Dress Code

I'm still busier than a one-armed paper hanger in an ass-kicking contest (or whatever that saying is), but I did want to vent about a couple of things in the recently released House Select Committee on Benghazi report. There's plenty in there to get upset about, especially since the end result of all the bungling, incompetence, and CYA crap was four dead Americans. But what really caught my eye were two things.

First, there appears to have been a tug of war between State and Defense over how the 'rescue forces' should dress.

The report highlights the military's failure to carry out Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's order to deploy forces to Benghazi and the lengthy delay that prevented the military assets from arriving at the embassy in Tripoli until 2 p.m. the day after the Benghazi attack. 

"What was disturbing from the evidence the Committee found was that at the time of the final lethal attack at the Annex, no asset ordered deployed by the Secretary had even left the ground," the report states. 

Previous accounts blamed the "tyranny of time and distance" plus the failure to have airplanes ready for the significant delay in moving military assets. But the report states conflicting orders from State Department and Pentagon officials over whether Marines should wear military uniforms or civilian attire also played a role. (emphasis added)

In a newly revealed two-hour secure video conference on the night of the attacks led by White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and attended by Clinton and others, State Department officials raised concerns about the diplomatic sensitivities of the attire to be worn by assets launched.

Really? People are dying and the Foggy Bottom boys (and girls) are worried "diplomatic sensitivities"? Let's put them in a position where they're getting shot at and see if they care what the rescue team is wearing.

According to one commander, the report states, as forces prepared to deploy, "during the course of three hours, he and his Marines changed in and out of their uniforms four times." (emphasis added)

GMAFB.

Another thing which raised my hackles was this tidbit.

The report also finds that then-Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral James Winnefeld, did not participate in the secure call because "he had left to return to his residence to host a dinner party for foreign dignitaries." He received one update during the dinner on the attacks.

If true, and if there isn't a damn good reason behind his failure to participate, then his military career needs to come to a schreeching halt. I wasn't there, I don't know all the details, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, but it just sounds wrong.

Of course, barry and hillary screwed the pooch seven ways from Sunday on this one, but it sure looks like there's plenty of other blame to go around. Regardless of how much ineptness is at the top of the food chain, people need to figure out some way to do their job - or find another one.

I'm so disgusted by everyone involved I need to stop typing now before I blow a gasket...

Wordless Wednesday - 2016.06.29

It's the dog days of summer...

Offensive Post - Follow Up

Following up on yesterday's post regarding the perpetually offended class - and especially those spineless wimps who think they need a 'safe space - here's some advice. Man up, put on your big boy undies, and grow a pair.

Offensive Post

I'm going to be busy for the next several days. Expect lots of pictures and very few words.

This first batch is dedicated to all the whiny little twerps out there who are perpetually offended by ... something ... I have no idea what.

To all you who take offense at this - bite me!

 

Sunday Funnies 2016.06.26

It officially became summer this week (Monday, June 20 was the Summer Solstice).

I was lounging by the pool the other day when I noticed that my sun screen was better than what the old lady next to me was using. But I didn't say anything.

I didn't want to rub it in.

 * * * * * *

X Factor: The original Roman sun cream.

  * * * * * *

I applied for a job at a sun cream factory. I wasn't hired, but I'm going to reapply.

 * * * * * *

Two psychics meet on the street. One says “it sure is hot this summer”.

The other says, “Yes, it reminds me of the summer of 2019″.

 * * * * * *
“With school out, teens are looking for jobs, things like lifeguards. But L.A. public pools do not have lifeguards. We have life coaches. If they see you struggling in the water, they say, ‘Are you happy with the decisions you’re making?’ Then they give you a pamphlet for a yoga studio.” – Craig Ferguson

  * * * * * *

When summer comes, a lot of parents pack up their troubles. Then they send them off to summer camp.

 * * * * * * 
The NBA finals are over. But the players still can't go on vacation.

They’ll get called for traveling.

 * * * * * *
Several slices of bread went on summer vacation. They didn't do anything special. They just loafed around.

 * * * * * *
Charles: Why did Humpty Dumpty have a great fall?
Ray: Why?
Charles: To make up for his miserable summer.

Under The Radar

Most of yesterday's news was focused on the Brexit vote - Britain's decision to leave the European Union.

The stunning vote, 52 percent to 48 percent, plunged world financial markets into turmoil, the political consequences for the prime minister of Britain were swift, and the people around the globe reacted with shock and confusion.

FWIW, I heartily applaud the outcome. Anytime a populace can shed one layer of corrupt and inept politicians, along with the accompanying regulatory and bureaucratic overkill, indifference, and incompetence, well, that's a good thing.

It also shows that the 'silent majority' is alive and well, and is 'mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.' That may have implications for our own election come November.

But while Brexit hogged most of the headlines and airtime, several other noteworthy stories snuck under the radar. Just in case you missed them:

Senate gun compromise survives first test vote

The Senate voted Thursday to allow further consideration of bipartisan legislation banning gun sales to people on the terrorism "no-fly" list.

Senate Republicans could have killed the measure, but several sided with Democrats in allowing it to go forward.

No doubt the crybabies and spoiled brats who participated in the House sit-in protesting lack of action are pleased.

The premise - that someone who is considered too dangerous to board a commercial flight should be denied the right to buy a firearm - is hard to argue with. But, as always, the devil is in the details.

No Fly, No Buy? No Way

The problem with No Fly-No Buy is the foundation upon which the law would be based. The No Fly List is riddled with problems, from its secrecy (a violation of the Privacy Act), to its over-inclusiveness – the late Sen. Edward Kennedy was on the list at one point. The liberal lion even spoke out against the list, worried that the rights of non-senators could very easily be violated.

IMO Teddy should have been labeled a terrorist. After all, he killed Mary Jo Kopechne and then tried to cover up his culpability. But that doesn't negate the fact that the list is basically a form of 'guilty until proven innocent,' which is a gross perversion of our country's legal foundation.

In a delicious bit of irony, a muslim terrorist group spoke out against the proposed gun control legislation.

CAIR blasts Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act: ‘Mandela himself’ was on watch list

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has issued a statement blasting legislation proposed Tuesday that would keep suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms, saying it lacks due process and unfairly targets Muslims.

“We oppose the Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act of 2016 because it appears to limit the ban on firearms purchases to American Muslims..."

Funny, that's not how I read the bill. I guess CAIR, like most of us, is having a difficult time distinguishing terrorists and muslims.

But they do have a point regarding the secrecy and appeals process. And, as they point out, in addition to Teddy Kennedy, another famous person was on the list.

“Nelson Mandela, then former South African president, Nobel Prize winner and anti-Apartheid leader was on a U.S. terrorism watch list until 2008,” the group said. “Mandela himself needed special State Department clearance to visit the United States in 2008".

It seems like a simple process. Fix the list first, then worry about 'No Fly, No Buy.' But I guess that's too complicated for liberals. So here's a proposal they might understand.

Just to be clear, here's my position.

In other news, Clinton failed to hand over key email to State Department.

Former Secretary Hillary Clinton failed to turn over a copy of a key message involving problems caused by her use of a private homebrew email server, the State Department confirmed Thursday. The disclosure makes it unclear what other work-related emails may have been deleted by the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Speaking of Hillary:

Clinton’s State Dept. calendar missing scores of entries

An Associated Press review of the official calendar Hillary Clinton kept as secretary of state identified at least 75 meetings with longtime political donors, Clinton Foundation contributors and corporate and other outside interests that were not recorded or omitted the names of those she met.

The fuller details of those meetings were included in files the State Department turned over to the AP after it sued the government in federal court.

Expect nothing but yawns from the left and the media on those stories. After all, Hillary can do no wrong in their eyes.

While hillary does the political version of rope-a-dope, her partner in crime continues to treat the U.S. Constitution as an afterthought.

Obama: I'm Still Not Enforcing Immigration Law, No Matter What The Court Says

President Barack Obama said Thursday that despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s tie vote, which essentially blocks his immigration plan, the millions of illegal immigrants that he sought to make legal with his executive action will remain a low priority for deportation by his administration.

“Enforcement priorities developed by my administration are not affected by this ruling.”

Translation: “I am above the law. I can do whatever I want, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop me.”

Asshole…

Meanwhile, in Baltimore:

Freddie Gray verdict: Baltimore officer who drove van not guilty on all charges

Baltimore police officer Caesar Goodson, who drove the van in which Freddie Gray was fatally injured, was found not guilty Thursday on all charges, including the most serious count of second-degree depraved-heart murder.

… the state has failed to secure a single conviction following three high-profile trials.

Four other officers await trial, but legal experts are now questioning whether those cases will hold up.

"It does not bode well for prosecution," CNN legal analyst Danny Cevallos said.

I'm sure the Black Lives Matter clowns are beside themselves over that, but frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

Remember, folks, a magician distracts you with one hand while tricking you with the other. So keep asking yourself "What are they really up to?"

From The Horse's Mouth

The Evil Black Rifle speaks:

Hi, my name is AR-15. Some of you know me, but many more of you know of me -- through the media. But you may not know the real me.

I’m that cool, sleek-looking black gun you’ve seen profiled by the press. They put me in newspapers and on TV, showing my picture as if it’s a mug shot, even though I’ve never committed a crime. Oh, bad people have at times used (and abused) me to do bad things, but not really that often; as even The New York Times admitted in 2014, firearms such as me -- which that paper and others call “assault weapons” -- are only used in two percent of gun crimes (most are perpetrated with handguns).

... The public knows my appearance well; people have seen my cousin and dead ringer, M-16, fired machine-gun style in war movies for decades. But, alas, I, AR-15 -- the weapon available to the public -- can only be fired semi-automatic. This means that every time you pull my trigger, one shot, and only one shot, is released.

So even if we accept the term “assault weapon,” that’s not me. To qualify, a gun must be capable of fully automatic fire (machine-gun style), and no such weapons are readily available to the public. So unlike cousin M-16, who originally had a select-fire feature allowing him to be shot in various ways, I’m just a one-trick pony.

Despite this, I’ve become a media whipping boy. Even when those rare crimes are committed in which a gun of my class is used, but which don’t involve me personally — such as the horrific Orlando incident, where Muslim terrorist Omar Mateen used a Sig Sauer MCX — my face is front and center.  In fact, that’s what finally inspired me to speak out, articles such as this outrageous one from Daily News writer Gersh Kuntzman. Reporting on how he tried me at a Philly gun range, he actually wrote:

The recoil bruised my shoulder, which can happen if you don't know what you're doing. The brass shell casings disoriented me as they flew past my face. The smell of sulfur and destruction made me sick. The explosions -- loud like a bomb -- gave me a temporary form of PTSD. For at least an hour after firing the gun just a few times, I was anxious and irritable.

None of the above is true; I know because I was there. Oh, in my younger and more impetuous days, I would’ve gotten a thrill out of being portrayed as such a macho guy. But the Truth will set you free (something the propagandizing Mr. Kuntzman should ponder).

And the truth is that I never bruised Mr. Kuntzman. One thing I can rightly puff up my chest over is that I have very little recoil because I’m high-tech -- my mechanism is designed to absorb much of the energy of the blast. And you don’t have to take my word for it. ... Below is a video of a seven-year-old girl trying me for the first time (forward to 2:55 if you want to see just the actual firing).

Did the little lass say “Ow!” or register discomfort in any way? Did she rub her shoulder? A 12-gauge shotgun loaded with buckshot could have knocked that little tyke on her kiester, but me? Also know that Kuntzman fired me only three times before bowing out, grousing that I was a “dangerous weapon.” And that fact, my friends, comes from Frank Stelmach, who was quoted by Kuntzman and who owns the gun range the journalist visited...

And by the by, Stelmach said that Kuntzman never mentioned anything about his shoulder or expressed that he was experiencing any kind of discomfort. Stelmach also called the notion that an ultra-low-recoil weapon such as me could bruise a grown man’s shoulder “nonsense.”

As for my “explosions” being “loud like a bomb,” well, I can belt out a song, but not like some other firearms. And no wonder. I fire the .223 cartridge, a small-caliber round the same diameter as a .22 (yes, .22s are those cute little rounds you put in your Marlin as a kid). Of course, my round is a lot more powerful than a .22 (in your face, Marlin!), but just take a look at these “killing power” rankings of rifle rounds. It’s hard to admit, but my small .223 has the second least power of the 41 cartridges listed...

Of course, then there are my magazines; for the Kuntzmans of the world, no, those aren’t things you read that usually contain liberal propaganda. They’re objects loaded with cartridges that, assuming they’re removable, you then insert into firearms. It’s true that high-capacity magazines are available for me. But criminals would always get them on the black market; moreover, with just a bit of effort, any gun’s removable magazine can be modified to hold a large number of rounds. So why am I singled out?

The answer is simple: my looks -- and others’ prejudices. Take a gander at me below:

Am I not a sharp-looking guy? Black is beautiful!

But it’s also seen as “menacing,” especially by liberals in the media. Face it, since I’m functionally no different from other legal firearms -- semi-automatic just as most guns sold in America are -- I can only conclude that I’m profiled as dangerous because of my sleek military-like appearance and my color. If I looked like those much more powerful hunting rifles, would you really be troubling over me?

... this is standard liberal style over substance...

It’s enough to make me want to shoot myself.

All In The Family

The recent shooting in Orlando has dominated the headlines for days now. Slipping under the radar was this bit of news.

56 Shot, 13 Killed During Father’s Day Weekend in Chicago

According to the Chicago Tribune, “The city recorded its 300th homicide this weekend and went on to record six others over a 60-hour period that saw 56 people shot, 13 fatally, from Friday afternoon through early Monday morning.” From Friday into Saturday alone, five people were killed and another nine were wounded.

This brings the number shot in Chicago to “about 1,800 people” year-t0-date, the Tribune reports.

Surely strict gun control laws would help reduce the violence, right?

Oh, wait...

Chicago has an “assault weapons” ban, a “violence tax,” and stringent limits on the number of gun stores allowed, as well as limits on the locations of those stores.

Gosh, maybe something else is causing all those shootings.

Perhaps it's the weather.

One Chicago criminologist, Dr. David E. Olsen, a professor at Loyola University, suggested the trend may have to do with continued warm weather patterns.

Or maybe it's the economy.

"I think it's got something to do with economics..."  

Most residents say communities continue to suffer from an economy that is nowhere strong enough to keep at-risk youths from looking for financial support in the wrong places.

Or drugs.

"All of the violence is rooted in the illegal drug economy" ... "Many guys have allowed their economic desperation to cause them to resort to these measures. The economy is terrible, especially in African-American neighborhoods."

And let's not forget police brutality.

... the recent police scandal and cover-up involving the Laquan McDonald shooting has almost certainly contributed to the spike in the numbers.

The solution? The Chosen One - barack hussein obama - of course.

(Community pastor Ira) Acree says the violence is the worst he's seen since the 1990s, and he'd like to see a state of emergency declared for wide areas of the city by President Barack Obama, who called Chicago home for so many years.

From where I sit the cause is pretty simple. Go back to Daniel Patrick Moynihan's 1965 study titled “The Negro Family: The Case for National Action.” (Please don't fall into the knee-jerk reaction of deeming it racist because of the term "Negro." That was commonly accepted back when the report was written.)

Moynihan argued that the breakdown in family structure, exemplified by the number of single parent families, had profound social consequences.

Some 40 percent of children raised by single mothers are living in poverty, according to the Census Bureau, while roughly 8 percent of children raised by married parents are poor...

Children who grow up in single-parent families are significantly more likely to exhibit behavioral problems, to drop out of school, to experience mental-health problems, to attempt suicide, and to be out of the workforce as young adults...

The family is the core character-forming institution of every human society. It is the source of the most basic order, structure, discipline, support, and loving guidance that every human being requires. It is essential to human flourishing, and its weakening puts at risk the very possibility of a society worthy of the name. It is hard to imagine how any of the social problems that take up the time and efforts of policymakers—problems of economic mobility, educational attainment, employment, inequality, and on and on—could be seriously mitigated without some significant reversal of the trends in family breakdown. These are ultimately human problems, problems of the soul, at least as much as they are economic and social problems. And the first step toward seriously taking them on must be a reinvigoration of our commitment to the family.

This is not to say that all children in single-parent families are doomed. Nor is it a condemnation of those single parents who heroically battle to raise their kids under truly daunting conditions. But it is safe to say that if the traditional family structure becomes undone, "then our society, and most especially its most vulnerable members, would be profoundly endangered."

This, IMO, is where Chicago is today ... along with Detroit, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and many other locales.

And no amount of gun control is going to fix that...

Wordless Wednesday 2016.06.22

Cleaning out the in-box...

I lived in Houston for almost 20 years. This is the best description of it I've ever heard.

Who needs a "No Trespassing" sign?

Save the Earth!

Punday

I hope your Father's Day was as good as mine. In fact, mine was so good that I've got nothing worthwhile for today, so I'm going to subject you to a few puns. According to no less an authority than Alfred Hitchcock, "Puns are the highest form of literature." So enjoy...

Sunday Funnies 2016.06.19

Happy Father's Day to all you Dads out there!

Q: What did daddy spider say to baby spider?
A: You spend too much time on the web.

Father’s Day has become way too commercial.

We’ve all forgotten the true meaning of walking from room to room tut-tutting and turning off lights.

Being a great father is like shaving.

No matter how good you shaved today, you have to do it again tomorrow.

Fathers Day - when you get that lethal combination of alcohol and new power tools.

Father - A banker provided by nature.

My dad's idea of planning for the future was to buy two cases of beer instead of one.

My wife is in a really bad mood today.

Just because I got more Father’s Day cards than we have kids.

Ammo shopping with Dad.