President rox_publius Issues Statement

Dear world,

We appreciate your concern regarding the natural disaster that has so ravaged our Gulf Coast. In lieu of accepting the aid you were undoubtedly about to proffer, we would ask that you assign these funds to your own disaster relief efforts. In turn, we will be using those funds which we have earmarked for the next 100 years of natural disasters elsewhere to rebuild our own states.

Thank you again for your gestures of generousity, and we assure you that the funds freed by this arrangement will be put to good use.

Sincerely,

The Great Satan

Hero of the Week : Tom Sowell

For this money quote:

Make no mistake about it, there are many people out there just itching to tell us what to do -- and make us do it. That is why the word "crisis" gets used so much, and not just about oil, in order to soften us up for their taking over our lives. That is a bigger problem than the so-called "oil crisis."

Full article here.

More Corruption Probe Fun

Three more low-level bureaucrats were caught in the feds Philadelphia government corruption probe treating taxpayer money like lottery winnings. This time $13,000 for lavish parties.

Since I find something we agree wholeheartedly on, this gives me a chance to link youngphillypolitics.com, a great blog run by a well-intentioned bunch of misguided folks who I actually think I'd have a great time hanging with over a beer or three at the Standard Tap, before, of course, the obligatory wrestling match over the city wage tax. Anyways, money quote from DanielUA:

Those who simply want to pin this on John Street are just silly; this is clearly a systemic problem that started well before Street and/or Ed Rendell were Mayors. But, and this is a big but, Street is the Mayor now, and this is happening under his watch. As the leader of Philadelphia, it is his responsibility to try and change that culture. Unfortunately, I don't think he, or most of our leaders, particularly care about it. It is the system which brought them into power, which means it is probably good enough... right?

Iowahawk's Retreads

are still worth a link 4 years later.

Not Content With Theft From Taxpayers...

the late Ron White apparently felt no compunction to pay into the system which kept him fat and happy. No wonder city taxes can never be cut substantially. Those in power and their cronies that put them there just don't pay up. Not a problem. Working suckers like you and me are always there to keep the trough full.

Taking Up the Slack

Here and here and here and here, Robert Meyer at Publius Pundit covers the recent events in Belarussian activism. Thank god someone's been paying attention while I've been gone.

The Problem With Santorum

This disturbing quote from Reason's Hit and Run:

This whole idea of personal autonomy -- I don't think that most conservatives hold that point of view. Some do. And they have this idea that people should be left alone to do what they want to do, that government should keep taxes down, keep regulation down, that we shouldn't get involved in the bedroom, that we shouldn't be involved in cultural issues, people should do whatever they want. Well, that is not how traditional conservatives view the world. And I think that most conservatives understand that we can't go it alone, that there is no such society that I'm aware of where we've had radical individualism and it has succeeded as a culture.

As one who has ascribed to the credo of the radical individualist, how do I possibly vote for someone like this?

Transportation Pork Fest

I was catching up over at Cafe Hayek, where Russell Roberts posted the honor roll of those 8 representatives who had voted against the transportation pork fest. Surprised I didn't see Ron Paul's name amongst them, I clicked over to the full roll call. I see for once, Dr. No abstained. Why so? More surprisingly, so did my own rep, Chaka Fattah. I'd have thought he'd never see a pork roll he didn't like. Wonder what that was all about. Too busy conferencing with Mayor Street on how to arrange their job swap in a couple years?

AWOL period done....

....NOW!

Yes, I have been gone from the voter intimidation capital of the US for the better part of the last couple of weeks. And as I have been hanging with Grandma(s) and Mom for the better part of that time, let's just say wifi access was not the issue of the day. Explaining to an octagenarian why I wish the government would just do away with "my" social security, and why I don't think FDR was a great American hero were just a couple of the highlights of this rare period of family duty.

So now I return to my usual business of wasting my life away in front of a series of screens, and can resume pointing out items of interest to me, like this interview of Peter Jennings by Neal Boortz during the last set of New Hampshire primaries. Dude played hockey as recently as last year. Who knew?

Although I've long ago abandoned network news, I've always felt that of the Brokaw, Jennings, Rather triumvirate, Jennings was far and away the most professional. For better or for worse, never again will a single individual have the kind of power to shape the news that network news anchors of their era had. Rest in Peace, Peter... and the rest of you - don't smoke.