The revolution will occur only if conservatives take the winnings from this November election and build on them.

For example, the "Pledge to America" should be viewed as a starting point, not as an end-all.

For another example, once the dust settles a new survey of the political landscape must be taken to pinpoint politicians vulnerable in 2012.

Regarding Meg Whitman: she's trying to square the circle in California. She has to split enough Bay Area votes off from Jerry Brown to win the governor ship while holding onto the conservatives already in hand. I wish that SHE had shushed that heckler, although Chris Christie's chivalry was a sight to behold.

No conservative complacency leading into the November election. No conservative complacency AFTER the November election.

Yes, yes, yes! When I first read the transcript of the "Mourning in America" video, I wanted to punch something. In fact, I was so bummed that I still haven't actually watched the video!

The nanny state has so badly infected the body politic that even what is supposed to be an iconically conservative video calls for more caring government!?!

I was going to write something myself, but my heart wasn't in it.

Thank you!

On the whole, I found Tunku's guide funny. It certainly hits closer to the mark than most coverage. He is aware of the limited amount of objective data available concerning Tea Partiers (e.g., demographics). If Glenn Beck can wear an Uncle Sam costume, we all ought to be able to giggle a little bit. If Delaware picks an odd duck in its Republican primary, we all ought to be able to shrug and say, "That's federalism!" while deploring Bill Maher's low-class threats. As Tea Partiers, we don't have to support everything labeled "Tea Party."

More pointedly, we can continue to turn the tables on oh-so-serious progressive liberals by sharpening our joke sticks to poke them in the ribs!

"China launches an attack…"

Any attack worth the label would be widely noticed by net & sys admins pronto. Any top-down response authorization would arrive long after the netties & syssies were elbow deep in packets & streams fixing the problem & tracking the source. It would rightly be seen as an irrelevant and annoying distraction.

Just ask the BP engineers working to cap that dang well their opinion of President Obama's "kick ass" comment.

The biggest problem with handing another big club to ruling elites is that they'll use it as a lever to get something else.

Never strengthen the coercive capabilities of government over its own people.

PS: I'd say "One of the glories of the US section of the Internet is that it is not under total government control." There are a lot of way cool things about the Internet — and the Internet should be rabidly & viciously defended against government takeover.

Don't say no to the kill switch: say HELL no.

Speaking as a technogeek, I don't want a politician in control of my Internet. In uncounted teensy weensy ways I helped build it over the decades since I started working in a university computer lab as an undergraduate.

Mr. President and Congress: hands off!

Security and robustness of computers and network components are active research topics. Creating a single point of intentional failure — a "kill switch" — is nuts (a label often applied to users by long-suffering technical support and development staff).

Better to enhance the Internet's fissility, so it splits into parts that still function independently until greater connectivity can be restored.

As an illustration, think of a huge army with a single high command that can order unconditional and complete surrender.

In contrast, envision that army breaking into highly mobile, self-contained strike units that continue operating beyond the reach of command within general operational orders towards a pre-stated goal. (I'm thinking of John Boyd and OODA loops, here.)

That kind of solution is technically more elegant and robust, but it denies power to ruling elites — so they don't like it.

I am accused of being an Apple fanatic because I prefer buying a Mac desktop for business (writing & photography). My Mac laptop was "annexed" by my youngest daughter and I rarely see it anymore. That has reduced me to scribbling in a Moleskine when in the field.

Understand: I am a tech geek with degrees and job experience to buttress that claim. I prefer Macs. I want get my work done without the computer hardware and software fighting me to a draw.

Descriptions of the iPad vexed me and woke an itch I have steadfastly refused to scratch.

James Lileks talks about sitting in his back yard gazebo reading on his iPad.

Then George Savage whispers sweet and low about UX and an imperceptible interface.

Now Rob Long dangles aimless reading fun, the twinkle in his eye betraying his knowledge of the insidious temptation.

How many Moleskines would I have to fill to pay for an iPad?

Nooooo!!!

Everyone has a chance this election year (and moving forward) to contribute to the support of the republic. My repeated advice: Go local. Go vocal. Remember in November. Attend city council meetings — write up a report and submit it to your local paper. Attend school board meetings — write up a report and submit it to your local paper. Your local paper not printing your reports? Start a posterous account, or a WordPress blog, or an email newsletter. Volunteer as a poll worker, a precinct captain, a campaign flunky. Keep a point-and-shoot or video camera on you, take pix and POST them. Don't let new contracts with public employee unions be rubberstamped. Don't let friendly board members cooperate in pension spiking. Don't let new budgets be voted on without public scrutiny and discussion. Start now: Go local. Go vocal. Remember in November.

Leftist liberals would counter that our country still has a lot of leeway before reaching that end point. Or they would say that a quarter turn is all that will ever be asked for — then ask for more once opponents concede the quarter turn to keep peace or make nice. Moral: never believe a leftist liberal who insists that the current demand is the last demand, and never concede a position that is tactically or strategically (or morally or ethically or politically…) important without understanding what you're giving up and how to live without it.

I am not a defender of either TARP or ARRA, but those two legislative boondoggles shouldn't be conflated. Also, it's difficult for me to read the timestamp on that photo, but it looks like 08:25 — a bit early for construction workers to be jackhammering a sidewalk to install an ADA ramp (or whatever the project actually is). In covering local city councils here in western Orange County, I have found that pavement rehabilitation (from slurry sealing to stripping & resurfacing) and installing ADA ramps are two of the most popular applications of ARRA funds. Such projects are usually part of a town's infrastructure maintenance plan. They're well understood by staff, planned for ahead of time, and wait for funding to become available before being put out to bid. The workers are employed by local private construction companies. Beyond indenturing my grandchildren to Washington, DC, ARRA enfeebles local control, making local governments dependent on federal funds. Two strong reasons to oppose another "stimulus" round.

Obama's self-image excludes the possibility of not running for a second term. He had a chance to stand down on health care. He did not, and we have Obamacare. He had a chance to design real financial regulatory reform in cooperation with the Congressional majority. He did not, but claims the laurel wreath anyway. He claims credit without taking responsibility. He craves praise regardless of consequence. His conception of opponents is that they are too stupid to understand, or too vile to support his noble policies. He will run again in 2012 regardless of his numbers. The question is whether there will be a primary opponent, and who will face him in the general election under greatly changed circumstances.

I have to disagree that the SEC settlement is insignificant merely another example of Washington & Wall Street playing pat-a-cake. The amount may seem paltry, but the consequences of the settlement could be great. It strengthens the hand of Goldman Sachs clients looking to sue, so watch for civil suits. It blackens Goldman Sachs' reputation, so watch for them to lose existing clients and face difficulty in finding new clients. It will increase the difficulty face by Goldman Sachs in selling structured financial instruments because investors won't trust the company's statements concerning those instruments. It also sullies the reputation of Warren Buffett, who asserted that Goldman Sachs had done nothing wrong.