Blog Heap of Links for the day 25 May 2011

What do psychopaths want? What are their motivations? Hare: They want many of the same basic things that the rest of us want, but, in addition, have an inordinate need for power, prestige, wealth, and so forth. They differ from most of us in terms of how much they "need," their sense of entitlement to whatever they want, and the means with which they are willing to achieve their ends. They also differ dramatically from others in the communal nature of their needs and goals. That is, the sense of altruism, concern for the welfare of family, friends, and society, and the social rules, expectations, and reciprocity that guide most people are irrelevant to psychopaths. They operate according to their own self-serving principle: look out for number 1, no matter what the cost to others, and without guilt or remorse.

Dr. Vaknin States "I must confess I was impressed by Sen.Barack Obama from the first time I saw him. At first I was excited to see a black candidate. He looked youthful, spoke well, appeared to be confident - a wholesome presidential package. I was put off soon, not just because of his shallowness but also because there was an air of haughtiness in his demeanor that was unsettling. His posture and his body language were louder than his empty words. Obama's speeches are unlike any political speech we have heard in American history. Never a politician in this land had such quasi "religious" impact on so many people. The fact that Obama is a total incognito with zero accomplishment, makes this inexplicable infatuation alarming. Obama is not an ordinary man. He is not a genius. In fact he is quite ignorant on most important subjects." ... Dr. Sam Vaknin, the author of Malignant Self Love believes "Barack Obama appears to be a narcissist". Vaknin is a world authority on narcissism. He understands narcissism and describes the inner mind of a narcissist like no other person. When he talks about narcissism everyone listens. Vaknin says that Obama's language, posture and demeanor, and the testimonies of his closest, dearest, and nearest suggest that the Senator is either a narcissist or he may have narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). Narcissists project a grandiose but false image of themselves. Jim Jones, the charismatic leader of People's Temple, the man who led over 900 of his followers to cheerfully commit mass suicide and even murder their own children was also a narcissist. David Koresh, Charles Manson, Joseph Koni, Shoko Asahara, Stalin, Saddam, Mao, Kim Jong Ill, and Adolph Hitler are a few examples of narcissists of our time. All these men had a tremendous influence over their fanciers. They created a personality cult around themselves and with their blazing speeches elevated their admirers, filled their hearts with enthusiasm, and instilled in their minds a new zest for life. They gave them hope! They promised them the moon, but alas, invariably they brought them to their doom. When you are a victim of a cult of personality, you don't know it until it is too late. One determining factor in the development of NPD is childhood abuse....

Had Factcheck.org captioned a photo of the back of the document where the seal was admittedly applied, many of us may have long ago noticed that the seal's image and text were lowered, not raised, from the surface of the paper. The seal photographed appears on the back of the document as a "lowered" image of a 'Hawaii Department of Health' seal. It is not a 'raised' seal…and that means the document photographed by Factcheck.org is not legally certified according to Hawaii's regulations. This attempt to deceive the public is diabolically tricky, slippery and yet…so simple to prove: We have high resolution photographs of the front and back of the seal in various light and at various angles that prove it.

This is how President Obama signed the guestbook at Westminster Abbey earlier today....

It is a great privilege to commemorate our common heritage, and common sacrifice. Barack Obama 24 May 2008

House lawmakers from both parties are siding with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over President Obama in their differing approaches to the Israel-Palestine border dispute. ... Rep. Robert Andrews (D-N.J.) said Tuesday that Obama is "tilting toward Hamas" ... Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), for one, said the president "absolutely … made a mistake ... With all of the political turmoil and unrest in the Middle East, I don't understand why the president injected himself into that issue right now...." Both Rep. Steny Hoyer (Md.), the House Democratic whip, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) have also rejected Obama's proposal in recent days, telling the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) that preconditions have no place in the negotiations. ...

U.S. President Barack Obama's Palestinian Authority-Israel peace plan is a "formula for war," writes Bret Stephens, foreign affairs editor and deputy editorial page editor of The Wall St. Journal. In an op-ed article in the Journal, Stephens charged that the president's approach to Israel and his relationship to American Jews has showed that he "has mastered the concept of chutzpah." "What Mr. Obama offered is a formula for war, one that he will pursue in a second term. Assuming, of course, that he gets one," Stephens wrote.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood unveiled new fuel-economy window stickers for cars and trucks, saying "we're not just sitting around waiting for high gasoline prices to come down." His ride of choice to the unveiling: This 12-mpg Chevy Suburban SUV.

President Obama's proposed 2011 budget did not include funds for Constellation, therefore essentially canceling the program. It sent shock waves throughout NASA, the Congress and the American people. Nearly $10 billion had been invested in design and development of the program.... Obama's advisers, in searching for a new and different NASA strategy with which the president could be favorably identified, ignored NASA's operational mandate and strayed widely from President Kennedy's vision and the will of the American people. -NEIL ARMSTRONG

On March 30, the 30th anniversary of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, Jim Brady, who sustained a debilitating head wound in the attack, and his wife, Sarah, came to Capitol Hil... met with White House press secretary Jay Carney. During the meeting, President Obama dropped in and, according to Sarah Brady, brought up the issue of gun control, "to fill us in that it was very much on his agenda," she said. "I just want you to know that we are working on it," Brady recalled the president telling them. "We have to go through a few processes, but under the radar."

An astounding Department of Justice threat to cancel airline flights to and from Texas, in addition to underhanded lobbying by TSA representatives, has killed efforts in the state to pass HB 1937, a bill that would have made invasive pat downs by TSA agents a felony.

Left-leaning Ed Schultz has been suspended from MSNBC for referring to fellow host Laura Ingraham as a "right-wing slut" and "talk slut" on his syndicated show Tuesday. [Next week, he'll be an MSNBC VP]

So much for civility, at least at MSNBC — the home of the "Lean Forward" mantra. On his Tuesday radio program, liberal talker and MSNBC host Ed Schultz took a shot at conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham for her criticism of President Barack Obama's trip to Ireland, where he enjoyed a Guinness, while the Midwestern United States was being hit by severe weather... "So much for civility, at least at MSNBC — the home of the "Lean Forward" mantra. On his Tuesday radio program, liberal talker and MSNBC host Ed Schultz took a shot at conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham for her criticism of President Barack Obama's trip to Ireland, where he enjoyed a Guinness, while the Midwestern United States was being hit by severe weather..."

A Hartford teacher accused of forcing students to clean the classroom toilet with paper towels and a cleaner with bleach is on administrative leave. For two years, Catherine Saur required any student who used the bathroom to clean the toilets, even if they only went to the bathroom to wash their hands. .. [Mother] complained when her son had an allergic reaction to the cleaner and told her what his Kennelly School art teacher was requiring student to do in the bathroom of a portable classroom....

Friends of alleged hotel sex fiend Dominique Strauss-Kahn secretly contacted the accusing maid's impoverished family, offering them money to make the case go away since they can't reach her in protective custody, The Post has learned. ... "They already talked with her family," a French businesswoman with close ties to Strauss-Kahn and his family told The Post. "For sure, it's going to end up on a quiet note." [HANGING HIM BY THE B@77S IN TIMES SQUARE would be cruel and unusual, though.]

The man accused of wounding Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killing six in a shooting rampage in Arizona is mentally incompetent to stand trial, a judge ruled Wednesday after two deputy U.S. marshals dragged the man out of the courtroom because of an angry outburst. As survivors of the deadly January attack looked on, Jared Lee Loughner lowered his head, raised it and said what sounded like "Thank you for the freak show. She died in front of me." His words were loud but indistinct, and it wasn't clear who he was talking about. ... The ruling came after Burns said two mental health professionals had concluded Loughner suffers from schizophrenia and is mentally unfit for trial.... Neither expert thought Loughner was faking his mental health problems....

Cox said however six rotations or instances of wall clouds were seen in Washington County, among them being one spotted over Food Pyramid on U.S. Highway 75 south of Bartlesville, one above downtown Bartlesville, another above downtown Dewey, one north of Dewey and one north of Ramona.

SEDALIA, Mo. -- A tornado injured at least 15 people, destroyed homes, overturned trucks, and heavily damaged a school bus barn on Wednesday.

In Newcastle, south of Oklahoma City, a storm blew the steeple off Jesus Alive Church and flung it nearly 100 yards away, where it landed on the doorstep of the longtime pastor's 86-year-old mother, Lovina Frizzell. "I said, 'Oh, my goodness, there's the steeple,'"

A 54-year-old Missouri woman has died after suffering a heart attack when told of her father's death in the Joplin tornado.

The elite media and glitterati of Hollywood of the New York entertainment industry have wanted the political blood of the entire Palin family since her successful acceptance speech during the 2008 GOP convention. The establishment Republicans would like to cling to the old ways, and are desperately promoting candidates who they think will do just that. In light of the new Tea Party attitude, in which we would like to jettison the "ruling class" dictates with "country class" common sense, I would ask for everyone to enter into the primary season with an open mind and a willingness to go beyond the usual news sources for information on all the candidates. PLEASE LOOK AT SARAH PALIN WITH "NEW EYES". ... One other note, related to this: It has become known to me that Mitt Romney's staff and Michelle Bachmann's people are seen together often and work quite closely together. I need for all of my friends to be very cautious about Bachmann — especially since she has very close connections with Tea Party Express (spearheaded by establishment Republicans). I recall that Mitt was tag-teamed out of the 2008 primary by McCain and Huckabee. I sense a deal is made between the pair in the event Palin is running. ...

Maricopa County employees have been busted for drugs and human trafficking. The workers, a deputy and two female detention officers, were among 12 people arrested in a Phoenix-based international drug smuggling ring, authorities. Arpaio, the self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in the country, said law enforcement is tough enough without having to worry his own team. "We have enough violence without having moles in my own organization that put my deputies in danger," Arpaio said. One of the detention officers, Marcella Hernández, told authorities that she is eight-months pregnant with the child of Francisco Arce-Torres, the alleged drug ring's leader who court documents say is also a member of the Mexican Sinaloa cartel.

My friends, the momentous trials of the last century, and the unfolding events of this century, attest to the decisive role of the United States in advancing peace and defending freedom. Providence entrusted the United States to be the guardian of liberty. All peoples who cherish freedom owe a profound debt of gratitude to your great nation. Among the most grateful nations is my nation, the people of Israel, who have fought for their liberty and survival against impossible odds, in ancient and modern times alike. I speak on behalf of the Jewish people and the Jewish state when I say to you, representatives of America, Thank you. Thank you for your unwavering support for Israel. Thank you for ensuring that the flame of freedom burns bright throughout the world. May God bless all of you. And may God forever bless the United States of America.

Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said TSA is too politically correct when it chooses which passengers to search at airport security checkpoints. ... "I walked through … right behind me there was a grandmother — little old lady, and she was was patted down," Broun said on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal." "Right behind her was a little kid who was patted down. And then right behind him was a guy in Arabian dress who just walked right through. Why are we patting down grandma and kids?" ... Broun did not specify any other reasons the man looked suspicious other than his dress. [Ummmm.... the point is the CONTRAST of Gramma with Osamma.]

A boisterous group of protesters angry over the Texas Senate's failure to vote on the airport groping bill tried to enter the public gallery this afternoon and were blocked by state troopers. Shouting "treason" and "cowards" and carrying signs and placards, the group of perhaps as many as 100 people entered the State Capitol shortly after 3 p.m. and first went to the House chamber. There, House members quickly informed the shouting group that it was the Senate that had failed to take action late Tuesday on House Bill 1937, which would have made it a crime for security checkpoint screeners to handle the private parts of anyone they screened. The group then marched to the Senate side of the Capitol and tried to enter the third-floor public gallery. Troopers with arms folded blocked them from entry. They stood outside for several minutes, chanting: "Co-wards, co-wards," Trea-son, trea-son," and shouted slogans accusing senators and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst of being "federal pimps" and "scallawag trash." They vowed to vote out of office Dewhurst and the senators who opposed passage of the bill. After shouting chants for about 30 minutes, the group left and troopers reopened the gallery doors. The activists then went to other parts of the Capitol to continue their protest.