So, my daughter got me using (with her “my fitness pal” a phone/web app/site) so that both of us can lose some weight and get fit. I’ve “configured” it to get me to lose .5 lbs per week for a year or so to get to a nice weight … and I’m getting back to biking and still swimming. I’ve gone to it being hard to eat as little as needed to the other side of the coin, on  a good (exercise) day it’s hard to eat enough. But enough about me … links?

1. A look inside the liberal echo chamber (aka mainstream news media).
2. I’d say the surprise would be if it was otherwise.
3. Mr Bundy’s recent remarks are loudly touted (on the left). Why? As a distraction is the probable cause.
4. That rising tide, which liberals wish to slow to foster inequality … and why that’s a bad idea.
5. Obama contra Obama (yet again).
6. Of church and society (or the Ratzinger/Habermas debate resurfaces).
7. Fine advice, oddly enough.
8. Bureaucracy and self-discipline.
9. Hope (apparently) springs eternal.
10. Some things have always been important.
11. As a general rule, none (and drop the “other” variants as well). Look at War and Peace or the Brothers Karamazov and see how much of any sort they had.
12. Too bad the state department’s main export isn’t slapstick comedy.

(This is part of the script of the latest episode of my podcast, “Consider This!”)

What is it that they say about conservatives? They’re haters, they’re whatever-phobes, they’re intolerant of people who are different than they are. Then what to make of this story.

Over 5 years ago, some guy – we’ll call him Bubba – gave $1000 to a political cause. He gave his personal money, not on behalf of anyone else. A bit of free political speech in action.

Fast forward to today, and Bubba was the target of a campaign to push him out of his job because someone found out about this contribution. Bubba gave in to the pressure, and resigned.

If Bubba had given money to the Sierra Club to save the whales, or to Planned Parenthood to provide free abortions, and this had happened to him, the Left in this country would be outraged. But because Bubba, whose real name is Brendan Eich, former CEO of Mozilla, gave to California’s Proposition 8, the effort to keep marriage between one man and one woman, the otherwise First-Amendment-loving Left are mum, as well as being the ones who did the pushing.

I have said it a number of times before, and I need to say it again. The Progressive element in this country is all about Constitutional rights, right up to the point when those rights are used against their pet political causes. Then the hate, intolerance, and phobias that they accuse others of come quickly to the surface. A clearer case of projection – accusing others of what you yourself harbor – is not easily found.

And consider this. At the time of his donation, Brendan felt the same way about the issue as President Obama, Vice President Biden, and, as it turned out, 60% of California voters. Five short years later, he’s being punished for it by the real Thought Police. There are no allegations that he mistreated, maligned, or otherwise caused harm to any homosexuals in his company. One’s views on this topic have no connection whatsoever with the business of Mozilla; most notably the Firefox web browser. This is completely, 100% a “thought crime”.

It’s the progressive Left that likes to proclaim that it is more tolerant, that is more free-thinking, right up to the point where you disagree with them. Beyond that point, they want to dictate what you can and can’t think, culturally if not legally, and sometimes even legally; just ask Hobby Lobby, or proprietors that don’t wish to participate in same-sex weddings. No, you must toe the line of the tolerant, free-thinkers. Is anyone noticing the irony here, where “mutual respect” only works one way?

“If you like your beliefs, you can keep your beliefs. To yourself. If you don’t, you can’t keep your job.”

Bright week (what the East calls the Paschal week), halfway done.

1. Yur friendly neighborhood faux-Cherokee is “surprised”. Yah, right.
2. This is not unrelated.
3. Some maths for your entertainment.
4. Feels good vs actually looking at the data. Someday soon the same crowd will do the same thing with all the climate noise.
5. So what’s that mean? Gender was kind like pirate rules, i.e., guidelines or that they don’t have earlier data?
6. One pointer at dark matter.
7. Who pays, well the victim pays more it sounds like.
8. Conventional wisdom puts fascism on the far right and communism on the far left. Conventional wisdom, historically speaking, is usually wrong.
9. Government, as Mr Schraub noted, is uniquely situated to make fair judgements. Alas, more commonly they are uniquely situated to make stupid decisions have dire consequences, which by dumb luck didn’t actually transpire here.
10. Judging not by the content of your character … but the color your skin or the contents of your pants.
11. This it seems is a pattern.

G’day.

1. Ambrose lives on.
2. So, we’re all failing to see the strategy here.
3. Trying the “I’m not trying to make money, I’m just delusional” gambit.
4. Not unrelated to the above.
5. So. Will that support evaporate or not? If you were Ukrainian would you bet on more support than we gave Hungary in the ’56?
6. Temperature fluctuations show correlations with … hmm, solar output.
7. All of course explained by recent fluctuations in gun control legislation … oops … what do you mean there haven’t been any changes!? Never mind then.
8. The response should have been, “Dear, data entry is not math, that is preschool level arithmetic.” If you say anything at all.
9. Yikes.
10. Looks like a place for those with money to burn.
11. Doesn’t look “irreverent” to me. It looks like a darn good time is had by all … and quite festive.
12. What we used to call “binge eating” has a new euphemism.
13. So why aren’t math professors sociopathic … but why on the hand, do we find that Disney writers are?

So … Christ is Risen!

1. Hmm. I’ve heard a not-unrelated joke. How many inscrutable persons (pick group known for subtlety) does it take to screw in a light bulb? Answer, is three. One to screw in the light bulb and one to confuse.
2. Portland Oregon is apparently either innumerate or flush with cash (or both).
3. Well, apparently Johnny can’t read or do maths … and this offers an unfortunate comparison (see also prior link).
4. Kids and their games …. soooooo, which game might that be?
5. A special creek in that woods yonder.
6. Thoughts? You mean past … “pretty pretty, must pat down”.
7. Short answer: yes.
8. Fun in the sun.
9. The left and affirmative action.
10. Character building, kids not always exactly on board.
11. One warm country and taking advantage of that.
12. Veterans and ice.
13. A song (you probably haven’t heard) for Easter.

Holy week moving right along.

1. In my reading inbox.
2. Call a spade a spade. It’s racism and from the left.
3. This behavior is not unrelated.
4. Heh.
5. We’ve all experienced this.
6. So which is the extremist. Seriously I think the word “extremist” is ill defined. It might mean those in a particular group that hold strong opinions furthest from the center of that group. It also might mean those who hold opinions farthest from the center of groups to which I belong. For example, terrorism seems to be a mainstream middle of the road standard operating procedure for Palestinians in/near Israel. Yet terrorist from there are called “extremists”. Seems to me if your actions and opinions are median in the group to which you belong you aren’t an extremist.
7. Carbon based not-quite life-yet forms.
8. Yap, you know … you can figure out what drugs they took in at those all night binges, and so on … or maybe not quite.
9. And you started out so well, and then had to go … there. Look I realize a lot of Protestants think there is a big horrible heresy by the Roman Catholics regarding works and faith. In reality it’s not an issue. Protestants say you need to have faith in order to be saved. Catholics too say you need to have faith to be saved and that the Bible says if your faith lacks works it isn’t real. Logically then you need works to demonstrate that you actually have the faith which will save. What I don’t understand is why they don’t understand that.
10. On the other hand, this is the sort of things you say when your notions of salvation aren’t from any Christian tradition at all.
11. Our government executive branch proves that stupid isn’t getting scarce anywhere in their midst. Or putting it less mildly.
12. A reminder for those in foreign policy.

So. Tonight was the last of the bridegroom matins. This one has the Hymn of Cassia, which is a beautiful liturgical poem. Links?

1. Mr Obama’s assassination insurance still on the job, the bombing was “worth it” indeed.
2. Some cuteness. On the other hand, I recall returning from a business week-long trip to my 3-4 month old #1 daughter when she was at an age when strong emotions (both good and bad) evoked tears. She was sitting in the living room, not looking at me because it caused her to cry.
3. How Congress would unload trucks.
4. Torture noted.
5. Yes. I’ll go with “too paranoid.” Much of our supply lines to Afghanistan is via Russia itself. If they wanted to obstruct things, be easier shut that pipeline off by just say’n “nyet.”
6. But … it’s for the children!
7. Coincedence? I’d offer … probably not.
8. That can (usually doesn’t) cost upwards of (gasp) $50 … says a guy who apparently doesn’t ever buy a tank of gas, or take a family to the movies.
9. The libertarian choice discussed.

Hey. Holy week!

1. So. Growing up and the seeds of who you were where there from very early. A theme found here and here. I saw this film when it had 4 segments. Now it has 7.
2. Getting there (HT). A pet peeve of me is the dislike especially in cinema that people “are just born talented” and it isn’t a combination of talent and (the missing) hard work that got them to a level of excellence.
3. In case need a laugh.
4. Grumbling in the wings.
5. A book noted.
6. Using a shotgun to do maths.
7. “transplant” seems to be a word that would be far more colorful to describe what is being done in the vernacular.
8. Larmarckian vindication?
9. And to close … a word of warning. 😀

So … my sweet wife informs me that the “yellowing” of my pillowcases is due to “overactive sebaceous glands”. To which I replied (mindful of Franklin), “Oily to bed, oily to rise ….”

1. Technology advances.
2. So, the “wage/gender'” thing is being discussed in the beltway. Here’s a place to start, Ms Althouse has a key quote at the bottom of her link to it. But you can find un-serious discussions on left (and likely the right). Look, if you dispute this “The part of pay disparity driven by sexism is so small that it will be very difficult to detect in any given case, or even in aggregate.” then you have to substantiate your reasons for why you dispute it. If you accept that point, then there is nothing to do, nothing to fix.
3. The White House responds, heh.
4. The global warming credibility gap. Science News admitted the other week there’s a problem which needs explaining. Kinda makes the “science is settled” argument go by the wayside.
5. For those partaking in the Eastern Lenten fast.
6. I don’t buy the premise. The time between the two 20th century world wars was about one generation and the time between the big war of the 19th (Napoleon’s adventures) and WWI was much greater than suggested in the premise. The Crimean war wasn’t very big.
7. Speaking of which.
8. Narf narf narf narf. Slurp.
9. Now that is very cool.
10. Next we will find the canals had water too.
11. A lecture.
12. And finally a note on the Ali/Brandeis kerfuffle from a non-Ali fan. From which which we can glean a description of government in general and our government in particular. From the “it’s turtles all the way down” we can add and in this case, “turtles” represent incompetence.

Spring is sort of creeping in, snow is still however in some weekend forecasts and the trees are still bare.

1. Worried? There are reasons to worry, I doubt that is near the top of the list (HT).
2. Women not liked on the left. Is the dangerous girl an aspect to that? You’d think the whole “truth to power” thing would strike a positive chord.
3. Asses in church.
4. A suggestion for a development that we’d all applaud. How about knocking down our protective trade barriers too while we’re at it?
5. What the heck?
6. Putting the Elane case to a point.
7. So, need a pick-me-up? You’re feel good moment.
8. Evil made possibly by euphemism, an example.
9. Nothing could go wrong with that, eh? Training and supporting bin Laden worked so so well.
10. Giving restaurant reviewers a bad name … or a wake up call.

So, what’s out there today, eh?

1. Well, there was a study it seems which in part showed that highly politically partisan did worse at objectively evaluating data the better at maths they were. So, birds of a feather, for example … here and here. Flock off.
2. And on the subject of Obamacare, an study in miniature.
3. I have to say, my #1 daughter when she was that age. Absolutely loved lemons. So much we had to limit them as we thought they’d ruin her teeth.
4. That mythical plan rears its ugly head. I think calling Mr Obama’s “plan” for Nuclear Zero a, well, plan, insults everything else that might be termed plan.
5. So, liberals have a “plan” for cleaning up elections, apparently it involves burning the Constitution. The other “counter” plan the libs bruited involves full disclosure of donations for political groups. ‘Cause that would have worked really well in the McCarthy era … and gosh why not suggest full disclosure of votes as well? Hmm.
6. For your efficient triple tap.
7. Liberal Mozilla reaction apparently illegal. Woops.
8. Grist for your discussions on unions an NCAA sports.
9. Geometry and Saturn.
10. Of elections and numbers.

So. Spring seems to be slowly springing.

1. Spartacus is on form. Woo!
2. I’d imagine so, if you thought liberals were consistent. Heh.
3. The Mozilla fallout continues, noted here, here, and here.
4. Of course, things could be worse.
5. If that’s the story, more stupidity in our educational system.
6. Of ignorance and politics.
7. Insurance (and un-)  rates.
8. Going with the Sarge, “not awesome”.
9. Our President and liberal press, disloyally serving the cause of disinformation, alas, effectively.
10. Dodd-Frank and obvious yet apparently unintended consequences. One (should) wonder how, if a consequence is clearly going to happen how it is not intentional.
11. No. The “idiots” didn’t win, the idiot has a talk show.
12. Now there’s something to celebrate.j
13. Ghostbusters and real science.
14. A lesson for the President.

Thor’s day?

1. Somebody gets it.
2. Somebody else doesn’t.
3. A Lutheran crosses the Bosphorus.
4. Good news vis a vis the NSA.
5. Demographics may drive our near future.
6. Well, that’s a simple trick.
7. So, who knew? The African slave trade of the 18th century was just recapitulating geology.
8. Two? Two different ways?! Imagination failure is clearly present. There are probably 20 different ways, easy.
9. That’s just silly.
10. Miffed? Miffed at whom? Obama miffed at self apparently. What a maroon.
11. Not getting the whole first shall be last thing.
12. Jesus remarked that the poor will always be with us … fools will be too I guess.
13. Yah, in the late 1950’s my dad worked his way though college with they money from his summer job.
14. So, Mr Clinton is to blame in a large measure. Bet you didn’t know that.
15. The ludicrous position the left has put itself with respect to the first amendment highlighted here.

Yo!

1. Cry Havok! And let loose the (false) accusations of racist!
2. Our Brave New World, it has such creatures in it … and good reasons for concealed carry.
3. Your (sort of) feel good story for today.
4. Given that most of the very rich are liberals I don’t understand their objection to these kinds of results.
5. Now the TPM (a very strictly liberal blog) has been holding a stupidity seance and has attempted to trawl news feeds for any and all mentions of misuse of firearms. Odd then that they seem to have missed this story. Oh, wait. He’s a Democrat, that must lead to some confusion on their part.
6. Half of a conversation about climate. The questions seem reasonable as do the responses.
7. Liberal responses to bread lines is confusing. They seem to envy the shortages and lines of the Communist era countries. I’m confused why long lines forcing to people to get stuff they don’t really want is seen as a good thing.
8. Because it is very important that the working poor fund the arts and not rich donors.
9. More liberals waxing stupidity and intolerance. It’s like a theme or something.
10. Location location location.
11. So, one of important “cause cutting” measures in Obamacare was to curtail and penalize re-admissions because they were a sign of … oh, what? Oops. Oh. I see, it’s a sign of people making unwarranted assumptions.
12. A man and his lies, exposed.
13. Well, to be honest, not just Democrats are stupid. Take modern dating trends, how’s that for dumb?

And so it goes …

1. So, why might one suggest that the US put troops alongside the Poles in Poland, so “can” becomes part of the equation.
2. Why I prefer rural roads.
3. One of the more imaginative posts for the first.
4. I enjoyed this one too.
5. Another April first suggestion, with a tweak at Neville Obamerlin.
6. One more.
7. Death and Mr Obama’s healthcare, if true, just the first of many.
8. Why global warming will take a long time to die.
9. A stitch in time may save a brain or three, given time.
10. Now there’s a election campaign strategy we will not see again for sometime …. hopefully.
11. Yer feel good story of the day.
12. Of political demographics and the evil rich. Woops.