Thursday, May 24, 2007
About those tax cuts
It seems that they work...
According to Pete Dupont in the Wall Street Journal:
"Economic indicators show that since the 2003 tax cuts the GDP has grown an inflation-adjusted average of 3.3% a year, and eight million new jobs have been created over 44 consecutive months of job growth. Unemployment has fallen 25%, from 6.1% to 4.5%, with strong declines across all ethnic groups. Productivity growth has expanded 2.8% a year since 2001, outstripping the past three decades' average. So according to all these economic indices, the 2003 tax cuts have strengthened the American economy.
The tax cuts have also produced substantial tax revenue increases--14.5% growth in 2005 and 11.7% in 2006. For the first seven months of the current fiscal year, total revenues were up 11.3% over last year, and individual income tax receipts were up by 17.5%. Total tax receipts in April were $70 billion higher than in April 2006."
Immigration - Wait and See?
Almost everything I'm reading has little good to say about the pending Immigration Bill.
Then I saw this...
Then I saw this...
Bob Barr writes in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
"Actually, what caused the disfavor was the fact that he had expressed support earlier in the week for a compromise, bipartisan immigration reform bill that, among other things, would:
• Add 18,000 full-time agents to the U.S. Border Patrol.
• Dramatically increase the number of beds at detention centers, to reduce the likelihood that illegal aliens will continue to be released pending judicial review of their status.
• Install more fences and detection devices along our southern border.
• Deploy a squadron of unmanned drones to monitor key areas of the U.S.-Mexican border.
• Establish a high-tech verification system by which employers would determine if applicants were in fact illegally in the country.
• Enhance penalties for immigration-related offenses.
Every one of these border-strengthening measures normally would receive strong applause from Republicans. But the fact that they would be followed by a reformed immigration process that includes a mechanism whereby people now in the United States in violation of our immigration laws would be able eventually to secure a "green card" (Permanent Resident Alien or "PRA" card) and thereafter possibly citizenship, has rendered the compromise legislation anathema to many Republicans."
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Troops - An "embedded" opinion
Kudos to the troops, and kudos to the media for actually reporting it...
In the Wall Street Opinion Journal, Jeff Emanuel writes:
"'I love those guys,' Mr. Beriain said, looking wistfully out the window of the media cloister in the Green Zone that is the Combined Press Information Center. 'From the first time you go kick a door with them, they accept you--you're one of them. I've even got a 'family photo' with them" to remember them by. 'I really hated to leave.'
Such a radical transformation--and such a strong bond of affection--can rarely be forged in so little time outside of the constant, universal peril of a wartime environment. 'It is those common experiences,' Mr. Beriain explained, 'where you are all in danger, and you go through it together. It builds a relationship instantly.'
It doesn't matter how skeptical of the war a journalist might be, according to an Army public affairs officer who spoke with me about it on condition of anonymity. 'So often, they come out of that experience and--even if their opinion of the war hasn't changed--they're completely won over by the troops.'
'I was one of those,' admitted Mr. Beriain, speaking broken English and blinking away tears. 'No matter what you think of the war, or what has happened here, you cannot be around the soldiers and not be completely affected. They are amazing people, and they represent themselves and the Army better than anyone could ever imagine.' A retired Army officer concurred, telling me that "young troops are some of the best goodwill ambassadors we've ever produced. It would never occur to one to not tell you what he's really thinking, and they are so earnest" that it is almost impossible not to be won over by them if given enough time."
Immigration - A fraudulent bill?
Thomas Sowell is often a voice of reason.
He doesn't like the Immigration Bill...
He doesn't like the Immigration Bill...
Thomas Sowell makes this point among others:
"The first, and perhaps biggest, fraud is the argument that illegal aliens are "doing jobs Americans won't do." There are no such jobs.
Even in the sector of the economy in which illegal immigrants have the highest representation -- agriculture -- they are just 24 percent of the workers. Where did the other 76 percent come from, if these are jobs that Americans won't do?"
The ACLU - It's different now
Sadly, the name of this organization gives great hope, while their performance is often very hard to understand.
And that's my opinion...
And that's my opinion...
Wendy Kaminer discusses her opinion in the Wall Street Opinion Journal:
"Once the nation's leading civil liberties group and a reliable defender of everyone's speech rights, the ACLU is being transformed into just another liberal human-rights group that reliably defends the rights of liberal speakers.
This transformation is gradual, unacknowledged and not readily apparent, since evidence of it lies mainly in cases the ACLU does not take. It's naturally easier to know what an organization is doing (and advertising) than what it is not doing. But a review of recent free-speech press releases turns up only a handful of cases in which ACLU state affiliates defended the rights of conservative, antigay or otherwise politically incorrect speakers. And lately the national organization has been remarkably quiet in several important free-speech cases and controversies."
Ethanol - the Myth?
Well, according to John Stossel it is...
At TownHall.com, John Stossel tells us all about it:
"When everyone in politics jumps on a bandwagon like ethanol, I start to wonder if there's something wrong with it. And there is. Except for that fact that ethanol comes from corn, nothing you're told about it is true. As the Cato Institute's energy expert Jerry Taylor said on a recent "Myths" edition of "20/20," the case for ethanol is based on a baker's dozen myths."
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Sports - and our society
I'm with Jason Whitlock, and apparently Jim Brown agrees.
The culture needs to change; beginning with the kids...
The culture needs to change; beginning with the kids...
Jason Whitlock describes an event he participated in. He makes a point with this remark:
"Just last week, popular black comedian DL Hughley appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and completely trashed the Rutgers women’s players. Hughley called them “nappy headed” and “ugly” among other things. “The Tonight Show” has far more reach than Imus’ old radio/TV show. Hughley resonates with black kids far more than Imus.
I pointed all this out at The Forum. I sarcastically asked when we were going to protest DL Hughley. No one said a word."
Animal Lovers?
1,200 arsons nationwide: These two groups do NOT have my sympathy...
You can read more by Jeff Barnard of the Associated Press at OregonLive.com:
"First prosecutors want a federal judge to declare them terrorists — something defense attorneys argue has never happened in 1,200 arsons nationwide claimed by Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front and is more about politics than time behind bars."
Global Warming - Some opinions are changing
Well, maybe the pendulum is swinging.
In our world where everyone seems to have an authoritative title, it's hard to know who anyone really is, or what their opinion is worth.
Anyway, this article highlights some who have changed their opinions, and promises many more to come.
If nothing else, I'd like to see the indoctrination of our children stopped until facts can be evaluated without the incessant hype...
In our world where everyone seems to have an authoritative title, it's hard to know who anyone really is, or what their opinion is worth.
Anyway, this article highlights some who have changed their opinions, and promises many more to come.
If nothing else, I'd like to see the indoctrination of our children stopped until facts can be evaluated without the incessant hype...
Marc Morano reports:
"The list below is just the tip of the iceberg. A more detailed and comprehensive sampling of scientists who have only recently spoken out against climate hysteria will be forthcoming in a soon to be released U.S. Senate report. Please stay tuned to this website, as this new government report is set to redefine the current climate debate.
In the meantime, please review the list of scientists below and ask yourself why the media is missing one of the biggest stories in climate of 2007. Feel free to distribute the partial list of scientists who recently converted to skeptics to your local schools and universities. The voices of rank and file scientists opposing climate doomsayers can serve as a counter to the alarmism that children are being exposed to on a daily basis. (See Washington Post April 16, 2007 article about kids fearing of a “climactic Armageddon” )
The media's climate fear factor seemingly grows louder even as the latest science grows less and less alarming by the day. (See Der Spiegel May 7, 2007 article: Not the End of the World as We Know It ) It is also worth noting that the proponents of climate fears are increasingly attempting to suppress dissent by skeptics. (See UPI May 10, 2007 article: U.N. official says it's 'completely immoral' to doubt global warming fears )"
Immigration - A "comprehensive" opinion column
Gabriel Garnica obviously put a lot of thought into this article.
She covers a lot and makes many valid points...
She covers a lot and makes many valid points...
Gabriel Garnica writes at FamilySecurityMatters.org:
"In fact, we are witnesses to the steady transformation of illegal immigration from unlawful conduct into a noble struggle for basic human rights in which innocent children and teary families are the victims, all thanks to liberals’ direction and the media’s attention. "
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Politicians - Bennie Thompson
We grant immunity from prosecution to a variety of people. What's so difficult about including this type of tipster?
I really have to wonder whose side some of these politicians are on...
I really have to wonder whose side some of these politicians are on...
In this Washington Times editorial, we learn about Congressman Thompson's plan:
"We've all seen this phrase in block letters: "REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY," followed by a 1-800 number. But if a House Democrat manages to kill a tipster-immunity measure under consideration in Congress this month, people who report suspicious behavior could be sued in civil court if the accused are not charged with a crime. November's frightened U.S. Airways "John Doe" passengers in Minneapolis are already in the crosshairs."
In the United Kingdom
I keep trying to understand why we keep making these rules.
It only keeps the door open for the next item to ban.
Like teasing in the schoolyard, the more reaction, the more it continues.
Duh!...
It only keeps the door open for the next item to ban.
Like teasing in the schoolyard, the more reaction, the more it continues.
Duh!...
In the U.K. Daily Express, Padraic Flanagan reports:
"School chiefs are today under fire for banning pupils from wearing crosses in class while allowing the jewellery of other faiths."
"You are going forever to paradise"
It's easy to criticize their killing of innocent civilians; but, isn't that what has happened in every war so far?...
Here's the story by Tom Blackwell in Canada's National Post:
"KABUL - If the Canadian man arrested in Afghanistan last week was, as alleged, planning a suicide bombing, he would not be alone in having his bloody mission aborted by authorities.
Though media coverage tends to focus on successful detonations, close to 50 would-be suicide bombers have been arrested alive in Kabul in the last few years, and the number arriving in the city is growing, local police say.
Most talk freely about their plans and background, and provide videos they recorded beforehand, helping build a vivid profile of the terrorists, said General Alishah Paktiawal, head of criminal investigations for the Kabul police."
Monday, May 14, 2007
Summer Camp in New York State?
If this doesn't give you the creeps, nothing will...
At the NewMediaJournal.us, Dr. Paul Williams writes about this place, right here in the United States:
"Situated within a dense forest at the foothills of the Catskill Mountains on the outskirts of Hancock, New York, Islamberg is not an ideal place for a summer vacation unless, of course, you are an exponent of the Jihad or a fan of Osama bin Laden.
The 70 acre complex is surrounded with 'No trespassing' signs; the rocky terrain is infested with rattlesnakes; and the woods are home to black bears, coyotes, wolves, and a few bobcats.
The entrance to the community is at the bottom of a very steep hill that is difficult to navigate even on a bright sunny day in May. The road, dubbed Muslim Lane, is unpaved and marred by deep crevices that have been created by torrential downpours. On a wintry day, few, save those with all terrain vehicles, could venture forth from the remote encampment.
A sentry post has been established at the base of the hill.
The sentry, at the time of this visit, is an African American dressed in Islamic garb – a skull cap, a prayer shawl, and a loose fitting shalwat kameez. He instructs us to turn around and leave. 'Our community is not open to visitors,' he says."
Politicians - Bill Clinton
This author has a lot to say about Bill Clinton.
He's clearly not a fan...
He's clearly not a fan...
Jamie Glazov interviews R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. for FrontPageMagazine.com:
"Frontpage Interview’s guest today is R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., the founder and editor in chief of The American Spectator, a contributing editor to the New York Sun, and an adjunct scholar at the Hudson Institute. He is the author of the new book The Clinton Crack-Up: The Boy President's Life After the White House."
Politicians - Hillary Clinton
Yikes!...
At HumanEvents.com, Ericka Andersen writes:
"Hillary Clinton may suffer from a psychological condition that would raise questions about her fitness for office. In a book released today, respected political analyst Bay Buchanan reveals that Hillary bears all the classic symptoms of 'clinical narcissism.'
According to the American Psychiatric Association, this condition includes feelings of superiority, self-importance and 'fantasies of unlimited success, fame or power.'
'We are not talking about self-infatuation,' warns Buchanan, 'we are talking about a clinical condition that could make her dangerously ill-suited to become President and Commander in Chief.'"
Thursday, May 10, 2007
"Scorpion Down" by Ed Offley
Could this be true?...
At NewsHerald.com, David Angier discusses Ed Offley's new book "Scorpion Down":
"The USS Scorpion nuclear submarine sank in the Mediterranean Sea in May 1968 with the loss of all 99 men on board. For decades, the sinking was considered to be one of the great unsolved naval mysteries of all time."
Politicians - Hillary Clinton
A lot of airplane fuel.
I wonder what Al Gore would say...
I wonder what Al Gore would say...
Hillary's flying habits are discussed by Ian Bishop in the New York Post:
"Jet-setting Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton is a fussy frequent flier who used three different planes in a single day during a recent campaign swing through South Carolina.
The former first lady even grounded one aircraft - a chartered Gulfstream II - in Columbia, S.C., last Friday, demanding a swankier Gulfstream III replacement for a flight out west.
'She didn't like the configuration of the cabin,' an aviation source familiar with Clinton's travel told The Post.
And that was after the Gulfstream II pilot dropped Sen. Clinton off at the bustling commercial terminal rather than the secluded area for private planes, sources told The Post."
Politicians - Ronald Reagan
Actor, statesman, optimist, dreamer, and forever young...
Roger Simon remembers Ronald Reagan:
"His speeches, like his campaign slogan -- "Let's make America great again" -- have the virtue of simplicity. His optimism is simply uncrushable. His mother got him into acting, and it is a world he never left.
The America he loves is the America of Hollywood, where our motives are always true, our hearts always pure and our ultimate victory never in doubt.
And even when he left movie-making, he never left the stage. Now, running against the incumbent but unelected Ford in the Republican primaries, Reagan's entire campaign resembles a feature-length film.
He was a performer in an era when we were only beginning to realize that performing was one of the most important things a presidential candidate can do."
Politicians - Gov. Kathleen Sebelius
Politics 24/7/365.
Apparently, some people don't know that there's a time to give it a rest..
Apparently, some people don't know that there's a time to give it a rest..
WCBSTV.com reporter, Steve Fink interviews a local resident:
"While Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and the Bush administration jaw back-and-forth over the relief efforts for Greensburg, Kan., the town devastated by Friday night's F-5 tornado, town residents have chimed in and say they couldn't be any happier with the response from the government and other rescue units.
"The poor response thing is just political BS," Greensburg resident Mike Swigart, 47, who lost his house and four vehicles from the storm, told wcbstv.com in an exclusive interview."
Politicians - And Our Money
OK. Tell me where I'm wrong.
This unpaid amount would seem to cover the current year's deficit that we always hear so much about.
And, we should trust politicians to oversee our money when they can't even oversee their own?
Not to mention that they must have so much money that late fees and penalties don't even matter to them...
This unpaid amount would seem to cover the current year's deficit that we always hear so much about.
And, we should trust politicians to oversee our money when they can't even oversee their own?
Not to mention that they must have so much money that late fees and penalties don't even matter to them...
In the Wall Street Journal, Brody Mullins talks about unpaid taxes:
"...the estimated $290 billion a year taxpayers owe the federal government but haven't paid -- because even taxpayers who say they intend to pay in full sometimes make mistakes."
Politics - In Australia
A predominant conservative society has formed...
Scott Prasser writes in the Australian News:
"Because during the past two decades conservatives have won all the key policy battles. Conservative values drive the policy agenda to such an extent that whoever is in power is essentially unimportant. Now, and in the foreseeable future, there will be little divergence from the conservative agenda. We live in a conservative world and the Labor Party takes its policy cues from the conservative framework. Left-of-centre views may still have currency at universities, but in the real world of voter preferences and policies that work there is no market for outdated left-of-centre policy products. Everywhere, leftist policies are in retreat.
State Labor governments, once known for their interventionist economic strategies, have adopted a more market-oriented policy agenda."
In Our World - Making Money
I guess it's just a sign of our times.
Personally, I don't like it...
Personally, I don't like it...
The AP's Kristen Gelineau reports in the Houston Chronicle:
"BLACKSBURG, Va. — When Fred McChesney heard about the Virginia Tech shooting spree on April 16, he was appalled. But what he did next has appalled many others.
Within hours of the rampage, the Phoenix man began buying dozens of domain names — CampusKillings.com, VirginiaTechMurders.com, SlaughterInVirginia.com — in the hopes of selling them later to the highest bidder.""
RAVEN - The Robotic Surgeon
Eventually coming to a place near you?
Notice I said place, not hospital...
Notice I said place, not hospital...
At the University of Washington, Hannah Hickey has the drtails:
"During the mission, four crew members will assemble the robot and perform experiments. The two larger-than-life black robotic arms will use surgical instruments to suture a piece of rubber and move blocks from one spindle to another on what looks like a delicate children's toy. The brains behind the robot's movements will be three surgeons in front of a computer screen in Seattle: Drs. Mika Sinanan and Andrew Wright of the University of Washington's Medical Center, and Dr. Thomas Lendvay of Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle.
Instructions will travel over a commercial Internet connection from Seattle to Key Largo, Fla., then via a special wireless connection from there to a buoy, and finally via cable underwater. Images of the simulated patient will travel back over the same network. "
Have you checked your balance lately?
I just thought you'd like something else to worry about...
I found this in an article by Rebecca Sausner at BankTechNews.com:
"That huge and growing threat has stayed under the radar of most information security executives primarily because Chinese hackers' end game is much more subtle than the typical Eastern European cyber thief. Unlike the stereotypical Russian hackers, who aim for financial gain, the prototypical Chinese infiltration embraces a long-term strategic approach to cyber crime. Put bluntly, they seem to want the intellectual property that makes our country tick, not our life savings. Second, unless there are Chinese language notes embedded in the code, it's extremely tough to know if an attack is coming from China, or if Chinese servers are just the last hopping point for an American hacker disguising his actions.
But government officials willing to talk about the issue-and there aren't many-offer it up in grave terms. Maj. Gen. William Lord, director of information, services and integration in the Air Force's Office of Warfighting Integration and CIO, called the Chinese infiltration of an insecure government logistics network 'a nation-state threat' by the Chinese.
The pronouncement comes amid mounting evidence of cross-border cyber incursions, including half a dozen or more discovered by Federal agencies. And then there is the rising number of attacks against U.S. corporates, from financial services down to public utilities. These attacks are fueled by malware and botnets, two cyberwar weapons that China now excels at producing."
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Writer vs. Writer
Well, he does call himself "the Ornery American"...
Here's a novel idea. Orson Scott Card says. "Don't you dare ask for proof":
"That's what the global-warming protection racket is about: Hey, we can't prove anything is actually happening, but look how many people we've got to agree with us! You'd better make a whole bunch of sacrifices which, by coincidence, exactly coincide with the political agenda of the anti-Western anti-industrial religion of ecodeism -- or global warming will get you!"
Fred Thompson - about George Tenet's book
It seems like everyone has an agenda and a book to tell (sell) about it...
I found this in an article by Fred Thompson at TownHall.com:
"My attention was drawn to Tenent’s statements that al Qaeda is here and waiting and that they wish nothing more than to be able to see a mushroom cloud above the United States.
Naturally, the media emphasis is not on that. Its attention is on any differences Tenent had with the administration. The media’s premise is that Iraq should not have been considered a real threat to us and that the administration basically misled the country into war. While one may take issue with Tenent on several things, I was intrigued that on some very important issues, Tenent did not follow the media script when answering Russert’s questions.
On the issue of al Qaeda’s relationship with Iraq, for example, Tenent said that the CIA had proof of al Qaeda contact with Saddam’s regime; that the regime had provided safe haven for al Qaeda operatives and that Saddam had provided training assistance for al Qaeda terrorists."
Polticians - John Conyers
Somehow, I just think of ethics and politicians as oil and water...
Here's a CNSnews.com story by Fred Lucas:
"Former Conyers staffers have accused the long-time congressman of ordering them to perform personal errands such as babysitting his children.
He also was accused of instructing them to work on Michigan political campaigns -- including the campaign of his wife, Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers -- while on congressional staff time. The councilwoman has denied the charge."
Politics - France elects a new President
French politics looks pretty ugly...
The Washington Times' Nidra Poller talks about French "gutter slime":
"Mr. Sarkozy was the target of a gutter-slime anti-Sarko campaign, passed off as a citizen's movement against a dangerous fascist. His Jewish origins and trans-Atlantic affinities were slandered in a Nazi-style cartoon showing him at the center of a Star of David, pointing to Tel Aviv and Washington. Vicious lies about Mr. Sarkozy, his family, his program and his millionaire friends circulated from extremist Web sites to left-wing bobo mailing lists and turned up, freshly laundered, in Miss Royal's speeches. International media, apparently ignorant of the lower depths of the sleaze, picked up the rumors and the less objectionable caricatures. While mudslingers called Mr. Sarkozy a dwarf -- he is not tall like Charles de Gaulle and Jacques Chirac -- wily denigrators dressed him up as Napoleon."
About those "Chicken Littles"
I think Mr. Strom is right on the mark...
David Strom discusses liberals doom and gloom in his TownHall.com article:
"So, why are liberals so pessimistic? Why the doom and gloom, the disaster around the corner scenarios? What is the deeper cause of the never-ending predictions of disasters from modern liberals?
It’s pretty simple, really, once you understand that the truth of their predictions is utterly irrelevant. The coming disaster, no matter what its origin, always has the same solution: increase taxes, increase the size of government, hand over more and more power and control to government, and by the way, hand over power and prestige to liberals.
In other words, once you sweep past the hyperbole, the coming disaster scenarios, and the supposed policy descriptions, contemporary liberalism is really only about two things: money and power."
Politicians - John Edwards
I just can't warm up to this guy.
He's a former trial lawyer, you know...
He's a former trial lawyer, you know...
Breitbart.com has Nedra Pickler's Associated Press report:
"Edwards said it's fair to ask questions about whether there is a contradiction between campaigning against poverty while working for a hedge fund designed to make rich people richer. But he said the job was a complement to his position as the head of a poverty center at the University of North Carolina, something he said he didn't describe adequately when asked about the hedge fund during the first Democratic debate last month."
Immigration - in Oklahoma
I'm pretty sure the governor signed this bill...
Tim Talley writing for the Associated Press:
"Legislation described as the nation’s most sweeping attempt to deny jobs and public benefits to illegal immigrants was sent to Gov. Brad Henry’s desk Tuesday.
State lawmakers urged Henry to sign the measure into law after it was approved in a bipartisan 84-14 vote by the state House. The bill was approved 41-6 by the Senate last month.
'The people of Oklahoma are very strongly for this bill,' said House Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah."
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Global Warming - No link to hurricanes?
No satellites in the late 1800's.
Did you know that? Duh!...
Did you know that? Duh!...
In Miami, United Press International reports:
"Landsea says three hurricanes each year, on average, went uncounted during the late 1800s and the first half of the 20th century -- before satellite storm monitoring was used to track storms.
'When you add those storms back into the record, we don't see any new trend,' Landsea said. 'There's no link to global warming that you can see at all.'"
Politicians - Protecting each other?
My guess is that no poltician of either party wants to open up a can of worms and set a precedent of using lie detector tests on their own ilk. In this case, protecting one another clearly transcends party lines...
HumanEvents.com's Political Editor, John Gizzi, writes:
"As to why Berger should now submit to a lie detector test, the Republican lawmakers note that while he was prosecuted for taking documents he admitted to taking, 'questions remain about what other documents he removed.'
Specifically, Davis and his colleagues cite that when Berger visited the National Archives on four occasions in ’02 and ’03, he reviewed highly classified documents -- "some of which were so highly classified Mr. Berger’s own deputy did not have the requisite security clearances to see" in preparation for the 9-11 Commission inquiry into the terrorist attacks of that date.
'Mr. Berger,' they wrote, 'was provided original materials for which there were no copies or inventory. Mr. Berger admitted taking documents on three of these visits. The Archives official who provided the materials to Mr. Berger said she would ‘never know what if any original documents were missing.'"
At the World Bank - Politics?
Rules, rules, and more rules: all to be used as needed...
At the American Thinker, Clarice Feldman reports what's going on:
"One of the insistent lessons of the Wolfowitz affair with respect to Bank governance is that the Bank manages that great bureaucratic feat, so reminiscent of the 'soft' Communist regimes of Yugoslavia, Hungary and today, China (and Zhang's language sounds less like a banker than that of a Chinese Communist Party functionary, does it not?), the twin, simultaneous qualities of infinite discretion combined with infinite rules. A bureaucracy that has a rule for every occasion - and the discretion to ignore them whenever and however it feels like. No wonder the institution is so resistant to Wolfowitz's rule of law agenda."
In Switzerland - Minarets
Is there a minaret in your community's future?...
At SwissInfo.org, Adam Beaumont reports:
"People's Party parliamentarian Ulrich Schluer, who is co-president of the campaign committee, argues that the construction of minarets will create problems in communities and threaten the peace.
This has already happened in cantons Solothurn and Bern where plans to build minarets have run into local opposition.
'The minaret has nothing to do with religion: it is not mentioned in the Koran or other important Islamic texts. It just symbolises a place where Islamic law is established,' Schluer told swissinfo."
"The American Fifth Column"
Mr. Salvato asks us some interesting questions at the end of his article..
Frank Salvato, writing in the New Media Journal:
"The Progressive-Left’s American Fifth Column is most often epitomized by the militant, bullhorn toting activist who, when not examined thoroughly, seems to be advocating for one 'civil right' or another. We see them at the pro-illegal immigration protests, the anti-gun protests, the anti-war protests, anywhere a group of people can lay blame at the feet of government and especially the Bush Administration. But the American Fifth Column’s tentacles spread much wider and delve much deeper into our history and our society and recent events illustrate this as fact, rather than fiction.
The American Fifth Column is born out of Socialist/Communist ideology where the citizenry grows dependent on the government while the government increasingly legislates itself more control over the people.
In the perfect Fifth Column world, everyone is equal and possesses an artificially elevated sense of self-worth, the competitive spirit is equalized through taxes and legislated oversight of private business and societal boundaries – including boundaries in speech and action – are enforced through a shadow set of laws known as political correctness, a set of laws that undermine the authority of the Constitution.
The American Fifth Column is embodied by the politically correct multicultural one-world movement and encompasses all of the Progressive-Left buzz word initiatives, such as 'diversity,' 'public good,' 'it takes a village,' 'global village' and so on."
Politicians - Fred Thompson
I guess this Lincoln Club affair is a big deal...
Here's a little more on Fred Thompson from HeadingRight.com:
"The Lincoln Club, of the conservative California enclave in Orange County, invited Fred Thompson to speak at their annual dinner. This has widely been seen as a tacit endorsement of Thompson’s potential candidacy for the GOP’s 2008 presidential nomination, and the Lincoln Club’s endorsement (tacit or otherwise) carries a powerful weight to anyone fortunate enough to receive it. Thompson gave every indication that he wants that support in an excellent speech to the gathered Republican power brokers, his answer to the debate that he could not attend."
Friday, May 04, 2007
The Sunni Awakening (The Fourth Rail)
This sounds promising...
Bill Roggio reports:
"Sam Dagher of the Christian Science Monitor reports on a major development in Anbar province. The Anbar Salvation Council, led by Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Rishawi, has turned the Albu Fahd tribe against al Qaeda. The Albu Fahd was one of the six original Anbari tribes to support al Qaeda and its Islamic State in Iraq. These six tribes are known in some military intelligence circles as the 'Sinister Six'. The Albu Fahd [described as the Bu-Fahed] has now joined the Anbar Salvation Council and pledged to throw its weight behind the fight against al Qaeda."
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Politicians - Canada's Belinda Stronach
Not mentioned here, but this is Bill Clinton's rumored Canadian girlfriend...
I found this article by Paul Albers in the Canada Free Press:
"It is hard to believe that only a little more than two weeks have passed since it happened. Will any of us ever forget where we were when we heard the news? How deeply it shook us? Will things ever be the same again? What's that, you ask? The fire the destroyed the one time home of Johnny Cash? No, I'm talking about the announcement that Belinda Stronach will not seek re-election."
Politicians - Fred Thompson
I know it might be a long shot, but there are definitely things to like about Fred Thompson.
And I think he recently bought a new red pickup truck...
And I think he recently bought a new red pickup truck...
The Weekly Standard's Stephen F. Hayes tells this story:
"A strange thing happened a few weeks back when I went to the Café Promenade at the Mayflower Hotel for an off-the-record interview with an unpaid adviser to the non-campaign of unannounced presidential candidate Fred Thompson.
Fred Thompson showed up."
Politicians - Leadership behavior?
Based on my value system, I say not even close...
Frank Salvato, the New Media Journal's Managing Editor writes:
"...I am led to believe that many in Congress from both sides of the aisle – and perhaps most people elected to office – are sadly devoid of a proper understanding of the Constitution and just exactly what it is they are required to do for their constituencies.
Two instances, appalling in nature to those of us who embrace the idea of good government, took place this week at the hands of Democrat leadership."
Immigration - and our Courts
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
A wall could be considered prevention, couldn't it?...
A wall could be considered prevention, couldn't it?...
This was reported by Jennifer Talhelm of the Associated Press:
"Illegal alien-related felony cases are swamping federal courts along the southwest border, forcing judges to handle hundreds more cases than their peers elsewhere.
Judges in the five, mostly rural judicial districts on the border carry the heaviest felony caseloads in the nation. Each judge in New Mexico, which ranked first, handled an average of 397 felony cases last year, compared with the national average of 84.
Federal judges in those five districts -- southern and western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Southern California -- handled one-third of all the felonies prosecuted in the nation's 94 federal judicial districts in 2005, according to federal court statistics.
While Congress has increased the number of border patrol officers, the pace of the law enforcement has eclipsed the resources for the court system.
Judges say they are stretched to the limit with cases involving drug trafficking or illegal aliens who have also committed serious crimes. Judges say they need help"
SteynOnline - HAPPY EARTH DAY!
Italians or algae; which will it be?...
Mark Steyn discusses temperature changes and some other "global warming" issues:
"Evolution posits that species will come and go: some die out, some survive and evolve. I don't regard myself as anything terribly special but in a typical year I'm exposed to temperatures from around 98 degrees to 45 below freezing, in the lower part of which range I evolve into my long underwear."
Information Warfare: Let's Smear Some Marines for the Cause
"A lie repeated often enough becomes the truth." G. Goebbels...
Harold C. Hutchison thinks the media might have gotten it wrong. I'm not surprised.:
"April 27, 2007: There is now evidence that backs the Marines charged with killing civilians at Haditha in Iraq. If true, the new evidence would indicate that al Qaeda carried out another successful information operation that not only diverted resources into an investigation, but also provided some anti-war politicians ammunition to not only claim crimes had been committed, but that there had been a cover-up.
The initial Haditha investigations uncovered some apparent discrepancies in the Marines' stories, and a criminal investigation by NCIS was launched. This led to some criminal charges being filed earlier this year. Now, some of the charges have been dismissed, and it is beginning to look like the accusations of a massacre may be untrue, making it look like the story may end up to be more a case of the media getting it wrong. If so, this would not be the first time."
Politics - During Wartime
A retired Marine lieutenant general speaks out...
Michael DeLong wrote in the New York Times:
"As the deputy commander at United States Central Command from 2001 to 2003, I represented the military in dealing with politicians regarding the capture and rescue of Pfc. Jessica D. Lynch in Iraq, and thus I can speak with authority about what really happened after her maintenance convoy got lost near Nasiriya in 2003 and she was taken prisoner. I feel compelled to respond to accusations that have been made in recent days by several politicians."
Oliver North - Long-term Consequences
I wonder if this translates to "Think gas is expensive now?"...
On the CollinsReport.net, Oliver North relates some military opinions:
"In the days since Mr. Reid announced that 'this war is lost,' I have heard from dozens of the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Guardsmen and Marines that I have covered in eight trips to Iraq and two to Afghanistan for FOX News. Some of those who correspond with me are there now, others are home. Some are preparing to deploy again. None of them agree with the Majority Leader’s assessment.
One e-mail from Ramadi, Iraq observed: 'Good thing this guy Reid wasn’t around in 1940 when Winston Churchill promised the people of Great Britain nothing but "blood, toil, tears and sweat."' Another, a National Guardsman, recently returned from Mesopotamia with a Purple Heart, noted that the Senate Majority Leader has become 'Al Qaeda’s most powerful ally.' At Mississippi State University, a Marine corporal I last saw along the banks of the Tigris River – now a college student – asked me, 'Do those people who think we’ve lost this war have any idea what things will be like if we really do lose?' It’s an important question that none of the potentates on the Potomac who just voted to withdraw U.S. troops appear willing to address."
Flourescent Bulbs - Junk science or not?
I posted the flourescent bulb "cleanup" story some time ago; however, here's an update and some additional info.
I have to wonder if the cleanup is really so bad; why aren't the environmentalists screaming bloody murder?...
I have to wonder if the cleanup is really so bad; why aren't the environmentalists screaming bloody murder?...
FoxNews.com's, Steven Milloy is skeptical about those flourescent bulbs:
"It’s quite odd that environmentalists have embraced the CFL, which cannot now and will not in the foreseeable future be made without mercury. Given that there are about 4 billion lightbulb sockets in American households, we’re looking at the possibility of creating billions of hazardous waste sites such as the Bridges’ bedroom.
Usually, environmentalists want hazardous materials out of, not in, our homes.
These are the same people who go berserk at the thought of mercury being emitted from power plants and the presence of mercury in seafood. Environmentalists have whipped up so much fear of mercury among the public that many local governments have even launched mercury thermometer exchange programs.
As the activist group Environmental Defense urges us to buy CFLs, it defines mercury on a separate part of its Web site as a 'highly toxic heavy metal that can cause brain damage and learning disabilities in fetuses and children' and as 'one of the most poisonous forms of pollution.'"
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
The Media - "Freak Porn News"
I think this article presents the media, and it's relationship with our current society, extremely well...
Mac Johnson writes at the AmericanThinker.com:
"On every controversial issue of the day, the mainstream media weighs in with advocacy in the guise of information, creating a demonstrably misinformed electorate.
For example, many people live in a carefully cultivated fear of the radiation from nuclear power plants, unaware that the coal-fired plants that are often built in their place emit far more radiation due to the uranium contained in coal. The Iraq War is declared an unsustainable and pointless loss of life that must be ended immediately by ignominious retreat, yet Salmonella kills more Americans every year. And Lord only knows how many Americans are killed by illegal aliens every year, because the media simply isn't going to keep track. Clearly, not all loss of life is equal when a debate is raging. (And "Bush left the mayonnaise in the sun, kids died" doesn't rhyme.)"
The Bush Boom!
So, do you listen to the media, or do you measure the results?...
At USNews.com, James Pethokoukis discusses the apparent results of the 2003 Bush tax cuts:
"With the Dow industrials making new records every day of late–even cracking the 13,000 barrier to fascinate all the Wall Street numerologists out there–I thought it would be a real kick to see how the stock market has performed since Congress passed the 2003 Bush tax cuts on May 23, 2003. (The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act accelerated the 2001 tax cuts and cut taxes on capital gains and dividends.) Since then, the Dow is up 52 percent, the S&P 500 60 percent, and the Nasdaq 69 percent. (Overall, the stock market has created some $6.8 trillion in new wealth since then as the size of the economy has grown by some $2.8 trillion, not adjusted for inflation.)"
Politicians - Fred Thompson
Apparently, Fred Thompson, has support from some of Ronald Reagan's former associates...
Tim Shipman reports in the U.K.'s Telegraph:
"As deputy chief of staff, Michael Deaver was a key member of the 'troika' of aides who kept the Reagan White House on track. With the chief of staff James Baker and special assistant Ed Meese, he was the master of image and presentation.
Mr Deaver sees the same raw material in Mr Thompson as was perceived in Ronald Reagan, describing him as someone 'that could really make a difference'. He added: 'He is very popular in his party. He could change this whole thing and turn this primary system upside down.
As Ronald Reagan used to say, after he stole a line from Al Jolson, 'Stay tuned, you ain't seen nothing yet'.'"
Politicans - Fred Thompson
So far, I like this guy.
If he decides to run, he may make things interesting; surely on the Republican Party side, and maybe even on the Democratic Party side...
If he decides to run, he may make things interesting; surely on the Republican Party side, and maybe even on the Democratic Party side...
Fred Thompson speaks frequently on ABC Radio:
"It bothers Americans when we're told how unpopular we are with the rest of the world. For some of us, at least, it gets our back up -- and our natural tendency is to tell the French, for example, that we'd rather not hear from them until the day when they need us to bail them out again.
But we cool off. We're big boys and girls, after all, and we don't really bruise that easily. We're also hopeful that, eventually, our ostrich-headed allies will realize there's a World War going on out there and they need to pick a side -- the choice being between the forces of civilization and the forces of anarchy. Considering the fact that the latter team is growing stronger and bolder daily, while most of our European Union friends continue to dismantle their defenses, that day may not be too long in coming."
FactCheck.org
I've added FactCheck.org to the "Links" list on the right.
They are often used as a "truth detector" during or after political debates.
That's job security for sure...
They are often used as a "truth detector" during or after political debates.
That's job security for sure...
The FactCheck.org describes their mission as follows:
"We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit, "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.
The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels.
The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation."
Random thoughts - by Thomas Sowell
Mr. Sowell often sees what I see.
Apparently, his other readers do too...
Apparently, his other readers do too...
Here's one of several questions Thomas Sowell responds to in his "Random Thought" column:
"A reader wrote: 'Have you ever noticed that opinion polls ask the opinions of people who have no expertise in the subject on which they are being polled and publish these opinions as if they were gospel truth instead of group ignorance?'"
Politicians - a little sensitive?
I'm wondering if the other party's leadership is ever treated so harshly?
I'm just kidding, of course.
There's not enough time in a year to write a letter about every critic of the "other" party...
I'm just kidding, of course.
There's not enough time in a year to write a letter about every critic of the "other" party...
Read the New York Sun's editorial:
"So the entire Democratic caucus in the United States Senate — 50 senators — has sent a letter to the Washington Post attacking the dean of the Washington press corps, David Broder, for a column in which Mr. Broder dared to criticize their leader for his preemptive surrender to the terrorists in Iraq. 'We, the members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, contest the attack on Sen. Harry Reid's leadership by David S. Broder in his April 26 column,' the letter says. 'In contrast to Mr. Broder's insinuations, we believe Mr. Reid is an extraordinary leader who has effectively guided the new Democratic majority through these first few months with skill and aplomb.'"
Politicians - Diane Feinstein
I'm thinking the media is conveniently asleep on this one?...
At theHill.com, David Keene uses the word " shenanigans"
"And the director of the Project on Government Oversight who examined the evidence of wrongdoing assembled by California writer Peter Byrne told him that 'the paper trail showing Senator Feinstein’s conflict of interest is irrefutable.'
It may be irrefutable, but she almost got away without anyone even knowing what she was up to. Her colleagues on the subcommittee, for example, had no reason even to suspect that she knew what companies might benefit from her decisions because that information is routinely withheld to avoid favoritism. What they didn’t know was that her chief legal adviser, who also happened to be a business partner of her husband’s and the vice chairman of one of the companies involved, was secretly forwarding her lists of projects and appropriation requests that were coming before the committee and in which she and her husband had an interest — information that has only come to light recently as a result of the efforts of several California investigative reporters."
Politicians - Harry Reid
There are quite a few good questions here.
I think one would have to be unconscious to miss the point..
I think one would have to be unconscious to miss the point..
On the FloppingAces blog, Mike poetically asks the big one:
"Harry Reid: Where Will You Fight Al Queda?"
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Lawyers - Price For Missing Pants: $65 Million
Only in America...
Marc Fisher has this story to tell:
"Two years, thousands of pages of legal documents and many hundreds of hours of investigative work later, Pearson is seeking to make Custom Cleaners pay -- would you believe more than the payroll of the entire Washington Nationals roster?
He says he deserves millions for the damages he suffered by not getting his pants back, for his litigation costs, for 'mental suffering, inconvenience and discomfort,' for the value of the time he has spent on the lawsuit, for leasing a car every weekend for 10 years and for a replacement suit, according to court papers.
Pearson is demanding $65,462,500. The original alteration work on the pants cost $10.50."
Jon Voight
Pat Boone, Pat Sajak, Chuck Norris, and now Jon Voight, are patriots who aren't afraid to admit it.
It makes me wonder what John Wayne would say...
It makes me wonder what John Wayne would say...
Here's a paragraph from an interview with Jon Voight:
"The war on terror is real. People would have you believe it's not real. This is not Vietnam. This particular situation is not the same wherein we can walk away and just leave destruction behind us. No, we can't. Anyone who has paid attention to what [Iranian President] Ahmadinejad is saying, what all the mullahs are saying in this country and in England, and in all of the Arab world, this is serious—they're calling for the destruction of America and all democracy and that's what's going on. We could lose this war."
Politicians - John Edwards
Does she mention he's a former trial lawyer?...
In the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Salena Zito discusses John Edwards:
"Image and message collide for Edwards; they are at the heart of his failure to move in the polls. Who is he and what is he trying to say? Is he the populist candidate who is going to end poverty?
Well, if he is, he's got a whole lot of explaining to do.
Seriously, how can you talk about poverty when you're building the largest house in captivity?
Edwards talks about these 'two Americas', but how is he able to sell that to voters when he is getting $400 haircuts and going to a spa called Pink Sapphire?
It rings so phony that it has a televangelist quality to it."
In the U.K. - NEETS
I'd bet that the U.K. is not alone with this "lifetime" problem...
Amy Iggulden reports in the U.K.'s Telegraph:
"Roughly one in five young people faces a lifetime on government handouts, under-achieving in education and runs the risk of falling into crime, says a report by the London School of Economics for the Prince's Trust charity."
Only in America - Woman sues Pastor
This probably belongs in the "Lawyer" category...
I found this article by Kathleen Lavey at the Lansing State Journal website:
"A woman who struck her head while praying fervently at Mount Hope Church in 2002 will pursue her case against Pastor Dave Williams and the church at an Eaton County jury trial set for Monday.
In a July 2005 complaint, Judith Dadd claims she answered a call to the altar, where church members often "are overcome by the Spirit of the Lord" - they sway, move or collapse to the floor while praying.
Dadd claims that on previous altar calls, trained ushers were available to catch those who fell to the ground. When she fell in 2002, she says, no one caught her.Advertisement
Dadd also claims in the suit that immediately after her injury, Williams and the church, where she was a 12-year member and involved in the women's ministry, ignored her need for first aid, comfort from the trauma and shock and spiritual support and fellowship."
Telling it like it is?
For me, this closing paragraph in Steve Adcock's post, really struck a chord...
Steve Adcock writes at SmallGovTimes.com:
"It is no secret that the Democrat party depends on social entitlement programs to remain in power. I only hope that refusing to drug test a welfare recipient, and by effect financially supporting that person's drug habit with welfare dollars, is unique to Senator Dodd and not to one of the many other Democrat candidates for president that enjoy a significantly better chance at winning the election."
Tony Snow - Welcome Back!
I guess it's a "Blame America First" thing...
At NewsBusters.com, Mark Finkelstein reports:
"This NewsBuster participated in a conference call today with White House Press Secretary Tony Snow. Asked by me to comment on the Mitchell claim, Snow, flashing midseason form, observed:
As for the economic straits of the people in Cuba, there's an unbroken record of eocnomic failure in socialist states. Certainly the economic approach of the United States has not helped the economy of the Cubans, but on the other hand, this has been an economy that now for 47, 48 years has in fact been a basket case.
It's a direct result of policies that suppress people's natural freedoms, and their abilities to generate wealth and also to enjoy the incentives to build fresh wealth and opportunity on their own. So, again, look around the world, and socialism is 0-for-history when it comes to producing widespread, profound prosperity."
