Got Metaphor?

Bloomberg carries this article:

President Barack Obama, calling current deficit spending “unsustainable,” warned of skyrocketing interest rates for consumers if the U.S. continues to finance government by borrowing from other countries.
“We can’t keep on just borrowing from China,” Obama said at a town-hall meeting in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, outside Albuquerque. “We have to pay interest on that debt, and that means we are mortgaging our children’s future with more and more debt.”
Holders of U.S. debt will eventually “get tired” of buying it, causing interest rates on everything from auto loans to home mortgages to increase, Obama said. “It will have a dampening effect on our economy.”

I'm struggling to think of an apt metaphor here. Like a wife beater giving a lecture on the importance of mutual respect, an unrepentant junky burglar leading a DARE brainwashing session, an embezzler harping on accuracy in accounting. Is this a case of Dr. Strangelove Syndrome? Does this man not remember signing away $9.3 trillion for the next decade in his gotta do it right away can't stop to debate pass it right now fervor?

These reporters are going to share in the catastrophe of this spending. It eludes me why they still have shoes on their feet, when, as the last disaster to fill the Oval Office discovered, shoes make such a great method of instantly expressing disapproval during a president's speech. In a sane, rational, honest world, Barack couldn't stand up there without being pelted by every available loose object at hand.

The president pledged to work with Congress to shore up entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare and said he was confident that the House and Senate would pass health-care overhaul bills by August.

Exactly how are they going to "shore up" these programs? Exactly how are they going to fund the "health-care overhaul bills"? More deficit spending!

Wow. Just, wow.

Idol Top 3

I didn't have time to watch anything but the performances, so my thoughts are untainted by the judges' reactions. That's probably not a bad thing. Before tonight, my favorite was Danny Gokey. But he disappointed me in the Top 3 show, as did Adam. Kris Allen was the star of the night. But compared to previous weeks, all of the contestants have done better before.

1. Kris Allen · Apologize · Kris has emerged as the dark horse. This was the best song of the night. It wasn't great, but consistently good from start to finish. Nice piano work, too.
2. Kris Allen · Heartless · It had a good driving rhythm, and I wish it could have lasted longer. I realize they have time limits, of course, so that wasn't his fault. Nice choice of song.
3. Danny Gokey · You Are So Beautiful · Decent. Not a great choice, but safe.
4. Adam Lambert · Cryin' · As one of Aerosmith's repetitive songs, this was a poor choice. It was a bit loud and pointless, without giving Adam a chance to showcase his vocal range.
5. Adam Lambert · One · Boring and uninspired in the soft parts. The rest seemed forced and a bit frantic, nearly coming unhinged.
6. Danny Gokey · Dance Little Sister · Awful. Paula did Danny a disservice picking this song.

New Star Trek

I saw the new Star Trek last night. I think The Wrath of Khan (1982) is still the best, but this comes in a very close second. The battles in the new film were some of the best, nearly on par with Khan. The modern CGI was used to great effect, without overshadowing the story or characters.

By far the best part of the movie was the cast. Two major roles, McCoy and Spock, were aptly filled by Karl Urban and Zachary Quinto. Urban channels DeForest Kelley without even trying. Quinto, in addition to looking like Nimoy, brought a fierceness to Spock I liked. Zoë Saldana was adorable as Uhura. Simon Pegg of Shaun of the Dead gives comic relief as Scotty (though I didn't care for his assistant, which was too reminiscent of the ridiculous Ewoks). Of course, no actor could reprise the original role better than Leonard Nimoy.

Chris Pine makes a completely different Kirk than William Shatner's, which is good in this case. I realize a lot of people don't like Shatner, but I appreciate that he's so quick to make fun of himself...and you just have to love a guy who'll do this.

My only disappointment was with the villain, Nero. Eric Bana had very little screen time--especially compared to Ricardo Montalbán, who was such a commanding presence for much of the second Star Trek movie. And, while the audience could feel the pain of Khan, and to understand what drove him, Nero is quiet and brooding, and his excuse for doing what he does is absurd.

The commercials say, "This is not your father's Star Trek." That's a bit of a backhanded slap at us geeky dads, but it's true. More specifically, it's not campy like the original series, nor is it covered in the increasingly silly politically correct utopian nonsense of later series. This future world is technologically advanced, but not sanitized. There is visible chaos when Star Fleet is mobilized, which strikes me as being more realistic than the more simplistic situations in previous movies and episodes, where the extras are more like stage props than real people. Being such a character-driven story, the chaos works quite well to make this an enjoyable film.

Poseidon Confounds Reds Greens

From the BBC (via Beck):

An expedition team which set sail from Plymouth on a 5,000-mile carbon emission-free trip to Greenland have been rescued by an oil tanker.

Calling Intelligent Use of Tools Pathetic

I previously commented about a good use of deadly violence by a victim of a home invasion. In the comments at Balko's place, I toss in a response to a commenter who seems intent on shaming rational people:

wallster: You are not ‘tough’ because you own a gun. By owning a gun, you prove that you are the one who is pathetic and scared. Get over yourself

By owning a car, does that prove you are weak and slow? Do you carry everything you need on foot, to make sure no one thinks any less of you?

There is nothing pathetic about being afraid of people who are willing to break into your home, rape, and murder you. A person who takes charge of her security by owning the most efficient means of protection is not pathetic or cowardly, but rationally intent on keeping her life (not allowing herself to be murdered), liberty (not allowing herself to be raped or prevented from coming and going as she sees fit), and property (not allowing thieves to take her things). The same for a man.

Expecting a 911 call to protect you isn't brave. Considering the number of examples of victims whose call to 911 didn't save them, why would you try to shame people into being that stupid?

No one has any obligation to give up anything which is theirs to murderers, rapists, and thieves. Furthermore, one is not obligated to rely on one's body, foregoing the use of efficient tools (guns, door locks, guard dogs) because some simpleton might consider that "pathetic" or cowardly.

Energy Policy Election Expectations

My comment in response to a QandO article on Energy Policy:

arch: I predict that cap and trade, if passed by this pack of thieves, will result in a political backlash that will reverse the majority in the House in 2010. The narrative that only the rich will pay more taxes will collapse when people realize that cap & trade is a tax on everyone and everything.

My money is on the Democrats' ability to successfully persuade a sufficient percentage of voters to blame the inevitable economic disaster on Big Oil, Big Coal, and Big GOP. Sub-prime mortgages, Social Security and Medicare are Democrat constructions, but how many voters blame them?

Even if Democrats miscalculate their moves on this, why would you expect the voters who lined up to vote for an Obama nation, to see gutless, unprincipled Republicans as a fix?

Huge Waste of Time and Expense to Recover $8,500 Stolen by Police

CNN reports that it only took 18 months and a lawsuit to get Tenaha, TX police to return $8,500 they stole from Roderick Daniels of Tennessee in October, 2007.

"I just feel blessed," Daniels said. "I am happy everything is going good right now. ... I just want to celebrate."

I'm happy that Mr. Daniels got his money, but just how blessed can he be to be deprived of his money for 18 months, and to have to give up his time and expense to pursue a lawsuit 800 miles from his home? If the civilians did this, they would be charged with armed robbery, extortion, and if Daniels refused, with kidnapping.

It gets worse. In a previous article, CNN reports:

Jennifer Boatright and Ron Henderson said they agreed to forfeit their property after Russell threatened to have their children taken away.

Not only did the thugs with badges steal these people's money, they actually threatened to kidnap their children. Again, if a civilian did the same thing, he'd likely be facing life in prison. The fact that they are not held accountable, like we are, makes civilians de facto second-class subjects. Instead of being expected to follow the same laws we do, these thugs and their masters try to justify their looting as a tool to fight drugs. Even worse, the mayor doesn't even make that excuse. According to pistolero:

Kevin's post yesterday reminded me of this story that I saw a few weeks back in the Houston Chronicle...

...
Tenaha Mayor George Bowers, 80, defended the seizures, saying they allowed a cash-poor city the means to add a second police car in a two-policeman town and help pay for a new police station. "It's always helpful to have any kind of income to expand your police force," Bowers said.

Now, you'll note that neither Mr. Bowers nor any of his colleagues had any comment on whether innocent people were in effect having their possessions stolen from them; in fact, he seems to be saying that the ends justify the means. Any kind of income, eh, even stolen goods and cash, apparently. I wonder what the Founding Fathers would say, or what they would do. Something tells me it would involve tar and feathers, or perhaps even a rope and the tallest tree in the county...

Bye Allison

Cry Baby the best swan song I've ever seen from a contestant. Good show, Allison. You'll go far.

Good Violence

An armed college student killed a would-be murderer and rapist and chased away the bad guy's partner. Anyone who would prohibit the good guys from carrying an effective use of self defense would rather have the 11 good people raped and murdered, in the foolish belief that the two bad guys who were willing to commit mass murder would somehow have been afraid to break the gun prohibition law.

This is a case where there was a good use of deadly violence. The violence was in reaction to an attack. The violence saved the lives of 11 innocent people.

Contrast that with the bad use of violence that the invaders were threatening to do on these people. That violence was aggressive, an initiation of force.

Why can't gun control fascists discriminate between good and bad uses of violence? Why do they want people to be unthinking drones, incapable of using their minds to tell the difference?

(via Balko)

Plane Dumber

I'll have to rethink what I said about the Manhattan Air Force One photo op. Looks like they're flip-flopping.

If Republicans were smart....

Nevermind.

Idol Top Four

Adam Lambert kicked ass. Whole Lotta Love is his best performance to date. I appreciated the absence of Broadway-type gimmickry and the lack of any need to force his vocal wailings into a weak song. This song demanded it.

Allison Iraheta gave a solid performance doing Joplin.

Their duet was definitely the better of the night. They filled out the singers' roles like pros. I think they'll be the top two.

Danny Gokey crashed and burned on the final notes. The song has some good parts, but the chorus is annoyingly repetitive (not as bad as Levon). He should have done something else.

Kris Allen gave one of his best performances with Come Together. Danny is more talented and has been consistently good (except tonight), so I'm hoping he'll fare better in the votes. But the group is small and the competition tight, so I also think Kris could beat him out for third.

Plane Dumb

Obama announced his staff would not release "the $328,835 snapshots of an Air Force One backup plane buzzing lower Manhattan last week."

The administration would like to toss the whole episode down the memory hole. Even if they chafe at being denied access to the pictures, the MSM will no doubt help to fellatiate facilitate Obama's attempted amnesia.

Given that there are already videos of the plane buzzing around, can you imagine if the photographs taken from the chase plane turned out to be crappy, or just mediocre? Most Americans have a short attention span for political news, but pictures are harder to forget. The more pictures, the longer people remember. Clearly, this decision to prohibit access to the images are all about protecting Obama's image.

Their audacity in spending $328,835 to take a photograph was bad enough. But tossing the overpriced pictures in the garbage is much worse.

(Yeah, I know one can obviously offer up the usual hypothetical of how the MSM, et al. would react to Bush doing the same thing. If anyone isn't convinced by the last 500 hypotheticals, one more won't matter. Willful ignorance is impervious to evidence and reason.)