Quickies: the 2011 year-end edition

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A round-up of news items, columns, article and blog posts that caught our eye this past (two) week(s)


It's our year-end edition so we may just roll with updates and make this a "Farewell to 2011" open thread sort of thing. Please feel free to chime in with your thoughts on 2011 or anything else for that matter in the comment section.






Strangely enough, troops not impressed with Biden's Taliban not our enemy comment.




Syrian dissenters apparently not huge fans of "smart power".

More O > W:

The rapid expansion of the drone program has blurred long-standing boundaries between the CIA and the military. Lethal operations are increasingly assembled a la carte, piecing together personnel and equipment in ways that allow the White House to toggle between separate legal authorities that govern the use of lethal force.

In Yemen, for instance, the CIA and the military’s Joint Special Operations Command pursue the same adversary with nearly identical aircraft. But they alternate taking the lead on strikes to exploit their separate authorities, and they maintain separate kill lists that overlap but don’t match. CIA and military strikes this fall killed three U.S. citizens, two of whom were suspected al-Qaeda operatives.

No one, most of all, worthless Bush-hating Obamabot "civil liberties" hypocrites want to have the conversation regarding the legality and morality of whacking U.S. citizens abroad without due process.




North Koreans are completely insane.








Finally... we can put those Obama-is-a-Muslim rumors to rest.

I realize the Obamas are wealthy people, and that wealthy people have the right to drop $260 of their disposable income on chow. But if you’re going to invite Associated Press photographers along to capture your trip to Target and stage photo ops at PetSmart and Best Buy, then I’m going to write about your unpublicized excursion to Alan Wong’s.

The press pool was not invited in to take photos this time. In fact, others were discouraged from doing so too. From the pool report:

Diners have been trying to takes pictures of POTUS, only to be chased off by advance staffers.

Since when are people not allowed to take pictures?

According to the pool report, the Obamas and their friends dined on the five-course “tasting menu” that was tasty to the tune of $75 a person, $105 with wine. Among the highlights were “Sassey Salad” and bacon wrapped pork loin.

(italics, ours)



Not as much snark as you may think. Truthers, Birthers and the like really annoy us as they distract from the real issues of unhinged Muslim extremism and absolutely horrible executive branch policies, respectively.







Where's Olbermann who hasn't done a live broadcast on Current TV since Dec. 22?

“Countdown” on Current draws just a fraction of the one million viewers that Mr. Olbermann routinely had on MSNBC; his ratings are not reported on an overnight basis, but in his first months he was known to be averaging about 200,000 viewers a night. (Current is expected to start receiving overnight ratings in January, according to a person with knowledge of the ratings.)

His program also draws less media attention than it once did, though it was credited for early coverage of the Occupy Wall Street movement in the fall.

In early December, Mr. Olbermann suddenly started to broadcast from a darkened studio, with nothing but a black backdrop behind him. The Web site Mediaite first noted the change, which was due to a series of technical difficulties at the studio that Current rents for “Countdown.”

Despite whatever snark Olbermann can be mustering for the current GOP field, who wants to reside over, nay, be the spokesperson for the progressive crack-up that Obama's second term promises to be? The man (Obama) best politically positioned to do something about the greatest domestic issue of our time (entitlement reform) will instead shrink from this responsibility and busy himself with god knows what.






Here's B-Daddy over at The Liberator Today opining upon Iran and securing your base in a tyrannical regime:

Consider the bearded ones' positions. Despite years of work, they still seem a ways off from achieving their goal of building a nuclear warhead that can be delivered at a distance. Clearly the U.S. and/or Israeli campaign of sabotage and assassination has been successful in slowing their nuclear progress. It seems that the mullahs are in a race against time; they feel the need to fulfill their nuclear ambition to secure their base and to increase their popularity before popular discontent with their failing socialist economy causes the government's collapse. This is why the threat to close the Straits of Hormuz is so telling. It is an almost credible threat, but reveals that they are nervous about the impact of economic sanctions.

Those mysterious explosions at Iran's nuclear facilities may wind up being the President's most significant foreign policy achievement when all is said and done.






2011's best local news bloopers...









Via Hot Air...

In 2008, the youth vote helped sweep Barack Obama into office. Americans 18-29 spread the word on social media, energized fundraising and went to the polls.

In 2012, the youth vote is moving on and throwing those omnipresent “Hope” bumper stickers and t-shirts in garbage bins.

Not because of apathy. Not because another candidate generates more enthusiasm. Not because of his character. Not because they think voting is pointless. The 18-29 vote is up for grabs in 2012 because youth can’t afford cars to put bumper stickers on and those t-shirts are worn out from too many days sitting on the couch unemployed.

But for those that still can afford a car, there is hope:









Sir Charles, an apparent Clinton supporter on voter fraud:

Despite my voting history a shocking phone call reaching my mother prior to the 2000 Presidential election. My mother was called to confirm that I had voted for Bill Clinton in November 1996 in the State of Indiana. Initially, we viewed the call as a prank, but now that call has been revealed as no joke.

I am currently investigating the extent by which I have been the victim of voter identification fraud. There is a good chance that my vote has been counted for every Democratic candidate in Indiana from 1996 to present day. My name may have helped put Barack Obama on the primary ballot in Indiana. In the coming weeks, I will get to the bottom of this and my hope is to bring attention to the theft of the American political system.

MSNBC, the Department of Justice and progressives around the country are currently waging a publicity war against Voter Fraud reduction measures. This war is being waged despite repeated examples of voter fraud by ACORN, the Indiana Democratic Party and the Black Panther Party. My hope is to gather proof and present it as widely as possible.

OK, gang. That's it for now. We hope everyone enjoys a safe and happy New Year's Eve. We'll see you all on the flip side.