Gormogon head of special appliances, MC, has been a bit quiet lately. Too quiet. Yes, he has been on special assignment—not saying what, but you think it is a coincidence that Mars and the moon are so close in the night sky right now when the Japanese liberal government is undergoing harsh criticism? Anyway, MC writes in on another subject entirely:

Mighty Czar (of bombs and many other things that make loud noises),

As much as I might appreciate Rep. Stupak’s stand on abortion related to the health-care bill, here’s another reason not to elect Democrats (like we need a longer list).

While the scholarship might be a good use of taxpayer dollars (and that’s a very qualified “might”), I’m still going to be a fart in the elevator on the specifics:

1) Why is this federal program named after a congressman’s deceased son? According to these articles, Stupak’s son committed suicide while in high school and it’s not clear he had any connection to the Olympics (in training, etc). So can any congressman get a federal scholarship program named after a deceased relative?

2) If scholarship for Olympic athletes is so important, why require them to attend Northern Michigan University to take advantage of it? Shouldn’t they be able to go to whatever school suits them?

NMU is located in Marquette, which is (not surprisingly) in Rep. Stupak’s district.

Rep. Stupak says he wants it to be funded “on its own merit”. Fine. If he wants a scholarship program for Olympic athletes to go to a specific school, and have said scholarship named after his son, he should raise the money himself. Don’t fund it with my taxes.

This is pork wrapped up in a tragic story with a feel-good purpose.

One doubts there will be much disagreement.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.