Monday, November 07, 2011

Photos: Houdini-like escape from a catastrophic auto accident

The aftermath of an unbelievable accident in China:

On Oct 26 in Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, a dark grey Volvo bumped into a taxi head-on then got a truck up the rear, causing hundreds of steel rods on the truck to thrust into the Volvo’s windshield. Surprisingly the driver managed to dodge all the flying steel rods that turn his car into a porcupine.

24-year-old driver Yang was driving a Volvo downtown when he suddenly spot road block police at the front. Thinking that the car didn’t have a plate yet, Yang quickly turned the car around and moved onto the opposite lane only to meet an upcoming taxi. Volvo hit the taxi at the side and was immediately pushed away to tail a truck loaded with steel rods.

“I was panic because the car was going at over 60 km/h. But my brain is still clear, I realized that the car was crashing onto those steel rods, so I threw myself on the passenger seat.” Yang recalled. As soon as he bent down, the rods have already pierced through the car with a deafening blow... “When the car stopped, steel rods were all over my head with one only a few centimeters away from my face.” Yang was then sent to the hospital. After checkup, he was only slightly scratched.

Dude.


Why I canceled my newspaper subscription [Sean]

Finally! Justice is served!

And John Stossel says government can't do things better than free enterprise!

I won't hold my breath awaiting the results of this hunt.

That's a damn good paint job!

Followed by the meeting on new lighting that's held in the dark.

I'm more upset about NEPA's EIS on BNFL's RAPPI before DRUADs.

Go figure.

That's a brother for you.

It's a partisan issue, I'm sure.

I'll try to remember. I guess it was a slow day at the Poison Control Center.

Please call immediately if you've seen this... man... woman... insect...

Right after finding corpses in the mausoleum.

This is taking the principle of "More Guns, Less Crime" a bit too far.

I'd wager these guys took federal grant money to come up with this conclusion.

Ouch!

Hat tip: Sean

Physics! [Papa B]

Papa B:




Occupy Hatred: A Gallery of #OWS Sickness

Click on any of the pictures for the background stories.
















My friends, are you going to let these punks turn America -- the most magnificent society ever seen on the face of the Earth -- into some sort of third-world socialist cesspool? Or are you going to join with me and politically obliterate this insane collaborative of Nazis, Marxists, Democrat politicians, anarchists, union thugs, arsonists, drug addicts, and progressives?

Because 2012 is coming, my friends, and we are going to send a message to these lunatics. America isn't dead quite yet, despite their best efforts. And we are going to shred this traitorous shadow of a once-proud Democrat Party at the polls next November.


Larwyn's Linx: Mob Mentality in DC

Have a news tip or great story? Drop me an email. Bloggers: you can install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget!

Nation

Mob Mentality in DC: Pundette
The White House Goes Dr. Strangelove: Lewis
Brief thoughts on the Cain/Gingrich Lincoln-Douglas debate: ProWis

Politico vs. Herman Cain by the Numbers: LI
Ellison’s Plan to Export Minnesota Voter Fraud to the Nation: EIW
Rediscovered 2004 ad shows Obama's rhetorical themes: DC

E-Day Minus One Year: Golf: Dossier
Birth of the Democrat Party's Campaign Tactics: BigG
Cain Lied, Then Lashed Out At The Media: Riehl

Economy

U.S. Debt on Track to Fuel Economic Crisis Like Greece: Foundry
Budget Fairy Tales, Left and Right: Samuelson
G20 Dysfunctional Family Reunion Recap: RWN

Why Ohio Issue 2 Needs to Pass: Virthuous
Rent Seekers and Other Strange Parasites: Six Meat
DNC Outsources Charlotte Jobs to Beltway Union Shop: RS

Occupy

#OccupyDC — this is what mob rule looks like: ProWis
Occupy Fort Collins Arsonist a Ron Paulian: JWF
Boston: Pro-Palestinian protesters 'storm' Israeli Consulate: ynet

Gunrunner & Energygate

Just the facts on Fast and Furious: Hill
Issa-Grassley Want to Know Who Leaked Sensitive Info About ATF Whistleblower: Tickle
Endemic Corruption: CFP

Climate & Energy

Duke Energy: Don't Use EV Charging Stations As Fire Involving Chevy Volts Possible: Instapundit
NCDC data shows that the contiguous USA has not warmed in the past decade: Watts
Another Burning Chevy Volt Destroys NC House: Soylent Green

Media

Kathleen Willey Infuriated By Media Firestorm Over Cain's Alleged Sexual Harassment: NB
Leonard Pitts: Only Liberals Like Me Are Allowed To Play The Race Card!: RWN
Flashback: Andy Rooney Recognized Media’s Liberalism and Espoused It Himself: NB

Media obsessed with nonsense; the voters and I are not: Cain
George Will: While Teaching Constitutional Law GOP Congress-Blaming Obama Missed There's a Senate: NB
Howard Kurtz Grills Politico‘s Jonathan Martin On Herman Cain Alleged Sexual Harassment Reporting: Mediate

Why I Helped Found NotMittRomney.com: Hawkins
Milbank: You’ve Got the Power; Now Use It: Cato
Double Standard Much?: Modicum of Insanity

World

Islam is Fear, Part II: GoV
Muslim Prayers of Hate: Ibrahim
Strike on Iran more likely than diplomatic solution, Peres says: Israel Hayom

Italy Wobbles, and a Demon Appears in the Clouds: Ledeen
Italian Debt Yields Soar to Euro-Era Record; 2-Year Yield Surges 70 Basis Points to 6.17%: Mish
E.Coli in Organic Food Leads to 50 Dead in Germany: PJM

80,000 Muslims Kneel Down and Pray On Street--in Moscow: CNS
Navy Seals speak out: How we killed 'Bert' Laden: Telegraph (AU)
Media Battlezone Prep: Eyesight to the Blind: Leather Penguin

Sci-Tech

Can MapReduce be Made Easy?: Forbes
The Darker Side of Apple: The Human Cost of Your iProducts: Yahoo!
New Light Machine Gun Aims to Cut Load: Military

Cornucopia

The Sugar-High is Gone, and Were Running out of Gravy: MOTUS
Dog Chain of Command: SHN
Patience Please: AmDigest

Occupy Wall Street: Now Certified Halal: MOTUS
California Reagan Statue Damaged in Attempted Heist: GWP
Japanese Sign Final Surrender: Newsreel

Image: Maggie's Notebook
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Senate Conservatives Fund

QOTD: "In another assessment of shooting while under physical stress, Soldiers wore body armor and sprinted 200 yards with their weapons and a basic load of ammunition, then rapidly engaged close-range targets from the standing position. Again, they performed this task with both weapons. Many Soldiers saw an improvement in their overall time with the lighter weapon.

"Today we ran with the LSAT and with the SAW," said Cpl. Nickolaus Hammack, one of the military police Soldiers participating in the assessment. "Both were pretty trying but the SAW hands down is way heavier.

"Especially going up a hill, you feel the weight on you," he added. "LSAT is a lot lighter weapon. It really is a joy to have." ... "I could see a whole squad carrying it (the LMG)," he said. "You would own the battlefield." --Army News Service

Sunday, November 06, 2011

Chart: Real Reasons for Attending the Occupy Protests


Related: #OccupyDC — this is what mob rule looks like.


Yoo hoo, Politico: NRA Chairman during Herman Cain's tenure says the anonymous allegations are, and I quote, "a hatchet job"

Politico smear merchants Jonathan Martin and Kenneth Vogel hardest hit:

...former National Restaurant Association board chairman Joseph Fassler offered a firm defense of GOP presidential front-runner Herman Cain, along with an explanation for how Washington’s best-kept secret — the identities of Cain’s sexual-harassment accusers — was also kept from the association’s board.

The accusations? It’s a hatchet job, in my opinion,” Fassler told TheDC from his Phoenix, Ariz. office. “My gut tells me it’s a hatchet job. He gets a lead, he gets some traction, and the next thing you know, here come these allegations. It’s sad.”

Fassler said his four years in leadership positions on the association’s board — including one year as chairman and another as past chairman — overlapped with two and one-half years of Cain’s time as CEO. Fassler was first elected to the board in 1984, and was chairman in 1997.

While he said he had no reason to doubt the accuracy of reports that the restaurant trade group made five-figure payments to employees then embroiled in what is now a campaign scandal, Fassler said he was never informed about those payments while on the board.

Politico reported late Thursday that one of Cain’s accusers, then a 30-year-old female government-affairs staffer, reported an allegation of sexual harassment to an NRA board member within hours of what she said was an improper sexual overture.

Fassler’s account, however, either questions the accuracy of this account or suggests a communications failure among board members... He [said] he “never heard anything about Herman that would suggest he had those sort of allegations lodged against him. He was a professional. Thoroughly professional.”

Severance agreements, he said, were — and remain — “common” in human resource management. “You offer people severance agreements, unless they are for cause, all the time,” he said.

...Asked why no complaint about Herman Cain ever reached the board, Fassler put the episode in perspective, essentially seeing the amount of money involved as small-potatoes... Fassler drew a clear distinction between legal settlements for significant amounts of money and routine severance packages that would normally be handled far beneath the board’s level of responsibility.

...Fassler’s memories of Cain, he said, were all positive. He called the GOP front-runner a smart businessman, and said that even 15 years ago, the Georgia pizza mogul had a grasp of government policy and routine that was stronger than most of his peers... “Herman, during those days, did a very good job of getting our message heard on the Hill,” Fassler said.

On Friday, the National Restaurant Association itself described the salient details of the complaint:

“We have seen the statement Joel Bennett released earlier today on behalf of his client, a former employee of the Association. The Association consented to the release of that statement, at the request of Mr. Bennett’s client.

“Based upon the information currently available, we can confirm that more than a decade ago, in July 1999, Mr. Bennett’s client filed a formal internal complaint, in accordance with the Association’s existing policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment. Mr. Herman Cain disputed the allegations in the complaint...

...The Association and Mr. Bennett’s client subsequently entered into an agreement to resolve the matter, without any admission of liability. Mr. Cain was not a party to that agreement. The agreement contains mutual confidentiality obligations. Notwithstanding the Association’s ongoing policy of maintaining the privacy of all personnel matters, we have advised Mr. Bennett that we are willing to waive the confidentiality of this matter and permit Mr. Bennett’s client to comment. As indicated in Mr. Bennett’s statement, his client prefers not to be further involved with this matter and we will respect her decision.

So Cain has no idea what the agreement says and, further, the complainant is free to state what happened.

What do we get? Bupkis.

In related news, anonymous sources have revealed exclusively to me that Politico's pro journalists Jonathan Martin and Kenneth Vogel enjoy wearing women's underwear.


Related: Politico's Top Secret Scandal Selector Software

Seriously?


Via: @TomMcCammon.

Helpful Chart: Tea Party vs. Occupy Wall Street #OWS


Update: Looks like the chart needs to include Missing Persons. Penny posts the Occupy movement's first Amber Alert:

Please pass this message on to your contacts in the L.A. area.


Urgent Action Alert for Ohio!

Labor Union Report:

Background:

On November 8th, Issue 2 will be on the ballot in Ohio.

Very simply, the decision Ohio voters will be making is as follows:

  • A YES vote allows Governor Kasich’s collective bargaining reform (SB 5) to go into effect
  • A NO vote essentially returns collective bargaining power to the unions and puts the state of Ohio into further economic uncertainty.
  • Unions are spending millions to defeat Issue 2 and right now, it appears (based on polls) they are winning.

    Why it’s important:

    Ohio is a big battleground state.

    If the unions win, they will be emboldened going into 2012. A loss for them will be a huge setback.

    Pre-market meltdown, Ohio had $46.5 billion in unfunded liabilities (retiree pension and healthcare). It is higher now.

    What is needed:
    For ye Twitter gods:
    • Tweets to encourage people to GOTV
    • Tweets on Issue 2 related posts (see below), with a push to GOTV
    • Phone banking: Building for a Better Ohio has info here to help: http://betterohio.org/volunteercenters
    Posts (as/if you have time)

    Frankly, at this point, anything urging GOTV is crucial.

    However, for background, Jason Hart has been doing a phenomenal job writing on the topic. Here is his twitter acct.  [Even RT'ing his posts would be good.]

    Here are some posts Jason’s, et al) that you may find useful:
    This is a good resource (if you need background):
    Again, since this will likely have an impact on 2012, the more you can do the better.
    Remember, the election is on November 8th.

    Time is running out.


    Larwyn's Linx: Nancy Pelosi's '60 Minutes' Of Fame

    Have a news tip or great story? Drop me an email. Bloggers: you can install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget!

    Nation

    Nancy Pelosi's '60 Minutes' Of Fame: IBD
    Mark Levin’s Speech at the Defending The Dream Conference: C4P
    Taxpayers Get the Bill for Occupations: VS

    Gingrich Wins Newt-Cain ‘Lincoln-Douglas’ Debate: LI
    Who won the Cain-Gingrich debate?: Hot Air
    Mitt Takes On Medicare and Obama Puts On Nixon: Hewitt

    Stupid Is As Stupid Does: Federale
    Quinn Appoints Terror-Linked Muslim to State Council: RWN
    MA Town Bans Prayer Vigil on Town Common: Volokh

    Economy

    DeMint throws down no-tax gauntlet to GOP leadership: ConHQ
    Union tries to fire trustee who asked for audit: Hot Air
    Andrew Cuomo is kidding himself: Driscoll

    In Praise of Capitalist Inequality: PJM
    United Way Sent $1.9M to Planned Parenthood in 2008: LifeNews
    CBOT Traders drop McDonald's applications on protesters: WZ

    Blue San Francisco Plans To Stiff The Unions: Mead
    Block-Granting Medicaid Is Long-Overdue: Cato
    House considers allowing robo-calls to cellphones: Hill

    Occupy

    Proof: Attempted Takeover of Israeli Consulate by Occupy Boston Was Officially Sanctioned Event: Lid
    Rampaging Occupiers Attack 78-Year-Old Woman: Power Line
    Another protester found found dead: Occupy Vancouver O.D.: GWP

    Gunrunner & Energygate

    White House Calls Solyndra Subpoena ‘Unreasonable Burden on the President...’: Malkin
    Is Fred Upton Now Protecting Solyndra Lawbreaking Done Under ‘Executive Privilege?’: ConHQ
    Solyndra Execs Leave With Cash. Yours.: Power Line

    The Obama Scandals Continue to Simmer: Dossier
    Wasted ‘Climate Change’ Cash Could Save Lives Instead: PJM
    White House Fires Back at 'Overbroad' Subpoena on Solyndra Documents: Fox

    Climate & Energy

    Green Energy: Damn the Facts, Full Speed Ahead!: AT
    Another Crack-Up: JPA
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the Big, Bad Pipeline: RS

    Media

    Jesse Jackson's Gay Staffer Not Backing Down On Sexual Harassment Charges: AOL
    Politico publishes 90 stories on Cain scandal: Exam
    Don't Go Into Journalism: BreakingCopy

    CNN Runs More Stories on Cain 'Scandal' in 6 Days Than it Did on Ayers, Rezko and Wright Combined: NB
    New York Times Omits Widely-Reported AP ‘Fast And Furious’ Article from Drug Sting Coverage: BigJ
    #OccupyDC Protesters Attack Conservative Gathering; Harass Women And Children: Breitbart

    Ben Bradlee: Cain ‘Had it Coming’: Driscoll
    Shame on Republicans Who Threw Herman Cain Under the Bus: Rush
    Negative: why does the left's hatred of the Tea Party rely so much on projection?: Belmont Club

    World

    Slavery and Jihad: GoV
    Leftist Kook Wasserman-Schultz Blames Bush for Hamas’ Rise to Power: Shark Tank
    Newspaper: Radical Muslim sect Boko Haram claims northeast Nigeria attacks, promises more: USA Today

    The Battle for Egypt: The Army Strikes Back: BRubin
    The Iranians Certainly Think They’ve Won in Iraq: NRO
    Holocaust Remembrance Conference in Morocco: MEMRI

    In Act of Desperation, G20 Asks Germany to Pledge its Gold for EFSF Rescue Fund, Bundesbank Refuses: Mish
    US About to Hit $15 Trillion in Debt; Sarkozy Asks Obama to Help Europe with Debt Crisis: Malkin
    Greek Politicians Battle to Find Consensus: WSJ

    Sci-Tech

    Moonbat Parents Send Infectious Disease Through The Mail: Zilla
    Siri And The iPhone’s Physical Keyboard: Crunch
    Microsoft Windows vulnerability exploited by Duqu: Brothersoft

    Cornucopia

    Why Didn’t Obama Call the St. Louis Cardinals After World Series Win?: Powers
    60 years after serving in the Korean War, former tank driver still has horrendous nightmares: Wales Online
    Obama: Baby Pretty. Daddy Ugly. Mama Hot: Dossier

    Image: Looking at the Left
    Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Sign the Petition: I AM THE 53%

    QOTD: ""Fathom the hypocrisy of a Government that will require every citizen to prove they are insured, but not everyone to prove they are a citizen!" --Author unknown

    Saturday, November 05, 2011

    Shock: Militant Quakers Kill 70 In Nigeria

    Did I say Militant Quakers? I meant radical Islamists.

    Residents fearfully left their homes Saturday to bury their dead in northeast Nigeria following a series of coordinated attacks that killed at least 67 people and left a new police headquarters in ruins, government offices burned and symbols of state power destroyed.

    A radical Muslim sect known locally as Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attacks in Borno and Yobe states, with the worst damage done in and around the city of Damaturu [where] a car bomb exploded Friday afternoon outside a three-story building used as a military office and barracks, killing many uniformed security agents, Bulama said.

    Gunmen then went through the town, blowing up a bank and attacking at least three police stations and some churches, leaving them in rubble... Two suicide bombers detonated explosives inside vehicles in the nearby city of Maiduguri on Saturday night... Bulama said Nigerian Red Cross statistics showed at least 63 people died in and around Damaturu. Sambo said government estimates suggested as many as 70 people could be dead there.

    ...Boko Haram wants to implement strict Shariah law across Nigeria, an oil-rich nation of more than 160 million which has a predominantly Christian south and a Muslim north. Its name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the local Hausa language, but instead of schooling, it rejects Western ideals like Nigeria's U.S.-styled democracy that followers believe have destroyed the country with corrupt politicians.

    ...An AP count shows the group has killed at least 327 people this year alone.

    It's safe to say that CAIR is right when they say that their political system is a "religion of peace."


    Helpful flowchart o' the day: Where should you post your status?

    Via @PaulHsieh:



    Obamacare-style price controls succeed in New York: 'tens of thousands' to lose their health care coverage

    Just call me Kreskin. I foresee tens of thousands of pissed-off New Yorkers when they find out the mantra "if you like your health care plan, you can keep it" was as worthless as every other Obama promise.

    Blue Cross Blue Shield Confirms Plan To Drop Most Small Group Plans In NY


    Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, the largest health insurer in the region, announced to health insurance brokers on Friday that it will eliminate most of its small group plans in the New York market effective April 1, 2012, and is slashing its financial incentives for brokers to sell those products—a move one industry insider has said would be “catastrophic” for the insurance marketplace.

    ...Empire’s statement says the insurer is sensitive to the economic challenges facing small businesses and its goal is to offer affordable health insurance plans to New York’s small businesses, but that it has had financial losses in the small group business that it called unsustainable.

    ...Officers of New York State Association of Health Underwriters sent a letter—of which Mr. Hasday was one of the signers—dated November 2, addressed to the superintendent of the State Department of Financial Services, stating concerns that a major carrier, which it did not mention by name, is withdrawing from the small group market because of rate request denials/reductions in the last five consecutive quarters. Mr. Hasday later confirmed that the letter referred to Empire.

    “The major carrier’s pending withdrawal from the small group market is nothing short of catastrophic to small employers in the state ... tens of thousands of employees are going to be left without coverage, as there will be only two to three other carriers left in which brokers may try to place coverage. If the other carriers follow suit, the availability of coverage will dry up entirely.”

    Empire is dropping coverage for two reasons, both of which will apply to Obamacare:

    • All "insurance companies [must] get approval from the State Insurance Department before changing any rates."

    • An "insurance company could only spend a certain percentage of premiums for non-claim costs."

    Both of these strictures represent price controls that will drive insurers out of business. This is just one more exhibit demonstrating that Obamacare will be a complete and utter disaster for Americans.

    We are on the road to single-payer health care, a system in which government controls your health care; in which it rewards friends and punishes enemies; and in which it rations care for those deemed too expensive.

    The oldest and youngest Americans, the handicapped, and those most in need of health care are certain to suffer. Which is the whole point of government-run health care: total control of human lives by the ruling class.


    Hat tip: Mark Levin.

    You could die from excitement at North Korea's Fun Fair

    Four words you never expected to see strung together: "North Korean Amusement Park." Journalist Alex Hoban snapped a whole series of pics at what I like to call "Potemkin Park".

    How could anyone not love the land that's home to the Mangyongdae fun fair, the world's sh***iest, most depressing quasi-theme park?

    ...Situated Only 12km from Pyongyang's city center, Mangyongdae is a place for thrill-seeking North Koreans to come to and unwind after a hard week of slave labor, relentless scavenging for food, KGB hide and seek, and trimming the imperial lawns with scissors. My guide for the day insisted that the park is open seven days a week and always very, very busy. Which is funny because when we got there stagnant emptiness lingered in the air like a fart in a graveyard filled with the bodies of political dissidents...

    ...Confused as to why we weren't immediately allowed to leave the bus, it was only after about 20 minutes and a lot of frantic arm waving from the woman at the gate that another, far sh***ier bus turned up and we realized what was going on...


    ...These poor schmucks—or lucky schmucks, perhaps?—were wheeled out with strict orders to constantly remain 20 steps ahead of us and look like they were having A+ fun in the otherwise deserted park, lest anyone get suspicious that we weren't in Disneyland after all. Aside from us Western interlopers, they were the only people there. Strange task, but at least they were being paid a fair and decent wage to prop up one man's delusions of dictatorial grandeur, I thought (very quietly) to myself...

    ...Oh look, a girl on a merry-go-round. Maybe the whole world is wrong about North Korea. Maybe it really is a prosperous, utopian First World funland...

    ...It's a shame that North Koreans are treated by their rulers as basically an expendable race of people. Before we were allowed on the ride, the guys in charge sent a few terrified farmers on test runs like a shipment of human flour sacks...


    In North Korea, a totalitarian, socialist and fascist dictatorship, there are no limits on the government's power over the people.

    And that's what is troubling here at home -- because Democrats are both unable to articulate any limits on government and they are unwilling to abide by the Constitution, a document intended to check the government's power over individuals.

    Slowly, inexorably, the hard left Democrat Party is turning America into a socialist welfare state that is ripe for "fundamental transformation", in the words of our own Dear Leader.


    Related: North Korean Motivational Posters.


    Hat tip: Chopper Pilot.