A rule that is being phased in this year requires that the names on IDs and tickets match perfectly; it’s not permissible to have an ID that reads “John Smith,” your legal name, and a ticket as “Jack Smith,” the name you use in everyday life.
Read more at NYTimes Travel Practical Traveler

Does Obama use more Botox than Mrs. Pelosi.  The last item that saw that moved less than  Obama’s face had pigeon droppings on it, video:

Barack Obama’s amazingly consistent smile from Eric Spiegelman on Vimeo.

Hat tip: Fausta.

Armenia, with a population of three million, has won the last two men’s world team chess championships, beating opponents including Russia, China, and the US. What is their secret? David Edmonds travelled to the country to find out.
Read more at BBC News: Chess Prowess

The old emo standbys, Hot Topic and Spencer’s, have a few men’s styles, but the real motherlode is the Topman store in SoHo. The men’s jewelry section offers probably 40 or 50 different varieties, from dangling daggers to an Eiffel Tower and a neon pink star. So guys, whatever style you choose and whichever ear you decided to pierce or repierce, the message is clear: men’s earrings are back.

The New York Times has an article up on the subject you might find of interest.

Mel Douglass

ADDENDUM:(Eric)

This post marks the first to contribution to BitsBlog from old friend  Mel Douglass.  Mel and I have known each other for years, from the GT NETWORK days (Think late 70’s early 80’s) , and we’re proud to have him. Mel will be looking at little bits of culture and life as they catch his eye, and adding his own life perspective on the world around us.

Welcome, Mel… we’re proud to have you here at BitsBlog.

(Updated for flow, Eric)

Steven Benen,  Washington Monthly, has his knickers in a twist because he believes free citizens should forced by the federal government to cover the costs of a woman’s pregnancy.   Benen blasts  Arizona Senator Jon Kyl for having the audacity to propose that citizens and not the federal government choose their level of health care coverage:

It generated laughter in the hearing room, and with good reason, but it’s worth emphasizing why Kyl’s argument is worthy of derision. In the hopes of making insurance cheaper, Kyl is comfortable with not covering basic maternity care. The status quo — only 21 states require insurers to provide maternity care benefits — is just fine with the #2 senator in the GOP leadership. If discriminatory practices boost industry profits, it’s just the free market working as it should.

The Lord only knows on what planet Benen resides, but in the United States, since 1973,  a woman”s pregnancy has been an entirely voluntary condition.   That is, it is entirely the woman’s choice to go to term.   Being that pregnancy is entirely a woman’s choice, it should be entirely her obligation to foot the bill for the costs of her decisions.

Insurance was intended to cover the costs of unexpected high cost events.    Insurance should not be bastardized to cover routine, expected and planned events.   You buy insurance on your house to cover in case of fire or flood, but not for mowing the law and painting the exterior.

Welcome, one and all to the most intense nightly read anywhere on the sphere….The BigsBlog Nightly Ramble

This is the Corner Store Edition

• SCALPER: Don Surber mentions how the scalps are starting to pile up around Glenn Beck.
• WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? Explain to me the difference between what we saw in Nazi Germany and in the Soviet Union, and this.  And look at who defends this stuff. Tels it all, that does.
• G20 PROTESTS: It’s my guess the majority of them can’t count quite that high.
• IRAN HAS A SEOCND NUKE PLANT: and of course our own Dear Leader didn’t know a damn thing about it…
• MORE ACORN: For profit venture, and political efforts. Both of which are against the law for such a group.
• EVER HEARD OF TESLA MOTORS? You may want to look into it
• I KNOW, BILLY:  I know how that affects someone. Yes, I know it well. Try it with someone only 12 years old.

A rare day after a storm, where tunring one way, you can see rainbows, and in the other, a sunset like few others. Drill each pic to get the full sized version

Welcome, one and all to the most intense nightly read anywhere on the ‘sphere…. The BitsBlog Nightly Ramble

This is the “Burgers and Fries and Cherry Pies” Edition. Ah, Charley Pride.

• NEW WORLD ORDER: Does anyone remember when that phrase used to send the left into spastics? Not anymore. Yet another of the many double standards of the left.
• HOW SCREWED YOU ARE DEPENDS WHERE THE PRAISE COMES FROM: Obama is getting praised by world leaders. Castro, and  Gaddafi, for example.
• AND THE SCHOOLS? Yeah, they’re teaching school kids to priase Obama, too.
• ACORN: SILENCING THE WHISTLE-BLOWERS? You know that’s all this is about.
• MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE IRS: They’ve severed ties with ACORN. Does this mean Barry’s tossing ACORN under the bus? So much for the love story.
• REMEMBER US? For all the statements to the contrary, Terrorism is still real and still an issue. So maybe, the claims that Bush was making terrorism a political issue was an attempt on the part of the Democrats to politicize the issue. Hmmm?
• OIL DISCOVERIES ON THE RISE: So reports the New York Times. So why are we still acting like we’re short of the stuff? Oh, yes… Obama’s “No Domestic Drilling” policy. I keep forgetting that if we don’t have an oil shortage crisis, government won’t be able to move you out of safe and comfortable autos.
• DID BILL AYERS WRITE “DREAMS OF MY FATHER?“ Ron Radosh thinks so. So do I.
• THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES: Auto sales are at an all time low, once the “Cash for Clunkers” idiocy was removed from the picture.  Gee, can you imagine why? Maybe most people don’t want the thimbles on wheels the government is herding us into? Witness: Used car sales are up, and have been since Obama took office.
• HONEYMOON OVER: With young voters, Obama isn’t quite so popular anymore
• IT’S PALIN: Glenn is running a poll at his place asking “Who would you most favor as the GOP nominee in 2012?” As of this morning when I noticed it, by nearly 2 to 1 over the next closest name, the pull-away winner is Sarah Palin.  Perhaps a look at what she’s been saying should help others decide which is the winning path. If they’re smart, that is.
• BIRTHDAY WISHES: Birthday wishes go out to Donald Douglas of American Power. And, a quiet noting of the birthday of my father, who passed on back in 2000. If you’ve got someone whose birthday you’d like to see mentioned here, drop me a line at [email protected] a week or so in advance, and I’ll do the rest.
• NOW IT COMES OUT:Liberal Blogger Admits: We Claimed to Support “The Good War” in Afghanistan as Political Strategy to Prove Our “Macho” Credentials; We Never Meant It BBCT: Lorie Byrd via Facebook.
• BUMPER STICKER OF THE DAY: When liberals start saving babies, I’ll start saving trees.

Is it just me, or do you find it creepy that school children are taught to chant the name  Barack Hussein Obama to tune of John Brown’s body?

Video:

Hat tip: Michelle

Points to ponder:

• Prior to the one’s election, were told it was racist to use Obama middle name Hussien.  Now we are teaching mere school children to chant racist names.    David Axelrod call your office.
• The Yankee war song,  Battle Hymn of the Republic, was also set to the tune of John Brown’ s Body.   A public school having school children sing the tune of a Yankee war song.    Cindy Sheehan call your office.
• John Brown is a dead white man.   School children singing the tune which lauds a dead white male.    Al Sharpton and Susan Estrich call your offices.

The perp here is one, Charisse Carney-Nunes.  Michelle has all kinds of goods on  her.

Drew M. Ace of Spades quips:

Kim Jong-il emails to say, “Dude, that’s a little over the top, no?”

You are entitled to your view regarding John Brown.   However I think it fair to say, right or wrong,  Brown was man of his convictions.    Barack Hussien Obama is no John Brown.

CBS News has learned that Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick will name former Democratic National Committee chairman Paul Kirk to the Senate seat left vacant by Ted Kennedy’s death last month.

After all the screaming about the the way Mass state laws were written as regards succession of office in the Senate , it seems they’re not so worried about the will of the people, now, as they were when a Republican was Govenor there.

There’s something about a road leading off into the distance that makes one want to follow, even when you don’t know, and can’t see, where it leads.

There’s something about a nightfall, that makes the darkness seem inviting.

There’s something about the sound of truck tires in the distance, that calls to the soul of a traveler.

We want to know, we want to experience it all. We want the adventure.  We want to live our dreams.

There’s something about the road not taken that always makes us wonder why we didn’t.  The road not taken, you see, is always an easier sell than hard reality, because it only haunts one’s memory, and memory has a stretchable quality to it. We can mold it to match our dreams. And sometimes, the biggest heartbreak we as humans face, is turning away from that dream.

Welcome to the most intense nightly read on the ‘sphere The BitsBlog Nightly Ramble

This is the “Where’s the Fire” Edition

• So, Barney Frank wants an investigation…. Of the people who investigated and reported on ACORN. A retaliatory strike, if you will.  Go ahead and tell me how this isn’t politically motivated. I suppose that such a call is not unexpected.  After all, what was ACORN shown to be doing ?  Supporting pimps.  Given that we know there was a prostitution ring being run out of old slobbering Barney’s Washington appartment, a few years ago one can easily understand why he would want to launch an investigation in support of like minded individuals. (Yes, clippers, there’s your quote)
• Meanwhile John Fund comments on ACORN and it’s Obama ties. If a Republican had these ties the Democrats would be screaming bloody murder.  Yeah, OK, maybe they’d be screaming bloody murder anyway.
• “Obama the Impotent.” That’s what The Guardian is calling him.  That’s the second paper from the UK in two days to levels that kind of charge against the man.  Offhand, I’d say the honeymoon is over.  I would also suggest that no amount of campaign like rhetoric is going to solve that perception for him.   Meanwhile the Telegraph renews it’s commentary on the subject today, and says the reason the UN loves the man is because he’s a weak leader.
• ABOUT THOSE STINGS: Frank Flemming examines that at PJM
• RUDE? Rasmussen says, 75% of adults say Americans are becoming ruder and less civilized. Well, up theirs.
• CHARLES MANSON WAS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER. Nuff said.
• GLENN BECK IS NOT THE ENEMY: Stacy McCain says it well:
  

  ..Lots of strong reaction to yesterday’s dust-up. Yes, I know Dan Riehl is quoting Wehner, and yes, I know Mark Levin slammed Beck. That’s OK with me.

  

  Stacy McCain

  Unlike a certain deranged blogger who sees enemies everywhere, I am not interested in running a personality cult where everyone who disagrees with me is a “fascist.” The fact that Think Progress wants to see a Levin vs. Beck smackdown should be all the proof any conservative needs that such a fight is a bad idea..

  Well, exactly. And while I usually find Levin insightful, he’s got his bean firmly installed in his booty on this one. THe fact of the matter is, Beck is quite correct when it comes to John McCain. As Stacy says:

  By his disgraceful defeat and unprincipled politics, John McCain has disgraced not only himself, but has imputed an ineradicable stain to his innocent kindred. (The first time I was introduced to Ann Coulter, her greeting was, “A most unfortunate name.”) And let’s not even bring his idiot daughter into this, OK? If the blonde-joke punchline can’t stop at three margaritas, that’s certainly not my fault.

  When Beck gets criticized for slamming Maverick as a “weird progressive like Theodore Roosevelt was,” it’s hard for honest men to disagree….

  And see, there’s the key…. Honesty.  Does Mark Levin, or any of the crowd currently nipping at Beck’s heels, honestly consider that McCain was at all acting like a conservative in the campaign, or for that matter, before or since? Remember, the reason W won the nomination and McCain lost it in 2000 was, McCain came down to the left of W.

  And I’m not even going to get into the business of Beck’s supposed support of Ron Paul, except to echo Stacy’s comment:

  People who want to talk about the “New Majority” or “The Next Right” or “Republican renewal” need to get used to the idea that the conservative coalition of the future will be a loud, rowdy and unruly bunch, composed of diverse people with disparate beliefs.

  “One of the basic principles of military strategy is to reinforce success. If you see a man who fights and wins, give him reinforcements, and bid others to emulate his success.”

  We need fighters, and I suspect Beck will fight ’til ev’ry foe is vanquished..

  The reference to “Next Right” is particularly potent in this context. Then again, I’m even inclined to agree with Henke every so often.. when he’s correct. I wonder if the 8 year point has been driven home there, yet.

  Oh… Ron Radosh has a good piece up on this too and raises an interesting point about Frum. For the record, being dissed by Frum is not necessarily a bad thing. Roger Simon has one, as well. The reason everyone is pissed at Beck right now is rather simple.  He’s making things uncomfortable for some people. Frankly, there’s a number of people in this mix that I think being made uncomfortable should be considered a public service.

  But as to the current outcry in some quarters about Beck, think about this: There’s a lot of people out there… talk show hosts and whatnot who are far more serious problems for the right, than anything Beck brings to the table Consider Micheal Savage. Consider Alex Jones. No outcry around them, is there?  Think about it. And does anyone recall they were leveling the same nonsense at Limbaugh? Think about why that’s so… why the real nut cases are being ignored while the biggies get lambasted like this, and get back to me when you figure this out..

• SPEAKING OF STACY: He documents that Charles Johnson is still an idiot. Malkin, again? Comon, Charles. And yes, I’m linking LGF2 now.

Joe Scarborough,  demonstrates the the MSNBC  doctrine, those without ratings should attack those with ratings.   Scarborough tried to claw his way up the rating ladder by attacking who he perceives to be conservative, to wit Glenn Back:

“You cannot call the President of the United States a racist.”

Moaning  Joe faces two problems,  no besides having shave in the morning.  One Barack Obama is a racist and two Glenn Beck, is not now, nor ever been a conservative.   Beck bills himself a libertarian.

As to Obama the racist, ACE and Newbusters,  quote the one’s diversity Czar, Mark Lloyd

And unless we are conscious of the need to have more people of color, gays, other people in those positions we will not change the problem. We’re in a position where you have to say who is going to step down so someone else can have power.

So next time you a wheeled into the emerency room do you want to have your attending physician selected on the basis of merit or his skin color?   Further, I bet if Moaning Joe were ever to strapped to a grunney and rolled in to the ER,  he would not want a affirmative action doctor either.   And you?

Lastly, only libtards are into this cult of personality thing.   Conservatives don’t worship mere mortal men.

Hank Johnson,congresscritter from Georgia, thinks that there be racists:

I’ve taken a lot of flak for saying that [Congressman’s Joe] Wilson’s comments winked at a racist element within the ranks of those who most bitterly condemn the Obama administration.

I’ve also been criticized for observing that there is a dangerous, racially motivated fringe within the ranks of those who oppose the administration’s policies. I stand by both statements.

This isn’t the race card. It’s a reality check

Hank you are right.    There are racists:

I shall never fight in the armed forces with a Negro by my side… Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds.

Congressman, you are right and some are closer than you think.

Hat tip:  Ace.

Welcome, one and all to the most intense nightly read anywhere on the sphere: The BitsBlog Nightly Ramble

This is the “Where everybody names your nose” Edition.

• COLOR ME AMAZED: Nobody else has noted that  Letterman didn’t make an pedo jokes at the expense of Obama’s daughters, as he did W’s. Well, maybe ‘amazed’ isn’t the word. (Yawn)
• THE SCHOOL OF THE BLINDINGLY OBVIOUS: And Joe Biden, it’s Alum. Biden on 2010: If GOP Succeeds, It’s ‘The End of the Road for What Barack and I Are Trying to Do’ I can’t think of a better reason to vote Republican, personally. But inherrent in this statement is an admission;  The Dems are in very deep trouble. Past that, W has the moron nailed as such:
  

  “If bull was currency, Joe Biden would be a billionaire.”

  We’ll be seeing this in a book shortly, I gather.

• OUT OF HIS DEPTH? Bush also had comments for Obama:
  

  On Barack Obama: “This is a dangerous world and this cat isn’t remotely qualified to handle it. This guy has no clue, I promise you.”

  And apparently others have started to come to that conclusino, including his supporters.  Noted an article in the London Telegraph this monring suggesting Obama’s starting to look out of his depth. As strong a condemnation of the man as you’re likely to see from the place.  Mostly, theirproblem is not with his leftist policy, but his ability to carry it off. Clearly they think the man is, you should pardon the expression, bush leauge. They point, for example to the disaster that is Obamacare and the increasing resistance to it.

• MCCAIN WORSE? Fox News host Glenn Beck tells Katie Couric he thinks GOP nominee John McCain would have been worse for the country than Hillary Clinton or Pres. Barack Obama, according to a post at CBS this morning.  I’m not sure I accept the idea totally, but I can understand his thinking.  Unlike what Obama does, anything McCain would do in office would get blamed on Conservatives. I’ve argued for years, he’s no conservtaive… not even close. BY comparison, Bush was clearly at best a centrist and McCain comes down tot he left of W on a lot of issues. Such a person will seriusly damage conservatism. I’m convinced, though that Wehner is offbase with his comments on Beck. Wehner seems to feel that the libertarian streak in Beck is an issue. I’ve always considered that a libertarian streak should be an endearing quality to conservatives. Of course, I suppose that depends on what one thinks they’re trying to conserve.
• STILL, GIVE THE MAN CREDIT: McCain is at least smart enough to tag Carter correctly. OK, granted that shouldn’t take much, but amazingly enough a lot of folk’s logic hasn’t brought hem even THAT far.
• UH-OH. Barry, you’ve got a problem:
  

  NEW YORK (Reuters) – Hassan Nemazee, a fund-raiser for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and other Democrats, has been indicted for defrauding Bank of America, HSBC and Citigroup Inc out of more than $290 million in loan proceeds, U.S. prosecutors said on Monday.The announcement follows last month’s indictment of Nemazee, head of a private equity firm and an Iranian American Political Action Committee board member, on one count of defrauding Citigroup’s Citibank.

  Gee… sounds like another story the MSM basically ignored the last time a Democrat was in the White House, huh? I wish I could say the Hsu was on the other foot.

• AS IF WE NEEDED MORE PROOF: that Prince Charles is a full goose idiot. What bothers me is that anyone is still listening to him at all.
• SIGN OF THE TIMES: Snow in Wyoming, already? And yes, I blame Global Warming Cooling, whatever.
• AND NOW THIS REMINDER FROM ALQUIEDA: Regardless of what Dear Leader Obama says, we’re still here.
• SHE”S DOING WHAT? AP is reporting
  

  The estranged wife of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is writing a memoir.Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House Inc., said Tuesday it will publish Jenny Sanford’s “inspirational memoir” in May 2010.

  May 2010? Yeah, that’ll be about right.  Election time, you know. Gee, wonder what the motive is there, huh?