John McCain, destroyer of life and airplanes, said, “… I have never seen anything as disgraceful and as outrageous and as despicable as…” the demonstration by Code Pink anti-war demonstrators.

Code Pink members chanted “Arrest Henry Kissinger for war crimes” as the former secretary of State walked into the Armed Services Committee hearing chaired by McCain. The hearing featured testimony from Kissinger, George Shultz and Madeleine Albright, all former secretaries of State, on global challenges and U.S. national security strategy.

McCain snarled, “Get out of here, you low-life scum.”

To shed some light on the opinions of decent patriots who wish people like Kissinger and McCain would convert to a pro-life stance, listen to Kissinger:

“Military men are just dumb stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy.”

No Mr. McCain, wishing death and destruction on American servicemen is not patriotic. It is the opposite.

This was a letter to the editor in the War Street Journal responding to an editorial about Obombya’s push to tax the rich to aid the middle class. I thought this lady hit the nail on the head:

Dear Editor,

I am a stay-at-home, home-schooling mother of five. Though we relieve the public schools of five charges, we still are heavily taxed for them. Though I am not paid to teach, we fund the salary of others’ teachers. Though we pay for our own lessons, sports and books, our taxes pay for those for others. Though we require no day care, we are taxed to subsidize others’ day care. Though we feed our own children, we pay for others’ school lunches.

To afford all of these obligatory donations, my husband works two jobs. And now President Obama asks us to carry more of a tax load so that working mothers can be relieved of some taxes, while we help educate their children. And this is “fairness”?

Kay Buccola

Kenmore, Wash.

Now the latest fashion is no makeup. Or as revealed in the press, makeup that makes you look like you aren’t wearing makeup.

This makes me so happy. After years of seeing women trying to conceal themselves, could it be they are accepting God’s gift? Long ago I chalked it up to the idea they feel better in makeup. Feeling better is a worthy goal, But I still think women look better fully exposed. A smile or attitude have way more to do with how a woman looks anyway. A plaster of chemicals can’t hide a scowl very well. And what if it gets on the upholstery? Are there special chemicals available that can get them out. Is that why there are vitamin D pills now? Because the sun never reaches them?

I hope the new market for chemicals (makeup) that makes women look like they have no makeup will evolve into a true movement toward no makeup at all. Maybe they can feel better if they move to Colorado or Washington and save the money and time spent on applying makeup.

Nebraska and Oklahoma are suing Colorado for enabling more marijuana to cross into their states. I have never seen the War Street Journal publish such a long discussion in their letters section. I’m not going to copy the article or letters here because it is not about the details, as I state in my letter:

Dear Editor,

Regarding the Nebraska and Oklahoma suits against Colorado for enabling the marijuana trade and the letters that followed; a larger point is being missed. The war on drugs is a small but indicative part of a nanny-state that serves to make Americans more dependent on government. And if there is one overarching concern for our future as a nation, that is it.

Elliott Millenson in his letter, January 20, says the FDA and CDC have ignored their obligation to protect the public’s health. Mike Scardina in his letter, January 24/25 wishes for funding for researching beneficial uses of cannabis.

The government, in assuming an obligation to keep us healthy or research any product, adds to the the transfer of responsibility from individuals to the collective.

In the case of the war on drugs, the devil is not in the details, but is languishing in them. A discussion of the overall reason for the existence of government should negate these minor squabbles.

Love, Fritz

From My friend, Butler Shaffer at LewRockwell.com:

So, President Obama wants to provide “free” tuition for community college students. I have never understood the logic of those who want the state to provide “free” goods/services to people, but then limit the “gift” to only a narrow class of recipients or subject-matter. If the system really works, and no one has to pay for it – the essence of being “free,” right? – why don’t they go all the way and provide “free” housing, “free” cars, “free” clothing, “free” food, “free” . . . well, whatever anyone might desire? It’s like the cheap-skates who want to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Why not $1,000 an hour, or $1,000 a minute? Nobody is hurt by minimum wage laws, right?; and everyone benefits, right? So why hold back? Perhaps a new political party could emerge, whose theme song could be the old refrain “we want what we want when we want it!” It would certainly appeal to the boobeoisie, members of the mainstream media, much of academia, and others who accept the logic underlying lesser grants of state-goodies.

Sarah Brightman Arrives in Russia, Preparing for Space Journey – (FT)
English classical crossover soprano and songwriter, Sarah Brightman, wants to see stars up close and personal. According to reports, ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ singer will start training for her September Flight to the international Space Station (ISS).
Editor : David JACKMAN
Category : SCIENCE
19 January 2015 / Monday 20:28:35

From Full-time Whistle

After a delay due to family illness, British singer Sarah Brightman began months of preparation on Monday at Russia’s Star City cosmonaut training center for a 10-day, $52 million trip to the International Space Station.

The 54-year-old soprano, best known for her role in “The Phantom of the Opera,” was originally slated to start training for her October flight last week, but Russian space official Alexey Krasnov told the Itar-Tass news service that the initial sessions were postponed due to “family reasons.” Brightman reportedly paid a visit to her ailing mother in Britain. Earlier reports suggested that the singer herself had caught a cold.

Itar-Tass quoted the training center’s press service as saying Brightman plans to “sing onboard the station to the accompaniment of an orchestra on Earth” during her space trip. Brightman’s backup, Japanese entrepreneur Satoshi Takamatsu, is in Russia for training as well. Just don’t expect him to hit the high notes in “Music of the Night” if Brightman has to bow out.

British singer Sarah Brightman speaks during a news conference Monday at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, outside Moscow. Brightman is expected to fly to the International Space Station in a Soyuz spacecraft with Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov and Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen in October.

This guy looks like Ringo’s brother but doesn’t sing like him.

I never thought this would happen. We went shopping for a truck camper.

Two of our kids live in Los Angeles and Dawn has two brothers in South Carolina. They deserve for us to make an effort to visit. They’ve done the same for us many times and it is always the best of times when we get together.

Having self-respect does not go well with flying these days. Since my appropriate reaction to being treated like a criminal in the airport would make me become one, that leaves two other options; motels or a camper. They really try at the motels. But in order to compete in a world of over-regulated waste, they’ve been cheapened to the point that a refrigerator box competes far too well.

Doing my usual online research, I found the one truck camper with no negative reviews is made in Cedar Falls and was founded in 1955. Holy cow! There is a lot of good stuff in Iowa. On our tour of Northstar we saw several campers being built to export to Argentina. One was a totally self-contained unit to fit an Amarok, a Volkswagen mini pickup with a diesel engine. Another one was for a Ford F-250. Rex, our host, told us there are F-250s in Argentina that have four cylinder Cummins engines that get thirty miles per gallon and have plenty of power.

I want one. But no, in the land of the free we cannot import an American truck that gets twice the mileage as the ones available here. There is something totally messed up with this picture. We are constantly reminded of the sacrifices made to ensure our freedom, while all they’ve ensured is an illusion of freedom. You doubt that? If a slave in nineteenth century America had any percentage of his time to be with family or asleep, wouldn’t he still be a slave? If we work all week and half that week is spent working to finance windmills, political junkets and aid to dictators, aren’t we slaves? The percentages are different but the effect is the same.

It is not necessary for the good of society that we tolerate and preserve slavery. Windmills, political junkets and aid to dictators produce wasted resources and political blow-back. Speaking of politics, how low would the price of oil go if all the cars in the United States got over 30% better mileage? How much capital would be available for uses other than just getting around, such as doctor visits and food? Ever wonder why a fuel that is safer, cheaper to produce, and more efficient costs seventy-five cents more per gallon?

In fact, it is good for society to eliminate slavery. Eliminate subsidies of any kind. There has been a big hoopla over rural access to broadband internet lately. You don’t suppose that might involve a subsidy, do you? Being an Exceed Satellite user, I have done a little research into this because our internet is flawless until a very thick thunderhead is briefly overhead. A red flag went up when the President voiced concern about broadband access and it went up higher when Governor Branstad made it an issue in his State of the State address. Branstad isn’t exactly what you’d call pro-freedom, except for his cronies.

Amanda Ragan, our State Senator was kind enough to try to justify state involvement in internet service to me. Unfortunately, none of it made sense.

First was the claim that satellite internet was not available in all areas of the state. That could only be if the dish was under a tree or behind a building. It is important to read the directions. She stated the amazing fact that 47% of Iowans can access broadband at 50 megabytes per second. Ours is around 14 and we can stream content anytime without pausing. It didn’t take the state to bring us that. She says that many businesses, low-income, rural and senior citizens are not utilizing high speed internet. This is not evidence that the state needs to “do something.” It must be because everyone doesn’t choose to utilize it. Most online business can be conducted without high speed internet anyway. The ones who need it should pay for it themselves.

As I sit here wishing in vain we could get 30 mpg on a trip to Charleston, I look at the back of my wife’s printer. It says, “Brother Industries (Vietnam) LTD.” Just think if we could have just traded freely with the Vietnamese instead of using the power of government to kill them because they preferred a different economic system from our own. Just think if we were allowed to buy fuel efficient vehicles to use to visit our loved ones. Just think if we could fly while being “secure in our persons” as should be the case according to Amendment 4. Just think if the government would just butt out, how all those low-income, rural and senior citizens would be able to afford high speed internet if they want it.

As I write this, it is the morning of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The post office is closed today. When the internet is taken under government control in the name of “net neutrality” will we be prevented from using email on government holidays? Nah, everything else they control is working fine, at least for political supporters.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/16/supreme-court-gay-marriage_n_6439926.html

How about the Supreme Court take up the question of why the government has anything to do with marriage?