Peace And An AMG GT Black Series

Readers usually find lots of birthdays in my posts. Today is no exception; however, the center of our attention is a thing rather than a person. Yes, today is the birthday of the "Peace Sign." It was introduced on this day in 1958 by Gerald Holtom a British artist who developed it as a logo for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. The anti-war movements of the 1960's readily adopted it as an international peace symbol.

The design was quite simple. The vertical line was derived from the British semaphore code symbol for "N" - standing for "Nuclear." The arms came from the symbol for "D." - standing for "Disarmament." Both were set in a circle symbolizing the world. We've come fifty years and two generations from those early demonstrations and their new symbol. That's plenty of time for symbology to change but in this case most contemporary demonstrators still get it right. That is, most demonstrators but not all.

For example, I'm totally in favor of giving Mercedes-Benz a chance just as I am defending capitalism and the accumulation of as much wealth as one can out of wise and honest work. That's the least we should ask for the makers of some of the finest automobiles in the world.

And then there are those who ask humankind to end the horrors of war and replace them with a quality driving experience:

Perhaps this phenomenon is little more than a common oversight. On the other hand I suspect that the huge growth in American prosperity and marketing over the past three generations may be a greater influence. From getting by to getting there may sound like a comfortable journey from the houses most boomers experienced as children to the bourgeoisie dwellings we own - perhaps "finance" is a better term - in today's world. It was a bit more complicated than that, so much so one can see why there may be some confusion with historic symbols and the branding going on in Mom and Dad's three-bay detached garage.

If those new Flower Children only knew.

Alas, Gerald Holtom earned nothing directly from designing the peace symbol.  He chose not to copyright it and it cannot trademarked. Commercial users have made billions off the symbol now ubiquitous in our culture 63 years following its introduction.

So what is an AMG GT Black Series?

This is a revision of an earlier post.



Sources



Text:
Wikipedia, Gerald Holton
Center for Nuclear Disarmament
The Peace Symbol Celebrates Its 57th Birthday, But Still No Peace, truth-out.org

Signs Of Peace And Luxury

Readers usually find lots of birthdays in my posts. Today is no exception; however, the center of our attention is a thing rather than a person. Yes, today is the birthday of the "Peace Sign." It was introduced on this day in 1958 by Gerald Holtom a British artist who developed it as a logo for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. The anti-war movements of the 1960's readily adopted it as an international peace symbol.

The design was quite simple. The vertical line was derived from the British semaphore code symbol for "N" - standing for "Nuclear." The arms came from the symbol for "D." - standing for "Disarmament." Both were set in a circle symbolizing the world.  We've come fifty years and two generations from those early demonstrations and their new symbol. That's plenty of time for symbology to change but in this case most contemporary demonstrators still get it right.  That is, most demonstrators but not all.

For example, I'm totally in favor of giving Mercedes-Benz a chance. That's the least we should ask for the makers of some of the finest automobiles in the world.

And then there are those who ask humankind to end the horrors of war and replace them with a quality driving experience:

Perhaps this phenomenon is little more than a common oversight. On the other hand I suspect that the huge growth in American prosperity and marketing over those decades may be a greater influence. It is a comfortable journey from the houses most boomers experienced as children to the bourgeoisie dwellings we own - perhaps "finance" is a better term - in today's world.

Add trust fund babes to the mix and one can see where there may be some confusion with historic symbols and the branding going on in Mom and Dad's three- bay detached garage. 

If they only knew.

Alas, Gerald Holtom earned nothing directly from designing the peace symbol, an image that cannot be copyrighted or trademarked. Commercial users have made billions off the symbol now ubiquitous in our culture 57 years following its introduction.

This is a revision of an earlier post. 

Sources

Text:
Wikipedia, Gerald Holton
Center for Nuclear Disarmament
The Peace Symbol Celebrates Its 57th Birthday, But Still No Peace, truth-out.org

Ignorance As Commie Chic

ReutersPhoto by Jose Miguel Gomez

Sometime during this week in 1967, one of the Western Hemisphere's - if not the world's - most infamous Communist butchers met  his fate by firing squad in Bolivia. In death, the image of Ernesto "Che" Guevara has become a world-wide symbol for revolution. It is an appalling and ubiquitous reality. In a brief post at Townhall, Humberto Fontova tells readers all they need to know about the horror behind the smiling face.

A Must-Read From Peggy Noonan On Obamadammerung

This Wall Street Journal post by Peggy Noonan is impacting the blogosphere on several fronts as a notable appraisal of what's going on with Obama presidency. Note that she wrote this analysis before yesterday's "The private sector is doing fine" gift to the Romney campaign.

Noonan has spent forty years observing the American scene and deserves the attention of readers from the full political spectrum.

The Foreign Press Asks The Right Question About Dog-Gate

Bo's official portrait

It is pathetic that American readers have to look beyond their border not only for reliable news but also for the right questions, even those involving the most mundane of subjects. That brings us to what some are calling Dog-Gate. Who among us hasn't heard about Mitt Romney's family dog, Seamus, and his wild car top ride? The horror. On the other hand, who among us knew that Barrack Obama ate dog meat during his five-year stay in Indonesia when he was a boy? It's right there in his book, Dreams From My Father (1995), a source that hit the press seventeen years ago.

Is there something else we should know? That's the reason why Americans who care about their news sources need to pay far more attention to the foreign press and its - usually -  more objective look at our political scene. The lefty media mouthpieces in the United States - we all know who they are - simply cannot be trusted as a sole news source any longer.

Dr. Tim Stanley is a young British historian specializing in the American experience. A Labour Party member, a Roman Catholic, and a pragmatist with a keen sense of humor, Stanley approaches his work much like a master rhetor would pursue a debate. The product is enlightening. Here is what he has to say about the real meaning of Dog-Gate.

Could Growing Executive Authority Be A Problem?

When your support among a select groups of Americans drops 36% in two years, what's a politician to do? Of course, you exercise your executive authority when possible-as every wise executive does-to stop the bleeding. The Obama administration has done just that by implementing portions of the Dream Act that was defeated on the Hill. The action replaces wholesale deportation of "safe" illegal aliens with a case by case review and decision. This should please many in the Hispanic community. Read more about this story, in addition to some excellent comments, at this NRO link posted by Mark Kirkorian.

Interestingly, this decision is also a perfect fit for the "White House Friday afternoon bad news dump" and coincides with the President's departure for his Martha's Vineyard vacation. Convenient? Yes. But remember that this activity isn't new. It's been an increasingly common practice for decades.

Why Legacy Media Is In Decline

From Byron York in the Washington Examiner regarding the NASA mission shift toward Muslim self-esteem:

From a Nexis search a few moments ago:

Total words about the NASA Muslim outreach program in the New York Times: 0.

Total words about the NASA Muslim outreach program in the Washington Post: 0.

Total words about the NASA Muslim outreach program on NBC Nightly News: 0.

Total words about the NASA Muslim outreach program on ABC World News: 0.

Total words about the NASA Muslim outreach program on CBS Evening News: 0.

Here's a link to the article. Tip to Instapundit for the story.

The Speech

In October 1964, I was a freshman at the University of Maryland. For years, I had always hoped to live in or near Washington and take in the Potomac Fever that swirled around the seat of American politics. In that year - the first of eleven years in DC - my presidential candidate was none other than Barry Goldwater. He would go on to lose the election the following month, but his campaign did give the American voters an opportunity to see Ronald Reagan launch his political career on a national stage. The vector has become known as "The Speech." I never heard it. In fact, I never read it, but Scott Johnson's blog entry on Powerline gives all of us a chance to explore this important event. The link includes a video of the speech and links to the text and a five part discussion on Peter Robinson's Uncommon Knowledge. Robinson is joined by Mark Steyn and Rob Long. For political junkies, it doesn't get much better.

Late Friday Afternoon Holiday Weekend White House Bad News Dump

Friends, it's another bad news dump at the White House. It's a tried and true technique fondly used by every administration. This time it's the Sestak "they offered me a job to drop out of the campaign" story. OTR really doesn't know if this one has legs, but there's plenty of smoke in the air, especially after Obama's luncheon with Clinton yesterday. I wonder what they talked about? Of course, you have heard today's early news that Clinton made the offer to Sestak.

UPDATE: The word "cover up" is getting louder. Maybe Karl Rove had this nailed earlier in the day.

Tough week at the White House, I'd say. Between Setstak, the stock market sell off, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the 1200 unarmed National Guard troops on the U.S. - Mexico border for "drug interdiction," a long weekend seems more than overdue. Unfortunately, for the Hope and Change believers, these stories will not go away. This administration reminds me of standing in a room full of ping pong balls mounted on mouse traps about three seconds after someone tossed the first ball. In other words, there's a lot more chaos on the way.

Going, Going, Gone Online

The Times Online has an interesting piece about the Ann Arbor News, a paper dating back to 1835, and its recent transition from press to Internet. This is a story that will be coming to more and more readers as journalism continues to make the transition in smaller and mid-sized markets. It is a trend I accept with mixed emotions.

CBS And Fidel Castro

Here is a very different perspective on CBS icon Don Hewitt, the creator of 60 Minutes, who died last week. Source: Babalu.

Obama's Friday Afternoon News Dump

As good politicians know, any embarrassing news is best released late on Friday afternoon. Why? The common folk have just finished another week of hard word. They're looking for a few beers at the local tavern or thinking about the weekend. On Saturday, the newspaper is more likely to go straight to the bird cage rather than be read at leisure over a cup of morning coffee. By Monday morning, Friday's news turns into a focus on the coming week's events. People who study the Friday dump can learn a lot. It's akin to rummaging through a trash can: messy, but revealing.

The Obama administration has made wise use of the Friday news dump in its first hundred days. Here are four examples of the following announcements came on trash day:

1. President Obama lifted the federal funding ban on foreign family planning organizations that promoted or provided information on abortion;

2. The administration issued an encouraging study on the positive effects of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. The program allowed students to escape the wasteland known as District of Columbia Public Schools. Democrats - teacher's unions - opposed this program and funding was eliminated. This is an example where good news had to be ignored.

3. Several financial disclosure reports were released, including one on Larry Summers, Director of the President's National Economic Council. One of those disclosures showed that Summers earned $7.7 million by working at a hedge fund and speaking to bank executives. The hedge fund and many of the banks were bailed out by taxpayers.

4. The administration announced they may return to the Bush policy of using military commissions to prosecute those held at Guantanamo. During the campaign, the Bush policy was viciously attacked for its civil rights "violations" and "political expediency."

Every administration has its own personality, and these four pieces of information tell us much about what information is perceived as a source of embarrassment, fear, controversy, and danger. I think most readers would agree that, so far, this White House has maintained a tight grip on information. The transparency promised in the campaign has yet to appear. Until there is more openness, the Friday afternoon news dump will be a critical instrument for assessing the overall health of the Obama White House. Long after the new crew settles in, the dump will still be interesting, if not valuable. Even when the pickings are slim, you never know what you may find in the trash. Especially when it's generated by 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

A Short Trip

Have some chilling laughs today by checking out Diversity Lane, the product of artist/cartoonist Zack Rawsthorne. Love the music on the homepage; perfect for the lefty mindset.

I'm so happy only one of my distant neighbors has a serious infection of "progressive" thinking.






















Just a mild sample of Rawsthorne at work.

Some Sanity Restored

Dr. Pat Santy, blogging as Dr. Sanity, is back to writing daily after a few months off. Today, she updates us on the Israeli Defense Force's killing of Assud the Bunny, that lovable Al Aqsa television character used by Hamas to indoctrinate the next generation of suicide bombers. Yes, my friends, in a phrase we're seeing more of these days, this is stuff you just can't make up. It is frightening, hilarious and heartbreaking. BTW, Assud now joins Nahoul the Bee in martyrdom.

Entertainment News for Center-Right Americans

Several news sources are reporting on the debut of Big Hollywood, the brainchild of Andrew Breitbart, a right-minded thinker and founder of the news portal bearing his surname. This should be great news for those who are saddened by the malaise that has descended over Hollywood, and the entertainment industry in general, at the hands of the moonbat Left. The great movie producer, Samuel Goldwyn, would have been so proud to hear about Big Hollywood, and eager to contribute more gems like these:

A wide screen just makes a bad film twice as bad.

Television has raised writing to a new low.

Pictures are for entertainment, messages should be delivered by Western Union

Goldwyn's wisdom is hard to find these days. Let's hope Big Hollywood can make that search an easy one.

Mumbai - More Thoughts on Terror

A week ago, ten Islamic terrorists embarked from Pakistan and invaded Mumbai, a city of 13 million, where they killed and wounded hundreds. We will know more about their motive in the weeks to come, but it appears there are primarily two possibilities. First, the attack was intended to destabilize improved relations between Pakistan and India and deflect military operations from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border regions. Second, the assault targeted Westerners, especially American and British; Western values; and allied interests. I spent several hours this week reading the facts and commentary from many sources. A few pundits have hit on a realization that seems to be creeping slowly into consciousness among current reports from the dinosaur media. It is significant.

There were millions of targets in Mumbai when the terrorists hit. They could have killed vast numbers of Hindis and Christians - infidels - along with Westerners as they attacked hotels, restaurants, hospitals, transportation centers, a cinema, and a bank. Their careful planning also included one small, literally obscure target, about one half mile from the Taj Mahal Hotel. It was the Chabad House, a Jewish center. There, the terrorist killed six hostages, but not before torturing them. No waterboarding here. In fact, their techniques were so horrifying that surgeons who received the bodies could not bring themselves to describe what they saw.

Regardless of their larger international intentions, it would appear the Mumbai terrorists were willing to commit half their participants to finding and butchering Jews, a group that made up 0.0384% of the city's population. That is insanity, the likes of which we have not seen since the Holocaust. There is no room for kumbaya in this environment. One cannot reason with madness. America and the West - what's left of it - need to understand, accept, and act on that reality today.

Debate Agon

When it comes to watching televised political events, I prefer CSPAN or Fox News. For some reason, I chose CNN last night as my source of coverage for the presidential debate at the University of Mississippi. It turned out to be a good one because the network featured simultaneous audience response tracking across the bottom of the screen. It's one thing to listen to a candidate's position. It's quite another to see how people respond to the talk in real time.

Overall, I'd say the debate ended with a slight advantage to John McCain, perhaps a 55-45 edge. As several pundits have already commented, this represented a win for Barack Obama as he already had a five to six point lead in the national polls. We'll have a better understanding of the debate impact, of winners and losers, early next week when the next round of polls are released.

But getting back to those lines crawling across the screen . . . CNN was kind enough to provide us with three tracks: Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. As expected the tracks responded appropriately when the respective party candidates spoke. The Independent track showed the greatest swings and sharpest spikes. Surprisingly, the old man, McCain, seemed to provide most of the reasons for those responses. Barack Obama's eloquent, hypnotic, sweeping, debate club rhetoric often registered a glaring flat line response. This isn't to say he spoke nonsense. The subjects, verbs, and predicates lined up well; it's just that much of what he had to say was the broad brush word painting we've been hearing for several months. That may be all that's needed to pave the way to the White House given the economic meltdown we may be facing next week.

The meltdown, however, may provide the seeds for another surge for McCain, if he can be credited with engineering a bipartisan fix to the financial industry. This evening, 9/27, that seemed to be taking shape among Republicans on the Hill. Still, McCain must overcome great odds to approach parity with Obama as we near the election. The next five days could not only the economy, but also the next presidency. That said, the next four years would appear to be anything but a flat line experience for Americans, regardless of who sits in the White House.

Obama Campaign in Free Fall

Friends, this is sickening. Today, the Obama campaign pushed out its latest attack add saying that McCain "doesn't know how to use a computer [and] can't send an email." I think it's time to hire some new management. Obviously, the current group overlooked several of the points I listed in yesterday's post. If they had performed a simple search, perhaps they would have discovered an article in the Boston Globe dated March 4, 2000. Jonah Goldberg, at National Review's The Corner, has the link and the details. The conclusion is simply that McCain's hosts at the Hanoi Hilton beat him so badly that he cannot use a keyboard, comb his hair or tie his shoes. He cannot perform several basic daily functions. In other words, he is disabled.

The fact that this ad survived the brainstorming session is beyond stupid, and another sign that the Obama campaign is completely panicked and in full reactive mode. After throwing many of his allies under the bus, Barack Obama is about to join them at the hands of the fawning media and left wingers who cannot cope with the thought of impending loss.

Time Out

Today, John McCain and Barack Obama put aside their battle for the White House to remember the attack on the World Trade Center. Seeing them standing there, side by side, heads bowed, hands folded "at rest," it's almost like watching two little boys in church when the preacher eyes them. Once out of the collective eye and the commemorative voice, they'll be picking away at each other at the stroke of midnight.

The bickering we'll see may be just a preview of the coming attractions if the Democrats fail to come to the aid of their standard bearer. First, he needs a strong sedative and some rest so he can get rid of that stressed look he's had lately. I'd recommend a nice vacation, but he took one about two weeks ago. That wouldn't look good.

Second, he needs to get over Governor Palin. She's in this race for the duration and has most certainly deflated his celebrity ego. His handlers need to remind him that he's running against McCain. Every time he get flustered over Palin, the words go out, the videos go out, he looks weaker and the voters look away.

Third, he must understand that "meanings are in people." Yes, vocabulary is important, but any good speaker knows that that the audience determines meaning. I am reminded of the cartographer who was field checking his draft maps with some old mountain men. On looking at his draft, they got strange looks on their faces. When the cartographer asked why, they responded that there was no such thing as Pickett Mountain in their area. The cartographer replied that he had been most careful transcribing his research. Indeed, the cartographer and his friends were both correct. What was "Pickett" to the mapmaker was "Peak-ed" to the people who lived in the area. "Peaked Mountain" appeared on the map. Unfortunately for Obama, "lipstick on a pig" ended up on Sarah Palin. Oops! his bad. Frankly, I'm unsure he can function without a prompter or similar aid. The debates will make or break him.

Fourth, Democrats need to end the feeding frenzy on the part of their moonbat allies. Every additional dose of Bush Derangement Syndrome aimed at the opposition candidates reinforces the belief among independents that Democrats represent the unhinged. Bush isn't running this time. McCain is not Bush. The war in Iraq is coming to a quick end. A war crimes trial for the current administration? No, thank you. Get over it and move on, without the "org."

Fifth, the media is not to blame for Obama's meltdown. I have placed this point toward the end of my list, but it is by no means a minor one. It should be obvious to Obama and the party that virtually all of the dinosaur media is working overtime to get him elected. To blame the media is to bite the hand that feeds you. That's exactly what he did today. A few more attacks, and Obama's heretofore untold story will be dissected by a vicious media. If that happens, it's over.

Sixth, Biden needs a script, too. Obama's most important decision to date was his selection of Senator Biden as his running mate. In the last day, during a stump appearance, Senator Biden responded to a question by saying that he may not have been the best candidate for vice-president for the Democrats. Ya think! Second guessing at this point? Most important decision to date was a bad one. Not a good sign. William Katz (Urgent Agenda) - great new political blog - is among the first of the bloggers to mention the possibility that Biden may be setting the stage for his exit, and for Hillary's ascension to Number Two on the ticket. Could be, but it's a sure sign of desperation.

My suspicion is that Obama, in the last wisps of consciousness before sleep, is haunted by the thought of two pit bulls in lipstick. This is going to be great fun.

Politics, Polemics, and Publications

If you are a political junkie like me, the history-making news coming out of the conventions in Denver and St. Paul was nothing short of monumental. I don't play video games, but I suspect the one we'll be watching over the next sixty days will be fascinating, certainly in terms of players, and an object lesson in tactics. If this were a chess game, Obama would be in check, confused, and fitfully studying the board, knowing he just lost his queen in a careless move. Not a very comfortable circumstance for a candidate who, up to this point, had been basking in the glow of an adoring establishment media. H. L. Mencken would have loved it.

Politics aside for the moment, I believe what's really emerging from this campaign will have far-reaching consequences for that media. Like Obama, they are in check, but there is a difference. They have been in check for many years by new media: the internet information age, the bloggers, talk radio, and more. This campaign marks a tipping point for Middle America, for conservatives, for those who value reason over emotion. These groups no longer need to look to the coastal intelligentsia for their news, information, and opinion. The agenda-driven media attacks on Sarah Palin, small town American wife, mother, hunter, mayor, governor, and now vice-presidential candidate, have aroused legions of ordinary Americans to reject pseudo-journalism. Standby to watch the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Us magazine, and other suspect Obamamedia as they continue to hang themselves, oh so slowly, while they revise their strategies for the balance of the campaign.

Wouldn't it be pleasant, as well as informative, to see the restoration of journalism standards that dominated major media throughout most of the 20th century? At least we would know where to turn - the editorial pages - for opinion. Don't get me wrong, I know the history of American newspapers is filled with bias, partisanship, and polemic. Perhaps this Palin-inspired paradigm shift merely marks a restoration of early 19th century newspaper standards. I doubt that. There's reform in the air.

When I lived in suburban DC (1964-76) I devoured the Washington Post in a fit of Potomac Fever almost every day. On vacations near Romney, West Virginia, I made a 60 mile round trip just to get the Sunday edition. That's bad Fever. With Ben Bradlee as editor, and the extraordinary personality of Katherine Graham as publisher, the Post became a stellar newspaper. Toward the end of their reign in the late '90s, I believe the Post overshadowed the New York Times. Today, I don't buy either one, but I do review the Post daily as one would a hometown newspaper. As for the Times, I read the obituaries. Sometimes I wonder if they have a draft notice of their own demise. God knows they need it.