The Virginian: November 2011

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

"Stonewall" Jackson - before the war.

"Stonewall" Jackson House

Rockaway cariage

The Tobacco Company - Richmond

The hand of God?

Major-General Giora Eiland, Israel's former director of national security, told Israel's army radio that the Isfahan blast was no accident. "There aren't many coincidences, and when there are so many events there is probably some sort of guiding hand, though perhaps it's the hand of God," he said.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Christie to Obama: "What the hell are we paying you for?"

Monday, November 28, 2011

Free samples at the Gilroy Garlic Festival

What should we call illegal aliens?

Mickey Kaus has a good little essay on this.

I have a suggestion: A few years ago my niece was speaking of a class of people as “Canadians.” I wondered about that because the characteristics she was discussing were not in any way attributable to Canadians. I suddenly realized what she was talking about and began to laugh. It’s a great illustration that no matter what you call an identifiable group, people see through your euphemism and know what you’re referring to. So here’s a suggestion, let’s change the term from “illegal alien” to … oh, “Martian.” Everyone will know what you mean and it will drive the Left nuts. What can they say, that the real Martians may object?

Newt Gingrich To Obama: Let's Debate, You Can Use Your Teleprompter

Sunday, November 27, 2011

From conception to birth.

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. (Psalm 139:13)

Animal Farm East

Children of the Revolution

State-controlled media portray China's leaders as living by the austere Communist values they publicly espouse. But as scions of the political aristocracy carve out lucrative roles in business and embrace the trappings of wealth, their increasingly high profile is raising uncomfortable questions for a party that justifies its monopoly on power by pointing to its origins as a movement of workers and peasants.

Thomas Sowell Dismantles Egalitarianism (Frances Fox Piven Edition)

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Butchart Gardens

Floatplanes in Victoria Inner Harbor

Canadian Sunset

Friday, November 25, 2011

Things I'm Thankful For

That I'm not a European country that's part of the Eurozone.

That I'm not a "Climate scientist."

That I'm not occupying Wall Street.

I am very thankful that many years ago my father, who was an incurable romantic, decided that he wanted to leave a crowded, post-war Europe and immigrate to the United States, taking his family with him. I’m thankful we live in a country that allows people to rise as well as fall, for it's in falling that we learn and not being allowed to fall we cannot rise. That we were not seduced by the media culture, by the spirit of the age, and blessed by God in ways too numerous to mention.

I have not loved the World, nor the World me;
I have not flattered its rank breath, nor bowed
To its idolatries a patient knee,
Nor coined my cheek to smiles,-nor cried aloud
In worship of an echo;

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Climategate, part 2

One of the climate scientists wrote to another:

It is inconceivable that policymakers will be willing to make billion-and trillion-dollar decisions for adaptation to the projected regional climate change based on models that do not even describe and simulate the processes that are the building blocks of climate variability.

It's not really inconceivable now that it's really happening. Some other comments:

Basic problem is that all models are wrong – not got enough middle and low level clouds.

and ...

Any work we have done in the past is done on the back of the research grants we get – and has to be well hidden. I’ve discussed this with the main funder (US Dept of Energy) in the past and they are happy about not releasing the original station data.