Our Friends The Germans

Home-schooling has been illegal in Germany since Adolf Hitler outlawed it in 1938 and ordered all children to be sent to state schools. The home-schooling community in Germany is tiny. As Hitler knew, Germans tend to obey orders unquestioningly. Only some 500 children are being home-schooled in a country of 80 million. Home-schooling families are prosecuted without mercy.

You would think that a country that would even consider the possibility of incest would be more open to less sinister activities, such as parents seeing to the education of their children personally.
When the left urges that we become more like the Europeans, this is what they mean.
Hat Tip: Stanley Kurtz @ The Corner

Incestuous German Couple

A German brother and sister who have four children together are calling for the country's incest laws to be abolished so that they can continue their sexual relationship.
Patrick Stubing and his sister Susan — who grew up separately — have had three of their children taken into foster care. Two of the children have disabilities although it is not known if these are due to inbreeding or because they were born prematurely.

I'm sure at some point this story rates some serious commentary, but I just can't bring myself to take these freaks, that's right freaks, seriously.

Typical of Germany, 60 years ago you couldn't swing a dead trade unionist without hitting the black steel helmet of an avid, affirmed eugenicist. Today, when some of the more obvious tenets of eugenics might be helpful, there's not one to be found.

UPDATE: The picture above is NOT Larry Bird as a child.

Helen Thomas

Helen Thomas has lost her front seat at White House press briefings. Going forward she will hang from a specially installed perch from the ceiling like the old bat she is. Apologies for the lame rendering.

George W. Bush Closet Green, Gore Still Hypocrite

Here's an interesting story comparing GWB's Crawford Texas home with Al Gore's energy wasteland in Tennessee.

The 4,000-square-foot house is a model of environmental rectitude Geothermal heat pumps located in a central closet circulate water through pipes buried 300 feet deep in the ground where the temperature is a constant 67 degrees; the water heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. Systems such as the one in this "eco-friendly" dwelling use about 25% of the electricity that traditional heating and cooling systems utilize.
A 25,000-gallon underground cistern collects rainwater gathered from roof runs; waste water from sinks, toilets and showers goes into underground purifying tanks and is also funneled into the cistern. The water from the cistern is used to irrigate the landscaping surrounding the four-bedroom home. Plants and flowers native to the high prairie area blend the structure into the surrounding ecosystem.
No, this is not the home of some eccentrically wealthy eco-freak trying to shame his fellow citizens into following the pristineness of his self-righteous example. And no, it is not the wilderness retreat of the Sierra Club or the Natural Resources Defense Council, a haven where tree-huggers plot political strategy. This is President George W. Bush's "Texas White House" outside the small town of Crawford.

The S Word

Add squaw to the words that are no longer considered appropriate in polite company. So much so thar some native American tribes in Idaho want the word stricken from geographic locations throughout the west. I haven't a dog in this fight. In fact I doubt I would ever use the word "squaw" for the rest of my life unless I was playing Scrabble or something. Still, you give people too much power over you if a you allow a word , any word, to bother you. Do like the gay folks do and adopt derogatory words as your own.

Too Late

Bill to Make Anne Frank a Honorary U.S. Citizen:

A US lawmaker has submitted a bill seeking honorary citizenship for Anne Frank, whose family sought in vain to secure refuge in the United States during World War II, his office said Monday.
The draft legislation, which has not drawn a great deal of enthusiasm from the family, was presented by Long Island, New York Democrat Steve Israel.

Yet more feel good, do nothing legislation. The best way to honor Anne Frank is to help refugees who may still be living.

Murder, Suicide in Enfield Connecticut

An 81 year Enfield man killed his two disabled, adult children, his wife and then himself. Apparently he had health problems and was afraid that his elderly wife and disabled children would be a burden to others. The 81 year man, Richard C. Brown, seemed to be a good man, he sat on the boards of at least two advocacy groups for the retarded and was described as very intelligent and a selfless advocate for people with disabilities. What causes a man like that to do something like this? Depression, hopelessness, all or nothing thinking???? I don't know a thing about Brown other than what I've read in the paper, but I feel for the man and his murdered family. I know, feeling for him does him a great deal of good at this point doesn't it?
When I was in college I would interview with anybody that would meet with me on campus. I had three interviews with a prominent local life insurance company whose owner told me a story about one his recent sales.
There was this couple that were working themselves to death. The husband and father had three jobs and the mother had two. The were busting their asses to keep their adult, mentally retarded daughter in this private care facility where she was thriving. This couple was in their fifties and could afford the home while they were working, but were scrambling for when they could no longer work multiple jobs because they didn't want her stashed in a state home. The insurance guy sold them policy that from that moment forward would take care of the daughter no matter what and the couple no longer needed to work additional jobs. He said both of them were in tears at the signing because they felt like the weight of the world was taken from their shoulders. Too bad there was no such magic policy for the Brown family.

Hypocrisy Defined

The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh—more than 20 times the national average.

There must be some mistake, Al Gore just won an Academy Award for a film all about global warming.
Hat Tip: Instapundit

Separated at Birth

Melissa Etheridge above, right and Colin Quinn below.

Gag Me With A Ginsu!

Hypocrisy is pandemic in Hollywood. While airing a wholly unnecessary and colossal waste of time and resources the "in crowd" on the left coast extolled the virtues of green living. I would wager that you could run a small city for a year with the energy consumed by the broadcasting of the Academy Awards. If these people really believe that global warming is the biggest threat to life on earth, they seem to be doing everything they can to hasten our demise. Only a Hollywood intellectual would consider adding a Prius to your other five cars in your six car garage of your 20,000 square foot ocean front home an environmentally friendly thing to do.

Strom Thurmond and Al Sharpton

A genealogist has discovered that Al Sharpton's great grandfather, Coleman Sharpton, was a slave owned by Julia Thurmond, whose grandfather was Strom Thurmond's great-great-grandfather. Sharpton, as you might imagine, was a bit plussed by this revelation. Speaking on behalf of the Thurmond clan, Strom Thurmond's niece Ellen Senter said:

"I doubt you can find many native South Carolinians today whose family, if you traced them back far enough, didn't own slaves. And it is wonderful that (Sharpton) was able to become what he is in spite of what his forefather was."

The first part of the quote is probably wrong but understandable. Most people when confronted with the probability that their ancestors owed slaves would seek solace in the "everyone was doing it" dodge.
I find the second part of the quote curious. Either Senter is 100% unaware of who and what Sharpton is, or she's very adept at the art of genteel harpoonery.

Is Southern Thailand Going the Way of Waziristan?

One of my very favorite blogs, The Belmont Club, looks at the deteriorating situation in southern Thailand. go here

Hey! Who turned off the gravity?

All I was doing was trying to catch some z's and then SOMEONE thought he was being funny.

Primates With Spears

This fascinating Yahoo News story about female Chimps in Tanzania using spears to hunt bush babies got me thinking about hunting Javelina in Mexico. Basically, you roam around the desert on a fighting horse, Andalusian or Lusitano, looking for these delicious little pigs to spear or shoot. I've never done it but I think it would be a blast. Cold Steel even makes real boar spears for exactly this purpose in case you were wondering where a modern person would find such an archaic device.

Movie Review: Breach

Breach is a C+ film, decent story, kinda slow, but worth it for Chris Cooper's performance, which was outstanding, as always. Ryan Phillipe, on the other hand, was painful to behold. He just doesn't have the chops or the gravitas for this sort of film. Think Keanu Reeves only not funny even in an ironic sort of way.
The story is about FBI spy Robert Hannsen who was probably the most destructive spy in American history and how the FBI took him down. Well done on the whole, interesting Roman Catholic theme running throughout which could have been much worse, but the film makers treated the subject more or less earnestly and with some humor. I'd love to see this movie again with Phillipe replaced by almost anybody, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Simon Baker, Elmo, that Speedy kid from the Alka Seltzer commercials.

Tom Brady Becomes A Dad

Tom Brady is excited about becoming a father. Good for him. I hate to sound like a prude, but I am a bit disappointed. If it wasn't a great idea nearly twenty years ago for Murphy Brown to go it alone as a parent, I think it's only fair that Tom Brady be held to the same standard.
Brady is good guy and I doubt he'll stiff his kid on child support, but that's not quite the same thing as being a full time dad is it? Someday he'll have to explain to his kid that jetting around with a super model was more important to him than being married to his/her mother.

I Hate To Nit Pick But....

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Parents were challenging a new policy that allows students with louse eggs in their hair to stay in school instead of staying home until they are nit-free.
The Monroe Community Schools policy, instituted in January, asserts nits are not contagious and that students have been missing far too much school because of them. Records show 178 students missed at least one day because of lice in 2005, said Mike Shipman, director of operations and assessments for the district.

Please, some common sense here. Once an infestation starts it is nearly impossible to eradicate if new infection vectors are continually re-introduced, i.e. kids with cooties. Keep them home until they are no longer lousy.

UPDATE:

I guess even the rich and famous get lice too.

Shrove Tuesday

Are you shriven?

Masters of The Air

I just finished reading Donald L. Miller's Masters of The Air, a history of the Mighty Eighth Air Force from 1942-1945. What a good read. If you have interest in the subject, I highly recommend it. I have a passing familiarity with the subject as my father was a waist gunner in a B-24 in the Eighth Air Force, 2nd Division, 489th Squadron out of East Anglia, but I was surprised by many of the lesser know historical aspects of the air war:

• Switzerland although officially neutral kept American POWs in horrid conditions while allowing the Luftwaffe to use their airspace and resorts like Davos.


• The casualty rate among the Eighth Air Force exceeded that of the USMC, USA, etc., everyone except submariners in the Pacific.


• Black American airmen on separate occasions revolted in England killing military policemen in armed mutiny.


• The original concept behind precision daylight bombing and the "Flying Fortress" were deeply, deeply flawed. If something similar happened today some generals would get flayed alive.

Two things occurred to me while reading this book. The first thing is that if we had the press we have today back in 1942, Adolph Hitler would still be presiding over the Third Reich. The second thing is that we tend to view WWII as the last "clean war", where the powers of good and right fought the powers of oppression and darkness. While I believe our cause in WWII to be just, there was nothing clean about the deaths tens of thousands of people, at or from 30,000 feet. The men who conducted the air war fought and died in miserable conditions while bending over backwards to avoid civilian casualties, for the most part. When the Americans decided to target civilian areas, many airmen had difficulty dealing with the morality of bombing non-combatants, but they did it anyway. It was nasty, difficult business.

Talk About Baggage

WASHINGTON - If Hillary Rodham Clinton wins the presidency, some top democrats would like to see her husband, former President Bill Clinton, appointed to serve out Hillary’s unexpired Senate term.

I doubt that this is a positive thing for HRC, all things considered. As the campaign progresses every bimbo, every questionable pardon and every other peccadillo of the Clinton years will saturate every media outlet. This may have happened anyway, but now with Bill in the mix no one can cry foul, but they will anyway.

Happy New Year!

Trouble, indeed catastrophe is predicted!

Nothing Better To Do In North Dakota

The North Dakota state legislature rejected a bill honoring U2's omnipresent front man and social justice gadfly, Bono. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Scot Kelsh who evidently has solved every problem in North Dakota prior to embarking on this Quixotic quest. Kelsh is, of course, a democrat whose affinity for meaningless, feel good, photo op legislation knows no bounds.

I like Bono and I am impressed how he uses his celebrity. On a scale of one to ten, where one is a Michael Jackson who uses his fame to lure boys to his petting zoo and ten is West Hartford's own Manute Bol, who went broke helping his native Sudan, Bono has got to be a nine. I'd suggest to Bono that unhindered free trade would do far more for poor countries than any amount of debt relief, but his intentions, if not his economics, are well placed.

UPDATE:

8900 people in North Dakota attempt to break the snow angel record. FYI that's almost 1.4 % of it's entire population, you have to admire that amount of unity.

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage is a fine actor who just happens to be in one big budget crapfest after the next. He's been in over fifty movies with stinkers outnumbering decent flicks nearly three to one. For every Leaving Las Vegas there's a Gone in 60 Seconds, a Captains Corelli's Mandolin and a shuddddddeeeer - The Wicker Man. What the hell gives? Does he have the worst manager in the world or does he do films for friends knowing that they might suck? Compare him to somebody like Tobey Maguire, who is an okay actor but not quite in the same league as Cage. Maguire has been in one decent film after the next, with a few exceptions, and has parleyed his modicum of talent into some big time films: Spiderman, Cider House Rules, Ride With The Devil, Pleasantville. Maguire is no Tom Wilkinson, but he seems to choose his films to match his abilities. Cage would do well to emulate him.

UPDATE:

Some reviews are in for Ghost Rider and guess what? It sucks! Big shocker, that, all things considered.

UPDATE II:

I guess it more than sucks, it may be the worst movie since The Mirror Has Two Faces - Both belonging to Barbara Streisand.

Connie Mack Slams Joe Kennedy Over Joe-4-Oil

Republican congressman Connie Mack of Florida has harshly criticized pumpkin head Joe Kennedy, Socialist Massachusetts, over the Joe-4-Oil program:

What, exactly, is the financial arrangement between your organization and Hugo Chavez? How much money is being spent on your pro-Chavez advertising? Why are you using that money to promote the most dangerous man in the Western hemisphere instead of using it to help improve the lives of the very people you purport to care so much about?
You know as well as I do that Hugo Chavez is destroying hope and opportunity in Venezuela. He’s snuffed out basic freedoms, including the freedom of dissent, speech and press. He’s formed alliances with Cuba, Iran, North Korea and others who seek to destroy the American way of life. He’s engaging in a massive military build-up that far exceeds any legitimate defensive needs, and he has made it clear time and time again that he views America as his enemy.

Illegal Aliens May Pay In-State Tuition

The Hartford Courant reports that there is a bill before the Connecticut State Legislature to allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at the state's universities and colleges. Of course The Courant doesn't use the term "illegal alien", preferring the new speak term "undocumented immigrant".
From what I can tell the impetus behind this robbing of Peter so Pedro can go to school is that there are some hardworking, deserving students who can't afford out-of-state tuition. No shit. The world is full of them. My wife is the child of immigrants and alumna of UConn. Under this proposal she would have been better off if her parents had snuck across the border instead of going through the trouble of becoming citizens.
Let's assume that in Ohio somewhere there is a smart, hardworking student who wants to study at UConn whose parents were born in Belize and became citizens. Why should this kid be forced to pay higher tuition when illegal immigrants get off cheap?

U2 in Church

The Church of England is using U2 music in it's liturgy in what can only be described as a desperate attempt to remain relevant. While I love U2, I think the COE would do well to can the whole church thing and just become a big Gothic looking social club where they can play nifty tunes, discuss global warming, poverty, fashion and how horrible Western Civilization has been for the world. That way they can finally avoid proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, which always seemed to embarrass them.

Abraham Lincoln 1809-1965

Abraham Lincoln 16th and greatest American President was born today February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville Kentucky.

Fellow-citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this Congress and this administration, will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation. We say we are for the Union. The world will not forget that we say this. We know how to save the Union. The world knows we do know how to save it.We -- even we here -- hold the power, and bear the responsibility. In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free -- honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just -- a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless.

Greg's The Unspeakable Truth, Inter Alia

As you may gather, I spend some time on the Internet when awake and not bathing or driving. Check out these nifty web sites I have discovered:
Gregs' Unspeakable Truth A humorous look at things not often said in polite company.
The Daily Gut Humor from a non-lefty perspective.
The Futility Closet Nifty stuff like limnic eruptions, mummies, etc. the sort of stuff I would write about only better.

Operation Baghdad, Day 2.

If you’re not reading Iraq the Model, you should.

This is from a post Omar published Wednesday:

Last night continued to be quiet for the most part and nothing indicated that the operation in Azamiyah faced resistance.

I woke up late this morning and again it was very quiet. I asked Mohammed if there was anything going on and the answer was negative.
An hour later two of our friends came by and asked if we'd like to go out for lunch, and off we went.

We drove for about half an hour across eastern Baghdad and there was nothing unusual; just the same checkpoints we've been seeing for the past week or so and traffic was more than normal more or less...

read more

"Rape Only Hurts If You Fight It" by John Petroski

Some doofus at Central Connecticut State University wrote a satirical article in the campus newspaper entitled "Rape Only Hurts If You Fight It." Needless to say, those who have had first hand experience with the subject, among many, many others, are not amused. While WMTN has rich and colorful history of poking fun at the humorless, we can't help but agree that this article more than probably exceeded the bounds of good taste and could easily be extremely offensive to reasonable people. Therefor, we join the rising chorus of those clamoring for shit hammering said doofus, John Petroski.
To this hapless doofus, whose head will no doubt soon adorn a pike on the parapet of CCSU, at least figuratively, we would suggest that he wise the fuck up. Read the original article here and see if you don't agree. We doubt that Mr. Petroski's mother, grandmother, sisters, aunts, cousins, nieces are proud of his bold satyric stand. Oddly enough, we here at WMTN thank the hapless doofus, John Petroski for getting us out of our little shell of a world and into the camp of the local NOW chapter who have so justly condemned this contemptible piece of bird cage liner. It feels good to leave the reservation every once in awhile, if only for this one issue.

Life in Prison

A 13 year kid was arrested for shooting a girl in the head with a "pellet gun" at a bus stop:

The boy was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon, reckless endangerment, risk of injury and breach of peace, he said. "Our intent is to take him to juvenile detention," Smith said.

Book him Danno! While the kid is probably a pain in the ass and his stunt unwelcome, can we try to keep some perspective here? He shot the girl with an Airsoft Pellet Gun which is basically a toy that shoots little rubber pellets. To criminalize every stupid thing a kid might do just makes law enforcement seem stupid and capricious. Give the kid a .22 rifle and force him to shoot rats at the town dump 3 hours a day, everyday, until he gets tired of it, if he ever gets tired of it, and see if that makes him a better citizen. I know it worked for me.

Bizarre Love Triangle In Space and Diapers

Don't worry I'm not gonna write a whole post on that poor crazy Astronaut lady. Instead I'll try to imagine some of the more inevitable headlines:

• AstroNUT!
• CosmoNut!
• NUTnik!
• AstroNOT!
• The Wrong Stuff?
• $23 Billion Spent and This Is The Most Excitement Since Sputnik!
• Houston, We have Some Problems!
• Astro-better-not Steal My Man!
• One step for a man, one giant drive in a piss sodden diaper
• Love Sick Space Gal Depends on Depends!
• Tranquility Base? Tranquility Base? Tranquility NOW! TRANQUILTY NOW!

I must admit, the only thing I find curious is that she had rubber tubing with her and only a four inch knife. If you're going to dismember a live person while using the rubber tubing to prevent them from bleeding out, wouldn't you want a bigger blade? I know I would. I kid of course.

1st Lieutenant Ehren Watada

Ehren Watada refused to go to Iraq because he believes the war is illegal. He could have been a weasel and claimed conscientious objector status but refused to. He says he's willing to fight in Afghanistan. Now he's being court martialed for missing troop movement and conduct unbecoming an officer, if convicted he could face four years in prison.

The bottom line is this: when you receive a direct order you either obey it or face the consequences. Watada refused to lead his men to war, regardless of his beliefs or reasons, this is a crime. He then criticized the war and the President. When you are an officer you forgo the absolute constitutional right to free speech we civilians enjoy. For example, you can't call the president a war criminal and verbally exhort other service members to join you in refusing to fight. Watada has already stipulated that quotes of him saying exactly such things are accurate. This also is a crime, conduct unbecoming an officer.

In my opinion, Watada should be sentenced to four years in prison, then tossed out of the Army. If he walks into his court martial, says his peace and stands for the consequences, I'll forever disagree with him, but would be forced to admire him. Our crapweasels in the Senate should watch and learn.

Vote on Iraq

I am saddened, saddened and deeply concerned about a potential toothless vote in the Senate vis-à-vis the situation in Iraq. I joke of course, only Tom Daschle and/or a capon speaks in terms of being saddened and concerned. A better description would be disgusted and enraged at the poltroonery on display in Washington. No matter where you stand on the war, have the balls to risk your lousy political career for your convictions - it's the least you can do considering that good men are dying nearly everyday in a cause you either support or view as futile.

It's no secret that I support the war. If you oppose it, do everything you can to end it. Vote down continued funding, go on a hunger strike, pour honey on yourself and roll in a fire ant nest, whatever it takes, but don't posture. The only people who will benefit from what amounts to a "no confidence" vote are the insurgents and their supporters. True, a few weasely pols might be able to glide down both sides of the street back into office, but do we need men/women like this in government?

Mother-In-Law's Art Website

Check it out, pick up a painting or two.

Hip Hop Parties

I find the hullabaloo over Hip Hop Parties amusing. For those of you with better things to think and do, Hip Hop Parties have occurred in colleges across the country where white kids dress up as Hip Hop gangstas and drink malt liquor out of a paper bag. Some even go in black face and pad their asses. Needless to say this has caused those in the professional hand wringing class to get gigantic knots in their gigantic shorts. While some claim that these parties are not much different than toga parties others claim that they perpetuate negative stereotypes and may be dangerous:

"We once lynched African-Americans as good fun and humor," said Lonnie Randolph, president of the South Carolina chapter of the NAACP.

Clemson President James Barker said he was "appalled, angered and disappointed" by the party.

"If you don't understand why this is harmful to the community, then you need to start asking questions and learn," Kurt Strasser, the interim dean of the UConn School of Law.

Please. While I think these parties are stupid and in extremely poor taste, I hardly think they are the sign of anything other than puerile imitation. Personally I'd be pleased as punch if Black kids dressed in Blucher mocs, oxford shirts and rag wool sweaters, drank Genesee Cream Ale until their teeth floated while watching The Magnificent Seven.