Breitbart Endures - HUMAN EVENTS

Breitbart Endures - HUMAN EVENTS - 

(John Hayward's moving tribute to Andrew Breitbart's life and work)

See also Jason Mattera's tribute to Breitbart:

"Andrew Breitbart was a fearless warrior for truth. His passing at the young age of only 43 is a devastating loss, a reminder of how fleeting and precious life is.  He leaves behind him a beautiful family.

Andrew was a patriot and social media entrepreneur.

He was a rebel.  He was a rabble-rouser.

He created chaos for professional liberals and he relished every second of it.

Andrew’s life was proof positive that he didn’t just talk a good game -- he walked it out, through and through.

Besides authoring two New York Times best-selling books, Hollywood Interrupted and Righteous Indignation, Andrew was the publisher of four powerful websites: Big Government, Big Hollywood, Big Journalism, and Big Peace -- the BIGs, if you will.

They certainly lived up to their names.

Andrew used his online army as a wrecking ball against the liberal establishment.

He helped take down ACORN.  He forced Rep. Anthony Weiner to resign in disgrace.  And he wasn’t afraid to call out reporters to their face.

I saw his contempt for the liberal press firsthand.  After a 2010 speech I gave to the Conservative Political Action Conference critical of Barack Obama, New York Times reporter Kate Zernike maliciously claimed that I had used “racial overtones.”  It was her first dispatch from CPAC.  Her “evidence” was so embarrassingly threadbare that she retreated to arguing that I employed a “Chris Rock voice” to mock Obama.

Andrew was also at CPAC, and, shortly after the smear-piece went live, I told him about it.  He was just as outraged.

Vintage Breitbart was about to go on display.

“I'm just going to show you what I had to deal with today,” Andrew began to tell the crowd gathered to watch him accept an award.

"Kate Zernike of the New York Times, are you in the room?”

She was in the room indeed. 

“You're despicable.  You're a despicable human being…You came to CPAC to get your prey and here's your prey:  Jason Mattera from HotAir.”

“[You’re] the one that correlated his voice to Chris Rock.  He happens to be from Brooklyn.  He's using his voice."

Andrew never backed down from a fight.  And he enjoyed starting them. 

He broke stories and set the media narrative on his terms.  As a result, he made even many Beltway conservative mouthpieces uneasy -- for rather than blather about the news of the day only, he actually took steps and set stories in motion that influenced culture.

He was after scalps.  He got them.

I knew Andrew for many years, even before he became the rock star that he was. He was the same back then as he was before he left us -- gregarious , passionate and always looking to nurture future leaders.

He never turned down an opportunity to speak to young audiences, encouraging them to advance the cause of freedom and to fight against the false narratives thrust upon conservatives by the image-makers in Hollywood and the media.

When the shocking news broke of his unexpected passing, Twitter and Facebook erupted with notes from people all across the country who proclaimed their personal appreciation for Andrew.  He was their hero.  He earned the respect of so many because he did what too few can: Confidently and authoritatively speak their minds.

It was a pleasure for me to fight alongside Andrew.  He will be missed.

Rest in peace, brother.   Rest in peace."
________________________________

Indeed,  "Requiescat in Pace"

All your children are belong to us

All your children are belong to us


William Jacobson nails it. Again. Period.

Obama’s White House Tea Party - NYPOST.com

From the New York Post:

It was the tea party the Obamas just couldn’t resist.

A White House “Alice in Wonderland” costume ball — put on by Johnny Depp and Hollywood director Tim Burton — proved to be a Mad-as-a-Hatter idea that was never made public for fear of a political backlash during hard economic times, according to a new tell-all.“The Obamas,” by New York Times correspondent Jodi Kantor, tells of the first Halloween party the first couple feted at the White House in 2009. It was so over the top that “Star Wars” creator George Lucas sent the original Chewbacca to mingle with invited guests.

The book reveals how any official announcement of the glittering affair — coming at a time when Tea Party activists and voters furious over the lagging economy, 10-percent unemployment rate, bank bailouts and Obama’s health-care plan were staging protests — quickly vanished down the rabbit hole. “White House officials were so nervous about how a splashy, Hollywood-esque party would look to jobless Americans — or their representatives in Congress, who would soon vote on health care — that the event was not discussed publicly and Burton’s and Depp’s contributions went unacknowledged,” the book says.

However, the White House made certain that more humble Halloween festivities earlier that day — for thousands of Washington-area schoolkids — were well reported by the press corps.Then the Obamas went inside, where an invitation-only affair for children of military personnel and White House administrators unfolded in the East Room.

Unbeknownst to reporters, the State Dining Room had also been transformed into a secretive White House Wonderland. Tim Burton decorated it “in his signature creepy-comic style. His film version was about to be released, and he had turned the room into the Mad Hatter’s tea party, with a long table set with antique-looking linens, enormous stuffed animals in chairs, and tiered serving plates with treats like bone-shaped meringue cookies,” reports the book, which The Post purchased at a Manhattan bookstore. “Fruit punch was served in blood vials at the bar. Burton’s own Mad Hatter, the actor Johnny Depp, presided over the scene in full costume, standing up on a table to welcome everyone in character.”

The Obamas’ daughters, Malia and Sasha, then 11 and 8 respectively, “sat at the table, surrounded by a gaggle of their friends, and then proceeded to the next delight, a magic show in the East Room.” Kantor’s book details more personal aspects of the Obama White House, serving up glimpses of the first couple’s marriage, parenting, sometimes tense handling of staff issues and even the president’s sly sense of humor when it comes to race.

One morning during his Senate campaign, Obama didn’t show up to a meeting with donors. “After a frantic search, a white staffer named Peter Coffey called Obama’s barbershop to find that, yes, he was there.” The president confronted Coffey about the call later that day. “ ‘The relationship between a black man and his barber is sacred,’ Obama bellowed . . . ‘For failing to understand this truth, your punishment is to watch the movie “Barbershop.” And for further punishment, you will then watch the sequel, “Barbershop 2.” ’

 "Often White House staffers found themselves in the middle of husband-and-wife quarrels. “The advisors could feel hopelessly caught between husband and wife,” Kantor writes. “The Obama marriage was awkward for everyone: for the aides, for the president . . . and for the first lady.”

Read more on this surrealistic 'Let Them Eat Alice's Cake" garbage at: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/in_blunderland_hKpNQkHfvpEWe4F51kI4dP#ixzz1itlIqxgI

Better yet, skip that link and go ahead and enjoy a message from the American people in response, at this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0JvF9vpqx8

You So Long, Lolong!

Cassius, get outta here--it's official now. You might be a real bruiser (at 17 feet and 11.75 inches) and rule your own enclosure over in Australia, and maybe Gustave (A Nile Crocodile- Crocodylus niloticus) is the world's most notorious living maneater out in the wilds of Burundi, in Africa, but the world's largest captive crocodile, a one handsome, lovable scaly chap named "Lolong".  Lolong is a male "Saltwater Crocodile" (Crocodylus porosus) also known as an "Indo-Pacific Crocodile".

Dr. Adam Britton, a Darwin (Northern Territory) Australia based zoologist specializing in crocodile research, management, conservation and film-making, announcing the results of his consultation and official measurement of the great beast, wrote on his blog recently:

"...Thursday 10 November 2011 at the request of National Geographic and with the consent of local officials I had the opportunity to measure Lolong, potentially the world's largest crocodile. Several news articles are misreporting the correct measurement, so I thought you'd like to hear the correct figure directly from me. I'll post a more detailed report when I'm able to do so, hopefully together with some impressive photos.

Lolong's total length was 6.17 metres, which is 20 feet 3 inches (20.25 feet). As a pure-bred saltwater crocodile, this certainly makes him the largest living crocodile in captivity. This is not an official Guinness record yet, there is a procedure that we have to go through before they can make a final decision, but we have all the required evidence for it. It will be several months before a decision is final.

Sorry Cassius!

I can also report that Lolong is in very good health, and is without doubt the most beautifully impressive crocodile I've ever seen."

-- Adam Britton

Dr. Britton runs the popular website Croc Blog, as well as a consultancy business called Big Gecko with his wife, Erin. He also has created a wealth of information on all extant (and some extinct) crocodilian species his other site by the name crocodilian.com, which also includes crocodilian biology databases, numerous links of note, video, podcasts, and other Internet resources on crocs as well as many other species.

Letters, I See Letters!

An excellent, informative, and timely letter response from The Appraisal Foundation to the NAHB's (National Association of Home Builders) criticism of the appraisal practice as it relates to the current housing crisis:

_________________________________

"December 13, 2011

Paul Lopez

National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
1201 15th Street, NW
 Washington, DC 20005
 

Dear Mr. Lopez:

We are contacting you in reference to the attached NAHB press release dated Thursday, December 8, 2011, entitled, Flawed Appraisals Killing Home Sales, Hampering Housing Recovery.

 

As the Congressionally-authorized organization that establishes appraisal standards and appraiser qualifications in the United States, we feel compelled to address aspects of the press release we feel need clarification.

 

The press release quotes NAHB Chairman Bob Nielsen as stating,

 'The inappropriate use of distressed and foreclosed sales as comparables in determining new home values is needlessly driving down home prices, killing home sales, causing more workers to lose their jobs and delaying a housing and economic recovery.'
 

Mr. Nielsen is also quoted as stating,

'This is not only unfair and unreasonable, but it perpetuates the cycle of declining home values, drives more home owners underwater, harms local economic activity and acts as an obstacle to the recovery of the housing market.'

It is critical to understand that appraisers do not determine property values; they simply reflect the actions of buyers and sellers in the marketplace. An appraiser’s role is to “mirror the market” by analyzing the actions of buyers and sellers in the marketplace to produce a credible opinion of value.

 

The press release also refers to 'faulty appraisal practices,' where 'brand new homes with sparkling appliances and interior upgrades get compared to a distressed property that has been sitting vacant and in disrepair.'

 

All things being equal, it is certainly true that the more similar a competing property is to the subject property, the better a comparable it is likely to be. However, there are often reasons why an appraiser may have to consider comparables that are not as physically similar to the subject property as may be desired.

 
One key component in appraisal theory is the Principle of Substitution, which essentially states that knowledgeable and typically motivated buyers would not pay more for a property if a similar property could be built (or if competing properties are available in that marketplace at a lower price). The press release claims that 53 percent of builders surveyed reported appraised values that  came in lower than the cost to construct. A concept many builders often fail to recognize is that cost does not equal value.
 

In 'depressed' markets, it may be common for buyers to be unwilling to pay the full cost to construct a home; in appraisal, this is known as external obsolescence, which is a loss in value due to factors outside the subject property. In these cases, that loss is attributed to a market where buyers have set a 'limit' on the amount they are willing to pay, regardless of the cost to build.

While few would argue that a new home is not physically similar to a home that is in 'disrepair,' the effect of such properties on new home sales must be analyzed by the appraiser. For example, in marketplaces where many of the properties being bought are distress sales (e.g., foreclosures, bank-owned properties, short sales, etc.), it is not only permissible for appraisers to consider and potentially use these sales as comparables (or 'comps') but appraisers are required to determine the impact this activity is having in the marketplace. This is due to the fact that distress sales may very well impact the value of more 'conventional' sales, because in several markets buyers may be reluctant to pay more for any property than the price level set by the distress sales (note the reference to the Principle of Substitution made previously).

Further, if the number of distress sales (or distress properties available for sale) becomes so significant in a marketplace that it represents virtually the only activity occurring, the distress activity may actually become the marketplace.

 

The press release also states,

 'These appraisal practices are a major contributing factor to the current acquisition, development and construction (AD&C) lending crisis that has choked off credit for home builders and threatens to prolong the current housing downturn. Falling appraised values for land and subdivisions under development have led some financial institutions to stop  lending to developers and builders, to demand additional equity and even to call performing loans.'
 
It is important to recognize that all state licensed and certified real estate appraisers in the U.S. are required by the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP)1 to be independent, impartial, and objective, and to perform assignments without bias. Furthermore, the Dodd-Frank Act passed by Congress and enacted in 2010 mandates appraiser independence, and establishes penalties for lenders and other parties who attempt to unduly influence an appraiser. To even suggest that appraisers are subjective in the performance of their appraisals is  contrary to an appraiser’s most basic ethical obligations under USPAP.
 
Lastly, the press release states,

 'Since Sept. 2009, NAHB has held four appraisal summits in Washington with representatives of federal banking regulators, the appraisal industry, the housing finance industry, the real estate and housing sectors and others to find solutions that will allow appraisers to develop realistic valuations based on sales that are truly comparable.'
 

The press release also adds,

  'The need to give top priority to addressing the complexity of property valuations in distressed markets and impediments to the flow of appropriate information on homes between appraisers and interested parties was discussed during the most recent summit, which occurred on Oct. 19.'

We wish to emphasize that, in response to your invitations, The Appraisal Foundation has participated in each of the four appraisal summits referenced in the press release.

In addition, The Appraisal Foundation stands ready to continue to work with NAHB resolving any appraisal-related issues.

 

Sincerely,

 

John S. Brenan

 

Director of Appraisal Issues

The Appraisal Foundation"

1 USPAP is developed, amended, and promulgated by the Appraisal Standards Board of The Appraisal

Foundation, as authorized by Congress.

Goodbye, Hitch

From Vanity Fair:"Christopher Hitchens—the incomparable critic, masterful rhetorician, fiery wit, and fearless bon vivant—died today at the age of 62. Hitchens was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in the spring of 2010, just after the publication of his memoir, Hitch-22, and began chemotherapy soon after. His matchless prose has appeared in Vanity Fair since 1992, when he was named contributing editor.

'Cancer victimhood contains a permanent temptation to be self-centered and even solipsistic,' 

Hitchens wrote nearly a year ago in Vanity Fair, but his own final labors were anything but: in the last 12 months, he produced for this magazine a piece on U.S.-Pakistani relations in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death, a portrait of Joan Didion, an essay on the Private Eye retrospective at the Victoria and Albert Museum, a prediction about the future of democracy in Egypt, a meditation on the legacy of progressivism in Wisconsin, and a series of frank, graceful, and exquisitely written essays in which he chronicled the physical and spiritual effects of his disease. At the end, Hitchens was more engaged, relentless, hilarious, observant, and intelligent than just about everyone else—just as he had been for the last four decades.

'My chief consolation in this year of living dyingly has been the presence of friends,' he wrote in the June 2011 issue. He died in their presence, too, at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. May his 62 years of living, well, so livingly console the many of us who will miss him dearly".


There's a lot I'd also like to say about the legacy of The Hitch. 

Ah, just go look at the other links with his name under them...





Christopher Eric Hitchens (April 13, 1949 – December 15, 2011)


Requiescat in Pace

Survival of the Godliest? | Big Questions Online

Survival of the Godliest | Big Questions Online

Now this was interesting: Demographer Phillip Longman peers into the not-so-distant future regarding the correlations of religion, culture, and ideology to fertility--and tackles the question of whether "demography is destiny".

Domestic Terror Incidents and Other Links of Note

(Just a few links of note for myself and a friend)


http://www.eco-action.org/dod/no10/flames.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_Underground

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_terrorism_in_the_United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Earth_Liberation_Front_actions

http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/ecoterrorism.asp

http://archive.theamericanview.com/index.php?id=1189

http://townhall.com/columnists/maggiegallagher/2002/10/28/timothy_mcveigh,_christian_terrorist/page/full/