…the Russians say, “Bah, we are not intimidated by your puny warships. Behold our making-stuff-blow-up skills!“ Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →This columnist provides more evidence that Russian aggression in Georgia may be producing a re-thinking of foreign policy in Turkey that can only be welcome to NATO, America, and the West. Turkey is potentially one of the few large, capable … Continue reading →
Admittedly, I’m not a Clinton (Hillary or Bill) fan by any means and I tend to be rather disenchanted by the current slate of American politicians. I tend to believe that when “politician” became a career and not just a … Continue reading →
…Putin’s brutal new Russia and worries the West isn’t up to it. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Some reasonable speculations from Robert Freedman at MESH on the Middle Eastern repercussions of Russia’s invading Georgia. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Your Œcumenical Volgi has been trying to go easy on the foreign policy, as he knows that Russia’s invasion of Georgia has driven him mad and he’s gone a bit berserk in hijacking this fun little blog. However, if you … Continue reading →
So while all the talking heads blather on about the DNC in Denver, I thought I’d do a little reading. Luckily, I found this OpEd piece by a personal favorite, Dr. Thomas Sowell (a remarkable man). He raises a good … Continue reading →
Or not. “Say, guys, that Hurricane Fay has left a foot of standing water on the street! Let’s go tubing!” Meanwhile in an unnamed location, some skateboarders are still trying to use failure-analysis software to figure out what went wrong … Continue reading →
Must-read from the great Sebag. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →‘Puter’s got an Atari 800 that he’s not using anymore. And check out his cool peripherals! What can ‘Puter get for that? And, do I have to report the sweet, sweet monkey-luvvin’ as payment in kind on my 1040? Just … Continue reading →
It’s nice to see the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy finally start enforcing Church doctrine. For too many years, Church leaders have stood idly by while nominally Catholic politicians have at best passively accepted abortion (see, e.g., Mario Cuomo) and at … Continue reading →
…but here’s a touching piece on the man who should have been the Redskins’ coach this year. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →This will keep you up nights. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →…says Dima Medvedev? I wouldn’t be surprised. But of course, you know that, as you read it here first. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Check out this little factoid via Megan McArdle of The Atlantic. Driving one million people (of 1.85 million total)out of your city in just 50 years is amazing. I don’t think even the Black Plague had that kind of kill … Continue reading →
‘Puter’s fortunate enough to have an office (ground floor) with a window that looks out onto a parking lot. As ‘Puter works in a building shared with a debt-collection agency, ‘Puter gets to see some wacky stuff. Today, there is … Continue reading →
Out of joy. Not all Democrats are willing to roll over for teachers’ unions anymore. Check out Mickey Kaus’ piece at Slate (h/t Instapundit) for details of a forum that took place — heart be still — at the Democratic … Continue reading →
‘Puter’s recently noted the astonishing similarities between Sen. Obama and Chance the Gardener, from Peter Seller’s great film Being There. Aside from the sameness in sartorial style, the two men’s political philosophies seem to be equally devoid of content. Both … Continue reading →
The Gormogons thank you for responding to our appeal. Everyone plan a vacation there now, please. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →…makes good points here, but forgets anti-tank weapons. Javelins, Javelins, Javelins. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →…but this is lapidary. Here’s a taste, but read it all. We Europeans seem to have forgotten our history. There were other times when we have stood by while a militaristic European power insisted that it had the right to … Continue reading →
…that Russia’s invasion of Georgia was a punitive expedition for their applying to NATO rather than a humanitarian gesture on behalf of their beloved South Ossetians, here’s a good bit of analysis from Pavel Felgenhauer (via David Frum @ NRO). … Continue reading →
Because, says veteran China watcher Gordon Chang here, the most likely result of China’s Olympic succès d’estime is going to lead to a more draconian police state at home, deep-freeze any reform ideas, and put the PRC’s post-2006 aggressive foreign … Continue reading →
In re Star Wars, about which every male born since, oh, 1965 or so, has a burning opinion he will share with you at the drop of a hat, Confucius* says: Every movie since the first has been worse. Lawrence … Continue reading →
As mentioned earlier, GorT and family went to the see Star Wars: The Clone Wars in the theater. My seven-year old son is fixated on Star Wars. As readers will probably learn over time here, I’m rather easy on most … Continue reading →
Because we didn’t have belt-fed machine guns. Via Toys Я Us. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →…as B16 might say. The culture of death advances. “Wouldn’t be more convenient if I were dead, son?” “Yes, mom, if you really want to be.” Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →‘Puter thinks so. Russia’s lease on the Ukrainian port of Sebastopol on the Black Sea is up in 2017. Ukraine and Russia are about as friendly as fire and gasoline. ‘Puter’s betting Ukraine finds a way to not renew the … Continue reading →
GorT, call your office. An article in Time (dateline — Beijing (Peking, for you old timers)) is calling for the Olympics to dump two women-only sports: rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming. Ms. Beech aptly states in reference to synchronized swimming … Continue reading →
‘Puter was a little surprised that the The Good Junior Senator from Illinois (D-IL) chose The Good Senior Senator From Delaware (D-DE) as his running mate. After all, Sen. Biden once referred to Sen. Obama as “the first mainstream African-American … Continue reading →
The Mount Rushmore State is the sole U.S. state not to have visited the Gormogons. Get with it, people. We promise we’ll pronounce Pierre “peer” and not “pee-air.” Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Is for “nollij.”* ‘Puter has four simple choices for his boys when they reach 18: (1) state school; (2) scholarship; (3) Marine Corps; (4) priesthood. And not necessarily in that order. Now, thank goodness, the fine Cornhusker State has given … Continue reading →
…bad, bad, bad. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Why we want to transfer health care to the government? John Steele Gordon, blogging on Commentary online, noting this editorial from the New York Times, has this to say about Medicare. They’re both correct. The NYT is correct that Medicare … Continue reading →
…about inter-group reconciliation? Well, one step forward, one step back. On the other hand, as long as these things are fought out politically, rather than in the streets, that’s progress of a huge order. But, of course, one never knows… … Continue reading →
This is the funniest piece of satire I’ve read in a while. Why? Because the Notorious ŒV has met a whole bunch of these guys—with Obama signs—on State Street in Madison, Wisconsin. “I couldn’t be prouder of all of you … Continue reading →
Jody Bottom has written a brilliant piece on the decline unto insignificance of the once brilliant, sustaining, American Mainline churches. While welcoming the effective end of non-left-wing anti-Catholicism, no Catholics—not even Gormogons doing dances on the graves of our traditional … Continue reading →
…here, here, and here, Peter Pham has a very good piece in the National Interest on what the U.S. should do in the post-Musharraf era.* Anyway, here’s the kernel for those of you too tired to click. First, America must … Continue reading →
…that, amazingly, Iraq could end up with a decent government. Inter-group reconciliation is a heck of a good sign for a society that was for decades a tyranny of a single clan (the al-Tikrîtiyya) and then, not a couple years … Continue reading →
‘Puter’s typing hand is getting tired. Our latest entrant? Meet Ms. Autumn Leathers. Seriously. That’s not even her stage name down at the Klassy Kat, where she dances for the Canadian Ballet. And, as an added bonus, Ms. Leathers is … Continue reading →
Today’s WaPo online has an article concerning the Bush Administration’s new regulations regarding federally funded health care providers. The regulations require that recipients of federal funds allow employees who are opposed to abortion to opt out of providing such services. … Continue reading →
Not to obsess on the trumped-up nature of Russia’s invasion of Georgia, but this picture on Drudge caught my eye (I can’t figure out whom to credit—it’s hosted on Yahoo’s news servers, but I can’t find it in their index). … Continue reading →
…by a professor of Russian and Georgian of a new history of the Caucasus. Via aldaily.com. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →So, while Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps are clearly the top stories of these Olympics, attention should be paid to the photogenic and charismatic Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh (pictured). Now, as little regard as the Notorious ŒV had for … Continue reading →
…cobbled together by European powers in the twentieth century, Pakistan is a front-runner for the most inherently unstable and, if you’ll pardon a soupçon of hyperbole, flat-out craziest. Given that it was stitched together from four major provinces with little … Continue reading →
What has the Volgi been telling you? Does it sound better à la française? The current crisis in the Caucasus does not mark the return of the Cold War, nor is it likely to mark the start of open warfare … Continue reading →
COPS…in Wisconsin! Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →…with Popobawa, then maybe I’ll let me kids watch The Secret Saturdays. GorT and family went to see The Clone Wars (stay tuned for my review of that movie) last night. One of the pre-previews (you know what I’m talking … Continue reading →
Check out this statement. Nice. GorTGorT is an eight-foot-tall robot from the 51ˢᵗ Century who routinely time-travels to steal expensive technology from the future and return it to the past for retroinvention. The profits from this pay all the Gormogons’ … Continue reading →
Confucius (that’s what 孔夫子 means) the Œcumenical Volgi assumes you’ve heard about Wu Tien-yüan and Wang Hsiu-ying, the two elderly women (79 & 77) from who were sentenced to a year of “reeducation through labor” because they asked for permission … Continue reading →
Well, a few more days have passed since GorT’s last Olympic update and it’s time for some more mocking. First, kudos to the folks over at Stryde Hax hacking around the ‘net to find out the truth at the bottom … Continue reading →
Right? Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Part of a continuing series. See the disclaimer. Teachers are at it again. Let’s just hope the union representatives will get this fine lady her job back after she finishes her jail time. 'PuterAlways right, unless he isn’t, the infallible … Continue reading →
From reading Harold Meyerson in today’s WaPo. ‘Puter should know better than to read the musings of a proud bi-coastal progressive, but ‘Puter is weak. Meyerson puts forth a shocking, new Progressive theory: manufacturing losses hurt working class voters, working … Continue reading →
‘Puter likes to hunt and fish. Occasionally, we’ll have hunting and fishing stories of interest to ‘Puter. Here comes one now. Not for nothing, but ‘Puter’s willing to bet that Mr. Hayes has a good, long internal discussion with himself … Continue reading →
Putin: “Beginning immediately, my attorney will be explaining my Georgia policy, Frau Merkel.” (Title: Flawless Friendship—literally “friendship as clear as a loupe”) (That’s Gerhard Schröder, Putin’s Gazprom catamite, holding the phone.) Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass … Continue reading →
Interesting piece here. However, as always, remember that Ahmadinejad is generally a sideshow, if a consequential one. All real power is concentrated in the hands of Khamene’i, the Rahbar (that’s Persian for Duce or Führer [or Vozhd], seriously.), whose very … Continue reading →
While I admire the Poles’ realism and bravery, I doubt our resolve. Any bets on who’ll be the first to unironically revive “to die for Danzig?” Pat Buchanan? MoveOn? Also, what the hell is the supposed problem with missile defense … Continue reading →
Interesting points from Fred Kagan via John McCormack at the Weekly Standard. Sounds like a fairly clear victory for Russia at this point. Victor Davis Hanson on the West’s instinct to turn on itself first. A Cato Institute writer blaming … Continue reading →
More good first-person reportage from le BHL. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →‘Puter stands with the Czech and Slovak peoples as they remember the fortieth anniversary of the brutal Soviet invasion of then Czechoslovakia. The Soviets believed emerging freedoms granted by First Secretary Dubček in what was called Prague Spring threatened the … Continue reading →
Great first-person reportage from Georgia by the estimable Michael Totten in City Journal. “They are burning the houses. From most of the houses they are taking everything. They are stealing everything, even such things as toothbrushes and toilets. They are … Continue reading →
…our actual policy of supporting democratic activists seems be defunct as well. Dammit. Hosni Mubarak has been pretty damn good at defanging what looked like a burgeoning pro-democracy movement in Egypt. Not only has Sa‘ad ed-Din Ibrahim been made an … Continue reading →
So, Russia’s got a substantially larger inventory of tactical nukes than we, and have been increasingly cavalier about brandishing them. That can’t be good. Gabriel Schoenfeld writes fairly persuasively on the topic in today’s WSJ: Yet matters are very different … Continue reading →
…to Mr. & Mrs. Ghettoputer on their nuptuals. Sounds like a blessèd event. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →…NATO that she’s suspending cooperation? Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Others can move on, but for those of the Church, I recommend Hugh Hewitt’s interview with Abp. Charles Chaput (OFM Cap) of Denver. Chaput has quietly emerged as the leading public intellectual in the American episcopate. Since, say, Fulton Sheen, … Continue reading →
Over at NRO‘s The Corner, there’s been an ongoing discussion about The Good Junior Senator From Illinois’ (“The GJSFI”) support for infanticide and the media’s reluctance to accurately report on this pro-infanticide position. This post by Yuval Levin makes the … Continue reading →
Wonderful piece by Martin Kramer over at MESH on the late Ann K.S. Lambton, OBE FBA, whose Persian Grammar I have not five feet from my desk. Her knowledge of Iran was such that she realized that Mohammad Mosaddegh, the … Continue reading →
An excellent take down of peaceniks, isolationists and fellow travelers here at home and around the world by Ralph Peters in today’s New York Post. Score one for the “deal with the world as it is, not as we wish … Continue reading →
In what is likely to be a recurring theme, ‘Puter’s going to take a look at wrongdoers in the world’s second oldest profession: teaching. We all know by now that ‘Puter hates hisself the teachers’ unions because they protect incompetents … Continue reading →
So when Anton Fokin won Uzbekistan’s first medal in gymnastics, I clicked over to NBC’s page on the country. Here’s a live link to the map graphic on the page. Notice anything? (I’ll leave the link live…if they fix it, … Continue reading →
Let’s hope that the Thirties aren’t coming back in this respect. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →The Notorious ŒV’s iPhone is a 2G phone running OS 2.0.2. And it works well. Heck, I’m posting this from it. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →News is flying around the ‘net that Sims creator’s Will Wright and the Maxis/EA team have promoted their new game to gold (for those non-techies out there, this means that it’s close to final production where we’ll see it soon…as … Continue reading →
It appears that Apple is struggling to fix the 3G issues with the iPhone. (Hat tip to engadget for the details) Version 2.0.2 of the iPhone software would help the reception, dropped calls, etc. plaguing the version 2.0 3G users. … Continue reading →
Ghetto P, I’ll see your “Hello Kitty” and raise you a “Hello Cthulhu.” *You see this quoted around the internet a lot (mostly by people who wouldn’t know Harlan Ellison if he hit ’em in the mouth, and believe me, … Continue reading →
Wow, is Notorious OEV on a tear this afternoon. Who can argue with his Olympic Opening Ceremony take down? ‘Puter’s only got one small addition to make to OEV’s list of fascisti mascots: Hello Kitty. I offer the following proof … Continue reading →
Abe Greenwald finds proof of the origins of China’s cool, creepy, inhuman Opening Ceremony aesthetic. So they hired Albert Speer’s son to do the architecture (just a coincidence, I’m sure), and aspired to Kim Il-Sung’s parade drill. It’s amazing their … Continue reading →
Translation of this: “we’re fucking useless”. Not that the U.S. has been better; argubly, we’ve been even worse. Chimpy McHilterburton doesn’t exactly look like a world-despoiling warmongering tyrant now, does he, kids? I mean, there’s an oil pipeline there. Aren’t … Continue reading →
Because with the Russians holding Gori and now taking Poti, it looks like they’re planning on staying a bit. Also, notice that they stole a bunch of American equipment, as a ёб твою мать собакым хуй. Laugh it up, Vovochka. … Continue reading →
Comes what may be the ‘Puter’s favorite story of the day. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Behold the official Chinese restaurant of the Gormogons! Although for some strange reason our respective spouses don’t like the place too much. 'PuterAlways right, unless he isn’t, the infallible Ghettoputer F. X. Gormogons claims to be an in-law of the … Continue reading →
Because rule number one is, when you get prominent, you owe your family, clan, etc., lots of stuff. It’s one of the reasons that African governments tend to be kleptocratic. The tribal expectation of intra-familial redistribution tends to undermine good-government … Continue reading →
So, ‘Puter, bad as New York is*, California, as ever, is on the cutting edge of ways to keep bloated government spending alive. *And somewhere, Arthur Laffer’s loving your lyrics. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept … Continue reading →
Like Peter Pham at NRO’s Tank, the Œcumenical Volgi has long had an eye on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, stemming from his long interest in Central Asian affairs (which interest led to one of the most painful incidents in his … Continue reading →
Recently, the Spanish men’s (and women’s) Olympic basketball squads paid their respects to their Chinese hosts by being photographed pulling their eyes into a slanted position so they could look more like their Chinese hosts. Not to be outdone, the … Continue reading →
With apologies to Leonard Bernstein: New York, New YorkA dysfunctional town!Taxes are up, and the revenue’s down.The government’s run by fools and by clowns.New York, New YorkA dysfunctional town! ‘Puter’s already commented on the sorry state of New York’s affairs … Continue reading →
Just a few updates on the Olympics after my travels have concluded. First, my in-laws just returned from China. They were able to attend the opening ceremonies and a number of the events. It was an amazing opportunity and the … Continue reading →
Stuart Koehl takes a very Steynian look at Russia’s demographic death spiral and its consequences for its future as a power. Worth reading. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →The great Anne Applebaum gets it right: The critical question now is whether the West is prepared to behave like the West, to speak with one voice and create a common transatlantic policy. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like … Continue reading →
Baseball and softball are the first two sports dropped from the Olympics since, like, 1936, and they’re keeping trampoline?! Could it be anti-Americanism? Sí. Ja. Oui. Speaking of anti-Americanism, the Gormogons would like to thank the iconoclastic Britons at America … Continue reading →
The Tax Foundation said in an August 12 release that an Associated Press article on a Government Accountability Office report on corporate tax liabilities overstated by 90 times the number of large corporations not paying corporate income taxes. The AP … Continue reading →
Sen. Obama, Constitutional Ignoramus or Jackass? And no fair choosing both. The Good Junior Senator From Illinois (hereinafter, “The GJSFI“) is a proud graduate of Harvard Law School, where he edited the Law Review. Distinguished constitutional scholar Laurence H. Tribe … Continue reading →
‘Puter’s never been a fan of Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf. Anti-democratic, too accepting of Islamic extremism, unwilling (or unable) to control his tribal borderlands. His resignation of Pakistan’s presidency leaves ‘Puter worried though. With Musharraf’s departure, ‘Puter fears the rise … Continue reading →
Very possibly. From “The Return of Authoritarian Great Powers,” by Azar Gat in Foreign Affairs. (Via Shmuel Rosner at Contentions). Capitalism’s ascendancy appears to be deeply entrenched, but the current predominance of democracy could be far less secure. … the … Continue reading →
Worth reading. Covers Georgia, the Near Abroad, and the Middle East. The main aim will be to weaken America’s position in the Middle East. In this respect, there are differences of opinion in the Kremlin. Some ex-generals have come on … Continue reading →
I say again, yeesh. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Worth reading beyond the fairly rhetorical question in the headline. RFE/RL always does a good job. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →