His daughter graduated from Columbia ...

His daughter graduated from Columbia ... and this American officer surprised her by making it home from Afghanistan to see it...

These look like something my brother Scott might do ...

These look like something my brother Scott might do ... except I don't think he'd make them out of used tires!  Via my card-carrying, pissed-off, ancient-American mom...

My twilight years...

My twilight years...  A message from Clint Eastwood:

As I enjoy my twilight years, I am often struck by the inevitability that the party must end. There will be a clear, cold morning when there isn't any "more." No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat.

It seems to me that one of the important things to do before that morning comes, is to let every one of your family and friends know that you care for them by finding simple ways to let them know your heartfelt beliefs and the guiding principles of your life so they can always say, "He was my friend, and I know where he stood."

So, just in case I'm gone tomorrow, please know this: I voted against that incompetent, lying, flip-flopping, insincere, double-talking, radical socialist, terrorist excusing, bleeding heart, and narcissistic, scientific and economic moron currently in the White House!

Participating in a gun buy-back program because you think that criminals have too many guns is like having yourself castrated because you think your neighbors have too many kids.

Regards,
Clint

Via friend, reader, and former colleague Simon M...

IRS emails “gone forever”...

IRS emails “gone forever”...  The story gets more and more unbelievable.  I thought the initial reports that just Lois Lerner's emails were missing was hard to swallow.  Now the IRS is saying that six other employee's emails are also missing – just coincidentally, six other employees involved with the targeting of conservative non-profits – and the IRS destroyed the hard drives, so no further recovery attempts can be made, and any criminal evidence is oh-so-conveniently missing.

Mark Steyn says the IRS is now “openly sneering” at us.  I think that captures it just about exactly right.  They're practically daring us to do something about their coverup.  I'm also in agreement with numerous other commentators who note that a coverup this obvious, this blatant, this sneering ... can only mean that what's being covered up is even worse.  In the context of this scandal, the obvious possibility is that the IRS targeting of conservative groups was directed by someone at the White House.  At this point, I think the safest assumption is that that is what happened.

It's tempting to agitate for impeaching Obama – but that would leave us with President Biden, and I'm not at all sure that's any better.  At this point it's probably more prudent to hang on for 30 more months of Obama's gross incompetence and corruption, and hope that Americans don't do something stupid (like vote in Hillary) and that the Republicans nominate someone more credible than McCain Perry Christie Huntsman a putrefying marmot carcass...

Why skydiving is safer than many other sports...

Why skydiving is safer than many other sports...  Every skydiver (in the U.S. and many other countries, by law) carries a reserve (spare) parachute.  The main parachute can completely malfunction (like in the video), and the skydiver is still safe...

The koa tree of Hawai'i, an acacia...

The koa tree of Hawai'i, an acacia ... is one of my favorite trees.  The forests on the upper slopes of the north side of Mauna Kea include many examples like the one at right, especially just west of the memorial marking the spot where botanist David Douglas died.  I find these riparian koa examples to be hauntingly beautiful.

I was very surprised to read this morning that a strikingly similar tree grows on a remote island (Réunion) in the southern Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar – 11,000 miles from Hawai'i.  Then I read something even more surprising: by means unknown, the trees on Réunion are descended from a single individual (presumably a seed) from Hawai'i.  The most likely mechanism that anyone's thought of is a seed somehow hitching a ride on a bird, but that's speculation.  You might think of a seed floating there, but koa seeds soaked in salt water won't germinate, so that's not likely to have been the mechanism.

The linked article calls it a “giant fluke”.  I'll call it another fine example of the power of time – even a very low-probability event becomes likely if enough time passes...

Al Douche!

Al Douche! Click to embiggen the image at right.  Europeans, American readers of a certain age (ancient), and the half-dozen or so Americans interested in history will understand this poster immediately. The rest of you, look here for the context...