Scotland was just the fall guy

Well, well, well. It seems I may have been a tad rash in my scathing tirade against Scotland. It seems that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was using his homeland as cover for his own pernicious and craven acts (hat tip to Vox Popoli).

The British government decided it was “in the overwhelming interests of the United Kingdom” to make Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, eligible for return to Libya, leaked ministerial letters reveal.

Gordon Brown’s government made the decision after discussions between Libya and BP over a multi-million-pound oil exploration deal had hit difficulties. These were resolved soon afterwards.

The letters were sent two years ago by Jack Straw, the justice secretary, to Kenny MacAskill, his counterpart in Scotland, who has been widely criticised for taking the formal decision to permit Megrahi’s release.

The correspondence makes it plain that the key decision to include Megrahi in a deal with Libya to allow prisoners to return home was, in fact, taken in London for British national interests.

Gordon Brown, you are a snake! For a Scot to let his homeland take the heat for an act of sniveling cowardice performed on behalf of an oil industry that you and your fellow Leftists scapegoat at every turn is beyond belief.

Great Britain should be ashamed to be represented by such a vile and cowardly man as Gordon Brown.

Banks, Automobiles,...the Internet?!?!?

Megalomania (from the Greek word μεγαλομανία; megalo-, meaning large, and mania) is a historical term for behavior characterized by an obsession or preoccupation with wealth, power, genius, or omnipotence - often generally termed as delusions of grandeur or grandiose delusions.
From Wikipedia.

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Has there ever been an individual outside of Hitler, Stalin, or Bonaparte who fit the profile of megalomaniac as completely as Il Duce? Wait until you hear about this latest attempted power grab before you answer that questions.

CNET News has obtained a copy of the 55-page draft of S.773 (excerpt), which still appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a so-called cybersecurity emergency.

The new version would allow the president to "declare a cybersecurity emergency" relating to "non-governmental" computer networks and do what's necessary to respond to the threat. Other sections of the proposal include a federal certification program for "cybersecurity professionals," and a requirement that certain computer systems and networks in the private sector be managed by people who have been awarded that license.

The passage of this bill, coupled with the FCC imposing the "Fairness Doctrine", would create an environment wherein the President could shut down the dissemination of any information he deems "threatening", which, no doubt, would include criticism of him and his administration.

One more thing. What exactly are the "cybersecurity professionals" going to be charged with? Will they be informers to the government as to who might be a potential "threat"?

Obama may not be the worst President we've ever had (give him time, he'll get there), but he's clearly the most dangerous.

Wiener of the Week

I was driving in to work Wednesday morning when I stumbled upon a most peculiar scene. How peculiar? Peculiar enough that I whipped out my cell phone and took this crummy photo to send to my friends and family. The sign, hand-lettered but fully legible from the far-left turn lane onto Gallows Road, simply read:

I cheated this is my punishment

Naturally I emailed the photo and story to all of my friends and family. Who wouldn't? I didn't think much more about it, even though it ended up making the 6 o'clock news on Channel 4 in DC. I thought it was a local story of local interest.

Not hardly! The story has gone viral! BuzzFeed featured it. BuzzFeed has an audience that approximates that of CBSNews.com and MSNBC.com, so we're talking about a LOT of people beyond the target audience of Tysons Corner commuters who saw this miserable young man pay his penance. The BuzzFeed link has a better picture of the young man - identified as William Taylor - and his sign.

I almost hesitate to name this guy as the WotW. I mean....hasn't he suffered enough? But he's earned the award, so here it is: William Taylor - you're the Wiener of the Week.

The verdict: it's Shaun Hill!

Toes has been dying for me to post news regarding the 49ers' preseason. Far be it from me to disappoint.

The "quarterback controversy" is over. Maryland alum Shaun Hill has won the job over Alex Smith. I'm CISED! Hill is my boy. I can't say that I'm surprised that he won the job. Hill is Coach Singletary's kind of guy. He's not flashy or outwardly impressive. He just wins.

Now for the other side of the coin. Princess Michael Crabtree, the number one draft pick, STILL hasn't signed and has threatened to sit out the season if he doesn't get "top 5" money. What a tool! He hasn't so much as put on pads yet in the NFL and he wants to get paid! I hope he DOES sit out the season! Who needs his diva ass? I was on record on draft day saying that picking him was a bad decision.

Vulture's First Law of the NFL draft: Unless the player in question is a Jerry Rice, a Randy Moss, or a Larry Fitzgerald - that is to say, a once-in-a-decade or once-in-a-lifetime kind of player - NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, N-E-V-E-R draft a Wide Receiver in the first round. Michael Oher was still on the board, a huge OL with a penchant for destroying defensive linemen!!!!! There were two decent OLB/DE prototype linemen still on the board.

But Vulture, he could end up being that once-in-a-decade guy! Yeah, and I could start shooting fire from my ass!

See? Again I have to say it: I told you so!

We're only about 2 weeks away from Opening Day. In spite of a gawd-awful draft and the switch to the Willie "Too Big" Hall uniforms (see here for the explanation of that reference), I'm really energized and excited for the 2009 season. The Niners are in a weak division, and if one thing is true in the NFL it's this: if it CAN happen, it WILL happen. This could be our year! I'm officially drinking the 49er Kool-Aid!

Kennedy Dead

When the news broke that Senator Edward M. Kennedy died, several vodka distilleries closed shop.

Okay, cheap shot. Still, one has to feel a certain sense of mild euphoria at the thought that there's one less pompous blowhard in the world.

And cheap though my shot may be, it's far less cynical than the "official" Washington response to the Senator's death.

[W]hen members of Obama's administration questioned the president's decision to spend so much political capital on the seemingly intractable healthcare issue, Obama reportedly replied, "I promised Teddy."

Oh please! Talk about using a bigger shovel!

Ted Kennedy was a lightning rod. Liberals loved him. Conservatives and freedom loving individuals (no, they're NOT the same thing!) loathed him. Teddy was Big Government personified.

Right about now he's probably pulling up a bar stool in Hell and bellowing, "What's a guy gotta do to get a drink around he-ah! Er-ah, where's my vodka?"

Messiah Complex

Il Duce is becoming more of a caricature of himself with each passing day. Now he has power over life and death.

"We are God's partners in matters of life and death," Obama said, according to Moline (paging Sarah Palin...), quoting from the Rosh Hashanah prayer that says that in the holiday period, it is decided "who shall live and who shall die."

Big Media (the BM for short) heard about this gawd awful pronouncement and the furor was...nonexistent. Can you imagine if King George the Dim had uttered the words, "We are God's partners in matters of life and death"? There would have been holy hell to pay! There would have been calls to have the President's mental health examined! There would have been Senate hearings!

But the BM will not do harm to its savior, even when it appears that their savior is starting to believe his own press clippings.