Thoughts On A Sunday

In a matter of only a few days we have gone from temps in the upper 50's down to the 20's, with some over night sub-zero temperatures expected later this week.

And so it goes for winter in New England.

Considering we didn't have our usual January thaw, the one we experienced this past week was welcome, giving us a chance to clear away some of the ice and frozen snow from the driveway, pathways, and decks around The Manse. For the first time in weeks I haven't had to put the trusty F150 into 4WD to make it up the driveway.

Despite the melting we saw from Wednesday through Friday, we still have a lot of snow on the ground and expect a few more inches later this week.

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Via Instapundit and Charlie Foxtrot comes this thought from Bill Hobbes:

“Democrats believe in democracy – except when they lose.”

And then when they lose, they resort to Godwin's Law and call for the overthrow of the duly elected official(s) with whom they disagree. In the case of Wisconsin, it wouldn't surprise me (or anybody) if they wanted to oust the governor and take over until a new election can be held, allowing them to make sure the correct candidate is elected this time (meaning a fellow tax, spend, and borrow Democrat). Never mind that a majority of Wisconsin voters have already told them 'No'.

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This is, like, so totally bogus, and stuff.

About the only think more annoying than this is when every answer or declarative statement is inflected like a question, as if the person isn't sure of the answer or the validity if what they're saying and is seeking confirmation from the questioner.

(H/T Viking Pundit)

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Professor Bainbridge explains why public sector unions are always a bad idea, providing plenty of evidence and other opinions to back up his claim.

My wife is a public sector employee and she really doesn't like the state employees union in the least. If she had the choice she wouldn't be a member. (Of course that might change if New Hampshire's Right-To-Work law passes.)

(H/T Instapundit)

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While Sarah Palin has remained low-key about any possible 2012 presidential run, Dan Tuohy makes an observation about the possibility.

Frankly, I think she will run. And should Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) decide to enter the race, it's quite possible we could see an Bachmann-Palin ticket in 2012.

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And speaking of Sarah Palin, she believes the Wisconsin public sector unions are picking the wrong fight at the wrong time.

Union brothers and sisters: this is the wrong fight at the wrong time. Solidarity doesn’t mean making Wisconsin taxpayers pay for benefits that are not sustainable and affordable at a time when many of these taxpayers struggle to hold on to their own jobs and homes. Real solidarity means everyone being willing to sacrifice and carry our share of the burden. …

And by way of Maggie's Farm, there's this from Timothy Carney:

In the romantic liberal vision of this union uprising, determined workers are standing up to the powerful. But there's no fat-cat owner wanting to pocket more profits here. The unions' target in Wisconsin is the taxpayer.

At bottom, this is the unions versus the people.

Not that the unions care. Instead they want to make sure they keep what they've got, regardless of the taxpayers' ability to pay for it all.

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Here we are, in the second decade of the 21st century, and we still don't have nuclear powered flying cars. But we do have some pretty nifty laser weapons!

If the Navy can make them work reliably fleet defense takes on a whole new meaning.

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Jay Tea may have hit upon the means to end the standoff between the union thugs and the governor in Wisconsin.

Winston Churchill once said "jaw, jaw is better than war, war." Well, the Wisconsin jaws fled and sent in the warriors. Politicians out, thugs in.

My answer: answer thuggery with thuggery. But the left's idea of thuggery is huge masses of people making threats. My idea of "thuggery" is to use the system against the other side. No physical threats, no violence, but no "mercy" or "compassion" or "understanding." Just brutal rule of law -- and the occasional mild and carefully-chosen circumvention of same, with the intent of restoring the rule of law.

First up, the teachers who walked out did so in violation of their contract and state law. They're fired. Period. End of discussion. They can re-apply, but their previous conduct can and should be held against them.

Second, the doctors handing out phony absentee notes? Report them to the state medical boards for fraud. If they filed for insurance compensation, toss in insurance fraud. If their political beliefs trump their professional standards and duties and integrity, then so be it. Far be it from me to deny the logical consequences of their choice.

And that's just for starters. Jay goes on to say that the state senators who fled to prevent a vote should also pay a price, like suspending their pay and benefits. (The governor has already taken that step with their staffs because, as Jay tells us “If their bosses aren't around, then they aren't really necessary.”

As the saying goes, Read The Whole Thing.

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Now for a change of pace, there's this paean to one of our favorite winter people, the Plow Guy.

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And that's the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where the weather is schizophrenic, the woodpile is getting smaller, and where we have to get ready to move more snow.