You know the Setup;
Here’s the penultimate Take:
Hack – slash – parry – thrust!
Essentially unarmed, she was.
BZ
Setup & Take:
Category Archives: Uncategorized
ObamaKare Court Case To Return This Week:
A state of Florida court case is expected to return this week, with massive implications for the federal government and ObamaKare.
From AOLNews:
(Sept. 14) — As arguments begin Tuesday in a Florida District Court where 20 state attorneys general and the National Federation of Independent Business are challenging the constitutionality of the health care law, the American people can be forgiven for feeling a bit ill at ease about the direction their country is going. James Madison would feel the same way.
So imagine his response if the Congress of 1789 had proposed a law like the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — i.e., Obamacare. Nowhere does the Constitution grant the power to force individuals to buy a product.
Congress has chosen to regulate not only actions, but inaction — the failure to buy or provide qualifying health insurance.
And, oddly enough, more states will vote on opting out of ObamaKare. From the Washington Times:
DENVER | After taking a beating at the hands of Missouri voters in August, “Obamacare” could be roughed up once again at the ballot box in November.
Following the lead of the successful Missouri initiative, which passed with 71 percent of the vote, Arizonans, Coloradans and Oklahomans will decide this fall whether to approve proposed constitutional amendments that would allow them to opt out of key provisions of President Obama‘s signature national health care law.
The three initiatives prohibit the government from forcing individuals to buy health care insurance – a “mandate” that critics say violates the U.S. Constitution – and would allow patients and employers to pay providers directly without penalty. The idea is to protect state residents from “the ongoing takeover of health care by government,” backers of the Colorado campaign say.
Politicians and their massive spending campaigns — and yes, of course, that includes Mr Bush — have placed this country’s credence, fiscal strength, defense and even its existence in jeopardy. Mr Obama has purposely and geometrically spent (and plans to spend more) the nation into its highest-ever deficit. He has spent more than anyone. As I documented here, Mr Obama has created the greatest American debt in its history.
BloombergNews reports that the world economy is “decoupling” from the US because of its profligate spending:
Just three years since America began dragging the world into its deepest recession in seven decades, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Credit Suisse Holdings USA Inc. and BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research are forecasting that this time will be different. Goldman Sachs predicts worldwide growth will slow 0.2 percentage point to 4.6 percent in 2011, even as expansion in the U.S. falls to 1.8 percent from 2.6 percent.
Underpinning their analysis is the view that international reliance on U.S. trade has diminished and is too small to spread the lingering effects of America’s housing bust. Providing the U.S. pain doesn’t roil financial markets as it did in the credit crisis, Goldman Sachs expects a weakening dollar, higher bond yields outside the U.S. and stronger emerging-market equities.
“Goldman Sachs expects a weaker dollar. . .”
This coming ObamaKare case will, therefore, provide an indicator for our future. Will we survive, or will we not? ObamaKare will spend this nation into oblivion.
It is not much more complicated than that. There is no spending oneself out of debt. That is a stupid and delusionary tactic.
And, oh yes: continued and enforced by a stupid and delusionary administration.
What is that definition of insanity again?
BZ
Obama Can’t Gymkhana
That goes without saying.
Prepare to be astounded, from the creative driving mind of Ken Brooks:
Obviously, an exquisitely-produced video which combines any number of ingenious camera angles brought even more alive with outstanding editing.
A few notations: as an EVOC instructor for roughly a quarter of a century (this means I have instructed cops and fire/paramedic personnel in pursuit and emergency response as well as precision placement, in four [or more] wheel vehicles and on motorcycles) I can recognize the true talent that Ken Block exhibits. He is clearly a professional with remarkable driving skills.
That said, there are a few interesting things to point out with regard to this video:
I am doubtful that the video was created in one continuous take. It is, however, an absolute marvel of editing and multiple-camera placement. I say this predicated upon the fact that, with as many completely radial power-on maneuvers he makes here, one set of tires wouldn’t likely suffice for nearly eight minutes. Sure, he burns his rear tires completely off at the end and creates sparks by rim-running, but the thinner his rubber the less likely he is to execute and, more importantly, replicate such precise placement. I could be wrong, but I suspect this final version took a take or two. Or three.
You can also clearly observe that he practiced a number of times on the circuit. Look at the pavement. This is not asphalt, it is concrete and therefore in high contrast with the tire marks extant around the various cones and patterns. This wasn’t a One Shot Deal; Mr Block is the consummate professional and, as such, practiced extensively for these takes.
You’ll note his chosen vehicle was a highly modified 2011 Ford Fiesta (the likes of which is now available in the US — but not like his) with its interior gutted, prepared by Olsbergs MSE, in AWD, with a 650-hp engine possessing 660 ft-lbs of torque at the wheels and capable of 0 to 60 in a coup brain-injury-creating 1.9 seconds.
Gymkhana (from Jim Conners) requires a vehicle to negotiate a series of courses, slaloms, pivots, cones, turns and obstacles. Not unlike autocross, which I also taught for many years — and definitely like F-1 racing (which, in my opinion, demands the world’s greatest racing skills), course memorization isn’t just “nice,” it’s required.
You’ll notice that Ken Block has the advantage of a small, highly maneuverable, high-hp, AWD platform which is controlled with paddle shifters (upshift right paddle, downshift left paddle) and a large ventilated handle on the right which is his e-brake lever (custom stamped with Ken Block’s name) and controls braking on the rear wheels only, which produces oversteer. He benefits in two creative and visually impressive ways: the AWD aspect ensures control of his line, but the e-brake also allows him to drift and power-oversteer his car when desired.
Which brings us to throttle-steer.
If you listen closely to the video, you’ll hear Ken Brooks not in the throttle constantly and smoothly; he’s into the throttle in a series of smaller or lengthy blips depending upon the turning maneuver.
He is controlling the nose-angle of the car — that is to say, the directional aspect of his vehicle — not only with the e-brake but with his throttle as well. Using a singular or mixed application of brake and throttle-steer, he can ensure that, upon exit, his car is already pointed in the proper direction for the next obstacle or maneuver. Further, with a mixture of appropriate steering, his path is cemented. He keeps from losing control of the car, via understeer he has purposely created, by the application of judicious and practiced throttle-steer.
You’ll also note that he consistently uses two hands, opposed as possible, upon the wheel. Watch how he shuffle-steers. This man is good. He is very, very good.
It is interesting to note that he completely cleans most apexes — but still misses a few. He drops off the pavement and into the dirt following one starboard maneuver.
Hey, nobody’s perfect.
Relax.
It’s Sunday.
Just enjoy the vid.
BZ
NJ Governor Chris Christie: Test the TEACHERS
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie — [man, how I wish we had him as Governator in Fornicalia] — is on the move again with regard to education. From CBSNewYork:
OLD BRIDGE, N.J. (CBS 2) — Determined to turn New Jersey’s education system on its head, Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday unveiled a tough-love reform package that will make classroom achievement — not seniority or tenure — the basis for pay hikes and career advancement in Garden State public schools.
Christie is turning his take-no-prisoner’s style to the classroom, demanding a top to bottom overhaul of how New Jersey students learn and teachers teach. And that means undoing tenure, seniority and other union work rules.
And further — omigawd:
Unqualified teachers will feel the lash. The governor is demanding that teachers in kindergarten through fifth grade actually pass tests in reading and math in order to be certified.
“It might lead to the firing of teachers and principals who hurt our children,” Christie said.
The governor wants to turn the old seniority system inside out and put quality teaching ahead of lack-luster performance. He will:
* Prohibit salary scales based on seniority
* Grant raises based on classroom performance
* Give tenure based on classroom performance
The standard claptrap was spewed by teachers unions and representatives and such:
A spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association attacked the governor’s plan saying that once again he was “trying to implement education reform without any input from educators.”
You want to see how education ACTUALLY works in the Real World of Big Cities, at the hands of so-called “educators”? Watch season four of The Wire.
Mr Christie’s bent on education can be viewed below, wherein he slaughters a well-meaning but completely unarmed-with-facts teacher:
Sounds to me like education is about to be shaken to its very core in New Jersey. I say: it’s about time.
Please, Mr Christie, couldn’t you run for governor in Fornicalia?
BZ
P.S.
Yeah, Christie’s fat. BFD. GTFOI. Ideas trump avoirdupois.
P.P.S.
“Education” in America is a HUGE scam predicated upon the numbers of BIS (butts in seats). Plain and simple. We are corrupting our kids and corrupting our future. Other countries already know this. They cannot wait to push us aside and take the educational, inventive, intelligent lead. As many countries have already.
P.P.P.S:
The teachers’ unions apparently responded and wished Christie dead — allegedly only in jest:
Demorats: Let’s Blame The Voters
From WSJ.com:
Democrats seeking to boost voter turnout this fall are beginning to sound like the late comedian Chris Farley’s portrayal of a “motivational speaker” on Saturday Night Live. Farley’s character sought to inspire young people by announcing that they wouldn’t amount to “jack squat” and would someday be “living in a van down by the river.”
Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, who prefers sailing vessels to vans by the river, recently tried out the Farley method. Said Mr. Kerry, “We have an electorate that doesn’t always pay that much attention to what’s going on so people are influenced by a simple slogan rather than the facts or the truth or what’s happening.” Bay State voters are surely thrilled to be represented by a man so respectful of their concerns.
This week President Obama chimed in with another uplifting message about the American electorate. Mr. Obama told Rolling Stone that the tea party movement is financed and directed by “powerful, special-interest lobbies.” But this doesn’t mean that tea party groups are composed entirely of corporate puppets. Mr. Obama graciously implied that a small subset of the movement is simply motivated by bigotry.
Mr. Obama added that “if people now want to take their ball and go home, that tells me folks weren’t serious in the first place.” Making the case for left-wing voters to show up in November, Mr. Obama told Rolling Stone that he is presiding over “the most successful administration in a generation in moving progressive agendas forward.”
Translated:
You, as American Voters, are too stupid to understand the meaning of an individual vote.
If you vote any way other than Demorat, you are nothing more than a Groundling, an Ignoramus, a Dolt, a Moron.
We, the Demorats, are considerably smarter than you — they not only hint but overtly say.
The WSJ concludes:
Blaming the voters is not unheard of among politicians, but usually they wait until after an election.
I suppose that sums it up.
BZ