The Sponges Among Us

Here’s an insightful article drudged up by – who else? - Matt Drudge: Scientists find sea sponges share human genes...

Mankind may be descended from apes but Australian scientists have found proof of links much closer to the sea floor, with a study revealing that sea sponges share almost 70 percent of human genes.

Genetic sequencing of sea sponges from the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef showed the ancient marine animal shared many of its genes with humans,

Who amongst us can’t name at least a half dozen people off the top of their head who comprise that 70%?

 

 

 

…and that’s without even leaving the beltway. This is way too easy.

The Three Axioms of Government and the Axiom of Choice

Axiom #1: “you can’t make this stuff up.” By that, of course, I mean you cannot make this stuff up. (Unless you have to.)

Latest proof from Megan McCartle:

If you want to know why us libertarian types are skeptical of the government's ability to prevent housing market bubbles, well, I give you Exhibit 9,824: the government's new $1000 down housing program.
No, really. The government has apparently decided, in its infinite wisdom, that what the American economy really needs is more homebuyers with no equity.

Which brings us to Axiom #2: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” By which I mean, of course, the government is run by an insane clown posse. And I guarantee you, when this new bubble bursts, the head clowns will be on the floor of their respective chambers cursing the lot of the greedy Capitalists for allowing this travesty to happen.

It’s simply frightening when you consider that being the smartest man in the room when you’re talking about government nets you the likes of Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. Which is a painful reminder of axiom #3 of government. This is the one that brought Barack Hussein Obama, the most intelligent man ever to hold the office of the Presidency, to power: “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” By which I mean, of course, he’s a moron. As is the rest of his posse. But that won’t surprise you if you’ve been paying attention.

Zermelo’s axiom of choice would indicate we have an endless choice in the next election as long as we wish to elect another sock. I suggest that we look for a shoe this time.

"To choose one sock from each of infinitely many pairs of socks requires the Axiom of Choice, but for shoes the Axiom is not needed.” S. Bertrand Russell

His point is that the two socks in a pair are identical in appearance, so, to pick one of them, we have to make an arbitrary choice. For shoes, we can use an explicit rule, such as "always choose the left shoe."

Although I would highly recommend we try to find the right shoe.

Another Reason to Love our American Legionnaires

 Baraga County, Mi. In the upper, Upper Peninsula

American Legion post 444 in Baraga Michigan (that’s in the U.P., eh?) has decided that things have gone too far, and they’ve taken matters into their own hands. As real Americans have done for generations. God love them. Reported by Upper Michigan’s Source:

Since 80 percent of Michigan's population does not smoke, many were thrilled with the passing of the state's smoke-free act in May.  The law bans smoking at restaurants and bars.

But American Legion Post 444 in Baraga says taking away their cigarettes is taking away their freedom.

"Smoking is a legal activity," said Legion member Joseph O'Leary.  "Like it or not, tobacco is not heroin.  It is allowed as a legal activity and to prohibit it on private property, we think it's unconstitutional."

So what are they doing about it?  Well, they're ignoring it.  Members were lighting up at the post earlier today.  After years of battling for freedom, these veterans intend to continue doing just that.

"They're taking too many rights away nowadays, and the more they take away, the more they get away with it," said Legion member Paul Adams.

The local health department is incensed, since they “ think this law is clearly appropriate, and it's got positive aspects for everyone." So they’ve ordered the post to stop serving food and beverages. The post has ignored that too.

The Legion …  continue(s) to provide full service and plan(s) to take legal action.  But the health department is determined to put cigarettes out for good.  They've referred the issue to the state attorney general.

Baraga County is located on the Keweenaw Peninsula along the rugged shore of Lake Superior, and the hearty souls who live there are pretty rugged too. The villages of Baraga and L’Anse are pretty much it, and the entire county has fewer than 9000 residents. It’s unemployment rate is close to 25%, and it is in the part of the state currently represented by lame-duck weenie Bart Stupak.  But listen up America: the Legionnaires have something to tell you:

BUTT OUT! 

 

They’re tired of losing the liberty that they fought and sacrificed so much for. And they don’t give a damn whether you think smoking is a good idea or not. And I’m certain they don’t care that Michelle Obama thinks we should all eat more organic vegetables, cut back on the salt and skip dessert.

And one last thing: they don’t appreciate having Legionnaires disease named after them either.

Smart Nerd vs. Loud Pol: Tough Call

Michigan voters did something surprising yesterday, besides bringing the smarmy Kilpatrick dynasty to a definitive end by defeating Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick in the primary. In the Republican gubernatorial primary we elected Rick Snyder: a man who has never held public office. The Democratic candidate is a life-long office holder. The press is calling the upcoming gubernatorial election “the race between the nerd and the angry mayor.” More on point, it’s the race between a businessman and a career politician. I’m putting my money on the business man.

Virg, left; not Emeril before he was inflated. Rick, right.

Of course some Republicans, who don’t find Snyder conservative enough, are already claiming Democrat dirty tricks: voicing concerns that cross over voters jumped in to choose the weak link candidate for the Republican ticket, ala McCain. Indeed the fact that twice as many votes were cast in the Republican primary as Democrat does raise suspicions. But that still doesn’t make it a tough choice come November. The Democratic candidate is Virg Bernero, currently big mouth, media hound mayor of Lansing. He’s never had any job other than elected public official. Oh, and the MEA is his biggest supporter, followed closely by, well, every other union in the state.

Rick Snyder is a successful businessman, entrepreneur and venture capitalist with 3 degrees from the University of Michigan (which I guess makes him a nerd, because not one of them is a Juris Doctorate. And U of M is not Ivy League) He classifies himself as a moderate, so I didn’t vote for him because that always causes me intestinal distress.But given the alternative it’s still a no-brainer unless someone can demonstrate that he’s a child molester. Let’s see: Michigan is in an economic death spiral. Do I elect a man who has demonstrated fiscal responsibility, created jobs and is not antagonistic towards small business? Or a career politician? And please, no more talk about the Libertarian candidate. Might as well wrap the governorship up and hand it to the Democrats.

Let’s face it folks, the days of considering political office as an example of noblesse oblige are long gone. It’s now just another job with incredible perks. I’m going with Rick. I don’t think he’s as impressed with the perks as the loud mayor from Lansing who’s been eyeing them for his entire adult life.

Barbarians at the Gate

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance… 

Here is a most critical point that the West must get through it’s head if it does not wish to go the way of the Roman Empire: “Islamism is not a movement to be engaged, it is an enemy to be defeated.”

Andrew McCarthy, whose National Review on Line analysis recaps key points from Newt Gingrich’s speech to the American Enterprise Institute last week, drives this point home. I don’t care if Newt is not your favorite purveyor of conservative values, nor that he is himself sometimes equivocal and perhaps even hypocritical on occasion. He is an intelligent scholar of history and his speech is an important  clarion call to the danger our freedom faces from an enemy that masquerades as a religion. He emphatically demonstrates that Islam is not just a religion, but - under the shield of sharia - it is a political movement opposed to everything inherent in Western civilization. Some salient excerpts from McCarthy’s piece:

“for Islam is not merely a religious doctrine, but a comprehensive socio-economic and political system”

Indeed, its foundational premise is anti-American, holding that we are not free people at liberty to govern ourselves irrespective of any theocratic code, that people are instead beholden to the Islamic state, which is divinely enjoined to impose Allah’s laws.

It makes no sense to dismiss our enemies as lunatics just because “secular socialist” elites, as Gingrich called them, cannot imagine a fervor that stems from religious devotion. We ought to respect our enemies, he said. Not “respect” in Obama-speak, which translates as “appease,” but in the sense of taking them seriously, understanding that they are absolutely determined to win, and realizing that they are implacable.

And in a handoff to Roger Kimball at the Daily Caller,  the ball is advanced a few more yards:

No, it’s Islam’s fundamental, essential  incompatibility with foundational Western values like free speech, the separation of church and state, and equality under the law. Such things are not simply missing from Islam: they are positively repudiated by Islam, a fact that is ingredient in the very word “Islam,” which, pace the multiculturalists, means not “peace” but “submission,” i.e., submission to the will of Allah.

Sharia, moreover, is anti-equality. It subjugates women and brutally punishes transgressors, particularly homosexuals and apostates. While our law forbids cruel and unusual punishments, Gingrich observed that the brutality in sharia sanctions is not gratuitous, but intentional: It is meant to enforce Allah’s will by striking example.”

He sumarizes simply by saying Andy McCarthy and Newt are right:

“The war is about the survival of Western civilization, and we should make no apologies for the fact that the West’s freedom culture is a Judeo-Christian culture — a fact that was unabashedly acknowledged, Gingrich reminded his audience, by FDR and Churchill. To ensure victory in the United States we must, once again, save Europe, where the enemy has advanced markedly.  . . .

Our allies are the Muslims who embrace our freedom culture — those for whom sharia is a matter of private belief, not public mission. Our enemies are those who want sharia to supplant American law and Western culture. When we call out the latter, and marginalize them, we may finally energize the former.”

We are battling formidable enemies that wish to transform our lives and our culture to reflect their own visions for humanity: both from within our own government and from the Islamic world view. I’m not aware of a time when a nation was called upon to fight such a two headed monster of tyranny. Both can be defeated, but only if we maintain our vigilance and our will to resist; each and every encroachment.

Important stuff if you have children, grandchildren or ever hope to. Or if you just can’t bear to be even minutely responsible for creating a future without freedom. Read it, know it and pass it on to everyone you know.

H/T Bookworm Room