Kipling Tuesday Returns

It’s been a couple of years since Kipling Tuesday was a regular feature here at twc. Methinks Election Day is a good time for…

The Gods of the Copybook Headings

AS I PASS through my incarnations in every age and race,
I make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market Place.
Peering through reverent fingers I watch them flourish and fall,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all.

We were living in trees when they met us. They showed us each in turn
That Water would certainly wet us, as Fire would certainly burn:
But we found them lacking in Uplift, Vision and Breadth of Mind,
So we left them to teach the Gorillas while we followed the March of Mankind.

We moved as the Spirit listed. They never altered their pace,
Being neither cloud nor wind-borne like the Gods of the Market Place,
But they always caught up with our progress, and presently word would come
That a tribe had been wiped off its icefield, or the lights had gone out in Rome.

With the Hopes that our World is built on they were utterly out of touch,
They denied that the Moon was Stilton; they denied she was even Dutch;
They denied that Wishes were Horses; they denied that a Pig had Wings;
So we worshipped the Gods of the Market Who promised these beautiful things.

When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace.
They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease.
But when we disarmed They sold us and delivered us bound to our foe,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “Stick to the Devil you know.”

On the first Feminian Sandstones we were promised the Fuller Life
(Which started by loving our neighbour and ended by loving his wife)
Till our women had no more children and the men lost reason and faith,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “The Wages of Sin is Death.”

In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul;
But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “If you don’t work you die.”

Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew
And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true
That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more.

As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man
There are only four things certain since Social Progress began.
That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire,
And the burnt Fool’s bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire;

And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!

Be careful what you vote for…

“At least half the sense God gave a head of cabbage…”

Well, all the inhabitants of twc central who’re qualified to vote have voted*. If you have at least half the sense God gave a head of cabbage, then I encourage you to go vote, because anyone with more intelligence than a vegetable, more foresight than a rock, will vote for Palin and McWhatsisname, and very likely vote against the commie wannabes running for Congress and state and local offices as well.

I voted for three Democrats who’ve proven themselves in the past to be seriously OUT of step with the Dhimmicrappic Party–one for State office and two locals. The rest were either real or country club Republicans (and one genuine Repugnican’t who was the lesser devil among a field of really bad options). Voted for two State initiatives and against all the others (including one designed to lift a state-imposed limit on gambling debts to aid in financing public schools. Seems that thinking things through isn’t a strong suit for the folks who proposed that one).

Before you vote, READ THIS. Seriously, folks, if you know someone who’s too stupid to vote, take ’em to Dairy Queen and tell ’em to vote by choosing their favorite Dilly Bar.


*”qualified to vote”–frankly, our dogs and cats here at twc central are more mentally and morally qualified to vote than this piece of dreck and others of her ilk whose idea of good governance involves stealing from some to enable sloth in others.


Trackposted to , Right Truth, The World According to Carl, The Pink Flamingo, , Cao’s Blog, Big Dog’s Weblog, nn&v, CORSARI D’ITALIA, A Newt One, Conservative Cat, Right Voices, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Proposed Agenda for a McCain/Palin Administration

There are many issues facing the U.S., but two can be dealt with effectively and decisively, if we were to have some leadership with real intestinal fortitude that had our nation’s interests at heart.

Face it: prospects for both the American economy and the rest of the world pretty much suck right now… primarily because of government interference in marketplaces here and around the world. Real jobs for the middle of the Bell Curve are still fleeing our shores, in large part because of anti-business government practices that encourage manufacturing companies to take their businesses elsewhere to remain competitive.

Our security situation–despite great gains in Iraq in both anihilating huge segments of al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations and manufacturing a feagile stability in the region–is largely security theater, what with joke security at airports and porous borders that serve as no protection whatsoever against a massive invasion (primarily from the south) let alone terrorists intent on carrying out attacks on civilians. Keeping ’em busy in Iraq has probably been the only thing–or at least the main thing–preventing another 9/11 type attack.

The economy: quit throwing taxpayer money at the problem. As Arthur Laffer wrote recently,

“Financial panics, if left alone, rarely cause much damage to the real economy, output, employment or production. Asset values fall sharply and wipe out those who borrowed and lent too much, thereby redistributing wealth from the foolish to the prudent. …”

Indeed. McCain’s recent pledge to actually freeze spending is a good first step. NO MORE GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD! We need to hold him to that freeze pledge. Veto, veto, veto. If a Dhimmicrappic Congress overrides him, then we’d have a record of who poohed the scrooch.

Then, PASS THE FAIRTAX! Push for it, and keep on pushing for it, Advocate it far and wide and long un til ALL the lies about its provisions and effects are refuted over and over and over again and the meme is well established that those who oppose it are liars, thieves and poltroons. Seriously. We the People must learn what it is and can do for us and pressure, pressure, pressure a McCain/Palin administration to Do the Right Thing. Go. Learn. All by itself, The FairTax can ameliorate a plethora of government and economy ills.

Still on the economy, think: energy. With enough affordable, reliable energy, America can shrug off any number of woes. Drill, baby drill, for sure, but we need not limit ourselves to drilling and producing enough oil. Even if Thomas Gold’s hypotheses are correct (and the Russians among others have effectively opened new, otherwise unexpected oil fields following his theories) and the end of oil is many centuries away–if ever–we ought to press forward with the readily available energy technologies we already possess. Nuclear power. TDP plants making our own oil. New solar technologies (solar energy-collecting paint anyone?). These and others are all valid avenues to pursure in achieving energy independence with affordable energy for an expanding economy.

And affordable energy and The FairTax could easily mean many more manufacturing–and other–jobs for the middle of the Bell Curve, creating an expanding “middle class”–a much to be desired circumstance for a democratic republic, as opposed to a communist-socialist welfare state where class warfare is an essential precondition for its existence.

Keeping federal hands off market regulation, sensible tax policies, new energy for America: these by themselves would create better national security and grow the economy.

Then there are more obvious national security measures that Juan Mexicain has been averse to in the past. Build the damn fence, Juan! INSIST that current immigration law be STRICTLY and RIGOROUSLY enforced. When we’ve eliminated 20 million or so illegals (by eliminating their jobs and cutting off their government-funded benefits and services), THEN streamline legal immigration.

Kill the TSA. It’s little more than a jobs program for stupid bullies. It’s security theater that does little for real security. The moneies wasted on TSA bullies would be better spent on real security than on making sheeple who were once citizens into subjects of the government.

Visit real terror upon governments and organizations that promote or support terrorism. If President Bush had been serious about his declaration of war on governments that support or defend terrorists, the Saudi regime would be dust by now (and the current lifting cost of the Saudi’s oil–standing at about $5/barrel–would have been passed down the line to the American economy in patial reparation for past Saudi support of jihadis) along with Syria and the Palestinian thugs. Get serious about terrorism.

Whenever and wherever a government makes statements of enmity toward the U.S. and takes steps to implement that enmity (*cough* Venesuala *cough* Chávez *cough*), visit them with the Wrath of God. Seriously. Don’t just carry a big stick, use it! Sure, we don’t want to occupy a septic tank like Venezuela, but a huge, stinking hole where Chávez and his cronies (including any American Marxists sitting in his lap) once were would be an instructive warning to others, don’t you think?

So, in order to be truly successful, I’m simply suggesting that a McCain/Palin administration needs to give up the typical Repugnican’t policy of talking tough and rolling over and actually take Congress’ mouth off the public teat, bash some terrorist heads and wage war on eco-freaks with big, bold pen strokes through assinine regulations that prevent drilling and make nuclear power plants forbiddingly expensive. Become real advocates for The People as opposed to the typical Repugnican’t policy of being suckups to congresscritters and other terrorists.

(BTW, the hope embedded in that last sentence is why I’m voting for “McWhatsisname” and PALIN. She seems to have a bigger set than he does when it comes to facing down legislative terrorists.)


Trackposted to The Virtuous Republic, , Rosemary’s Thoughts, Faultline USA, Right Truth, The World According to Carl, DragonLady’s World, Shadowscope, The Pink Flamingo, Cao’s Blog, Democrat=Socialist, Conservative Cat, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

People of the Light?

Not talking about Mass Media Podpeople whenever “people of the light” are mentioned.

See Orson Scott Card’s article at The Rhincerous Times of Greennsboro, NC. A taste:

Would the Last Honest Reporter Please Turn On the Lights?

by Orson Scott Card

October 20, 2008
An open letter to the local daily paper — almost every local daily paper in America:

I remember reading All the President’s Men and thinking: That’s journalism. You do what it takes to get the truth and you lay it before the public, because the public has a right to know.

This housing crisis didn’t come out of nowhere. It was not a vague emanation of the evil Bush administration.

It was a direct result of the political decision, back in the late 1990s, to loosen the rules of lending so that home loans would be more accessible to poor people. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were authorized to approve risky loans.

What is a risky loan? It’s a loan that the recipient is likely not to be able to repay.

The goal of this rule change was to help the poor — which especially would help members of minority groups. But how does it help these people to give them a loan that they can’t repay? They get into a house, yes, but when they can’t make the payments, they lose the house — along with their credit rating.

They end up worse off than before.

This was completely foreseeable and in fact many people did foresee it. One political party, in Congress and in the executive branch, tried repeatedly to tighten up the rules. The other party blocked every such attempt and tried to loosen them…

…It’s not too late. You know that if the situation were reversed, and the truth would damage McCain and help Obama, you would be moving heaven and earth to get the true story out there.

If you want to redeem your honor, you will swallow hard and make a list of all the stories you would print if it were McCain who had been getting money from Fannie Mae, McCain whose campaign had consulted with its discredited former CEO, McCain who had voted against tightening its lending practices…

More, much more, at the LINK.

Interesting that it would take a lifelong Democrat to upbraid the Mass Media Podpeople Hivemind so unequivocally. Maybe, if there remain even a few more–a remnant of honest, decent men and women–such people in the Democratic Party (and hopefully a few in the Replublican Party as well), just maybe there is hope for the republic of the Foun ders that once was.

I’ll not hold my breath, though. Rather, I’ll use it to cheer such folks on. Way to go, Card!

h.t. Jerry Pournelle’s mailbag


Trackposted to Blog @ MoreWhat.com, , Faultline USA, DragonLady’s World, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, Cao’s Blog, Democrat=Socialist, Conservative Cat, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

I Am Joe

Join in, everyone. Iowahawk shows us how.

I am a Wal Mart schlub in flyover country who changes my own oil and unclogs drains without a license. I.. drink beer and toss the [frisbee*] in the front yard with my kid, and I figure I can fend my way without handouts from some Magic Messiah’s candy bags. Most everyone in my family and most everyone I grew up with is another Joe, and if you screw with them, you screw with me.

What the Mass Media Podpeople Hivemind’s Chosen One and his Obamabot minions have chosen to do with their attacks on “Joe the Plumber” for asking the questions that revealed The One as a raging socialist is nothing short of declaring war on free political speech, on the middle class itself, on The American Dream.

It’s time to answer their declaration of war with the “I am Spartacus” of the 21st Century:

I am Joe, and when you screw with Joe, you screw with me.

Whatever you vote for, it is time to vote NObama. NObama is a vote FOR free speech, a vote FOR middle class values and a vote FOR the American dream, not Karl Marx’s (and Obama’s) Americas of class warfare, rampant socialism and the neutering of economic freedom.


BTW, I echo Iowahawk’s injunction:

…If you want to use it [the graqphic] as a bumper sticker, please feel free to download the image and apply with duct tape. If you want, office supply stores sell blank bumper stickers that you can put in your printer. PLEASE do not patronize any merchandise vendors (Cafe Press, etc.) who are trying to make a buck off this, unless EVERY LAST RED CENT of the proceeds go directly to Joe Wurzelbacher.


(*Yes, I changed a word and cut two to make the diatribe fit me more closely.)


Trackposted to The Pink Flamingo, A Blog For All, NN&V, and Democrat=Socialist, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Beautiful Nonsense

This post is entirely out of order, a “response” to a post one of the voices in my head has scheduled for posting tomorrow. (And “they” say I’m crazy. They’re the ones who’re in my head! :-))


First, what I think (and hope!) is a one-minute fair use excerpt of Bryn Terfel singing a piece of beautiful nonsense powerfully and beautifully:

(Or CLICK HERE and play with your own media player)

Sure, it’s nonsense. A paean to a shade tree. Trivial lyrics. So? Unlike the nonsense songs that are common top 40 fare, it’s at least

a. beautiful music
b. beautifully performed and
c. the lyrics are not actively harmful

Those are all hallmarks of a really good song. And those are all things missing, by and large, from popular music today. I wonder why?

Go buy and listen to some Terfel of your own. It’ll be good for you.

(Completely inconsequential, niggling complaints after the jump.)

Continue reading “Beautiful Nonsense”

Speaking the Unspeakable

OK, someone has to say it: Anyone who is undecided at this point about who to vote for come November for Senator, Representative or President is an idiot or profoundly lazy or both.

Local races could be either easier or harder to decide, but the national offices? [Assuming–a radical and possibly unwarranted assumption–voters have the basic intellectual capabilities to do their homework on candidates and issues] Either folks have been doing their due diligence and studying the candidates and issues or they’ve been slacking off and don’t really deserve the franchise at all.

There. Now I’ve said that the “Emperor of the Undecided Electorate” is walking around in blissful, lazy, naked cluelessness can we move on to a discussion about how to alleviate the problem of stupid, lazy, dumbass so-called “undecided voters”? (Personally, I think a quick civics exam at the polling place followed by handing those that don’t pass a ballot that WILL NOT PROCESS is a good place to start…)

The Voices in my Head

..say to post this. I’ve learned to not argue with them about some things.

1. Practice conception control. The unborn will bless you. *heh*

2. THE most effective conception control practice:

IOW, Just say NO!

Are we clear now?

A Comment on Dealings with Iran and Other Rogue States

The ONLY “negotiating” that remains to be done with Iran (or any other rogue state) seems to me to be to set those puppies down and say once, and once only,

Meddle thou not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and good with ketchup

After that, their fate would be in their own hands.

Just a thought, Condi…