Annoyances | WmWms

NASA to help Muslim nations turn that frown upside down!

Annoyances, Current Events, Politics 9 Responses »

Jul 062010

President Obama recently directed NASA administrator Charles Bolden to “find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math, and engineering.”

This was “third, and perhaps foremost” in our president’s direction to Bolden.

Y’all got that in the cheap seats? The President of the United States has directed a storied and accomplished federal agency of science and discovery to concern itself with the self-esteem of the Middle East.

This is the first time I’ve wanted to parodize this administration and been at a loss.

What do you do with such? When the reality is the above, what in the world can you write that sounds ridiculous enough to generate a laugh? I thought about “reporting” that EPA envoys had been deployed to predominantly Muslim countries to pick up litter. Ha ha, right? Really? Given our president, is that so ridiculous-sounding? Hey, let’s dedicate USGS resources to making sure every household in the Middle East has a blue recycling bin! Let’s make the new State Department motto “Have a good day today, and pass it on!”

What a thoroughly disastrous experiment the Obama presidency has been. It’s just four months before we can (hopefully) hamstring him considerably at the ballot box. Then shortly after the midterms, he’ll have to start running for reelection. He’ll sound much like a 1979-80 President Carter, but with an order of magnitude more arrogance. Furthermore, now that it’s so abundantly clear that oratory is absolutely all there is to the guy, it ought to go considerably worse for him this time around.

I have the deepest hopes we shall swear in a grown-up on January 20, 2013.

On her 234th birthday, the United States of America remains exceptional

Annoyances, Current Events, History, Liberty, Politics 11 Responses »

Jul 042010

It was Saintseester‘s comment on Wonder Woman’s revised costume that put the term self-loathing (regarding some citizens of the United States and what they feel for their country) in ready space in my brain.

A lot of it caught my eye leading up to this Independence Day. We’re just another world citizen, so many would have you believe. So many truly horrible things have been perpetrated in the name of American greatness. We’ve all been lied to in the history books. The story of America is a story of continuous blood and shame, and thank goodness we, such an enlightened generation, are here to put things right.

(With one of their own in the White House, you know the tangible empowerment of their shame must be substantial.)

She’ll survive this latest barrage of guilt-ridden coffeehouse academic nonsense. After all, it’s clearly one of our esteemed president’s primary goals to diminish the standing of the United States in the world. How well is that working out, however many bows, apologies, and distortions later? Don’t you get the sense our allies are just patiently waiting Obama out now, confident the United States will survive him?

The United States remains the greatest country the world has ever known, and remains the world at large’s greatest friend. Her tale is not perfect. It is, however, a story of far greater good than evil. It is a story of liberty; of great things from small things; of empowerment of the oppressed. It is an ongoing story of hope.

For all of America’s problems, where would you rather be?

The United States of America is exceptional. She is mine. I am hers. I am proud.

Happy Independence Day.

Letting go of Mel Gibson

Jul 022010

Well, if even 10% of the latest is ultimately substantiated, then even the most rabid apologist must now dismiss Mel Gibson as the bad man he apparently is. I was a big fan of a lot of his work, and I held out longer than I should have. After his arrest four years ago, I [...]

An “ugly American” on online polemics

Annoyances, Language, Politics 4 Responses »

Jun 302010

I spent just over 13 years on Usenet, and it was a good time. Learned a lot. Laughed a lot. Most germanely to what I want to talk about in this post, my skin got really, really thick. It’s almost impossible to genuinely offend me online. When you’re a veteran of multiple month-long flame wars, [...]

“Our borders are quite secure, thank you.” Pete Stark (D-CA)

Annoyances, Politics 6 Responses »

Jun 292010

Congressman Pete Stark had that to say at a town hall meeting this past Saturday. Clearly, he hasn’t heard about the 3,500 acres in southern Arizona we essentially ceded to Mexico four years ago because it’s too violent. I’m also guessing he missed Robert Krentz’s funeral. He didn’t stop there. His sustained ridicule of his [...]