Duthie On...

If you’ve got 10 minutes, you can learn how we got where we are (h/t Hot Air):

Take the time to watch this, then share it with your friends, family, etc.

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This story may be some comfort for those of us with loved ones in Iraq: An estimated 123 people were shot and killed over the summer. That's nearly double the number of soldiers killed in Iraq over the same time period. In May, cbs2chicago.com began tracking city shootings and posting them on Google maps. Information compiled from our reporters, wire service reports and the Chicago Police Major Incidents log indicated that 123 people were shot and killed throughout the city between the start of Memorial...

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Here's the video that Obama doesn't want you to see: In fact, he wants so badly for you not to see it that he's trying to force the DoJ to silence the group responsible. Think about that for a second...if Republicans attempted to silence a group criticizing one of their candidates by siccing a government agency on them, the left would call them fascists and thugs. But when the shoe is on the other foot? Not a peep. This is an utterly disgusting attack on the very essence of free speech our founding...

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Never mind that this guy wasn't elected, but is only governor because his predecessor had to resign in shame, nevermind that neither Paterson nor Spitzer ran on a promise to legalize gay marriage, and most of all, never mind asking the citizens of New York what they want: David Paterson has unilaterally declared New York a gay-marriage-friendly state: ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Gay rights advocates had reason to celebrate on both coasts Thursday, with New York set to recognize same-sex marriages performed...

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There's so much wrong with this story that it's hard to know where to begin: A powerful federal arts commission is urging that the sculpture of Martin Luther King Jr. proposed for a memorial on the Tidal Basin be reworked because it is too "confrontational" and reminiscent of political art in totalitarian states. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts thinks "the colossal scale and Social Realist style of the proposed statue recalls a genre of political sculpture that has recently been pulled down in other...

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Good for The Daily Show for taking on more than just conservative targets: How can you possibly out-parody the self-parody that is Code Pink? The final moment of the video is just hysterical, and so representative of the clue-free nature of this debate. Also watch for the lib answer to the question, "so if we got rid of the police, we wouldn't have crime? (around 3:50). Priceless."...

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I love this campaign spot, by Kerry's Republican opponent. He doesn't have a chance, but ya gotta like the guy's style:

The intrusion of the state into the family continues unabated : As doctors struggle to eradicate polio worldwide, one of their biggest problems is persuading parents to vaccinate their children. In Belgium, authorities are resorting to an extreme measure: prison sentences. Two sets of parents in Belgium were recently handed five month prison terms for failing to vaccinate their children against polio. Each parent was also fined 4,100 euros ($8,000). And if you don't think it can happen in the U.S...

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This time, it's the U.S. Naval Academy, which is considering overhauling a traditional ritual contest in the name of "safety". The Herndon Climb, which involves a "thousand first-year midshipmen struggl[ing] to conquer a 21-foot granite obelisk coated with 200 pounds of lard," has been a part of the academy for many years, but may now be revised "with...safety in mind." As many of those interviewed for the story point out, it's rather absurd to obsess about the safety...

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This is just plain outrageous: They’re watching you right now. They counted every beer you drank during last night’s Red Sox [ team stats ] game. They see you sneaking out to the garage for a smoke. They know if you’ve got a gun, and where you keep it. They’re your kids, and they’re the National Security Agency of the Nanny State. I found this out after my 13-year-old daughter’s annual checkup. Her pediatrician grilled her about alcohol and drug abuse. Not...

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That's one of the few words that comes close to describing this: Brave New World Watch [ Kathryn Jean Lopez ] Guardian : Plans to allow British scientists to create human-animal embryos are expected to be approved tomorrow by the government's fertility regulator. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority published its long-awaited public consultation on the controversial research yesterday, revealing that a majority of people were "at ease" with scientists creating the hybrid embryos. Researchers...

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OK, they are letting him go...but they insist on a name change : Who remembers playing with G.I. Joe as a kid? For those of us who grew up with normal childhoods, instead of the moonbat-infested, politically correct childhoods forced onto kids today, G.I. Joe was the action figure to have. It was originally started in the 60s as a WWII soldier, with soldiers from other countries (Germany, England, and believe it or not, France), but saw its most successful sales during the resurgance in the 80s,...

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Wow...this just completely turns reality on its head: Aug. 22, 2007. Elvira Arellano speaks to the Mexican Congress about her deportation from the United States. Elvira claims the U.S. broke that law first by 'allowing' illegal immigrants to pay taxes. She may be a senora rather than a senor, but she still has major cojones. LiveLeak.com - Elvira Arellano Says U.S. 'Broke The Law First'...

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OK, so perhaps I'm not as funny as the Dell Dude (assuming he was ever funny), but this one strikes me as an idea that only he could love. I was browsing around Dell's website today, checking out the cost of some new desktop hardware, just for curiosity, more than anything else, when I came upon what I can only describe as the enviro-nut section of the build process. In the services section of the website (see the image below), you now have the ability to have Dell (for a fee, of course) plant a...

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If only we had effective duct tape laws, this tragedy could have been avoided: Robbery is a serious problem for retail stores across our region. But the employees of Shamrock Liquors in Ashland, Kentucky, can't stop laughing about what happened last Friday at the store along 13th street. Police say Kasey Kazee walked in to the store with duct tape wrapped around his head to conceal his face. What a sad case. Here's a tip, Kasey...if you're a moron you should avoid sticky substances, robbery, and...

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There's an funny line that goes something to the effect of "Gravity: It's not just a good idea...it's the law." While there's nothing funny about the story below, it does illustrate the fact that unintended consequences are as hard to escape as gravity : TWO decades ago, in an effort to curb domestic violence, states began passing “mandatory arrest” laws. Police officers responding to a call for help would no longer need to determine whether one person was truly violent or out of control; every time...

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OK, so when you've failed to convince Rolling Stone that a favorite liberal solution is a good thing, you've got a real problem (WARNING: article contains some strong language): The great danger of confronting peak oil and global warming isn't that we will sit on our collective asses and do nothing while civilization collapses, but that we will plunge after "solutions" that will make our problems even worse. Like believing we can replace gasoline with ethanol, the much-hyped biofuel that we make...

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Or so says Barak Obama, while fishing for support from a group whose name translates as "The Race". But of course, they're not racist...no: MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Sen. Barack Obama told the nation's largest Hispanic advocacy group yesterday that he earned their support for his presidential campaign by marching in last year's May 1 immigrant rallies and challenged them to learn whether others met that standard. "Find out how many senators appeared before an immigration rally last year. Who was talking...

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What is it with Al Gore...I mean, I've come to expect that he does not live by the conservationist message he preaches to the rest of us peons, but you'd think he would be at least a tiny bit embarrassed by all the attention : ONLY one week after Live Earth, Al Gore's green credentials slipped while hosting his daughter's wedding in Beverly Hills. Gore and his guests at the weekend ceremony dined on Chilean sea bass - arguably one of the world's most threatened fish species. Also known as Patagonian...

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D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty on the decision to appeal the U.S. Court of Appeals ruling overturning the D.C. handgun ban: "We have made the determination that this law can and should be defended and we are willing to take our case to the highest court in the land to protect the city's residents," Fenty said in a press release. "Our handgun law has saved countless lives -- keeping guns out of the hands of those who would hurt others or themselves." Someone should remind Mayor Fenty of a couple of things...

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This may be one of the most bizarre things I've ever read: A grand feast of marinated steaks and jumbo shrimp was winding down, and a group of friends was sitting on the back patio of a Capitol Hill home, sipping red wine. Suddenly, a hooded man slid in through an open gate and put the barrel of a handgun to the head of a 14-year-old guest. "Give me your money, or I'll start shooting," he demanded, according to D.C. police and witness accounts. Ah, but thankfully, there's a happy ending...after offering...

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Bob Novak : I never spoke to Armitage again about Wilson. But he acknowledged to me nearly three months later through his political adviser, lobbyist Ken Duberstein, that he was indeed the primary source for my information about Wilson's wife. Shortly thereafter, he secretly revealed his role to federal authorities investigating the leak of Mrs. Wilson's name but did not inform White House officials, apparently including the president. After Patrick Fitzgerald, the U.S. attorney in Chicago named...

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This , sent by a friend, is just a hoot: Officials at Live Earth Johannesburg have blamed the effects of climate change for poor audience attendance at Saturday's (07Jul07) South African event. Organiser John Langford believes extremely cold weather in the region - it snowed last week (ends06Jul07) for the first time in a quarter of a century - kept people away from the concert, which starred Joss Stone , UB40, Angelique Kidjo and Baaba Maal. Speaking before the event, Langford said, "We're expecting...

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Gore goes on a tear in the usual vein at the DC Live Earth show: "Some who don't understand what is now at stake tried to stop this event on the Mall," the former Democratic presidential candidate said in a thinly veiled hit on members of President George W. Bush's Republican party. "But here we are," he said as an image of a bright Earth shined behind him. "And it wasn't the cavalry who came to our rescue, it was the American Indian ." Um...no, it wasn't. It was a bunch of libs at one of the Smithsonian...

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Once again, anti-poverty-crusader John Edwards is in the news for his largesse on his locks...this time having spent as much as $1,250 for a single cut: For four decades, Joseph Torrenueva has cut the hair of Hollywood celebrities, from Marlon Brando to Bob Barker, so when a friend told him in 2003 that a presidential candidate needed grooming advice, he agreed to help. The Beverly Hills hairstylist, a Democrat, said he hit it off with then-Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina at a meeting in Los...

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You gotta figure Al's not thrilled with this , three days before the Live Earth carbon orgy: LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The 24-year-old son of former Vice President Al Gore was arrested for drug possession on Wednesday after he was stopped for speeding in his hybrid Toyota Prius, a sheriff's official said. Al Gore III -- whose father is a leading advocate of policies to fight global warming -- was driving his environmentally friendly car at about 100 miles per hour on a freeway south of Los Angeles...

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As an American of Scots descent who was married in a kilt, this makes me both angry and sad. How far one of the cradles of western civilization and freedom has fallen: Kilt wearers could face prosecution if they do not have a licence for their sporran under new legislation which has been introduced in Scotland. The laws are designed to protect endangered species like badgers and otters, whose fur used to be favoured by sporran makers. What's really disturbing is the government officials who think...

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I'm not quite sure what to make of this : NEW YORK (AP) - Poor residents will be rewarded for good behavior - like $300 for doing well on school tests, $150 for holding a job and $200 for visiting the doctor - under an experimental anti-poverty program that city officials detailed Monday. The rewards have been used in other countries, including Brazil and Mexico, and have drawn widespread praise for changing behavior among the poor. Mayor Michael Bloomberg traveled to Mexico this spring to study...

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I put the "spoof" in quotes deliberately...someone should tell Hill that spoofs are supposed to be funny. Watch at your own risk...bad acting ahead: http://www.breitbart.tv/html/1902.html Unfunny. Tacky. Just plain bad. As a couple of folks commented on the link above, it almost looks as though Bill and Hill may have been filmed separately...would be utterly appropriate somehow for this couple. via Breitbart.tv...

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Please tell me this is a joke: LOS ANGELES (AP) - Bob Barker endorsed his friend Rosie O'Donnell as a possible successor on "The Price Is Right," although the newly retired host isn't sure CBS wants a woman to take over the game show. "I believe they're going to have a meeting with Rosie," Barker said backstage Friday night at the Daytime Emmy Awards , where he won his 19th trophy. So from attempting to bully and shout down the lone conservative on "The View", Rosie might move to "The Price is Right...

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How else would one describe this: Fairfax County middle school student Hal Beaulieu hopped up from his lunch table one day a few months ago, sat next to his girlfriend and slipped his arm around her shoulder. That landed him a trip to the school office. Among his crimes: hugging. All touching -- not only fighting or inappropriate touching -- is against the rules at Kilmer Middle School in Vienna . Hand-holding, handshakes and high-fives? Banned. The rule has been conveyed to students this way: "NO...

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This story came up while I was out of town last week, so I’m just now getting around to blogging it: Shortly before landing, Bob Hayden and a flight attendant had agreed on a signal: When she waved the plastic handcuffs, he would discreetly leave his seat and restrain an unruly passenger who had frightened some of the 150 people on board a Minneapolis-to-Boston flight Saturday night with erratic behavior. Hayden, a 65-year-old former police commander, had enlisted a gray-haired gentleman sitting...

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OK, so I'm thinking perhaps the solution might be smarter employees? SEATTLE – First, Washington State banned indoor public smoking. Now, the City of Seattle may ban employees from making microwave popcorn. No kidding. A memo from the Fleets and Facilities Department addressed to "Employees at Civic Center Buildings" says there has been several evacuations in recent years due smoke alarms being tripped by burning popcorn. If your employees aren't smart enough to pop microwave popcorn without setting...

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Does the death penalty act as a deterrent? That's a hotly debated question, but a number of studies suggest that the answer is "yes" : Among the conclusions: Each execution deters an average of 18 murders, according to a 2003 nationwide study by professors at Emory University. (Other studies have estimated the deterred murders per execution at three, five and 14). Of course, opponents of the death penalty are bound and determined to discredit the findings, but what's so surprising about this? It...

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As if the recently-deceased immigration bill wasn't bad enough, we've also got lunatic federal judges to deal with: A New York town will pay six illegal day laborers $550,000 and forbid its police department from checking suspects’ immigration status to settle a discrimination lawsuit that claims the men were harassed because they are Hispanic. The case stems from a much-needed police crackdown on disruptive and violent loitering in a public park in Mamaroneck , a town of about 20,000 residents located...

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Want to protect yourself when the cops can't? Here's what the mayor of New Haven, CT thinks of the idea : "In response to proposed armed civilian patrols, I believe that individuals who carry weapons with the intent of enforcing their view of appropriate behavior in the neighborhood is a recipe for disaster." This, in response to a local Rabbi organizing a neighborhood watch including members who will carry registered, concealed weapons. The arrogance of city officials in response is breathtaking...

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See below for a funny truck driver story with an amazing photo: 

Missed It By That Much

My favorite line:

“He told the officers he didn’t know where he was going.”

Right.

Source: Below The Beltway » Blog Archive » Missed It By That Much

I used to respect and admire Linda Chavez. Hers was a voice of reason on race and racial politics, among other subjects. I greatly enjoyed her book, An Unlikely Conservative , and found her story inspiring. But reading the following, I cannot believe my eyes: Some people just don't like Mexicans -- or anyone else from south of the border. They think Latinos are freeloaders and welfare cheats who are too lazy to learn English. They think Latinos have too many babies, and that Latino kids will dumb...

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Apparently now we're to be scared of the common soda. In addition to scares about benzene formed by the combination of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and sodium benzoate, apparently the sodium benzoate itself is dangerous: ...an expert in ageing at Sheffield University, who has been working on sodium benzoate since publishing a research paper in 1999, has decided to speak out about another danger. Professor Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology, tested the impact of sodium benzoate...

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Why, when it's directed at a business, rather than the government. This, from defense attorney Terri Wood, on behalf of her client, Earth Liberation Front eco-terrorist and arsonist Stanislas Meyerhoff: Prior to sentencing, Wood asked for leniency, arguing that most of the fires were not acts of terrorism because they were set at businesses, not government facilities. That's a novel definition of terrorism, IMO. Wikipedia, for example, makes no mention of the business vs. government exception in...

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"But", one of Brumshagen's carpenter colleagues said of the model Ark, "I am not so sure that it will float." So ends this ridiculous Reuters story about a group of environmental activists who are apparently rebuilding Noah's Ark on Mount Ararat. The activists (the news story doesn't mention whether they're actually believers in the Bible, or whether they're simply exploiting the story for their own ends) are attempting to highlight the purported danger of rising seas from global climate change by...

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That's the only thing I can think of to explain his statement that he "wasn't personally involved" in his recently-reported $400 haircut. Apparently other people arrange these things, and then somehow his hair gets cut without his personal involvement. You just can't make this stuff up. I have no problem whatsoever with Edwards paying whatever he chooses for a haircut. But it's fascinating watching him blame others for the cost of his haircut, since it highlights how utterly inconsistent his lifestyle...

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Ever the pedant, Andrew Stuttaford reminds Andy McCarthy, who had posted some commentary about Koranic support for wife-beating, that: Nevertheless, it's worth remembering that there's plenty of savagery to be found in the Old Testament too. What really matters is not what was said or written back in the Dark Ages (or, in the case of the Bible, even earlier), but how those words are interpreted now , if, indeed, at all. I'll let McCarthy's response speak for itself: Yes, Andrew. And I'll address...

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McGreevey seeking to become Episcopal priest.

Has this man no shame at all? And what is up with the Episcopal church? Have they now decided that it's so important to thumb their nose at any notion of propriety that having McGreevey as a priest doesn't strike anyone as a bad idea? It's stuff like this that drove me out of the Episcopal church.

Perhaps I'm just old-fashioned, though I'm not yet 40, but isn't there something a bit strange about a waiter who thinks that it's OK to plop down at the table with you while taking your order? This happened to me last night while I was out with my family at a Cheesecake Factory restaurant, so it's not like it was some crazy theme restaurant, or a local diner where we were regulars. And as it happened, apart from his difficulty recognizing boundaries, our waiter was attentive, funny, and very helpful...

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