POWIP Piece of Work In Progress – Former Abode of Dan Collins

Man Who Begged Obama at LinkedIn Forum Positively Identified

The man who begged Obama at LinkedIn's online forum to "take me up the butt, please" has been identified as a former Atlantic blogger.

The Blaze's Meredith Jessup also discovered the story behind this piece of guerrilla theater:

Turns out that Robert, who describes himself as a Bolivian Marxist, is indeed a student at Georgetown Law, and does have parents.  After that, though:

According to the Daily Kos, Robert should be commended as “a patriot” for spelling out the reason people are protesting.  “If you can watch it without being affected, you are as heartless as Dick Cheney,” the site notes.

There’s just one problem: Robert Stephens’ story is (surprise!) completely bogus.

Phone inquiries into the county property records & taxpayer services office reveal that the Stephens family home is not and never has been in foreclosure, that property taxes had been paid in full this year and the remaining balance on their mortgage for the half-million dollar home is less than one year’s worth of tuition+fees at their son’s law school.

The nail in this empty protest‘s coffin is a delightful phone conversation I just had with Robert’s mother, Marquita, where she admitted Chase Bank indeed was not “taking” their home from them. Instead, due to a recent “reduction in income,” they’ve decided to hold a “short sale.”

When I asked Mrs. Stephens if she and her husband planned to stay in their suburban St. Paul, Minn., surroundings after the sale, she told me they weren’t too keen on the idea.  The area is “a bit too conservative,” she said.

Much more fun at Conservative Commune, where I also have up a bleg that so far has netted me $5, in case any of you remembers me.  I've been en fuego on Solyndra/LightSquared there, if I do say so myself.  So . . . in your orisons.

I'm going to reboot this blog, too, as I'll have time on my hands after work in Wisconsin, as soon as I can get out there.  Hope to see you around.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Douche Company Flushes “Racist” Talking Vagina Ads

Ay-yi-yi:

Summer's Eve pulled three videos off its website and YouTube on Wednesday following claims that they were racially insensitive.

The videos (scroll down to watch them), part of the feminine-care company's new "Hail to the V" campaign by The Richards Group in Dallas, featured talking hand-puppets representing women's vaginas. Two of the spots in particular, featuring black and Hispanic characters, were criticized by some viewers, who complained that the voice work was racially stereotypical.

The black woman is "Pam Grier and Lil' Kim all wrapped in to one," wrote one online critic, while the Latina woman opens with the cry, "Ay-yi-yi."

Under pressure, agency and client stood by the videos last week, with agency founder Stan Richards saying they were meant to be "relatable," not stereotypical. But on Wednesday, Richards PR executive Stacie Barnett told Adweek that the criticism had begun to overshadow the message and goal of the larger campaign—to educate women about their anatomy and break down taboos in talking about it—and that the online videos had to go.

"Stereotyping or being offensive was not our intention in any way, shape, or form," said Barnett. "The decision to take the videos down is about acknowledging that there's backlash here. We want to move beyond that and focus on the greater mission."

Yeah, well . . . get back to that mission.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Want a Hit Record, Yeah

Today's news that Itty Bitty Smitty is about to arrive made me want to listen to Pandora's Raspberries radio, and I heard something that I haven't heard or thought of in many years, though it was a favorite of mine in 1974, when I was 14:

What a blast.

Well I know it sounds funny
But I'm not in it for the money, no
I don't need no reputation
And I'm not in it for the show

I just want a hit record, yeah
Wanna hear it on the radio
Want a big hit record, yeah
One that everybody's got to know

Well if the program director don't pull it
It's time to get back the bullet
So bring the group down to the station
You're gonna be an overnight sensation

I've been tryin' to write the lyric
Non-offensive but satiric too
And if you put it in the A-slot
It's just got to make a mint for you

I fit those words to a good melody
Amazing how success has been ignoring me
So long
I use my bread making demos all day
Writing in the night while in my head I hear
The record play
Hear it play

Hit record, yeah
Wanna hit record, yeah
Wanna hit record, yeah (number one)

Obviously influenced by Beach Boys via Rundgren, and in turn influencing Queen and XTC. Jackson Browne ripped a bit of it for his cover of "Stay," probably unconsciously. As Amy Winehouse just died, I'll point out that the famous "No, no no, no" of "Rehab" reprises the "Ride, Sally, ride" chorus of "Mustang Sally." Music is full of allusion, which is why the lawsuit against Men at Work for "Land Down Under's" short "Kookaburra" flute riff was so abjectly stupid.

Ask me about Badfinger and Matthew Sweet some time.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Announcing the New Site, The Conservatory

This morning's big news, if you haven't already read it elsewhere, is that Joy McCann, Enoch and I have collaborated to put together a new website called The Conservatory. What is it?

It's a conservative talent bank and marketplace, wrapped in a blog and news feeds, that aims to establish an online social and business agora for people who hold similar values. Joy and I will be doing the editorial work for content submissions (many from contributors on this blog, we hope), but in many ways it's meant to be crowd-sourced. There are mechanisms at the site for users to submit posts, to share links that they think we might have interest in, and to drive discussion through the Symposium Forum and other plug-ins.

We've been busy lining up advertisers for the front page, including Breitbart.TV's Larry O'Connor, who's taken out an ad for his vcast. There's a section where we offer ads for the latest media--books, CDs, DVDs and the like--that should appeal to conservatives and libertarians. There's also a classified ads section where people can offer their freelance services (for free), businesses and right-leaning media outlets and think tanks can post jobs, and regular folks can flog their stuff, post personals and notices, advertise for ride sharers and room sharers to events, and so forth (most of which are gratis as well). For example, people who are trying to sell their stuff will be able to advertise up to five items at a time at no charge, just so long as none of the items including shipping exceeds $100.

We're hoping that this will be a place where bloggers and other righty people can get gigs that help pay the bills, and that we can bring some profile to websites, podcasts and vcasts that otherwise people might not have known about. Although in many ways it is a group blog, the model here is at least meant to be organic and decentralized.

People and organizations who have events to announce and movements to build will be able to present them there, as well, so that interested people who don't happen to be on the right mailing lists can find out what's going on.

We very much appreciate the larger businesses and organizations that underwrite the site, and you'll be seeing their ads on the main page, but it's our hope that this will be a useful place for family-owned mom and pop businesses to connect with clients who share their values. Most of us would rather, I believe, spend their money with people whose priorities are similar to theirs. Let's say you've got a condo or a cabin to rent: wouldn't you prefer to rent it to a conservative?

There is a ratings and reviews widget for users to comment on services and goods, sellers and buyers.

Anyone wishing to post should contact us. Feel free to send us any links that you think are particularly compelling. If you know of someone who might want to advertise with us, refer them, and we'll give you a commission.

Honestly, the commissions for classifieds won't be very much, because through June 3-month paid ads are $10, so that we can populate that section and bring eyeballs. Main page banner ads are $150 for three months if placed during June, as well. You can follow The Conservatory on Facebook and Twitter (@conservacommune) also.

Any feedback, pro or con, is much appreciated. We've tried to make the site both powerful and tidy for launch, but it's very much a Piece of Work in Progress. It's no Fat Chicks in Party Hats, yet, but then again . . . what else is? We hope you'll join us there, and bring the family and friends. Just don't do this. The site goes live today at 9:00 am Eastern.

Go read more about The Conservatory at Da Techguy's Blog.

Warmly,
Dan

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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“Down the Rabbit Hole” with Duchess Rebecca von Grunewald

Down the Rabbit Hole with Duchess Rebecca

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Libya: War, Progressivism and Expediency

Remember George Bush II's "illegal wars"? Remember the "Unitary Executive"? In keeping with the fascistic proliferation of czars, unaccountable agencies with enormous powers, Congress's unconstitutional transfer of lawmaking powers to political appointees, the stonewalling of the DoJ, the firing of Inspectors General, and all the rest, Obama announces that US participation in the NATO operation in Libya does not rise to the "threshold" that would require him to seek a Congressional declaration.: Jim Geraghty's Morning Jolt email:

Yup, this is their defense:

The White House is telling Congress that President Obama has the legal authority to continue American participation in the NATO-led air war in Libya, even though lawmakers have not authorized it. In a broader package of materials the Obama administration is sending to Congress on Wednesday defending its Libya policy, the White House, for the first time, offers lawmakers and the public an argument for why Mr. Obama has not been violating the War Powers Resolution since May 20.

On that day, the Vietnam-era law's 60-day deadline for terminating unauthorized hostilities appeared to pass. But the White House argued that the activities of United States military forces in Libya do not amount to full-blown "hostilities" at the level necessary to involve the section of the War Powers Resolution that imposes the deadline.

"We are acting lawfully," said Harold Koh, the State Department legal adviser, who expanded on the administration's reasoning in a joint interview with White House Counsel Robert Bauer.

The two senior administration lawyers contended that American forces have not been in "hostilities" at least since April 7, when NATO took over leadership in maintaining a no-flight zone in Libya, and the United States took up what is mainly a supporting role -- providing surveillance and refueling for allied warplanes -- although unmanned drones operated by the United States periodically fire missiles as well.

Got that? The guys trying to shoot down our drones and our allies' planes are not, technically, "hostile" to us. Perhaps they're merely surly.

Change.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Condemned as Racist, Ladd Ehlinger Tells Dems “Suck It”

Naturally, those maintainers of high standards and beacons of journalistic ethics at Gawker were among those calling for Hahn's opponent and everyone else on the right to denounce the attack ad and its creator. He responds:

Update 6/15/2011: I hereby call upon the DCCC and Janice Hahn to issue an immediate, blanket condemnation of the harming of any person by their "Gang Intervention Specialists."

Update 6/15/2011: Holy Moly! For the media too lazy to do research, here's a RICO indictment in PDF form.

Update 6/15/2011: The DCCC and Janice Hahn demand that the video come down and that I apologize!
My answer: No! I didn't kill anyone. I didn't even enable anyone to kill anyone. And... oh yeah: suck it! The ad's funny. It makes me laugh. So if, for some reason, it's pulled by youTube, a thousand will be launched in its place all over Algorez' Internetz. Because you're only drawing more attention to your past of supporting criminals, Janice, and forcing policemen out of their jobs for doing their duty. So there you go. Claim victimhood all you like, but how many people were victimized by your coddling? There's a reason Mayor Villaraigosa took the program away from you. He's a Democrat. So are you. Think about it.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Latest from BJ Tex

Just chatted with him. The second surgery went well. He took a walk today, tires easily, but otherwise feeling pretty good.

Additionally, and I quote:

God is great! Round II; DING!

His family put him in touch with his best friends from college, whom he hasn't seen in 30 years. BJ may write something for us about that, tomorrow.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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