Birthday, links and that's about it.

Happy birthday to me.

It's my birthday today, and I'll be busy with family instead of posting thoughts on the American political and economic landscape.  So, for your Saturday reading pleasure, check out these great pieces:

US Geological Survey: Bakken Black or Man, do we ever have some oil in America!

Verum Serum: Occupy fundraiser leads to vandalism spree.

Conservatives 4 Congress: Romney, earmarks and the Olympics.

Legal Insurrection: Raising the specter of another Bush candidacy?

Scottcarp Dream: An endorsement from battleground Ohio

Gateway Pundit: Obama wrong again on jobs - Caterpillar edition

Chicks on the Right: Maxine Waters demonizing the right - literally.

Michelle Malkin: More sneaky news releases on the Obama Solyndra scandal.

Right Wing News: How to talk on the radio (in case your blog ever gets you mildly famous)

Sean Trende: The dangers of a brokered GOP convention.

Jay Cost: The Continental Divide for the GOP

Race for Justice: Not the separation of Church and State.  It's separation of Church and people

Eccentric/Conservative: Sloganized, simple but accurate and memorable.

All American Blogger: No more guns to Mexico please...

The Republican Mother: At last, a Star Trek metaphor. Tholian Web of regulation.

Mind Numbed Robot: About That Obamacare Attack on Religious Liberty – aka The Birth Control/Abortion Pill Mandate…

Gonzalo Lira: Inflationary undertow prior to the inflationary wave

King Shamus:  Obama, for real, totally has a plan on spending. 

Weekend Link Around (1 of 2)

Reading glasses required.

I've been busy with family this weekend, but I've had a few opportunities to do some reading and below are some great reads from this weekend. Part II will follow shortly.

On the GOP primary race:

Legal Insurrection writes about how Tea Party Congressman Allen West is being redistricted out of existence by - the Romney campaign?  This GOP primary race may turn out to be about establishment liberal Republicans versus grassroots conservatives.

Gateway Pundit has the video of Sarah Palin talking about how Newt Gingrich would clobber Obama in a debate.

Just a Conservative Girl muses about whether the Herman Cain endorsement will help Newt or not.

National Security:

The ideas of foreign policy have been distilled into security versus military adventurism.  There doesn't seem to be in many corners the idea that a mix of approaches is necessary for foreign policy.  Either America is an expansionist Empire, or a nation of patsies.  It's really not that simple.  There are however truths in both sides of those arguments.

The Republican Mother is concerned that America is acting like Britain during it's empirical period and is doomed to the same fate.

State of the country:

Conservative Perspective talks about the state of America's disunion and quotes from very inspirational words about the differing views of what Americans believe. 

Western Hero talks about the Fear Driven Economy.

We The People has a parable on how the stimulus doesn't work.

Liberty At Stake talks about the dumbness of crowds and the herd mentality.

Verum Serum reminds us that Newt was cleared of those ethics charges.  Are you listening New York Times?

Western Experience notes military experts' divide on military cuts.

On God:

Gorges Grouse doesn't believe in atheists. How's that for turning it on it's head?

TeresAmerica has the Muslim news roundup.

Miscellaneous:

Remember the 'peaceful' Occupy movement?  Right Wing News notices a large number of arrests that don't really equate to peaceful.

Eccentric Conservative has a humorous editorial cartoon on media bias.