The Darwin Awards: In Search Of Smart.

Darwin Awards  HONORABLE MENTION, DOUBLE DOWN  "Smoking a cigarette is risky enough without adding fuel to the fire. For reasons that have yet to be explained, two 24-year-olds (identified as a man and a woman) invaded the property of an oil drilling company located 75 miles east of Dallas. Four oil/water storage units located on the property seemed, to the trespassers, to be ideal platforms for a 3-AM cigarette break. In the wee hours of the morning, the disaster-ly duo climbed up and lit up, thereby setting the tank and themselves on fire.
"Courageous firefighters saved the lives of these nicotine nutballs, and prevented worse tragedy by throwing large foam blankets over the remaining three oil/water tanks. Ms. Disaster landed in the hospital on life support, while Mr. Disaster was treated for severe burns on face, back, and arms. Survivors of their own bad judgment, we award the "Lucky Strikes" an Honorable Mention. Perhaps this episode will motivate them to quit. quit.(Ref 1, Ref 2) Comments: "In Capitalist America cigarette smokes you!" "

 "Next step: Sue the oil company--no warning was posted on top of the tank!"
Hat tip to Ed Jenkins

5 Things to Expect at the State of the Union Address

PJ Media   "Regardless of whether members want to pretend they like each other, Obama will not be eager to craft any illusions that he wants to meet the GOP halfway. He’s going to raise a fuss if it becomes apparent by tomorrow night — after tomorrow’s Senate Armed Services Committee hearing for Chuck Hagel — that his nominees won’t have smooth sailing through Congress. He’s going to accuse the GOP of stonewalling, obfuscating, and being extremist. He’s going to try to get an eye roll on camera, another Wilson yell, a middle finger from Nugent, something he can milk for everything it’s worth in his quest to paint his opponents as opposite of American consensus. And he knows that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is giving the Republican rebuttal — and that should get a good number of viewers — so he’s going to try to prebut the rebut by studying American-dream messages and administration criticisms in Rubio’s past speeches.

‘Centrist’ Meme Abandoned, Lapdog Media Encouraging Obama to Head to the Left for SOTU    "We're not waking up from this nightmare. Get ready kids, four more years really starts with tonight’s State of the Union address.

A little drone humor

Below: my personal favorite because it says so much about Obama and his criminalizing actions of the Bush Administration for their interrogation methods used on terrorists.

 

Problems with a Tesla model S

The electric car mistake  "The Obama administration’s electric-car fantasy finally may have died on the road between Newark, Del., and Milford, Conn.
The New York Times’s John M. Broder reported Friday that the Tesla Model S
 electric car he was test-driving repeatedly ran out of juice, partly because cold weather reduces the battery’s range by about 10 percent."
More here: Weekly Standard; Hit and Run Blog; Boing Boing

NYT reviewer takes Tesla on road trip, "wasn't smiling." Elon Musk: NYT review is "fake."

Price ranges of Tesla cars. The first article mentioned a price of $101,000.
That price is not among those listed here.

The Prius is the PC car in Hollywood  "Over 70 Hollywood celebrities own a Prius. Stars seen driving their green machines including Matt Damon, David Duchovny, Zachary Quinto, Cameron Diaz, Robin Williams, Ewan McGregor, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, Rachel Bilson, Leonardo di Caprio, Miley Cyrus, Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, Selma Hayek, and Sarah Michelle Geller just to name a few."  Plus any number driven by the good guys in TV shows.

Obama nixes Nork's Nukes. If Obama says, "Let me be clear", we will know he is serious about this.

goupstate.com

China joins U.S., Japan in condemning North Korea nuclear test  "North Korea conducted its third nuclear test on Tuesday in defiance of existing U.N. resolutions, drawing condemnation from around the world, including from its only major ally, China, which summoned the North Korean ambassador to protest."

defenceforumindia

North Korea warns it will take stronger action unless US hostility ends " "It was confirmed that the nuclear test that was carried out at a high level in a safe and perfect manner using a miniaturised and lighter nuclear device with greater explosive force than previously did not pose any negative impact on the surrounding ecological environment," the KCNA announced."
...."Analysts said the test had embarrassed China, the North's only ally and its biggest aid donor. "The test is hugely insulting to China, which now can be expected to follow through with threats to impose sanctions,"...."

Hey, Hollywood, it's not like the US was, like, fracking or drilling for oil!

toonpool.com 

SOTU; What excuses will O give and who will he blame? Do you have to ask?

Hmmm. Let me think: On whom will the president blame the negative-growth economy?  "This is the Obama economy — a shrinking private sector drowning in regulations, a voracious public sector always in search of new ways to waste money (wind cars! solar stethoscopes!), and the inexorable ticking, louder every passing day, of the debt bomb." Mona Charen

Hope n' Change sizes up tonight's SOTU  (Linked to in the post below as well) "The emphasis of his speech is said to be on jobs and the economy, although it's unknown what new he'll have to say since we already know he's against both of them. And to save Hope n' Change readers a bit of time (spoiler alert!) we'll tell you what Barry will say is the only way to restore our nation's employment levels: higher taxes. Surprise!"

Modern Healthcare;  What he should say; Healthcare leaders offer suggestions for State of the Union   "At least 20 states will not create a state insurance exchange, and most of the others face great difficulties in making it work. They need more time, and so does the federal government. A delay, allowing states to move at their own pace, is the only responsible action—but one that will be especially difficult for this president." Via American Enterprise Institute

Think back; WAS Obama lying as Joe Wilson, um, remarked?

Joe Wilson, we remember you fondly, even though the NY Times doesn't.

In an angry and very audible outburst, Representative Joe Wilson, Republican of South Carolina, interrupted President Obama’s speech Wednesday night with a shout of “You lie!” .

 How dare Wilson accuse Obama of lying?
 

NYT: Even Some Supporters Fear Obama’s Hubris
On Tuesday night, the president will address the nation and Congress on the state of the union. But many will watch as well for signs of the state of Barack Obama.
Inside the White House and out, advisers and associates have noted subtle but palpable changes in Mr. Obama since his re-election. “He even carries himself a little bit differently,” said one confidant who, like others, asked not to be identified discussing the president. He is relaxed, more voluble and even more confident than usual, these people say, freer to drop profanities or dismiss others’ ideas — enough that even some supporters fear the potential for hubris*…
*Hubris: exaggerated pride or self-confidence. (From the Obama voter's dictionary; the two-syllable volume)

Fate of the Union 

"Looking into our crystal ball, we can also tell you that the president will demonize Republicans by pretending that they (rather then he) are behind the upcoming sequester budget cuts, and he will invoke the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary to disarm Americans (Democrats are inviting victims of gun violence to the speech, although how they can fit in the entire population of Chicago remains to be seen)."