Clipmarks | thunderscot's clips

Most Non-news News of the Century

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:13:43 GMT

clipped by: thunderscot
clipper's remarks: I wouldn't have even read this article if I hadn't wanted to clip it here. I can't think of anything I care less about than these people picketing so they can get paid more to further numb and debauch America's minds. It is not a monumentally important issue. People in Hollywood and New York seem to have this idea that we all care. We read about you like we watch the freak show at a carnival. Unions are rackets to begin with, and this one has got to be one of the biggest jokes of all.

Clip Source: www.hollywoodreporter.com

The WGA rolled out pickets on two coasts Monday, after Sunday's last-ditch bargaining session failed to mark sufficient progress to prevent the first Hollywood writers strike in 19 years.

The mood on the picket line in the muggy air was mostly somber, with strikers talking quietly amongst themselves between strike chants.

"We're scared; I'd be the first to admit that I'm scared," said "Shark" producer Bill Chais,

"Ian is not gonna cross," Chais said, adding that the guild shouldn't leave such decision to people's consciousness. "There should be a set of rules," he said.

it's a monumentally important issue to everyone."

we'll stay out as long as we need in order to get a fair deal."

John, who declined to give his last name, said he faces losing his job on a drama series filmed at Warners.

It would be naive and unresponsible to work at this time and think it would not hurt the families I protect in the long run.

"On Strike. Shut 'em down. Hollywood's a union town"

Tags: pathetic, hollywood, idiots, union thugs

Immigration Insanity

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 13:35:39 GMT

clipped by: thunderscot
clipper's remarks: The Minuteman walk around the border and call the cops if they see illegals crossing it. Would someone please tell me how this vigilanteism, racism, violence, or any other pet liberal sin (it's actually only a sin if not done for their causes...burning SUV's is OK, treating blacks and hispanics like they're incapable is OK). Why does anyone give half a hoot whether these groups and their ilk are displeased? I think I'm going to try and find a reason to do something in Kansas City now. Hmmm...that's going to be tricky.

Clip Source: www.ajc.com

Frances B. Semler's appointment could now cost the city millions of dollars because she is a member of the Minutemen

Her membership has drawn sharp criticism from the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic advocacy group, and the NAACP. Both groups are threatening to show their displeasure

We see the Minutemen as an extremist group that espouses hate and vigilanteism and some violence

Semler, who said she will not resign, calls the threats from the civil rights groups "the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

she joined the Minutemen because of the government's failure to enforce immigration laws.

Minutemen members "sit on lawn chairs with binoculars and a can of Coke or something and watch to see if anyone is coming across" the border,

she supports legal immigration

the Kansas director of the Minutemen announced the group would hold a two-day national convention there in early December

The border is no longer in the desert,

It is all over America

especially in Kansas

Tags: immigration, minutemen, losers, idiots, deadbeats, criminals, leftists, liberals

God and Government

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 20:04:39 GMT

clipped by: thunderscot
clipper's remarks: If you visit the site, you will find much more than I could clip on this theme.

Clip Source: www.winningthefuture.com

Every American who visits the national capital should take some time to witness the power and centrality of God in American history.

One or two days spent visiting the key historic and monumental exhibits will end any questions you might have about America’s indebtedness to and reliance on the Creator from whom all our rights come.

In the National Archives—the repository for our nation’s most important documents—displayed across the floor you will find an image of the Ten Commandments.

the Founding Fathers believed our rights come from God, not the king (or the state).

This is both the beginning and the heart of American independence. Our rights come from our Creator.

the Washington Monument is filled with references to God

The monument’s cornerstone contains within it a Holy Bible.

there are two words on the aluminum cap atop the east side of the Washington Monument: Laus Deo—Latin for “Praise be to God.”

The Jefferson Memorial

God who gave us life gave us liberty.

Tags: christianity, united states of america, government, history

Christian Missionaries Face Execution

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 11:05:15 GMT

clipped by: thunderscot
clipper's remarks: Death, where is thy sting? Pray for their release or rescue, but most of all, for faithfulness in the face of death.

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Taliban fighters threatened to execute 23 South Korean Christians

United States and Afghan forces prepared for a possible rescue

The Koreans were seized from a bus on the main Kabul to Kandahar highway

the kidnappers warned that they would kill them if we attack

US forces said they would only launch a rescue attempt with the agreement of both the Afghan and South Korean governments.

Of the 23 Koreans, 18 are reportedly women. All are Evangelical Christians, apparently visiting Afghanistan as missionaries.

the Taliban extended its deadline for the release of the prisoners by 24 hours

The Korean hostages are members of a church involved in "short-term evangelistic and aid work" in southern Afghanistan,

Last summer, evangelists tried to hold a "peace festival" in Afghanistan. Some 1,200 Korean Christians arrived, sparking violent local protests and accusations that they were undertaking missionary work.

Tags: christian, christianity, missionary, afghanistan, islam, taliban, persecution, execution, korea

Ad Hominem

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 23:38:23 GMT

clipped by: thunderscot
clipper's remarks: This is interesting. An atheist discussion of ad hominem attack recognizes the validity of questioning credibility of a person making a claim as not an ad hominem argument, which, of course, is very different from rejecting a logical conclusion based on a person's own actions or associations with persons of ill repute.

It seems, then, that atheists would recognize that a demand to supply sources is legitimately subject to a criticism of the credibility of that person's own sources, and such a criticism does not constitute ad hominem attack.

Clip Source: www.infidels.org

Argumentum ad hominem literally means "argument directed at the man"; there are two varieties.

If you refuse to accept a statement, and justify your refusal by criticizing the person who made the statement, then you are guilty of abusive argumentum ad hominem

the truth of an assertion doesn't depend on the virtues of the person asserting it.

to reject a proposition based on the fact that it was also asserted by some other easily criticized person.

try and persuade someone to accept a statement you make, by referring to that person's particular circumstances.

It's not always invalid to refer to the circumstances of an individual who is making a claim. If someone is a known perjurer or liar, that fact will reduce their credibility as a witness.

Tags: logic, fallacy, ad hominem

This is Presidential Politics?

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:52:09 GMT

clipped by: thunderscot
clipper's remarks: What can you say to this? Our future presidents debating teaching sex to kindergartners. The debate's mere existence speaks volumes.

Historical note--sex abuse and pedophilia did not skyrocket *before* there was sex ed in government schools.

Clip Source: abcnews.go.com

Mitt Romney blasted Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., for believing "age-appropriate" sex education should begin as early as kindergarten.

Obama reaffirmed his belief Tuesday that age-appropriate sex education should begin as early as kindergarten

"How much sex education is age appropriate for a 5-year-old?" Romney asked Wednesday at a Colorado campaign stop. "In my view, zero is the right amount. Instead of teaching about sex education in kindergarten to 5-year-olds let's clean up the ocean of filth, the cesspool in which our children are swimming."

the Illinois Democrat personally believes that sex education should begin as early as kindergarten; Romney personally rejects the government encouraging school districts to teach anything sex-related to children that young.

let our 5-year-olds be 5-year-olds. When students are old enough for sex education they should be taught abstinence as part of their health curriculum and that marriage should come before babies

Tags: romney, obama, sex education, kindergarten, insanity, cultural degradation, fools, politics, president

Aslan's Kin

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:27:16 GMT

clipped by: thunderscot
clipper's remarks: Enjoy!

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Mane attraction: A lion cub, aged around seven weeks, looks for a role model in an adult male. These beasts live in prides of between three and 30 lions

Branching out: Lion cubs are very affectionate and playful from around the age of four weeks

Pick-me-up: Mothers carry their offspring about in their mouths

Lions spend up to 21 hours a day resting with the other animals in their pride

Young lions first attempt to hunt at around three months of age

Tags: lions, pictures, cubs, awwwww

Wonders Never Cease

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 01:23:55 GMT

clipped by: thunderscot
clipper's remarks: What a shock. An armed citizenry makes for a peaceful community. Not only that, but the people who appreciate such old-fashioned values make for good neighbors. Tell us something we didn't already know.

Clip Source: www.ajc.com

Best place to raise a family?

Kennesaw

The magazine said it searched for the best communities in the nation by looking at family-friendly criteria such as the cost of living, air quality, greenspace and crime rate.

Kennesaw made national news in 1982 when it passed a law that states that every head of a household must own a firearm. The law, which one local historian called the ordinance "that rocked the world," still attracts strong support from civic leaders.

t's home to the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, which features an exhibit of civil war artifacts.

"This designation validates for the rest of the country what we have known for years – that Kennesaw is a great place to live, work, play and, of course, to raise a family," he said.

Tags: kennesaw, mandatory gun ownership, georgia, 2nd amendment, crime, safety, gun control, common sense

Water War

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:57:22 GMT

clipped by: thunderscot
clipper's remarks: This is fascinating stuff, from a legal standpoint. Alabama and Florida want upstream Georgia lakes to release more water downstream. Since the Corps of Engineers controls most of it, bringing suit and resolving the disputes can prove pretty tricky. 22 billion gallons is a lot water. But the fish are happy...

Clip Source: www.ajc.com

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took heat last year for releasing too much water from a North Georgia lake. This year, the federal agency is being criticized for not releasing enough from another North Georgia lake.

The latest attack came from Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, who is demanding more water from Lake Allatoona

Riley said the Corps has been "obsessed" with maintaining Allatoona at the highest levels possible, illegally retaining 18 billion gallons of water in the federal lake that should have flowed downstream to Alabama.

Both states have been grappling with a regional drought of historic proportions, although Alabama has been hit harder.

Georgia sued the Corps for releasing too much water from Lake Lanier,

The Corps had released additional water to aid the breeding of a prehistoric fish in Florida

causing the Corps to mistakenly release about 22 billion gallons of water.

data shows the species didn't need as much water as they got.

Tags: riparian rights, water, drought, legal, corps of engineers

Enviolencementalism

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:50:05 GMT

clipped by: thunderscot
clipper's remarks: Christian conservationism, which I embrace, condemns this nonsense criminal thuggery. This what happens when you worship the wrong god.

Clip Source: www.ajc.com

WASHINGTON — When Gareth Groves brought home his massive new Hummer, he knew his environmentally friendly neighbors disapproved. But he didn't expect what happened next. The sport utility vehicle was parked for five days on the street before two masked men smashed the windows, slashed the tires and scratched into the body: "FOR THE ENVIRON."

he has had to deal with a number of people who have driven by the crime scene and glared at him in smug satisfaction.

"I'd say one in five people who come by have that 'you-got-what-you-deserve' look," said his friend Andy Sexton.

Neighbor Lucille Liem, who owns a Prius hybrid, said that a common sentiment in the neighborhood is that large vehicles such as the Hummer are impractical and a strain on the Earth.

"The neighborhood in general is very concerned with the environment,"

Liem quickly added that she does not condone violence.

Tags: environment, conservation, crime, suv, thugs, violence

Barbary Pirates III

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 02:35:17 GMT

clipped by: thunderscot
clipper's remarks: The comparisons are not perfect, but I think the lessons are there. If this is going to be a drawn out affair, then as a nation, we are going to need to revise our approach. And perhaps most importantly, to erode constitutional freedoms in the name of fighting an "ism" concedes defeat.

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

Admiral Van de Capellen, he administered a smashing bombardment to Algiers. The lesson terrified the pirates

Algiers renewed its piracies and slave-taking,

when the Barbary states were humiliated and the defiance of the nascent United States bore fruit, other powers began to take note that the feared Corsairs of North Africa had been bested by a tiny, third-rate power that was only at the time thirty years old.

Tags: constitutional power, foreign policy, international law, terrorism, war on terror

Barbary Pirates II

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 02:17:33 GMT

clipped by: thunderscot
clipper's remarks: How to deal with terrorists, part deux. One more to come...

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

The Americans asked Adja why his government was hostile to American ships, even though there had been no provocation. The ambassador's response was reported to the Continental Congress:

That it was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Musselman [Muslim] who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise.

This new military presence helped to stiffen American resolve to resist the continuation of tribute payments, leading to the two Barbary Wars

1815 that naval victories ended tribute payments by the U.S

After the general pacification of 1815, the suppresion of African piracy was universally felt to be a necessity.

under Admiral Van de Capellen, he administered a smashing bombardment to Algiers.

Tags: constitutional power, congress, foreign policy, international law, terrorism, war on terror

Barbary Pirates I

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 02:12:51 GMT

clipped by: thunderscot
clipper's remarks: This situation informs how I think we should deal with terrorists. See second clip also.

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

he pirates were responsible for capturing large numbers of Christian slaves from Europe, who were sold in slave markets in places such as Algeria and Morocco.

The impact of these attacks were devastating

Even Americans were not immune. For example, one American slave reported that 130 other American seamen had been enslaved

cases of piracy have occurred on the Rif coast of Morocco even at the beginning of the 20th century

the pirate communities which lived by plunder and could live by no other resource, vanished with the French conquest of Algiers

n 1784 two ships (the Maria of Boston and the Dauphin of Philadelphia) were captured, everything sold and their crews enslaved

Christian slaves were preferred and forced to do degrading work and treated harshly

Tags: terrorism, international law, war on terror, foreign policy, constitutional power, congress

Put Off Procrastination

Sat, 14 Jul 2007 22:30:52 GMT

clipped by: thunderscot
clipper's remarks: Been meaning to clip this. This sort of thing is deadly for my Clipmarks time, you know. ("And there was much rejoicing")

Clip Source: johnplaceonline.com

Here are 11 common causes of procrastination and corresponding tips to help you find the pace you’re looking for:

Complicated-task anxiety:

Fear of imperfection:

Indecision:

Priority confusion:

Boredom from minutiae:

Lack of focus:

Poor organizational skills:

Laziness:

Lack of energy:

Early morning lag:

Post-lunch fatigue:

By taking time to understand your own reasons for putting things off and devoting energy to moving forward, you too can beat procrastination.

Tags: stewardship, management, focus, be the ball, mind like water

Scooter Libby's Independence Day

Sat, 14 Jul 2007 03:18:34 GMT

clipped by: thunderscot

Clip Source: butler-harris.org

Unlike most folk who spend their off hours watching sports or listening to music or gathering together with family, Scooter’s tastes are more literary. He unwinds by writing porn novels. His first effort (and only, so far, though he desires to write more) is called The Apprentice. I will not give the plot away here and ruin it for those who may wish to put it on their summer reading list, but I can, at least, give some of the highlights. These include nymphomania, sodomy, bestiality, pedophilia, incest, scatology and the favorite Republican pastime, torture. A few of the characters are Japanese merchants, fat women, a buck-toothed man, a young samurai, a dwarf, and a bear. You’ve got to admit it sounds intriguing.

So congratulations to you, Scooter! You are a hero worthy of our times.

Tags: scooter libby, author, republican