
How about a picture of the world's unhappiest squirrel?
[...]This week, the Bangor Daily News has been doing a very good series on gun ownership in Maine and the state's gun culture. Today's article is on the challenge Maine presents to gun-control advocates such as the Brady Campaign. It's an interesting article, because it shows the extent [...]
My thoughts on Tuesday's election results at The Greenroom.
[...]Sorry for the lack of posts. It's been a busy month at work and home. I will post again soon, honest.
Until then, here's something that made me laugh recently:
[...]I've lived in Maine for almost 20 years now, and for 15 of those years, Olympia Snowe has been my senator. So, needless to say, I wasn't surprised at all by her vote to support the healthcare reform bill. With the exception of national security and some 2nd amendment issues, [...]
I'm voting no on this question.While it’s true, some Maine residents would see a reduction in excise taxes if Question 2 passes, far more — based on the age of their vehicles — would see no change.
Estimates from the Secretary of State’s Office suggest that more than two-thirds of' [...]
Personally, I'm not sure the Nobel committee really did the president a favor, since commenters on both sides of the political spectrum were shocked by the announcement. This may prove more negative than positive for The One, since it serves to highlight his greatest weakness.
Still, Obama does have' [...]
Gardening may seem fun, but it has its dark side. On the one hand, there's the chance to work with your hands in the earth and the reward of fresh vegetables.
On the other...
[...]Anne, this word "outrageous." I do not think it means what you think it means.Of all nations, why was it Switzerland -- the country that traditionally guarded the secret bank accounts of international criminals and corrupt dictators -- that finally decided to arrest Roman Polanski? There must be some [...]
As I was reading the transcript of the now-infamous conference call between government officials and various artists, something occurred to me.
Mike Skolnick, the artist asked by the White House to coordinate the effort said in his view, part of the group's task was "to support some of the president's'" [...]
This picture cracks me up. In part because the leader of the free world is fully embracing his inner geek, but mostly the look on Michelle's face. It is exactly the same amused/'oh no there he goes again' look that my wife would have.
The picture was taken [...]
I don't have cable, so I only experience "The Daily Show" through clips like this. I've watched enough of the show to know when Stewart is [...]
Cheat on your taxes while writing tax law? Keep your position.
Heckle the president during a speech? Sanction.
[...]Adam Baldwin looks at the president's speech to schoolchildren. I agree with his main point - the problem isn't the speech, it's the lesson materials distributed beforehand that seemed a little odd.
' [...]Interesting.I met with the Senator personally during the August recess back here in Maine when she spoke with dozens of Maine folks in a series of health care talks throughout the state. Here is what I learned: She is worried about costs and the impact on the deficit, the [...]
Who better to work for the government than someone who believed the government is responsible for the deaths of 3,000 people?
Of course, Jones is furiously trying to backpedal on this one even though he signed the document calling for an investigation of the possibility that [...]
The answer to Instapundit's question is yes. As I've mentioned before on this blog, I lived in Hawaii for three years in the late 80s and saw first-hand some of the disdain many in that state have for "haoles." Nothing like being spit upon to make a guy' [...]
This article makes me miss Michael Kelly's writing, but also makes me feel both pity and disdain for the late senator. It's a must-read.
Update - Another must-read. If you support the right policies, it's amazing what some will forgive.
' [...]
This was an actual headline at MSNBC.com this evening. Amazingly enough, this is not the most gushing tribute to the late senator from Massachusetts.
So...can I imagine life without Ted Kennedy?
As a matter of fact, I can. Tonight, I will go to bed and sleep. Tomorrow, I [...]
I've got to say, I can't disagree with President Obama on some of his pet peeves.At meetings, the staff knows the do’s and don’ts. And the key to it all is being prepared and precise. Axelrod said Obama bristles when “people talk too much at meetings and prevent others [...]
As the president and congressional Democrats continue their quest to convince the American people that a public option will help lower healthcare costs, the Wall St. Journal looks north and finds an example of that approach...lacking.Then the state created a "public option" known as DirigoChoice. (Dirigo is the state [...]
Hot Air linked this article a week ago, but I just stumbled across it again and after reading it a second time, I'm struck anew by how truly nasty it is. After a string of anonymous anecdotes and ad hominem attacks, Mark McKinnon sets a new low in the' [...]
One of the questionable joys of living in a state with two center-left Republican senators is that whenever a controversial issue is being debated in Congress, the airways are inundated with advertisements for and against. It gets irritating at times, but does provide me with the opportunity to listen to [...]
Lies, damn lies...and really, really stupid lies.Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, told CNN she had dialed into a Congressional hotline to get more details about a question that was being asked by a constituent at the town hall in Houston on Tuesday. House Democratic aides have set up a [...]
Is the widdle White House not getting what it wants? Awww...poor babies...Feeling victimized by misinformation spread virally through the Internet, the White House Thursday is launching its own "viral e-mail" for supporters to spread.
With the subject line: "Something worth forwarding," the e-mail — from senior White House adviser David [...]
Well, this is creepy. (h/t: ace):A leading Republican US Senator on Wednesday sharply assailed a White House request for supporters to help track "fishy" claims about President Barack Obama's plans to overhaul US health care.
"I am not aware of any precedent for a president asking American citizens to" [...]
Like Allahpundit, I'm not sure I get the point of the "Obama as Joker" poster. My best guess is maybe the artist sees Obama as an agent of chaos, or a thief. Even if I don't like it, I still admire the skill of the artist. That's a very [...]

If Obama has another 'beer summit,' this should be on tap:
Cheers!
Cross-posted at The Greenroom
[...]With President Barack Obama's poll numbers falling to earth, he's decided to embark on a bold new initiative - blaming former President Bush for the country's woes.
Didn't see that coming. Democratic strategists are supporting the president in the only way they know how - engaging in mind-numbing spin:"I'm" [...]
I'd like to thank David Frum and his hyperbole for once again making that possible.
' [...]In today's Wall St. Journal, Peggy Noonan pronounces ObamaCare 'mostly dead:'This is big, what’s happening. President Obama appears to have misstepped on a major initiative and defining issue. He has misjudged the nation’s mood, which itself is news: He rose from nothing to everything with the help of his [...]
At the end of his primetime press conference, President Obama was asked whether national health care would lead to reduced service and whether doctors would continue to make health care decisions. After a bit of rambling, Obama said this:Right now, doctors a lot of times are forced to make [...]
Don't mess with Buzz. He may be in his 80s, but the man clearly knows how to throw a punch.
And if you're of a certain age, you'll remember the existence of a lunar landing game that is both maddening and addictive. Now you can relive the endless frustration online!
You're [...]
Most transparent, administration EVER EVER.WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House is being forced to acknowledge the wide gap between its once-upbeat predictions about the economy and today's bleak landscape.
The administration's annual midsummer budget update is sure to show higher deficits and unemployment and slower growth than projected in President [...]
It has been light lately, hasn't it? Sorry about that.
Honestly, I just don't feel as though I have a lot to add to the conversation most days. That, plus a busy work schedule and a lot to do in the real world are limiting my writing time. I'm taking the' [...]

President Obama: The stimulus is working!
The economy: No, it's not:
Source: Innocent Bystanders
This chart was created by Obama's economic team to show what would happen if the stimulus was not passed. So judging by the Obama administration's own yardstick, the stimulus has already failed [...]
The horror...PORTLAND, Maine — Police in Maine's biggest city are on the lookout for a thief with an eye for roses.
Gardeners at Portland's Deering Oaks Park noticed Monday that someone had snipped 100 blooms from the rose bushes. The same thing happened last year but not on the same [...]
President-Elect Barack Obama, January 10, 2009:"And eventually sacrifice from everyone?" I asked.
"Everybody’s going to have to give. Everybody’s going to have to have some skin in the game," Obama said.President Barack Obama, June 1, 2009:I know you've already seen more than your fair share of hard times. We' [...]
Hope all of you have a safe and happy Fourth of July.
[...]Yes, it was a shocker. I figured she wasn't going to run for re-election, but the news of her resignation came as a complete surprise. My gut reaction? She's tired of politics, and is out of the game for good. Even if that's not her intention, I agree with Ed' [...]

Looking for some summer reading?
Coming soon to a bookstore near you. Or a television station. Or radio interview. Basically, wherever Mark Sanford decides to spill his guts again.
I agree with Doctor Zero. It's time for Sanford to leave the stage.
Cross-posted at The Greenroom
' [...]Wow. Meghan McCain is just, like, so cool and stuff.France—home of my absolute favorite foreign first lady, Carla Bruni—perfected the laissez-faire attitude toward the sex lives of its public leaders. Not here. We hold our politicians to impossible standards. We elect them, put our hopes and dreams for a [...]
Since the first Gulf War in 1991, a group of veterans and townspeople from the area have greeted every troop flight that arrives or departs from Bangor International Airport. They're so loyal to their mission that the airport set aside a permanent room for them.
I've been at the airport a [...]
First off, I promise the post title will be the only "Evita" reference.
When South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford first disappeared, the story was weird but not scandalous. Boy, did that ever change.
When I first heard the news, my first thought was 'what kind of jerk visits his mistress on' [...]
To be fair, though, both Obama and McCain promoted this nonsense on the campaign trail. Yet another reason to be glad I purchased a pellet stove for next winter.
[...]In the book "A Darkness More than Night" by Michael Connelly, one of his characters describes what it's like to be a father. Connelly's detective Terry McCaleb talks about checking on his daughter while she's sleeping and says he "could feel her tiny heart beating. It seemed quick and desperate,'" [...]

The best coverage I've seen today is at Hot Air.
The White House reaction has been tepid at best. Personally, I'm not sure why an image-conscious president like Obama decided this was a good idea.
[...]
Obama did what? Oh, well...run the story in D-20,The difference is, in this version, the media is the Charles Colson-esque attack dog protecting the president. Other than that, this smells a lot like abuse of power.Some strange and potentially suspicious events tonight [...]