Prometheus – The Review

Just getting back from seeing Prometheus (saw it in 2D. Missed being able to get in to the 3D showing by 3 minutes, stuck at work). The big question is, did it live up to the hype? No.

But it came very, very close. Pretty much everything you have read about what it is supposed to truly be about? Forget it. Yes, it does have some links to Alien. But it is so, so much more and different. I’ll say no more. I saw it at an afternoon matinee, obviously, but I would pay to see it during the primetime showing. Going to give it an “A”. Go see it!

Michael Fassbender was awesome, as was Noomi Rapace, as the two main leads. Everyone else was highly motived and well directed. Ridley Scott made a masterpiece of science fiction. I have to wonder if there will be a follow up?

Read: Prometheus – The Review »

If All You See…

…is a sexy women pushing the notion that freedom of political speech should be protected and promoted, you’re a patriot

The website of the day is the National Bloggers Club.

Read: If All You See… »

Obama Admin. Says Corey Booker “Dead To Us”

On a day dedicated to preserving free speech rights, Corey Booker learned an important message: don’t you dare speak out against the Obama administration

(NY Post) It’s bye-bye, Beltway for Cory Booker.

Newark’s mayor, who was gunning for a spot in President Obama’s Cabinet, lost the chance after he shot his mouth off during a blunderingly honest TV appearance last month, sources told The Post.

“He’s dead to us,” one ranking administration official said of the prevailing feelings at the White House and Obama headquarters in Chicago. (snip)

“Cory and Barack Obama have never been besties, but that was the final nail. It’s like, ‘You’re dead and done.’ The firing squad is out,” said a Democratic source in contact with both sides. “It’s not just that he messed up, it was that he compounded it and didn’t have their back when they gave him a national stage to talk.”

But….

“Mayor Booker’s comments are behind us and we are working together to re-elect the president in November,” said Patrick Gaspard, head of the Democratic National Committee.

Other campaign insiders insist that Booker is not persona non grata, although he is in the doghouse and knows it.

“What he did was undermine a leading argument for the campaign. It was a serious distraction. Not a minor screw-up; a major screw-up,” a Democratic source said. “He is trying to figure out how to work his way back in the fold.”

Bill Clinton saw the same thing happen to him when he opened his mouth and spoke the truth. How dare he do that! There were ginned up talking points to defend!

What’s the reality? Good question. Is it simply doghouse or “dead to us”?

Speaking of free speech, Team Obama isn’t really all that fond of it. They’ve seen fit to block Jammie Wearing Fool from viewing tweets from the official Obama 2012 Twitter account.

Read: Obama Admin. Says Corey Booker “Dead To Us” »

(Sticky for the day) National Blogger Going Dark Day – Speak Up For Free Speech!

Ace at Ace of Spades has stated that his site will go dark today in order to stand up for Free Speech regarding the acts, SWATing and lawfare, performed against bloggers who have exposed Brett Kimberlin (aka The Speedway Bomber) and his associates. Like Michelle Malkin and John Hawkins, I’m not good at shutting up. The whole reason I started this blog way back in July 2004 was because I had things on my mind that I wanted to write about, whether anyone read it or not. It was cathartic. Michelle’s site has literally gone dark, with a black background (I tried doing that, but the theme I started uploading starting failing spectacularly with a few plugins and widgets. Also, it’s been awhile since I switched themes, and I’m having a bit of trouble finding a few scripts that need to be changed). I’d recommend reading those two posts just to refresh yourself with the details of this issue.

This is not a left or right issue. Yes, primarily Conservative bloggers have been targeted, but so have a few Liberals, including Seth Allen. You could be next, whether you are on the Left or Right, blogger or simply a commenter. There are always a few unhinged people on both sides who can, and do, engage in practices that the rest of us find abhorrent.

Senator Saxby Chambliss, who wrote a letter to AG Eric Holder, appeared last night on Special Report with Bret Baier, and discussed the issue along with other another issue (start at the 3:35 mark)

What can you do? Contact your Senators and Representative. Head to Congress Merge for contact info. It’s all of our Free Speech that is in jeopardy.

Wizbang makes a good point: Although convicted domestic terrorist Brett Kimberlin denies having any involvement in SWAT-ting, Kimberlin’s name is being mentioned in stories about SWAT-ting. So, people are being given reason to find out who he is. Unfortunately for him, it is easier to learn about him via the Internet now than it was before the SWAT-ting began..

The Jawa Report has Rep. Kenny Marchant’s letter to Eric Holder.

The Camp of Saints has a ton more information on this ongoing issue. And he will not be silenced.

Patterico has a scary message sent to Ali Ackbar, and plans to go dark today and Saturday.

More: The Lonely Conservative has more info, as well as audio of the judge threatening Aaron Walker.

Datechguy has a ton of info on the subject.

Hot Air chimes in.

No offense to Glenn Reynolds, but I wouldn’t exactly consider this a “PR stunt”.

And let’s not forget one of the recipients of Kimberlin’s terror, RS McCain, who writes in reference to silence: The point is to call for congressional action, as Ace said: “They are our representatives; we would like some representation.”

Nice Deb points to a petition.

Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.

Read: (Sticky for the day) National Blogger Going Dark Day – Speak Up For Free Speech! »

The More People Know About ObamaCare, The More People Will Love It

Yeah, remember that talking point from Obama? How’s that working out? Must have killed the NY Times to publish this

More than two-thirds of Americans hope the Supreme Court will overturn some or all of the 2010 health care law, according to a new poll conducted by The New York Times and CBS News. Just 24 percent said they hoped the court “would keep the entire health care law in place.”

That’s going to leave a mark.

Read: The More People Know About ObamaCare, The More People Will Love It »

If All You See…

…is a super awesome tree that should be cloned and planted everywhere, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Viking Pundit.

Read: If All You See… »

Bummer: World To End In 2025, Globull Warming Involved

We’re doooooooooooooooooooooomed. Or something. It’s another in a long line of tipping points that never seem to actual happen

(Science Agogo) Based on an evaluation of more than 1,000 previous studies, a new meta-review by an international group of 18 scientists suggests the Earth is perilously close to a tipping point where resource consumption, ecosystem degradation, climate change, biodiversity loss and population growth will trigger massive changes in the biosphere.

“The last tipping point in Earth’s history occurred about 12,000 years ago when the planet went from being in the age of glaciers, which previously lasted 100,000 years, to being in its current interglacial state. Once that tipping point was reached, the most extreme biological changes leading to our current state occurred within only 1,000 years. That’s like going from a baby to an adult state in less than a year,” explains Arne Mooers, professor of biodiversity at Simon Fraser University and one of the paper’s authors. “Importantly, the planet is changing even faster now. The odds are very high that the next global state change will be extremely disruptive to our civilization.”

And the ultimate answer to stop yet another pronouncement of doom?

Mooers is more blunt, saying that “society globally has to collectively decide that we need to drastically lower our population very quickly. More of us need to move to optimal areas at higher density and let parts of the planet recover. Folks like us [developed nations] have to be forced to be materially poorer, at least in the short term. We also need to invest a lot more in creating technologies to produce and distribute food without eating up more land and wild species. It’s a very tall order,” he concludes.

There you go: population reduction. For other people, of course. Everyone move to cities. How dare any of you live in the countryside communing with nature. Being forced to live in squalid 10th century conditions.

(H/t to Tom Nelson, who has lots of tipping point posts today)

Read: Bummer: World To End In 2025, Globull Warming Involved »

The Fallout From Wisconsin Continues

Josh Kraushaar at National Journal describes it thusly in a post entitled Red Flags All Over for Obama in Wisconsin

President Obama wasn’t on the ballot in Wisconsin, but Gov. Scott Walker’s decisive victory in last night’s gubernatorial recall is a stinging blow to his prospects for a second term.  The re-election was a telltale sign that the conservative base is as energized as ever, that the Democratic GOTV efforts may not be as stellar as advertised, and that the Democratic-leaning “blue wall” Rust Belt states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania will be very much in play this November.

Does this mean Obama loses Wisconsin? No. The polling shows a 6-7 point lead. He won Wisconsin by 13 in 2008. No Republican has won Wisconsin since Reagan over Mondale in 1984. What it does mean is that Obama will have to spend money in Wisconsin that he didn’t have to in 2008. He will be forced to defend his win in what should have been a safe state. And that is one of the things that Team Romney seems invested in, forcing Obama to play defense in traditionally “Blue” states, a notion that John McCain did not do. If Obama is spending time defending blue states, that means less time for attack in Red states.

For all of Obama’s political talent, he’s been a major drag on his party since taking office.  In 2009, Republicans won two hotly-contested gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, with the victors (Chris Christie/Bob McDonnell) now on Romney’s vice-presidential short list. During the heat of the health care debate in 2010, Scott Brown picked up Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat in deep blue Massachusetts.  Later that year, Republicans regained control of the House, by winning a whopping 63 seats while picking up six Senate seats.  And now, Walker wins the recall by a bigger margin than in the 2010 election, which was already a watershed year for Wisconsin Republicans.

It’s no wonder most Democrats seem to want to keep Obama at arms length. Obama is not the albatross around the neck: he’s the guy who killed the albatross.

And the news gets better of PBO. CNSNews reports that some 38% of people in union households voted for Scott Walker, which led to a meltdown by MSDNC’s Ed Schultz, demanding an explanation. Unfortunately for Ed, few people watch his show, which mostly comes in third on cable, just ahead of Headline News, and almost 5 times less than Bill O’Reilly.

The Hill reports that Obama is “fretting” after this stunning loss. And James Taranto highlights Progressives trying to spin this as a win for Obama. And Walter Russell Mead explains how bad this is for the unions

The American left as we have come to know it suffered a devastating blow in Wisconsin last night. The organized heart of the left gave everything it had to the fight against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker: heart, shoe leather, wallet and soul. The left picked this fight, on the issue and in the place of its choice; it chose to recall Walker because it believed it could win a showcase victory. That judgement was fatally flawed; it is part of a larger failure to grasp the nature of American politics and the times in which we live.

The left gave this fight everything it had. It called all the troops it could find; it raised all the money it could; it summoned the passion of its grassroots supporters, all the moral weight and momentum remaining to the American labor movement and every ounce of its strength and its will.

And it failed.

One of the liberal talking points is that the pro-Walker forces outspent the pro-union folks 8-1. Liberal wonks are saying that Walker outspent Barrett by something like $34million to $4million. However, as Beitbart notes, unions and outside forces spent about $21 million on this recall effort. According to liberals, though, that evil Citizens United decision (which exempted unions, as well) allowed evil corporations (which provide evil jobs, ya know!) to make sure Walker won. No mention as to Obama buying the election in 2008. Or Obama trying to buy the 2012 election. Let’s not forget that Obama was fund-raising in California while Democrats were losing in Wisconsin.

Read: The Fallout From Wisconsin Continues »

Did Romney Impersonate A Police Officer? Does He Annoy His LaJolla Neighbors?

These are two hilarious new lines of attack on Mitt Romney. Let’s start with idiocy from the NY Times, which provides an in-depth report about Romney expanding his home in California

ON Dunemere Drive, it seems as if just about everyone has a gripe against the owners of No. 311.

The elderly woman next door complains that her car is constantly boxed into her driveway. A few houses over, a gay couple grumbles that their beloved ocean views are in jeopardy. And down the street, a widow grouses that her children’s favorite dog-walking route has been disrupted.

Gotta love it. As Gay Patriot points out, the Times’ Michael Barbaro even searched for a gay couple to attempt to smear Romney. Then there’s this

So now, after overcoming the distrust of social conservatives and evangelical voters to clinch the Republican nomination, Mr. Romney must win over another constituency, one that his campaign team never anticipated, polled or targeted: disaffected neighbors.

It will not be easy. There are those who seem pleased by Mr. Romney’s presence here, which real estate agents have whispered could raise home values by 10 percent. “Personally, I’m glad it’s people who have a little bit of money and taste living there,” said Susan Coll, who lives three houses away.

A subtle dig that Romney is is uber rich and full of good taste, two things that apparently make him completely ineligible to be POTUS. Good thing he isn’t into Arugula and Wagyu steak, we might have to run him out of the country on the high speed rails. Gay Patriot further points out that the Times never seemed interested in Obama’s shady deal with Tony Rezco. Oh, and that “guy in the neighborhood”, unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers.

Let’s move on to the next one, which comes our way from The National Memo, via the Democratic Underground

When Mitt Romney was a college freshman, he told fellow residents of his Stanford University dormitory that he sometimes disguised himself as a police officer – a crime in many states, including Michigan and California, where he then lived. And he had the uniform on display as proof.

So recalls Robin Madden, who had also just arrived as a freshman, the startling incident began when Romney called him and two or three other residents into his room, saying, “Come up, I want to show you something.” When they entered Romney’s room, “and laid out on his bed was a Michigan State Trooper’s uniform.” (snip)

To some observers, Romney’s alleged masquerading as a cop to intimidate innocent drivers shows a character defect that is also revealed by other bullying incidents during his youth. When those incidents were disclosed in the Washington Post earlier this year, Romney issued an apology of sorts, stating that he had done “stupid” things and was sorry if he had harmed anyone.

Strangely, the Romney campaign blew off multiple requests for a response. How soon does this show up in the NY Times? When the DU pushed the notion that McCain was not eligible to be president due to being born in Panama in February 2008, the same thing showed up two weeks later in the Times. And then again in July 2008. Both stories were “just wondering”.

All the story has are a few people, but no actual proof. But, then, proof is never needed when attempting to smear a Republican. And, heck, sometimes they just make it up (see: Dan Rather. Mary Mapes. CBS News). Good thing Romney hasn’t admitted to doing coke and smoking marijuana, two serious violations of the law. If any candidate did that, they media would be all over them.

Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.

Read: Did Romney Impersonate A Police Officer? Does He Annoy His LaJolla Neighbors? »

Good News: Saxby Chambliss Demands Inquiry Into SWATing

A little late to this news, was doing that work thing. The office of Saxby Chambliss put out this statement

Today, U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder regarding recent reports that several conservative political commentators have been targeted with harassing and frightening actions. Chambliss demanded that Holder examine these cases to determine if federal laws have been violated.

These dangerous hoaxes, also known as “SWAT-ting,” occur when a perpetrator contacts local police to report a violent incident at a target’s home. These callers are believed to utilize voice-over IP (VOIP) and other less-traditional telecommunications methods to make the call appear to come from the target residence and to hide the caller’s true identity.

In response, a dispatcher sends a SWAT team or other police unit in a heightened state of readiness to the unsuspecting target’s residence. Targets only learn of these false reports when a large police presence descends upon their homes.

In the letter, Chambliss states that “Any potentially criminal action that incites fear, seeks to silence a dissenting opinion, and collaterally wastes the resources of law enforcement should be given close scrutiny at all levels… Regardless of any potential political differences that may exist, threats and intimidation have no place in our national political discourse. Those who choose to enter into that political discourse should not have to worry about potential threats to their or their family’s safety.”

Full text of the letter is available at the link. Good for him. I’m currently waiting for my Congress people, Richard Burr (R), Kay Hagan (D) and Brad Miller (D), but leaving Congress with the redistricting) to follow on.

The Jawa Report: Well at least this is a start. I know Eric, Nation of Cowards, Holder sux but at least this, hopefully, will gain more of our representatives attention as well as the silent MFM. Except for FNC who at least did a segment on Erick Erickson’s SWATting.

Dan Riehl mentions, as does Michelle Malkin. ABC News covers it. Excellent. Now it needs to make the national evening news.

The Other McCain mentions this, and also wonders if Brett Kimberlin was stalking BlogCon.

American Power has a long post on lots of Kimberlin info, and says “Keep the pressure on — it’s working!”

The Lonely Conservative: Let me add that Kimberlin’s targets aren’t all right-of-center. One of his first victims is a liberal blogger, you can read his story here.

Read: Good News: Saxby Chambliss Demands Inquiry Into SWATing »

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