Today is June 18th. • On this date in 1812, the War of 1812 began. (The guy that names the wars was out sick that day.) The war officially ended on December 24, 1814, though additional battles took place before the word got out. Awkward. • Also on this date, in 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated near the town of Waterloo at the famous Battle of Waterloo. (The name guy took a lot of sick days back then.) Today, Napoleon is best known for being short, inspiring an overture, and voting for Pedro. • On this date in history, Susan B. Anthony was fined $100 for attempting to vote, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, and Sally Ride became the first American woman, as well as the youngest American, to go into space, in 1873, 1928, and 1983 respectively. Dang Fathers’ Day, you just got served! • And finally, today is International Picnic Day. Bloggers can celebrate with the traditional greeting “My eyes! The sun! It burns us, precious!” • Consider this an Open Thread.

Congressional Candidate Ozzie deFaria Under Criminal Investigation | The Shark Tank
“But here’s deFaria’s major no-no that has landed him in hot water- he illegally obtained my Florida driver’s license information and photo and then claimed that it was a ‘mugshot’ of me.”

Everything’s Wrong With the Farm Bill | Nancy Pfotenhauer
“How many people outside of Washington, D.C. realize that 73 percent of the spending in the $969 billion “farm bill” is actually for food stamps?”

Green Weenie Of The Week: The UN | Powerline
“Well yes, it goes without saying that the UN deserves the coveted Power Line Green Weenie Award every week, but this week stands out for the simple reason that the Rio+20 ‘Earth Summit’ is commencing down in Brazil.”

$250 million dollar subsidized Obama green energy company tanking | Right Scoop
“A123 Systems, the battery maker for the Fisker Automotive hybrid, got almost $250 million in loan guarantees from the Obama administration and is currently losing hundreds of millions each year.”

Inbox irony of the day | Hot Air
“Painting an incumbent President as a victim of the whims of fate is patently ridiculous — but sure makes a handy excuse when one loses a bid for a second term.”

Sam Donaldson: Many On Right Oppose Obama Because He’s Black | Big Journalism
“Then, Donaldson revealed his blatant bias (or utter foolishness) by writing that many on the right who oppose Obama do so not because of Obama’s leftists policies but because of the color of his skin”

SC Tea Party License Plates, and my small Breitbart moment
from karenmartin

volant (VOH-luhnt): adjective 1. Moving lightly; nimble. 2. Engaged in or having the power of flight. noun 1. Also called volant piece. Armor. A reinforcing piece for the brow of a helmet.
(via Dictionary.com)