That Symbol Gets Around

Apparently we're not the only one that thinks it has found fertile soil in the US.

U/T: Western Rifle Shooters

WWZ Review: BigFurHat

 IOTW's BigFurHat offers his take on the latest blockbuster movie.  He includes spoilers in his review and commentary, so beware.  We've stripped the spoilers out of this section of his review:

What I like about this 2 star movie is that it really was a metaphor for progressivism.

I had fun watching the movie in that light.

-The movie opens with dirtbags suddenly occupying and wreaking havoc on a major city. They caused misery and had no coherent message or common cause other than they were parasitic a-holes who sucked away productive citizen’s vital resources and made the city a mess.

---

-When there were no hosts to exploit the zombies were largely motionless (in other words, on their couches with Hot Pockets.)

-It took a lot of effort and resources, but eventually the productive citizens beat down the parasites and society stabilized and thrived once again.

You know what? I changed my mind. I give this movie 5 stars.

We too saw the parasitic analogies to Liberals Progressives Communists in the movie.

We also saw something that most probably missed.  B-Wing in the WHO facility was where the dormant zombies were.  They had no stimulus (live humans) so they stood around. 

We come from an Information Technology background and it took 2.3 nanoseconds to conclude that the WHO organization's IT group was located in the B-Wing.  In fact, only the open wounds were evidence that anything had happened in B-Wing.

We give the movie two thumbs up.  Brad Pitt always delivers. 

One major criticism with the story and author, not the movie:  The UN does not solve any problems.  The UN exists for one reason: international redistribution from Western nations.

So it isn't just parasitic liberals and occupy-types this movie portrays.  It is also your average corporate (or government) IT group. 

Which reminds me, it is about time to watch the documentary about myself - Office Space.

Film Racing - Where the Talent Is

Ever heard of Film Racing?

It is a group that goes around the country and gathers small teams of filming wannabes for contests.

They set several rules and the teams have 24 hours to produce a 4-minute movie that meets the rules.

Not just video, but a plot, a title, a soundtrack, special effects, dialogue, quality acting and film editing.  That makes for a very fast 24 hours.

We attended their event in Hollywood CA back in 2007.  Of course the talent in that zip code is already off the charts.  It was as entertaining as it was intimidating.

Film Racing has just posted some of their latest videos, and we're posting some of our favorites here.  Be sure to click over to their website, and their YouTube channel to see more!

We recommend clicking the full screen for these.

The rules for this contest, which they were given at the beginning of the 24-hour period:
1) A Prop: Include an egg,
2) An Action: Crumple paper, and
3) A Theme: Time Travel.

Enjoy!

Public Education - A Celebrity's Opinion

We are reading one of the funniest books ever: Adam Carolla's Not Taco Bell Material.

Mostly apolitical, but he does have some strong opinions about government programs.  Such as public school.  His memory of attending North Hollywood High School:

As far as North Hollywood High goes, don't let the word 'Hollywood' confuse you.  It was mostly working-class whites and Latinos from the Valley, with a dusting of Jews from the hills and blacks from the buses.  And don't let the word 'school' confuse you, either.  There was no schooling going on.  The only thing I learned how to do in high school was cover a textbook with a grocery bag.  North Hollywood High was part of the L.A. Unified School District, which had no standards at all.  To get held back in the L.A. school system you have to defecate on three teachers and try to kill a fourth.

The book is full of crass, juvenile memories.  If you can handle that, we highly recommend!

As for our high school experience, we do not remember the grocery bag trick.  The only thing we learned was how to sleep with our eyes open.

It is long overdue for the payers of property tax to demand their money back.

Related from this past week's testimony in the Travon Martin re-write history trial - Shared by a racist FB Comrade:

U/T: Right Snark

Bridenstine

Oklahoma congressman Bridenstine is at it again.  You may remember our first post with a video of the congressman on June 6.



Tyranny in America:

An executive branch that picks and chooses which laws it wants to enforce. A judicial branch that would allow to do so on grounds of the executive branch did not defend the laws in the court. The legislative branch would have very limited power because they turned it all over the president and the people would feel like they had no representation.

U/T: The Blaze

Ushankas, Guns and God

Posted first by Knuckledraggin:

It wasn't that long ago that the men in the furry hats were at the Orthodox churches for another reason.

Imagine the reaction to a photo of a US chaplain blessing some American rifles.

Give it a Minute

You can buy your t-shirt with this image from IOTW. 

U/T: BFH

Quote of the Day

Svetlana Kunin, who lived in the Soviet Union until 1980, writing at IBD: Obama Rhetoric Matches That of Old Soviet Leaders.

To watch citizens in every corner of life, the Soviets relied on embedded snoops who reported on conversations and moods of co-workers and friends. The Soviets would envy the tools available to the Obama administration to spy on American citizens today.

Soviet leaders freely sacrificed citizens to reinforce their agenda, cover up incompetence and retain power. They loved to use teachable moments to demonstrate what happens to citizens who do not follow government directives.

U/T: Tammy Bruce

Keep Your Ears Warm

...as you sweep for mines, Comrade!

English Russia has posted a large gallery of photos from the Great Patriotic War:

 

Image of the Day

Comrade, Hat Owner and Author Diann posted several images of Hillary's new 2016 logo at All the Right Snark. 

We think this one is the best:

U/T: Diann

Quote of the Day

WSJ's Bret Stephens in today's article: The Age of American Impotence

But however the Snowden episode turns out (and don't be surprised if the Russians wind up handing him over in exchange for an unspecified American favor), what it mainly illustrates is that we are living in an age of American impotence. The Obama administration has decided it wants out from nettlesome foreign entanglements, and now finds itself surprised that it's running out of foreign influence.

Read it all.  Bret covers several other foreign policy failures that would normally drive a president out of office.  Luckily for Obama, he has failed at, or failed us, in so many ways another failure such as Benghazi or Snowden barely register a blip on the screen.

UPDATED 5:45pm:

Related, via NiceDeb:

Suffering Commies

Most of the time, we're the one's suffering the commies.

But the news this past week is a that a commie is suffering.

The communist, Nelson Mandela, has been in critical condition for several days now and is not expected to recover.

Wikipedia:

...in association with the South African Communist Party he co-founded the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) in 1961, leading a bombing campaign against government targets. In 1962 he was arrested, convicted of sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government, and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia Trial.

He is sorta like an African Bill Ayers.

We'll bet a Commie Obama Hat that our dear leader will mention Mandela in his next State of the Union but not mention the late Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Read more at the UK Telegraph.

U/T: 90 Miles from Tyranny for top photo.  Bottom photo from Google.

More Snowden and NSA

So Snowden is free for another day.  This is getting embarrassing for Obama, but not as embarrassing as leaving four Americans to die in Libya. So expect more wall-to-wall coverage of Snowden's rumored travels.

We predicted smears and they are coming out now.  Sen. Feinstein is leading the charge that Snowden has more sensitive information and could release it at any moment. 

Maybe.  Maybe the Branch Dividians really were child molesters stockpiling weapons.

But the senator needs to understand something.  She is part of the government, and the people have lost their trust in government.  We suspect the loss of trust is far larger, and more severe, than what any polls are reporting.

We expected to hear a senator, or a 'gang' of senators, to demand immunity for Snowden.  To recognize him as the whistleblower that he is.  But alas, the members of congress were part of the PRISM initiative to spy on Americans regardless of any suspicions of criminal activity.

It is too late now.  Anybody coming out on behalf of Snowden now would be seen as disingenuous.

The full-scale surveillance is still active because our elected leaders say it should be.

Here is what we imagine occurred when Snowden joined the NSA PRISM team:

Boss:  We need you to track every phone call, every email, and all other online communications.

Snowden:  Yes boss.  Who should I target.

Boss: Americans.

Snowden: Yes boss, but which Americans?

Boss:  All of them.

Snowden:  Is this violation of the 4th Amendment approved?

Boss: Yes, it's been approved.

Snowden:  Who approved it?

Boss:  All of them.

For more on the NSA, Glenn linked to this writeup at Empty Wheel.

Email of the Day

"A love letter to the NSA agent who is monitoring my online activity:"

Click here to read it all!

U/T: FB Comrade Joy

Killing Commies

Vietnam was the last time we did it in bulk.

Here is one of many photos just released by a Vietnam Vet.  He took the nighttime photos of his Army base responding to a Vietnamese sniper in the hill above the base.

We won every battle in the war.  We lost the war in the Democratic-controlled Washington.

More photos at MailOnline.

Blogging Light

Been busy with Capitalist endeavors. 

In the meantime, please visit our Comrade sites in the blogroll at the left.  Or read one of this guy's books!

Manifesto of Man

By Soviet dissident and author Yuri Galanskov

I'll go out on the square
and into the city's ear
I'll hammer a cry of despair...

This is me,
calling to truth and revolt,
willing no more to serve,
I break your black tethers
woven of lies.

I didn't want your bread
kneaded with tears.

And I'm falling and soaring,
half-delirious,
half asleep...
And I feel
man
blooming in me.

Found on page 147 of his book, To Build a Castle - My Life as a Dissenter.

Light Blogging

Sorry, been busy.  Here are some new NSA images we've tripped across.  Enjoy!

A Facebook Father's Day

Some of our Facebook Comrades posted photos of their father over the weekend.

With their permission we re-post here without further comments about 1) how stunning these photos are, 2) about the peak of American civilization, or 3) lost core values.

We are awaiting permission to post some more.

The first two photos are the same Dad.

Father's Day Cigar

Variety may be the spice of life, but the rule for cigars is stick with what you like.  We deviated from the plan with a Punch Rare Corojo.  Rare, as in the taste is rare.

The book we just started is making up for the cigar.  Big time.

Vladimir Bukovsky's To Build a Castle - My Life as a Dissenter is one of the fastest-reading books we have yet cracked.  Published in 1977 and out of print, this book is a gem for our fellow students of Communism.

He was jailed four times from the early 60's to the mid-70's in the Soviet Union.  Our two take-aways so far are 1) his sense of humor, and 2) the Post-Stalin changes to the realities of prison life.

As to his humor, he discusses the evolution of "Soviet Man", the Soviet citizen who learns for himself the lies and distortions of Communism.  This is 20+ pages of riveting explanation as to each stage of discovery, and each subsequent level of outrage.

As to propaganda, Soviet Man is compelled to read and listen to it all.  Not to learn anything, but to stoke his rage.  And, as only the Russians can do, they convert these experiences into jokes.

Speaking to propaganda praising the Soviet experience and accomplishments (P. 72):

What's the best way to have plenty of everything?

Plug your refrigerator into the radio network - it will always be full!

A Ushanka Tech Update

For those who do not know, we come from a technology background.  So we saw a bit of the recent news out of Apple and Microsoft and felt compelled to share our thoughts.

First, Tim Cook should have come out on stage at the WWDC conference this past week and said, "Steve Jobs is still dead.  We have no idea how he did it."  He then should have walked off the stage.

Instead, he chose to embarrass himself and his company, and probably a few in the audience.

Except, maybe, this guy...

So the big innovation with the iPhone will be a new look.  The icons will appear - wait for it -  "flatter".

And the Mac Pro, Apple's top desktop computer, will have a re-designed box.

Dear Apple,

You can't replace a Steve Jobs.  Stop trying to act like Apple is some cutting-edge dynamic and innovative company.  

You're a bloated company filled with super-bright employees who lack a strong leader with a compelling vision.  You will now follow the same path as Xerox did over 20 years ago.  You'll fail to recognize innovation within, and watch the best among you leave.

Our advice: cancel all future MacWorld and WWDC shows and start telling your market about new products or upgrades the same way Buick does: buy a commercial.

Sincerely,

Karl

They might have been cheering at Microsoft after this Apple news.  They should be.  Microsoft sold its soul long ago (if it ever had one).  They chose Corporate over Consumer and have been forced to follow others down the innovation path ever since.  The only way Microsoft will look good when compared to Apple is when Apple fails as it is doing now.

The only innovation out of Microsoft in the past two decades has been the high-gloss wax used to buff Steve Balmer's bald head to a radiant sheen before he takes the stage at an all-staff meeting to do the fat-boy dance.




The new Microsoft X-Box game system is coming out, and here are some interesting "features."  BTW - Did Microsoft's Marketing department convene even one focus group?

The system must connect to the Internet every 24 hours to upload your gaming activity, or it's "No X-Box for you!"

You cannot share games.  A purchased game may be sold once to a registered X-Box user.

The camera and microphone stay on even when the machine is off.

And only for $499.

Maybe there is a market that will pay that price.  Or maybe it'll be $249 a couple months after launch.

Assuming there isn't a recall.

Our advice:  only produce a dozen at a time and relish in the media reports of a nationwide shortage.

The good news: there is plenty of innovation going on.  Former Apple and Microsoft employees, and other enthusiastic independent thinkers, are working long hours in Silicon Valley on the next batch of services and products for us (and the NSA).

Full disclosure: We use Apple products and were big fans of both Apple and Steve Jobs.  We don't play video games (except for Tetris on our iPhone).

Our previous posts about Steve Jobs:

Steve Jobs - Our Hero, Feb2011

Steve Jobs - The Resignation, Aug2011

Steve Jobs - RIP, Oct 2011

Quote of the Day

From Doug Ross, FOX News founder Roger Ailes shared this joke in a recent speech:

I heard a story about a guy who was in a hot air balloon. He was lost and he lowered his altitude. He spotted a man down below and descended a bit more and then called out to him.

He said, “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I’d meet him an hour ago, and I don’t know where I am.”

The man on the ground consulted his GPS and replied, “You’re in a hot air balloon approximately 30 feet above ground elevation at 2,346 feet above sea level. You are 31 degrees, 14 minutes north latitude; 100 degrees, 49 minutes west longitude,” and the guy in the balloon said, “You must be a conservative,” and he said, “I am. How did you know that?”

He said, well, “Everything you told me is technically correct but I have no idea what to make of your information. The fact is I’m still lost -- and frankly, you haven’t been very much help so far.”

The guy on the ground yelled up: “You must be a liberal.” He said, “I am. How did you know that?” He said, “Well, you don’t know where you’re going or where you’ve been, you’ve risen to where you are on hot air. You made a promise which you have no idea how to keep. You expect me to solve your problem.

"The fact is you’re in the same place you were before we met and now it’s my fault!”

Yep.

Thursday Afternoon Cigar

A Rocky Patel Sun Grown, a furry hat, a furry rabbit, and a good book.

The Legacy of Communism

You now live in a pre-communist US. 

Shouldn't you take an 1:15 out of your day to hear this panel discussion on Communism: Past and Future?



The first speaker (at the table) was part of CIA's N. Korea desk.  He gives a good summary to what is happening in N. Korea today.

The second speaker explains what Russia should have done after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.  Notice he has a hard time discussing Stalinism without referencing current events here in the US....

Speaker #3 discusses the hypocracy of passing judgement on some dictators when they are silent on Fidel, the never ending enchantment with Che, and the revision of communist history.

Speaker #4 rambles on about the wealth disparity in China.  We were not impressed with his presentation.

More NSA...

Some items from FB Comrades:


Excellent idea!

NSA Wiretapping Public Service Announcement - watch more funny videos

Best one yet:

Ha!  We're unlisted!

UPDATED with more!

NiceDeb posts this 2006 clip of Joe Biden telling us how dangerous total surveillance is:



Jim Treacher posts an updated campaign poster:

...and MoodBattery posts instructions on how to delete your FaceBook account.

Libertarianism: A Good Idea?

Comrade, hat owner, blogger and author Davis M. J. Aurini has posted his best video ever.

This isn't just a bash on Libertarians (unfortunately), but a thorough analysis of political theory.

Listen.  And learn.  We did.




U/T: Comrade Aurini

What Comes Around

One of the few pleasures in watching the greatest country decline into a European Socialist blob of amorphous shit will be to see the useful idiots on the left come out of denial and demand a return to prosperity. 

Ha!  Ain't gonna happen, libs!

Leading the pack is Jonathan Mann, a YouTube sensation who posts a music video every day.  He is talented and has been writing and posting daily songs for years now.  He is also a full core Obama supporter and liberal.

His song today about the NSA, his 1622nd:



He even uses the term "slippery slope!"

Edward Snowden

If you haven't seen his interview, watch first, then read the rest of our post.




Our thoughts:

We saw no vengeance, attitude, or fame-seeking in the interview.  Did you?

Well spoken, no?  Speaks about privacy better than our president, no?

He seems very mature for his age and is well versed in National Security terms and concepts.

He obviously thought it out.  This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing.

The NSA scandal is a setback for Obama's image.  Coming out and saying this was for terrorism is like saying the Little Boy bomb was dropped on Hiroshima for redecorating purposes.

The NSA scandal is NOT a setback for the myriad of privacy violations still occuring against US citizens.  Obama has not ordered a halt, nor has the NSA stopped this assault.

Edward has succeeded to shame his former NSA co-workers.  He saw something wrong and acted, despite his $200k salary and Hawaiian comforts.  His former co-workers have either become too comfortable in their jobs, or too blind to right and wrong to react.  And did NSA boss, General Keith B. Alexander, ever consider resigning when he received these orders?  If not, why not?

We think the NSA should send all the data they've copied from the IRS's Lois Lerner's computer to Rep. Issa to assist with the IRS investigation.

We're gearing up for the coming smears of Edward.  Will he be a child molester?  A tax cheat?  A drug user?

Drudge links to a source that suggests Edward will defect to China.  He is a man without a country at the moment (we say with a touch of envy).  There is also talk of Iceland.  We think a powerful senator needs to stand up for Edward's safe return and testimony.  Protection too, if necessary.  If he does defect to China - he is a spy and should be charged with treason.

Speaking of China, Edward is well-spoken about the current cooperation between China and the US.  But her is a flaw in his logic.  He can use logic to predict the end-game if the NSA were to continue without exposure - Tyranny.  Yet he can't use current events and recent history to know where US-China relations will be in the coming decades?

The Manning Comparison:

As for comparisons with Manning, the Army soldier who gave information to Wikileaks during the Bush years, this is weak.  We only see one common reason in four:

1) Gay.  Manning is gay.  Edward is not.  This wouldn't be an issue we'd raise, however if you see the Manning protesters you'll notice one common trait among them, hence sexual preference is fair game.

2) Political.  Manning is a Liberal Progressive Communist.  He released the information for political purposes.  There is no evidence yet this is true of Edward.

3) Bulk.  Manning did a data dump.  He did not hold back on information that would lead to the deaths of US personnel or setbacks to the war's mission.  It appears Edward was selective with his release to limit the information to only the government's massive privacy breach with her citizens subjects.

4) Intent.  It appears that both Manning and Edward knew their release of confidential information would draw attention to something they saw as wrong.

Policy:

The NSA should identify every surveillance option and present those options to the President.

But we elect our leaders to represent our security needs and values such as privacy in their decisions.

The decision to violate the public's privacy, and thus our trust, was Obama's.  

It is a tyrant's decision he has yet to reverse.

Best proof yet that Obama has far-left inspirations.

Our conclusions (as of June 10):

We're on the fence about this guy's political leanings.  He says the NSA, and thus the president, are violating the privacy principles that Obama had promised in his campaign.  This suggests he was an Obama supporter, which a majority of government workers and contractors are.

But he speaks a bit too well with regards to privacy and liberty.  Could be a shadow tea partier.

Either of those two options are realistic and would no bearing on our opinion.  If instead Edward is a Libertarian, then no doubt he released the information for the right reasons.  But we also do not doubt he has psychiatric issues that the background screening missed.


Stunned:

We are still stunned by this story.  We are stunned that not one congressman or senator has come out and demanded this must be stopped immediately.

Obama has figuratively broken into every American's house and stole things that they hold private and dear.

It appears Rand Paul is making some noise, but where was the immediate and resounding scream from Capitol Hill?

Too numb to react to another scandal?  Or too comfortable with the idea of more data on the citizens subjects?


U/T: NiceDeb for bottom cartoon

See our first post in response to the NSA scandal.

UPDATED 6.11 3pm:

Mr. B has shares some good thoughts. 

We didn't know the story about Joseph Naccihio.  So there is one company executive who says "no" to the government.

UPDATED 6.11 5:30pm:

A Reddit post by someone who lives in an "Arab Spring country" where total surveillance is in place.

Everyone walking around is scared. They can't talk to anyone else because they don't know who is reporting for the government. Hell, at one time YOU were reporting for the government. Maybe they just want their kid to get through school. Maybe they want to keep their job. Maybe they're sick and want to be able to visit the doctor. It's always a simple reason. Good people always do bad things for simple reasons.

---

I actually get really upset when people say "I don't have anything to hide. Let them read everything." People saying that have no idea what they are bringing down on their own heads. They are naive, and we need to listen to people in other countries who are clearly telling us that this is a horrible horrible sign and it is time to stand up and say no.

A RINO's Opinion

We've been on the fence with the question: Patriot or Traitor?  Speaker Boehner came out today with his verdict: Traitor. 

So we're going to go with: Patriot.


Some Context

Last, we'd like to share some information with you to put our original post into context.  This is information that Gen. Alexander can verify with just a couple mouse clicks.

1) Karl resigned an Army command when he was ordered to ignore illegal activity.
2) Karl held a top secret clearance when he was Edward's age.
3) Karl has completed graduate-level work in the field of national security.


Our Updated Email Signature

UPDATED 6.12 noon:

Thanks for linking Doug Ross!

IRS Scandal Update UPDATED and BUMPED

[orig post 5.30 10:30am]

Some names of IRS staffers in our local IRS office who may have contributed to the abuses of over 500 tea party groups.  These are likely different IRS staffers than those who audited us in 2010, or who audited at least 15 top Romney donors before last year's election.

From the video at Ed Driscoll's post at PJMedia:

Lois Lerner

Holly Paz

Cindy Thomas, Manager

Tracy Dornette, Staff Assistant

Stephen Seok, Supervisor

Mitchell Steele

Joseph Herr

Carly Young

Elizabeth Hofacre

Mariann Richards

Grant Herring

Kudos to Fox19 for going to Cindy Thomas' house!!

Rep. Issa: Call them all in now.

Fox19 IRS Scandal page.

Some cartoons we've seen on FB and elsewhere:

UPDATED and BUMPED 6.10 4pm:

A new name of an IRS bureaucrat from the Daily Caller:

Carter C. Hull

- Registered Democrat
- IRS Attorney
- Directed Elizabeth Hofacre to ask the Tea Party groups more information.
- Retiring this summer
- Took down his Facebook page (before the NSA scandal news)