Under the Fedora: Chavez

Hugo Chavez has died and some on the left are in mourning including some in congress like Jose Serrano

Hugo Chavez was a leader that understood the needs of the poor. He was committed to empowering the powerless. R.I.P. Mr. President.

People were expressing outrage, I don’t’ see why.  The left has supported totalitarians since Vietnam, they tried to hinder Reagan in central America and opposed his standing up to the soviets, they did all they could to protect Saddam, why should anyone be surprised that the Democrat left should support yet another dictator?

That doesn’t fly as well in an internet age and Think Progress is doing it’s best to protect the left from itself when it comes to Hugo

Chavez’ policies harmed Venezuela’s poorest in other ways: the value of the Venezuelan currency dropped while prices soared, making it harder for people to buy basic necessities, and crime skyrocketed…

…Chavez also attacked Venezuela’s democratic political system. Human Rights Watch reported in 2012 that “the accumulation of power in the executive and the erosion of human rights protections have allowed the Chávez government to intimidate, censor, and prosecute critics and perceived opponents in a wide range of cases involving the judiciary, the media, and civil society.” Contra Serrano, Venezuela’s elections were not certified as “free and fair” by international monitors of late: Chavez had not allowed international election monitors to observe Venezuelan elections since 2006.

Alas poor Think Progress they didn’t think of shutting off comments on their post.  They don’t seem to share that opinion.

While the Think Progress crew is seems to miss the dictator there are signs that some other groups are moving in the right direction.  As you might have heard an attempt was made on Lars Hedegaard’s life over his cartoons hitting Islam, what you might now have heard is how the Islamic society of Copenhagen reacted:

When the news broke on Feb. 5 that Mr. Hedegaard had narrowly escaped an attack on his life, recalled Imran Shah of Copenhagen’s Islamic Society, “we knew that this was something people would try to blame on us. We knew we had to be in the forefront and make clear that political and religious violence is totally unacceptable.”

I’ve never been shy about hitting Radical Islam, conversely when you see Muslims do the right thing that needs to be highlighted and encouraged.  If we don’t’ support people willing to object to this kind of thing in the Muslim community the hard liners will roll right over them.

Meanwhile in the US being willing to speak against Radical Islam or it’s enablers will get you banned from CPAC

This year, I applied to speak and was ignored. I tried to get a room for an AFDI event, "The War on Free Speech," and was ignored. So, for the first time in five years, I won't be at CPAC. Last year Suhail Khan bragged out loud that he (and his other operatives) had successfully kept Robert Spencer and me from being invited to speak. He went so far as to warn people not to attend our events or read our books.

In fact you might not even be allowed to accept awards that you win:

But as time went by and no announcement was made of this victory, and the voting continued despite my having been told that it officially ended last Friday night and that I had won, and the promised links and other placement promised to the winning blog didn't materialize, I started to wonder. So I contacted the organizer who had written me telling me I won and asked him what was going on.

He told me that there was a slight problem: the Tea Party group, which co-sponsored this People's Choice Blog Award, didn't want to allow me to receive it at CPAC next week unless I promised not to criticize Grover Norquist and Suhail Khan as I accepted the award.

I told the organizer that I couldn't agree to that. He asked me if I had planned to talk about Grover and Suhail. I said no, I hadn't, but I had to now.

So that's that. The People's Choice Blog Award is now the Grover's Choice Blog Award. I will not be going to CPAC and will not be receiving this award.

Hugo Chavez might be dead but apparently his spirit lives on, I just didn’t think it would live on at CPAC.

Meanwhile while some try to deny the dangers of Radical Islam others are counting on it.

Mind you the Kimberlin crowd is not doing this because they object to some Muslims being critiqued as murderous barbarian bastards who would kill or threaten a person who objects to Islamic threats. They are doing this specifically because they BELIEVE Muslims to be murderous barbarian bastards who will threaten or harm those who critique them, in fact they’re counting on it!

And these guys don’t have the excuse of trying to please God

Just picked up the in the 2^nd Season of the 4^th Doctor Adventures at Mike’s Comics/Anne’s Book Stop of Worcester The Sands of life.

It’s a simply delightful episode the first of two parts, the second being released next month.  While a great pleasure it makes one sad.  How many great Doctor Romana #1 stories could we have had if Tom Baker had jumped on Board with Big Finish in 1999 rather than in 2011.

Not to mention Sarah Jane Stores.

I don’t know if they will do any Lalla Ward stories, her being his ex wife it might be complicated.

BTW David Warner guests in The Sands of life, is there anything at ALL he isn’t good in?

I’ve been following the World Baseball Classic.  Three interesting stories thus far.

The Dutch Team.  Last time they shocked the world by eliminating the Dominican Republic this time they advanced at the expense of Korea.

Don’t’ think for one minute that performance last time didn’t help build up the team for this time around.

Brazil vs China:  Brazil blew two 8^th inning leads vs Japan and China but the Chinese game was incredible, in the 8^th inning Brazil walked five batters (three ties forcing in runs) hit one and give up the key bases loaded single that gave China a lead they would never surrender.

Did you know China has a General Secretary of Baseball.She stood behind the manager during the game.  She didn’t react when China took the lead but when they turned a 5-4-3 double play after Brazil put on the first man in the ninth she cheered like a person who didn’t have to go back to communist masters and tell them they qualified for 2016.

Italy is playing in Pool D.  If you are a non-baseball country it’s got to be the worst bracket to be fighting in, Mexico, Canada and the US.  Despite this Italy managed to beat Mexico in the first game 6-5 surviving a bases loaded 3-2 situation in the last of the ninth.

And THAT is why baseball is the best sport ever made.

See you all at CPAC next week

 



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Under the Fedora: Christie, Woodward and McFarlane

I’m looking at the dust up between Chris Christie and CPAC and can’t help but remember the movie Witness for the Prosecution from 1957.

There was a speech by Marlene Dietrich’s character at the end of the trial that was the true climax of the movie.

(spoiler alert)

Mrs. Vole:  Remember when I came to see you, you said that no jury would believe an alibi given by a loving wife no matter shown she swore he was innocent.  That gave me the idea.

Sir Wilfred:  What Idea?

Mrs Vole:  The idea to not be a witness for my husband but for the prosecution.  That I should swear Leonard was guilty and would expose me as a vicious liar because only then would they believe Leonard was innocent.

When I look at CPAC not inviting Chris Christie I see the same dynamic. 

MSNBC not withstanding Christie is smart enough to know that the left is not going to lay off of him or paint him as anything other than a right-wing extremist. I suspect he figures with the president winning the state by that wide a spread and Obamacare being the signature achievement of this president (and I use the word achievement VERY loosely)this move takes at least one target off of his chest.

And when it comes down to it, there is nothing CPAC could do better for his re-election efforts than keeping him away.

By staying away nothing he says there can be use to call him a “right-winger” in a +18 Obama state. It also precludes a nasty confrontation with conservatives that could hurt him among a base where he can’t spare a single vote.

And Christie is playing it to the hilt.

“It’s not like I’m lacking for invitations to speak, both here or around the country, it’s not like I have a whole lot of openings in my schedule,” Christie said. He added, referencing the damage to his state wrought by Superstorm Sandy, “I can’t sweat the small stuff. I got a state to rebuild. I can’t sweat the small stuff.”

Every day this is in the news is a day of the MSM lionizing Christie.  That certainly can’t hurt because he know the national media will be turning on him as soon as it fits their purpose.  Every day that moment is delayed  helps him.

BTW CPAC has invited Dr. Ben Carson who gave that famous speech at the National Prayer breakfast this year.  Somehow that hasn’t captured the attention of the MSM.  I wonder why?

Incidentally the Original witness for the prosecution is one of the best films you will see.  Not only is it a spectacular courtroom drama but the chemistry between Charles Laughton & Elsa Lancasterreally makes the movie.  As they were Husband and wife it should not be much of a surprise.

Ironically the 58 year old Laughton was playing a lawyer recovering from a Heart Attack defending the 43 year old Tyrone Power, who would die of a heart attack within a year of the movie’s release.

Nobody is promised tomorrow.  That’s why I’m such a big fan of the Sacrament of Confession.

--------------------------------------------------

Sequestration is coming and it’s bringing back memories of my youth to the days of Proposition 2 ½ in Massachusetts

After the measure was passed practically EVERY teacher at the High School was given a pink slip directly after the election. (One teacher generated a lot of laughs by asking the students “do you want to see my pink slip?” and when they said “yes” raising her skirt just enough to see her slip which was in fact pink). Today that would get you fired but in my day we had a sense of humor.

But then after all the worry the teachers were put through a strange thing happened:

Nothing!

The next year the teachers were still there, the school was still there and everything pretty much remained as it had been before. It put the lie to the hype.

The Sequestration argument is pretty much the same and the attacks on Bob Woodward hasn’t made this business any easier for the White House:

Bob Woodward said this evening on CNN that a "very senior person" at the White House warned him in an email that he would "regret doing this," the same day he has continued to slam President Barack Obama over the looming forced cuts known as the sequester.

CNN host Wolf Blitzer said that the network invited a White House official to debate Woodward on-air, but the White House declined.

This has gotten a lot of play but as American Globand Breitbart’s John Nolte put it the real story is the number of people attacking Woodward on the left.

If you want to know who is a member of the current version of Journolist this it’s a handy guide.

BTW Nolte is right, Sequestration is going to be blamed by this white house for every economic problem it has over the next two years.  It’s going to be their version of Global warming.

The sad this is it has overshadowed the idiotic release of illegal aliens in detention.  It will not make The White House’s case any stronger.

The Department of Homeland Security has started releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants held in local jails in anticipation of automatic budget cuts, in a move one Arizona sheriff called politically motivated -- and dangerous. 

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said Tuesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement released more than 500 detainees in his county alone over the weekend. A spokesman for Babeu told FoxNews.com that ICE officials have said they plan to release a total of nearly 10,000 illegal immigrants.

It would be fun to see the White House suddenly decide to not enforce the gun laws under the same paradigm.

Some Doctor Who.  Saw the special on the 2^nd Doctor this week.  I thought it odd that while they had Frazier Hines and Wendy Padbuty as guests on the special they didn’t have Deborah Watling particularly since Tomb of the Cyberman was the first episode that featured her as a companion.

I’m also surprised they didn’t includePatrick Troughton’sson David Troughton who is active in the series, but that might wait till the next special on the 3^rd Doctor where he appeared as King Peladon.

The special was on at the same time as the Oscars which I totally ignored.  White uninterested I do find it amusing that so many people like Jane Fonda are so angry at Seth MacFarline for acting like….Seth MacFarline.

Anyone who has watched any episode of Family Guy or saw the movie Ted knew this was coming (particularly the musical numbers, MacFarline LOVES musicals).  The amount of racist, sexist and offensive humor directed against people is considerable.  If anybody thoughtMacFarline was going to change for the Oscars, they have a screw loose.

So I guess they’ll have to find new hosts for next year.  I hear Trey Parker and Matt Stone have the day free…

Spring training has started, nobody picking the Red Sox this year, but this is the time when hope springs eternal for Red Sox fans and even for Cubs fans.

One thing that is also coming up is the World Baseball Classic that starts this Friday.  A lot of people tend to ignore it but I think it’s a great thing for the game.  Including the already completed qualifying rounds teams from 28 nations (now paired down to 16) are competing for the title.

Japan has won both WBC’s so far,  andDaisuke Matsuzaka remains the only player to win a World Series, WBC and Japan Series.

Japan has a great chance to threepeat but I’d love to see a Netherlands vs Italy final.  That’s unlikely but I suspect the odds are better of Italy vs Netherlands in March then a Red Sox vsCubs in October.

Finally by the time you read this the Catholic Church will have no Pope.  To my knowledge this is the only time in history when the church and the people knew the exact day and hour when the Chair of St. Peter will be empty.

I suspect it won’t be the last.

Catch you next week

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Under the Fedora

I’ve been watching the constant attacks on Marco Rubio for drinking water coupled with the hits on Ted Cruz for daring to question Chuck Hagel and the outside money that he won’t disclose details on.

It’s been fascinating to see the media continue to embrace this while doing their best to shield Senator Mendenez.  CNN actually ran 8 minutes in prime time defending Menendez on the hooker side and downplaying the corrupting side the “everybody does it” argument.

It’s amazing the indulgences you get in media when you have that D next to your name.

Sissy Willis put out a tweet on Senator Cruz on Wednesday that says it all:

If you want to know why Ted Cruz is hated or feared by the left.  This is why.

On the same subject Morning Joe argued Tuesday that Rush Limbaugh had hurt republicans because Democrats had won 4 of the last six presidential elections.  Actually republicans are 3 for seven in elections since Rush was syndicated but here is a better measure.

Both Joe Scarborough and I are going to be fifty this year.  From the day we were born till Rush Limbaugh went on the air happens to be 25 years, half our lives.  During that time GOP controlled the House of Representatives exactly 0 years and the senate 6 years.  At no time did the GOP control both houses of congress.

During the 25 years since Rush came on the air the GOP has controlled the house for 14 years and the senate for 10 years and for the first time in our lifetimes controlled both house and senate for 10 of them.

I’ll make that trade any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Interesting story out of NY,  Katherine Connell at National Review notes  Mayor Bloomberg has “won” in his confrontation with School Bus Drivers in NYC.  The drivers returned to work but apparently He might have done even better for the city if the Bush Strike Continuedfor a while:

Walcott estimated the city saved $80 million because it wasn't paying bus companies during the strike

NRO reports the city’s contract pays $7,000 annually per student to get them to school and back.

Personally If I was a New Yorker I’d offer to take 4 Kids to school every day for them at $14,000 a year even at 3 hours per school day that would come out to $25.92 an hour for 3 hours work., but lets get more creative.

$7000 a year per student that works out to $38.88 per school day per student based on a 180 day school year.

If you offered students $20 a day if they got themselves to school and back without city help how many do you think would do so.  In fact how many would make SURE they didn’t miss a day or drop out if they knew, they could get a $20 for just showing up?  Or even better lets say parents had a deal where they could get $3500 deposited annually into an UGMA account for kids if they got them to school on their own.  Over the course of 12 years that $42,000.Enough for an inexpensive community college or enough for a youth in a trade to start his own business.  Meanwhile NYC  would save $500,000,000

It would make for an interesting study wouldn’t it

Talking about Schools a while back Massachusetts was debating a “Transgendered Rights” bill a while back.  Opponents nicknamed it the Bathroom bill and talked about girls being forced to shower with boys etc and they were dismissed.  The Transexual rights bill was passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor on Jan 19^th 2012 supposedly with the “shared bathroom ” aspects of it removed.

However with elections safely won by democrats in November what could not be supported by legislation politically has become the rule in Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Department of Education on Friday issued directives for handling transgender students, including allowing them to use the bathrooms or play on the sports teams that correspond to the gender with which they identify.

It gets better:

The document said whether a student identifies as a boy or girl is up to the student or, in the case of younger students, the parents.

While the subject is snarkworthy:

Who needs a hole in the wall of the girls shower anymore? In Massachusetts all you need is a teenager desperate enough to see actual naked girls in the shower and viola you have access, and if those girls cover up, or scream or run into a stall to avoid you, remember THEY are the ones being unreasonable:

Scott said disciplining students who won’t acknowledge a student’s gender identity is appropriate because it amounts to bullying

Got that? If you girls don’t totally welcome Pee Wee into your locker room you are a BULLY and we all know how bad bullying is!

these are the actual guidelines issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Education Department!

This bill is the logical extension of Gay Marriage, after you redefine what marriage and INSIST that those who don’t agree are bigots redefining what boys and girls are is no great leap. 

People on the left, particularly Mike Barnicle have constantly said with snark “how does gay marriage effect you.”  Well now you know and it only took nine years.

If you are a parent of daughters and send them to a Massachusetts public school my advice is to get them out before high school and perhaps before middle school if you can financially swing it.

I’ve been writing a series on George Washington and why he remains the greatest president and greatest American who ever lived.  The first three parts  here, here and here with one more on the way.

Washington is lost in the politically correct time we live in but consider one thing, he willingly gave up power twice, once after the revolution and once as president?  What pol today do you think would do the same?

A psychic opened up shop on the Fitchburg Leominster line.  I’ve always laughed at that kind of thing.  I always figured a real psychic would have won a lottery and retired once they figured out they had any such gift but what I’d really like to see is someone open such a shop and as soon as a person walks through the door says:  “Yes he’s cheating on you $20 please”, or “no you don’t want to quit $20 please.”

It would be interesting to see how many people would fork over the $20 given something like that.

I have to admit this story made me smile:

The malware had been designed to attack Mac computers.

The same software, which infected Macs by exploiting a flaw in a version of Oracle Corp's Java software used as a plug-in on Web browsers, was used to launch attacks against Facebook, which the social network disclosed on Friday.

The malware was also employed in attacks against Mac computers used by "other companies," Apple said, without elaborating on the scale of the assault.

For a very long time, I’ve been a big critic of those who recommend Mac because “they are safe from virus”.  The truth has always been the only reason why you didn’t have a lot of malware for Apples was they were such a small segment of the market and the Willie Suttons of the net went where the computers were.

Now that Mac’s profile has grown they have become targets and a lot of people who never bothered with anti-virus software because they had Macs are going to be burned.

And remember your “smart phone” that’s a computer too so be careful.

As time has gone by we’ve more details on Pope Benedicts physical condition I find myself wondering less and less why he decided to retire and more and more wondering if he will live to see retirement.

Finally I was pleased to see Bonnie Langford back in on Big Finish doing audios with Colin Baker after a very long absence, but have we really reached the point where we are doing paradoxes inside of paradoxes?

I blame Steven Moffett.  This is his vision of Doctor Who , in small does it’s fine  but as Faye Dunaway said in the Classic Move Little Big Man about working in a brothel:

if I was married and could come here once or twice a week,... ...it might be fun, but every night is just boring

I sure hope things change with Dr. Who before it becomes boring.

See you in a week and don’t miss DaTechGuy on DaRadio Saturday Noon to 2 EST on the money matters radio network & FTR radio

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