Seen on I-75 in Central FL. Busy day — and posting from an iPhone, which sucks big green gators (as a WP UI). Please discuss whatever.
Florida woman, still rocking a punk rock ethos in the 2020s, which is kind of sad. Betty Cracker has been a Balloon Juice writer since 2012.
Obama Asks Congress to Okay Syria Strike
Didn’t see that coming! That’s the way it’s supposed to work, so good move, Mr. President. What do y’all think?
Obama Asks Congress to Okay Syria StrikePost + Comments (280)
Good, Law-Abiding People
Ted Nugent’s wife is apparently as dumb as her husband:
FORT WORTH — The wife of rock guitarist Ted Nugent was “embarrassed” and apologetic after being arrested Thursday for carrying a handgun into a terminal at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, her lawyer said.
Shemane Nugent, 51, was released on her recognizance, lawyer David Finn of Dallas said. She faces a $2,000 fine and the forfeiture of the gun, he said.
The TSA screeners found a loaded .38 with 10 extra rounds in Ms. Nugent’s carry-on bag. She claims she uses the bag to go to the gym and always carries a weapon with her because of “death threats” and just forgot to remove the gun when she took the bag to the airport. Hey, it could happen to anyone, right?
Lawyer Finn describes Nugent “as a mom with absolutely no criminal history” who has a concealed carry permit. “This is a regular occurrence, unfortunately,” Finn said. “Good, law-abiding people make these kinds of mistakes.”
I wonder if there are any provisions that allow the authorities to revoke concealed carry permits on the grounds of conspicuous stupidity. I mean, if Nugent is forgetful enough to take a gun through airport security, couldn’t she forget and leave it on the floor of a daycare center?
PS: Ms. Nugent is a member of the Clare Booth Luce Policy Institute, which includes the following on her page: “She is a frequent speaker and defender of Second Amendment rights, traditional values and the importance of personal responsibility.” She is also a featured writer for the NRA’s “Women’s Outlook” magazine. So she’s a responsible gun owner.
SecState Kerry on the TV Now
I was in the “let’s wait and see if someone other than ‘unnamed sources’ confirms that the president intends to launch a strike against Syria before we freak out” camp. Well, if Kerry’s presentation is any indication, it’s on.
ETA: Briefing over. Kerry threw in some weasel words that leave open the possibility that there will be no bombing, but yeah, it sure sounds like they’re going to expend some ordnance. For one thing, Kerry spent a lot of time exalting the role of “congressional leaders” in the deliberations, as if designed to rebut the findings of that NBC poll that said 80% of Americans want congressional approval before a strike.
Today In Rock-Ribbed Eisenhower Republicanism
Via valued commenter Askew, that hopey-changey thing is workin’ out pretty good today:
1. Colorado, Washington get OK from feds on marijuana
2. Federal Tax System Will Recognize Married Gay Couples Even If Their States Do Not
3. HHS Extends Medicare Benefits To Married Gay Couples
Plus the executive order on guns. Not a bad day’s work. Thanks, Obama!
[X-posted at Rumproast]Today In Rock-Ribbed Eisenhower RepublicanismPost + Comments (113)
Corporations Are Armed People, My Friend
But maybe not for much longer. Bypassing Wayne LaPierre’s do-nothing flunkies in congress, President Obama has proposed executive measures to disarm corporation-people, plus a ban on the reimportation of military-grade weapons by private companies. The move will no doubt be seen as both a “slap in the face” to the fat cat-fellators and a thing that is “rammed down the throat” of the gun-fondlers. In other words, win-win.
Corporations Are Armed People, My FriendPost + Comments (82)
Pavlovian (Open Thread)
This is a gross story, but since this blog recently covered canine anal gland expression, what the hell: Every weekday morning when I’m making breakfast and packing lunches for the outside-the-home worker and student, my boxers station themselves nearby and wait for me to throw them a piece of salami, a scrap of cheese or — the most prized treat of all — a slice of bacon.
It doesn’t always work out for them. Some days, breakfast is cereal and lunch is PB&J and fruit, soup and salad, etc. But they get treats often enough that they’ve learned to sit in this one special place and drool the entire time I’m doing my morning kitchen prep work.
This means that after I’ve shooed them away (with or without a payout), I have to clean up two puddles of drool. Every. Fucking. Weekday. I wipe up the drool, then spray 409 where the drool was and wipe that up.
Post cleanup, and aside from the 20 minutes or so between when the entire floor is mopped and it starts to get nasty again, the Drool Zone is the cleanest spot in the entire house.
Please feel free to discuss whatever.