Jan 24, 2013

The TMR as TV Guide

Reluctant to go do real work, I return to the teevee, still on C-Span 3. The scene shifts to Dr. Rhona Mahony in Dublin. She's a big cog in the Irish medical machine. She is talking to Irish lawmakers about abortion laws.

Relax, I'm done commenting on complicated political issues for the morning. I simply wish to illustrate that there are exceptions to P.J. O'Rourke's dicta on women of the Emerald Isle: "You don't want to see an Irish girl in a bikini."

Besides, there's a certain comfort in knowing that frustration with legiscritters is not exclusive to my country. Across the world, apparently, such people require that information be presented to them slowly, in short words, brief sentences, and, preferably, accompanied by stick-figure pictures.

Ayn Rand on gun control

"Emotions are not tools of cognition."

If she ever wrote a more important sentence,  I missed it.

Time-sensitive material enclosed!

If you aren't  doing something more important or pleasurable --like cleaning and lubing your weapons -- go immediately to your electric teevee room and tune the telescreen to C-Span 3. The caring aristocrats of the public tit are there,  telling you why you're such a terrorist thug, because Newtown among other things.

So far, the performances are noteworthy for emotional grave dancing. And error.

Representative McCarthy, as you'll recall, lost a child  husband to a gun shot and re-informs us of the fact each time the red light goes on. While we empathize with her grief and continuing sorrow, we might question them as the bases for making high public policy. She of course has no evidence to demonstrate that the Feinstein bill will do much to prevent violence, so takes refuge in the rhetorical device of assumed ethos. Because she is a victim of personal tragedy, she is an expert on tragedy prevention. To wit: "Some on the other side say it can't be done... I know with all my heart and soul it can be done." QED.

Senator Schumer again demonstrates his dependable lack of information. His voice achieved tremolo as he railed against the AR-15 and its "hundred-round magazine." You know, the one held in place by a thingie that goes up, or sideways, or some way, anyway.




Jan 23, 2013

Hillary in the dock

I want to be perfectly fair. There's a situation in my neighborhood so I saw only the briefest snippets of Hillary explaining the greatest significance of four dead Americans -- her employees -- in Benghazi. (That is, they primarily illustrate the need for the blameless Hillary to take over from His Ineptness in 2017.)

Responding to McCain, she played into some unfortunate stereotypes and set the women's equality movement back about 30 years. If she has to testify again she should be given a door to slam.

Simple foot-stomping didn't seem to be enough for her to make her point.