Sleepless in Midland

Malware for Macs

Those of us who use PCs have been dealing with the threat of viruses and malware for years. Oh yeah, we're uncool, too -- just watch the commercials.

However, Macs have gotten the attention of the scammers. The bloggers at Sophos have been attending a virus conference, and this entry tells us about the Russian "Partnerka." Excerpt:

The Partnerka is the complex network of affiliates who profit from spam and malware. Run like a multi-level marketing scheme, if you've ever received an email which points you to a "Canadian Pharmacy" website, you've met the Partnerka.

And they tell about a website that was offering $0.43 every time an affiliate was able to sucker a Mac owner into downloading and installing malware. So a victim who gets his/her computer snagged has a huge headache plus the ignominy of having been sold out for a whopping $0.43. Now that's not at all cool.

The cutest dancing baby video in Youtube history

It's the baby dancing to the Beyonce video. It's soooo cute!

Here's a 50 second version. And here's one with a 2:48 duration.

A dusty day down under

They had a bad air day in Sydney, Australia, the other day in the form of a nasty dust storm. Some photos have been posted online here, here and here.

It looks very much like a very bad West Texas dust storm especially with the red air.  But it is made much worse when people drive on the wrong side of the highway.

A hat tip goes to George and Paula Richards who live way down under in the Gold Coast area of Australia.  Be safe, y'all.

More amazing Blu wall art

It's a series of still photos as a guy paints a courtyard and surrounding walls to give an illusion of an animated motion picture. Watch Youtube video. It's amazing stuff and makes one wonder how he got that paint to dry so fast.

Perhaps you'll remember a previous one posted here early this year.

Via Laughing Squid.

Updated: Dang. I need to check friendly blogs more frequently. Fireant Gazette posted Blu's art video yesterday.  He certailny has great taste.

An invitation to join a social network or malware?

The other day I got three emails telling me friends wanted to send me a "teddy." Funny thing is, each of those friends denied sending such an email.  The links in the emails directed me to the website you can see in the screen shot on the right.

So what gives? The emails invited me to register at www.shtyle.fm and supply all sorts of personal information in order to receive the gift. Sorry, no can do.

I don't know whether it was a trojan horse or aggressive marketing, but when emails get sent out without the knowledge of the sender then something smells phishy.

Mmm Mmm Mmm, I can't get that darn song out of my head!

By now everyone has seen and heard those lovely children sing the pro-Obama ditty on Youtube. If not, click School kids taught to praise Obama. I watched it a couple of times, and darn it, I just can't get that song out of my head. Of all the songs to get stuck in there!

And yes, the whole thing is nauseating. There should be a name for it: Obama Flu -- injecting the Obama virus into every aspect of life, beginning as soon as a child sets foot in a public institution. Obama Fever! Catch it!

But here's something troubling about the video. Those kids don't appear to be reading cue cards or teleprompters. They seem to be reciting the song from memory. You can read the lyrics in the "more info" sidebar at the video link, and while it isn't difficult, there are a lot of words for a youngster to commit to memory. One might expect them all to know the chorus and a few to know all the words, but they all seem to know all the words. It must have taken quite a while to get that lesson down.

It was supposed to have been filmed in June of '09, and I wonder if those kids can still recite it. "Hooray, Mr. President we honor your great plans."  As one of the video commenters observed, Obama's kids own kids are off limits, but not ours.

Updated: Groan. Yet another one: Link. Via BigHollywood.

Not Smarter Than a 5th Grader

The other night a group of local volunteers gathered to celebrate their achievements with a dinner party and entertainment in the form of a game of "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" Question: Were they smarter? Answer: Yes.

Here's a sampling of questions, see how you would do:

1. What are the three states of Matter?
A. Animal, vegetable and mineral
B. Solid, liquid and gas
C. Cash, check or credit
D. Paper or plastic

2. The long bone in the human arm connecting the shoulder and elbow is called what?
A. Humerus bone
B. Funny bone
C. Comical bone
D. Hilarious bone

3. What is the third rock from the sun most commonly called?

4. A doe is a deer, a female deer. What is a ray?

5. Which side of the human heart pumps the blood out to most of the body?
A. Left side
B. Right side
C. Wrong side
D. Down side

6. A moving object tends to continue moving unless something stops it. That's due to:
A. The law of gravity
B. The law of inertia
C. Mother Nature
D. Father Time

Pretty easy, huh? Here are the answers in case they weren't:

1. B. Solid, liquid and gas
2. A. Humerus bone
3. Earth -- In order from the sun the planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
4. A ray is a drop of golden sun if you've seen "The Sound Of Music."
5. A. Left side.
6. B. Law of Inertia, also known as Newton's law of motion.

If you get in a situation in which you need to come up some "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" questions there is a show companion book available on Amazon.com -- see image above. It's a good starting point. But the questions are rather dry, so if you hope to get a chuckle they need a little bit of work.

Today's gun safety lesson -- Never play Russian roulette with a semi-automatic

Actually, one shouldn't play Russian roulette with any type of firearm.

This gun mishap would be funny if it weren't so tragic. It happened in Missouri, the "show me" state, and James Looney was showing his girlfriend his handguns and teaching her about gun safety. Here's the rundown from the St. Louis Post Dispatch:

Police say James Looney of the 4300 block of Rock Valley court was teaching his girlfriend about firearm safety when he put a gun to his head and asked her if it would go off. Police say he did this with two other weapons and varied safety mechanisms before the last one went off, said Lt. Dave Marshak.

Police also believe alcohol was involved.

That alcohol and guns don't mix is widely known, but maybe it should be added to the list of gun safety rules. Let's review them with the new addition:

1. Assume all guns are always loaded;

2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy;

3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target;

4. Be sure of your target and what is beyond; and

5. Don't handle firearms unless sober.

A tip of the hat goes to Clif Sikes, hand gun instructor, who noted Mr. Looney's unfortunate name. Maybe he was just trying to live up to it, Clif.

Honey they shrunk the newspaper

It's not your imagination, and your fingers didn't grow an inch and a half over the weekend. The newspaper really did shrink.

Left click on the thumbnail for a larger pop-up and see today's newspaper on top the one from a week ago. The ruler notes the 1.5 inch shrinkage. The pink rectangle in the center is an artist's rendition of the newspaper of the future if current trends continue.

Less fiber but more nutritious.

The Permian Basin 9-12 Project

Last Saturday (9/19/09) a group of about 30 people gathered to hear local 9-12 Project planners talk about what it's all about and what to expect. The groups' president, Stefano Rosellini, is an interesting person. He immigrated to the U.S. from Italy 14 years ago, and having lived under the European style of control over individuals he is concerned that it is about to become the American way. You can read a speech he gave at the Odessa Tea Party rally on 9/12/09 here. Excerpt:

. . . I am 44 years old and for the first 30 years of my life I have experienced firsthand the Euro Socialism that the Obama administration and the current liberal Congress are trying to impose on all of us and I can report to you, without any shade of a doubt that you do not want to follow that path.

The main reason I am here today is because I see the healthcare bill being proposed as a tipping point. I have never been involved in politics before and I have never participated in a rally like this, but for the last few years I have witnessed a very alarming trend on American politics and I believe that it is time for me to stand up and give back some of the love that this Country has given me since the first day I arrived. . . .

Read the whole thing to appreciate the important points he made.

The people at the gathering on Saturday were ordinary citizens concerned with the direction the country is going, and and they took time out of their Saturday afternoon to mingle with others who shared that concern.

The groups ultimate goal is to be able to vet candidates running for office in both parties and have enough clout to have some influence in who gets elected. But they are aware that they have a lot of catching up to do to compete with the well funded groups that put President Obama in office. The reason for the meeting Saturday was to get the word out and encourage people to get involved.

They are making their presence known.  In addition to their website they are on Facebook and Twitter.

There was a lot of audience participation at the gathering, and one attendee told about her trip to D.C. for the big 9/12 rally there. She said the police were out in full force -- ready for a riot, presumably -- and she and others went up to some of the officers and acknowledged that the officers probably didn't want to be there and thanked them for their service. The cops were dumbfounded. This was not a typical Capitol Mall demonstration.

The inspiration for the local group is Glenn Beck's 9/12 Project, and while the association with a controversial figure might be a turnoff for some, one must remember that any famous person who goes against the political grain can become controversial with little effort, and there will be those who will work hard to get them out of the limelight. However, people have caught on to the tactic, and the groups using Alinsky's rules for radicals to isolate an individual are having a much harder time. In fact, there appears to be a blowback effect as targets like Sarah Palin withstood the blistering attacks and have become even stronger.

As Rocky Balboa says in the movie, "It ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward -- how much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done." Watch it on Youtube.

Next up for the group is an activist training class on Saturday, September 26. Check their website for details. The original printed material they passed out said there would be a $20 fee, but that seems to have been omitted from their web posting. (I've sent a query, and I'll update when I receive a reply.) Updated: Here's the link for regstering for the class, and the fee is still in place.

We have a "Suite Surrender" winner

And the winner is: Amber Robin. She is the winner of the tickets to the Midland Community Theatre performance of "Suite Surrender" for the 9/26/09 show.

And she plans to treat her Grandmother to a night at the theatre. Now isn't that nice? Congratulations, Amber. Have a great time, y'all!

Dear Nigerian Information Minister, sorry about the movie, please to accept this offer

Dear Nigerian Information Minister,

We are sorry to learn from the article titled Nigerian officials: "District 9" not welcome here that you were upset because the movie has a Nigerian antagonist and the main gangster in the movie has a name resembling a former Nigerian President. We wish to offer the most sincere apology, and to prove our sincerity, we wish to make you an offer.

During the course of an auditing last week, we discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 2006 and since 2009 nobody has operated on this account again, after going through some old files in the records we discovered that the owner of the account died without a [Heir/WILL] hence the money is floating and if we do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing.

The total amount involved is One hundred and sixty million US DOLLARS only [160,000.000.00 DOLLARS ] and we wish to transfer this money into a safe foreigners account abroad. We are revealing this to you with believe in God/Allah that you will never let us down in this business. Please send your private telephone number and fax number including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit. We need your strong assurance that you will never let me down in this business proposition.

No other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it. . .

Solid Potato Salad, the video

They're singers. They're contortionists. They're singers AND contortionists! And they sure are limber. This video of the Ross Sisters is supposed to be from a 1944 movie titled Broadway Rhythm, and this 3:50 minute clip will bend you over backwards.

There's an amazing scene beginning at the 2:00 mark where one of the girls stands on the seat of a wagon then glides backward into the wagon bed, then back up to the seat without the use of her arms. Amazing.  Click to watch it, but don't try this at home.

Via LoneStarTimes.com.

Let's give Obama the benefit of the doubt on the Eastern European missile defense reversal

This morning the President issued a press release announcing he is trashing President Bush's plan for an Eastern European missile defense program.

There are plenty of reasons to distrust President Obama, especially in the realm of missile defense which all but the most independent of Democrats have been ridiculing since the '80s. A missile defense program is a weapon that is expected to save lives, and it seems silly to oppose it.

But any defense program has to be adaptable to changing information. And if the press release is truthful, that's what is happening here. Obama says the decision was based on new intelligence information and advances in the missile defense technology. And he says he has the unanimous recommendations of the Secretary of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff to back him up.

So unless some backroom deal comes to light, then let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Democrats did the country no favors by opposing each and every thing Bush proposed, and Obama's opponents can do better than that.

The Samurai home protection system

A burglary spree + one scared resident with Samurai sword = end of burglary spree.

The Samurai home protection plan is more of a deterrent than an alarm system, at least it was for this student in Baltimore . Here's a link to the article, and here's a quote:

The student "was backed up against a corner, and either out of fear or out of panic, he just struck the sword with force," said city police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

Pontolillo, who rents the off-campus home, nearly severed the man's left hand, inflicting what police called a "spear laceration."

Donald D. Rice of Baltimore, 49, a repeat offender who had been released from jail Saturday, died at the scene.

Guglielmi said the state's attorney's office will decide whether to charge Pontolillo, 20, of Wall, N.J.

John Belushi would have approved.

Via.

Acorn got stung - what a hoot!

Did you get a load of the fake pimp's costume?

Most of us have been suspicious of Acorn for a long time, and the few prosecutions against Acorn employees that have come to light in the past several months have cemented those suspicions.

But the funniest thing to hit the net in a long time is the video sting Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe pulled on the community organizers at Acorn. What a hoot! BigGovernment.com is the go-to link for the videos and the story.

But here's what makes me laugh, Mr. O'Keefe's getup. He's dressed like a pimp from Super Fly.  Click on the thumbnail on the right for a larger JPG.

But I don't know, maybe the well dressed pimp is so cool he wears a fur coat on a hot Summer day.

The poor gals at ACORN sure did fall for it. And they fell all over themselves trying to advise the fake pimp and hooker on how to do all sorts of illegal things.  One of them even tells how she shot and killed her husband after laying the groundwork to make her look sympathetic.  Lordy Lordy, it must be hard to get smart help at a taxpayer robbing community organizing hangout these days.

At least some of our Congress people are finally considering cutting off the flow of tax dollars to this motley group.

Recession technically over, Bernake says. Too bad about your job.

It's from an AP article:

"From a technical perspective, the recession is very likely over at this point," Bernanke said in responding to questions at the Brookings Institution. "It's still going to feel like a very weak economy for some time because many people will still find that their job security and their employment status is not what they wish it was."

It's too much like getting a card instead of a gift for Christmas, but thanks anyway, Ben. Now all we need is rampant inflation brought on by the flood of newly printed currency. A not very encouraging sign: Gold over $1000 per ounce.

"Suite Surrender" tickets for 9/19 -- we have winners!

We have winners! They are Eric & Holli Kounce of Midland. Congratulations and thanks for entering!

There are still two tickets available for the performance on 9/26, and a drawing for them will take place at 2 pm Friday, September 18. Click to see the original announcement. Anyone interested should send me an email.

By the way, I'm using the winner's names with permission, and I won't publish other winner's name unless they say it's OK.

The clock is ticking on the "Suite Surrender" ticket giveaway

A winner has been selected from among the people who entered the contest for two tickets to the "Suite Surrender" performance at Midland Community Theatre on 9/19/09. Two emails have been sent to the winner, and I'm awaiting a reply.  If I don't get a reply by 2pm on 9/15/09 then I'll draw again.

UPDATED:  We have a winner!

Click to see the original announcement, and there's still time to enter the contest for the two tickets for the 9/26 performance. If you are interested then send me an email.

NYTimes.com serving up scareware

As if their content wasn't bad enough, NYTimes.com readers recently had to deal with scareware pop-ups:

This weekend, readers of the New York Times website NYTimes.com were exposed to danger as the popular media outlet served up malicious adverts to some of its visitors.

According to a posting on the website some readers saw a pop-up messaging warning them that their computer had been infected, and urging them to install fake anti-virus software (also known as scareware)...

The quote is from Graham Cluley's blog where you can read all about it and see some screen shots.

The Odessa Tea Party 9/12 -- ya shoulda been there

The weather was perfect. The cloud cover made it nice and comfortable at the Odessa College Athletic Track as the Odessa Tea Party had its 9/12 rally. There was food, there was live music, and there was speechifying as hundreds gathered to demonstrate their concerns about an out of control government. Thank goodness we live in a country where people can gather and voice truth to power.

The people were there to help send a message to the people they elected, basically as follows: "You work for us. You are supposed to represent us. Do it, or get out of the way."

Left click on the thumbnails for a larger pop-up.

What brought this all about is the way the Congress, the Senate, and President Obama have seemingly run amok these past six months with government bailouts, government buy-ins, industry take overs, a tax and trade improvised explosive device, and most recently, the ObamaCare plan to take over of the nation's health care industry. Then there's the growing deficit and the mountain of debt that will take generations to pay off. Our foreign creditors are nervous, and citizens are waking up after an election in 2008 in which voters put their brains on hold.

When I wrote about the April Tea Party someone left a comment remarking about the lack of black people in the crowd. I hadn't noticed. But this time I did take a moment to look around for skin colors as that is apparently what critics of the movement want to focus on. There were a few African-Americans, but not many and in a percentage far fewer than in the general population. That means different things to different people. African-Americans supported Obama almost overwhelmingly for reasons having to do with pride of identity not political issues, and I don't blame them. If I were African-American I probably would have too for the same reason. It would take a very independent and confident person to withstand the social pressure to conform.

However, there are inevitably those who will scream "Racism!" Those people apparently don't realize that a far leftist president who tries to force a far leftist agenda onto an unwilling population is going to get some serious opposition that has nothing to do with race. A charge of racism is a sign of desperation.

The rallies yesterday demonstrated that citizens are ready for a change, but not the vague, focus group tested, anti-Bush, feel good, "hope 'n change" Mr. Obama campaigned on. What the Tea Party movement needs now are some candidates with the skill and courage to go to the mat for a knock-down, drag-out political battle for a national elective office representing the citizens who are ready for a change.

Who might that be? Well, there's the popular and effective Citizen Watchdog, Jason Moore. As a private citizen, he has been a fearless advocate for the taxpayer. And maybe someday he'll take the next step and run for office.

Running for office poses all sorts of problems for candidates. Not only do their opponents set out to ruin their reputations, they probably have to quit a good job or be prepared to put their own businesses on automatic pilot while they serve. Little wonder that it's so hard to find good people to run, and once they get elected, get them to quit.

The Tea Party movement itself is spreading like a west Texas wildfire. Dottie Chavez should get credit as the founding mother locally as she organized the first Tea Party in the region on April 15.  But it didn't stop there. As of August 14, 2009, Odessa Tea Party, Inc., is a Texas corporation with Elizabeth Wooldridge serving as the President. They've done a tremendous job so far, and the momentum is on their side. Keep up the good work, y'all!

Here's a local news roundup:
Odessa American
Midland Reporter-Telegram
Channel 9; and
Channel 7.

A record national debt and our leaders want to spend more? A 15 question test for Debtor's Anonymous.

An AP article tells us this: "The federal deficit surged higher into record territory in August, hitting $1.38 trillion with one month left in the budget year." The deficit is the difference during the fiscal year in what the government takes in and what it spends. That's not to be confused with the national debt which is the total sum owed which is about $11.8 trillion. Some mighty big numbers those are.

The Tea Parties party participants tried to conduct a remote intervention to convince our elected representatives of the level of concern the voters and taxpayers have over this monster of a debt. But so far, it doesn't seem to have worked as ObamaCare is aimed at building another big entitlement program.

Does the government have a problem that needs addressing? Well, most of us think so. But for the doubters let's look at the Debtors Anonymous 15 question test for compulsive debtors. They were originally written for individuals, so they've been slightly edited to apply to our government officials. Eight "yes" and there's a problem:

1. Are the nation's debts making citizens unhappy?
2. Does the pressure of the national debt distract you from the your daily work?
3. Is the national debt affecting your country's reputation?
4. Does the national debt cause citizens to think less of their country?
5. Have you ever given false information in order to increase the debt?
6. Have you ever made unrealistic promises to the nation's creditors?
7. Does the pressure of the national debts make you careless of the welfare of your country?
8. Do you ever fear that your constituents, supporters or donors will comprehend what the extent of the nation's total indebtedness means?
9. Does the prospect of more borrowing give you an inordinate feeling of relief?
10. Does the pressure of the national debt cause you to have difficulty sleeping?
11. Has the pressure of the national debt ever caused you to consider getting drunk?
12. Have you ever proposed raising the debt without giving adequate consideration to the rate of interest you are required to pay?
13. Do you usually expect a negative response when creditors consider the country's credit worthiness?
14. Have you ever developed a strict regimen for paying off the national debt, only to break it under pressure?
15. Do you justify the national debt by telling yourself that you are superior to other people, and somehow you'll get the nation out of debt overnight?

I count more than eight "yes" answers. Washington, we have a compulsive debtor's problem, and by "we," I mean "you."

Finally, to all the people who want to finance the deficit with higher taxes, you go first. Make your own voluntary donation. For directions on how to do that go to the TreasureyDirect FAQ and scroll down to "How do you make a contribution to reduce the debt?" Better hurry, though. This Debt Clock shows the national debt growing at a rate of roughly $1.5 million per minute. Unless you are thinking in Warren Buffett size numbers your donation will be gobbled up in no time.

Free tickets to "Suite Surrender"

The Midland Community Theatre is currently showing the play "Suite Surrender." Here's how their season catalog describes it:

It's 1942, and the luxurious Palm Beach Royale Hotel is under siege as two of Hollywood's biggest divas who despise each other vie for the same suite. Mistaken identities, overblown egos, double entendres, and one pampered little lap dog round out this comedy.

Recommended for those 12 and up due to language and adult situations.

Sound like fun? Well, you may be in luck, because Sleepless in Midland has four tickets to give away.

Two tickets are for the Saturday, September 19, performance.

And two tickets are for the Saturday, September 26, performance.

Both shows start at 8 pm at Mabee Theatre II, within Midland Community Theatre located at 2000 West Wadley, Midland, Texas.

In previous ticket-give-aways the first person to email got the tickets. There was plenty of randomness in that method, but somehow it just didn't seem fair. Janie at Sounding Forth did something similar recently, but she has some qualities that are lacking here: class, style, technique, substance, to name a few. So I'm stealing her idea and drawing for winners.

If you would like to have either set of tickets then Email Me, and tell me which set of tickets you want. I'll put the names in a container for each set and draw winners. When a winner has been selected I'll email the winner asking for a mailing address where I can snail mail the tickets, and that person will have 24 hours within which to reply.

Deadline!  September 19 is nine days from today, so let's have the drawing for those tickets on Monday, September 14 at 2 pm. And the drawing for the September 26 tickets will be on Friday, September 18 at 2 pm.

If you would like a chance to get a pair of tickets then send me an email.

UPDATED 9/11: Click for Midland Reporter-Telegram review.

Hillary must be secretly hoping for an ObamaCare failure

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had a knock-down-drag-out fight during the Democratic primaries last year, but Mr. Obama eventually delivered a TKO. Ms. Clinton took defeat graciously and ended up as Secretary of State.

But let's not forget HillaryCare of '93 -- Ms. Clinton's own health care plan that went down in flames. Surely she must be feeling miffed as Mr. Obama is hoping to show the country that he can deliver where she couldn't. Would Hillary take it personally?  She could be feeling somewhat like the Russians do as they watch the Americans in Afghanistan and hope Americans don't succeed where Russia failed.

So far she's been relatively quiet about ObamaCare. On July 26 David Gregory asked her about it and she didn't stray too far from the party line.

When CNN asked her about ObamaCare on August 6 she harked back to the days when she was on the front lines catching heat, and she licked her wounds a little bit saying it's different now as more people realize there are fundamental problems with the existing system. She just hopes that whatever they come up with is going to be meaningful enough to make a difference.

She might never come out publicly with anything so crass as an "I told you so," but she may be secretly hoping for that opportunity. In the meantime, Page Six says she's ticked off because her appointments are taking so long, yet Obama's own selections get whisked in with seemingly no vetting whatsoever.

Finally, to the State Department's credit, that student question in the Congo which drew Ms. Clinton's sassy reply didn't get whitewashed out of the transcript, although the annoyance on display in the video seems drained from the dry print. "Wait, you want me to tell you what my husband thinks?"

Thanks, Barack Obama

One thing that both sides in the battle over ObamaCare agree on is that the current health care delivery system has some serious flaws. Both sides have come up with their solutions, and Republicans have proposed some pretty good ideas. Two, for example, are raising the amount of allowable deposits into Health Savings Accounts and allowing individuals to deduct medical insurance premiums. Those two things alone would help many people. So why haven't they been done already?

The Republicans had plenty of time in the majority to have done this. That these ideas are being proposed now seem reactionary, and we can probably accurately conclude that they would never have come up without Obama's push for health care change.

Now let me be clear, Mr. Obama's plan has some serious flaws, and the country would probably be better off if ObamaCare as we know it doesn't get passed into law. However, he has us talking about health care reform. And he has inspired some good suggestions from his opposition. So here's a begrudging "Thank You" to Mr. Obama for that.

Who could have taken this handgun?

It's almost funny, but hopefully it's a hoax -- a small town police chief loses his handgun and cell phone from his car while it was being washed by prisoners.

Items like this circulate among emailers and end up posted on websites. This one was found at Criggo.com with the title "Duh!" Here's the text:

COLUMBUS -- Columbus Police Chief Billie Pickens lost a handgun and cell phone from his patrol car while it was being washed by prisoners at the local training center.

The incident occurred Friday.

The gun, a Smith & Wesson ...

It looks like a real newspaper clipping, but it could have been easily photoshoped.  And the story itself wasn't verifiable, at least with a mild search engine effort.

But there's a real lesson here. Don't leave anything of value in your car or there's a risk it won't be there when you get back.

P.S. Don't leave your handgun on top of the car either. Here's one that really did happen -- Dude, Where's my Glock (part 2).

Van Jones calls Republicans A__holes. Can't we all be A__holes?

Watch the video of former Obama Czar Van Jones calling Republicans A-holes, listen to the audience cheer, and it really shines sunlight on the attitude that Mr. Obama brought to the White House. If someone doesn't agree with Mr. Obama then there is something wrong with them.

Stereotyping people, lumping them into a group, and disparaging them with an insulting label is politically correct as long as it isn't racial. But I don't think Mr. Jones really meant to single out Republicans. The question to which he was responding asked why Democrats couldn't get the things they want passed into law. Mr. Jones focused on Republicans, however the problem for Team Obama is much broader than that.

There are independents, libertarians, moderates, TEA Party marchers, Town Hall attendees, Republicans, Democrats and many others who don't like the direction President Obama is trying to lead the country.

So let's share the wealth. Can the rest of us be A-holes, too? I love the way Mike Wallace and others defend themselves when they are tagged with a "liberal" label. If liberal means caring for the little guy, then I'm a liberal, says Wallace. Define the insult your own way and come out smelling like a vat of freshly distilled French perfume.

Let's play the Van Jones game but with Mike Wallace's rules and Jeff Foxworthy's style.

If you think the country should be more like the America of old than the Venezuela of new, then you might be an A-hole.

If you disapprove of the government sticking its thumb in every pie, then you might be an A-hole.

If you need surgery and the government will only give you a pain pill, then you might be an A-hole.

If you wouldn't want Van Jones on your death panel, then you might be an A-hole.

If you think the money you earn is your own, then you might be an A-hole.

If you think government shouldn't be able to take away your land just because they think another owner will bring in more tax revenue, then you might be an A-hole.

If you think neither the Democrats nor the Republicans in Congress are doing a good job, then you might be an A-hole.

So Mr. Jones, if that's an A-hole, then yes, I'm an A-hole and proud of it.

A few good men -- the Marine Corps fitness test

If this looks easy then you might be Marine Corps material.

It's the Marine Corps Fitness Test. To score 100% you only have to be able to do three things. First, 20 pullups -- no time limit but let go of the bar and you're done. Finished with that? Next do 100 crunches in two minutes. Finally, run three miles in 18 minutes or under. Congratulations, you are in first class shape.

As for me, just writing about it has left me exhausted. So I'm off to do my favorite exercise which is pressing downward with all my weight in the Lazy Boy while working out the thumb on the TV remote.

Via lifehacker.com.

John Mackey's health care proposals -- a Whole Foods boycott over nothing

John Mackey is an astute entrepreneur who is the brains behind a successful grocery store chain with 50,000 employees and a customer base drawn not just to fresh food but to the company's core values. However, some people mistakenly extrapolated those values to include an allegiance to President Obama's health care plan even if Mr. Mackey has a better idea.

Mr. Mackey wrote an op/ed that was published in the Wall Street Journal a couple of weeks ago, and it has inspired not only a boycott and a buycott but provided us one more example of just how divided the nation has become following the last presidential election. The dividing line seems to be between those who think Americans should be self reliant and independent and those who want a large government, high taxes and bureaucrats controlling important aspects of our lives.

An entry at Mr. Mackey's blog explains that his original op/ed had the title “Health Care Reform,” but someone at the WSJ rewrote the headline to call it “Whole Foods Alternative to Obamacare.” And that, he theorizes, is what drew the animosity from Mr. Obama's supporters.

Mr. Mackey's radical proposals are really quite simple, and those who have followed the discussion have seen them elsewhere with the possible exception of #8. But here is a short and sweet version of those ideas summarized from the original article posted at his blog:

1. Make high deductible policies more assessable and improve health savings accounts;

2. Allow taxpayers to deduct health insurance premiums;

3. Allow people to buy insurance across state lines;

4. Repeal government mandates on what insurance must cover;

5. Enact tort reform;

6. Make health care costs public;

7. Fix Medicare so that it doesn't go bankrupt; and

8. Allow tax deductions for donations to help people who aren't insured.

People are boycotting the stores for this? Proposal #8 seems especially suited to the Whole Foods boycotters. Anyone genuinely concerned about the uninsured should be able to pitch in some of their own money to help the uninsured and get a tax deduction to reward their altruism. Plus it will demonstrate that it isn't always other people's money they want to spend.

My only regret is that the nearest Whole Foods Market is over 300 miles away.

Related: Bob Inglis's plan; Tom Coburn's plan; David Goldhill's plan; and Bobby Jindal's plan.

Bobby Jindal's health care plan

In a recent WSJ.com article Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal reiterated some of the common complaints against the health care plan being pushed by President Obama and the Democrats in the House, and he provided some helpful suggestions of his own.

Many people see Mr. Obama's plan as part of a design to drive private plans out of business and push Americans into a government run program, which, Gov. Jindal opines, will result in lower quality health care. He finds humor in Democrats' claim that a massive government run program will not diminish health care quality, after all, he was in New Orleans when hurricane Katrina swept through, and he witnessed first hand how inept government can be at every level. Not so funny is that House Democrats seem willing to sacrifice quality in return for removing for-profit entities from the health care delivery process. And there's the not so small problem of how to pay for it.

However, he's optimistic. He says there is general agreement among House Republicans and Democrats that reform is needed. Once the "current over-reach by Mr. Obama and Mrs. Pelosi fails," Gov. Jindal says, a genuine bipartisan reform plan could result. And that reform plan should encompass seven principles:

1. Consumers should have more choices aided by internet transparency of prices and outcome data for tests, treatments and procedures.

2. Consumers should have a financial stake in their own health care.

3. Medical malpractice law should be reformed.

4. Insurance reform should make coverage portable, eliminate exclusion for pre-existing conditions and allow reinsurance and high-risk pools.

5. Insurance pools should be bigger so that everyone could get the lower premiums people in large organizations get.

6. Pay for outcome, not activity.

7. Tax credits for low-income working Americans to help buy insurance.

President Obama and Speaker Pelosi have given us a monster of a plan that has all but the most loyal Democratic party loyalist shaking in their boots. No plan is going to be perfect, otherwise someone somewhere would have produced it. However, some very sound ideas have come up that don't include government control of the American health care delivery system.

The debate about health care reform has exposed a real divide among Americans, and it all seems to boil down to whether a person is willing to rely on one's self or the government.

Related: Bob Inglis's plan; Tom Coburn's plan; David Goldhill's plan; and John Mackey's plan.