Although not as financially disastrous as Cap and Trade, know what’s just as dumb? Preparing a resolution that global warming is not a possibility. But that’s exactly what South Dakota just did. The whole point of our condemnation of Cap … Continue reading →
Super secret operative EC writes in with new from the field: Your Czarness: I know you follow this kind of thing, but you may have missed this item. Looks to me as if the Israelis just moved the goal posts … Continue reading →
Walter Koenig’s son Andrew, who appeared in Growing Pains, is missing and feared dead by suicide. This is perhaps the strangest sentence the Czar wrote this week. The Czar of MuscovyБожію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, … Continue reading →
Your Mandarin is pleased to share with you this piece of fan mail from Gormogon operative DF: Good one Centurion, liked it, liked it.Keep that binary humor coming! Well DF, all I can say to that is: 0100100100100000011010000110111101110000011001010010000001110100011010000110100101110011001000000110100101110011001000000110100101101110001000000111001001100101011100110111000001101111011011100111001101100101001000000111010001101111001000000111010001101000011001010010000001100011011000010111001001110100011011110110111101101110001000000111010001101000011000010111010000100000010010010010000001110000011011110111001101110100011001010110010000100000011101000110100001100101001000000110111101110100011010000110010101110010001000000110010001100001011110010010111000100000001000000100111101110100011010000110010101110010011101110110100101110011011001010010000001001001001000000110100001100001011101100110010100100000011011100110111100100000011010010110010001100101011000010010000001110111011010000110000101110100001000000111100101101111011101010010000001100001011100100110010100100000011101000110000101101100011010110110100101101110011001110010000001100001011000100110111101110101011101000010111000100000001000000100001001110101011101000010000001100001011100110010000001100001011011000111011101100001011110010111001100100000011101110110010100100000011010000110111101110000011001010010000001110100011010000110000101110100001000000111100101101111011101010010000001100011011011110110111001110100011010010110111001110101011001010010000001110100011011110010000001100110011011110110110001101100011011110111011100100000011101000110100001100101001000000111001101101001011101000110010100100000011000010110111001100100001000000110000101101100011101110110000101111001011100110010000001100110011001010110010101101100001000000110011001110010011001010110010100100000011101000110111100100000011001000111001001101111011100000010000001110101011100110010000001100001001000000110110001101001011011100110010100101110 We now … Continue reading →
Your Mandarin would like to share with you this correspondence from Gormogon operative GD regarding the Iranian Navy post: Also note: the C-803 surface-to-surface missile this thing sports is capable carrying of a nuclear warhead. If I were a burgeoning … Continue reading →
One thing that comes up a lot at the Castle is the intelligence of our readers. If there were a quantifiable way to assess the intelligence of someone, some sort of quotient perhaps, you would probably find that the combined … Continue reading →
Gormogon operative KM, strategically located close to the geographic center of the US (closer than us, anyway, so he gets the job), writes in. Most High and Honorable Czar, I don’t live anywhere near Tracy, California, thankfully, but hasn’t there … Continue reading →
General Alexander Haig passed away this weekend at the age of 85. For most of us, he was the first lesson in how a strong Secretary of State could influence foreign policy for the better. President Reagan picked an extraordinary … Continue reading →
In what is another disturbing advancement in Iranian military growth, the Associated Press is reporting that this thugocracy has launched its first locally built naval destroyer. According to the Iranians, the new shipped named the Jamaran is armed with anti-ship, … Continue reading →
Listen carefully. The media, and in turn the scientific community, seem to be creating this specious battle between Global Warming Supporters and the group known as Denialists. The real jackasses are a tiny portion found on both sides. On the … Continue reading →
This kind of weird news is right up the Mandarin’s alley. Gormogon operative GD has taken time off his turbulator project to point us to a twisted story that the city of Tracy, California, is going to start charging residents … Continue reading →
Tim Pawlenty delivered a tirade at the CPAC conference against President Obama’s progressivist policies, comparing the President to Tiger Woods and convervatives to Elin Nordegren. Democratic National Committee spokesperson Brad Woodhouse said… The American people don’t need more empty sound … Continue reading →
The Czar called his old buddy, the Dalai Lama, up this evening and asked about his historic meeting with President Obama. The Lama sighed and said “Two and a half freaking hours, and all he did was talk to me … Continue reading →
A possible case of pre-incarnation. The Czar suspects that late Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh could be distantly related to Mummy actor Arnold Vosloo. His sources are checking into it now. The Czar of MuscovyБожію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ … Continue reading →
No justice, no peace! Free what’s-her-name! Racist jocks made her do it! DURHAM, N.C. — Durham police late Wednesday arrested the woman who four years ago falsely accused three Duke University lacrosse players of raping her.Crystal Mangum assaulted her boyfriend, … Continue reading →
On the other hand, as we’re all parents (a couple even of daughters), one suspects the Gormogons are emotively, if not perhaps legally, in this guy’s corner: “I shot him in the nuts with bird-shot because he was beating my … Continue reading →
Your Mandarin was perusing the help wanted section, when I found this job posting for a technical writer position at Exelon Nuclear Partners. The only required skills for the job were, nuclear experience –no problem, I maintain the cold fusion … Continue reading →
Unlike GorT below, when ‘Puter thinks of WAGs, these are the WAGs (in body paint) that he likes to think of. Link is mostly SFW. If your boss doesn’t mind hot, semi-nude women in body paint. 'PuterAlways right, unless he … Continue reading →
From the cartoon section at Townhall.com The MandarinThe Mandarin, whose real name is 吏恆, joined the order in 1309, and introduced the Gormogons into England during the 18th Century. The Mandarin enjoys spending time with his pet manticore, Βάρἰκος, or … Continue reading →
Have you ever been asked how long it would take you do complete a task you’ve never done before? You might have familiarity with the general approach or of some of the steps required, but in general it comes down … Continue reading →
We all know that teachers’ unions function mainly as sources of reelection funds for lefty candidates. The lefty candidates, once elected, then use the unions as a passthrough mechanism for transferring taxpayer dollars to unpopular leftist causes. Don’t believe ‘Puter? … Continue reading →
‘Puter’s governor, David Paterson (D-NY), snuck a little noticed provision into his budget proposal for next fiscal year. Fortunately, the New York Post decided to actually read the budget before legislators vote on it. The provision requires state social service … Continue reading →
So, the good folks over at Air Power Australia have put out maybe the most comprehensive open-source study of the PAK-FA, and whaddya know, it looks to be a hell of a plane. In fact, it’s so good that if … Continue reading →
Remember all the hub-bub about the “illegal” wiretapping of international calls from or to people on terrorist watchlists? You had things like this and this. Since then the furor has died down and the Obama administration has actually defended and … Continue reading →
In today’s New York Post, we learn a public sector union leader, one Chris Mesley of the Albany (NY) police officers’ union, committed a major gaffe. That is, Mr. Mesley told the truth. He said, referring to the union’s contract: … Continue reading →
This is awesome. GD writes in to respond to Dr. J. I prefer Chess: “A model of decorum and tranquility become, like any other sport, a battleground for rival ideologies to slug it out with glee…” Keep on Gormogonin’GD Thanks, … Continue reading →
Front-row seat! In free! No pay! Doc writes: The recent spate of retirement announcements (Bayh) and rumors (Mikulski) has gotten me thinking that Congress will pass the Senate bill and then tweak it via reconciliation during the lame-duck session when … Continue reading →
Thank you for your thoughtful coverage of the opening ceremonies. I have always been a fan of ‘the Olympics’ since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Growing up in the 70s and 80s, the Olympics were more a proxy … Continue reading →
We always strive to be accurate. So in fairness, Dr. Phil Jones said that “This trend (0.12C per decade) is positive, but not significant at the 95% significance level.” So while we chew on what that means, note the graph … Continue reading →
Ah, Moe Lane. Is there anyone who puts it better? Today, Mr. Lane notes New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s (R) recent excoriation of the Garden State’s bloated budget. Check out his post, here. You’ve got to read the entire thing; … Continue reading →
Building on today’s (apparent) theme of government profligacy, here’s another article from National Review detailing the disconnect between government pay and the overall economy. In his article Kent Osband lays out a statistical case against government employee pay and benefits. … Continue reading →
Actually, that’s not entirely true. Dems just love unions more. They’d happily run a school bus over a highway paved with kids to keep their union masters satisfied. And, most of all, Dems love creating a permanently dependent, infantilized, Democrat-voting … Continue reading →
Illinois pension funds are broke, and its pension obligation notes (used to finance current pension obligations) are rated junk. As John Derbyshire notes in ‘Puter’s post immediately below, many pension obligations are guaranteed by law or constitution. Here’s ‘Puter’s serious … Continue reading →
John Derbyshire at NRO has a post this morning concerning public sector union employees and their cancerous spread. Mr. Derbyshire implies that if the United States does nothing, its public sector unions will bankrupt the country, much as Greece’s public … Continue reading →
And ‘Puter was not an allegedly gay figure skater, so he said nothing. Well, ‘Puter can stay silent no longer. Via Drudge, definitely flamboyant and allegedly gay American men’s figure skater Johnny Weir received threats from animal rights activists for … Continue reading →
Looks like “consensus” isn’t what it used to be. Dr. Phil Jones, one of the central figures to the recent problems with the pro-AGW theories and data and recent former director of the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit … Continue reading →
Read the whole thing, it’d have to be scissored into a couple dozen bits to get all the good stuff. Here’s the beginning. The first meeting of the loftily named U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission’s Civil Society Working Group took place … Continue reading →
The parallelism, excellent! We’ll pull out of Iraq, soon and responsibly (is there any other way?); also, we’ll close our eyes and click our heels together three times and wish upon a star over and over again until Israelis and … Continue reading →
By the way, did anyone catch that puff piece before the Opening Ceremonies, in which a possibly inebriated Tom Brokaw attempted to introduce Canada to Americans, who apparently have never heard of it? No? Picture this. For five minutes, you … Continue reading →
Gormogon operative (in charge of our lunar engineering project—laugh now, but when we puts wings on the thing and sail it around the solar system, you’ll say it’s cool) FJR writes in with her thoughts on Vancouver’s opening ceremonies: Greetings, … Continue reading →
Tough couple of months for the Global Warming crowd, eh? Turns out data corruption was so bad at the Climate Research Institute that results had to be fudged, forged, or fooled. And, uh, the glaciers are not quite melting. Sorry … Continue reading →
Quick thoughts on the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics? – Beijing? A cacophony of dissonant sounds and a billion dollars worth of LED displays to show the world how prosperous China is, especially when it bulldozes a stadium over its … Continue reading →
We mean that sincerely. We are also relieved you did not wait to get treatment, but got the needed surgery before your party dickered with the way we do healthcare in the country. Heck—if today’s system is good enough for … Continue reading →
Oh yeah. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →The BBC News is outraged enough to report that Iran, the filthy scoundrels, is blocking communications among its residents. Evidently the BBC feels that government control of media is a bad thing. Evidently the BBC still charges a licensing fee … Continue reading →
Just when I finish shoveling out the driveway from the latest snow plow pass and power is restored, I get the first shots of the rants from the AGW crowd: record snows are in line with our AGW theories! SnOMG!#@#!#!! … Continue reading →
This guy has clearly been reading ‘Puter’s anti-public union screeds approvingly. ‘Puter’s just dissapointed he didn’t get a shout out. Excellent job otherwise, Mr. Fancypants New York Post columnist. Or a Hello Kitty sticker. Like the one to the right. … Continue reading →
Not that way, perv. ‘Puter and Czar just got their Australian hunting licenses and are packing for rabbit-killing safari in Australia. The hunting weapon? Dynamite. So chock full of awesome. WIN! 'PuterAlways right, unless he isn’t, the infallible Ghettoputer F. … Continue reading →
‘Puter was reading ABC News’ totally lame and unimaginative “Top 7 Things To Do When Snow Keeps You Home.” The weakness of the list inspired ‘Puter to write down the Top 7 things your Gormogons do to pass the time … Continue reading →
Last week we discussed the iPad as a potential device to enable a resurgence in board games. At least it would enable a “virtual board game” where players in various physical locations could play Monopoly, Sorry, and the like. Especially … Continue reading →
The Czar is reading reports of Iranian protests as claims more than facts on both sides. Since media has been largely blacked out, most information on protests is arriving via Twitter and Youtube. Many reports seem credible, but with anyone … Continue reading →
Gormogon operative JS writes in, taking time from a very special mission of overseeing work on our underwater base on the Atlantic seabed. Sorry, Illinois, for the earthquake yesterday. Since no one was hurt, we can safely admit that was … Continue reading →
Cross your fingers, folks. Update: Interesting live blog from Planet Iran here. Some excerpts already: * * 9:00 a.m. : The north western city of Tabriz is already in turmoil. People have attacked the P.A. systems and loudspeakers and broken … Continue reading →
Read the whole thing. A democratic revolution in Tehran could well prove the most momentous Mideastern event since the fall of the Ottoman Empire. A politically freer Iran would bring front and center the great Islamic debate of our times: … Continue reading →
Really, really, you decided to name the train line that services the heart of Atlanta’s Asian community the yellow line. Your Mandarin is one who usually derides those who are hyper-politically correct, or take advantage of these situations to enhance … Continue reading →
Former Representative Charlie Wilson (D-TX) has passed away. The Gormogons express their condolences to the family. You may remember him as the subject of a whoppingly distorted biopic entitled Charlie Wilson’s War, in which Hollywood attempted to rewrite the history … Continue reading →
‘Puter’s been thinking about public sector unions for years now. As a result, he’s got a number of half-formed ideas banging around in his head, just trying to get out. Here’s one that’s been trying to cohere for some time … Continue reading →
The Czar’s ignitor went out in his furnace last night around midnight. So he went to the basement, confirmed the furnace was working but not producing heat, and at exactly 12:31am called the emergency 24-hour help line that was on … Continue reading →
Gormogon followers who take careful notes—and those are the kind who don’t get tossed into Ghettoputer’s Saturday night “Party Pit”—may remember your Volgi’s offhand remark (while discussing the effect of serial, mostly unintentional distortions of media on the world’s familiar-but-wrong … Continue reading →
From the Canadian CBC (link provided just in case you don’t believe me): George Lucas is tackling his first musical, a film about the Tuskegee Airmen, the first group of African-American pilots. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Lucas is working on … Continue reading →
Let me just add that part of Russia’s pique is due to the fact that Iran has been distancing themselves a bit from their former patron, due to having found a newer, deeper-pocketed partner in crime who hasn’t historically occupied … Continue reading →
…when the Weimar Republic tried to inflate its was out of its (brutal, to be sure) reparations, the Left keeps recommending it as an economic panacea. Look, judicious increases in the money supply are desirable and even necessary on occasion. … Continue reading →
Perpetually not getting the attention it deserves is Iran, who again graciously extended its middle finger to the world. The Czar likes to imagine the world as a grade school playground; Iran tends to be the weird kid that no … Continue reading →
Is that what Tōjō said to FDR? I forget. So Dr. J, the Gormogons’ mid-south operative, writes in with the following news story and some clever analysis reminiscent of that time he dunked from the foul line. Iran anniversary ‘punch’ … Continue reading →
Gormogon operative G.W. writes in from our Nation’s Capital wondering where we’ve been on D.C.’s post Heller decline in crime rate. The Gee Dub gently admonishes ‘Puter thusly: You guys write about DC crime stats in a while? 2009 numbers … Continue reading →
Ah, unions. Is there no scum you are above defending? Apparently not. ‘Puter rails and rails against teachers’ unions, mostly for fiscal reasons. Over at Big Journalism, James Hudnall posts on another important reason to hate teachers’ unions: teachers’ unions … Continue reading →
You know those new full body scanners employed at airports? You know how everyone promised the images of your (awesomely hot) naked self would be destroyed immediately after the screeners ascertained you weren’t packing (excepting that what God gave you)? … Continue reading →
’Puter’s Japanese vacation, 2006. ’Puter’s in Mesa, Arizona. A semi-naked man has been arrested after he waved a bag of drugs at a police officer while hiding in a ditch wearing woman’s trousers, exposing his genitals, and surrounded by pornography. … Continue reading →
Sign the Czar up as one of those people who is curious at the sudden difficulties Toyota is facing, all in a row. Bear in mind that Toyota has long known about its accelerator problems; they were reported some time … Continue reading →
You know, cemetaries are not very green, what with dumping bodies all over the place and filling them with noxious poisons like formaldehyde and sodium benzoate (as a preservative). So here’s a toast to cremation, which…well…pollutes the air. What’s a … Continue reading →
So your Œcumenical Volgi is over at Dan Steinberg’s Sports Bog and decides out of nostalgia to watch the “Thanks for the 12th Man” video from 1987 or so. And at twenty-nine seconds in, he does a double take and … Continue reading →
From the abstract of a Christian Science Monitor story: Laura Chinchilla won the Costa Rica election Sunday. She’ll be the country’s first woman president, echoing a trend across Latin America where women are being voted into high-level political office in … Continue reading →
The Gormogons wish to extend condolences to the family of Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) on his passing. The Czar of MuscovyБожію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of … Continue reading →
One hates to welcome a really smart and well-written blog with a cavil, but, alas, one must. First: Bad Rachel seems like it’ll be totally worth adding to your blog roll. A couple more posts like her first, and she’ll … Continue reading →
The crisis question right now is: What’s going to happen about the euro? Serious stuff, kids, and way more interesting—and broader—than a narrow issue of currency valuation. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Did the Czar expect the Saints to win? No, he figured on the Colts. Was the Czar surprised by the result? No, because once again—right at halftime, when Roger Daltrey realized he could no longer sing and Pete Townshend suspected … Continue reading →
Courtesy of Slashdot and PBS, there is a show going on at the American Folk Art museum in New York featuring the works of Wilson Bentley. It’s probably not a name that you would recognize from the art world largely … Continue reading →
‘Puter gives teachers’ unions an awfully hard time in these here intarwebs, and deservedly so. But until now, he’s avoided calling out teachers directly. Well, here goes. ‘Puter’s decided, on the basis of direct observation and recent experience that teachers, … Continue reading →
It is really hard to not crow about something like this: I’m a great admirer of The Gormogons – I mean, who doesn’t like a multi-century secret society dedicated to the restoration of the Kingdom of Poland-Lithuania (among other things)? … Continue reading →
Looming war with Iran and a possible second recession not enough to keep you up at nights? Then joint the protest against Hasbro’s pink ouija board. Yep, there she is, all decked out in Barbie colors (except that’s a Mattel … Continue reading →
For those of you who have had to view our site through Skweezer or other means lately, we are back. You can go back to viewing us in our unexpurgated majesty. For the rest of you, who have no idea … Continue reading →
They found Shackleton’s scotch. Cases of Charles Mackinlay’s Whisky, a scotch blend, have been found in Antactica and positively linked to explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, who stashed it there in 1909 to hide it from his wife. Ice covered the … Continue reading →
According to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, ”National Public Radio is for those who don’t listen to radio or can’t buy cable TV.” Well I guess all of those paranoid schizophrenics were correct to wear foil helmets, the government … Continue reading →
The Czar, probably like the Mandarin, has received a few emails from non-Chicago-area residents asking where the hell our posts are on the Illinois Democratic lieutenant governor candidate controversy. Typical: I figured you guys would be ALL OVER the insane … Continue reading →
We have to hold these every so often, as ’Puter has lengthy blackout periods. Going back in time, the previous “love-boat prom” story doubtless will remind GorT of how ’Puter had a Love Boat prom. Took 23 cops to bring … Continue reading →
Literally, this time. Sharp eyed Gormogon operative M.C. points ‘Puter to this story, on which M.C. opines: This one’s a bit more in the literal sense than your post of a similar title. Once again, we need a fully funded … Continue reading →
Longtime Gormogon operative Joe Tetreault sent ‘Puter an interesting little union-related tidbit from his neck of the woods. It seems the local firefighter’s union leader couldn’t keep his hand out of the charity funds. You know, the funds used to … Continue reading →
The Czar has often said that the press is pretty much a fourteen-year-old girl. They bop around from crush to crush, think they know everything, go straight to hysterical tears when someone turns on them, and especially see the world … Continue reading →
Your Mandarin happened upon this article today that outlines the progress being made by scientist to transplant pig lungs into humans. Aside from the fact that similar experiments have been going on here at the Castle for years – with … Continue reading →
Your Mandarin would like to share with you, the loyal Gormogon reader*, an email from JM, our mid-south operative: Robert Gibbs, Obama’s press secretary, has rubbed me the wrong way for a very long time. Probably what bothers me the … Continue reading →
‘Puter’s pretend girlfriend Megan McArdle* has an excellent post on unions and merit pay over at her site at The Atlantic. Essentially, unions are set up to reward mediocrity by valuing years in service and degrees, rather than success in … Continue reading →
Move along. At least, that’s what ‘Puter’s elected representatives would have him believe. First, New York raised its income tax rate on high earners, creating an effective tax rate not seen since the 1970s. You remember, right before New York … Continue reading →
The city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is contemplating filing for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection. Apparently, even in Pennsyltucky, you can’t tax your way to prosperity. ‘Puter queries whether his legislature in Albany is watching. 'PuterAlways right, unless he isn’t, the infallible … Continue reading →
JD Salinger died a recluse, said the MSM, because he refused to give interviews. This is because the MSM understands only two categories: celebrities and recluses. One gives interviews, the other does not. The NYT sets the record straight. Salinger … Continue reading →
Sweatlodge dingbat James Ray, the New Agey guy whose sweatlodge practices killed a few people, says
Continue reading →EC writes in to add: [R]emember that the chief agent in dissolving limestone and other carbonate rocks over geologic time is carbonic acid, which is formed as rainwater passes through the atmosphere and picks up carbon dioxide. The results of … Continue reading →
Probably not with Janet Napolitano at the helm. Case in point – the House Homeland Security Committee was holding a hearing about the “Christmas bombing plot”. Secretary Napolitano, who had earlier claimed that “the system worked”, failed to show. According … Continue reading →
This post is a public-service announcement on behalf of Friend of the Gormogons Claire Berlinski. Claire is a really interesting American freelance journalist who lives in Istanbul. She recently had quite a scare with her brother Mischa, his UN-employed wife, … Continue reading →
How do I screw up the news? Let me count the ways. The Czar normally likes BBC News stories, because they are much better than their American counterparts at hiding their ignorance. The BBC, you know, tries to act much … Continue reading →
