Gaza Strip Misery?

The Gaza strip is very small,heavily populated, and miserable.  A nearly full page article in the Economist details how bad things are.  The Israeli's won't let anything but food in, the Egyptians are closing the tunnels that used to smuggle in arms and luxury goods, electric power is mostly off.  Then they printed a picture, two small boys, probably seven or eight, playing on a sand pile in front of a crumbling poured concrete building.  The background is pretty miserable, but the two boys are dressed in brand new clean jerseys and patterned shorts.  The clothes look fresh off the rack at  Walmart.  My kids never looked that spandy clean playing out of doors back here in suburban US of A.  Methinks the photo was carefully posed, presumable by Hamas which runs the Gaza strip.
   One wonders why they didn't dress the boys in rags for the photo.  

Three-D Printer prints a gun

And even Fox TV news thinks this is horrible.  They had a cop explaining the horror of guns without serial numbers.  Untraceable.  And being all plastic they will go thru airport metal detectors.  End of civilization.  Let's ban 'em.
   This from Fox News.  I hate to think what MSNBC is saying.
   Let's be real.  I can buy a brand new handgun from the likes of Colt, Smith & Wesson, or Ruger for $500-$600.  That's new, top of the line.  Used, bottom of the line they are cheaper.  The 3-D printers  cost three or four times that, even for a home hobby shop model that only does plastic.  Best future development of 3-D printers, brings the cost down to that of an office laser printer.  In 30 years that is.  Laser printers have been on the market for thirty years and they are still too expensive for home use.  Us home hobbyshoppers use inkjet printers. 
   Whereas the utility of 3-D printers for inventors, new product development, making unavailable parts for old and out-of-production machines and appliances, doing artwork, making Christmas tree ornaments, jewelry, fancy furniture hardware, and knickknacks is undeniable, and ought to be encouraged.  If we let BATFE "regulate" 3-D printers, they will load 'em down with so much paperwork that nobody can afford 'em.
   The cop's argument about serial numbers is ridiculous.  A Dremel tool will zip the serial numbers off a gun (or anything else) in seconds.  Plastic guns going thru metal detectors is bogus too.  Air travel would be safer if the passengers carried heat.  For that matter, I don't believe all that plastic gun talk.  They been talking about them for years, but I have never seen one.  Even Glock, which has a plastic frame, still has a steel barrel. 

Strange Bedfellows

The NRA is going halfsies with the ACLU on a lawsuit against the NSA.  How's that for a lotta acronyms in one sentence?  The NSA phone spy program keeps a record of every phone call placed all over the world.  It only records which number called which other number, it doesn't record the contents of the call, just the information that appears on your phone bill.  But that's enough to cause a lot of trouble.  NSA could track down every NRA member.  This would make a good start on a national gun registry since most gun owners are members.  From a registry they could move on to confiscation of guns.  Anyhow, the ACLU has it's own problems with NSA telephone surveillance.  For that matter I have some problems with NSA telephone surveillance.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Pivot to Asia

One of the dumber statements to come out of the Obama Administration.  Our European and Mideast allies read "pivot to Asia" as "pivot away from us". As in "let the Russians or Al Quada roll right over us and don't lift a finger".
  The Chinese have to read "pivot" as "America is going to gang up on us".  Not a good thing to have them thinking. 
   And, as a general rule, nobody in the world want's to hear that the Americans are changing policy.  They all know we are the 800 pound gorilla, they mostly see us as benevolent, and changes in US policy scare them. As practical people they fear that "changes" will be the worse for them. 
   That "pivot to Asia" remark was tossed out at a news conference, probably 'cause they couldn't think of anything better to say.  It would have been better to say nothing and avoid putting everyone's teeth on edge all around the world.

Used car prices

Scanning the used car mail box stuffer today, just to see what's what.  We have one year old Cadillac CTS (the four passenger Beemer wannabe) for $30K.  Whereas we have bunch of pickup trucks going for more.   Used to be a Caddy was worth twice as much as a pickup truck.  Not anymore.  For real value, try a Chevy Suburban for $47K.  Plain four door drive-to-work and go-to-the-store  sedans, Toyota, Chevy, Kia, and Ford run in the $16-$20 K range.  Used. 
   I wonder what will be available when my Mercury Grand Marquis wears out and needs replacement?

What should Republicans do about O'care?

Well, the House has tried to repeal Obamacare, repeatedly.  That is kinda worthless.  The Senate won't go along, and even if they did, Obama would veto the measure.  Repeal just ain't gonna fly, at least not until after the 2014 elections, and probably not then either. 
   What about half measures?  Repeal the most obnoxious features, or roll it back a year?  What's in it for us?  Obamacare has pissed off the voters, but good.  It's eating into Obama's credibility, and clout.  Why do we want to stop that?  Let the ObamaDamage continue.  Sit back and watch the fun.  Pass the popcorn. Let the Democrats figure how to wiggle out from under.   We ought to refrain from saying "I told you so", because everyone understands that now, and repeating it just irritates voters, especially those who voted for Obama the second time.
   We should point fingers at all Democrats who voted for Obamacare and are running for re election.  As in "You did this to us". 

What REALLY happeded at Benghasi

The night the consolate was attacked, they sent a call for help.  The US military started to respond.  They didn't have troops close enough to send a rescue party quickly enough, but they did have aircraft.  The aircraft were sent.
   Before the aircraft could arrive, Barack Obama ordered them to return to base.  Two general officers,Gen Carter Ham and Rear Admiral Charles M. Gaouette, refused to abandon Americans to Al Quada.  Obama fired both of them that night.  For good measure, he fired two more the next day. 
  And that's why Obama has been stonewalling the Benghasi affair ever since.