Blog Heap of Links for the day 6 May 2012

The continuing adventures of Barack Obama's favorite eyeless, mouthless government dependent [Graphics series]

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Friday that the Obama campaign's new website — which uses a fictionalized woman named Julia to illustrate how the president's policies help female voters — is "creepy...." “It suggests that this woman can’t go anywhere in life without Barack Obama’s government-centered society. It’s kind of demeaning to her....”

The big question we should be asking is: What about the day after? If the regime's days are numbered, the end is likely to be messier than anything we've seen in the Arab Spring. Why aren't we sitting down with the Chinese, South Koreans, Japanese and Russians and making a plan to prevent nuclear material from being sold to the Russian mafia or the Chinese triads; to keep some panicky general from incinerating Seoul; to dissuade China or Russia from sending in troops to take advantage; to fend off an even more monumental human calamity than the famine of the mid-90s? Then, how do we reunify Korea without bankrupting the South? These are the questions we and North Korea's neighbours should be asking, together and urgently.

Iran's semi-official Mehrs News Agency (MNA) using another digitally-altered image to depict its missile program. ... Humorously, it appears Iran is now using images from the meme it created to depict its own missile program. Even more humorously, it appears the Photoshopped image MNA picked includes a photo of loathed Star Wars prequel character Jar Jar Binks.

George Lindsey, who spent nearly 30 years as the grinning Goober on "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Hee Haw," has died. He was 83.

Army officials have not released the cause of death for Capt. Bruce Kevin Clark, 43, of Spencerport, N.Y. A statement from the family said they are waiting for results of a military investigation. "Bruce's wife tragically witnessed her husband's death during one of their regular Skype video chats," the statement said. "At the time of the incident, the family was hoping for a rescue and miracle, but later learned that it was not to be," according to the family's statement. "Although the circumstances were unimaginable, Bruce's wife and extended family will be forever thankful that he and his wife were together in his last moments." [It's a different world, now.]

When her washing machine cycle finished, she went into the laundry and discovered Tabitha's furry face looking back at her through the machine's glass. The cat was inside the washing machine for one hour and 45 minutes. ... not seriously injured.

The Hunt County Sheriff's Department is among several agencies investigating the gruesome death of a rare white buffalo, born nearly a year ago on a ranch near Greenville. ... The next day its mother was also found dead. ... The calf's father was struck by lightning about a month ago.