GIVE CHICKPEAS A CHANCE: The Hummus Blog. I used to make my own hummus, but haven’t done that in years.

ANN ALTHOUSE: “Union thugs… in broad daylight, on camera. Are they stupid… or do they know something about the willingness of the authorities to enforce the law?”

Tony Katz: “Congratulations, unions. You just reinvigorated the grassroots. Oops?”

WELL, THESE ARE THEIR THUGS: White House Refuses To Condemn Union Violence In Michigan.

GOOD QUESTION: What Is The AALS Good For?

CIVILIZATION 1, VIOLENT UNION THUGS 0: Mich. governor signs anti-union bills after protests.

UPDATE: Reader Jonathan Bailey writes:

In the USA Today piece you just linked they mention the destruction of the AFP tent but go on to say that nobody was injured. Did they not hear about Stephen Crowder being assaulted? Did they not hear there were people inside the tent or have they just chosen to ignore it and misstate the fact that he was assaulted and injured. Somebody needs to set them straight. This is typical MSM lies by omission at best.

Somehow, the mistakes all seem to run in the same direction.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Reader Paul Lewis emails:

Pure Michigan is advertising like the dickens here in SW Ohio for us to come visit them. They are on Facebook under
Pure Michigan. I just wrote them “After the union beating today of Steven Crowder, there isn’t a chance in Michigan that we will visit you guys until that Union Thug is arrested.”

Maybe a Boycott is another avenue of fed up Conservatives. The left tried it with Chick-Fil-A and Papa John’s. Paybacks are, well, Michigan.

Well, to be fair, they passed the law despite the violence. But nothing wrong with leaving a note on Facebook.

IN RESPONSE TO MY TEN YEARS AFTER VIDEOS, reader Donald MacQueen writes: “In my salad days, I worked a few years as an usher at the Fillmore East in New York’s East Village. I saw a lot of guitarists, but the fastest by far was Alvin Lee. The only guy I’ve seen since who compares is the late Stevie Ray Vaughan.”

Yeah, I’ve seen a lot of great guitarists, but I remember the first time I saw Stevie Ray Vaughan. It was in Nashville, and he — still pretty unknown — was opening for BB King. It was like a force of nature on the stage, which is a cliche but that’s the only way I could describe it. He was opening for B.B. King, who was still very much on his game, but the Beeb waited a solid hour to come out, and when he did it still felt like the echoes from Stevie Ray’s set were reverberating around the hall.

Here’s my favorite Stevie Ray song. The thing is, there are a lot of fast guitarists. But it’s not just a matter of playing fast. It’s a question of playing the right notes fast.

FORWARD! October US Exports Plunge By Most Since January 2009 As Trade Deficit With China Hits Record.

AT AMAZON, markdowns on bestselling small kitchen appliances.

Also, up to 50% off on select Toys & Games.

ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL: Miles And Miles Of Texas.

Also: Choo Choo Ch’Boogie.

And: Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens.

WISH I COULD DANCE like Jan Vermeer.

ROSS DOUTHAT’S COLUMN ON LOWER BIRTH RATES reminded me of this column from a while back on how society has increased the burdens and reduced the rewards for parenthood.

LISA LASHES: Has It Come To This? I was never a huge fan of Hard House (even Lisa says that when she first heard it it sounded like someone had put cinder blocks in a clothes-dryer), but L² kinda makes me want to be. Just don’t confuse her with Lisa Pin-Up.

A REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST OF THE THUG WHO PUNCHED STEVEN CROWDER. I’ve pledged $1K toward this. Zero tolerance for this crap.

NEWS YOU CAN USE: The Best Used Cars For Every Need.

STEVE CROWDER SENDS THIS FOOTAGE OF HIM BEING ASSAULTED BY UNION THUGS IN MICHIGAN. Crowder emails: “The video is self explanatory. I was sucker-punched 4 times on camera, without retaliation, choked, and the AFP tent is torn to the ground with women and children inside of it. Extremely violent footage. Please post for truth.” It’s also rich listening to the union guy yell about “parasites” and “freeloaders.” Don’t they know those words are racist?

The video shows numerous union representatives engaging in violent, illegal conduct. Their faces are clearly identifiable. I hope they will be prosecuted, and sued.

And will President Obama condemn this violent behavior?

UPDATE: Michael Lotus writes:

No matter what Obama does, there is going to be a lot more of this.

These guys are out of ideas, out of money, and have no sane argument to make for what they want everyone else to pay for.

Thank God for camera phones. Even ten years ago, they would have done a lot worse, and gotten away with it.

And to answer your question, my guess is Obama says nothing and the news media does not cover it, which means it never happened.

Or it would mean that if it weren’t for camera phones and the Internet.

Crowder showed good restraint. If he had thrown a punch, he’d have been stomped to death.

We need to identify this guy and make an example of him. And his union bosses. I’ve pledged $1000 toward the reward fund.

MIKE RIGGS: President Obama Is Now to the Right of Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels on Marijuana Policy.

MOE LANE STANDS wholeheartedly behind Electoral College Reform.

A QUESTION FOR THE ERA OF HOPE AND CHANGE: Is the U.S. Government Really A Spy Machine?

HIGHER EDUCATION UPDATE: Data mining may be used to cheat on restrictions on Affirmative Action.

UNDERWORLD: Rez Cowgirl.

And, inevitably, this. I love the guy in the footlights with the Canon GL-2. I remember when that was cutting-edge. I still have mine. Helen and I used it as a high-quality webcam, together with a Verizon EVDO card, to provide live video coverage of some early Tea Party rallies. But now I want a lager.

By the way, if you’re looking for a great live techno concert video — and who isn’t? — I recommend Underworld’s Everything Everything.

I also highly recommend the techno documentary Better Living Through Circuitry. I would say that it’s a little dated, but it doesn’t really lose anything for that.

110 PREDICTIONS for the next 110 Years.

DAVE CLARKE AND CHICKS ON SPEED: Disgraceland. “Well, I took a spin on the celebrity couch.”

Not to be confused with Disgraceland Records.

And here’s a whole Dave Clarke live set.

POLITICAL VIOLENCE: “Question No One Is Asking: Will Obama Demand Union Members Behave Peacefully, Or Will He Bless Their Violence With Silence?”

INFLIGHT ELECTRONICS: Even the FCC Thinks It’s Dumb That We Have To Turn Off Electronic Devices During Takeoff.

ILLINOIS: Big win for gun-rights groups: Federal appeals court tosses state ban on carrying concealed weapons.