Morning Whip, Feb. 3, 2010

I surf the Web, so you don’t have to!

Section One: The Word:
An occasional comment, rant, or snark, brought on by the flow of events:

From the Cato Institute[*1]

We are so screwed. And it’s not defense spending that is screwing us. We’re doing it to ourselves. Section Two: Things That Amuse Me:
2.1: Simians and other aminals*:
UF researchers: Ancient crocodile relative likely food source for Titanoboa [*2]
*Yes, I know it’s “animals,” it’s just that I always found the childhood mispronunciation really, really cute . . .

2.2: Travel:
Update: Like Luggage Locks? Leave Them Home, Says One Cruise Line [*3] — Another reason not to cruise on Carnival . . .
Allegiant Air CEO: A la carte fees have been a ‘revelation’ for U.S. airline industry [*4]
One-way award tickets now an option for United frequent fliers [*5]
The Politics of Packing [*6]

2.3: Sports:
Lawson signs 3-year deal with Sun [*7]
Clemente’s 23 leads No. 10 K-State past Huskers [*8]
Circling the Summit [*9]

2.4: Science Fiction and Writing:
We’re living through our own private dystopia–our own 1984 right now . . .

2.5: Miscellany:
No ‘weekend effect’ seen in trauma cases [*10] — So go ahead and break something on the weekend . . . you’re covered . . . oops, well, you’re covered if, um, you’re covered . . .
If you’re 70 and overweight, you may live longer [*11]
Abstinence-only program helps kids postpone sex [*12] — You mean . . . telling kids not to do something . . . works? Wow . . . quick, tell Johnny and Jennie not to play in traffic!

2.6: Science, technology, and space:
NASA picks 5 firms for commercial spaceflight plan [*13]
The Lancet Finally Withdraws Infamous Autism/Vaccine Paper [*14]

Section Three: The News, featuring Liberty And Its Enemies:
3.1: Strategy and tactics for defending human freedom and liberty:
Trouble for Democrats in Arkansas [*15]
Blanche Lincoln Getting Walloped In Two Polls By Just About Anyone With An R After Their Name [*16]
Is Obama Failing? (Part 1) [*17] — It depends on what his actual goal is . . . if it’s to make America a better, stronger country, then yes. If it’s to tear America down and “spread the wealth” then yeah, he’s right on plan . . .
The Convention Will Be Televised [*18] Professor Reynolds and his lovely wife head to the Tea Party convention, cameras in hand . . .
Reality Check on Taxes [*19]
Australian censorship law collapses under public disapprobation [*20]
Video: Why Big Business Is Good [*21]
Contract from America: ‘tea party’ crafts its election manifesto [*22]
Why I’m Speaking at the Tea Party Convention [*23] — The ‘Cuda . . .
Can U.S. Senators Be Recalled? [*24] — Apparently not, sadly. They can be hounded — er — “petitioned,” however.
NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ Profiles Andrew Breitbart [*25]
Challenge and Respect [*26]
Corporate Personhood and the Constitution [*27]
Obama Is the Queen of America [*28]
Can Republicans retake the Senate? [*29]
Illinois Shows Limitations of Tea Party Movement [*30]

3.2: The reality of Obama and the Democrat leadership as blithering idiots:
Tapper to Gibbs: Isn’t It About Time For the President to Man Up? (Video) [*31] – Jake Tapper appears to be that most rare of reporters — One who believes his job is to report, not to “make the world a better place.”
Obama’s Budget Makes the “terrible mistake” of “borrow[ing] against our children’s future to pay our way today”…According to Obama [*32]
If They Can’t Even Put a Man on the Moon…[*33] — Quality snark there, Mr. Stossel . . .
Obama’s “Jobs” Plan [*34] — Why, government jobs, of course . . .
The latest on Obama’s illegal alien auntie [*35]
Limbaugh: I Thank God Every Day That Obama’s Agenda Is Going Down the Tubes [*36]
Obama About to Raise Taxes on 95% of All Americans [*37] — Stop Spending Money You Idiots!
The Profligate President [*38]
A Trumped-Up Appeal to Authority[*39] — So, if you can find anybody to accept your apology, you’re good. Right?
‘We Are Eliminating the Influence of Lobbyists,’ Including the Ones Who Snuck in the Provisions I Supported [*40]
80 To 90 Democratic House Seats In Play? [*41]
Joe Biden: Really, Really Likes Some Movie He Doesn’t Quite Know The Name Of [*42] — In the museum of idiots which is Democratic Party Leaders, Joe Biden deserves his own wing . . .
Rahm Emanuel compares Democrats to retarded people, then apologizes to retarded people… [*43] — Heh. Indeed.
LAS VEGAS MAYOR GOES OFF: “When Obama Comes I’ll Give Him the Boot Back to Washington” (Video) [*44]
Presidential Promises and Pretenses: Obama’s contribution to the “deficit of trust” [*45]
Summed up in one word [*46] — Hmm, I happen to be headed north tomorrow . . . I might have to check this out . . .
How Many Fights Will Obama Pick With America? [*47]
Dem Leader Rejects Congressional Pay Freeze Until Budget Is Balanced [*48]
John Edwards has an illegitimate daughter named Frances with a woman named Rielle who he hired to follow him on the campaign trail, and then he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in an insane attempt to cover it up [*49] — And Democrats and Big Media didn’t care . . .
Las Vegas mayor: Obama is “a real slow learner”; Update: Reid questioning Obama’s patriotism? [*50]
Nuts. Obama Lashes Out at GOP Super-Minority for “Obstructionism?” [*51]

3.3: The reality of the Republican leadership as blithering idiots:
Compared to the Democrats? Not today . . .

3.4: Opposition Research: The enemies of human freedom and liberty:
It takes guts to demand “body blows” [*52] — Wherein New York Times columnist Frank Rich outs himself as a totalitarian of the Stalinist/fascist variety . . .
Uncommon Knowledge: Dr. Thomas Sowell on Intellectuls and Society [*53]
Geithner and Bernanke: Laundering Money Through an Illegal Trust? [*54] — Would you be surprised if it’s true? Really?
Ivy League Critical Mass [*55] — Lincoln had his “Team of Rivals,” Obama has his “Team of Over-Educated Idiots.”
Announcing The Largest Federal Workforce. Ever. [*56]
Is Obama Ready to Be President?: Leading a coalition against untimely tax hikes could revive his presidency. [*57] — Uh, what?
The President’s Permanent Political Slush Fund [*58]
“It can’t happen here” [*59]
Obama has yet to fill empty seats at civil liberties watchdog committee [*60] — Because he and the Democrats don’t give a rat’s ass about civil liberties. Too bad all you Obama fans didn’t figure that out before November, 2008. We’re stuck with him, now.
Refusal to Price Fix = Price Fixing [*61] — Nobody’s read 1984 any more? War is Peace, Ignorance is Strength, that sort of thing?

3.5: Media bias–and incompetence:
Olberman’s Ratings Dropped 44% In One Year [*62] — If you are watching this buffoon (for anything other than sheer amusement value) then–My God, WHY???
Change of Climate [*63]
White House Gets Reuters To Pull Budget Story [*64]
Fox News Channel Dominates [*65] — Well, somebody has figured out where the American people are . . .
Defending Obama’s Budget [*66]
Pulling Economics [*67]

3.6: Fear The ‘Cuda–A spotlight on Citizen Palin, who really needs to find a better phrase than “Common-sense conservatism” to describe her philosophy:
Conservatives 4 Palin [*68] –Semi-permanent link for Palinmania . . . Fox News to Broadcast Palin’s Tea Party Convention Speech Live [*69]

3.7: “Global warming” aka “Climate change” — or should that be “Climate Reform?”:
The single server theory [*70]
Still better than the Met Office [*71]
Forests in the Eastern United States are growing faster than they have in the past 225 years [*72]
Climategate Update 1: The China Syndrome* [*73]
Solar Cycle 24 Update [*74]
Cap-and-Trade Dead?[*75] — With the current merry group of plunderers in power right now, I wouldn’t bet on it . . .
BBC asks WUWT for help [*76] — When no other options are available, Big Media tentatively reaches out for the truth . . .

3.8: Health care “reform” aka health insurance “reform” — or should that be health care “change?” Perhaps “Global healthing?:
Lessons from the Recent Past: Rumors of Obamacare’s Death are Premature [*77]
The States Fight Back: Virginia Rejects Obamacare’s Individual Mandates [*78]

3.9: The Economy:
DST shares tumble on earnings, layoffs and rival buyout [*79]
“Saved, Created, or Discouraged:” Nearly a Million Americans Now Not Counted in Unemployment Figures Simply Because They’ve Been So Discouraged They’ve Stopped Looking [*80]
Social Security Bailouts Begin in 2010 [*81] — We Are So Screwed . . .
Inspector General: TARP Has Created a Looming Disaster [*82] — Is it time for a separate “We Are So Screwed” section here?
Foreign Policy Is A Real Area Of Strength For Obama Administration [*83] — Yes, the title is sarcasm . . .
Read and weep: The new tax proposals [*84]
Comcast 4Q profit up on revenue boost, tax gain[*85]
A $2 trillion tax hike [*86] — This kind of thing makes it really hard to argue against the Glenn Becks of the world who say that Obama is deliberately destroying the American economy . . .
Why Is This Legal? [*87]

3.10: Foreign affairs and National Security:
The Panama Canal Gets a New Lane [*88]
“It’s a trap” [*89] — What would we do without Admiral Akbar’s line in Star Wars?
Obama’s Strike Three: The Iranian Bomb [*90]
Three pillars of Obamaism [*91]
This is What Terrorist Prisoners Did to Me — And Why They Should Be Kept at Gitmo [*92]