This Week On The Gathering Storm

(This post is a weekly announcement. Please scroll down for other material)

Listen to The Gathering Storm Radio Show, hosted by WC and Always On Watch. The show broadcasts live every Friday beginning at noon, Pacific Time, for 30 minutes.

Egypt's Direction: Time Will Tell

Rather than add to all the verbiage about recent events in Egypt and the ousting of Mubarak, I submit the following graphics:

Valentine's Day 2011

(If you must have politics, please scroll down. I have two posts for today)

New love is beautiful, seasoned love even more so — as Mr. AOW and I have discovered after more than thirty-eight years of marriage, even as we endure the many limitations forced upon us by Mr. AOW's brain hemorrhage of September 15, 2009.

According to this source, our discovery about seasoned love is not merely wishful thinking on our part:

The Muslim Brotherhood And CPAC

Lifted from Infidel Bloggers Alliance and presented without comment from me as the information speaks for itself:

The New World Order At NASA

From Maggie's Notebook:

What is with this government? Every day there is another slur on American Culture, American Values. This time the agency is NASA. Instead of naming a new rocket after an American Hero or a victim of the 9/11 attacks, they have decided to name the rocket after an Egyptian...Woman killed in the riots.

Read the news link HERE. Excerpt:

The Character Of Obama

Talk about an egomaniac and a cheapskate!

Check out Obama's parting gifts to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs (excerpt from from Ace of Spades, photo from Weasel Zippers):

Pat Condell On Multiculturalism

Pat Condell responds to David Cameron's recent statement on the failure of multiculturalism:


Will American heed the warning coming from multiple sources, including the voices of Angela Merkel of Germany and Nicholas Sarkozy of France — in addition to the voice of David Cameron of the UK?

Obama's Masters

Story HERE.

Graphic below the fold.

Zero Tolerance, Infinite Idiocy

Recently, Spotsylvania High School, located in Virginia, expelled Andrew Mikel II, honor student and Junior ROTC cadet, for what amounts to using a peashooter on school grounds. The boy was also charged with three misdemeanor counts.

The photo at the left shows the "weapon": plastic pellets and a pen tube.

According to this article in the Washington Post:

This Week On The Gathering Storm

(This post is a weekly announcement. Please scroll down for other material)

Listen to The Gathering Storm Radio Show, hosted by WC and Always On Watch. The show broadcasts live every Friday beginning at noon, Pacific Time.

Redistribute The Wealth

Watch the video below the fold (hat tip to Weasel Zippers):

The EPA Classifies Milk As Oil?

Absolute madness!

You can't make up such surreal and ludicrous bureaucratic policies.

From this essay by Thomas Sowell:

Celebrate The Ronald Reagan Centennial

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004).


Mike's America is holding a celebration of the date: "Happy 100th Birthday Ronald Reagan."


Also see this essay over at Reaganite Republican: "Ronald Reagan @ 100: Portrait in Courage."


For this Super Bowl XLV:



Also from Reaganite Republican, check out these top 25 Ronald Reagan quotes:

Weekend Humor

(Note: If you must have politics, please scroll down)

With a hat tip to Teresamerica, the following break from politics should make you smile:

Chihuahua Playing Pool - watch more funny videos

Another video below the fold.

Ayn Rand On Altruism

One of my American Government students is reading Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, which includes a series of essays by Ayn Rand, developer of the philosophy known as objectivism and perhaps most famous for the novel Atlas Shrugged. My student will shortly be reporting to the class about the book.

In preparation for my student's presentation, I watched the award-nominated documentary Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life, which included a portion of the video clip below (1979):


Start paying keen attention around time marker 3:37. Around time marker 4:15, Ayn Rand says, "Every dictatorship is based on altruism," i.e., selflessness and self-sacrifice. Later in the video, Ayn Rand and Phil Donahue discuss the oil companies and monopolies.

Find the rest of this five-part interview in the sidebar at YouTube.

This Week On The Gathering Storm: Nonie Darwish

(This post is a weekly announcement. Please scroll down for other material)

Listen to The Gathering Storm Radio Show, hosted by WC and Always On Watch. The show broadcasts live every Friday beginning at noon, Pacific Time.

The call-in number is 646-915-9870.

Callers welcome!




Our scheduled guest this week is Nonie Darwish.

Listen to the February 4, 2011 edition of The Gathering Storm Radio Show, live or later, by CLICKING HERE.

Internet Service Restored At Last!

Service was restored as of late this afternoon — after some four days of no access to the web as well as no phone service.

Another ice storm with freezing rain is moving toward the D.C. area.

At the moment, the weatherman is predicting that we won't receive a direct hit tonight and tomorrow as temperatures are supposed to be above freezing tomorrow morning.

Strong winds are predicted, however, so who knows if the lines will come down again? **sigh**

The Obamas' Food Hypocrisy

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others" (George Orwell's Animal Farm).


See this photo essay at The Malcontent.

Snowed In! (Bumped Toward The Top By AOW)

(originally posted on 01/28/2011)

Mr and Mrs AOW, are snowed in at the present time. Ice has pulled down the power lines and they are without power, Internet and land line telephone. They do not expect power to be restored until Tuesday.

Warren

Correction: Mr & Mrs AOW have electricity, just not Internet or telephone service. Sorry for the confusion.

Warren

Note from AOW on 01/30/2011: I am accessing the web at the public library today, but only briefly: the library limits me to 30 minutes of access if others are waiting in line to use the computers. A few posts may auto-publish below this notice. I'm still not officially back or able to access the web at my whim. Furthermore, more bad weather is scheduled to move into the D.C. area, so restoration of my Internet access and landline may be delayed. **sigh**

Video: Greatest Moments in Liberal History

The wry truth:

25 Years Ago Today

On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after launch.

President Ronald Reagan's eloquent address to our nation:

This Week On The Gathering Storm

(This post is a weekly announcement. Please scroll down for other material)

Listen to The Gathering Storm Radio Show, hosted by WC and Always On Watch. The show broadcasts live every Friday beginning at noon, Pacific Time.

The call-in number is 646-915-9870.

Callers welcome!

Our scheduled guest this week is Allan Goldstein.

Quote Of The Day

Hat tip to Bob Mack for bringing to my attention this essay by Ann Coulter, who commented as follows on Obama's 2011 State of the Union Address:

Obama said, "We are the nation that put cars in driveways and computers in offices; the nation of Edison and the Wright brothers; of Google and Facebook."

And then the government outlawed Edison's great invention, made the Wright brothers' air travel insufferable, filed anti-trust charges against Microsoft and made cars too expensive to drive by prohibiting oil exploration, and right now -- at this very minute -- is desperately trying to regulate the Internet.

Bob also posted a link to this post over at Gateway Pundit: "US Communist Leader Urges Unification With Democratic Party."

A personal note below the fold:

Which Tax Breaks? Which Loopholes?

From Obama's 2011 State of the Union Address:

The bipartisan Fiscal Commission I created last year made this crystal clear. I don’t agree with all their proposals, but they made important progress. And their conclusion is that the only way to tackle our deficit is to cut excessive spending wherever we find it – in domestic spending, defense spending, health care spending, and spending through tax breaks and loopholes.

Underlying assumption: We in the government ALLOW you, the taxpayer who should have a right to the fruits of his labors, to keep a portion of the money you worked for.

This assumption is contrary to the philosophy of our Founders and the intent of our Constitution.

Additionally, see this from the Associated Press: "FACT CHECK: Obama and his imbalanced ledger."

"The Over-Promiser-In-Chief"

Some reading for tonight's State of the Union Address or, if you prefer, in lieu of listening to the speech.

Obama Invokes Ronald Reagan

Desperation just before the State of the Union Address? More revisionist history? Typical Leftist hypocrisy? In the final paragraph, Obama states:

On My Last Nerve

Obama's public-speaking skills, that is: "goin'" and "guhnna build stuff and invent stuff" (hat tip to Randy's Roundtable):

Appalling Ignorance

The word "surreal" doesn't even begin to describe what one Congressman from Georgia said.

Even Celebrity Status Doesn't Break Through The Whitewash Of Islam

Not even when the victim of an Islamic-honor attack is Harry Potter's classmate.

From Jihad Watch, citing the Telegraph:

Proofread, Please!

As a teacher of composition, I am always urging my students to proofread their work.

The White House could learn a lesson in that regard (hat tip to Cube):


Big Journalism comments:

Ron Reagan, Jr.

Ron Reagan's recently published book My Father At 100: A Memoir suggests that President Ronald Reagan was afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease while still in office — as early as three years into his first term as President.

What the mainstream media are omitting from their mention of the book is the following, indicating that (1) no conspiracy existed to cover up the President's alleged incapacity to govern and (2) President Reagan likely would have voluntarily left office if he had believed that his thinking processes were compromised by dementia:

"I've seen no evidence that my father (or anyone else) was aware of his medical condition while he was in office. Had the diagnosis been made in, say 1987, would he have stepped down? I believe he would have...

Read more of the book review in U.S News HERE. In my view, the portion about Ronald Reagan's having brain surgery revealing signs of Alzheimer's in 1989 does not contribute to Ron Reagan's credibility.

Also, please read Michael Reagan's response to his half-brother's book HERE. Not unexpectedly, Michael Reagan, whose book The New Reagan Revolution is due for release on February 6, is speaking out against Ron Reagan and his book.

As far as I can tell right now from the few available excerpts of Ron Reagan's book, the mainstream media are selecting statements out of context from that book so as to denigrate the memory and the accomplishments of President Ronald Reagan. Therefore, I have reserved a library copy of My Father At 100: A Memoir and will read the book for myself. Although I don't like Ron Reagan, Jr., I know of no way to judge what he has written other than to read his book and check his statements against the available facts from other sources. I've also reserved a copy of Michael Reagan's The New Reagan Revolution.

Iced In!

(image below from the Internet)

I won't be venturing out until a bit of a thaw arrives later today. No way can I get down that wheelchair ramp and to the car without falling!

Meanwhile, may the power stay on.

This Week On The Gathering Storm

(This post is a weekly announcement. Please scroll down for other material)

Listen to The Gathering Storm Radio Show, hosted by WC and Always On Watch. The show broadcasts live every Friday beginning at noon, Pacific Time.

The call-in number is 646-915-9870.

Callers welcome!

Our scheduled guest this week is Midnight Rider.

Update On Mr. AOW

(For any readers who may not know, Mr. AOW had a devastating brain hemorrhage on September 15, 2009, and has been struggling to recover since that date, with me as his caregiver. Previous updates are HERE and HERE, the latter at my former site)

Although Mr. AOW can manage several steps with his quad cane and AFO brace, getting around remains the biggest issue interfering with his enjoyment of life. He cannot effectively use a walker because his left arm and left hand have not shown significant improvement and remain functionally useless.

We obtained this scooter for next to nothing when a former client's elderly father passed away unexpectedly. We are so grateful that my former client thought of us when he was disposing of this father's possessions.

Mr. AOW does need to learn some specialized driving skills for this scooter, however.

Memorial Service As Political Pep Rally

Since when are souvenir shirts with a political theme distributed at a memorial service? The picture and a little bit of research tell the tale.

From the Canada Free Press (hat tip to Cube):

The Damage Done

The blame game sparked by the murderous shooting spree on the part of Jared Lee Loughner is starting to fade at the same time that confirmed information about Loughner reaches the mainstream media.

Even more interesting to me, some of this confirmed information appears on the front page of print editions as shown in the following excerpt from the Thursday, January 13, 2011 edition of the Washington Post:

Lessons To Draw From Jared Lee Loughner (Video Update)

From Investor's Business Daily (Click directly on the image to enlarge it):


More truth that the mainstream media and other leftist loons will choose to ignore, no doubt.

-----------------

Video update (hat tip to Mike's America):

This Way Lies Madness

The Left's grasping of opportunism is mind-boggling (first example below the fold) and disgusting (second example below the fold).

This Week On The Gathering Storm

(This post is a weekly announcement. Please scroll down for other postings)

Listen to The Gathering Storm Radio Show, hosted by WC and Always On Watch. The show broadcasts live every Friday beginning at noon, Pacific Time.

The call-in number is 646-915-9870.

Callers welcome!

Our scheduled guest this week is Pastorius.

Sarah Palin's Crosshairs (With Addendum)

I don't care what Jane Fonda has said, i.e., that Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, and the Tea Party Movement are to blame for yesterday's shootings in Tucson.

That map of crosshairs is going to be problematic now as Americans have gut reactions to Jared Loughner's murderous shooting spree in Tucson — never mind Palin's actual intentions with the map and never mind that, as far as we know at this point, Loughner was not a member of the Tea Party Movement.

Last spring, Congresswoman Giffords expressed concern about that map of crosshairs targeting certain Democrats for defeat in November 2010. The video of the congresswoman's comments is eerie now:

Nancy Pelosi Hands Over The Gavel

Hat tip to Mike's America for the following satiric video and commentary:

The China Bubble

Ghost towns in China? Apparently so. Note this photo of Zhengzhou New District. The photo shows huge and numerous public buildings that have never been used (Click directly on the image to enlarge it):


From Dinocrat.com, via THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS:

Grammar Error As Legal Loophole

The Virginia state statute regarding stopping for a school bus loading and offloading passengers reads as follows (in part):

"A person is guilty of reckless driving who fails to stop, when approaching from any direction, any school bus which is stopped on any highway, private, road, or school driveway...

Do you see the error? Video and link to the article are in the continuation of this post.

This Week On The Gathering Storm

(This post is a weekly announcement. Please scroll down for other postings)

Listen to The Gathering Storm Radio Show, hosted by WC and Always On Watch. The show broadcasts live every Friday beginning at noon, Pacific Time.

The call-in number is 646-915-9870.

Callers welcome!

Our scheduled guest this week is Mark Alexander, author of The Dawning of a New Dark Age.

Recommended Reading

See "Obama’s Coup D’état" over at Be Sure You're RIGHT, Then Go Ahead. Excerpt (conclusion):

The Original Rosie The Riveter

[above image from the Chicago Tribune]
One of the many who left us in 2010, Geraldine Doyle didn't profit financially from her fame although she did sign Rosie posters as long as she was able to do so.

From MSNBC:

Happy New Year! (With Addendum)

I have no desire to rehash political or personal aspects of 2010.

Therefore, I give you, my readers, this rather bland New Year's post. Although only symbolic, the turn of the calendar's page to 2011 comes as a relief to the AOW household.

In these words of Tennyson (selectively edited to suit my own views and my own life situation — never mind the breaking of meter and rhyme):

A Failed Congress

Epic fail.

In so many ways.

Failures that will impact each of us and will be passed on to our posterity. See THIS at Gateway Pundit for more about the 111th Congress.

Nevertheless, Democrats in the House of Representatives have bragged about all the accomplishments of the 111th Congress.

The mainstream media also have done their fair share of bragging about the 111th Congress, as shown in the video below the fold (hat tip to The Lonely Conservative):

This Week On The Gathering Storm

(This post is a weekly announcement. Please scroll down for other postings)

Listen to The Gathering Storm Radio Show, hosted by WC and Always On Watch. The show broadcasts live every Friday beginning at noon, Pacific Time.

The call-in number is 646-915-9870.

Callers welcome!

Our scheduled guest this week is "Warchick" Resa LaRu Kirkland.

Willis Has Come Home!

As regular readers here know, Mr. AOW and I have cats. But we love dogs too!

On Christmas Day, the Washington Post ran this story of Willis, the Clumber Spaniel who made it home for Christmas.


If you enjoy reading stories with happy endings, this story is for you.


Read an excerpt in the continuation of this post:

Poll: Useful Idiot Of The Year

Vote HERE at Matt's site, Conservative Hideout 2.0.



Note: Please scroll down. I did manage to post on the day after Christmas.

Sweden's Christmas Ice Pigs Attacked

Why are Moslems forever outraged by pork and images of pigs? After all, nobody in Sweden was forcing Moslems there to eat pork, especially as these particular manifestations of pork are made out of ice.

From Vlad Tepes, citing a comment from the Tundra Tabloids:

Merry Christmas!

My favorite chorus from Handel's Messiah:



Wishing all my readers a Blessed Christmas.

I hope that you will join me in taking a brief break from politics during this Holy Time when our Lord became Flesh and the Word Incarnate came to a lowly stable so as fulfill the many prophecies of Redemption.

I also ask you take time to read Warren's essay "A Christmas Visitor." If only we could live this spirit of giving all the year round!

A Humorous Version Of Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus"

(I will be posting several musical interludes over the Christmas Holy Days. If you must have politics, scroll down to read posts of that nature — several posts down as I will not be posting about politics until after Christmas)

With a hat tip to GM's Place and guaranteed to make you smile!

Musical Interlude

(I will be posting several musical interludes over the Christmas Holy Days. If you must have politics, scroll down to read posts of that nature — several posts down as I will not be posting about politics until after Christmas)

Hat tip to Maggie's Notebook:

Christmas Carol Puzzle

(If you must have politics, please scroll down to today's two political posts: "24/7, 364 Days A Year?" and "Sticks and Stones")

With a hat tip to Mike's America....

Click directly on the image to enlarge it. Enjoy!



Find the answers in the continuation of this post.

24/7, 364 Days A Year?

So says Janet Napolitano with regard to how hard the DHS is working to keep us safe:



Idiot.

She's getting paid waaaay too much.

Note to readers: Another post today below this one.

Sticks And Stones

One version of the words to that little nursery rhyme:

Sticks and stones
May break my bones
But words will never hurt me.

Apparently, even the mere mention of the word "ham" during a geography lesson can offend Moslems.

You can't make this stuff up.

From "Spain: Muslims sue teacher for speaking about ham in class" at Tea And Politics:

Will The Islamic World Freak Out Tonight?

(Note: Two posts today. Please scroll down)


There will be a total eclipse of the moon in the wee hours of Tuesday, December 21, over much of the West.

Constitution Classes For Congress

Interesting concept:

When the 112th Congress convenes next year, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann’s Tea Pary Caucus will get a crash course on the constitutional separation of powers by Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia...in late January.

Bachmann spokesman Doug Sachtelben says the educational series is a response to conservatives’ calls for a return to constitutional principles in governing.

Video:

Musical Interlude

(I will be posting several musical interludes during this Christmas season. If you must have politics, scroll down to read posts of that nature)

Enjoy this version by Dean Martin (1966):

Pat Condell: Goodbye Sweden

The dire warning here, of course, applies to the entire dhimmified West:

Cradle To Grave?

(Hat tip to Leticia, who gave me the idea for this posting)

These words from Michelle Obama on Monday, December 13, 2010, should sound the alarm for parents.

Parents won't heed that alarm, however, because so many Americans have bought into the idea of the education arm of the Nanny State as the protector their children's health:

Musical Interlude

(I will be posting several musical interludes over the Christmas Holy Days. If you must have politics, scroll down to read posts of that nature)

Hat tip to Nice Deb:



The words in English:

Those Inefficient TSA Scanners

If the information below the fold is correct, this post will not be a comforting one, particularly if one is planning to travel by air during the busy Christmas holidays.

Furthermore, Americans are apparently unwilling to take a stand against the TSA. Rather, we are willing to sacrifice both our rights to our own body space and our personal safety in exchange for convenience of travel.

This Week On The Gathering Storm

(This post is a weekly announcement. Please scroll down for other postings)

Listen to The Gathering Storm Radio Show, hosted by WC and Always On Watch. The show broadcasts live every Friday beginning at noon, Pacific Time.

The call-in number is 646-915-9870.

Callers welcome!

Our scheduled guest this week is Midnight Rider.

Obama's Disappearing Acts

Why does Obama dash out of meetings?

The most recent such episode:

To My Faithful Readers

Thanks to GM Roper for the above graphic. I admired the Holy Days graphic at his blog, and, good friend that GM is, he made a custom graphic for me.

If you must have politics this weekend, please scroll down.

Is ObamaCare Unraveling?

With a hat tip to Infidel Bloggers Alliance:



Meanwhile...

Video: Meet The Liberal Elite

Hat tip to Nice Deb:

This Week On The Gathering Storm

(This post is a weekly announcement. Please scroll down for other postings)

Listen to The Gathering Storm Radio Show, hosted by WC and Always On Watch. The show broadcasts live every Friday beginning at noon, Pacific Time.

The call-in number is 646-915-9870.

Callers welcome!

Our scheduled guest this week is IQ al Rassooli.

Beyond Absurd

(Hat tip to Infidel Bloggers Alliance for the link below)

The ever-growing and ever-expanding nanny state is putting a stop to certain school bake sales.

Just when one thinks the Obama administration cannot get any more absurd or intrude more into our personal lives, something like this (dated December 3, 2010) comes along (Associated Press):

December 7, 1941

Video below the fold (hat tip to Patriot's Corner):

The Power Of Film

Hat tip to Jihad Watch:

Check out the trailer and the film's posters in the continuation of this post. This new Turkish film apparently emphasizes "America's paranoia with the Islamic world after 9/11."

Enhanced Security: It's Not Just For The Airports

Last week, I asked "What Next From The Department Of Homeland Security?"

Here's the next step:



Yes, indeed. It appears that the TSA is expanding those searches:

Terrorizing innocent travelers at airports is simply not enough for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The agency recently tested a new program known as VIPER (Visual Intermodal Protection and Response) which involved placing Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials at Greyhound bus stations in Tampa to pat down and grope ground travelers....

More at the above link.

The Obama administration has forced America into crisis management mode, all in the name of national security:

Crisis management has become a defining feature of contemporary governance.

What we now have with the TSA is the following, advocated by Rahm Emanuel quite a while back:



Jonah Golberg on the Obama administration back in March 2009:

...Recall that not long ago, the first item on the bill of indictment against the Bush administration was that it was "exploiting" 9/11 to enact its agenda....

[...]

When a liberal administration does it [exploits a crisis, i.e., the threat of Islamic terrorism], it's taking advantage of a historic opportunity....

The Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration are not making us any safer, and the measures cost billions of dollars (A must-read essay!). So what are the DHS and the TSA accomplishing? They are conditioning us to intrusive searches.

And Americans, thus far, are willing to trade their rights for convenience, that is, the ability to travel via public carriers.

What next? Enhanced security, electronic and hands-on, at the toll plazas? At the ramps to interstate highways? At our large shoppings malls? Where else?

Al Qaeda has won: "Death by a thousand cuts" in so many ways.

Goodbye To My Dearest Aunt

Today, I will be attending the burial of the cremains of my dearest aunt, who passed away at the age of 94 on the night of November 23 at her home, the basement apartment in her granddaughter's house. My cousin, her granddaughter and ever blunt of speech, was sitting with my aunt at the moment of passing: "Two deep breaths and off she went." Hospice had seen to it that she left this earth peacefully.

This morning, my aunt will be laid to rest in a cemetery plot which already holds her husband and her only son.