Let’s do it For The Children!

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Clipfile - September 21, 2011

"...It can be said that the President desires nothing more than to promote the general welfare, and the general welfare requires a reduction in the vast disparity between the very wealthy and the rest of us.  Perhaps so: but note that the President does not offer the alternative of giving up some of the regulations and rules and the swarms of officers who harass the people and eat out their substance.” - Jerry Pournelle

(Via Bill Quick)

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“Arrr-r-r-Roger, tower?”

What, you mean it’s not "Talk Like a Pilot Day”?

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Today’s Crony Capitalist update

Michelle Malkin:

In a normal, free-market environment, of course, business executives take their cue from customers — not from the East Wing. [link added - O.G.]

But this is no normal, free-market environment.

And, I might add, Darden Restaurants is no normal restaurant chain.

At a time when most food service providers are struggling under the weight of increased taxes, health care mandates, and regulations, Darden Restaurants just happens to be one of the few and fortunate businesses to obtain one of those coveted Obamacare waivers.

(The Darden brands, just in case you’re interested: Olive Garden, Red Lobster, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52.)

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal quotes Jeff Immelt:

Speaking at an event in New York, GE Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt said he sees "good, decent economic growth everywhere.”

As to whether Mr. Immelt expects any of that "growing” to include GE’s operations in the U.S... the article doesn’t say.

Oh, guess which well-connected Wall Street insider firm was there "helping” now-bankrupt Solyndra get that $535 million DOE loan guarantee?

And guess how much of that $535 mill the taxpayers aren’t likely to recover:

...bankrupt Solyndra will retain Imperial Capital at the cost of $150,000 per month (this is cash that is immediately leaving the estate, thus minimizing recoveries to US taxpayers), a $1 million confirmation fee, a $1 million sale fee (the two are not exclusive), a 1%/3%/5% financing fee (i.e., Imperial arranges follow through financing, although good luck with that), and so on. In other news, should this bankruptcy stretch for more than the usual 1 year period from filing to emergence, US taxpayers will be on the hook for another roughly $3 million, in order to hire a banker whose ultimate value added will be an "orderly" liquidation of the company.

You know what they say: A million here, a million there, and sooner or later there’s no money left...

(Malkin via DP, Goldman via Glenn)

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 16:53:37 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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September Blog•Meet query

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The Journal plays the race card

Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal headed up its "Review & Outlook” column with an editorial titled Republican Overregulation [no longer on web]. In their latest trip around the track aboard the paper’s pro-massive-immigration hobbyhorse, the Journal editors offered up this statement:

Republicans claim they oppose only illegal immigration but the truth is that many have grown hostile to all immigration.

Now although I don’t pretend to speak for all Republicans (or even "many” of them), and although the only pets around my house are cats, I can still spot a dogwhistle when I see one.

While the editors didn’t continue, the tone of the piece leaves little doubt that "...hostile to all immigrants so shut up, you bunch of ra-a-a-a-cists!” was their intent here.

And (again) although I don’t pretend to speak for all Republicans (or even "many” of them), and although I remain without the editors’ insights concerning "the truth,” I can say that, at least as far as I and the Republicans who I know are concerned, the Journal is full of it.

And while at times I may seem weary of immigration altogether, that has a lot  to do with our political establishment’s (and its media enablers’) total lack of interest in doing anything to actually address the problems produced by the illegals and their presence in my country.

And isn’t it interesting... that when they don’t get what they want, the Gentry "Conservatives” sound so very much like the Gentry Liberals.

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 00:23:24 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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“THESE are the voices of modern conservatism?”

Yep.

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Happy 9th, DG

Amazing the way it adds up...

Nine doesn’t sound a terribly large number, so let me recalculate.  That’s 3287 days, at least 99% of which I’ve posted something on.  There are 4667 posts altogether, some of them piddly and small, others major 1000+ word essays.  I’m not sure precisely how many words I’ve written altogether, but it must be more than two million by now, which is approximately the same length as three Bibles.  And you’ve added 50000 comments...

...innit?

I’ve had Diamond Geezer in my bookmarks since October, 2003, shortly after he began his second year of posting (The link in my sidebar hides under Best London Trivia.), and if you find fascination in Things London (occasionally extending to Things British), you should, too.  Lots of history and geography.  Not much politics (except when the politicians do stupid things like replace the city’s beloved Routemasters with bendy buses - but now they’re getting rid of them, so that’s mostly settled, or do a rather slapdash job of "restoring” his neighborhood tube station).  Excellently written (even natives find out things they don’t know), and quite an achievement.

Highly recommended.

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Clipfile - September 7, 2011

"If your reaction to a proposal is ‘HOLY SHIT, THAT SOUNDS LIKE FUN,’ then as a government lawyer and member of law enforcement, you almost certainly shouldn’t be doing it.” - quoted by Ken

(via: Tam.)

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“Your cat is *stoned*.”

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