You were given the choice

I've been reading Churchill's history of the Second World War recently.  Never thought it would be a guide for my life now.

"You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war."

The election is done. Stupidity reigns. And we will have war.  Oh, probably not here. Stop applying for wiretaps, DHS. But the good times are over, for the foreseeable future. Do you know what you have sold your birthright for, liberals?

• War in the Middle East. Not the daily rocket launchings. I mean real war. With nuclear weapons. There will be places that will glow in the dark, and millions of people will die.
• Europe turns into the Balkans. Possibility of war 50-50. Their economy is now going to implode, and lots of angry, desperate people will form mobs, and then militias, and then factions.
• The United States will auger in to true Depression. Learn how to repurpose tin cans. Recycling is for the rich.
• Speaking of the rich, did you know we all are rolling in wealth? Yeah, because only the rich will have their taxes raised. And we WILL be taxed more. Ergo, we're all rich.
• Death Panels. Obamacare is now a reality. Don't get sick, don't need cancer treatments, don't need hip replacements. Cost too much, cause too much trouble, and you're going on the hospice care pathway England perfected (no food, no water, until the complaining stops for good).
• Demoralized Military. You think the Secret Service scandals were bad? Now all the good and honest members of the military are going to be sorely tempted to leave. And what remains will be a sad shadow of what we were.
• Demoralized Civil Service. Everyone knows now the Administration will let you choke on your own blood rather than inconvenience themselves with rescuing you (Bengazi). Nobody will take risks any more. We will not get intel, right when we most desperately need it (see War in the Middle East, above).

I'm not angry. I'm disgusted. It didn't have to be this way. And the worst thing is? This is still the best place on the planet to be. There's nowhere to run.

Political Snark du Jour

Here in the soggy corner of the map those lucky enough to still have a job to commute to persist in declining political bumper stickers. Even in the little Politburo region I work in, the lack of interest in the incumbent is remarkable. I don't even see many old Obama bumperstickers, and they were all over the place for 2008.

And I noticed something else highly interesting. Those 2012 Dem stickers I do see--most of them just have the year. The name "Obama" isn't even visible.

Gee, do you think the bloom is off the rose?

Greatly helped, I am sure, by the Great Debate Massacree. Of course Obama was doomed from the start given some nameless idiot thought John Kerry (D-Chin) would be the perfect practice opponent. Kerry couldn't even support his own ideas when he was running, how could he possibly play a conservative? And then there was all that family history subtext which doubtless added another bale of straw to the camel of Obama's peevishness--not only does Romney have five sons, he adores them and hasn't abandoned any of them even once. It is very sad that Obama had such an unhappy childhood with reluctant or absent parents, but he doesn't get to take out his feelings of inadequacy on the whole country.

This song came up on shuffle play when I was at the gym, and the lyrics seem very appropriate to the time. We're wise to you this time -- we won't let you kill the laughter.

Observation

Recently I took a day off and ran some errands. Usually I'm on the road only to commute to and fro work.

I noticed a difference. LOTS more Obama bumperstickers during the day. Do you suppose people with jobs don't care for him very much?  During my commute I don't notice many political bumperstickers at all, which is unusual for this area.  Yesterday I only saw five, including my own Romney one. Four years ago it was a sea of Zeros.  Change you can believe in!

Schroedinger kitteh sez:

Hehehehehe.

via Instapundit

Silly Season starts again

Yes, I'm still alive. I've been busy with my writing life recently so no time for snarking. However, here in the soggy corner of the map we have been occupied with our stupid no-party primary vote.  See, we have to be different so you don't declare a party and then vote on that ticket. Oh no. EVERYBODY, including a few Martians, is on one ballot and the lucky top two get to battle it out in the general election. Regardless of party. I don't know who came up with this intellectual gem but I suspect the same team from the mental institution that designed our freeway on/off ramps. More lithium is clearly indicated.

So how did I wade through the teeming hordes of eager candidates? After regretfully discarding the Martians (we had a candidate last year who campaigned under the moniker GoodSpaceGuy. Yes really.) and checking the wild-eyed liberals just for the amusement value, I could do things like check the candidate statement for appropriateness to the office. A candidate for the school board, for example, should be able to construct a grammatical English sentence without spelling errors. Spelling errors even MS Word would have caught. I mean, really? Also, candidates that choose to inform voters that homeopathic medicine is the cure for all evils should maybe not be running for Water District Commissioner. A firm grasp of, say, water usage, reservoir management, water-borne pathogens and other pedestrian skills are called for instead.

I've never felt such a strong urge to find some railway tracks to lie down on--fortunately the rail lines near me are defunct. Because of the economy.

I'll just start drinking now, okay?

Nobody got what they wanted

I was one of those hoping that the Supreme Court would gut the (allegedly)Affordable Healthcare Act. That didn't happen. Recall, though, that even getting a Supreme Court challenge to Obamacare was regarded as a long shot. The long-term cure for that disaster always had to be Congress.  However, I don't think the decision is the unmitigated disaster for conservatives that some think. And I'm not alone.

For one thing, the cancerous growth of the Commerce Clause was stomped on in such unambiguous language even a non-lawyer like me can understand it. For added effect, the Necessary and Proper Clause was also included in the category of Things That Have Limits. Given that Congress has taken the attitude that either or both of these gave them permission to regulate us to death, this is a good thing.

Furthermore, the wording of the decision was that IF ACA was constitutional, the ONLY WAY was if the mandate was a tax. I remember vividly the contortions the Democrats went through to argue that whatever it was, it couldn't be a tax.  And if the bill that created the ACA originated in the Senate, and it is a tax, there will be another Supreme Court case coming up very soon to argue the entire thing--not just the mandate--is unconstitutional since tax bills must originate in the House. (Also clearly stated in the Constitution.)

The decision took a lot of people by surprise.  The full analysis needs to wait for emotions to die down, and I suspect there are some busy conservative politicians wargaming a number of scenarios to take Obamacare down. This could be much like the "miss" of the dive-bomber at Midway that damaged the Japanese flagship carrier's rudder so badly it could only turn in a circle...waiting to get bombed again. Damage was done. By itself it won't be enough, but it will help.

Death Ray warming up ...

Do you ever get the feeling politicians aren't listening to you?  I'm wondering if this disregard has increased due to the blatant powermongering and overreach seen in the Executive Branch of late, which ignores rules that inconvenience the Divine Right of Obama to do whatever he wants.  My readers (all five of you, and I love you equally) may remember the Great Electoral Sign Stealing Debacle of last November.  The annexation of the area I live in was defeated.  But that was November, and who cares what the citizens want?  The city is trying to annex us AGAIN.  At the trifling cost of $35,000, not including premade signs for the pro-annexation astroturf group to put up the very next *morning* after the council decided to put the issue on the April ballot.  The pro-annexation people clearly knew this was coming.  The Forces of Good (that would be me and the rest of the anti-annexation People's Liberation Front) did not.

I've contacted the mayor.  I've contacted reporters.  I am FURIOUS.

Good Lowrd

Below, in its entirety, is an email message I just received from My Senator, Patty (D-Taliban-Daycare) Murray.

Dear Ms. Chase:

placeholder

I hope all is well in Snohomish.

What a scintillating intellect. Summon the meteors!

I served in the 2% battalion, myself

You may have heard that we in the soggy corner of the map are having a spot of bother with snow and ice this week.  It's all very well for you folks used to that kind of weather to point and laugh--we aren't used to it, and more to the point the five union snowplow drivers aren't either.  The concept of "plowing a road so people can drive on it" was apparently introduced in an upper-level course they got a waiver for.

But have no fear!  Govenor Christine Gregoire (D-Voter Fraud) issued a Declaration of a State of Emergency, calling out the National Guard, even!

To help deliver milk.

I understand milk can spoil.  Those of us with room temperature and higher IQs recall that milk kept in a refrigerator spoils much less rapidly, and, oh yes, it was BELOW FREEZING all week.  Freezing milk might be a problem, but spoiling not so much.  Oh, they also mention the economic impact of losing all those milk deliveries.  What, pray tell, is the economic impact of hundreds of thousands of people unable to drive to the stores to pick up milk (which, unbought, will...spoil)?  What about the economic impact on people unable to drive to work and also unable to work from home?  They will now have less money with which to buy milk, whenever the roads clear up.  Probably in April.

I don't get it.  If a Governer were to, say, make sure the roads were driveable for everyone, the milk truckers would *also* be able to drive on them.  Strange, no?  Why all this concern just for milk deliveries?

I speculate the Dairy Farmer's Association of Washington State has some pretty compromising photos of a certain Governor ...

Hmm, I wonder what those black helicopters are doing ...

...over my house.

If I disappear, start a bail fund.  I checked my Sitemeter stats for fun today.  Guess who came to visit yesterday?  Someone from the originating site of senate.gov, that's who.  And not just any schlub, either.  According to the IP address, it was the US Senate Sergeant at Arms.  And what, pray tell, was the good Sergeant interested in?  Why, this post.  Now, some nit-picky people might allege that our Congressional Betters are a bit slow on the uptake.  First, the title of the post, "A Day in the Life of an Evil Conservative" is what's known as sarcasm.  Look it up, Congresscritters, and be informed.  Secondly, if you are going to hyperventilate about some of the words I chose to use that made you feel frightened, try and pick up on the alleged threat closer to the point of the post going up.  It hasn't been February 2008 for a long time now.

Since the Sergeant at Arms only looked at the page for a grand total of 3 seconds, (or his webcrawler did), maybe he figured it out.  And is now trying to explain to some dimwit in the Senate that yes, I AM allowed to do that.  For now, anyway...

I want my yard sign back, you SOB!

Tomorrow is Election Day.  Not much of national, or even state import going on.  But locally, oh my.  See, I live in the Wild Frontier, outside a proper city.  Unincorporated county land.  Works great.  Sure, when I need a cop I call the Sheriff, but other than that it is mostly remarkable for the lack of stupid regulations.

I like it that way.

Not everybody does.  One particular busybody has been trying to make ALL of us out here join the nearby city, for the last ten years.  The annexation initiative is on the ballot.  I won't bore you with the ins and outs of why this is a spectacularly bad idea--it is enough that Snarkatron Disapproves.  And, I had a nice official sign stating words to that effect in my yard. 

Note the tense.

Some microencephalitic hominid decided to remove it tonight, lest it pollute the eyes of other voters and make them think dangerous, anti-annexation thoughts.  This is the Pacific Northwest, and drainage is a way of life.  There is a serious, moatlike ditch protecting my property.  To remove the sign, said drooling idiot had to trespass on my property.  HOW I would love to kick them in the shins for their audacity!

Instead, I made another sign.  It isn't nearly as pretty, but it gets the point across.  Especially the fine print at the bottom.  "Go ahead, steal this sign.  I'll just make more."  Have people completely forgotten what democracy means?  Do they ever wonder WHY we have elections, if all the good people think exactly the same things?  Never mind don't answer that ....

Random Snark

- Did someone replace the brains of everyone in Washington DC with Folger's Crystals?  Because outside of a massive leak in a nitrous oxide factory, I've never seen so much concentrated stupidity in action.  The Democrats seem to think the Constitution doesn't apply to them, and the Republicans keep flopping like gaffed fish.  Someone needs to hire a skywriter to send the message WE HAVE NO MORE MONEY.  How old are these people, and can they actually dress themselves without Velcro?
-Alternate Take: Snarkatron freely admits to having rolled low when generating the Charisma and Diplomacy stats.  Could it be that Speaker Boehner is actually orchestrating the delays on the vote (that he has already been assured by Reid ( the Corpse that Walks Like a Man) and the current occupant of the White House is dead, no go this station, not going to happen bill) to run out the clock on any other option than his?  No idea.  Personally, I think there should be a law allowing every citizen one free smack with a rolled up newspaper, per Representative/Senator, per year.  And I've got a lot of follow-through, just so you know.
-Questions Nobody is Asking about the Norwegian Nut:  So whats-his-face, the guy who thought it would be a good idea for him to slaughter a bunch of kids in the name of European Nationalism, is pretty much a textbook sociopath.  Few friends, inability to get with a female who hasn't been paid LOTS of money, grandiose schemes, fancy uniforms (this last seems to be a European fixation...), and a curious lack of emotional affect that makes him look like a wax dummy.  Can't even be bothered to come up with a completely original manifesto and plagiarizes huge gobs of the UNABOM screed, suitably altered with search and replace.  At first I marveled at modern technology and how quickly the news services had managed to translate the original Norwegian.  Turns out the loon wrote everything in English.  Doesn't that strike *anyone* as a trifle odd?  He's a purported nationalist, after all.  Europe first.  England (don't hit me, Limeys!) is usually not considered Europe by Europeans, and I will not sully the shell-like ears (eyes?) of my precious few readers by what Europeans think of Americans.  So, why?  And it is too cute that his Facebook page got altered *while he was in police custody* to indicate he was a fervent Christian.  I'm not religious myself but I have plenty of friends who are, and all the Christians I know would throw themselves in front of a gunman to save any child, even a Muslim one.  The newsies, however, don't even bother to do the most minimal logic check when it matches their rancid stereotypes.
- Literature:  To take your mind off your troubles (by giving you more) the Bulwer-Lytton 2011 contest winners have been announced!

The Mediscare ad, now with rewrites by Snarkatron!

I love Patterico's term for the "Roll Granny off the Cliff" political ad.  Mediscare.  Covers it all, really.  What's fun is the conservatives can take this same ad scenario and with just a few changes, make their point and stomp all over the socialized medicine folks.

[Enter Bad Man, wearing fake rubber mask, pushing Old Lady in a wheelchair].
Bad Man: No really, I'm Paul Ryan, Evil Conservative! (bwahaha).  Can't you tell by the way I part my hair?
Old Lady:  You don't look anything like that nice Paul Ryan, who's so polite. Where's my purse?  You took my purse.  I need to take my pills.
BM:  No you don't.  (sweetly)Don't you remember?  We agreed those pills are too expensive, and they don't really help that much.  And your money will help pay for *other* people's pills, isn't that nice?
OL: *We* didn't agree to any such thing, and I wouldn't need the wheelchair if I could take the pills.
BM: Yes, yes, but you can't work and earn money for me to tax so it's all the same.  And speaking of needing the wheelchair, I'm afraid the Health Care Redistribution Panel has found someone with a greater need for it. [Tips old lady over cliff] [Shouts down] It's for the greater good!
[Pushes empty wheelchair offscreen, whistling "Always look on the bright side of life"]
[Music changes to the theme from Conan the Barbarian.  A wrinkled hand appears at the cliff edge, and a very pissed off old lady crawls over the top, clutching a cane like a sword.]
Voiceover: It's time to fight back.  Vote to repeal Obamacare.  Or I'll give you such a smack!

Setting Expectations

We've cleared out some of the stranger, moldy items in the Conservative Presidential Candidate refrigerator, but what remains isn't precisely appetizing either. There are a few new and untested items (Cain) but the vast majority are slight variations on unflavored gelatin and nobody can get very excited about them. There has been much moaning and wailing about the field of realistically possible and declared candidates, and I agree --nothing to get excited about.

Fortunately, we don't have to. On the presidential level I will definitely be voting for Not Obama, so that's easy. There's a lot of repair work to be done and defensive fortifications to throw up to make sure the disaster of the current administration is a) fixed and b) never happens again. Snarkatron wishes to remind all enraged voters that we will be voting on LOTS of federal positions other than president, and for those positions there are candidates who are *not* lumps of unflavored gelatin.

These people will form the foundation that the lump of unflavored gelatin, elected to the presidency, will have to work with to get anything done. So, THESE are the people we need to fight for.  They will also form the base for a future presidential election where we can finally vote FOR someone, instead of against.

And if that doesn't work, we'll break out the pitchforks and torches.