Video: UPS vs. FEDEX: Ultimate Whiteboard Remix

Here is a great video from the creative geniuses at Reason TV.

You may have heard the UPS is in quite the political fight with FEDEX. Though both are package-delivery companies, they’re governed by totally different federal labor rules. As a result, UPS’s workforce is much more heavily unionized than FEDEX’s—and more than twice as expensive.

So now UPS is trying to get FEDEX reclassified under federal law as a way of screwing a competitor. That’s horrendous, but it also makes a sick kind of business sense. And it also reveals the real villain: A government that is big enough to absolutely, positively guarantee it can screw any business. Overnight.

“UPS Vs. FEDEX” was produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie (who also hosts). Approximately two minutes long.

This video is based on “Using Unions as Weapons,” by Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy, which appeared in the October 2009 print edition of Reason. Read that article at http://reason.com/archives/2009/09/28…

For downloadable version of this and all other Reason.tv videos go to http://reason.tv

SARAH INVICTUS: The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Sarah Palin.

I was distraught and anxious in ways I couldn’t articulate. In some ways it was like a dream that wouldn’t end, not a nightmare per se, but not exactly a romp in the sheets with Megan Fox either. It was the discomfort of person well aware of the old adage that one should be careful of what they wish for. In their wisdom the ancients gave warning that many still fail to heed….Yes, I was watching the rise, fall, casting off, redemption of, implosion of and rebirth of the phenomenon that has become Sarah Palin. A year long agony that may never end.

Like pandora’s box I had helped unleash a pox (of sorts) upon the land. For before John McCain made his momentous decision I had been actively lobbying for Palin’s consideration as VP candidate. I wrote, I lobbied my friends and generally pined for an option that few took seriously and I wasn’t the only one. My logic was simple, she was new, she was fresh, she was a reformer and she was a MILF. What more could a public starved for heroes want (or junor officers looking for someone in their chain-of-command to fantasize about)? Of course, I knew that the selection of such a newcomer would come with a price of its own insofar as it would be necessary to continue the defining of Palin well after the fanfare of her entrance. History proved me correct as what followed the perfect introduction was the most imperfect handling of a candidate since Josef Stalin ran on the Green Soil ticket in 1896.

The weeks following the GOP convention were nothing short of a savaging so brutal that few could watch without feeling lurid, shameful and unclean. Distortions great and small abounded, and lies were treated as the gospel. The media whispered openly of salacious and pornographic fantasies so revolting that to replicate them here would send children, nuns, kittens, Mormons and people from Nebraska fleeing to the hills (well, not the Nebraskans, they have no hills). The press howled and leftists jeered and conservatives either rallied around the outraged woman or cast her off for the media wolves to feed on. In the end there was little more than a bloody stain of a candidate, a smear, little more than a caricature and Tina Fey’s well honed delivery. Thus ended Sarah…or did it? It wasn’t over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor and it certainly wasn’t over for Sarah either.

Flash forward a year. Far from being irrelevant Palin is now a force in her own right. A whirling dervish of political power and folksiness leaving destruction, puzzled pundits and insanely incontinent liberals in her wake. Palin rewrote the discourse on the proposed Obamacare overhaul with the infamous and pertinent “Death Panel” speech. She up-ended the special election in New York’s 23rd district (though not to the GOPs advantage). Her every action sees legions of would-be GOP nominees scurrying like rats to mimic her every move. In many ways she is the standard bearer and lightning rod that those seeking the Republican nomination must win over, or supplant, if they are to be successful.

With the publication of her autobiography,“Going Rogue,” Palin’s approval numbers now out-pace that of the Messiah Obama. Whereas the clueless and weak Dear One vacillates on Afghanistan, stumbles to and fro on Health Care and meekly watches as the world laughs at his personal diplomacy, appearances on Oprah and other high-profile shows have largely rehabilitated Palin’s image and have convinced many that she is not the monstrous jezzebel that the media had painted her as.

Once a joke, the thought of Palin running successfully in 2012 is no longer a laughing matter. At the very least, she will play the role of the ersatz king-maker for the GOP in 2012 and, perhaps, far beyond. Where the jackals once sneered and mocked her they now cower and urinate on themselves unsure of what they have done.

Indeed, the very process in which she had been destroyed, the unending and manic misogynistic attacks on her and her children, have strengthened her like the tempering of the blade of a samurai sword. Now rather than believing the attacks on her intelligence and character, more people than not see the media and the hateful Left as bullies, wilding a paragon of American womanhood whilst draped in the illusion feminist clothing. Finally good people everywhere have become sick to the stomach of the truly barbaric and savage attacks that have been par for the course regarding Palin. Robin of Berkeley, an avowed feminist and renounced liberal, writes:

“And so the Left must try to destroy her. And they are doing this in the most malicious of ways: by symbolically raping her…Liberals do this by calling her a c__t, ogling her legs, demeaning her with names like “slutty flight attendant” and “Trailer Park Barbie,” and exposing her flesh on the cover of Newsweek. And from Atlantic Magazine’s Andrew Sullivan “Sarah Palin’s vagina is the font of all evil in the galaxy.”

Read more here: http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/11/the_wilding_of_sarah_palin.html

They say that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…that is true, though they can now say that hell hath no fury than feminists turning on their own for the crime of ultimately rendering hollow their twisted view of what womanhood can and should be. Nothing so ugly, so rapacious and so vile ever made it more clear that the cretins on the far Left were far from being on the side of women.

Things change. What worked before will not again. Like Count Dooku after Master Yoda casually swatted aside his burst of force lightning in Star Wars Episode II, the bullies in the media are now at a loss as to how to proceed. The radical leftists and all efite, elitist liberal snobs everywhere are at loggerheads of how to treat this whirlwind. Where once they gloated over brie and anti-American slogans on the misery they had inflicted on Simple Sarah, Caribou Barbie of the North, they now quake at the juggernaut that they helped create. After all, how does one destroy a politician that has absorbed every projectile within the Left’s smarmy arsenal?

Only time will tell. She defies explanation. No other politician has ever been so defiled and yet managed to survive and in many ways propser. Some theorize that like all sensations, she will disappear, forgotten like so many Rueben Studdards. But then again, maybe not. After all, hasn’t her fifteen minutes run their course? Will there come a day when the Left rues the day they attacked and sexualized Palin’s minor children? Will there come a time when they regret the horrifically graphic and sexually disturbing slurs and barbs they once defamed her with? Will there be a reckoning when everyone that ever dimissed Sarah Palin as a slutty, trailer trash rube will realize they sowed the seeds of their own destruction? I gleefully await, as should all God fearing men and women, the day that providence punishes those savages in a manner best befitting their worst outrages by electing her President.

Weekly Address: Veterans Day and Fort Hood

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
November 14, 2009

This was a week for honoring the extraordinary service and profound sacrifice of our men and women in uniform.

Every fall, we set aside a special day to pay tribute to our veterans. But this year, Veteran’s Day took on even greater poignancy and meaning because of the tragic events at Fort Hood.

On Tuesday, I traveled there to join with the Fort Hood community, the Army, and the friends and families of the victims to honor thirteen of our fellow Americans who died – and the dozens more who were wounded – not on some distant shore, but on a military base at home.

Every man and woman who signs up for military service does so with full knowledge of the dangers that could come – that is part of what makes the service of our troops and veterans so extraordinary. But it’s unthinkable that so many would die in a hail of gunfire on a US Army base in the heart of Texas, and that a fellow service-member could have pulled trigger.

There is an ongoing investigation into this terrible tragedy. That investigation will look at the motives of the alleged gunman, including his views and contacts.  As I said in Fort Hood, I am confident that justice will be done, and I will insist that the full story be told. That is paramount, and I won’t compromise that investigation today by discussing the details of this case. But given the potential warning signs that may have been known prior these shootings, we must uncover what steps – if any – could have been taken to avert this tragedy.

On the Thursday evening that this tragedy took place, I met in the Oval Office with Secretary of Defense Gates, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – Admiral Mullen, and FBI Director Mueller to review the immediate steps that were necessary to support the families and secure Fort Hood. The next morning, I met with the leadership of our military and the intelligence community, and ordered them to undertake a full review of the sequence of events that led up to the shootings.

The purpose of this review is clear: We must compile every piece of information that was known about the gunman, and we must learn what was done with that information. Once we have those facts, we must act upon them. If there was a failure to take appropriate action before the shootings, there must be accountability. Beyond that – and most importantly – we must quickly and thoroughly evaluate and address any flaws in the system, so that we can prevent a similar breach from happening again. Our government must be able to act swiftly and surely when it has threatening information. And our troops must have the security that they deserve.

I know there will also be inquiries by Congress, and there should.  But all of us should resist the temptation to turn this tragic event into the political theater that sometimes dominates the discussion here in Washington. The stakes are far too high.

Of all the responsibilities of the presidency, the one that I weigh most heavily is my duty as Commander-in-Chief to our splendid service-men and women. Their character and bravery were on full display in that processing center at Fort Hood, when so many scrambled under fire to help their wounded comrades. And their great dignity and decency has been on display in the days since, as the Fort Hood community has rallied together.

We owe our troops prayerful, considered decisions about when and where we commit them to battle to protect our security and freedom, and we must fully support them when they are deployed. We also owe them the absolute assurance that they’ll be safe here at home as they prepare for whatever mission may come. As Commander-in-Chief, I won’t settle for anything less.

This nation will never forget the service of those we lost at Fort Hood, just as we will always honor the service of all who wear the uniform of the United States of America. Their legacy will be an America that is safer and stronger – an America that reflects the extraordinary character of the men and women who serve it.

Thank you.

It’s good to hear about something other than health care, but I’m sure that’s what will be covered next week, as it looks like Congress isn’t going to meet his deadline.

Born on this day: Russell Kirk

Born on this day: Russell Kirk.

Who was Russell Kirk?

From Wikipedia:

Russell Kirk (October 19, 1918 – April 29, 1994) was an American political theorist, historian, social critic, literary critic, and fiction author known for his influence on 20th century American conservatism. His 1953 book, The Conservative Mind, gave shape to the amorphous post-World War II conservative movement. It traced the development of conservative thought in the Anglo-American tradition, giving special importance to the ideas of Edmund Burke.

His works include:

• The Conservative mind: From Burke to Eliot
• American Cause
• Edmund Burke: A Genius Reconsidered
• Old house of Fear
• Ancestral Shadows: An Anthology of Ghostly Tales
• Economics: Work and Prosperity
• Roots of American Order
• Eliot and His Age
• The Portable Conservative Reader
• John Randolph of Roanoke

And many others

I know a hero. His name is Tyler Parten. Let me tell you about him.

“These things happen” is something often heard around any Army unit. It is usually the unspoken truth that most Soldiers carry within them, tucked away in a hidden place treated with reverence and to be explored only in the most private and isolated of spaces. Of course, the “things” that happen are the inevitable deaths of those who we have eaten with, lived with, served with and were friends with. It is bound to happen in times of war, particularly in the war with two fronts we find ourselves in, and today it happened to me. Today I found out that my AOBC classmate and friend, 1LT Tyler Parten, fell in battle in Afghanistan protecting his nation and its people.

I found out after lunch, as I leafed through Stars and Stripes. As I always do, I look at the casualty list in the hopes that I wouldn’t recognize any names. Today as I stared dumbstruck at the name on the page I felt a horrible knot in my stomach and was smacked in the face with several emotions. I wrestled with the idea of writing anything public for the better part of the day. After all, there are far more people out there that knew Parten a great deal better than I. What right do I have to feel loss? I have recognized names in the Army Times and Stars and Stripes before. I have also known too many officers I have worked with that passed away due to accidents and even suicide. The difference this time around is that he is…was…IS a comrade and a friend and I do feel the loss of someone special. Writing this, in the hopes that people that never knew him will know what type of man he is, makes me feel better. So I am going to write.

Parten was a larger than life type of person. He thoroughly enjoyed a good joke and was not above debasing himself in the juvenile pursuit of making others break out in spasms of laughter. He was fun to be around and welcome relief in those times when The Suck was taking its toll. He was also a professional dedicated to his craft and of single minded purposefulness in his efforts to eradicate those who had inflicted harm on our nation on 9/11.

I met him at Fort Knox during AOBC. We were in the same platoon during tank, recon and COE phase. After he graduated and I was left at Knox to rot with injury, we emailed as we were both adjutants with our respective units. As with AOBC, we mixed business and stupidity with alarming ease. We commiserated and offered each encouragement through our predicaments, he, waiting for a platoon at Fort Carson, and I, trying to heal my ever-present stress fractures and graduate from BOLC III. He wasn’t ADJ for long and did get the platoon he waited for and seemed more than overjoyed.

One memory I have of Tyler that came to me almost immediately upon learning of the news was our AOBC class’s first mission in the CCTT (a full scale tank simulator). Undoubtedly, we knew we would not fare well and our foreboding was justified. Who was the sacrificial victim that was to be thrown to the wolves, better known as Black 6s? None other than Tyler Parten. Of course, initially we did not do too badly. The 6s and the civilian technicians took it easy on us and we clumsily defeated an enemy tank platoon set on stupid. But soon things went awry and Tyler found himself in a rapidly deteriorating situation where his bravo section was somewhere getting hammered by AT-5s and his driver kept going in circles. Having been thrown into sheer chaos, Tyler forgot the proper reporting format to Black 6 and was fumbling his words. The ever testy SFC Theim, in his most condescending tone, asked if there was another, presumably proper, way of describing the happenstance of Red Platoon being annihilated by an enemy Mechanized Infantry Company and T-80U platoon. Tyler composed himself, undoubtedly took a deep breath, and said, clearly and confidently: “Black 6, we’re FUCKED!” Even the curmudgeonly Theim laughed. Most people would have been horribly embarrassed by the performance and radio feux pas, but not Tyler. As with all things, he merely laughed it off and endeavored to do better the next time (he did).

Those who don’t know people in the military truly have no idea the sacrifice that Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines make to protect this nation. While fringe nuts and seditious Democratic Congressmen are doing their best to lose our wars, our servicemen and women lead stressed out, exhausting existences in every hellhole found on this sordid globe. Families suffer with their loved ones so far away and live for emails and phone calls. Too many families experience the ultimate pain and most horrific loss. For them the name on the news or in the paper is neither a statistic, nor another numeric measure of success or failure. To them, that name represents the end of their world as they have known it and a future devoid of the warmth and joy of their loved one. We Americans put too much into sports stars and celebrities by calling them heroes. I am no hero, nor is any other Soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are merely doing our jobs. The only true heroes are the brave men and women who will never see another sunrise, smell the sweetness of a summer day or feel the warm embrace of a tearful and joyous reunion.

I leave off with another recollection from AOBC. During dismounted recon STX Tyler and I were tasked with scouting the next rally point/training site. We stealthily covered the 500 meters or so to the coordinates given to us. As we neared the correct grid we saw our civilian instructors pull up to the clump of trees that was our destination, get out, light up a smoke and begin chatting. These men between them had around 50 years of scouting experience and we both resolved to sneak up on them and report back to our platoon. Slowly, and only crawling through the tall grass when the wind shook the branches in the trees, Tyler and I creeped up until, finally, we were within a mere 20 feet of the trio. I radioed our PL and in hushed tones whispered that we had arrived at the rally point and that we had snuck up on our erstwhile instructors (still oblivious). Tyler and I grinned at each other and shared one sublime moment of joint understanding where our newbie self-doubt evaporated. Maybe we were going to do alright at this profession. Maybe we weren’t as hopeless as we were sometimes led to believe. Maybe we would, someday soon, make worthy tank or scout platoon leaders.

Well, it came to pass, at least in Tyler’s case. Though he had to suffer the indignity of serving as battalion adjutant before getting his platoon, he no doubt savored every moment at Fort Carson as an armor officer. He was a fine leader and an even better human being. No person deserves the sobriquet of hero more than him. He will be greatly missed.

I know a hero. His name is Tyler Parten. I will never forget him.

Lay down your burdens brother, it is time to rest. You have strove much and given more. You have given us laughter and you have protected us. Rest now and know we are eternally grateful.

Finally someone shows how hardcore Arlington, VA really is

On Friday someone sent me a link to this YouTube video by an artist named Remy who has done the impossible, and put together a video that truly sheds light on the mean streets of Arlington.

Nobody ever believes me when I say how rough my neighborhood in Pentagon City is, but Remy finally gave me something I can use to back it up.

Sadly though… I don’t own any brown flip-flops. They are always sold out.