With Attorney General Eric Holder facing contempt of Congress charges it seems that the ATF operation Fast and Furious has finally made it into the mainstream news. However, would this have been possible without New Media (i.e., pajama-clad bloggers on the internet)?

For those completely unaware, this short video summarizes the issues surrounding Eric Holder, Fast and Furious, and Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.

The blog Sipsey Street Irregulars first reported on Terry’s death being linked to an ATF-smuggled rifle in December of 2010. It was information gathered from the CleanUpATF forum. The forum post reads,

Word is that curious George Gillett the Phoenix ASAC stepped on it again. Allegedly he has approved more than 500 AR-15 type rifles from Tucson and Phoenix cases to be “walked” to Mexico. Appears that ATF may be one of the largest suppliers of assault rifles to the Mexican cartels! One of these rifles is rumored to have been linked to the recent killing of a Border Patrol Officer in Nogales, AZ. Can anyone confirm this information?

Besides Sipsey Street Irregulars, David Codrea, at Gun Rights Examiner, has also been instrumental in providing news and updates on this story long before the mainstream media took interest. Codrea wrote about “Project Gunrunner”, back in early 2011,

• ATF management was allowing potentially hundreds of semiautomatic firearms to be walked across the Mexican border in order to pad statistics used to further budget and power objectives.
• Mexican authorities were kept in the dark, and protests that they should be informed were overridden, first by the Phoenix ATF office, and ultimately by higher-ups in Washington, DC.
• A gun used in this operation was involved in a December 2010 incident in which a Border Patrol agent was killed.

While most in mainstream media ignored the story, Sharyl Attkisson of CBS was one of the first (if not the first) to report on it.

Of course, there will be accusations that the operation started under the Bush administration (you remember the drill, right? – when in doubt, blame Bush). The only problem being that the operation under the Bush administration was designed to nab illegal arms sales and not let the firearms leave the country. And Holder himself has had to retract his claim that the Bush administration’s attorney general knew about gunwalking. But of course, the blame Bush diversions are just that – diversions. Indeed, in accusing the Republicans of playing politics is nothing more than playing politics from the other side of the fence.

So, here we are. The story is gaining ground, so much so that even NBC, which had yet to mention Fast and Furious, resorted to reporting on it (yet note how they refer to the power struggles between the congress and the executive branch as “broken politics”). But Border Patrol agent Brian Terry deserves more than a “broken politics” excuse. And, as Sipsey Street Irregulars is now reporting, the reprocussions of this operation extend to another federal agent – one Jaime Zapata.

This story should not be seen as a fight between the Left and the Right. It has always been a fight for the truth.

Update:  Info on Operation Wide Receiver (in case anyone asks)

Update 2:  Sorry, I missed this important point.

And BIll Whittle tells us who the real racists are.

Good morning.

1. While the left seems unaware of the workings of sexual apparatus (apparently they are unaware that the fetus gestates in something called the uterus at the same time ignore the whys and wherefores of polite discourse) …
2. they also continue to blithely ignore and keep quite about larger problems or the elephant in the room.
3. Demographics of abortion and political party.
4. Hmm. I thought it would have had something to do with the serial killing of women and children that the Palestinians keep doing.
5. The (real) medical problems of the sort not addressed by the Democrat vision of how to fix things with redistribution.
6. An economist look at what the medical fixes that the right might have suggested/supported.
7. Killing from a distance is not COIN and no way to “win hearts and minds” at all.
8. This sort of thing, if the press was honest and unbiased, would have come out more than 4 years ago.
9. Some reading suggestions.
10. There’s some missing logic here (looking at his enumerated list of logic leading to inflation or not) … look at college costs and its rampant rise ahead of inflation (with no concomitant rise in quality) due in a large part to “free money” pumped in by government grants and loans. Prices can inflate in the presence of money unforced by supply.
11. DREAM … out the window.
12. Of partisanship and undercover journalism.
13. And someday perhaps the disgusting unaffirmative action supported by liberals will end in our schools too.
14. Is this right? How about Constitutional?

Apparently common construction practice is to build the sewage out piping from your house to extend 3-4 feet with heavy cast iron piping and to use two to three foot lengths of clay pipe after that. A consequence of this is local bushes and trees have roots seeking water sources find the joints in those clay pipes, insinuate themselves and eventually block the pipe. Which in turns either backs up in a basement drain or in a basement toilet, whichever is lower. Ours chose the drain … and a wonderful outflow of stuff was discovered late last night in our laundry room.

Synchronicity abounds however in that we were this weekend (and still have not finished) watching In Darkness, a WWII film concerning a group of less than a dozen Jewish men, women, and children hiding in the sewers in the then Polish Lwow, now Ukrainian city of Lviv. These people owed their life to an anti-semitic sewer worker and the complex nature of Polish/Ukrainian <=> Jewish Polish/Ukraine is explored in the movie. The book on which this is based Girl in the Green Sweater, by my understanding was authored by one of the young girls who survived that which the movie portrays. The synchronicity of course points to the sewage flowing in our basement and in the film … on the same day.

1. Besides questions of liberty … Obamacare has other issues, in that it ain’t solving the problem it pretends to address. Lower the supply to lower costs. What economic principle is that?
2. The sort of tyranny that Obamacare is part (and soda size regulations).
3. That soda size thing … “based on research” … and what do those researchers actually say about the ban?
4. Some verse for fathers day.
5. The other part of the health care Constitutional challenge, i.e., the part people aren’t talking about.
6. An approach to confronting hackers and crackers.
7. This last Sunday ends the Lenten/Paschal cycle.
8. Solar heating on the cheap.
9. Well, I suppose you’ll have to contrast with Obama’s record of holding employment down and improving taxes.
10. Our public schools and their purpose.
11. Speaking of public schools, we have our public sector teachers union to thank for crap like this.
12. Democrats think we should keep the influence of the wealthy out of politics … so what is this then if not the influence of the wealthy in politics? Perhaps they just want to keep the “other guys” wealth out of politics … which alas sounds a lot less principled (because it is).
13. Heck the casualty rates of the Civil War should have been enough warning.
14. A bad day at work.
15. The real consequence of our marriage crises … and SSM has nuttin to do with it, except to serve as a distraction.

When I set up the post category hierarchy originally (see the Categories box over there?), I put Mormonism under Christianity because, while it may be considered to have many serious errors according to most Christian denominations, I figured it was the best place to put it since they use the Christian Old and New Testaments (or at least their version of them) as one of their foundational scriptures. Justin Taylor, however, pointed out a New York Times opinion piece by a devout Mormon who insists that he is "emphatically not a Christian".

Now, what the writer means by "Christian" varies between a theological definition and a cultural one. Taylor deals with some of the points in the article, but then goes on to describe some of the key differences between Mormonism and historic Christianity. I think it’s a good start at understanding the religion of the likely Republican nominee for President.

And as clarification, while I think that a candidate’s religion is fair game for scrutiny during an election, it is mostly as a gauge to understand how he may act politically. I’m not electing a national pastor; I’m electing a political leader. To the degree that his religion affects his politics and policies, I think it’s worth understanding. However, this particular examination of the Mormonism is for the purposes of understanding it as a religion; disassociated from politics. Just an FYI.

Good morning.

1. Progressive McCarthyism. Will they move to counter?
2. Science and religion.
3. Our government, creating jobs and markets.
4. Duh. Does this need to be even said?
5. Sickness or health? The question of what “healthy” means is often difficult. Of course, on the other hand, some bioethics people have rocks for brains.
6. Speaking of bio-ethics.
7. Of our regrettable (?) beauty industry.
8. Origenal homilies.
9. Stem cells, oddly enough … adult.
10. Seeing as the post office loses money on each transaction … is that wise?
11. I guess it was nice to grow up when GI Joe was fighting Gerries.
12. Looking back at hard times.

NYC Gone Wild
Wild with asine regulations, that is. First extra large soda bans, now Bloomberg wants to go after popcorn and milkshakes?

This is no accident and it is indicative of how they want to weasel their way into every aspect of our lives.

Make no mistake about it. They will use the same tactics with regards to gun control.

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Heh

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And you think media has no impact?

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Steyn asks the question I asked after the media moved on to some other “film at 11” story
From the article,

So how’s that old Arab Spring going? You remember – the “Facebook Revolution.” As I write, they’re counting the votes in Egypt’s presidential election, so by the time you read this the pecking order may have changed somewhat. But currently in first place is the Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi, who in an inspiring stump speech before the students of Cairo University the other night told them, “Death in the name of Allah is our goal.”

…

A century ago, the West exported its values. So, in Farouk’s Egypt, at the start of a new legislative session, the King was driven to his toytown parliament to deliver the speech from the throne in an explicit if ramshackle simulacrum of Westminster’s rituals of constitutional monarchy. Today, we decline to export values, and complacently assume, as the very term “Facebook Revolution” suggests, that technology marches in support of modernity. It doesn’t. Facebook’s flat IPO and Egypt’s presidential election are in that sense part of the same story, of a developed world whose definitions of innovation and achievement have become too shrunken and undernourished. The vote in Egypt tells us a lot about them, but it also tells us something about us.

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And what about that “blood for oil” meme?
From Richard Fernandez,

Surely if America fought a war for oil, then Iraq’s oil resources would be in the hands of evil Republicans? But apparently not. Rather they are in the hands of the Russians and the Chinese. “Exxon Mobil has by far the largest stake of any American company in Iraq, but most of the major players are European and Asian, like Lukoil and Gazprom from Russia, and Chinese companies like China National Petroleum and China National Offshore Oil Corporation.” So there you have it. American blood, Russian and Chinese oil. Funny how that worked out.

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Kathy Ireland tells how she became Pro-Life

It’s not promoted, but Ireland got a lot of critical thinking skills from Stand to Reason. Take, for example, her statement: If abortion does not take the life of an unborn human being, then no justification of abortion is necessary. If, however, abortion does take the life of an innocent unborn human being, then no justification of abortion is adequate.

See this film this weekend. Salaam Dunk!

Really.

Happy Flag Day!

Indeed, I’ve been blogging for a decade. Couldn’t believe it when I went to find out how long for this post. It’s been fun and interesting, though, even if most of my readers have been either friends or the occasional visitor whom Google sent my way.

But there’s something else I’ve dipped my toe into a couple of times; podcasting. Audio programs that you can either subscribe to (usually with iTunes, but there are others programs for that) or just listen to them on their web page. In both cases, I didn’t have to deal with all the elements of the entire process (web site, getting the proper subscription feeds set up, writing and producing the show, etc.), I was just responsible for some portions and someone else dealt with the other details.

But since the end of Shire Network News, I’ve really wanted to get back into it. So I’ve made the plunge and started this new experiment.

Setting it up has taken some time, which is why I haven’t been posting much to the blog in the past couple of weeks, but I don’t intend to give that up. In fact, reading current events and coming up with blog posts has been the main source of material, such that I have 3 episodes written, and one that is now available.

In iTunes. I’m actually listed in iTunes. How cool is that?

And so begins “Consider This!”, a political and cultural opinion podcast that I want to be more of a dialog than just a monologue. Click here to go to the website for the show, where you can play the episodes right on the web page, or subscribe to it via iTunes or your “podcatcher” of choice. You can also contact me in a number of ways; comments on a particular episode, e-mail, and Twitter. I’ve set this up so that this show could be one of a number of different shows in the “Consider This! Podcasting” network, but for now, it’s just the one.

Let’s see what happens.

Good morning.

1. A summary of the second paragraph, the naive dreamers favor Mr Obama, realists favor Mr Romney.
2. Genesis and Sodom … the message (hint: not about sex).
3. Special you are not.
4. Unstealthy ninja.
5. In the strange world of the left, ability to pay is affirmative action.
6. Not Mr Zimmerman and a different court case.
7. Some more thoughts on the Zimmerman case.
8. Good news or not?
9. The black underbelly of the auto bailout, that it wasn’t an auto bailout.
10. Well, there is still a chance the Court will kill it.
11. Cinema.
12. Marching alongside Obamacare … more nanny state. Yankee self-reliance is dead apparently.

The Bacon, Mushroom, and Jack Cheese Omelet, at Edelweiss, in Auburn, CA.

As should be expected, besides the 4 eggs comprising this breakfast dish, it also has bacon, mushrooms, and jack cheese. I had heard the omelets were huge here and these pics should be proof of that. I don’t order omelets very often and, indeed, this morning I was debating whether or not to try a hash special. But I was very delighted with this puppy. As you can see from the second pic, there was an ample supply of mushrooms and they weren’t shy with the bacon either! Our waitress was very attentive and made sure we were taken care of. With accompaniments of hashbrowns and wheat toast, and I was set for just about the entire day!

Enjoy!

– images © 2012 A R Lopez

Over at the League of (not very) Ordinary Gentlemen there is a blog symposium going on. The “(not very)” was appended by myself, for those fellows by and large are, alas countering their “Ordinary” claim, seem ordinarily to be quite exceptional, at least at the task of writing blog posts. What follows are somewhat scattered thoughts in a defense economic inequality. (and my submission) Read the rest of this entry

Good morning.

1. A famous trial and a film.
2. A walk in the moldy green listening to the screaming of the trees. Err, well, not quite.
3. Improper Soviets? I thought the term soviet basically meant something akin to “town meeting”, which would make New Hampshire a more proper soviet, eh?
4. Sherlock Holmes, a museum, and med students.
5. A recipe.
6. More on the Zimmerman kerfuffle. One might see the wisdom of trying to hide the family wealth from the grasping arm of the law, but your cunning plan needs to be cunning.
7. Getting the hind end foremost.
8. Legal advice from the ethically challenged, i.e., you can have religious freedom (defined narrowly here as a tax exemption) if your religion agrees with mine on social issues. Gotcha. Actual freedom of religion treats all religions equally, even those which disagree with me.
9. Apparently “being a female” is a disease.
10. So, what are friends for?
11. “Lying to Congress” a crime. This is one of the more striking ironies in our time, that lying “to” Congress is a crime while lying while “in” Congress is done every day.
12. Autobiography as fiction. What then is the point?

‘Nuff said fer now.

I say "uncool" only so that I don’t get accused of racism by the Congressional Black Caucus.

Angela Rye, Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus, argued that President Obama has struggled during his first term due to racially-motivated opposition from conservatives who dislike having a black president.

"This is probably the toughest presidential term in my lifetime," Rye said during CSPAN’s Q&A yesterday. "I think that a lot of what the president has experienced is because he’s black. You know, whether it’s questioning his intellect or whether or not he’s Ivy League. It’s always either he’s not educated enough or he’s too educated; or he’s too black or he’s not black enough; he’s too Christian or not Christian enough. There are all these things where he has to walk this very fine line to even be successful."

She said that "a lot" of conservative opposition is racially-charged, citing the use of the word "cool" in an attack ad launched by Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS superPAC.

"There’s an ad, talking about [how] the president is too cool, [asking] is he too cool? And there’s this music that reminds me of, you know, some of the blaxploitation films from the 70s playing in the background, him with his sunglasses," Rye said. "And to me it was just very racially-charged. They weren’t asking if Bush was too cool, but, yet, people say that that’s the number one person they’d love to have a beer with. So, if that’s not cool I dont know what is.

She added that "even ‘cool,’ the term ‘cool,’ could in some ways be deemed racial [in this instance]."

The definition of what is racist just keeps changing too fast for me to keep up. Doesn’t Ms. Rye remember how Bill Clinton was called a "rock star"? Would calling Obama that also be racist? I’m honestly asking, because I have no idea what is and isn’t permissible these days.

This is just another example of every, single disagreement with the President being turned into a racial incident.