USAID has released an an announcement (.pdf file) to declare that we will soon commit to saying something quite definite, in no uncertain terms. Here's the quote everybody is bouncing around the Internet today:

In September 2009, President Obama launched a study of U.S. development policy and will be issuing a new development policy in the near future. The policy will focus on achieving sustainable development outcomes by promoting broad‐based economic growth and democratic governance, investing in game‐changing innovations that have the potential to solve long‐standing development challenges, and building effective public sector capacity to provide basic services over the long term. The policy also puts a premium on selectivity, on leveraging the expertise and resources of others, on mutual accountability, and on evidence of impact. This new development policy will guide the U.S. approach to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

This all sounds warm and fuzzy, which is why it is the money quote (that, plus it's right at the beginning of a 15-page report about a plan to announce a plan). But let's fisk it, shall we? My comments are (in parenthesis).

********

In September 2009, President Obama launched a study

(Yet another commission. How original.)

of U.S. development policy and will be issuing a new development policy in the near future.

(BREAKING NEWS! We will soon be announcing a plan to do . . . something!)

The policy will focus on achieving sustainable development outcomes

(because Government is the answer)

by promoting broad‐based economic growth and democratic governance,

(growth by what means, and democratic like Greece or democratic like USA circa 1779?)

investing in game‐changing innovations that have the potential to solve long‐standing development challenges,

(we will be announcing an attempt to misappropriate taxpayers' take-home wages and throw them at things that sound like really good ideas, but which are as-yet unproven (and may not pan out but hey it's worth a shot!))

and building effective public sector capacity to provide basic services over the long term.

(We're also going to be adding HUGE numbers of people to the public welfare roles, if we can possibly manage to sneak it under the radar)

The policy also puts a premium on selectivity,

(We will be emphasizing sexism and racism, as appropriate)

on leveraging the expertise and resources of others,

(we're going to pay consultants -and hire our cronies for- HUGE salaries!)

on mutual accountability,

(we will tell you everything. We hope you will tell us some things)

and on evidence of impact.

(they probably meant effectiveness vs. impact, but they really mean we want to see if this stuff helps, after we've poured our money down the drain to make it work)

This new development policy will guide the U.S. approach to the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs).

(It's a guide. We'll be sure to vary from the guide in any way that suits our nepotism, racism, sexism, fancy, and pocketbooks, thank you very much)

********

As an extra bonus, let's remember that the USA pays the lion's share of the UN's bills, and then read (from farther down in the report, which I did skim):

We will also place the United States on a trajectory to meet our long‐term Copenhagen commitment to jointly mobilize $100 billion per year in public and private sources by 2020 in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency from developing countries.

(excuse me, WHOSE Copenhagen commitment? Run that by me again? And for HOW MUCH?!)

Careful students of the Bible know that we will always have extreme poverty in the world. Attempting to mitigate it by charitable measures is fine. Taking from my wallet to do it -at gunpoint- without so much as a 'by yer leave' is Not Cool.

Pot, Kettle, Black: Obama The Liar?

Barack Hussein Obama is either a compulsive liar, or completely ignorant of what is happening outside the political bubble that surrounds him. Having advisers who all think exactly like you does not help either condition. It is hard to tell which is the case. The following are the words of the President during a speech at a fundraiser, with my commentary:

"They [Republicans] have not come up with a single, solitary new idea to address the challenges of the American people . . . . not one."

Excuse me, but this is only the opinion of people who only watch your MSM's nightly news. Those who are paying attention to other information sources know (vs. opine) that your press lackeys have consistently failed to report on the (superior to your own) ideas coming not only from Republicans and Independents, but even the non-party-line Democrats.

"They're betting on amnesia."

You, sir, are beting on amnesia, and what's more you are also betting on a compliant press continuing to only report news that paints you and your affiliates in a good light, while completely failing to report on your adversaries unless they do something bad.

********

These lines were delivered at a fundraiser where he was a speaker. Listening to the audio is rough. It's at least as bad as President Bush, with all the pauses for thought and dragging . . . .sentences out . .. . waiting to think of the next words to . . . say. If he was on teleprompter, this is probably intentional, so his audience wouldn't miss a single word. If not . . . this guy is proving even more that he has a completely un-earned reputation as an orator. Listening to one of his Constitutional Law lectures (when he was an adjunct lecturer, he was never a Professor) must have been enough to make you want to pull your ears right off.

Sad Sack, One More: Lindsay Lohan

More famous these days for being a junkie than for anything she has done for pay, Lindsay Lohan is in the news again. This time because she's out of jail (again) having served less than a full sentence. She served 14 of her 90 days and was remanded to three months in a rehab facility.

The sad part of this story is: it is very unlikely that she will get over the deep-rooted personal problems that lead her to substance abuse, and she'll very likely be back in jail (or dead) for some kind of intoxication-related crime. She needs Jesus but I doubt she'll be looking for him. *sigh* Prayers for all such are in order.

When Guns Could Have Saved The Nation Money

Nidal Hassan is still pulling down $6000/month as a Major in the US Army. That would be, he is still alive, and still holding his full military rank, despite having gunned down a dozen or so fellow soldiers in the name of allah.

This is because the United States' justice system is crippled by political correctness. They can't give this guy a .308 even though there is a room full of highly credible eyewitnesses, and a years-long paper trail showing he is a radical muslim. In your grandfather's day, this guy would have been shot the next day, if not the same day, and that would have been that.

Note: this would NOT be an issue if we trusted our fighting men with arms on base in the USA. It is the base commanders' prerogative on most military installations whether he will allow his men to go about armed on base. Most chicken out and do not.

This is a shame.

What's That Bump Behind The Ejection Port On An AR-15/M16?

I'm not so much of an AR lover, but that's changing the more my knowledge expands from "they sucked in vietnam (for various reasons)" to "They're a mature technology, and highly-refined at that." but that's not what this post is about. I've just had a "eureka!" moment.

There's a bump behind the ejection port on an AR, and I had heard it was a shell deflector, but I didn't really get why that ugly lump was hanging out on what seems an otherwise 100% function type of machine. Then I watched the slow-motion video of the ejection of spent brass from an AR, and it became crystal clear:

The empty brass slams into that bump
every.
single.
time.
and goes flying off to the right.


Image lifted from GunAccessories.com.

Well, Shut My Mouth!

~or, The Importance of Selecting The Proper Buffer In an AR-Pattern Rifle~

Vuurwapen has a comparison of AR recoil buffers . . . compared on slow-motion video. I watched the video of the first two and I was beginning to think "well, so the bolt bounces what's the big deal?" and then the third buffer test started up, and I said "oh."

It's just over a minute-long and there is a well-written blog post attached. Click it.

Hat tip and thanks for a freshly bookmarked gun-related site to: The Firearm Blog.

Somebody Pass Me A Salt Tablet

Man that was a wild ride today. I didn't eat ANY salts, beside what was in the butter on my toast this morning at breakfast. My body was ready for the sodium from lunch and it was down hill for my energy level after I didn't get it. Thank GOD for the green lights on the way home, because I was really hurting. I got here and my Darling Wife saw how bad off I was and decided to evaporate with the Zoo while #4 was sleeping. I took as much salt (by licking it off my hand) as my mouth would tolerate, ate a couple of cookies, and racked out. Here's the MS Paint version of how I was feeling today:



All's well that ends well I suppose but ugh. Remind me not to do that again.

Brick vs. Washing Machine. Round 1 FIGHT!

Bricks and washing machines don't mix, apparently. I'll have to make this post brief because #3 is saying "wess do 'gain" to get me to play it again . . . action begins around 0:48 from the beginning.

You will watch this video.

Yes It Can Happen Here

Sergey Larenkov has an impressive series of perspective-matched photos of then-vs-now in various places in Russia. I was reminded by some of them that "it can't happen here" is a very poor excuse for a mental defense against anything, including war. Check out the contrast: people going about their lives vs. soldiers going about their duties, on the same street.

Click through to see the images full-size




Very interesting. If the militia called you up, would you be ready to switch from going about your life to going about your duty? Would you even be willing? Hat tip to Every Day No Days Off

Satan Knows Your Weakness

Mine is fatigue. I slept badly and little last night due to various circumstances in the home, and I woke up as my Darling Wife was about to leave for church. Tonight she's off with the Zoo again, and I have skipped church again. The thought of being out until normal getting-home-from-church time made me tired, just to contemplate it. Boo. I'll be going to bed early tonight, if possible.