Here is some more of the New Civility™.

Andre Carson (D-IL) on what he thinks the Tea Party wants.

One word for this, disgusting.

Its a theme we are seeing more of as liberal, Democrat policies are challenged.  The merits of policy are not being discussed, instead imaginary and ugly motives are being attributed to a particular political group.  More than anything else, this shows the desperation and lack of imagination on the part of the Democrats.  It also shows that persons who believe in such vile thoughts can and do get elected to Congress.  For that, the voters share the blame in perpetuating shameful behavior.

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In fact, failure can be a catalyst for success.

Consider the Apple Lisa…

It was a flop.

Did it stop Steve Jobs?

Nope.

Why?

He learned from his failures.

This attribute is why Apple is so successful (this coming from a Windows guy) and others like Xerox missed countless opportunities.  There is a social/economic/political angle to this too, which Nick Shultz touches on in the National Review.  The key takeaway is that failure happens and one does not need to fear it.  In fact, if people, companies, and politicans learn from failures, that knowledge can lead to great success in the future.  The last paragraph captures the essense of the article.

There’s a moral here for a Washington culture that fears failure too much. In today’s Washington, large banks aren’t permitted to fail; nor are large auto firms. Next up will be too-big-to-fail hospital systems. Steve Jobs is a reminder that failure is a good and necessary thing. And that sometimes the greatest glories are born of catastrophe.

The fact is, few remember the Lisa because the Macintosh, iPad, iPhone, iTunes, and a host of other successful devices followed.  Imagine if those same lessons could be applied in the political realm…

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The wheels on the bus go bumpbumpbump… 

First came word that ATF Acting Director Melson is shuffled off to a nice, safe desk job at the Dept. of Justice, and now we find out that U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona Dennis Burke is out the door as well. 

Looks like Attorney General Holder has decided who will be the cannon fodder placed in the way of the oncoming Congressional investigation into Operation Fast and Furious. 

If you work at the DOJ or ATF, fasten your seatbelts; you might be next under the bus.

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Hurricane Irene is again stirring interest in disaster preparedness, and as ExLg’s resident gun nut shooting sports enthusiast, I thought I’d do a quick rundown of what I have with me as my personal “go bag”. 

I’ve crafted a three-day kit for the unique needs of living in the Phoenix metro area, and the Paladin bag swallowed it whole. The purpose of all this stuff is two-fold: Get me home from work if a major social disturbance or disaster interrupts my normal commute, and something to take with me on trips outside of Phoenix that’ll keep me going for at least three days. And I like to have multiple copies of the same thing, if possible, following the idea of “two is one and one is none” in case one item gets lost or broken.

Some highlights:

– Hydration pouch 
– First Aid Kit
– Light sticks
– Paper+pencil (because pens explode and/or dry up)
– Compass
– Flashlights
– Knives
– Firestarter, matches
– Poncho
– Survival blankets
– Trauma Kit
– AM/FM Radio
– Batteries
– Signal mirror
– Water Filter
– Water Tablets
– Solar phone charger
– Solid Fuel Stove
– Metal cup for heating water
– Molefoam pads for sore feet
– Coffee. Yes, you can survive without coffee, but why?
– Extra ammo (9mm and 5.56m)

Some Arizona-specific items include a trowel, plastic sheet and tubing for building a solar still (Yes, I know, they’re not 100% effective, but in the desert, some water is better than none), goggles and a dust mask for dust storms, sunscreen and a big floppy hat. 

Yes, firearms are a part of my go-bag. I have a couple of small 9mm semiautos for concealed carry that will go with me if I have to leave, along with a lightweight AR-15 in case I need a rifle’s range and/or firepower. I don’t plan on needing them, but if I need them, I want to have them.

Everything fits inside a Paladin Go-Bag, and it’s fully up to the task of carrying all my gear, though I will say that the big interior pouch is hard to keep organized. A few mesh bags would be a good thing to have with this bag to keep all your little bits and pieces in one place.

And even better, it fits great inside the trunk of my car as well. 

What should be in your go-bag depends on your situation, your needs and where you live. 72 Hours . org is a great place to start, though, and has some common-sense tips for everyone to follow, not just paranoid right-wing gun nuts careful and cautious firearms enthusiasts like myself. 

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There is no reward for honesty, just more punishment.

Case in point, Standard & Poor’s (S&P).

Its bad enough that they are being investigated by the Federal Government after they downgraded American’s credit rating but now, they are going to be lead by the former COO of CitiBank.

You know, one of those “Too Big To Fail” institutions that got billions in taxpayer money not so long ago.

They got rid of their former CEO to make room for the new guy.  I am sure the debt rating downgrade had nothing to do with it. 

in America when you dare to tell the truth, your career is over, while if you are a corrupt, lying, incompetent tax evader you not only get to be Treasury Secretary but likely will be on for life as long as you do the one duty you are entrusted with: pander to the interests of the Too Big To Fail financial institutions.

Just remember this as you climb the corporate ladder.

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Kinky Friedman, Texas’ best-known mensch, endorses Rick Perry, his once-bitter political rival, for President. 

Boy howdy, does he endorse him. 

So would I support Rick Perry for president? Hell, yes! As the last nail that hasn’t been hammered down in this country, I agree with Rick that there are already too damn many laws, taxes, regulations, panels, committees, and bureaucrats. While Obama is busy putting the hyphen between “anal” and “retentive” Rick will be rolling up his sleeves and getting to work.

A still, small voice within keeps telling me that Rick Perry’s best day may yet be ahead of him, and so too, hopefully, will be America’s. 

Got git ’em, cowboy. 

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The New Civility™ is evident among our leaders.  Exhibit Z, Maxine Waters (D-CA) at the “Kitchen Table Summit” in Inglewood.  The fun starts at 1:48, watch for yourself.

What she is really saying is that leftists like her don’t like being challenged by limited government types. To them, the Tea Party represents an existential threat, thus the attack. Its not surprising, just disappointing for an ostensibly respectable member of the political class.

Tina Korbe over at Hot Air sums it up well when she writes.

In reality, even if the government could give a job to every single unemployed person in the country, that wouldn’t solve the true crisis our country faces: The crisis of personal responsibility and of looking to the government for solutions.

Its going to continue to get interesting.

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Isn’t it interesting to hear somebody on the left side of the aisle call her political opponents “enemies”  when she speaks.

I guess the New Civility™ does not apply to those who believe in Constitutional, limited government.

Just remember, she was elected by her constituents…

They must like a lady who owns a lot of hats.

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Let the punishment begin.

It seems that Standard and Poor’s (S&P) was naughty according to the Department of Justice.

I am sure this has nothing to do with their downgrading of the United States credit rating.

…oh, and I’m positive that the Community Reinvestment Act had nothing to do with the Financial Crisis either.

Move along, nothing to see here.

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Would you trust your economy and financial health of over three hundred million of citizens to the theories of this man?

If the past few years have demonstrated anything, many still do.

The worst part about it, they are the ones in power.

Sucks to be us.

What is becomming evident to most is that the revered theories of John Maynard Keynes don’t work in the long run.  Deficit spending, no matter which party is in control, can’t create wealth.  The debt remains though and continues to grow.  Stimulus packages, government “investment” in “shovel ready jobs”, and Bailouts have not solved the recession/depression that we find ourselves in.

I can’t say that I am surprised but what do I know, I’m just a Systems Analyst for a defense contractor.

But others who are both wiser and more eloquent than me have distilled the fantasy of Keynesianism into words that capture the essence of its flaws.  George Jonas over at the National Post writes that Keynes:

…was the father of the economic Ponzi scheme that has held sway in many parts of the world, and still does to a considerable extent. In essence, Keynesianism holds that it’s possible for a nation to spend itself into prosperity. It’s the economic equivalent of the type of diet that promises people that they can eat themselves into fighting trim.

Like so many appealing ideas from intellectuals, these concepts work well in theory.  The problem is when they are practiced for decades, the costs associated with these theories are borne by real people living in the real word.

And that’s a fact!

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