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NASA really wants to go to Europa, and anyone who knows anything about exobiology really wants NASA to go to Europa. Why? Water. On Earth, water is what fuels life. Of course, there are a lot of other things that fuel life on our planet, but water is an integral part of life as we know it. Indeed, so far all of our research has indicated that–where there is water, there is life (Earth isn’t called “the Pale Blue Dot” for nothing). And while it is possible that alien life could exists on other worlds and thrive off of...

“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” ~ Hunter S. Thompson On this final, frenetic afternoon of the 3 day binge-orgy of conservative politics (an oxymoron if there ever was one) that is the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, there I was, poverty-stricken cheapskate that I am, trying to figure out whether I’d have to try sneak in to the main event hall, or cough up just enough clams for access to the last day’s central attractions/speakers. Then I happened into the revelation that my status as a Clash columnist gets me a media access badge. Eureka. So...

The first round of puns I posted a while back were well received (you can see them here), so here's some more.(h/t to Freeper tacticalogic for #6)

Who Will Stop Putin's Aggression I recently posted this article: Why Russia No Longer Fears the West. The author, one Ben Judah, made the point that the West lately projects an image of weakness, and Putin has been emboldened by it. I'd say that the author correctly identified one aspect of Putin's mentality: a thug's respect for another thug, the corollary of which is a thug's dismissal of civilized behavior as weakness. It is from that mental vantage point that Putin developed his recent moxie. The reality is that the West is responding calmly but also firmly. I think that...

News flash: Vladimir Putin did not decide to invade Crimea until after the Yanukovych regime fell. That brilliant insight is courtesy of the New York Times. How would we know if the Times wasn’t there to tell us? The collapse of the regime obviously changed Putin’s calculus. He had no reason to invade while Yanukovych was in charge. So of course Yanuk’s panic was a necessary condition for the events that followed. The article relies heavily on two individuals, Dmitri Trenin and Mark Galeotti, who didn’t predict Putin’s move. They therefore have considerable reason to try to make this turn...

On this date in 1862, the first naval battle between two ironclad ships took place as the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia fought to a draw over the course of three hours in the Battle of Hampton Roads near Chesapeake Bay. The battle changed naval warfare practices around the world almost immediately, as naval powers started constructing ironclad ships and incorporating other advances seen in the battle into the new ships in their navies.

Asking for prayer my daughter. She and her husband have planned to move to California for not only financial reasons - jobs but for the kids Her X has filed "suspected abduction" injunction against her. She has 100% of the over nights! X has limited visitation. She is homeschooling because they were failing in public school. The injunction states she can not take the kids out of state and they must return to public school (the kids have thrived in homeschool)

I wrote in the John Maynard Keynes post about the hollowness and “fakeness” of Western civilization today. In case you didn’t see it, KD had a post up a few days ago about so-called “peer reviewed” scientific journals and how they are nothing of the sort. Utterly fake articles made by automatic word generators that literally string random polysyllabic words together into sentence structures – in other words, NONSENSE – are being regularly published in these journals. An investigative study found over 120 such articles over the past few years. “Peer reviewed” science and academia is a LIE. Papers are...

Judge Napolitano has penned an interesting essay on the Ukraine situation: Ukraine was a part of that union until the evil empire dissolved in 1991. It was the most economically productive part of that union. Today it enjoys a mostly free market and is highly entrepreneurial, though partly a welfare state. Roughly two-thirds of Ukraine identifies with Europe and one-third with Russia. True as well... The two-thirds are primarily the welfare state element. Our good Judge conveniently omits that from his dissertation But I suspect that much of the problem in Ukraine was really about corruption, "Robin-Hood" style theft... by...

Hey, makes about as much sense as anything else they've been doing since 2009.

In 1921, advertising executive Fred R. Barnard originated the phrase, “One Look Is Worth a Thousand Words”, which has evolved over the years to become “A picture is Worth a thousand words.” Perfectly illustrated here, don’t you think? (click to enlarge) I’ve been tinkering around with new nick-names for the gun-grabbing crowd, and narrowed it down to 2: 1) Deniers - turning their own Gore-bull warming tactics on them. and, 2) Infringers – as in, “What part of ‘shall not be infringed’ don’t you get? I like ‘em both. what do y’all think?

Many publications, such as The Huffington Post, have falsely asserted that Pope Francis indicated he is open to homosexual civil unions. Elizabeth Dias correctly notes this is false. She writes, "First, it is important to be clear about what Pope Francis did and did not just say. He did not affirm gay marriage. He did not announce Holy See support for civil unions. He reiterated, yet again, the traditional and non-changing Catholic teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman..." Read her full Blog post for Time here. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in its...

On March 7, 1945, the first soldiers of the United States Army captured and crossed the Ludendorff Bridge, one of the few remaining bridges over the Rhine, entering Germany for the first time during World War II. The bridge withstood numerous attempts by German forces to destroy it until March 17, when it collapsed suddenly into the Rhine. By then, American forces were moving over other pontoon bridges steadily into their established bridgehead in Germany.

According to St Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 18, Jesus Christ had some very harsh words of warning for those who scandalise children. And according to an article on the Sydney Daily Telegraph website, dated February 19, Dr Darryl Gauld stated that he was letting his students march in the Mardi Gras to promote the Macquarie Grammar School. These are the exact words of St Matthew: And Jesus calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them, And said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into...

At 18, you can drive a car, enlist in the military, get married, purchase cigarettes and lottery tickets, and even buy things off infomercial ads. What you can’t do? Support yourself. At least that is what 18-year-old Rachel Canning believes, and New Jersey law might back her up. Canning claimed that her parents kicked her out of the house when she turned 18 and refused to pay the rest of her private high school tuition, give her access to her college fund, or pay for her daily living and transportation costs. So Canning sued.

If Only Barry Was As Graceful and Adept

(The following is satire.) It’s so unfortunate to see the leader of a prominent foreign nation such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin exhibit the same kind of hate and bigotry we’ve seen displayed over the last several years by members of that backward, bitterly racist “Tea Party” group here in the United States. I wish we could just live in a world where a black president was accorded the respect and deference he is due, instead of having to endure such outright defiance from those who see nothing but the color of his skin, and who hold him in utter contempt...

These are the new images I've got, to go with the second of my youtubes, which is posted at http://youtu.be/usFBn99pJMc In the first youtube we looked at what could be seen above the water in the video. In this new video I show footage of some more that is above water but also some that is underwater. The images on my blog are clearer than what shows on youtube, so even if you see the youtube (which I recommend, because it explains what you're seeing and gives other links as well) you might want to look at the stills to...

The Battle Of The Alamo took place on March 6, 1836, following a siege which began on February 23rd. In the battle, which lasted less than an hour, 189 Texas defenders inflicted more than 600 casualties (dead and wounded) on General Santa Anna's army before finally being overrun and eventually killed. "Remember the Alamo" was the battle cry as Texas avenged the defeat later in the year and eventually gained their independence. Today we honor the memories of the brave men who defended the Alamo and inspired a nation.

Former HUD-OIG Special Agent In Charge Indicted on Mortgage Fraud Charges Herschell Harvell, Jr., 53, Conyers, Georgia, made his initial appearance in federal court on charges of making false statements to a bank to obtain a mortgage loan and conspiring to obstruct an investigation into his real estate transactions by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG). Until he was terminated in 2013, Harvell was the Special Agent in Charge of HUD-OIG’s Atlanta office, which encompasses several southeastern states. Harvell’s co-defendant and nephew, Tavus A. Wright, 32, Milledgeville, Georgia, also made his initial appearance...

This video has three inspiring songs, instrumental - Shackled By A Heavy Burden, Someday Soon and Now I’m On My Way To Heaven. This video is the one I wanted to be viewed. Thanks for putting up with me.

This video has three inspiring songs, instrumental - Shackled By A Heavy Burden, Someday Soon and Now I’m On My Way To Heaven.

Prayer request.Please say a prayer for healing for my Mom.

Whether you are paid agents, losertarian isolationis, or just dim wits who wouldn't know what conservatism and freedom are if they kicked you in the backside. Why are still here? The land of vodka and borscht awaits. If you hate this country so much, don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you. Go join your brothers in mother Russia. I served this country. I love this country despite all its faults. It is the greatest nation that has ever been or ever will be. Despite my disgust with the politicians I would never side with the...

Iran Executes Two for ‘Perversion’ Third dealt death sentence for ‘insulting the prophet’ Iran executed two gay men on Sunday for the crime of “perversion” and has sentenced a third individual to death for “insulting the prophet,” according to human rights activists tracking the situation. The head of Iran’s judiciary department in the northern city of Rasht announced on Sunday that two homosexual men had been executed for “perversion,” which is considered a severe crime under Iran’s hardline Islamic law. The executions come less than two months after Iranian authorities publicly hanged 40 individuals in a two-week period. Iran is...

{fsubscribe}Posted a blank of this photo over the weekend, here are 9 of the best/favorite captions people came up with.

On Wednesday, Feb. 12, pro-life activist Peter D'Attilio was convicted by a jury on three charges stemming from an incident when he held a pro-life sign in front of a school in Brockton, Mass. on March 21, 2012. After a two-day trial in Brockton District Court, the six-person jury found him guilty of disturbing a school, trespass, and resisting arrest. Those verdicts came despite the fact that Peter's lawyer (using testimony by the prosecution's own witnesses) clearly proved that he did not commit any of those crimes. This was a monumental miscarriage of justice. In the end, the facts and...

Listen to an audio version of this column The word "religion" doesn't sit too well with me, because I associate it with man-made traditions, legalism and salvation based on works, rather than true salvation which is the free gift of God by Jesus' willing sacrifice. The real definition of religion is given in James 1:27: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. That sounds simple enough, but keeping oneself unspotted from the world – there's the kicker, much easier...

Some businesses -- mainly restaurants -- "are asking customers to help foot the bill for Obamacare" by adding an Affordable Care Act surcharge on their tabs, CNNMoney reports. Case in point: At least eight Gator's Dockside restaurants in central Florida are now charging a so-called "Obamacare fee" that amounts to 1 percent of a customer's check. Should your business include an Obamacare fee or surcharge on customer bills? Surcharge or Raise Prices? A surcharge is an added liability imposed on something that is already due, such as a tax on tax. A valid surcharge requires full disclosure of the fee...

On this day, March 3, 1931, the Star-Spangled Banner was officially adopted as the national anthem of the United States, more than 100 years after it was first written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812. Today, we raise the 15-star flag used in the Battle of Fort McHenry which was the inspiration for Key's poem and eventual anthem. We also honor Florida, which became the 27th state in the Union in 1845, after being purchased from Spain in 1819.

Born on this date in 1793, Sam Houston was governor of Tennessee, president of the Republic of Texas twice, and later senator and governor of the state of Texas, and a leader in the war of independence between Texas and Mexico. Today we raise the flag of Texas in his honor.

The title of this post is based on this from Paul Johnson.

Join our young campaign volunteer as he learns about the latest cause célèbre of the hard Left: the restoration of voting rights for felons... Pavel Syerov Jr. had been away at college, so he hadn’t stopped by the 51st Ward Party Headquarters in quite awhile. But he was home for the weekend, doing errands for his folks, when he found himself driving past Headquarters, and noticed that he had time to kill. He had a daunting essay to write for his Comparative Political Science class the next week, and writer’s block had hit; perhaps stopping by to see Pockets and...

Almost...but not really

Here's a photo recently taken by NASA and it's amazing. They are LITERALLY living in the Dark Ages.If you didn't know any better you would think South Korea was actually an island.

During my time on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, I was all too familiar with the occasional sight of certain less than honorable personnel hustling to get to their cars at 1700 hours, just as The Star Spangled Banner started playing over the base public address system, and the flag-lowering ceremony of “Retreat” got underway. You see, during Retreat, all activity is supposed to stop. All personnel who are outdoors are supposed to halt in their tracks, stand at attention, and turn and face the flag (or simply face the direction of the source of music if they...

“Oleksandr Turchynov, a well-known Baptist pastor and top opposition politician in Ukraine, took office on Sunday, Feb. 23, as acting president. >>SNIP<< Antonyuk, vice president of the All Ukrainian Union of Evangelical Churches, Baptist, issued the following statement: A Message of Reconciliation: We supported the nation’s demand to put an end to the tyranny of the authorities and repressions by the police. Now it is important to restore justice and due process of law in the country, to form a government that has the people’s trust, and provide fair presidential elections. We believe that those guilty of crimes against the...

As I said yesterday, the appetite comes with the eating, and Putin would snap up the rest of Ukraine. Having finished up the appetizer of Crimea, he is now digging into the main course. Today the upper chamber of the Russian trained seal show, aka its parliament, approved Putin’s request for authorization to send Russian military forces into Ukraine. Not Crimea. All of Ukraine. It was sure a cliffhanger following the debate and vote on Twitter. The issue was in doubt to the very last vote. Sorry. In times like these one needs to find humor where one can, and...

Reality on the ground in Ukraine contradicts the incompetent and immoral Obama regime’s portrait of Ukrainian democracy on the march. To the extent that government exists in post-coup Ukraine, it is laws dictated by gun and threat wielding thugs of the neo-Nazi, Russophobic, ultra-nationalist, right-wing parties...Members of President Yanukovich’s ruling party, the Party of Regions, have been shot, had arrest warrants issued for them, have experienced home invasions and physical threats... Jewish synagogs and Eastern Orthodox Christian churches are being attacked. Only Obama, Susan Rice, Victoria Nuland, Washington’s European puppets, and the Western prostitute media can describe the brutal reality...

SEE: Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoes controversial anti-gay bill, SB 1062 This is another attack upon rights associated with property ownership just like the smoking control freaks who also use government force to seize control over another person’s private property for their personal use and enjoyment who forbid the owner of said property to allow his guests to smoke thereon. But we were warned against submitting to such tyranny: ”Submit to despotism for an hour and you concede the principle. John Adams said, in 1775, “Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud.” It is the only thing a...

Russia has invaded Crimea-and hence has invaded Ukraine. No Obamaesque circumlocutions about “uncontested arrivals” can gainsay that very basic fact. The Russians have occupied a major Ukrainian air base in the peninsula, and have given an ultimatum to all Ukrainian military units to surrender their posts. Yes. All unopposed. So I guess that makes it OK. But what to do about it? First: a no brainer. Eject Russia from the G8, and reschedule a meeting of the G7 somewhere far away from Sochi (as is scheduled for June). But seeing as that it is the Obama administration and various EU...

I have repeatedly called the administration’s policies in Syria and vis a vis Russia “feckless.” This was intended to be a damning insult. But it just isn’t insulting enough. Why do I say that? The White House told CNN that the Russian takeover of Ukraine isn’t an invasion. Get this: It’s an “uncontested arrival.” You know, just like the Rhineland, the Anschluss, the Sudetenland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, etc. Only Orwell can do justice to such a monstrous formulation: **** “Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure...

Putin dramatically escalated the situation in Crimea over the last 24 hours, sending in troops to occupy airports, blockading roads, surrounding Ukrainian border posts, and cutting off phone and internet communications. Russia denies its troops are involved. What, is this the Immaculate Occupation? Or are these aliens that descended on Crimea? (One story is that these are actually Russian private contractors, rather than military troops. But they are still taking the Tsar’s ruble. That’s all that matters.) And I am sure you will be shocked, but the US response is feckless. The White House drew another line. I kid you...

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Twitter timeline has to be read to be believed. Some words that come to mind: chutzpah, irony, projection. Some samples: “Russia advises everyone to give up provocative statements on Ukraine.” ”Russia calls on Ukraine to avoid religion based conflicts.” (Recall the earlier MFA statement about violations of Orthodoxy-meaning that the MFA was injecting religion.) “Lavrov urged OSCE to condemn growing nationalist sentiment in Ukraine.” ”Russia urges West to realize responsibility for #Ukraine’s failed peace deal.” (The latter tweet is directed to the German, French, and Polish foreign ministries.)

Y’all. I can’t wait to tell you about my day. But first, do you know what “brimming tears” are? They aren’t sad or mad tears. They aren’t exactly just tears of joy either. They are the tears that happen when you are just completely full. There’s just so much…so much good, so much love, so much gratitude, so much in-this-moment-right-here…that the slightest extra thing, extra hug, extra smile, extra word makes you spill over in the form of tears. Brimming tears.

There's a two step process to sharing this graphic:1. Show this to the offender.2. Wait for the chance to say "you're welcome."

Good evening. Would anyone know how to delete ALL "like" choices I've posted on Facebook? Your assistance is deeply appreciate. Thank You, TJI

The philosopher Voltaire famously (and accurately) said, “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.” To those holding most of the power in our country now, “gay is the new black”–and as with the de facto black-supremacy which has taken hold over the decades due to a pervasive litigious and public-relations minefield, gay-supremacy is likewise rapidly catching up, and catching on. Arizona’s already controversial governor, Jan Brewer, has just vetoed a bill passed by her state’s legislature which would have protected business owners who turn away customers out of conscientious objection to...

Manila, Philippines - ItÂ’s all about oil. U.S. interest seems to be shifting from the Middle East to Asia, particularly the oil-rich waters surrounding the Philippines, China, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Tension has been rising among and between the governments of these countries over territorial claims in around South China Sea and the Spratly Islands. Overtly, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in the Philippines to try to ease tensions between the Manila and Beijing governments, urging China to go easy on imposing no-fly and no-sail zones over the disputed territories between the two countries. Covertly, as...

Criminals think they're better than other criminals. Criminals also think they're better than you! Anthony and Trace report on an interesting new study confirming the belief that most people think they're better than everyone else. Jailed Criminals Think They Are Kinder, More Trustworthy and Honest Than Average Member Of The Public