's just basically grain and it's got a lot of yeast in it and it's wet, so it adds to the palatability of the feed so they eat more," he said.

The regulations are part of the FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act, a sweeping new food safety reform law signed by President Obama in 2011. According to the FDA, the purpose of the law is to improve the safety of animal food.

And just like that, farmers like Minich will be adding $100,000/year to their operating costs and breweries like Revolution Brewing will be doing likewise all in the name of animal food safety?

In Placentia, California, this is known as a solution in search of a problem as the article readily explains.

There's no record of spent grains causing any problems for cows or humans, though, according to Chris Thorne, a spokesman with the Beer Institute.

"We already meet or exceed the goals that the FDA would like us to see. So we see these regulatory procedures as completely unnecessary," Thorne told Fox News.

The FDA was flooded by comments from brewers, distillers and cow farmers when the proposed rule was announced.
Responding to the outcry, the FDA said in a statement it is now looking to revise the language for the rule this summer before issuing a final decision sometime next year.

"We are working to develop regulations that are responsive to the concerns expressed, practical for businesses, and that also help ensure that food for animals is safe and will not cause injury to animals or humans," the FDA said.

This represents a classic example of a sprawling federal bureaucracy looking to justify its existence by creating a make-work program, if you will, that accomplishes nothing but to the detriment of the dairy/cattle and brewing industries.

For you big government types, regulations are all fine and dandy when they don't effect you. However, think of this completely unwarranted and unnecessary intrusion into a completely voluntary and mutually beneficial business arrangement the next time you are pedaling your fixie over to Toronado for a Pliny the Younger.
Copyright 4/19/2014 11:47:00 AMhttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uq0kPz_LUJA/U1LCvvYsUBI/AAAAAAAAMxE/l15qM1wZU6g/s640/beer35.jpgTemple of MutCanto Talk - October 28th: A Citizen's First CampaignDear Readers:I have always felt that the best step many of my fellow citizen activists could take would be to get elected to local offices. So when I heard one of my favorite, savvy, and sassy conservative activist friends was running for her city's town clerk, I just had to find out more.Therefor, it will be my privilege to join Silvio Canto Jr. to interview New York's Karen Beseth, who is running for Dewitt Town Clerk.I will be asking her for campaign tips and tricks she has learned, to pass down[...]2014-10-28T08:15:48-07:002014-10-28T08:15:48-07:00mutnodjmet13http://templeofmut.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/canto-talk-october-28th-a-citizens-first-campaign/mutnodjmet13http://templeofmut.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/canto-talk-october-28th-a-citizens-first-campaign/
Dear Readers:

I have always felt that the best step many of my fellow citizen activists could take would be to get elected to local offices. So when I heard one of my favorite, savvy, and sassy conservative activist friends was running for her city's town clerk, I just had to find out more.

Therefor, it will be my privilege to join Silvio Canto Jr. to interview New York's Karen Beseth, who is running for Dewitt Town Clerk.

I will be asking her for campaign tips and tricks she has learned, to pass down to others who might be inspired to join her on their own political careers. And, of course, we will be comparing "Blue State Blues."

Her Facebook page is HERE, for those who want to send a direct message of support. If you do nothing else, please LIKE her page. This is the type of tactic she has had ton handle:

It has come to my attention today that a member of the DeWitt Town Board used the town's email to send town employees an invitation to Angela Epolito's fundraiser. Ms. Epolito sent out an apology on behalf of the Supervisor, but not until after town government e-mail accounts were used for political purposes. I was also concerned that the Supervisor used the Town's taxpayer funded fall newsletter to publicize his position on the referendum to turn the Town Clerk into an appointed position.

I am not just a candidate for Town Clerk, I am also a resident and taxpayer in DeWitt. Town resources should not be used for political gain. It is unethical. The people of DeWitt deserve better from our elected officials.

Click HERE at 7 pm PST/9 pm CT/10 pm EST or afterward for the archived podcast. If there are specific questions you want me to ask, put them in the comments section.

  Copyright 10/28/2014 8:15:48 AMTemple of MutCANTO TALK, SEPT. 25: Spanish Flu Pandemic/World War I AftermathDear Readers: I am happy to report I will be able to delve into two areas of personal study on the next edition of Canto Talk Thursday: infectious diseases and history. As military history expert Barry Jacobsen concludes his review of World War I history with a look at its aftermath, I will chime in on the event that took even more lives in 1918: The Spanish Flu Pandemic.Click HERE Thursday, Sept. 25th at 7 pm PST/9 pm CT/10 pm EST or after for the podcast.A great documentary on the subject: WE HEARD THE[...]2014-09-23T20:49:51-07:002014-09-23T21:30:45-07:00mutnodjmet13http://templeofmut.wordpress.com/2014/09/24/canto-talk-sept-25-spanish-flu-pandemicworld-war-i-aftermath/mutnodjmet13http://templeofmut.wordpress.com/2014/09/24/canto-talk-sept-25-spanish-flu-pandemicworld-war-i-aftermath/
Dear Readers: I am happy to report I will be able to delve into two areas of personal study on the next edition of Canto Talk Thursday: infectious diseases and history. As military history expert Barry Jacobsen concludes his review of World War I history with a look at its aftermath, I will chime in on the event that took even more lives in 1918: The Spanish Flu Pandemic.

Click HERE Thursday, Sept. 25th at 7 pm PST/9 pm CT/10 pm EST or after for the podcast.

A great documentary on the subject: WE HEARD THE BELLS.

A synopsis:

Influenza Strikes

Throughout history, influenza viruses have mutated and caused pandemics or global epidemics. In 1890, an especially virulent influenza pandemic struck, killing many Americans. Those who survived that pandemic and lived to experience the 1918 pandemic tended to be less susceptible to the disease.

From Kansas to Europe and Back Again:

Where did the 1918 influenza come from? And why was it so lethal?

In 1918, the Public Health Service had just begun to require state and local health departments to provide them with reports about diseases in their communities. The problem? Influenza wasn't a reportable disease.

But in early March of 1918, officials in Haskell County in Kansas sent a worrisome report to the Public Health Service. Although these officials knew that influenza was not a reportable disease, they wanted the federal government to know that "18 cases of influenza of a severe type" had been reported there.

By May, reports of severe influenza trickled in from Europe. Young soldiers, men in the prime of life, were becoming ill in large numbers. Most of these men recovered quickly but some developed a secondary pneumonia of "a most virulent and deadly type."

Within two months, influenza had spread from the military to the civilian population in Europe. From there, the disease spread outward—to Asia, Africa, South America and, back again, to North America.

Wave After Wave:

In late August, the influenza virus probably mutated again and epidemics now erupted in three port cities: Freetown, Sierra Leone; Brest, France, and Boston, Massachusetts.

In Boston, dockworkers at Commonwealth Pier reported sick in massive numbers during the last week in August. Suffering from fevers as high as 105 degrees, these workers had severe muscle and joint pains. For most of these men, recovery quickly followed. But 5 to 10% of these patients developed severe and massive pneumonia. Death often followed.

Public health experts had little time to register their shock at the severity of this outbreak. Within days, the disease had spread outward to the city of Boston itself. By mid-September, the epidemic had spread even further with states as far away as California, North Dakota, Florida and Texas reporting severe epidemics.

The Unfolding of the Pandemic:

The pandemic of 1918-1919 occurred in three waves. The first wave had occurred when mild influenza erupted in the late spring and summer of 1918. The second wave occurred with an outbreak of severe influenza in the fall of 1918 and the final wave occurred in the spring of 1919.

In its wake, the pandemic would leave about twenty million dead across the world. In America alone, about 675,000 people in a population of 105 million would die from the disease.

Find out what happened in your state during the Pandemic

Mobilizing to Fight Influenza:

Although taken unaware by the pandemic, federal, state and local authorities quickly mobilized to fight the disease.

On September 27th, influenza became a reportable disease. However, influenza had become so widespread by that time that most states were unable to keep accurate records. Many simply failed to report to the Public Health Service during the pandemic, leaving epidemiologists to guess at the impact the disease may have had in different areas.

World War I had left many communities with a shortage of trained medical personnel. As influenza spread, local officials urgently requested the Public Health Service to send nurses and doctors. With less than 700 officers on duty, the Public Health Service was unable to meet most of these requests.

On the rare occasions when the PHS was able to send physicians and nurses,
 they often became ill en route. Those who did reach their destination safely often found themselves both unprepared and unable to provide real assistance.

In October, Congress appropriated a million dollars for the Public Health Service. The money enabled the PHS to recruit and pay for additional doctors and nurses. The existing shortage of doctors and nurses, caused by the war, made it difficult for the PHS to locate and hire qualified practitioners. The virulence of the disease also meant that many nurses and doctors contracted influenza within days of being hired.

Confronted with a shortage of hospital beds, many local officials ordered that community centers and local schools be transformed into emergency hospitals. In some areas, the lack of doctors meant that nursing and medical students were drafted to staff these makeshift hospitals.

The Pandemic Hits:

Entire families became ill. In Philadelphia, a city especially hard hit, so many children were orphaned that the Bureau of Child Hygiene found itself overwhelmed and unable to care for them.

As the disease spread, schools and businesses emptied. Telegraph and telephone services collapsed as operators took to their beds. Garbage went uncollected as garbage men reported sick. The mail piled up as postal carriers failed to come to work.

State and local departments of health also suffered from high absentee rates. No one was left to record the pandemic's spread and the Public Health Service's requests for information went unanswered.

As the bodies accumulated, funeral parlors ran out of caskets and bodies went uncollected in morgues.

Protecting Yourself From Influenza:

In the absence of a sure cure, fighting influenza seemed an impossible task.

In many communities, quarantines were imposed to prevent the spread of the disease. Schools, theaters, saloons, pool halls and even churches were all closed. As the bodies mounted, even funerals were held out doors to protect mourners against the spread of the disease.

Public officials, who were unaware that influenza was a virus and that masks provided no real protection against viruses, often demanded that people wear gauze masks. Some cities even passed laws requiring people to wear masks. Enforcing these laws proved to be very difficult as many people resisted wearing masks.

Advertisements recommending drugs which could cure influenza filled newspapers. Some doctors suggested that drinking alcohol might prevent infection, causing a run on alcohol supplies. Some folk healers insisted that wearing a specific type of amulet or a small bag of camphor could protect against influenza.

States passed laws forbidding spitting, fearing that this common practice spread influenza.

None of these suggestions proved effective in limiting the spread of the pandemic.

Communications During the Pandemic:

Public health officials sought to stem the rising panic by censoring newspapers and issuing simple directives. Posters and cartoons were also printed, warning people of the dangers of influenza.

Although the Public Health Service was aware that much of the nation's large immigrant population did not speak or read English, posters used English almost exclusively. But even native English speakers found the posters and directives confusing. And limited understanding of influenza, combined with the rapidity of its spread, meant that these directives were often ignored or poorly understood.

Fading of the Pandemic:

In November, two months after the pandemic had erupted, the Public Health Service began reporting that influenza cases were declining.

Communities slowly lifted their quarantines. Masks were discarded. Schools were re-opened and citizens flocked to celebrate the end of World War I.

Communities and the disease continued to be a threat throughout the spring of 1919.

By the time the pandemic had ended, in the summer of 1919, nearly 675,000 Americans were dead from influenza. Hundred of thousands more were orphaned and widowed.

And answering the question: Was the Spanish Flu Really Spanish???

Did the so-called "Spanish flu," an epidemic that killed more than 50 million people worldwide between 1918 and 1919, really start in Spain? For almost a century Spaniards have either borne this mark of shame with resignation, wearily telling the world that it had to start somewhere, or have put the blame on neighboring France.

A new study by Spanish and US scientists points out that the pandemic was dubbed "Spanish Influenza" by the world because the press in Spain widely reported the outbreak in its early stages between May and June of 1918. Spain was not involved in World War I, and its media had no restrictions, while the main European nations and the United States, embroiled in the conflict, censored all news relating to the pandemic for fear of a decline in troop morale.

  Copyright 9/23/2014 8:49:51 PMhttp://www.eyeonspain.com/userfiles/image/mac75/Spanish-Flu-notice.jpegDoo Doo Economics BlogWindows 10 is Cool This article is being written on the technical preview of Windows 10. It is impressive and exciting to see a real improvement aimed at desktop productivity.My motivation for reviewing Windows 10 on one of my Virtual Machine (VM) servers is to understand the future of Microsoft Windows[...]2014-10-16T01:12:00-07:002014-10-16T03:06:33-07:00Doo Doo Econhttp://blog.doodooecon.com/2014/10/windows-10-is-cool.htmlDoo Doo Econhttp://blog.doodooecon.com/2014/10/windows-10-is-cool.html

This article is being written on the technical preview of Windows 10. It is impressive and exciting to see a real improvement aimed at desktop productivity.

My motivation for reviewing Windows 10 on one of my Virtual Machine (VM) servers is to understand the future of Microsoft Windows Apps. Out of the gate, Windows 10 addresses my primary concerns. Apps tiles are now wonderfully integrated into the classic Windows Start button.

The future of Windows apps looks bright. This new apps interface is terrific and a huge improvement over Windows 8 or Windows 8.1. Windows apps now use their inherent responsive design model to resize throughout the desktop environment.

The Windows 8 style "screen corners" command have changed. That took a moment to figure out. In their place comes a more classically intuitive drop down list of commands. The "screen corner" commands will likely return on touchscreen devices, but it is clear this new version of Windows is designed for productivity and enterprise users.

The new start menu allows users to switch back to the Windows 8.1 style Start Screen interface. However, the integration of dynamic information from app tiles and the classic Start Menu is great.

I am going back to playing with this new toy. So, here is a plug for my fellow San Diego Local Order of Bloggers' Windows App. Go download it. We are constantly adding new functionality.

P.S.
You may also notice, this article was written in Chrome to see if it was compatible. It is.Copyright 10/16/2014 1:12:00 AMhttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kpyKvkle9pk/VD91mUKcYwI/AAAAAAAACqI/t72xGNmAeEU/s1600/Screenshot+(4).pnghttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U3e-eYoP518/VD95WXAr4-I/AAAAAAAACqY/yzLkBemHwzs/s1600/Screenshot+(5).pnghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Be1XJa1gQUY/VD97JtmFdSI/AAAAAAAACqk/dxOHRuTGZnY/s1600/Screenshot+(7).pngDoo Doo Economics BlogObamaVirus: Enterovirus (HEV D68) Timeline of Events Before beginning this timeline there are two alarming facts to keep in mind.This current enterovirus strain appears more severe than previous strains.If diseases were spread to American children through the Obama Administration's unilateral amnesty and relocation programs, enterovirus is just one of many pathogens in the exposure.Per USA Today:A dozen Colorado children have been diagnosed with polio-like paralysis, Wolk said. Although all of the children had a respiratory virus before muscle weakness set in, only four tested positive for enterovirus D68, he said. Most have gone home and are in rehabilitation."We're optimistic that a number of them, if not the majority, will gain some functionality back," Wolk said.This year, there were among all ailments about 10 times as many sick kids kids as usual, Wolk said. "So instead of seeing one or two cases [of paralysis], we're seeing eight or nine cases," he said.The TimelineJune 15, 2012 - DHS Memorandum: Exercising Prosecutorial Discrection With Respect to Individuals Who Came to the United States as Children The following criteria should be satisfied before an individual is considered for an exercise ofprosecutorial discretion pursuant to this memorandum:came to the United States under the age of sixteen; has continuously resided in the United States for a least five years preceding the date of this memorandum and is present in the United States on the date of this memorandum; is currently in school, has graduated from high school, has obtained a general education development certificate, or is an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States; has not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise poses a threat to national security or public safety; and is not above the age of thirty. August 13, 2013: Congress and the public at large learn of the DHS memorandum. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob GoodlatteThis new directive from the Obama Administration also poisons the debate surrounding immigration reform and shows that the Administration is not serious about fixing our broken immigration system. Instead of working with Congress to address problems with our immigration system, the President is working against us. The House is working hard to improve our immigration system through a step-by-step approach but this Administration continues to politicize the issue and undermine our efforts by refusing to enforce our current laws. President Obamas disregard for the rule of law only encourages more illegal immigration.October 11, 2013, Virology Journal: Human rhinoviruses and enteroviruses in influenza-like illness in Latin America:<br[...]2014-10-14T19:57:00-07:002014-10-15T08:14:21-07:00Doo Doo Econhttp://blog.doodooecon.com/2014/10/obamavirus-enterovirus-hev-d68-timeline.htmlDoo Doo Econhttp://blog.doodooecon.com/2014/10/obamavirus-enterovirus-hev-d68-timeline.html
Before beginning this timeline there are two alarming facts to keep in mind.

This current enterovirus strain appears more severe than previous strains.

If diseases were spread to American children through the Obama Administration's unilateral amnesty and relocation programs, enterovirus is just one of many pathogens in the exposure.

Per USA Today:

A dozen Colorado children have been diagnosed with polio-like paralysis, Wolk said. Although all of the children had a respiratory virus before muscle weakness set in, only four tested positive for enterovirus D68, he said. Most have gone home and are in rehabilitation.

"We're optimistic that a number of them, if not the majority, will gain some functionality back," Wolk said.

This year, there were among all ailments about 10 times as many sick kids kids as usual, Wolk said. "So instead of seeing one or two cases [of paralysis], we're seeing eight or nine cases," he said.

The Timeline
June 15, 2012 - DHS Memorandum: Exercising Prosecutorial Discrection With Respect to Individuals Who Came to the United States as Children

The following criteria should be satisfied before an individual is considered for an exercise of
prosecutorial discretion pursuant to this memorandum:

came to the United States under the age of sixteen;

has continuously resided in the United States for a least five years preceding the date of this memorandum and is present in the United States on the date of this memorandum;

is currently in school, has graduated from high school, has obtained a general education

development certificate, or is an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States;

has not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise poses a threat to national security or public safety; and

is not above the age of thirty.

 August 13, 2013: Congress and the public at large learn of the DHS memorandum. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte

This new directive from the Obama Administration also poisons the debate surrounding immigration reform and shows that the Administration is not serious about fixing our broken immigration system. Instead of working with Congress to address problems with our immigration system, the President is working against us. The House is working hard to improve our immigration system through a step-by-step approach but this Administration continues to politicize the issue and undermine our efforts by refusing to enforce our current laws. President Obama's disregard for the rule of law only encourages more illegal immigration.
October 11, 2013, Virology Journal: Human rhinoviruses and enteroviruses in influenza-like illness in Latin America:

We collected nasopharyngeal swabs at clinics located in eight Latin American countries from 3,375 subjects aged 25 years or younger who presented with influenza-like illness.
...
Our subjects had a median age of 3 years and a 1.2:1.0 male:female ratio.
 ...
Phylogenetic analysis revealed a high proportion of recombinant strains between HRV-A/HRV-C and between HEV-A/HEV-B. In addition, both EV-D68 and EV-A71 were identified.

 January 29,2014: Flow of Unaccompanied Minors Tests U.S. Immigration Agencies

The minors are handled by an array of government agencies, all with different responsibilities for their supervision, often passing through shelters funded by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, an arm of the Department of Health and Human Services. Many are placed in removal proceedings and later deported. Others manage to benefit from provisions in immigration law that enable them to remain in the U.S. legally.

Data compiled by that agency show that 95% of what authorities refer to as UACs—for unaccompanied children—come from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, Central American republics where crime and violence have soared in recent years.

HHS reported this week that the 9,881 minors who arrived through the first quarter of the current fiscal year is slightly ahead of 2013's record pace.

Reports surface indicating where the Unaccompanied illegal immigrant children were secretly relocated.
June 19, 2014: Chicago, Ministering to unaccompanied immigrant children

Eight shelters in the Chicago area hold 450 immigrant children who crossed the border illegally and without a parent or guardian.

Once a month, an interfaith group visits one of the shelters to present a program with a theme like home or gratitude. The children draw pictures and sing a simple song. The adult leaders invite the children to light a candle. "You can tell that some of them really make that a time when they are praying," said Benedictine Sr. Benita Coffey, one of the volunteers.

But the ministry is momentary. Volunteers are not to form personal connections with the children, and by their next visit, most of them will have moved on. Most likely they have been sent to live with family while they await their deportation proceedings.

...The surge of children has come from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

...Southwest Keys operates the San Diego shelters, and according to its website, it is the largest provider of services for unaccompanied children, with 20 shelters across California, Arizona and Texas.
July 2, 2014: MAP: WHERE FEDS ARE TRYING TO RELOCATE ILLEGAL BORDER SURGERS

*We did not have a screen grab from July 2, 2014. The current image reflects the webpage on October 14, 2014.

NumbersUSA is daily updating this interactive map to show which communities are under threat of the federal government moving large numbers of illegal aliens there from the border.

August 29, 2014: Kansas City Outbreak Identified As HEV 68

Local media reports (see Unusual respiratory virus strikes metro kids) from Kansas City, Mo. indicate that a rarely seen – and not yet well understood – respiratory virus called HEV 68 (Human Enterovirus 68) has sickened hundreds of kids in the region this week, and that the local Children's Hospital is unusually at full census in late August.
...
Unlike influenza, classic enteroviruses tend to break out in summer-to-fall, although EV 68 has been observed to occur well into the winter season. The largest outbreak characterized by this MMWR report involved 28 children and adolescents from Pennsylvania in the fall of 2009.
Enterovirus in U.S. populations appears to manifest as temperatures fall. This coincides with cold and flu season. Colder weather pushes more people indoors, in closer proximity to one another, with less sun exposure and more confined ventilation.

August 31, 2014: Office of Refugee Resettlement "state-by-state" Unaccompanied Children release data from January 1st to August 31st

HHS has strong policies in place to ensure the privacy and safety of unaccompanied children by maintaining the confidentiality of their personal information. These children may have histories of abuse or may be seeking safety from threats of violence. They may have been trafficked or smuggled. HHS cannot release information about individual children that could compromise the child's location or identity.

 State	 # of Unaccompanied Children

 Alabama	 634

 Alaska
4

 Arizona	 218

 Arkansas
250

 California
4,680

 Colorado
336

 Connecticut
455

 Delaware	 168

 District of Columbia
301

 Florida
4,392

 Georgia
1,623

 Hawaii
8

 Idaho	 15

 Illinois	 437

 Indiana
357

 Iowa
196

 Kansas
246

 Kentucky
333

 Louisiana
1,414

 Maine	 9

 Maryland	 3,248

 Massachusetts
1,115

 Michigan
154

 Minnesota
240

 Mississippi	 238

 Missouri
173

 Montana
1

 Nebraska	 278

 Nevada	 188

 New Hampshire
28

 New Jersey
2,171

 New Mexico
32

 New York
4,799

 North Carolina	 1,648

 North Dakota	 4

 Ohio
489

 Oklahoma
284

 Oregon
96

 Pennsylvania
513

 Puerto Rico
1

 Rhode Island
173

 South Carolina
491

 South Dakota
31

 Tennessee
1,020

 Texas
6,217

 Utah
103

 Vermont	 3

 Virgin Islands	 1

 Virginia
3,193

 Washington
310

 West Virginia	 20

 Wisconsin
73

 Wyoming
8

 Total
43,419

September 16, 2014: CNN: List of states with Enterovirus D68 grows

Four children in Lake County were sickened by Enterovirus D68 and were treated at University of Chicago Hospital, according to a press release from the Indiana Department of Health; all four have since been discharged from the hospital. Lake County is in the northwest corner of the state.
...
As of September 11, the CDC had confirmed more than 80 cases of Enterovirus D68 in six states: Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky and Missouri. New York also announced on Friday that it had more than a dozen confirmed cases of the virus.
September 17, 2014: CDC: 16 STATES CONFIRM ENTEROVIRUS D68

September 22, 2014: CDC Confirms infection now in 27 states

October 8, 2014: The far-left desperately attempts to muddy the waters with misinformation.

Enterovirus has begun taking the lives of children in the U.S. In response, Media Matters and other left-wing outlets have begun trying to obfuscate the emerging evidence of the source of the sudden spike in enterovirus.

Media Matters, Conservatives Falsely Blame Undocumented Children For Deadly Enterovirus:

Public health experts have debunked the alleged connection between the influx of undocumented children into the United States and the spread of EV-D68. CDC spokesperson Jeanette St. Pierre told Media Matters: "Currently, there is no evidence from testing at CDC that EV-D68 infections in the U.S. are a result of unaccompanied minors moving into the country."
Notice, the misrepresentation here?

The CDC spokesperson is talking about "evidence" which means scientific proof derived by the CDC. Media Matters takes this very narrow statement and accuses conservatives of lying and blaming. The spokesperson for the CDC did not say that evidence does not exist, or that the unaccompanied minors did not infect American children, just that the CDC testing had not proven the connection.

October 10, 2014: 46 States confirmed infections. Experts: Flu, EV-D68 more worrisome than Ebola

According to the CDC, the D68 strain has now affected 691 children in 46 states and the District of Columbia with 13 of those cases just confirmed on Friday. So far, five children have died from the disease that is also connected with muscle paralysis in a handful of other cases mainly in the Denver area.

Conclusion

This post has a pinch of opinion in it, but it is basically a resource for others to keep the facts straight and do further investigation. We do face a threat and it is important to understand the health threat and be prepared. So, here is some other important information.

Journal of General Virology: Worldwide emergence of multiple clades of enterovirus 68 (NIH.gov):

In previously documented clusters, approximately 80 % of reported EV-D68 cases occurred in children. One explanation for this finding is that most reports highlighted only paediatric cases. Our EV-D68 sequences from the Gambia, South Africa and Arizona were all obtained from children. However, a recent report from the Netherlands, which focused on screening for EV-D68 in archived respiratory samples without age bias, noted a preponderance of adult cases (Meijer et al., 2012). Additionally, NYC cases presented in our report were from individuals aged 14 years or older, which is the largest EV-D68 cluster of non-paediatric origin to date. We anticipate that, with increased screening, EV-D68 may ultimately be recognized as a respiratory pathogen in all age groups.
There is currently no antiviral treatment and no vaccine to prevent EV-D68. The CDC continues to study the virus and its associated complications but does not entirely understand accept the reason for the current outbreak at this time.

Recommendations from the Rhode Island Department of Health to avoid contracting EV-D68:

Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, five or six times a day (some evidence suggests that soap and water is more effective at killing enteroviruses than alcohol rubs).

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, and remind children to keep their hands away from their faces.

Management of asthma is especially important at this time. Be sure your child is following instructions and taking medications as prescribed by their physician.

Clean often-used surfaces frequently, including doorknobs, telephone receivers, keyboards, and toys.

Don't kiss, hug, or share cups or eating utensils with sick people.

If you or your child have a fever, stay home while sick and for at least 1 day after the fever subsides without fever-reducing medicines.

Get medical help immediately for a child with asthma who is having difficulty breathing or whose respiratory symptoms get worse or do not improve after taking their usual medications.

Copyright 10/14/2014 7:57:00 PMhttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hqat0E4nO48/VDturOP73HI/AAAAAAAACoM/zmgX95xK9CY/s1600/1743-422X-10-305-3.tiffhttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XXt2XzWCxGk/VD3CPaL94MI/AAAAAAAACos/TsbPav9rsVU/s1600/NA-BZ863_MINORS_NS_20140129184512.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RU89D77oYKo/VD3biHRVLwI/AAAAAAAACp0/EkdMazvoydk/s1600/Unaminorsmap-201407.JPGhttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A5lHXO1CW84/VD3NXARfwwI/AAAAAAAACo8/EJa4nl0PbY8/s1600/d68-August.jpghttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7_afhDiKZNg/VD3RBPVp_XI/AAAAAAAACpY/wWcFJa7svvc/s1600/d68-20140916.jpghttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DcF73cp4TPE/VD3O_lTzJvI/AAAAAAAACpM/ka7cT89bXuE/s1600/EV680917.jpghttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4JChjjrNgNI/VD3OUKCIX7I/AAAAAAAACpE/PqFvQIevWOc/s1600/states-with-enterovirusjpg-fc2856908e9802b2.jpghttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9SswSV9qFtI/VD3SeobhC9I/AAAAAAAACpk/W2jlobQLBgE/s1600/ev-d68-confirmed-cases-10102014.jpgblogger in chief blogDo Not Pass Go Ethics in California At the end of this legislative session in California Governor Brown vetoed a few bills that, the legislature passed in Sacramento, which dealt with ethics. His reason was that he did not want to make the ethical practices the elected in Sacramento must follow to be made any more complex. Huh? Given that under his watch three separate Senators have been indicted on various federal and state[...]2014-10-14T15:33:15-07:002014-10-14T15:33:15-07:00dawnwildmanhttp://bloggerinchiefblog.com/2014/10/14/do-not-pass-go-ethics-in-california/dawnwildmanhttp://bloggerinchiefblog.com/2014/10/14/do-not-pass-go-ethics-in-california/

At the end of this legislative session in California Governor Brown vetoed a few bills that, the legislature passed in Sacramento, which dealt with ethics. His reason was that he did not want to make the ethical practices the elected in Sacramento must follow to be made any more complex. Huh? Given that under his watch three separate Senators have been indicted on various federal and state charges ranging from voter fraud to gun running, how complicated are the current ethics rules?

This gave me pause as to how complicated it must be already for these guys given their current legal troubles, so I went looking for the complex ethics one must follow if ever elected in our great state. Listed below are some of the ethical behaviors expected of our great leaders serving the citizenry in Sacramento. This seems very doable; after all don't we assume these people understand right from wrong? Yes, but if they need it spelled out, then so be it.

Each Senator shall conduct himself/herself so as to justify the high trust reposed in him/her by the people to promote confidence in the integrity of the Senate.

A Senator or officer or employee of the Senate shall not engage in unethical conduct or tolerate such conduct by others.

Each Senator and each officer or employee of the Senate has a responsibility to report any and apparent and substantial violation of the Standards.

Each Senator or officer or employee of the Senate has the right to consult with the Senate Committee on Legislative Ethics, or, at the option of the individual, the Senate Ombudsperson (see below) regarding the propriety of any conduct that may violate the Standards.

A Senator or officer or employee of the Senate shall not retaliate against a person who the reports possible violation of these Standards or against a person who the Senator, officer, or employee believes made such a report.

A Senator or an officer or employee of the Senate shall not discuss legislative business of any kind while attending or hosting an event at which campaign funds or contributions are solicited, provided, or discussed.

 Here is the ironic part of the story, so we have these 3 people indicted on various felony charges from both state and federal prosecutors and the California Senate leadership does nothing, and I mean nothing. Talk about standing by their men, Darrell Steinberg had nothing on Hilary Clinton.

Senator Rod Wright was indicted in September of 2010 and was eventually convicted and sentenced this year. Leland Yee was indicted in March of this year and is still facing multiple federal charges including bribery and gun running. Senator Ron Calderon was indicted in February of 2014 and is still facing 24 counts also including bribery .None of these men lost their jobs. Period. They did not resign nor were they asked to resign; they actually took paid leave of absences on the taxpayer's dime.

And what did the Senate do while these "boys" were off figuring out their legal strategy for staying out of prison rather than working on California's pressing issues? Finally in July of this year they had a touchy feely class on ethics. I mean, they devoted a whole day to this work….see below explanation of said class.

On April 23, 2014, the State Senate devoted an entire day to a review and reflection of ethical issues and the Senate Standards of Conduct. The review of "Ethics in Principle and Practice" entailed separate group sessions for Senators only, and for Senate Office Chiefs of Staff, Office Directors and Committee Chief Consultants. Following those group sessions, the material was reviewed in individual office staff meetings.

The group sessions included a presentation on "Strengthening a Culture of Ethics" by Scott Raecker, CEO of the Josephson Institute of Ethics and executive director of Character Counts at Drake University. The nonprofit Josephson Institute in Los Angeles has worked with corporations, governmental agencies and professionals on strengthening standards of conduct in individual and institutional decision-making.

A separate segment involved a panel of local legal experts who presented a variety of hypothetical scenarios to facilitate discussion and dialogue on ethical and legal issues.

A day of reflection cost us greatly because every district these men represented went without representation the whole time they were committing illegal acts and afterwards because Darrell Steinberg and or Governor Brown would not do the right thing, the ethical thing which was to fire their butts. You can find the little hypothetical situations they covered in this Ethics for Idiots class, oddly enough gun running issues or voter fraud were not covered.

So when the Governor says the ethics the folks have to follow in Sacramento are too complex, ask yourself if your child knows not to steal or to lie. Then ask yourself why a sitting Governor with the record numbers of indictments under his leadership would not want to shore up the ethical behavior of his team, hmmm?

  Copyright 10/14/2014 3:33:15 PMhttps://bloggerinchiefblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/monopoly.jpgblogger in chief blogFirst They Came for Ferguson Then They Came For UsThe most shocking part of the stories out of Ferguson is the photos and realization that the Ferguson and state police are armed to the teeth. If this doesnt seem like an overreaction to the situation at hand I dont know what does. Most telling is the fact that the law enforcement in the state feel like they need to bring out all of their war toys.Since 1997 the DoD has been shuffling through the Department of Homeland Security all of their excess hardware such as armored vehicles, assault weapons and even helicopters.[...]2014-08-15T21:05:05-07:002014-08-15T21:06:12-07:00dawnwildmanhttp://bloggerinchiefblog.com/2014/08/16/first-they-came-for-ferguson-then-they-came-for-us/dawnwildmanhttp://bloggerinchiefblog.com/2014/08/16/first-they-came-for-ferguson-then-they-came-for-us/

The most shocking part of the stories out of Ferguson is the photos and realization that the Ferguson and state police are armed to the teeth. If this doesn't seem like an overreaction to the situation at hand I don't know what does. Most telling is the fact that the law enforcement in the state feel like they need to bring out all of their "war toys".

Since 1997 the DoD has been shuffling through the Department of Homeland Security all of their excess hardware such as armored vehicles, assault weapons and even helicopters. So is it any wonder that the cops are now acting like the military? And how far do we need to go before losing our liberty is more important than our perceived security? I know if I live in Ferguson, MO I don't feel real secure right now and it's not because of the people looting and robbing although that is a story unto itself, it's because the police seem to be violating every Constitutional right on the books.

If you look in to the 1033 Program which is what the purveyance of the military grade equipment is called you find that every state in the "union" has been given weapons of some sort. The New York Times did a great job with an interactive map showing you who got what. And yes I said given. Although one must assume it is up to the departments to pay for upkeep of such weapons of mass destruction as grenade launchers and mine deflecting vehicles. Los Angeles County alone received from the 1033 program,

3,408 assault rifles,

1,696 pieces of body armor,

827 pieces of night vision equipment,

44 Pistols,

15 helicopters, Fifteen, one five, helicopters!!!

4 Other vehicles, who knows what that means

3 mine resistant vehicles, is there much call for that in LA?

And last but not least- 1 plane.

And a partridge in a pear tree. Really?

We know that Los Angles is a sanctuary city with Special Order 40 being their policy, which is the illegal alien catch and release program so why are they armed for war?

I don't know about you all but I am far from feeling safe, I am terrified that the very people who believe my civil , Constitutional and inalienable rights mean nothing are armed unlike even the Taliban.

Why have we allowed this to go unnoticed until Ferguson? Well, I guess they are test driving the equipment now on the citizens of Ferguson who are doing nothing more than executing their 1st Amendment Rights. And I mean those that are peacefully assembling and bringing grievances to their elected. The response by the law enforcement and Governor are to turn weapons of war on the citizens? We have a bigger problem than we thought.

While watching the movie Braveheart one night , one scene got my attention, its where the English lord slits the throat of the William Wallace's wife , but before he does he talks about how they have all lived together in relative peace and harmony and then he kills the woman. Is this where we are in the country, in "relative peace and harmony" but not real peace and harmony? After all the law enforcement and those that have signed off on the militarization of our police forces and others seem to be about to slit our throats, relatively speaking.

  Copyright 8/15/2014 9:05:05 PMhttp://bloggerinchiefblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/helicopter.jpgWord Warrior of So CalLYNDON BAINES OBAMA: HOW NOT TO WIN A WARIt is trite but true, that those how fail to learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them. This is why we study history: to find clues as to what will or likely will not work in the future.It is therefore disconcerting that President Obama, as he prepares to wage war against the Islamic State seems bent on repeating the two worst mistakes made by President Lyndon Johnson in his conduct of the Vietnam War.Wars need to be waged to win, or not be engaged in at all. When a[...]2014-09-19T19:54:26-07:002014-09-19T19:54:26-07:00barrycjacobsenhttp://wordwarriorsandiego.wordpress.com/2014/09/20/lyndon-baines-obama-how-not-to-win-a-war/barrycjacobsenhttp://wordwarriorsandiego.wordpress.com/2014/09/20/lyndon-baines-obama-how-not-to-win-a-war/

It is trite but true, that those how fail to learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them. This is why we study history: to find clues as to what will or likely will not work in the future.

It is therefore disconcerting that President Obama, as he prepares to wage war against the Islamic State seems bent on repeating the two worst mistakes made by President Lyndon Johnson in his conduct of the Vietnam War.

Wars need to be waged to win, or not be engaged in at all. When a President wills the outcome, he must will the means. Which is to say, if he want to defeat an enemy he must give his generals the tools and the latitude to get the job done. However, too often civilian leaders fail in this simple recipe, and keep their military leaders on too-short a leash to accomplish the task.

The impulse for civilian political leaders to keep a tight-rein on their military is a common one; in war and in peace. In a democracy like ours, it is critical that the military subordinate itself to the President and their civilian leaders. The alternative is what is seen in many developing countries, where the military officer corps feels responsible to "oversee" the political leadership; removing those they deem unfit to lead.

This impulse in war, however, must be tempered with humility: the President must know what he doesn't know; and be willing to admit that when it comes to war, despite being the "Commander-in-Chief", he is a dilettante at best. In our history, the best "War Presidents" trusted their generals and allowed them to conduct the war. When they found themselves saddled with commanders they couldn't work with or didn't trust (Lincoln with McClellan, Truman with MacArthur) they fired those generals and chose ones they could work with. What they didn't do is to try and run the war from the White House themselves. That negative impulse must be resisted; for history has shown that it will lead to defeat and even disaster.

At the heart of this negative impulse to micromanage ones commanders during a war is often a distrust for the military in general, or the officer corps in particular. The most striking example of this was Hitler directing the German war effort in WW-II from his bunker. Having served as a corporal in WW-I, he had developed a deep and abiding dislike and distrust for the German "Junker" class that made-up the bulk of the German General Staff. As the war rolled-on Hitler took more and more direct control of his war machine; ignoring, over-ruling, and removing any general who tried to reason with him. By the mid-war he was directing company-level operations of infantry units in the Caucuses from his bunker in East Prussia, three thousand miles away; moving pins around a map and transmitting orders by radio to lieutenants and sergeant in the field.

This, of course, led to utter disaster; and most experts agree that Germany's greatest mistakes were bi-products of Hitler's interference of his general's running the war effort.

When military historians and experts start numbering off the mistakes made by American leaders during the Vietnam War, two of the most often cited are:

Allowing the enemy "sanctuaries" where we refrained from attacking them in neighboring countries (Laos and Cambodia). And..

President Johnson micromanaging the war from the basement of the White House; in particular personally selecting and/signing off on strategic air targets.

Like Hitler in his bunker, President Lyndon Baines Johnson often micro-managed the Vietnam War from the basemen of the White House; moving pins on a map and demanding targets be okayed by him before commanders on the other side of the globe could execute an attack. Like Hitler, L.B.J. didn't really trust his generals, and by keeping too tight a control prevented them from doing what was needed to win.

So when it is reported that President Obama "Plans to Tightly Control Air Strikes" in this war against ISIS he is preparing to undertake, I see shades of Vietnam all over again.

Effective air strikes against viable targets require real-time intelligence; and timely execution once that target is identified. Such intelligence has a very short shelf-life: targets don't just stay-put in one place and wait to be shot at. In war, the enemy is moving and operating against our forces, just as we are against him. Especially when we are talking about close-air support of ground forces, every minute counts.

To expect commanders (or American advisors embedded with allied local forces) on the ground during a shooting war to wait for a green-light from this White House is a plan filled with fail. This is an Administration and a President noted for their excessively slow decision-making processes. "Deliberative" is the best face one can put on Obama's seeming inability to make timely decisions.

In the 13 hours those Operators were under siege in their Benghazi compound by Islamic militants in 2012, no decision to send in support or rescue was made by the President or his National Security team. Instead, the President went to bed; then flew off the next morning to a fund-raiser in Las Vegas.

Can you imagine yourself an Operator in Iraq or Syria, embedded with the Free Syrian Army or the Kurdish Peshmerga; pinned down by intense enemy fire and waiting on an air strike that has to be "okayed" by the White House? I can, and it's not a pleasant or comforting scenario.

The other LBJ mistake Obama seems to be poised to repeat is to allow ISIS a sanctuary in Syria. Yes, he has floated the idea of air-strikes in Syria. But at the same time, his spokesperson is discounting the idea of crossing the now erased border between Syria and Iraq when it comes to ground conflict against ISIS.

To defeat the Islamic State will take a ground-air campaign as large as the Surge that crushed Al Qaeda in Iraq in 2007. To drive them out of the towns and cities that they have captured takes ground forces supported by air assets. It took 10,000 Marines, supported by artillery and another 3,000 other troops to capture Fallujah in 2004 from Al Qaeda; and the enemy then had only light weapons. ISIS fighters now have a full arsenal of capture American heavy weapons, including tanks. Does anyone imagine that they can be driven out of these same towns with anything less than the forces available in 2004?

So in willing the outcome, President Obama (who, like LBJ, distrusts the military and his Generals) is not willing anything approximating the means; and he is placing a leash upon our commanders, leading back to the basement of the White House, that will ultimately strangle both them and any chance of victory.

  Copyright 9/19/2014 7:54:26 PMhttp://wordwarriorsandiego.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/obama_johnson.jpg?w=584&h=388http://wordwarriorsandiego.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/l_b_johnson_model_khe_sanh.jpg?w=584&h=391http://wordwarriorsandiego.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/628x471.jpg?w=584&h=398Word Warrior of So CalREMEMBERING 9/11, THIRTEEN YEARS AFTER(I wrote this on last year's anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. It seems just as timely today, on the 13th anniversary.)It seems a long time since the attacks on 9/11/2001; and it seems like yesterday. Thats a trick your mind plays on you with traumatic memories: putting a healing distance between then and now, all the while indelibly imprinting the memory so it always seems fresh; easily recalled as clearly today as when it occurred.In 2001 I was living in Michigan, a business man who worked out of his home office. That morning, I got my coffee and walked down to my office. It was just a few minutes before 9am on a crystal clear autumn morning. My office had a large window, and as I sipped my coffee I looked out at squirrels playing on my lawn.As always, I turned on my computer. Back then, Yahoo was my Homepage. As it booted-up, I glanced over and saw the breaking news banner: A plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.I walked over to the living room and turned on the news. Against the backdrop of a clear blue sky, the live feed from New York City showed the North Tower of the World Trade Center, a huge bloom of smoke pouring from a gigantic rent high on the side of the building.The commentators in the news studio were speculating as to what could have caused a plane to somehow drift off its flight path and into the World Trade Center. They werent sure at that point if it was a small private plane, or a commercial aircraft. At that moment (it was now 9:03am) the second airliner came into view on the screen. A nano-second later, it crashed into the side of the South[...]2014-09-11T02:21:46-07:002014-09-11T02:23:07-07:00barrycjacobsenhttp://wordwarriorsandiego.wordpress.com/2014/09/11/remembering-911-thirteen-years-after/barrycjacobsenhttp://wordwarriorsandiego.wordpress.com/2014/09/11/remembering-911-thirteen-years-after/

(I wrote this on last year's anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. It seems just as timely today, on the 13th anniversary.)

It seems a long time since the attacks on 9/11/2001; and it seems like yesterday. That's a trick your mind plays on you with traumatic memories: putting a healing distance between then and now, all the while indelibly imprinting the memory so it always seems fresh; easily recalled as clearly today as when it occurred.

In 2001 I was living in Michigan, a business man who worked out of his home office. That morning, I got my coffee and walked down to my office. It was just a few minutes before 9am on a crystal clear autumn morning. My office had a large window, and as I sipped my coffee I looked out at squirrels playing on my lawn.

As always, I turned on my computer. Back then, Yahoo was my Homepage. As it booted-up, I glanced over and saw the "breaking news" banner: A plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.

I walked over to the living room and turned on the news. Against the backdrop of a clear blue sky, the live feed from New York City showed the North Tower of the World Trade Center, a huge bloom of smoke pouring from a gigantic rent high on the side of the building.

The commentators in the news studio were speculating as to what could have caused a plane to somehow drift off its flight path and into the World Trade Center. They weren't sure at that point if it was a small private plane, or a commercial aircraft. At that moment (it was now 9:03am) the second airliner came into view on the screen. A nano-second later, it crashed into the side of the South Tower.

I think I said something trite, like "OMFG!"; and sat my coffee down with a shaking hand.

One female commentator asked if something could be badly wrong with the local Air Traffic Control computers; perhaps erroneously vectoring planes into Mid-Town Manhattan. That question was just as quickly quelled by her partner, who stated (correctly) that this must be a deliberate act of terrorism.

At some point after that, people started jumping out of the burning buildings.

I called my wife, who was working at a local hospital; leaving her a message to call me.

At 9:39, the third plane struck the Pentagon.

I think at that point, I must have gone into a altered state of consciousness; a sort of state of shock. I grew weirdly calm, detached, emotionally uninvolved with the disasters unfolding on the television.

Leaving the television on in the background, I decided this was a good day to paint my house.

Now, for those who know me, that is proof enough that I was in shock. I am not the home-fixer-upper type. But that morning, as the Towers collapsed ("Huh, you don't see that every day!") and Jet fighters were scrambled as there were reports of a fourth plane heading toward the Capital, I think my subconscious needed something exceedingly mundane to ground itself in a reality it could process.

I am a veteran of Special Forces, and someone who has faced very difficult and deadly situations before. I don't normally "lose it".

But on that otherwise beautiful September day, Barry had "checked out of the net" (as we used to say on the Teams). Elvis had left the building.

That afternoon and early evening, first my wife and children; then my friends and neighbors gathered at my home. I was relatively calm and still detached, discussing somberly the events unfolding when something happened that broke through my detachment; shattering the barrier my mind was busily erecting to protect me: My wife's father, a happy alcoholic, decided that so many people in one place constituted a party. He put on music, people began to relax and laugh, talking about other things.

For me, it seemed almost sacrilegious to be partying when so many people were dead or dying, when our country had just suffered the greatest attack since Pearl Harbor.

I exploded. I don't lose it very often, but I did that evening. I upbraided my father-in-law and those sharing his merriment: Didn't they understand how inappropriate this was, I scolded?

Before making a complete fool of myself, I walked away. Stepping outside onto my lawn, I stood there in the Michigan evening twilight, and allowed myself to cry.

_______________________________________________________________________

Here is a compilation of news coverage that morning, after the first plane struck but before the second; as they occurred that day.

Here is Bryan Gumbel reporting that morning just after the Pentagon was hit:

  Copyright 9/11/2014 2:21:46 AMhttp://wordwarriorsandiego.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/september-9-11-attacks-anniversary-ground-zero-world-trade-center-pentagon-flight-93-second-airplane-wtc_39997_600x450.jpg?w=584https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSqNTMz7acXb2EJUzwE6noHRETd80cay9_mRY9CZWrzRedrxz9UShane Atwell's BlogReaching Students Through Book ReviewsThis blog doesn't get a lot of traffic, so I pay attention to those posts that do. Most of the all-time favorites are ones that have been featured in other, higher-traffic blogs, like one on Walmart and the DHS that made it onto some kind of right-wing e-mail list and one on collective bargaining that was featured on Mish's site. <a[...]2013-01-22T05:00:00-08:002013-01-22T05:00:11-08:00Shane Atwellhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ShaneAtwellBlog/~3/sc7-1032SMI/reaching-students-through-book-reviews.htmlShane Atwellhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ShaneAtwellBlog/~3/sc7-1032SMI/reaching-students-through-book-reviews.htmlThis blog doesn't get a lot of traffic, so I pay attention to those posts that do. Most of the all-time favorites are ones that have been featured in other, higher-traffic blogs, like one on Walmart and the DHS that made it onto some kind of right-wing e-mail list and one on collective bargaining that was featured on Mish's site.

One post that has gotten consistent readership and strange little spikes (e.g. 260 pageviews this last month despite being two years old) is my review of Ill Fares the Land by Tony Judt. The book is a defense of socialism and was recommended to me by a leftist college (biology) professor. He read it for his professors' book club. No doubt it's assigned reading in many classes around the country. I knew shortly after I published it that it was probably being used by students researching for those assignments. The fact that my, not especially eloquent, review is now reaching the top of my favorites list suggests one small way to reach high school students: writing reviews of leftist books, books likely to be assigned in classes. I doubt the students are finding much criticism of the books from the right, so one could be quite effective in providing arguments and convincing younger readers. Heck, you could have a whole blog devoted to it. Would be a breath of fresh air for the more rational students suffocating in the mustard gas of left-wing propaganda.Copyright 1/22/2013 5:00:00 AMhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/MiamiClassroom.jpg/220px-MiamiClassroom.jpgShane Atwell's BlogIn Search of Where We Went WrongFirst a big thanks to Leslie Eastman, the most link generous blogger I know, fellow SLOB and now frequent contributor to College and Legal Insurrection. She tells a good story and makes a big effort to pull together the thoughts and posts of other bloggers. She's been quoting my e-mails and throwing me links in her posts, which makes me remiss in not posting something new here.WARNING: this post has no conclusion. Its just a description of an intellectual[...]2013-01-14T17:37:00-08:002013-01-16T08:46:01-08:00Shane Atwellhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ShaneAtwellBlog/~3/yloVvmMj-1M/in-search-of-where-we-went-wrong.htmlShane Atwellhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ShaneAtwellBlog/~3/yloVvmMj-1M/in-search-of-where-we-went-wrong.htmlFirst a big thanks to Leslie Eastman, the most link generous blogger I know, fellow SLOB and now frequent contributor to College and Legal Insurrection. She tells a good story and makes a big effort to pull together the thoughts and posts of other bloggers. She's been quoting my e-mails and throwing me links in her posts, which makes me remiss in not posting something new here.

WARNING: this post has no conclusion. Its just a description of an intellectual journey half over. Call it a thematic compendium of book blurbs.

Where did we go wrong? This question has been bothering me for years. We started out with a near perfect system of government, as close as could have been achieved given the knowledge of the founders, a system that protected the individual's right to life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness. Almost 250 years later the system is in taters. Our liberty and is hemmed in on all sides by hundreds of thousands of pages of regulations. Our property is taxed more than a medieval serf's. And our happiness is deemed ok if it is small. But if it is large and conspicuous then "you didn't build that" and don't expect to keep it our pass it to your children. What happiness we have is largely thanks to the productiveness of individuals in earlier, freer times (or in sectors that are lightly regulated). Similarly, what legal protections we have from the state are remnants of an earlier time and wouldn't exist if our professors, politicians and judges had their way.

Why and when did we shift from the individualism of the Declaration of Independence to the collectivism of massive regulations, taxation and the welfare state? This is the question I've been trying to answer and has been a central motivation in my reading choices of the last few months. The answer should be helpful in getting us out of the mess we're in.

For a long time I thought that were were living through the abandonment of our founders' principles. I thought that Atlas Shrugged was prophecy. It might be in its description of the ultimate collapse of civilization. But in its description of the steps to that collapse...it's already happened. Not long ago I read Amity Shlaes The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression. There's not one government edict in Atlas Shrugged that didn't have some parallel in actual law from the 20s and 30s. The attacks on capitalism are there. The smearing of businessmen, there. The tongue-tied inability of most businessmen to defend themselves, there. The assumption that the government should be solving all problems, there. Neifeh and Smith's biography of Jackson Pollack is a fascinating book covering a similar time period. It's an inside look at the rise of irrationality in art and the government's takeover in order to promote welfare programs. (If you like Dostoevski, you'll like this biography.) In other words, Atlas is as much a description of what happened under Hoover and FDR as it is a a description of what's happening under Bush and Obama.

My interest in collective bargaining as well as some recommendations of Alex Epstein lead me to several books covering the late 19th century. I've already reviewed The Trial of the Haymarket Anarchists, describing the anarchist attack on Chicago police in 1886 that was whitewashed out of memory by collectivist authors. More recently I read 1877: Year of Violence by Robert Bruce describing the great railroad strikes and riots of that year. The take home message for me: in almost every violent clash between the strikers/rioters and faithful railroad employees or law enforcement, it was the strikers that first trespassed, first destroyed property, threw the first punch or fired the first shot. The author is sympathetic to the strikers, but provides sufficient detail to see who was standing for justice and who stood for violence and theft. I also read Chernow's biography of John D. Rockefeller Sr. Titan. What comes through in the later two books is that businessmen, industry, and success were already under attack in the 1870s and 1880s. Large businesses are considered "common carriers" with no right to operate as they see fit. During the railroad strikes, mobs ransacked and burnt not only railroad yards, but armories, gun shops, grain elevators and various local, unrelated businesses because they were "monopolists". Most of the nation's newspapers were sympathetic with the strikers. Rockefeller, involved in similar conflicts and controversies all his life, was silent until long after he was retired.

While the extent of the regulations was later dwarfed by the New Deal, the same types of laws existed in the late 19th century. The Sherman (R-OH) Anti-Trust Act was passed in 1890 to break up the somewhat artificial trust organization Rockefeller Oil had adopted to get around state controls concerning corporate ownership. Rockefeller was too successful. Where were the intellectual defenders of laissez-faire, of individualism? They must have existed, but they weren't popular enough to rate a mention in any of the books I've read. There were a couple vocal railroad executives that tried but that's it. I was shocked to see in The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt Roosevelt (who entered politics in 1881) denigrate Thomas Paine, "filthy little atheist," and Thomas Jefferson, a "slippery demagogue".

The battle lines between individualism and collectivism were thus already drawn in the 1880s and the individualists had already lost, at least the intellectual battle if not the political/legal one. Note that the Republicans were already joining Democrats to destroy capitalism. How far back do I have to go to find someone who defends the Constitution and capitalism? The next stop for me was The Inner Civil War: Northern Intellectuals and the Crisis of the Union (H/T Chip Joyce through HBL). Enlightenment individualism and a respect for the rights of man played a large role in the early emancipation movement and civil war, but the entire enterprise was co-opted by nationalists, neo-aristocrats and other collectivists by the end. Much of them sounded like our neo-cons: war builds character, sacrifice, good of the nation, etc. By the end no one was discussing the rights of individual blacks. Of course the more individualistic, states-rights founders were significantly eclipsed (Jefferson especially).

The transcendentalists (Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman) abandoned their "individualism" and embraced nationalism by the end of the war. This is perhaps not surprising because their individualism was more Kantian than Lockean, i.e. more mystical than empirical. They believed in some kind of otherworldly oversoul that we're mere shadows of. Emotions are the key to insight. Very platonic. They got their German philosophy from Carlyle's translations of Kant. All of which means that by the early 19th century the enlightenment, rational defense of individualism and individual rights had already lost in intellectual circles.

Since the Constitution went into effect in 1789 and the Revolutionary generation was around for another couple decades, that leaves only a small window during which their enlightenment principles of individualism were supplanted. Probably between 1810 and 1840. If that is the case, then the culprit might be in the growth of new colleges, the importation of European professors and the education of many American's in Europe. In Europe, Kant's philosophy of unreal particulars and otherworldly forms came to dominate subsequent to the unresolved difficulties faced by the rationalists (e.g. Descartes) and empiricists (e.g. Locke). Kant's Critique of Pure Reason was published in 1781, roughly contemporaneous with the Declaration of Independence.

My journey half over I find that individualism might have been lost in America, at least intellectually, almost as soon as it had been enshrined. The publication of Kant's implicitly collectivist Critique on the morning after the Declaration of Independence would fit an epic retelling of the history of collectivism versus individualism. "This will kill that" said Victor Hugo in another context. I still have much to read to figure out if Kant killed Locke.

Finishing the stroll backwards, I should mention one more book: Independence: The Struggle to Set America Free by John Ferling. I've ready many biographies of the Founders, all of them good, but this has the virtue of covering all the figures so you get a complete picture and can place them relative to one another. It also does a fantastic job explaining the actual issues that motivated the colonists to rebel.

to be continued...Copyright 1/14/2013 5:37:00 PMhttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0MCZ3FJXJJs/UA7zeOEIanI/AAAAAAAAFl8/N6z1g6k5XS0/s320/number-pages-regulations-added-to-federal-register-each-year-1936-2012-projected.pnghttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51tcMlom1eL._SS500_.jpgUnited Networks -News & Wires [federal-government]Opera groups concerned review may see funding cut(21:25 UTC) AuBC: Opera groups concerned review may see funding cut0001-01-01T00:00:00-08:00http://networks.org/?src=abcau:2014-11-21:opera-groups-concerned-federal-government-may-cut-funding:5907846http://networks.org/?src=abcau:2014-11-21:opera-groups-concerned-federal-government-may-cut-funding:5907846(21:25 UTC) AuBC: Opera groups concerned review may see funding cutCopyright United Networks -News & Wires [federal-government]Opera groups concerned Federal Government funding(21:16 UTC) AuBC: Opera groups concerned Federal Government funding0001-01-01T00:00:00-08:00http://networks.org/?src=abcau:2014-11-21:opera-groups-concerned-federal-government-may-cut-funding:5907846http://networks.org/?src=abcau:2014-11-21:opera-groups-concerned-federal-government-may-cut-funding:5907846(21:16 UTC) AuBC: Opera groups concerned Federal Government fundingCopyright Bing News [federal-government]Four words that could deep-six ObamacareAfter it passed in March 2010, it became clear that many states would rely on the federal government to operate them, as the law allows. In 2012, the Internal Revenue Service made the subsidies available in all states. The law's challengers claim they ...2014-11-22T03:05:00Z2014-11-22T03:05:00Zhttp://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=0508a12a6a46433193c793cdd58258a7&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.usatoday.com%2fstory%2fnews%2fpolitics%2f2014%2f11%2f22%2fsupreme-court-obama-health-care%2f19271273%2f&c=kCCOKzxmFES63bAR9emWLk1eH9HzOzmSL7YEIkTv89Y&mkt=en-ushttp://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=0508a12a6a46433193c793cdd58258a7&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.usatoday.com%2fstory%2fnews%2fpolitics%2f2014%2f11%2f22%2fsupreme-court-obama-health-care%2f19271273%2f&c=kCCOKzxmFES63bAR9emWLk1eH9HzOzmSL7YEIkTv89Y&mkt=en-usAfter it passed in March 2010, it became clear that many states would rely on the federal government to operate them, as the law allows. In 2012, the Internal Revenue Service made the subsidies available in all states. The law's challengers claim they ...Copyright Sat, 22 Nov 2014 03:05:00 GMTBing News [federal-government]Reevely: Ontario and Quebec pursue a new Confederation, minus the fedsIf the federal government wont fight climate change by putting a price on greenhouse-gas emissions, Canadas two biggest provinces will do it themselves, the premiers of Ontario and Quebec announced Friday. The agreement was one in a set of deals ...2014-11-21T16:21:00Z2014-11-21T16:21:00Zhttp://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=0508a12a6a46433193c793cdd58258a7&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.windsorstar.com%2fOpinion%2fReevely%2bOntario%2bQuebec%2bpursue%2bConfederation%2bminus%2bfeds%2f10403587%2fstory.html&c=GBaiVBasQE5ySX6yjhcVURYRnxpFU51BmC2eyaxrswk&mkt=en-ushttp://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=0508a12a6a46433193c793cdd58258a7&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.windsorstar.com%2fOpinion%2fReevely%2bOntario%2bQuebec%2bpursue%2bConfederation%2bminus%2bfeds%2f10403587%2fstory.html&c=GBaiVBasQE5ySX6yjhcVURYRnxpFU51BmC2eyaxrswk&mkt=en-usIf the federal government won't fight climate change by putting a price on greenhouse-gas emissions, Canada's two biggest provinces will do it themselves, the premiers of Ontario and Quebec announced Friday. The agreement was one in a set of deals ...Copyright Fri, 21 Nov 2014 16:21:00 GMTCollege Insurrection - Leslie EastmanU. Tennessee Drops the Word Lady from Womens SportsThe University of Tennessee is the next in a long line of institutions rebranding sports teams and mascots.The power-that-be probably did not realize that losing Lady from women's sports team names would stir such controversy.Sports columnist Sally Jenkins of The Washington Post chimes in on the University of Tennessees decision to drop the term lady from all its sports teams except its womens basketball team:At the behest of Nike and Tennessees athletic department, the Lady Vols are being eliminated in place of the resoundingly male Power T for every team except womens basketball, for[...]2014-11-21T23:30:49Z2014-11-21T23:30:49ZLeslie Eastmanhttp://collegeinsurrection.com/2014/11/u-tennessee-drops-the-word-lady-from-womens-sports/Leslie Eastmanhttp://collegeinsurrection.com/2014/11/u-tennessee-drops-the-word-lady-from-womens-sports/
The University of Tennessee is the next in a long line of institutions rebranding sports teams and mascots.

The power-that-be probably did not realize that losing "Lady" from women's sports team names would stir such controversy.

Sports columnist Sally Jenkins of The Washington Post chimes in on the University of Tennessee's decision to drop the term "lady" from all its sports teams except its women's basketball team:

At the behest of Nike and Tennessee's athletic department, the "Lady Vols" are being eliminated in place of the resoundingly male "Power T" for every team except women's basketball, for commercial reasons. The exception is being made out of respect for coach emeritus Pat Summitt, who long opposed this ridiculous move because, as one of the great promoters in sports history, she understands what a mistake it is to confuse "branding" with some lame idea of sameness.

If I'm Knight or any other marketing executive at Nike, I'm beginning to worry that I've made a mistake in defacing the women's sports tradition at Tennessee. And I'm wondering how such a word could be the cause of so much grief and protest. In the two days since Tennessee announced the policy, more than 3,000 people have signed a Change.org petition against it. A whopping 77 percent of respondents to an ESPN SportsNation poll also have voted against it. Knoxville columnist John Adams observed that Athletic Director Dave Hart has provoked so much rage, fans want to run him down with a car. The reason is that, to these legions, "Lady" doesn't connote inferiority but rather its precise opposite.

 Copyright Fri, 21 Nov 2014 23:30:49 +0000College Insurrection - Leslie EastmanFranklin and Marshall student fisks Dartmouth scholars tasteless query to Rick PerryLooking at a piece on Jonathon Gruber and the credentialed class, Dr. Glenn Reynolds noted, Im beginning to feel that Americas educational system hasnt produced the best-possible governing class.Daniel Pellegrino, a student at Franklin and Marshall College, would probably concur with this assessment. He recently reviewed a Dartmouth's scholar's tasteless query to Texas Governor Rick Perry. However, motivated by her passion for freedom and truth, a young revolutionary (read: student) stood up and asked Rick Perry this very well thought out, articulate, and meaningful question:In your campaigns you have received[...]2014-11-21T17:30:49Z2014-11-21T17:30:49ZLeslie Eastmanhttp://collegeinsurrection.com/2014/11/franklin-and-marshall-student-fisks-dartmouth-scholars-tastelss-query-to-rick-perry/Leslie Eastmanhttp://collegeinsurrection.com/2014/11/franklin-and-marshall-student-fisks-dartmouth-scholars-tastelss-query-to-rick-perry/
Looking at a piece on Jonathon Gruber and the credentialed class, Dr. Glenn Reynolds noted, "I'm beginning to feel that America's educational system hasn't produced the best-possible governing class."

Daniel Pellegrino, a student at Franklin and Marshall College, would probably concur with this assessment. He recently reviewed a Dartmouth's "scholar's" tasteless query to Texas Governor Rick Perry.

… However, motivated by her passion for freedom and truth, a young revolutionary (read: student) stood up and asked Rick Perry this very well thought out, articulate, and meaningful question:

In your campaigns you have received hard-money campaign contributions of $102 million, half of which came from 204 donors. Would you have anal sex for $102 million?

The eyes of her fellow Ivy League liberals turned red with rage, waiting to see how the bigot on stage would respond to her clearly intellectual and deserving question. Fortunately for the other members of the audience who would rather not have listened to a sitting governor's opinion on sexual conduct, the questioner was booed out of the spotlight and the audience moved on from her childish interference.

…This student acknowledges that her question was inappropriate, but argues that it is only considered to be so because of the "confines of civil discourse" produced by the powerful. In her eyes, Rick Perry has established a standard of civility that disallows questions such as hers to be asked so that his bigoted and oppressive policies are not put into public question. This view is apparently shared by other activist students at Dartmouth, who distributed a list of even more horribly offensive questions.

Sorry to break it to you, Dartmouth liberals, but these kinds of questions would be considered inappropriate no matter where they were asked and no matter whom was on the receiving end, period. Rick Perry's rejection of gay marriage is not some arbitrary boundary that makes these questions vulgar and inappropriate. They are inherently vulgar and inappropriate.

Any questions that includes phrases like, "Anal sex does not tear at the fabric of your butthole," and, "Jesus liked to play with his own hairy hollow" are inherently vulgar and inappropriate. If a liberal politician with very progressive policies has been at Dartmouth and received any one of these questions, I do not think society would have instantaneously forgotten the basic rules of civility that most Americans were raised with simply because of his or her pro-gay policies.

.. Simply asking the governor straightforwardly about his stance on gay marriage and if that stance has changed would have successfully put his policies into question without being undeniably rude. Civility must not be mistaken for docility.

 Copyright Fri, 21 Nov 2014 17:30:49 +0000