Literally.  I'm asking. What IS wrong with this picture?  An MBTA employee saw these toys sitting on a desk in one of their offices and was so outraged, she claims, that she started to cry.  She took this photo on her camera phone, called a lawyer and filed a complaint.

But I don't get it. 

I'm not saying these toys aren't racist.  For all I know, they're sold by KKK-Bee Toys of Aryan Nations, ID at wakeupwhitepeople.com. And I don't know who's desk they were one, so it could be a member of the secret fascist cabal running the MBTA. (Obviously I'm joking. When fascists run the trains, they're on time.)

But I honestly can't figure out what makes these toys racist.  Yes, one of the toys is a gorilla.  But anyone who's bought a set of animal toys at the zoo gets a gorilla in the bag.  Yes, there's an action figure who's black next to the gorilla.  But there's no indication I can see that the two are related in any way.  Can you?

And if you happen to know what movie/TV show/video that this action figure comes from, could you please let me know?  Maybe that's part of the "racism."

Look, I openly admit that black Americans have every reason to be more aware of potential racial slights than I would be, for obvious historical reasons.  But lots of kids--including mine--have action figures of black characters, celebrities, etc.  If my six-year-old puts one in a menacing pose near Malibu Barbie, is she promoting a stereotype about black males and rape?  Or are they just two toys she thinks are cool?

I'm trying to take this MBTA employee's complaint seriously, but I need some evidence that there's an inherently racial aspect to this image.  Can you help?

Otherwise, I think it's another case of P.O.O.P. 

UPDATE!  Thanks to the comments board below, we now know who the action figure is: Cobra Bubbles from the Lilo and Stitch cartoon.  In 2002, McDonalds was giving these things away. I thought he looked familiar.  See for yourself below.

Of the many terrific points Kimberly Strassel makes in the WSJ this morning about the EPA killing one of their own "global warming" reports, this one may be my favorite:

Wherever Jim Hansen is right now -- whatever speech the "censored" NASA scientist is giving -- perhaps he'll find time to mention the plight of Alan Carlin. Though don't count on it.

Mr. Hansen, as everyone in this solar system knows, is the director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Starting in 2004, he launched a campaign against the Bush administration, claiming it was censoring his global-warming thoughts and fiddling with the science. It was all a bit of a hoot, given Mr. Hansen was already a world-famous devotee of the theory of man-made global warming, a reputation earned with some 1,400 speeches he'd given, many while working for Mr. Bush. But it gave Democrats a fun talking point, one the Obama team later picked up.

Now the O-bots are trying to hide a report by one of their own 35-year professionals, Mr. Carlin, because his fact-filled collection of peer-reviewed science undermines the global panic policies of the Democrats.  Or as the EPA put it,  "The administrator and the administration have decided to move forward on endangerment, and your comments do not help the legal or policy case for this decision. . . . I can only see one impact of your comments given where we are in the process, and that would be a very negative impact on our office."

So the O-bots whine about a scientist who traveled around the world giving speeches being "silenced," but they order Mr. Carlin literally to shut up: "I don't want you to spend any additional EPA time on climate change. No papers, no research etc, at least until we see what EPA is going to do with Climate."

We know what EPA is going to do with "climate," by the way. They're going to use the bogus issue to beat the hell out of the taxpayers and expand the power of government.  And if that means waging a REAL war on science, the Left will happily go along.

Crazy Davey Cohen, mayor of Newton and the force behind the $200 million Taj Ma-High, has banned media photographers from touring the new school's construction site.

Mayor David Cohen, 11 aldermen and members of the Design Review Committee toured the facility last Wednesday afternoon. But officials for Dimeo Construction would not allow a TAB photographer and reporter to accompany the tour, even though the “Tour of Newton North Construction Site for Aldermen” was posted on the aldermen’s calendar and on the Public Notice board at City Hall.

One day later, Dimeo allowed two reporters to visit the site but, citing safety concerns, would not allow photographers onto the property...

Cohen defended both decisions at his weekly press conference Monday, noting that the press was free to publish images shot by the construction company. "Photographs by the TAB are not essential to reporting on the progress that has been made at the site,” Cohen said. “The progress on the site is undeniable and clear to even the most casual of observers.”

This is the most expensive high school in the history of Massachusetts, every penny from state and local taxpayers, and Crazy Davey defends the ban on press photos by claiming--I kid you not--that a tour of the site by elected officials is “It’s an essentially private event on private property,” according to his spokesflak.

The Natural Truth about the entire Newton North boondoggle and the idiot voters who re-elected these geniuses was unintentionally given by Aldermen President Lisle Baker: 

“The building is obviously a substantial structure,” he said. “There are many parts and pieces that are hard to get a hold of from just the outside. I think it’s quite a piece of work.”

Newton politicians--they're quite a piece of work.

 As this graph shows, American car companies lose money on each car they sell--thanks to idiotic government policies that Obama wants to make worse.

There are many reasons why we're on the hook for $50 billion+ in bailout money to GM--bad management, greedy unions, etc.--but I've been saying for months that a major cause of GM's demise is the stupidity of CAFE mileage standards.

The CAFE law requires cars made in/by US manufacturers to meet an average fleet gas mileage target.  GM makes money on its large, low-mileage cars, but isn't allowed to sell them unless they also market high-mileage small cars that they sell at a loss.  When I mentioned this obvious fact on MSNBC not long ago, the Lefty panelists looked at me like I'd grown an extra head.  "Nobody is blaming CAFE standards for GM's troubles," one of the sniffed at me.

In today's Wall Street Journal, economist Alan Reynolds makes the incontrovertible case yet again:

General Motors is likely to become profitable only if it is allowed to specialize in what it does best -- namely, midsize and large sedans, sports cars, pickup trucks and SUVs. The company can't possibly afford to scrap billions of dollars of equipment used to produce its best vehicles simply to please politicians who would rather see GM start from scratch, wasting more taxpayer money on "retooling" to produce unwanted and unprofitable subcompacts and electric cars. The average mileage of GM's future cars won't matter if nobody buys them.

Politicians are addicted to CAFE standards because they create an illusion of doing something sometime in the future without voters experiencing the slightest inconvenience in the present. Tighter future CAFE rules will have no effect at all on the type of vehicles we choose to buy. Their only effect will be to compel us to buy larger and more powerful vehicles from foreign manufacturers. Americans will still buy Jaguars, but from an Indian firm, Tata, rather than Ford. They'll buy Hummers, but from a Chinese firm, Tengzhong, rather than GM. The whole game is a charade; symbolism without substance.

"Charade" is the perfect word for most policies pushed by Greenie Weenies. They make you feel good, they cost working Americans their jobs, but they accomplish nothing for the environment.

It happened again, this time in North Attleboro:

Dominick Perry, 85, was charged with driving to endanger in the accident Monday afternoon in the Macy's parking garage at Emerald Square mall, police said.

The boy, Zachary Rofino, 11, was attempting to remove a stroller from the rear of his mother's sport utility vehicle when the car driven by Perry allegedly backed into him, police said.

The boy was pinned between the vehicles until his mother, Donna Rofino, banged on Perry's window to get him to move forward...Police said Perry told them he didn't see anything when he backed up and then heard screaming, according to the report.

An 85-year-old driver can't see an 11-year-old, his stroller, or the SUV he's standing behind--and what's Beacon Hill's reaction?

They're going to punish the rest of us.

Instead of the obvious, common-sense solution--additional testing requirements for drivers 75 and older--weaselly lawmakers like Sen. Baddour and Rep. Wagner want to add another hassle to your life.

"I disagree strongly with the idea we would pick an age on the timeline," said Rep. Joseph Wagner (D-Chicopee), who said the committee intended to act on a comprehensive bill sooner rather than later. Wagner said when the state licenses any driver - "at 25, at 55, at 75, at 85" the public should have confidence that such driver is competent.

You got that, all you 25-54 year old taxpayers?  You've got another day away from work, another long line at the Registry, another fee to the RMV for...what?  There's no evidence of a driving problem, you're far less likely to suffer from dementia or other mental incompetence.  If that sounds bad--check this out:

Describing the challenge of putting the burden of reporting on doctors, Sen. Patricia Jehlen suggested requiring patients to bring a list of their diagnosed functional impairments to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles. 

I can't wait for the chance to hand my private medical information over to the fine professionals of the RMV--can you?  And what's a "diagnosed functional impairment" when it comes to driving?  Parkinson's? Sure.  But what about depression, or chronic insomnia (sleepy drivers?) or even irritable bowel syndrome? Hey, you could even put obesity in there--don't fat folks make more sudden turns into drive-thru windows?

We all know what Beacon Hill should do.  And, as usual, it's the one thing they won't do.

In a surprise to no one who's paying attention, there was yet another wreck today involving elderly drivers in Massachusetts:

Woburn police say an 83-year-old man hit a vehicle driven by a 78-year-old Woburn woman at Russell Street and Old Cambridge Road Tuesday afternoon. The woman suffered life-threatening injuries and was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital where she is listed in critical condition. 

The male driver's 84-year-old wife was taken to Lahey Clinic. Police say the man is charged with negligent operation. Police are also filing an "immediate threat suspension" to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, which could result in the man's driver's license be suspended.

I spent part of Tuesday afternoon on Beacon Hill, listening to lawmakers avoid and obfuscate the issue of testing for elderly drivers.  The obvious, common-sense answer is to start mandatory road testing around the age of 75 or so.  But legislators like Sen. Baddour and Rep. Wagner did everything they could yesterday to NOT talk about common sense.  Instead they kept looking for places to pass the buck, suggesting that deciding if a senior was a qualified driver was a job for a family doctor or family member--not the state government that issues every license in the state.

It was a pathetic performance by scared politicians throwing up every smoke screen they could to keep from doing their jobs.  One woman from Foxboro--whose father was killed by an elderly driver in 1986--told me she has all but lost hope. "I've been talking to them about this for 20 years, and nothing gets done," she told me.  "It doesn't look good," she said as she left the State House in tears after giving her testimony.

Baddour and Wagner are talking a lot about a "comprehensive" solution (i.e., punishing ALL drivers because of the danger of seniors) that focuses on "cognative problems."  That means no age testing, but some vague system where doctors or family members might be able to ask the state to review any drivers' abilities.

It's so bogus, it would be laughable...if there weren't three people in area hospitals due to a senior driver Tuesday afternoon.

...and his name is Gov. Deval Patrick.

An early look at the 2010 election cycle finds that Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has some work to do if he wants to win reelection.

When matched against Christy Mihos, the Democratic governor picks up 40% of the vote and trails the potential GOP nominee by a single point.

If Charlie Baker is the Republican nominee, Patrick’s support is little changed at 41% while Baker is favored by 36%. Baker is a health care chief executive officer who has not yet formally decided if he is entering the race.

In both match-ups, the number preferring “some other candidate” is in double digits, and roughly one-out-of-10 voters is undecided.

Another key finding is that the "Massachusetts model" for health care reform many O-bots are touting isn't particularly popular with the people stuck paying for it.  Only 26% of people in Massachusetts say the Romneycare scheme has been a success.

Let's hope nobody was hurt by the rush of Boston fire fighters who swarmed City Hall yesterday to grab one last fistful of taxpayer cash, all part of the "King For A Day" scam finally coming to an end in Massachusetts. And the rats are showing themselves by jumping ship:

Nearly 30 Boston firefighters with pending disability claims filed for retirement yesterday, just two days before a new state law ends a controversial benefit that allows them to significantly enhance their pensions if they claim career-ending injuries occurred while filling in for a superior at a higher pay grade.

Of the 29 who filed yesterday, 25 said they were filling in for a superior at the time of their injuries, according to city officials, which makes them eligible for a pension benefit at the higher salary scale. That perk, which can add hundreds of thousands of dollars over a retiree’s lifetime and cost taxpayers millions, will not be available to anyone filing after today.

“This is highly unusual,’’ said Kathleen Kiely-Becchetti, executive director of the Boston Retirement Board, of the number of firefighters who filed for retirement yesterday while their disability claims were still pending.

The race to file yesterday is the first obvious reaction to the sweeping pension law that was passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Deval Patrick earlier this month. The claims filed by the firefighters yesterday - and an expected rash of new claims today - could cost Boston taxpayers millions in additional payouts at a time of major budget constraints, fire officials said.

There are places in America where firefighters are looked upon as heroes, as selfless public servants who uphold the highest standards of community service.

And then there's the Boston Firefighters Union.  Jeff Jacoby wrote about these shameless scam artists last year:

Boston firefighters earned an average of $92,756 in 2006 - $103,817 if health benefits are included. According to the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, 55 percent of the city's firefighters have a compensation package worth $100,000 or more. You call that respect?

And that doesn't include pension benefits: According to the research bureau, the average pension for a retiring firefighter is nearly $67,000 a year. And if he retires on a disability claim, he gets it tax-free. (Would you believe that nearly 75 percent of all Fire Department retirements in recent years have been based on "disabilities?" Probably just a coincidence.)

So you can see why the firefighters bristle at being treated like "dogs" - can't you? And you can understand why Firefighters Local 718 and its president Ed Kelly will be damned if they'll agree to drug testing without first getting their paychecks beefed up. What's more important, after all - making sure that first responders with life-and-death responsibilities stay sober? Or crossing their palms with extra silver?

I've always raised my children to respect firefighters.  And outside the Boston city limits, I still do.

But the Boston Firefighters Union has accomplished something I didn't think was possible. They've managed to strip all the honor out of their profession.  Respect?  What part of the firefighter's behavior am I supposed to respect?  The scam injuries, the cash shakedowns or the pension ripoffs?

You're not jakes, guys.  You're jokes.  And, sadly, you've earned it.

Airmen from Hanscom being honored at Friday's "Heroes Homecoming" ceremony for their service in Iraq

Today, US forces handed total control of Iraq's major urban areas to the democratically elected government, its US-trained and civilian-controlled military, and the citizens of an Arab democracy. 

When George Bush took office in 2001, nearly all of those facts on the ground were unimaginable.  Today, not only are they real, they are nearly taken for granted--based on the media coverage of this historic day.

Actually, it's worse.  The media have found a way to present this progress as bad news.  Their coverage implies that somehow the US military has lost because we've met our goal of "standing down as the Iraqi forces stand up," to quote a former US president.  This is like saying something the Union somehow screwed up the Civil War because the troops came home and the South eventually rejoined the US.

Wasn't that the point?

Is there still violence in Iraq?  Tragically, as we've been reminded today, yes.  Is Iraq's democracy as strong, transparent or representative as Indiana's?  No.

But 10 years ago today, the fourth largest military in the world was engaged in active hostilities against the United States as we enforced UN resolutions against Saddam's regime. That regime was spending millions supporting terrorism, provided safe harbor to terrorists who killed Americans, and threatening its neighbors. Not to mention the rape rooms, slaughter of Saddam's political enemies, etc.

And 10 years ago, the idea of a real Arab democracy or an authentic democracy in a Muslim Middle Eastern country sounded far-fetched, too.

Our US military, including those terrific folks at Hanscom Air Force Base, have accomplished all this.  We did so at the cost of some 4,000 combat deaths--every one of them a tragic loss--yet an astonishingly low number in the history of combat.  We've also put pressure on the whackjobs of Iran by planting a viable democracy on their border, and simultaneously supporting the progress toward democracy in Lebanon and the Gulf States.

Why is the US media determined to make this seem like bad news?

Here's another question: the American Left have wanted the US to withdraw from Iraq for seven years.  Today our military is withdrawing to rural bases to serve as a training and back-up force.  So why isn't the Left celebrating?  If our troops had withdrawn from Baghdad in 2005 or 2006, Barack Obama and John Kerry would have been thrilled.  That was their policy proposal, as you'll recall.  Why aren't they happy today?

Because today the United States is withdrawing in victory.  We're not running away in defeat.  We are handing over control to an Iraqi government, not abandoning the cities to Al Qaeda and anarchy.

Since the war was "bad," every outcome must be bad, too.  Even winning.

The good news is that 20 years from now, no one will remember the cowardice of American liberals or the cluelessness of their policies.  All that will be important will be that the US helped plant the seed of democracy and changed the Middle East forever.

Congratulations to the US military for this amazing accomplishment.

Only when you make them.  The good news: You've got two opportunities to do just that.

First, please take a moment to go to the WTKK website and sign our petition calling for testing senior drivers.

Then, if possible, try to join me at tomorrow's public hearing on Sen. Joyce's very modest bill calling for testing of drivers 85 years old and older.  From Sen. Joyce's press release:

Senator Brian A. Joyce (D-Milton) is pleased to announce that S.1929, An Act to Promote Safe Driving, will be heard by the Joint Committee on Transportation on Tuesday, June 30, 2009.  The public hearing will be held in Room 222 in the State House, from 11:00-2:00pm.

Remember: When the people lead, our "leaders" will follow!