Video: Auld Lang Syne

This is the third New Years Eve in a row I’ve used this particular version of Auld Lang Syne, but it’s the only one I can find on YouTube using this unique arrangement, which I heard for the first time several years ago on my O’Reilly Consort Christmas CD (highly recommended!)

I can’t even listen to the more traditional Auld Lang Synes, anymore.

Vocals by Susan McKeown, bass by Lindsey Horner.
Lyrics by Robert Burns.

This is a lovely version, as well: Mairi Campbell And Dave Francis sing Auld Lang Syne:

Happy New Year, everyone.

(Buckle up – I think 2012 is going to be a bumpy one.)

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2011…The Year When The Stupid Stupefied.

I suppose it was bound to happen. We’ve been building up to it for years, indoctrinating our youth instead of teaching them to think, and creating a climate where the right not to be offended was more cherished than the right to speak plainly, with the full knowledge that the intended recipients should be ashamed, rather than offended. Still, for me at least, it felt like in 2011, stupid reached critical mass, and started a chain reaction of stupid in everything that it touched. And as I watched, I felt…ennui.

I know that it, and other things kept shouting at my muse this year, until I rarely heard her sweet song, enticing me to tap out far fewer lines than I normally would. I just find it difficult to be either insightful or entertaining when my response to 93% of the headlines is “DUH!” and my response to 5% of the remaining 7% really shouldn’t be repeated in polite company anyway.

It was a year when we saw a key economic partner crippled by earthquakes and tsunamis, giving much fodder but little fact to the anti-nuke hysterics. A story that then faded from our conscience as our news outlets found new stories to hyperventilate about, despite the fact that the real story will continue to unfold for years.

It was yet another year when dissent equaled racism in the eyes of the people who believe their opinions should be our own, and tell us so at every opportunity. It isn’t surprising though. The criticism equals racism meme was getting almost as lonely as it was tired.

It was the year when spoiled entitled youth from across the country mounted a frontal assault on the very same capitalism that made it possible to tweet the “revolution” from their iPhones and blog about it on their Macbooks.

It was the year that the middle east erupted in protests against despotic leaders, so they could replace them with…despotic leaders…and terrorists. And in at least one case, it wasn’t enough for the Duffer-in-Chief to “Bear Witness”…he made sure we helped to replace the devil we knew with the one we didn’t. (Go ahead…call this racist, it won’t make you right or me wrong.)

It was a year in which we saw the Federal Government sue states for trying to enforce the same laws that the Federal Government refused to.  And it was a year in which we learned of the most incompetent plan to track illegal firearms and activies with them EVER…a plan that could only exist to curtail a Constitutional right, not make anyone safer.  Just ask Brian Terry, and scores of Mexican citizens…oh, that’s right…you can’t.  And, as predictable as Grandpa going to the bathroom after breakfast with the newspaper tucked under his arm, calling for the resignation of the Attorney General who appears to have known all about it is….wait for it…RACIST!!!!

It was the year in which we learned that needing an ID to drive, buy booze and cigarettes, apply for credit, get an apartment, and go to college was NOT racist, but requiring it before you let someone cast a ballot, IS. (Thank you, Uncle Facts.)

It was the year when our elected officials received the clearest warning yet given from the financial sector that spending more than it takes in is an invitation to ruin and doom…and their response was to ignore the real issue, point fingers at each other, and keep spending money it doesn’t have on things it has no lawful authority to do. I wish the stupid was confined to the government on this point, but our shame is double, since we keep letting them do this. I can’t think of any other situation where we hire people to perform certain duties for us, for which we pay them sums certain, only to have them decide that they also have to feed everyone in the next state, clothe them, make sure they get medical care, and in order to do it, they take out loans in our name, without our consent, and tell us that it will be fine, because it will actually be our kids and grandkids paying the loans back.

I’d like to live just long enough to see those same little children who were singing the creepy “dear leader-esque” songs to the serial vacationer in the Oval Office shouting his name in anger when they are all in their 40s, living in efficiency apartments and clothed in rags as they service the debt to pay off the Spendulous slush funds and payoffs, furious that he and the Senate that hasn’t passed a budget in years so blatantly stole their futures from them so they could live very comfortably in the now. I am sure that when my own sons are grown adults, Senator Reid’s name will be synonymous with corruption, shortsightedness, and FAIL!

It was the year in which we heard an entire party that at least understands the differences between an America that is strong, prosperous, and exceptional, as opposed to one that is gripped by economic decline and malaise, without focus, vision, or unity, decried as evil, mean people who want blacks hanging from trees, and old people and kids with autism to starve.

It was a year when an athlete who openly practiced his faith became a punchline for people too cowardly or too lazy to find and keep their own. And still, he prays. Thank you for that.

It was another year when those who believed in nothing, and had no standards or goals past living another year, and getting whatever they could continued to mock and critique those who do. It was another year when decency was something uttered with a sneer by people who could not or refused to find it in themselves.

It was another year when truth was there to be found by anyone diligent and humble enough to seek it, and accept it for what it is. It was a year in which I learned even more about the “Why?” relating to the design, and to my sorrow, many of the points of deviation.

It was a year when certain divisions became more pronounced, and certain outcomes began to feel more inevitable. It was sobering, and frustrating when I could see where so many people either sleepwalk through it, quietly accept it, or worst of all, embrace it.

My resolution for 2012? To make myself speak, rather than letting this show stun me in to silence for another year. I’m no different from many of you. I’ll be swept along in the tide of events along with every other average Joe and Jill.

But I’ll be damned if I go quietly.

The Top 10 Stories of the Year at Nice Deb

Just like last year, many of these stories will not be top stories anywhere else. They were big stories for me because for whatever reason, they were retweeted a bunch of times, and/or big blogs linked to them. In some cases, they’re stories in which there is continued interest, so I still receive significant traffic due to  Google searches.

Thanks again to Michelle Malkin,  AoSHQ, Doug Ross, Pirates Cove, Ed Driscoll, Instapundit and a number of other blogs for helping  these posts become my biggest hits of the year.

Without further ado, Nice Deb’s Top 10 posts of 2011:

10. Founder Of The Muslim Canadian Congress Says Muslim Brotherhood Has Infiltrated White House (With Updates) August, 14, 2011:

When Tarek Fatah, moderate Muslim advocate, and political progressive,  told an auditorium filled with thousands of Canadians that Americans need to know that “the religion of Islam was being used as a tool by a fascist force,” and had infiltrated the White House, heads were turned. The speech was given in Toronto at Ideacity, “Canada’s premiere meeting of the minds”, and I posted the explosive video.

The post was heavily retweeted and ended up high in the rankings of Trending Right for quite a while. It was linked by Doug Ross, Pirate’s Cove, adeliemanchot, YourDaddy’s Politics and Daily Pundit.

9. Today’s Compare and Contrast April, 1, 2011:

A black and white photo of an Iranian woman in a bathing suit leaning against a 60’s era car, as seen at  Iran, Before The Chador picture gallery inspired me to compare her to American soldiers reduced to wearing the hijab in Afghanistan, today.

It was linked by Michelle Malkin in Buzzworthy, and continues to get traffic due to google image searches.

8. Pics From ‘We Stand With Gibson’ Rally October, 8, 2011:

On a lazy Fall Saturday afternoon, after searching the net for news about the Gibson Guitar rally,  I decided to check on Twitter to see if anyone had tweeted about it. There, I found some helpful tweets that led me to some great pictures.

Since no one else seemed to be blogging about it, and the Gibson Guitar story was something I had been following closely, I posted a few pix from The TN Report, and cranked out a report. Retweeted 52 times.

Instapundit,  Ed Driscoll , Scared Monkeys, Conservative Hideout 2.0, Pirate’s Cove, Trizzat, and The Absurd Report linked.

7. It Begins…Democrats Introduce Bill to Seal Obama’s Presidential Records October, 6, 2011:

Based on a Judicial Watch report about the Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2011. That bill would do with Obama’s presidential records what Obama has already done to his personal and collegiate records: Seal them up.

In an obvious effort to protect President Barack Obama, a group of congressional Democrats had introduced legislation to create an official process that would allow the commander-in-chief to keep presidential records secret after he leaves office.

Retweeted 56 times, I remember this being on Trending Right for a long time.  Moral of the story – anything that begins, “It Begins….” is a bonafide traffic magnet. As Jim Hoft would be the first to tell you.

Linked by Doug Ross in Larwyn’s Links.

6. Just One More Situation Room Photoshop…May, 4, 2011

The infamous “chipmunk in the small chair” situation room photo of Obama (fresh off of the golf course) and the rest of his National Security team  watching the computer screen as Seal Team 6 dispatched Osama Bin Laden, needed my awe-inspiring photoshop skills to complete the “Every Meme Ever” pic.

This one was linked by Michelle Malkin in Buzzworthy and continues to get traffic from Google image searches.

5. Video: Obama Announces Osama Bin Laden Dead, May, 1, 2011

This was arguably the biggest story of the year, so it’s not surprising that it is one of my biggest stories.

Linked by Michelle Malkin.

4. An Open Letter To Eric Holder From An ATF Agent in Mexico,December, 12, 2011:

If you’re a blogger who covers Fast and Furious, you should be checking in on the ATF whistleblower site,  Clean-up ATF from time to time. That’s where I saw this incredible cri de coeur posted by an ATF agent in Mexico.

Oddly enough, this one never ranked on Trending Right even though it was retweeted 89 times.

Linked by AoSHQ and Bob Owens, and Gateway Pundit, and Doug Ross, and The Conservatory, and Sipsey Street Irregulars, and several gun forums.

3. Another Liberal Meme Bites The Dust,January, 31, 2011:

On January 31, the conservative blogosphere was still in state of moral outrage after watching Sarah Palin and the Tea Party get blamed for the Tucson massacre.

After a white male was accused of  plotting to blow up a Metro Detroit mosque the usual suspects were at it again. “Anti- Muslim tea-bagger, right? Mission accomplished, Beck, Limbaugh, Palin and Hannity, right? ” I jeered to certain left-wing blogs who were covering the story that way.

Long story short – the guy turned out to be another deranged lefty and possible Muslim convert, emphasis on deranged.

Retweeted 24 times, and linked by Michelle Malkin, and PJ Tatler, and Conservative Wanderer, and Instapundit,and The Dignified Rant, and  Blazing Catfur, and  Red State, and Moe Lane, and Patterico, and Doug Ross, and The Right of the People, and Verum Serum,  and adeliemanchot, and Bizzy Blog.

2. Yes, There Was A Kapiolani Maternity And Gynecological Hospital In 1961, April, 28, 2011:

Here, I had to shoot down a theory about Obama’s newly released birth certificate that I was seeing in various places online. After all of the lies Obama had told about his “nativity story”, and the shoddy way in which he  handled the release of his birth certificate, people can hardly be blamed for being suspicious.

This post was tweeted only once – by me, and was not linked to by any big blogs.  Obama’s birth certificate is a toxic subject, spurned by most conservative bloggers….. But a lot of other people – LOTS of people still want answers.

1. OBL Death Photo a Fake – Will Obama Administration Release The Real Thing?, May, 2, 2011

Remember all of the interest in in seeing the OBL death photo? The fact that the Obama administration refused to release the photo inspired a number of photoshops that appeared online, and I did a little post about it. People still google for that elusive photo.

Michelle Malkin linked and it continues to get Google image traffic.

Video: Newt Gingrich Tears Up Talking About His Mother

As seen on C-SPAN, this morning, Newt Gingrich got a little emotional while talking about his mother. It happened during a Frank Luntz moderated town hall meeting in Des Moines, IA with a group Iowa mothers.

Washington Times: Gingrich chokes up at memory of his mother:

DES MOINES, Iowa — Wiping back tears at the memories, Newt Gingrich said Friday his now-deceased mother’s struggles with bipolar disorder and other ailments of aging helped form much of his public policy during his time in Congress.

Mr. Gingrich was appearing at a discussion hosted by CafeMom, an online website for mothers, and moderated by Frank Luntz, the word guru whose fingerprints can be seen on many of the GOP’s big policy pushes during the last two decades.

Mr. Luntz asked Mr. Gingrich to talk about an important moment with his mother, Kit Gingrich, and the former House speaker first recalled her singing in the choir — and admitted she had gotten him to sing in the choir as a boy, too. He said he still tears up over Christmas carols today.

But Mr. Gingrich then went on to talk about his mother’s health problems as she grew older, and said his work on Alzheimer’s Disease and long-term care developed out of that.

“It’s not a theory, it’s in fact my mother,” he said.

He choked up at the memories at one point, and wiped tears away.

Watch the complete town hall meeting here: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/GingrichCa

Friday Free-For-All: Iowa Caucus Edition

Henry Payne Cartoon via Townhall

I caught the tail end of this tender moment as it live streamed on C-Span, earlier this morning.Hopefully, the video will be available by the end of the day.

Washington Times: Gingrich chokes up at memory of his mother:

DES MOINES, Iowa — Wiping back tears at the memories, Newt Gingrich said Friday his now-deceased mother’s struggles with bipolar disorder and other ailments of aging helped form much of his public policy during his time in Congress.

Mr. Gingrich was appearing at a discussion hosted by CafeMom, an online website for mothers, and moderated by Frank Luntz, the word guru whose fingerprints can be seen on many of the GOP’s big policy pushes during the last two decades.

Mr. Luntz asked Mr. Gingrich to talk about an important moment with his mother, Kit Gingrich, and the former House speaker first recalled her singing in the choir — and admitted she had gotten him to sing in the choir as a boy, too. He said he still tears up over Christmas carols today.

But Mr. Gingrich then went on to talk about his mother’s health problems as she grew older, and said his work on Alzheimer’s Disease and long-term care developed out of that.

“It’s not a theory, it’s in fact my mother,” he said.

He choked up at the memories at one point, and wiped tears away.

“I apologize, I did not mean to put you through that,” Mr. Luntz told him.

I don’t see this as a negative for Newt, but a huge positive. The arrogant big brain also has a more human side, making him a more sympathetic character.

UPDATE: Video: Newt Gingrich Tears Up Talking About His Mother

A good round-up of conservative opinions on the Santorim surge at The Week: 2012 GOP race: Could Rick Santorum actually win?

A second major poll has confirmed former Sen. Rick Santorum’s (R-Pa.) timely surge in Iowa, just four days before Hawkeye State Republicans gather for their first-in-the-nation caucuses. With Mitt Romney and Ron Paul jousting for first, Santorum comes in a comfortable third. And data from a rival campaign’s internal tracking poll shows that Santorum’s numbers are probably still rising, feeding expectations that Santorum could stage a shocking come-from-behind victory in Iowa, says Stephen Hayes at The Weekly Standard. If the socially conservative dark horse does win Iowa, could he parlay that into a real run for the GOP nomination?

The Other McCain: Guess Who’s Gonna Be Watching Hawkeye Football Tonight With Rick Santorum?

I don’t know about you, but I’m  stumped – click on the link to find out.

The Other McCain: Rick Santorum to Ann Coulter: ‘I Mean, Ann, Should I Have Voted for Amnesty?’

During his speech Thursday night in Davenport, Iowa, Rick Santorum talked about his record in the Senate and mentioned that Ann Coulter had criticized him in her column for voting against “E-Verify”:

But if Santorum wins, we lose on the second most important issue — illegal immigration — and he’ll be the last Republican ever to win a general election in America. . . .
Kowtowing to business (while pretending to kowtow to Hispanics), Paul, Perry and Santorum oppose E-Verify. As a senator, Rick Santorum voted against even the voluntary use of E-Verify.

Santorum explained to the Iowa folks that he voted against “E-Verify” when it was part of John McCain’s amnesty bill in 2006 — a bill that Coulter and every other American with a shred of honesty, intelligence or patriotism also opposed. And what he said next was Tweet-worthy:

“Tell @AnnCoulter, next time you see her, get her facts straight.”

See Also, Bizzy Blog: Ann Coulter Endorses Rick Santorum (Update: Santorum Ran on E-Verify in 2006)

RedState:Ron Paul: Know Who’s Really Behind Islamic Terrorism? The Jews.

One of the more insane claims in Ron Paul’s newsletters was that the Israelis were behind the WTC bombings in 1993:

Whether [the 1993 World Trade Center bombing] was a setup by the Israeli Mossad, as a Jewish friend of mine suspects, or was truly a retaliation by the Islamic fundamentalists, matters little.

This claim is of course so ridiculous and absurd that even Paul has to protect himself by claiming that “a Jewish friend” told him about it. What a handy rhetorical device! If only Paul had had the foresight to couch all his racist remarks in the newsletters in this way, he wouldn’t have any problems right now! “As a black friend of mine once told me, 95% of all black people in DC are criminal or semi-criminal.” See how effective that is?

Via Doug Ross at Journal, The Chart of The Week – Obama’s Economic Record:

Click on link for larger version.

Gateway Pundit: How’s That Hopey-Changey Stuff Working Out For You?… Just 55.3% of Americans Between 16 & 29 Have Jobs:

In 2012, the youth vote is moving on and throwing those omnipresent “Hope” bumper stickers and t-shirts in garbage bins.

Not because of apathy. Not because another candidate generates more enthusiasm. Not because of his character. Not because they think voting is pointless. The 18-29 vote is up for grabs in 2012 because youth can’t afford cars to put bumper stickers on and those t-shirts are worn out from too many days sitting on the couch unemployed.

The sobering reality: just 55.3 percent of Americans between 16 and 29 have jobs. And earlier this year, Americans’ student loan debt surpassed credit card debt for the first time ever.

Doug Powers at Michelle Malkin: Obama Request for $1.2 Trillion Debt Limit Increase Delayed:

The government needs to borrow another $1.2 trillion so they can continue to protect us from bankruptcy. Predictably, the White House tried to get this done on the Friday afternoon heading into a holiday weekend, but circumstances prevented it from happening:

HONOLULU (AP) — President Barack Obama is delaying his request for another $1.2 trillion increase in the nation’s debt limit at the request of congressional leaders.

It’s basically because of a technicality.

WSJ takes Holder and Obama to the woodshed: Holder’s Racial Politics:

The Voting Rights Act was once needed to counteract the gap between black and white voter registration. By 2009 the gap had narrowed to a few percentage points in some covered states while blacks out-registered whites in others. Yet Justice retains a federal veto on election-law changes no matter how innocuous or racially neutral. Section 5 has become a vehicle not to pursue equal access to the polls but to play the grossest kind of racial politics.

As African-American men at the most exalted reaches of government, Messrs. Obama and Holder are a testament to how much racial progress the country has made. It’s a shame to see them pretending little has changed so they can scare up some votes.

Weasel Zippers: Pompous Diva Olberdouche Already On The Outs With Al Gore’s Current TV…

Via Business Insider

Keith Olbermann, who began his much-publicized tenure at Al Gore’s Current TV this summer is apparently already on the outs with management there.

So much so, he is reportedly being left out of upcoming election coverage specials.

Brian Stelter at the New York Times writes that Olbermann will be notably absent from Current’s upcoming two hours specials on the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary.

Pirate’s Cove: New Hampshire “Scientists” Urge GOP Contenders To Embrace Climate Change Hoax:

The Warmists just won’t give up their cultish beliefs, and The Hill is there to run with the story without any fact checking.

Fifty New Hampshire scientists Thursday called on the Republican presidential candidates to accept the “overwhelming” scientific evidence behind climate change.

The scientists issued the joint statement just weeks before the Jan. 10 New Hampshire primary, a key early test for the GOP White House hopefuls.

PotLuck Bloggers: Corporate Responsibility, Personal Responsibility, Nike, and Michael Jordan:

We have all heard the stories of the near riots that occurred when Nike released a new version of Air Jordan sneakers several days before Christmas.  There were arrests, damage to stores, toddlers left in cars, and pepper spray all brought out while the frenzy to be one of the lucky ones who got a pair.  Sneakers that are now on sale on Ebay for almost double the original cost.

Activists in the Houston area have asked the Michael Jordan and Nike take responsibility for the violence that occurred when they went on sale and the violence that has occurred to those who have a pair.

“It is the responsibility of Michael Jordan and Nike to stand up and be part of the solution. Right now it’s a public safety issue with children wearing those sneakers,”

“The people that can least afford these shoes are buying them, and what happens as a result of that? Well there’s more crime,”

So, it is Nike and Michael Jordan who are responsible for the violence?

Keep reading…

Linked by Michelle Malkin, thanks!

Video: 15 Year Old Girl Scout Whistle-Blower Tells Her Story On Fox and Friends

The Blaze  broke Girl Scouts/Media Matters story on Tuesday, and follows up with a post about 15 yr old Sydney Volanski, the Girl Scout whistleblower who first noticed the Media Matters reference last year and left the organization over it.

Sydney joined the crew of “Fox & Friends” on Thursday morning to explain what she found and also to talk about her website, “Speak Now: Girl Scouts Website,” which she co-edits and that was set up to expose other liberal bias within the Scouts.

“My sister and I started a website to help inform families of the more leftward leanings of Girl Scouts because they promise to be neutral politically and about certain social issues,” she explained, “but when you examine the women that they promote and the websites and books that they refer girls to, there is a clear liberal ideology, like with the Media Matters site.”

“With Speak Now: Girl Scouts we’re just trying to spread awareness to families because we were so deceived,” she added. “For eight years we were in Girl Scouts and we didn’t realize that Girl Scouts was promoting such a liberal ideology.”

Sydney went on to claim the Scouts have promoted Planned Parenthood and abortion advocacy groups in the past, using that as example of more liberal bias in the organization.

On a side note, Girl Scouts spokesperson Michelle Tompkins — who did not answer any of our follow-up inquiries — did give a statement to Fox saying that the organization’s material is regularly reviewed and updated and that upcoming versions of the book will not include references to Media Matters. That’s similar to what we were told. However, there are still plenty more questions we asked, such as how Media Matters came to be placed in the book, who wrote the page that the reference appears on and what group, if any, will replace Media Matters once the new publications are released.

Watch Sydney’s  interview with Fox, below:

Be sure to check out Sydney’s website, Speak Now: Girl Scouts.

Another good Girl Scout Whistle-blower site I discovered while researching my post, yesterday is HonestGirlScouts.Com.

As Sydney noted, there are still many unresolved “issues” with the Girl Scouts.

Speaking of hapless Media Mutters…

Big Government isn’t through smacking them around.

Dana Loesch delivers another one-two punch with:Media Matters Attacked Palin For Clothing Costs, Defend Michelle Obama

The Soros and SEIU-funded Media Matters is smarting over three losses these past two weeks. First there was the Simon Wiesenthal Center slamming Media Matters for America for its anti-Israel screeds, the second was Politico calling the propaganda site a “core institution” of the Democrat party, and the third was the Girls Scouts backing away from linking to the site in its brochures. Because of this stellar track record Media Matters decides to throw another noodle at the wall and reverse its position on “class warfare” by defending the $2k dresses (to say nothing of the shoes and handbags) worn by the First Lady.