Take a Trip to the Norton Art Gallery for the "Photographs of the Vietnam War" Exhibit

Today was the last day to catch the Photographs of the Vietnam War 1970-71 exhibit at the R.W. Norton art gallery.  The actual title of the exhibit is "In the Shadow of Danger: Photographs of the Vietnam War; 1970-71."  The exhibit will be traveling around the country though, and if you get the chance to see it, you should.

This exhibit began in conversation. In 2011, Robert Spangler of Longview, Texas, a combat correspondent with the 10th Public Information Detachment, came to the museum to participate in our Oral History Project about his memories of life and service in the Vietnam War. That day, Bob lugged in boxes filled with his archives of 500 photographs from the war.

They revealed his work from the year he spent writing and photographing for military publications stories about soldiers around him. Bob, with his M16 rifle, rucksack, notebook and camera, spent many days sharing the danger of fellow soldiers stalking the enemy in "the bush". He photographed life aboard army aircraft and duty on fire support bases. He captured images of artillerymen as they manned howitzers, medics at work on casualties, dogs of war and their handlers, and men of many ranks from generals to privates, all in documenting a year in a distant and dangerous country.

The museum has preserved his more than 500 photographs in digital form and took 80 of those images, enlarged them to 12 x 17 size, and framed them.

Robert Spangler is a native of Fort Worth, Texas and enlisted in the Army in 1969.  He went to Vietnam in 1970, assigned to the 196th Light Infantry Brigade.  He was assigned to the 10th Public Information Detachment of the American Division Public Information Office and spent the next year taking pictures and writing stories of soldiers in war.

He typed his stories on an old manual typewriter and printed his pictures in a makeshift darkroom built from a crate and a blanket.

His stories and photos appeared in Southern Cross, Army Times, and Stars and Stripes.

The exhibit is spread throughout three galleries.  In the first gallery was this wonderful shot:

I want to know what he's reading.  The accompanying text box points out that he wore his wedding ring to the war.

I liked this picture, too:

The caption is "Smoke 'em if you've got 'em."

Eating on the go:

And the dog pictures...

There was an exhibit of Spangler's uniform and his cameras as well as several of his articles:

We moved on through the exhibit and I was looking at this picture...

...which is of John McCain's father taken on Christmas Day 1970.  At the time of this photograph, his son was spending Christmas as a prisoner in Hanoi Hilton.  I was busy reading the text block when someone walked up to us and thanked us for coming to the exhibit.  It was, of course, Robert Spangler.  What an honor!

He was just mingling among the patrons visiting with anyone who had questions, comments, or stories to share.

In September of this year, the Norton brought in several of the men in the photos to see the exhibit.  It was a reunion of sorts, and was the first time they had seen each other in 40 years.  There's a framed image from the flyer hanging near the exhibit and all of the men signed the mat.

Here is dining al fresco, Vietnam style:

While visiting with Mr. Spangler, he told us that there was a catalog of the exhibit for sale which has all of the photos on display as well as their text blocks.  We rushed up to the front to get one which he graciously signed for us.

Before we left the museum we had to check out the library which has recently opened.  Library is a misnomer, really; the books do not circulate:

 One portion of this section is devoted to the James M. Owens Book Collection, a remarkable selection of early Americana, which includes such significant historical works as a 1787 copy of Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia and the 1808 Reports of the Trials of Col. Aaron Burr, for Treason, and for a Misdemeanor, in Preparing the Means of a Military Expedition against Mexico, a territory of the King of Spain, with whom the United States were at peace, among many others.

The crown jewel is the huge, rare Audubon double elephant folio of the Birds of America, weighing in at 40 pounds.

It is the most beautiful library I've ever seen:

I could totally spend every day in there, quietly reading.  The room is filled with rare and precious woods and everything was made on site and locally (except for the chairs) by craftsmen and artisans.

I love the stained glass window in the office:

We took a quick run through the rest of the museum (they've moved a lot of things) before heading out.

If you're a local and haven't been to the Norton lately, put it on your list of things to do.

The photo exhibit leaves today but the next one coming in is The Curious World of Patent Models From the Rothschild Collection.  It opens October 23, 2012.

The SIGIS Take a Trip Series:

Take a Trip to Octoberfest 2012 at Barksdale Air Force Base

Take a Picnic Trip to the Lock and Dam and a Detour to Lake Bistineau

Take a Dinner Ride Through East Texas

Take a Trip to an End of Summer Party and Listen to Soulfish Blues Band

Take a Summer Trip to Jefferson, Texas and Meet New Friends

Take a Trip to Dallas, Texas and The West End

Take a Stocking the Freezer Trip to Ed Lester Farms and Find a Cool Truck!

Take a Trip to Coushatta Down Louisiana Backroads

Take a Sunday Drive in North Caddo Parish

Take a Trip to Minden's First Annual Cinco de Mayo Festival

Take a Trip to the 2012 Defenders of Liberty Air Show at BAFB
Take a Springtime Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden, LA
Take a Trip to Logansport, Louisiana
Take a Trip to the Lock and Dam on Red River
Take a Trip to the 2012 Barkus and Meoux Parade
Take a Christmas Shopping Trip to Second Hand Rose in Minden
Take a Trip to the Fourth Annual Barksdale AFB Oktoberfest
Take a Trip to Grand Cane's Fifth Annual Pioneer Trade Day
Take a Trip to the 2011 Highland Jazz & Blues Festival
Take an Autumn Trip to Jefferson, Texas
Take a Fall Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden
Take a Trip to the 8th Air Force Museum at Barksdale Air Force Base
Take a Summertime Trip to Grand Cane
Take a Trip to Desoto Parish
Take a Summer Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden
Take a Trip to Natchitoches and Melrose Plantation 
Take a Trip to Ed Lester Farms and a Random Antique Stop
Take a Trip to the Norton Art Gallery and the Masters of Cuban Art Exhibit
Take a Trip to Natchitoches to See the Christmas Lights
Take a Trip to the Third Annual BAFB Oktoberfest
Take a Trip to Natchitoches and Oakland Plantation
Take a Trip to Jefferson, Texas
Oktoberfest at BAFB

Live-Blogging the Ryan/Biden Debate - UPDATED

The VP debate begins in a couple of hours.

While we're waiting, anyone want to explain to me HOW Team Obama can blame the events in Benghazi on Romney/Ryan?

Allapundit:

"...a cornered flack falls back on her most basic impulse in a desperate situation: She blames the other party for making a big deal out of nothing. And by “nothing,” I mean the murder of the U.S. ambassador and three American consulate personnel."

Go here for the video.

You think Libya will come up tonight?

Are we not allowed to ask questions about national security anymore?

Added:  Krauthammer:  "Nobody died in Watergate." 

Wall Street Journal calls the debate for Biden and we're still thirty minutes from the start. 

Ace is lowering expectations; it's a good point.  Getting cocky is always bad. 

7:45:  I'm watching pre-game on CSPAN.  Frank Fahrenkoph is asking people in the audience not to Tweet for 90 minutes.  Fat chance. 

Hey, did you see Paul Ryan's TIME photo shoot? 

8:00:  Here we go.

8:05:   Libya right out of the gate - AND Raddatz calls it a pre-planned assault and a terrorist attack.  Biden vows to "get to the bottom of it" yet pivots to Afghanistan.  She asked about Libya.  First Osama bin Laden reference.  Let's count them!

8:10:  Ryan's first response to the question hammers on the YouTube video blame game.   "Now they're trying to blame the Romney/Ryan ticket for making this an issue!"  He's incredulous.  Biden is squinting.  

Good one:  Ryan points out that we should have spoken out sooner on the Iran Green Revolution as he defends Romney's speaking out on Libya.

"That's a bunch of malarkey," says Biden.    "Be specific," says Raddatz.   

Biden says "These guys bet against America all the time!"  WTH is he talking about?

He falls back to the "bad intelligence" excuse.

8:15:   Ryan is steady, in command of his facts and Biden is over there laughing at Ryan and smirking.  That ought to backfire on Biden.

8:20: "Bibi's been my friend for 39 years!" says Biden.  Condescending.  Biden swears Obama/Biden "will not allow" Iran to get a nuclear weapon; "Iran is more isolated today than they were when we took office!"  Talk about malarkey!

Biden's smirking, eye rolling, and outright laughing at Paul Ryan is bad form.  "Facts matter!"  Biden says.  Well yes, Joe, they do.

Switching to the economy now.

8:25:   Biden opens the economy segment by talking about the mess Bush left.  And there's the 47% comment.  Ryan ought to be on solid ground on this topic.

Biden wants to "level the playing field."  Translate:  socialism.

As Ryan points out the high unemployment rate Biden outright laughs at him. 

Biden says Republicans just need "to get out of the way."  Ryan rebounds with the reminder that they came in with one party control and passed a stimulus.

Biden continues to laugh, smirk and call Paul Ryan his "friend."

Ryan:  "Was it a good idea to borrow all this money from China?"

Ryan:  "Where are the five million green jobs?"

Moving on to Medicare.

8:40:   Ryan:  Obamacare takes $716 billion from Medicare to pay for Obamacare.  Obamacare's board will lead to denied care for current seniors.  Biden:  "Gawd I heard that death panel debate from Sarah Palin."

Biden talks right to the camera now, to seniors:  Do you have more benefits today than you used to?

As Ryan tries to make his case Biden interrupts him then laughs at him.  Ryan needs to get aggressive here.

8:45:   Why does Raddatz keep letting Biden interrupt Ryan and step on his time?  (Rhetorical question).

Biden's strategy seems to be interrupt everything Ryan says so that Ryan can't make a point and Raddatz lets him.  Again, Ryan needs to be more aggressive.

Moving on to taxes.  Biden gets his two minute opening.  Note:  Ryan does not interrupt.

Ryan's turn:  thirty seconds in, Biden shaking his head and smirking.  Ryan is in command of his facts and statistics as he points out the faults of taxing small businesses.  Ryan takes his turn to look into the camera:  "Look out middle class!  The tax bill is coming to YOU!"

Ryan does, however, get through his two minutes without an interruption this time.  Lots of smirking and outright laughing by Biden though.  Obnoxious.

8:50:   Raddatz is doing nothing to reign Biden in and Biden is making an ass out of himself.  As Ryan touts bipartisanship and Jack Kennedy, Biden says, "Oh NOW you're Jack Kennedy!?"

Between Raddatz and Biden, Ryan has a hard time completing a thought; that said, he's doing well just staying on his feet.

Pivoting to defense now.  Raddatz and Biden are now double teaming Ryan.  Ryan points out that a small defense invites weakness.  Biden denies cuts to defense and asserts that sequestration is what the Republicans wanted.  Ryan is getting his sea legs and getting a little more aggressive.

Raddatz cuts Ryan off yet again to move on to Afghanistan.

9:00:  Ooops - another bin Laden reference from Biden.  #DRINK

In case al Qaeda didn't know when we were pulling out of Afghanistan?  2014.  Says Joe.

Thanks Paul Ryan:  We don't want to put our draw down date on our enemies calendar.

Biden:  That's a bizarre statement.

Good grief.

Raddatz:  Do you think the Taliban is taking advantage of this timeline?  Duh!!!

Now Raddatz is schooling Biden on how the military follows orders.  Is Ryan still here?

9:05:   Ryan makes the case that our soldiers in Afghanistan are less safe because they're doing the same mission with less people; Biden says that the Afghans should step up.  Now we're arguing about fighting seasons.  "The calendar works the same every year," says Ryan.

Biden's philosophy:  It's Afghanistan's problem now.

To Syria:  Biden profoundly pronounces Syria "a different country."

9:10:   Bless his heart, Paul Ryan is trying to stay steady on on track but Biden misrepresents everything and interrupts constantly.  I think Ryan isn't aggressive enough or a big enough blow hard to keep up with Joe.  Plus, in general, Americans are tired of our presence in Afghanistan, I think, so Biden is probably winning on this one.  I think Ryan is winning on argument but Biden's personality is overshadowing the facts.

9:15:  Abortion.  And Raddatz notes they are both Catholic.  "Please talk personally about this, if you could," she says.

Ryan is pro-life but not just because of his Catholic faith.  Because of reason and science, too, he says.  "I believe life begins at conception."  Ryan tells a personal story about his first child's ultrasound where she looked like a "bean."  And then saw the heartbeat.

You can hear Biden laughing in the background.

Ryan:  Now the Democratic party supports abortion without restriction and WITH taxpayer funding.

Biden's turn:  "My religion defines who I am."  Biden says he accepts that life begins at conception but refuses to impose his faith on other people.

Ryan says the Romney administration will oppose abortion "with exceptions."

9:25:  Biden reminds us that the next president will get one or two Supreme Court nominations.  Thanks for that reminder.

Raddatz is closing with a question about the negativity and tone of the campaign.  Biden is wandering in the weeds somewhere about Romney/Ryan stepping on the middle class.  Romney has made "slipshod comments" Biden says.  He would know one.

Ryan:  Obama ran on Hope and Change and is now running on blame and defame.  Points to all the broken promises (health care:  You can keep your insurance!)  Ryan points to 21 tax increases in Obamacare, 12 of which hit the middle class.  No credible budget from Obama in four years.  We speeches from this administration, not leadership. 

Biden interrupts, of course, and asks for equal time even though his time came first.

And Raddatz gives it to him.  I'd be interested to see the talk time numbers on this one.

Raddatz attempts to cut Ryan off as he tries to defend himself.  Of course.

Closing:  Ryan point to their five point plan, proven pro growth policies, etc.  Biden gets testy with Raddatz as she tells him he has fifteen seconds.  "He gets 40 and I get 15."  Cry baby.

Biden gets first closing statement. 
Inherited.
47%.
Scranton.
Level the playing field.
Even shot.

Ryan's turn.
Big choice.
Not a real recovery.
Reforms.
Recovery.
Responsibility.

Hmm.  Who won?  I think Ryan held his own and Biden made points, too.  I'd actually call it a draw.  Not the steamrolling that conservatives anticipated at any rate.

Biden was obnoxious and if anything, that could play against him, but I think people just expect that from him by now.  I don't think this debate will change the current Romney momentum.

We get to do this again in less than a week with the next presidential debate coming on Tuesday.
Job creator.

Tonight's Debate

I'll be live blogging the VP debate tonight. C'mon back this evening and join the fun.  Ought to be a really good show!

Pre-game starts about 7:30 CST.

"My Number One Priority is to Always Keep our Diplomats Safe..."

#FAIL

The fact that Obama went to Vegas the night news was breaking in America about the murder of American ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens is insane.

Even crazier than that?  Everyone involved knew that Benghazi (and Stevens) was a target and nobody did anything about it.  Oh wait, actually, what they did was stand down:

The former head of a Special Forces "Site Security Team" in Libya tells CBS News that in spite of multiple pleas from himself and other U.S. security officials on the ground for "more, not less" security personnel, the State Department removed as many as 34 people from the country in the six months before the terrorist attack in Benghazi that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others.

Criminal.

Allahpundit

For some strange reason, despite the obvious jihadist presence in eastern Libya and multiple warnings from different sources that they needed better protection, State seems to have resisted calls for a more robust security presence at every turn.  

The State Department basically says nothing was amiss, that no extra support was requested, and that there was no net loss of personnel after the initial team left in August.

Read more here and here.

Pundette asks the relevant question:

It's incredible to me that no one has been fired over this; Americans, including the US ambassador, were killed. Why the decreased security? Someone has to answer that. Was it just bureaucratic stupidity and negligence, or part of the administration's effort to minimize the threat of terrorism? 

Indeed.

Do we even need to ask what the media would be saying had this happened under George W. Bush's administration?

At least this debacle is distracting us from talking about the last debacle.  The just keep coming.

Let's put it in pictures:

There Are Two Paths

Powerful.

Book Review: Tony Danza's Homage to Teaching

I've just finished reading Tony Danza's homage to teaching: I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had.

As a veteran educator of seventeen years I approached the book with some trepidation.  "Oh no, another 'super teacher' book where someone comes in and saves education in one miraculous year."  However, after reading the article by Mr. Danza that was circulating the newspapers and email circuit recently, and having agreed with it, I decided to give the book a shot.  I'm glad I did.

I enjoyed the book even though there are a few problems.  For example, he taught one 90 minute class a day for a reality show on A&E.  His 27 students were handpicked for the experiment, however, they presented a fair share of challenges.  He had a professional teacher in the room with him every day to review and advise his daily efforts.  The network shopped this idea around the country before being invited to Northeast High School in Philadelphia - a very large, urban high school.

One of the challenges Mr. Danza faced was his very real desire to teach these kids and to make a difference even while cameras and microphones were all over his classroom.  He was also faced with a fair number of skeptics at Northeast, veteran teachers who wondered if their kids would be exploited and if Mr. Danza could really teach.

Of course, perks of the network enabled him to buy a class set of Twilight for his students and various prizes for contests (like a flip cam), as well as the opportunity to take the class on two pretty nice field trips - one to Washington D.C., and one to New York.

All that skepticism aside, the book is an enjoyable read.  As a teacher I applaud his efforts to engage the students and make them take responsibility for their own learning.  Despite the TV cameras, I'd say Mr. Danza had a pretty realistic taste of what it means to teach kids today.  He became immersed in their lives, problems, and crises.  He reached out to parents, he helped coach the football team, he wrote lesson plans, graded papers, wrote challenging tests, and in the end I think he made a difference in those 27 lives.

What Mr. Danza got out of all this was a whole new appreciation for what teachers do every day.  He writes:

"If I learned anything during my year at Northeast, it's that the blame game serves no purpose in our education system.  Sure, there are some bad teachers, and some bad administrators, just as there are failing corporate CEOs and lousy actors, but the vast majority of educators I met at Northeast were not bad so much as they were discouraged and overwhelmed.  The rising numbers of low-income and immigrant children, the underwhelming involvement of parents, and the impact of a culture that sneers at knowledge instead of treasuring it all make the classroom a very tough place to work.  Beyond that, the sheer logistics of teaching, counseling, comforting, coaching,and inspiring 150 students each and every day are beyond the capability of most normal human beings.  Yet public school teachers are expected to perform these tasks calmly and brilliantly while simultaneously documenting and evaluating every move they and their students make.  Oh, and don't forget staying up-to-the-minute and responsive to those constantly changing district mandates and national policy shifts. 

I'd say that about sums it up.

Mr. Danza's parting words, and the article mentioned above, implore parents to become involved in their child's education and he implores students to take part in their own education rather than walking into a room and waiting to be entertained by the teacher.  Learning can be fun, he insists, but take responsibility.

Many of the new governmental mandates put all the blame and onus on the teacher and administrator.  No new directives are placed on the kids or parents.  Mr. Danza's book calls attention to that problem.

Forbes reported last year on teacher burnout:

NCTAF’s findings are a clear indication that America’s teacher dropout problem is spiraling out of control.  Teacher attrition has grown by 50 percent over the past fifteen years.  The national teacher turnover rate has risen to 16.8 percent.  In urban schools it is over 20 percent, and, in some schools and districts, the teacher dropout rate is actually higher than the student dropout rate.  

Hopefully Mr. Danza's book will gain some traction and be read not just by teachers, but by parents, too.  Parents, above all, need to know what's going on at school and be involved.

You can watch three episodes of Teach on the A&E website, here.

Here's Danza's message to teachers:



Read the book - either hardcover or Kindle!

Take a Trip to Oktoberfest 2012 at Barksdale Air Force Base

Oktoberfest 2012 is in the books and a grand time was had by all!

This was the fifth year Barksdale Air Force Base has put on an Oktoberfest celebration and each year gets better and better.  The first year was a valiant effort but it was a starting point; that year there weren't enough beer taps and the lines were insanely long and they ran out of beer very early in the evening.

This year there were sixteen beer taps with several types of beer from which to choose.  The food was inside the Club this year and was even better than last year.  They sold over 1,200 advance tickets and I have no idea how many people just walked up.

It's all for good cause - Operation Bright Holiday which sends Airmen home for the holidays.  The goal this year was to send 35 Airmen home.  All the proceeds and whatever was stuffed into the tip jars went to the cause.

As usual, Steve and I were among the first to arrive.  We staked out a good seat near the front at one of the long tables.  The band was AlpenMusikanten who returned for the fifth year in a row.

Steve is hard at work folding my new Oktoberfest t-shirt:

It wasn't long before lines began to form at the beer taps:

You had to have OktoberBucks to buy beer:

I walked around and looked at the shields for the decorated shield contest:

Here's another one:

As I said, the food was inside this year, spread out beautifully in the Club.  In the first year there was one long buffet table and two lines, one on each side.  You can see they've figured out a better way:

There were four tables this time and another one for the kids with hot dogs and such.  The menu for adults consisted of sliced cucumbers, German potato salad, bratwurst, schnitzel, and saurkraut with apples.  Various rolls and bread choices were offered as well as big, salty pretzels.  German chocolate cake was for dessert:

It's always interesting to see who turns out for these things; I love to people watch.  This couple was sitting near us and they seemed to be having a grand time all evening:

After dinner Steve and I had our annual Oktoberfest picture made...

...and then I saw my friend Rose who was giving out the Oktoberfest mugs to each ticket holder:

I took a couple of shots of the growing crowd before it got dark:

Another:

Each year they have a costume contest and call up everyone who dressed up to participate.  I won it for the last two years (wearing a skimpy Oktoberfest costume!) but this year I wanted to wear something more authentic.  Besides, at my age I started to feel sort of silly in a tiny costume meant for someone much thinner and younger!  So, I ordered a really pretty dirndl and was much more comfortable.  However, I lost this year.  To a keg.  The winner this year was a guy dressed up like a keg - and it really pumped beer!  Heck, even I voted for the keg; it was great!

AlpenMusikanten is very big on audience participation so I was drafted to participate in the Guacamole song:

However, I could not be persuaded to participate in the yard drinking contest:

There weren't any female entrants in that contest this year although a girl did win in last year.

There was a keg rolling contest in the parking lot but it was dark and I didn't get any pictures of that.

We did The Hand Jive:

and, of course, the Thriller dance:

There was a Conga line:

 

And before you knew it, it got late and people started to go home.  Steve and I always like to listen to DJ Larry Hill who keeps the fun going after the band shuts it down.

Larry gave us a shout out for being the first to come and the last to leave every year.

Proof:

I sure hate it, but Oktoberfest is over until next year.

On a related note, here is a cool time lapse video of a day in the Hofbrau tent at the Munich Oktoberfest:



Until next year...

The SIGIS Take a Trip Series:

Take a Picnic Trip to the Lock and Dam and a Detour to Lake Bistineau

Take a Dinner Ride Through East Texas

Take a Trip to an End of Summer Party and Listen to Soulfish Blues Band

Take a Summer Trip to Jefferson, Texas and Meet New Friends

Take a Trip to Dallas, Texas and The West End

Take a Stocking the Freezer Trip to Ed Lester Farms and Find a Cool Truck!

Take a Trip to Coushatta Down Louisiana Backroads

Take a Sunday Drive in North Caddo Parish

Take a Trip to Minden's First Annual Cinco de Mayo Festival

Take a Trip to the 2012 Defenders of Liberty Air Show at BAFB
Take a Springtime Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden, LA
Take a Trip to Logansport, Louisiana
Take a Trip to the Lock and Dam on Red River
Take a Trip to the 2012 Barkus and Meoux Parade
Take a Christmas Shopping Trip to Second Hand Rose in Minden
Take a Trip to the Fourth Annual Barksdale AFB Oktoberfest
Take a Trip to Grand Cane's Fifth Annual Pioneer Trade Day
Take a Trip to the 2011 Highland Jazz & Blues Festival
Take an Autumn Trip to Jefferson, Texas
Take a Fall Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden
Take a Trip to the 8th Air Force Museum at Barksdale Air Force Base
Take a Summertime Trip to Grand Cane
Take a Trip to Desoto Parish
Take a Summer Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden
Take a Trip to Natchitoches and Melrose Plantation 
Take a Trip to Ed Lester Farms and a Random Antique Stop
Take a Trip to the Norton Art Gallery and the Masters of Cuban Art Exhibit
Take a Trip to Natchitoches to See the Christmas Lights
Take a Trip to the Third Annual BAFB Oktoberfest
Take a Trip to Natchitoches and Oakland Plantation
Take a Trip to Jefferson, Texas
Oktoberfest at BAFB

The First Debate: Live Blog

Debate time!

8:01 - Anyone here?  I'm listening to the debate live-stream on the internet because Mr. SIGIS can't bear to listen to it. 

Here we go.

8:04:  No boo's, hisses, or noisy distractions.  What fun is this?

Romney looks a little nervous.  Is that just me?  Obama opens by noting his anniversary and ... wait for it... blaming the mess he inherited.  Sigh.

"Embrace a new economic patriotism?"  What the hell does that mean?  Obama seemed all over the board on his first response to the difference between the two of them while Mitt jumps right on his five point plan.

8:10:  Obama is speaking about improving the education system and "race to the top"; he's referring to Common Core.  I'm not a fan of Common Core; I think education is a states rights issue.

Obama suggests that he and Romney agree on energy but I don't think they do.

Obama links closing the deficit to the tax code.  This is a problem.

Romney has a strong response pointing out that under this president food costs are up, energy costs are up, health care costs are up...middle class families are getting hammered.

Ah - Obama smirks when Romney points out that energy production is up but not by Obama's policies.

8:20:   My lie-meter just went off when Obama said middle class families are doing better under him.  Families can buy a new car or a new computer, he said.  Bullshit.

8:25:   Obama said he and Romney both encourage small business growth?  Really?  Everything Obama has done is killing small business.

Obama:  "Trump is a small business man although Trump doesn't think he is a small anything."  Where did that come from?

Romney is killing Obama on the economic session, I think.  Obama:  "Jim, you may want to move on to another topic."

8:30:   Romney:  "The problem with raising taxes is that is slows down the rate of growth."

Oh lord.  The blame Bush card, again - he inherited all this.  No comment on how he made it worse.

Just on appearances - Obama seems to be struggling and rambling.  Romney seems more focused and confident.  Romney:  "We still show trillion dollar deficits every year.  That's not the way to get the job done...when you're in a recession you don't raise the taxes on anyone!"

Romney schools Obama on how raising taxes kills jobs and small business.  Obama's comeback?  "We've had this discussion before."

Romney explains that getting more people working, building the tax base, raises revenue.  Raising taxes on the rich is not the answer.  Romney:  "I don't want to go down the path of Spain."

Romney seems very smart, very business savvy, very informed.  Obama struggles.

8:36:  LMAO!  Here come the corporate jets!

8:40:   Romney is cleaning Obama's clock.  He's taking Obama methodically back through points.  Best line so far from Romney points out that there is no tax break he knows of for relocating a business overseas as Obama suggests.  "I've been in business for 15 years," Romney said.  "I have no idea what you're talking about.  Maybe I need a new accountant."

Obama is now babbling about his grandparents.  Hunh?

8:45:   Romney wears a painful looking, patronizing smile all the time.  He needs a little coaching on that.

Obama is invoking his AARP support.  #FAIL

8:50:  Obama proclaims his fondness for the term "Obamacare."  Bleh.

Obama seems unsure of his own Obamacare policy but that's not a surprise because he didn't actually write it.  Can someone call Nancy Pelosi to the stage, please?

Romney makes the case for a free market and choice.

On regulations, Romney concurs that some regulations are necessary but should not be excessive.  Now, he says, there are many excessive regulations that hurt the economy, like Dodd-Frank.    Obama shakes his head as Romney speaks.

8:55:   Blame Bush, again.  Drink.

What?  Obama adocating living wills so "we can know how you're going to wind things down."  #deathpanels.  Not that there's anything wrong with a living will, just his phraseology is terrible.

9:00:  Best Twitter comment so far:  Dennis Miller:  "Obama is taking on water in all front four compartments.  He's listing...Bruce Ismay is dressing up like a woman."  LMAO!

Obama smirks when Mitt points out that he spent two years fighting for ObamaCare rather than fixing jobs.  He looks arrogant and condescending at the same time.

Obama:  "Millions of families had a pre-existing condition."  English teacher, please.

Lie meter:  Oh god.  On Obamacare - "You can keep your own insurance."  Bullshit!

He's going back and citing Obamacare talking points.  That tells you all you need to know.  #FAIL

9:00:  Obama defending death panels now.  He's getting killed in this debate.  Unconfident, stammering, reaching, nervous laughter, old talking points.  Hot mess.

9:10:   Obama:  Yes insurance rates are going up, but slowly!  LMAO!  It's almost funny.

Not quite.

Now Obama says people will lose health insurance if Obamacare is repealed yet fails to note that many more will lose insurance if it isn't repealed as their current insurers will fold and shut down because of Obamacare thus forcing you onto the government dole.  #socialism.

9:10:   Romney:  The federal government taking over healthcare is not the way to go.  Private market is best.  Obama is still defending death panels.

Next segment:  the role of government.  This ought to be fun.

9:15:   The most golfing president in history touts the importance of keeping America safe two weeks after the latest terrorist attack on an American embassy.

9:20:   Romney on the role of government:  Education is a states issue.  Government should protect the Constitution - life and liberty.  "I do not believe in cutting our military."  Romney is very strong here.  Very strong.

9:20:   On education:  Romney - it's a state and local level.  He's pro-choice for schools.  Obama - the federal government "has a significant role to play in education."  Bah.   Then he drifts into the weeds on tax cuts for the rich.  WTH?    Now babbling about community colleges partnering with business.  Would that be the same businesses that he is putting OUT of business with Obamacare and his excessive taxes and regulations? 

9:25:   Closing.  Obama got whipped.  That is all.  Whipped.  Romney was strong, confident and informed.  But, it will be interesting to see how the legacy media tries to make the case that Obama won. 

I'm almost embarrassed for Obama.  But not quite.

Debate Night Distractions

There is much to blog about in the political realm this week; I hardly know where to begin.

I'm stunned by this report from The Hill:

Had the Navy SEALs captured Osama bin Laden, the United States would have tried him in federal court, President Obama said in an interview published by Vanity Fair.

“We worked through the legal and political issues that would have been involved, and Congress and the desire to send him to Guantánamo, and to not try him, and Article III,” Obama said, referring to the federal courts.

“I mean, we had worked through a whole bunch of those scenarios. But, frankly, my belief was if we had captured him, that I would be in a pretty strong position, politically, here, to argue that displaying due process and rule of law would be our best weapon against al-Qaeda, in preventing him from appearing as a martyr,” he said.

Holy crap, Batman!  I'm just speechless by that.  Federal court?  Seriously? 

Allahpundit isn't buying it for one second:

 Self-serving nonsense, presumably being pushed by O as a bit of election-season candy for the Gitmo critics in his base. See, he still believes in due process, the drone strikes and “kill list” and indefinite detentions notwithstanding.

And on a related note, congressional approval be damned, Obama has ordered the Justice Dept. to move ahead with the acquisition of Thomson son prison in Illinois.  We've been through this.  Andrew McCarthy:

The move is drawing irate responses from key members of Congress, such as Representatives Frank Wolf and Hal Rogers of the House Appropriations Committee, and Pete King, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee. But the question, of course, is whether they will do anything about it. Congress is not without remedies here; it can start slashing money from the Justice Department’s budget and other areas where the administration will feel it. To this point, though, despite serial provocations, they’ve shown no indication of a willingness to do that.

More on that at Memeorandum.

And then, of course, there is the now infamous "race video" which is just disgusting.  Has there ever been a more divisive, race-baiting, class-warfare mongering, pandering president EVER?  Can't think of one.

Oh, and let's not forget about the stonewalling this administration is doing on the Libya investigation.

That's a lot of bad mojo coming out of this administration.  As I said, much to blog about. 

But wait!  There's a debate tonight. 

Yes, I'll be blogging, as will Legal Insurrection (and probably countless others).  I'm not sure why I'm going to subject myself to it, but I intend to try.  Time to dust off my political blogging hat.

The Thugocracy Is Alive and Well In Washington

I know now why I have subconsciously backed off political blogging and have focused on things like estate sales and Oktoberfest.  I just thought it was my mom's illness taking up my concerns, but now I have figured out that it is also the fact that I have given up trying to figure out liberals or save them from themselves.  For a while I thought I could reach a few of them but I can't go up against the legacy media who are complicit in abetting Obama's destruction of America.

Consider the new Fast and Furious bombshell from Univision (link to see video).  

Please take the time to watch that and share it where ever you can.

ABC News is the only one in the mainstream media covering this as far as I can tell:

On January 30, 2010, a commando of at least 20 hit men parked themselves outside a birthday party of high school and college students in Villas de Salvarcar, Ciudad Juarez. Near midnight, the assassins, later identified as hired guns for the Mexican cartel La Linea, broke into a one-story house and opened fire on a gathering of nearly 60 teenagers. Outside, lookouts gunned down a screaming neighbor and several students who had managed to escape. Fourteen young men and women were killed, and 12 more were wounded before the hit men finally fled.

Indirectly, the United States government played a role in the massacre by supplying some of the firearms used by the cartel murderers. Three of the high caliber weapons fired that night in Villas de Salvarcar were linked to a gun tracing operation run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), according to a Mexican army document obtained exclusively by Univision News.

Yet remember how quickly everyone was to jump on the Trayvon Martin shooting.  Even Obama weighed in on that one.  Pundette:

I guess none of those 14 kids killed or 12 injured looked enough like Obama's hypothetical sons to matter? 

Mark Steyn asks, "How many dead Mexican teenagers does it take to change a light news day?"

One more time.  Eric Holder was complicit in Fast and Furious.  Obama is invoking Executive Privilege and stonewalling the investigation.  What else does he not want us to discover?  And why would anyone vote to keep this thugocracy in office?