Odds and Ends

Your favorite Peasant is posting this little collection of news items
along with my commentary for you a few days earlier in the week
than usual; credit (or blame) an approaching snowstorm which is
estimated to cover us here in Milwaukee with up to ten inches of
the white stuff starting tonight and going through Wednesday
morning, followed by commitments that will keep me from
our getting together for our usual Thursday visits. So here is a
short compilation of news items and my take on each for your
perusal and enjoyment.

Do you remember the trouble that David Gregory, host of
long-time political news talk show Meet The Press, found
himself in when he brought with him to his show an ammo
magazine to exhibit, and the D.C. police wanted a word with
him? Well, that's all that our capital's finest did with him;
he was not arrested, not fined, not even warned about having
this particular item, which is a no-no according to Washington's
gun laws. If it had been anyone else in that city found in posses-
sing this item that person would have gotten the Nth degree
from the police, cuffs and all. But, since it was a member of
the Washington beltway core of the liberal establishment, none
of that was necessary. After all, Gregory was simply trying to
show his audience just what a big, bad piece of firearm accessory
his show-and-tell item is in order to illustrate the reason why
such things should remain forbidden by law in D.C. for any
everyday schmuck to own, even for self-defense and same for
one's home or business. One rule for the liberal establishment
elite, another rule for the peasants.

You may have, my dear readers, been following the latest budget
battle, this one involving a "sequester"; this term, as applied here,
refers to a set of automatic budget cuts that was to take effect on
March 1 if the Democrats and the Republicans in Congress could
not hash out the details for a budget. Obama and his fellow Dems
cried out that if nothing could be agreed on by the deadline, that
the sequester would begin and would absolutely gut many domestic
programs, i.e. child nutrition funding and all, and cause widespread
panic and general bedlam; the Republicans said "bunkum!", stating
that the cuts mandated under the sequestration would not only do
no such thing but the cuts are few and shallow, not able to make
any real difference in the budget as far as saving taxpayers money.
And the most serious cuts would affect the people who would be
hurt the most by such deep cuts: our military. They would
lose a new aircraft carrier, as well as various weaponry, and benefits
for our military people and their families would be in danger of
reduction. No mention of reducing unemployment benefits or
food stamps at home! Almost 50 million Americans, an all-time
record, and unemployment benefits lasting for 99 weeks (remem-
ber when they were for six weeks?), turning a program that was
meant to be a stop-gap for people who lost their jobs and were
seeking new jobs into a veritable welfare program. Shows what
Obama's and his Dem's priorities are. Anyway, it is now March 4
and the sky hasn't fallen, so the Obamanians are wiping egg off
of their self-righteous faces.

Michelle Obama made an appearance on the Academy Awards
over a week ago via big-screen to have a part in the awarding of
an Oscar trophy. It's not the first time a First Lady has done this
 --- Laura Bush did this in 2005. But with the controversy that
the Obamas have gotten for always seeking the cameras, the mics,
and the limelight away from White House duties, and cozying up
to celebrities, was it really a good idea for the current First Lady
to put in an appearance at the Oscars? Just sayin'!

Anyway, have a great week, my great readers! We'll get together
again in the coming week.


MEM