Friday, October 31, 2008
Energy - 85.4 tcf of gas hydrates in Alaska
Just in case you didn't know: "tcf" means trillion cubic feet.
It's alot, and it's here in America...
It's alot, and it's here in America...
Nick Snow reports in the Oil & Gas Journal:
"There are 85.4 tcf of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas resources in gas hydrates on the Alaskan North Slope, reported the US Geological Survey on Oct. 18.
The US Department of the Interior agency said scientists recently completed the first assessment of an area extending from the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) on the west through the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) on the east, and from the Brooks Range on the south, to the state-federal offshore boundary 3 miles into the Arctic Ocean off the northern coast.
The 55,894 sq miles consists mostly of federal, state, and Alaskan native lands, USGS noted in a new report."
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Ken Blackwell : A New Welfare State - Townhall.com
Sooner or later, the alarm clock will go off, and Americans will realize that there really is no "free" lunch.
Sooner or later, Americans will realize that the accumulation of money, "things", and financial security is directly related to working and producing something.
I sure hope it's "sooner"...
Sooner or later, Americans will realize that the accumulation of money, "things", and financial security is directly related to working and producing something.
I sure hope it's "sooner"...
At Townhall.com, Ken Blackwell discusses the consequences of Barack Obama's tax plans:
"But, down the line, these programs face a financial crisis even worse than the housing mess that we're in now. They need literally trillions more dollars (above what they're set to take in) to meet their current obligations. By federal law, absent those new funds, every retiree will automatically have his or her benefits cut.
If Obama means to rebate those payroll taxes from the Social Security/Medicare funds, he's accelerating the bankruptcy of those programs. If not, he's still transferring money from people who pay income taxes to those who don't.
There's more: Either way, Obama is effectively changing these cores of American retirement from social insurance programs to European-style social welfare programs"
The Media - Bias and Decline?
I'd like to say that this article is refreshing; however, my reading experience tells me that this "writer" is pretty much one in a million.
His comrades are exactly as he describes them, and aren't likely to "'fess up" any time soon...
His comrades are exactly as he describes them, and aren't likely to "'fess up" any time soon...
Michael S. Malone of ABC News writes:
"The sheer bias in the print and television coverage of this election campaign is not just bewildering, but appalling. And over the last few months I've found myself slowly moving from shaking my head at the obvious one-sided reporting, to actually shouting at the screen of my television and my laptop computer.
But worst of all, for the last couple weeks, I've begun -- for the first time in my adult life -- to be embarrassed to admit what I do for a living. A few days ago, when asked by a new acquaintance what I did for a living, I replied that I was 'a writer,' because I couldn't bring myself to admit to a stranger that I'm a journalist."
The Media - CNN
Sadly, some significant portion of Americans still view CNN; and even worse, view CNN as an accurate news source...
Here's a part of Paul Ibrahim post on his website:
"So, CNN, you published a story about the decision of a man who worked on 'a number of Democratic campaigns in Cleveland,' who managed the office of a Congressional Democrat, and who is 'very far away from Bush' to vote for Barack Obama? For some reason, I suspect that when he was casting his ballot for Obama he wasn't really voting 'Democrat in the first time almost ever.'
And if we give it a little more thought, if this 61-year old man convered to the GOP 15 years ago (at which point he still apparently opposed core Republican positions), then he has spent the majority of his adult life, about 30 years, as a Democrat. (For those who are still suspicious that it's the same man, this Los Angeles Times piece provides conclusive evidence that that is the case).
Reading the CNN story, one would think that hell is freezing over as even lifelong hardcore Republicans are now falling at the feet of The One. If CNN had done a simple Google search, they would have not only realized that their story is unimpressive, but also that it's incredibly reckless and deceptive. Or perhaps they knew, and are being flat out manipulative."
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Burt Prelutsky : More Unsolved Mysteries
Here's one of mine: Why is it that so many of us have forgotten many of the things we learned, about people and about life, back in the schoolyard?...
At TownHall.com, BurtPrelutsky writes this one; and, he has quite a few more serious ones:
"All that being said, why the heck do millions of Americans carry on the way they do? Why is it, to take an obvious example, that only Republicans make fun of Chris Matthews when he announces that Obama sends a tingle up his leg? That’s far more embarrassing than anything Sarah Palin has said. Plus, the man has a lisp, so he’s made to order to be ridiculed on Saturday Night Live, as are Bill Maher, Keith Olbermann, Al Franken, Rosie O’Donnell and Joe (Hair Plugs) Biden."
Senior Liberation Act - WSJ.com
The more one reads about our government and it's domestic policies, the more one is amazed...
This Wall Street Journal article discusses an interesting item and the lawsuit that's trying to change it:
"For all of America's cherished belief in choice and freedom, it remains an astonishing fact that the U.S. government forces citizens over the age of 65 into a subpar health plan of its choosing. And so it is with some hope that we greet a new federal lawsuit that aims to allow senior citizens to flee Medicare.
The suit comes courtesy of Kent Masterson Brown, a lawyer who has previously tangled with the government over Medicare benefits. Mr. Brown represents three plaintiffs who are suing the federal government to be allowed to opt out of Medicare without losing their Social Security benefits.
Amazingly, this is not currently allowed. While the Social Security law does not require participants to accept Medicare, and the Medicare law does not require participants to accept Social Security, the Clinton Administration in 1993 tied the programs together. Under that policy, any senior who withdraws from Medicare also loses Social Security benefits."
"Obama’s Tax Plan and Small Businesses"
The rules of the U.S. Small Business Administration sure show a different light on what we've been hearing.
What qualifies as a small business may just amaze you...
What qualifies as a small business may just amaze you...
DRJ posted this and some qualifiers at www.patterico.com:
"The US Small Business Administration (SBA) defines a 'small business' according to its average annual receipts or the number of its employees. Here are examples from the SBA’s Table of Small Business Size Standards setting forth the maximum average annual receipts by industry that a business can have and still be classified as a small business:"
"Zo" says: I'm Voting For McCain / Palin
Sometimes, the clearest information comes from unlikely sources.
Meet Zo, the founder of Macho Sauce Productions...
Meet Zo, the founder of Macho Sauce Productions...
You can go to YouTube by clicking here. Or just watch the video below by clicking the "Play" arrow:
A letter to any editor
Yep! I don't think anyone could say it better...
On the Meridian Magazine website, Orson Scott Card makes many points and then closes with:
"You're just the public relations machine of the Democratic Party, and it's time you were all fired and real journalists brought in, so that we can actually have a news paper in our city."
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Barack Obama - Caesar?
Core values and distinguishing right from wrong; or conventional "expertise" and "charisma".
I think I listed the right choice first...
I think I listed the right choice first...
On his website, David Warren writes:
"In my world, you don't humour a politician who presents 'Change,' 'Unity,' and especially, 'Hope,' as hypnotic mantras, with the power of enchantment over very large crowds. And you especially don't humour such a politician at a time when both country and world are unstable, and hard decisions will have to be made.
Deeper than this: Obama has presented himself from the start as a messianic, 'transformational' leader -- and thus played deceitfully with ideas that belong to religion and not politics. That he has done this so successfully is a mark of the degree to which the U.S. itself, like the rest of the western world, has lost its purchase on the Christian religion."
Barack Obama - the unconstrained vision?
I don't like the sound of this...
I found this in an article by Peter Robinson at Forbes.com:
"Whereas McCain has promised to nominate justices 'who have a history of strict adherence to the constitution,' Obama has said instead that if 'someone is being treated unfairly, then the Court has to stand up if nobody else will, and that is the kind of judge I want.'
Justices would be called upon to consult not constitutional precedent but their own conceptions of fairness. 'Only once you got into the courtroom, in front of the judge,' Sowell says, 'would you finally learn what the law was. You would have no clue beforehand.' We would become less and less a nation of laws, more and more a nation ruled by nine men and women in robes."
Polls - Congress approval ratings
So how's that Democratic majority Congress doing?...
Here at www.zogby.com is the latest:
"Job approval ratings for Congress hit a new record-low of 9% this month, with fully 50% of likely voters giving Congress “poor” job marks. Before hitting a new record-low this month, favorable job approval ratings for Congress had stagnated at 11% since returning in June to the previously record-low job performance numbers Congress hit in October 2007. The Democratically-controlled Congress earns positive ratings from 12% of Democrats, up from 10% who said the same in July, while Republican approval has fallen to 8% from 13% last month. Job approval ratings for Congress have also fallen among political independents, down to 6% from 8% in July."
Big Labor Does Gay Marriage - WSJ.com
Some groups seem to have off topic objectives...
Here's the opening of a recent Wall Street Journal opinion column:
"Here's a pop quiz: Who's donated the most money to an effort in California to defeat Proposition 8, an initiative on the November 4 ballot that would define marriage as between a man and a woman in the state?
A) Gay-advocacy organizations
B) Civil-rights groups
C) The California Teachers Association
The answer follows"
Monday, October 27, 2008
Politics - and the money
The presidential campaigns treat contributions differently.
It's a bit interesting as to which campaign does what, isn't it?...
It's a bit interesting as to which campaign does what, isn't it?...
At the NationalReview.com, Mark Steyn discusses a difference:
"If they'd really wanted 'to be fair', the Times would have pointed out that, in order to accept donations from 'Della Ware' and 'Saddam Hussein' et al, the Obama website had, intentionally, to disable all the default security settings on their credit-card processing. I took a look at the inner sanctum of my (alas, far more modest) online retail operation this afternoon and, in order to permit fraud as easy as that which the Obama campaign is facilitating, you have to uncheck every single box on the AVS system, each one of which makes it very explicit just what you're doing - ie, accepting transactions with no 'billing address', no 'street address' match, no 'zip code' match, with a bank "of non-US origin" (I've got nothing against those, but a US campaign fundraiser surely should be wary), etc. When you've disabled the whole lot one step at a time, then you've got a system tailor-made for fake names and bogus addresses."
3 searches of 'Joe's' BMV files probed
This should give all of us the creeps.
Apparently, if you align yourself in a certain way, or express a conflicting opinion, you can expect to undergo some scrutiny.
And I would venture that anything found will be used to discredit you, regardless of your opinion's accuracy...
Apparently, if you align yourself in a certain way, or express a conflicting opinion, you can expect to undergo some scrutiny.
And I would venture that anything found will be used to discredit you, regardless of your opinion's accuracy...
Randy Ludlow reports this on the Columbus (OH) Dispatch website:
"State and local officials are investigating whether state and law-enforcement computer systems were used illegally to obtain personal information about 'Joe the Plumber.'
Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher became part of the national political lexicon Oct. 15 when Republican presidential nominee John McCain mentioned him frequently during his final debate with Democrat Barack Obama.
The 34-year-old from the Toledo suburb of Holland is held out by McCain as an example of an American who would be harmed by Obama's tax proposals.
Public records requested by The Dispatch disclose that information on Wurzelbacher's driver's license or his sport-utility vehicle was pulled from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles database three times shortly after the debate."
Charles Krauthammer - McCain for President
If America is not safe, then everything else is moot.
That seems to make this difficult to argue with...
That seems to make this difficult to argue with...
In the Washington Post, Charles Krauthammer explains his choice:
"The case for McCain is straightforward. The financial crisis has made us forget, or just blindly deny, how dangerous the world out there is. We have a generations-long struggle with Islamic jihadism. An apocalyptic soon-to-be-nuclear Iran. A nuclear-armed Pakistan in danger of fragmentation. A rising Russia pushing the limits of revanchism. Plus the sure-to-come Falklands-like surprise popping out of nowhere.
Who do you want answering that phone at 3 a.m.? A man who's been cramming on these issues for the past year, who's never had to make an executive decision affecting so much as a city, let alone the world? A foreign policy novice instinctively inclined to the flabbiest, most vaporous multilateralism (e.g., the Berlin Wall came down because of 'a world that stands as one'), and who refers to the most deliberate act of war since Pearl Harbor as 'the tragedy of 9/11,' a term more appropriate for a bus accident?
Or do you want a man who is the most prepared, most knowledgeable, most serious foreign policy thinker in the United States Senate? A man who not only has the best instincts but has the honor and the courage to, yes, put country first, as when he carried the lonely fight for the surge that turned Iraq from catastrophic defeat into achievable strategic victory?
There's just no comparison."
"Bank Affirmative Action"
If you have 8 1/2 minutes to spare, this video seems to tell all we need to know about the cause of the credit crisis...
You can watch it below or go to YouTube by clicking here:
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Health News - Leptin Resistance
You know all about this, don't you?...
Well, just in case you don't, Science Daily will enlighten you:
"Leptin is a hormone that plays a role in helping the body to balance food intake with energy expenditure. When leptin isn’t working -- that is, when the body no longer responds to the leptin it produces -- it’s called leptin resistance. Leptin resistance is associated with weight gain and obesity in the face of a high-fat, high-calorie diet."
Meanwhile - in the U.K.
It appears that the Brits have freeloading issues, too...
In the U.K. Daily Mail, Chris Brooke reports:
"It is a story which crystalises the dubious values encouraged by the British welfare state.
While hardworking Sean and Anne Tate scrimp to afford a few little luxuries for their ten children on his £15,000 lorry driver's salary, a family of the same size two miles away take things a little easier.
Harry Crompton, 50, has been out of work for 15 years and his wife Tracey, 40, has never had a job."
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Meanwhile - in Montana
The world of politics is quite interesting...
In the Billings Gazette, Tom Lutey reports:
"Republicans, furious about negative campaign phone calls made by Democrats last week in Billings, did everything but label the tactic un-American.
Turns out, they could have.
The calls were made from Romania, according to phone records submitted this week to the state commissioner of political practices."
Did the termites do it?
Go figure...
I found this on the ScienceDaily.com website:
"Three years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, people still speculate over causes of the destruction of the city’s floodwall system. A new article in the fall issue of American Entomologist (Vol. 54, No. 3) suggests that Formosan subterranean termites played a large role."
Friday, October 24, 2008
Health News - Vitamin D
Vitamin D seems to be somewhat beneficial in many ways.
This study implies a relationship to Parkinson's disease; however, there is a caveat, and (as usual) further study is necessary...
This study implies a relationship to Parkinson's disease; however, there is a caveat, and (as usual) further study is necessary...
Nathan Seppa writes about it at ScienceNews.com:
"A vitamin D shortage is more likely to show up in people with Parkinson’s disease than in healthy people or those with Alzheimer’s disease, scientists report in the October Archives of Neurology. The study is the most recent contribution to a torrent of findings linking vitamin D deficiency with health risks.
It’s well documented that such a deficiency can cause osteoporosis. Studies in recent years have also implicated a shortage of vitamin D in heart disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, cancer and even respiratory problems."
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Charlie Daniels - "It is insane..."
It seems that many country western entertainers have strong convictions about what's happening to America.
I truly admire them for speaking out...
I truly admire them for speaking out...
Here, Charlie Daniels speaks his mind. He begins with this disclaimer:
"If you're a politically correct type of person you may not want to read this column because I'm going to trash your ridiculous ideology to the max. Let me just say to start with, political correctness be damned."
Obama and Acorn - WSJ.com
ACORN seems to be a pretty well-organized racket.
And we're paying for them!...
And we're paying for them!...
I found this in a Wall Street Journal opinion column:
"Acorn uses various affiliated groups to agitate for 'a living wage,' for 'affordable housing,' for 'tax justice' and union and environmental goals, as well as against school choice and welfare reform. It was a major contributor to the subprime meltdown by pushing lenders to make home loans on easy terms, conducting "strikes" against banks so they'd lower credit standards.
But the organization's real genius is getting American taxpayers to foot the bill. According to a 2006 report from the Employment Policies Institute (EPI), Acorn has been on the federal take since 1977. For instance, Acorn's American Institute for Social Justice claimed $240,000 in tax money between fiscal years 2002 and 2003. Its American Environmental Justice Project received 100% of its revenue from government grants in the same years. EPI estimates the Acorn Housing Corporation alone received some $16 million in federal dollars from 1997-2007. Only recently, Democrats tried and failed to stuff an 'affordable housing' provision into the $700 billion bank rescue package that would have let politicians give even more to Acorn.
All this money gives Acorn the ability to pursue its other great hobby: electing liberals. Acorn is spending $16 million this year to register new Democrats and is already boasting it has put 1.3 million new voters on the rolls. The big question is how many of these registrations are real."
Global Warming - Happy News for Mankind
So, is the glass half full; or half empty.
Historically, mankind has handled everything so far; so, we optimists can believe we'll continue to do so.
The writer might just be an optimistic, but his article certainly rings true...
Historically, mankind has handled everything so far; so, we optimists can believe we'll continue to do so.
The writer might just be an optimistic, but his article certainly rings true...
At DailyTech.com, Michael Asher concludes:
"The warming of the Arctic will not result in our own extinction, or be anything at all but a tremendous boon to mankind and our civilization. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Meet Michelle Obama - Maybe
Access denied!...
At Slate.com, Liza Mundy writes about her trials and tribulations:
"Reporting political profiles is like giving birth: You forget how painful it is until you go through it again. And the minute you do, you think, "Somebody make it stop now." The begging for access, the plaintive calls to sources, the "no comments," the lunches with people who manage not to say anything, and did I mention the begging for access? As a feature writer, I thought I'd achieved nadirs of debasement doing profiles of Hillary Clinton (who never talked to me) and Al Gore (who finally did). But now I realize I never knew what reporting pain was until I set out to write a journalistic biography of Michelle Obama.
How hard was it? How uncooperative was the Obama campaign? I am so glad you asked!"
Late-Night Comics Skewer Republicans 7-to-1
Biased, unequal, unfair and often unkind; I guess that what comedians do for fun...
At foxnews.com, Jennifer Lawinski has this story:
"The Center for Media and Public Affairs, a media analysis group, kept a tally of jokes told about the presidential contenders on the 'Late Show' and 'The Tonight Show With Jay Leno' in the five weeks after McCain chose Sarah Palin to be his running mate and vaulted the little-known Alaska governor into the national spotlight.
The total: Republicans, 286. Democrats, 42."
The Media - the New York Times
Here are two web posts concerning a recent attempt by the New York Times to emulate one of the more credible newspapers, the National Enquirer...
And on the same subject...
JammieWearingFool has this and more to say:
"The New York Times has stooped lower than this campaign ever imagined possible in an attempt to discredit a woman whose only apparent sin is being married to the man that would oppose that paper's preferred candidate, Barack Obama, in his quest for the Presidency. It is a black mark on the record of a paper that was once widely respected, but is now little more than a propaganda organ for the Democratic party. The New York Times has accused John McCain of running a dishonorable campaign, but today it is plain to see where the real dishonor lies."
And on the same subject...
On the HotAir blog, Ed Morrissey posts:
"Jodi Kantor apparently got so desperate for dirt on Cindy McCain for the tiresome rehash the New York Times published today that she tried suckering teenagers on Facebook into cooperating with her. The McCain campaign released the contents of an e-mail Kantor sent to one of Bridget McCain's 16-year-old classmates through the social-networking site. Is this what 'political correspondents' do?:"
In Our Schools - Homosexuals brainwashing our children
Uggh!...
I found this at MASSresistance.org:
"This is what is actually going on in more and more elementary schools across America. Watching this will really affect you! You will not believe what you are seeing."
Washington Policy Center - Policy Note
This is about Washington State.
The date may make it seem old, but I bet it's still very current.
I also bet that your state's thinking isn't any different...
The date may make it seem old, but I bet it's still very current.
I also bet that your state's thinking isn't any different...
Paul Guppy writes in the Washington State Piglet Book:
"In the 2007 Legislative Session lawmakers controlled a budget surplus of $2 billion. That means elected leaders collected far more money from citizens than they needed to fund government programs. The surplus represented a tax overpayment equal to $416 for every adult in the state, or $644 per homeowner.
At the same time, Governor Christine Gregoire’s proposed budget did not include general tax relief for citizens. Instead, the governor proposed spending all of the surplus, by using most of it immediately to permanently boost state spending. Under the governor’s plan, no part of the tax surplus was to be returned to the people.
The legislature agreed with the governor’s position. Lawmakers spent all of the budget surplus, (most of it immediately) to boost state spending by 12% over two years, even though annual inflation is around 3%."
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
A Flip-Flopping President Could Cost Us Abroad - WSJ.com
"Fudging". Oh yeah. That works!
The trouble is that it is likely to work and influence an election...
The trouble is that it is likely to work and influence an election...
Danielle Pletka points out troubles that "fudging" is likely to cause on the world stage:
"At home, a leader who regularly misleads the public eventually earns the ire of voters and demands for accountability. Abroad, he fosters misunderstanding of American intentions and resolve, inviting adversaries to test the limits of U.S. power.
The desire to be all things to all people is common among politicians of every ideological stripe. Yet the public record, an eagle-eyed media, and a commitment to a particular set of ideas and policies keep most politicians on the straight and narrow. But there are other public figures who, having gotten away with what Mr. Clinton himself called "fudging," find the habit hard to kick. Mr. Obama fits into this group."
Everybody Else Did It - WSJ.com
Certain names just keep coming up...
In an opinion column about the financial meltdown, Wall Street Journal discusses Sen. Christopher Dodd:
"The late Senator Russell Long used to say that the core truth of tax policy was 'Don't tax you, don't tax me, tax the fellow behind the tree.' Substitute political blame for the financial meltdown for taxes, and you will understand what Senator Chris Dodd is attempting today with his Banking Committee hearing on the causes of the panic.
In February 2004, while Republican colleagues warned of the systemic risks posed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Mr. Dodd pronounced the mortgage market 'one of the great success stories of all time.' A year later, the Connecticut Democrat voted against a reform that would have limited the size of Fan and Fred's mortgage portfolios. Now that Fan and Fred have collapsed at a cost to taxpayers that could run to $200 billion or more, Mr. Dodd is also under fire for accepting sweetheart loans from Countrywide Financial, the subprime mortgage factory."
"Blame" - the Video
Obviously, the horse is already out of the barn; however, Americans should know where the root cause of the financial meltdown lies...
Undersea "Black Smokers"
Interesting. I wonder if they melt ice.
That's one of the global warming big issues, you know...
That's one of the global warming big issues, you know...
I found this at Discovery.com:
"Jets of searingly hot water spewing up from the ocean floor have been discovered in a far-northern zone of the Arctic Ocean, Swiss-based scientists announced Monday.
The so-called 'black smokers' were found 73 degrees north, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Greenland and Norway, in the coldest waters yet for a phenomenon first observed around the Galagapos islands in 1977."
Monday, October 20, 2008
Ayers Is No Education 'Reformer' - WSJ.com
In more honorable times, public officials attempted to distance themselves from associations like William Ayres.
The goal was to avoid even an "appearance" of impropriety.
Now, apparently, things have changed. I hesitate to speculate whether Americans are uninformed, more tolerant, or else they just don't care...
The goal was to avoid even an "appearance" of impropriety.
Now, apparently, things have changed. I hesitate to speculate whether Americans are uninformed, more tolerant, or else they just don't care...
In the Wall Street Journal, Sol Stern gives his opinion:
"One of the most misleading statements during the presidential debates was when Barack Obama claimed that William Ayers was just 'a guy in the neighborhood.'
But that piece of spin is nothing compared to the false story now being peddled by Mr. Obama's media supporters that Mr. Ayers -- who worked with the Democratic nominee for years to disperse education grants through a group called the Chicago Annenberg Challenge -- has redeemed his terrorist past. In the New York Times, for example, Frank Rich writes that 'establishment Republicans and Democrats alike have collaborated with the present-day Ayers in educational reform.'
I've studied Mr. Ayers's work for years and read most of his books. His hatred of America is as virulent as when he planted a bomb at the Pentagon. And this hatred informs his educational 'reform' efforts. Of course, Mr. Obama isn't going to appoint him to run the education department. But the media mainstreaming of a figure like Mr. Ayers could have terrible consequences for the country's politics and public schools."
The Ayers agenda - Boston Herald.com
Even without this, I think Bill Ayers belongs in an non-educational institution.
You can get my drift...
You can get my drift...
The Boston Herald discusses him:
"Ayers’ entire work in education has been an attempt to convert schools into ideological engines indoctrinating students with a far-left agenda. In 2006, he visited Venezuela and told dictator Hugo Chavez, 'We share the belief that education is the motor force of revolution.' As a professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Ayers has written that teachers must be 'capable of hope and struggle, outrage and action, teaching for social justice and liberation.'"
"Open-Minded Liberals?" - By Larry Elder
This article isn't new, but I think it's still applicable.
In the heat of an argument, I've always thought that one group is more inclined to get personal while the other group is more issue oriented so this sounds about right to me...
In the heat of an argument, I've always thought that one group is more inclined to get personal while the other group is more issue oriented so this sounds about right to me...
At TownHall.com, Larry Elder makes some interesting comment before reaching this conclusion:
"Bottom line: Conservatives consider liberals well-intentioned, but misguided. Liberals consider conservatives not only wrong, but really, really bad people."
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Global Warming - A New Ice Age?
Somehow, I doubt we are ready for this...
Alan Caruba writes at the American Spectator:
"Scientists and laymen who follow the Ice Age cycles have been warning that, if not a full-fledged Ice Age, at the very least a Little Ice Age comparable to one that lasted from 1300 to around 1850 is on its way
Amidst all the media coverage of Hurricane Gustav and the Republican Convention, a report in DailyTech.com was not likely to get much attention, but it forecast a very cold world in the years to come. The Earth has already started to cool and scientists date the change from 1998.
Headlined, 'Drop in solar activity has potential effect for climate on Earth', the news is that, for the first time in 100 years, 'an entire month has passed without a single visible sunspot being noted.' The author, Michael Asher, noted that 'The event is significant as many climatologists now believe solar magnetic activity—which determines the number of sunspots—is an influencing factor for climate on Earth.'"
Global Warming - or "Ice Age Now"
I try to follow the global warming issue, and even if it does exist, I'm a long way from being convinced that humans are a major contributor.
The keeper of this website supports the idea that an ice age is coming, and supports his idea with quite a few weather related headlines and articles...
The keeper of this website supports the idea that an ice age is coming, and supports his idea with quite a few weather related headlines and articles...
Robert Felix unequivocally states this on his sites home page:
"The next ice age could begin any day.
Next week, next month, next year, it's not a question of if, only when.
One day you'll wake up - or you won't wake up, rather - buried beneath nine
stories of snow. It's all part of a dependable, predictable cycle, a natural
cycle that returns like clockwork every 11,500 years.
. . . And since the last ice age ended almost exactly 11,500 years ago . . ."
Saturday, October 18, 2008
USGS Release: We have 3 to 4.3 Billion Barrels of Technically Recoverable Oil
I may have posted this before, but it's worth a reminder.
This is only one area. There are many other areas. Combined, they have to amount to something significant, and certainly would benefit Americans.
Drill, Baby, Drill!...
This is only one area. There are many other areas. Combined, they have to amount to something significant, and certainly would benefit Americans.
Drill, Baby, Drill!...
This was posted by David Ozman at USGS.gov back in April:
"North Dakota and Montana have an estimated 3.0 to 4.3 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil in an area known as the Bakken Formation.
A U.S. Geological Survey assessment, released April 10, shows a 25-fold increase in the amount of oil that can be recovered compared to the agency's 1995 estimate of 151 million barrels of oil.
Technically recoverable oil resources are those producible using currently available technology and industry practices. USGS is the only provider of publicly available estimates of undiscovered technically recoverable oil and gas resources."
George Will - Indispensable Term Limits
I'm in favor of term limit laws.
Americans have voted for them in quite a few places.
Politicians seem to question that wisdom, to the tune of trying to subvert the voters wishes, using other means.
Why am I not surprised?...
Americans have voted for them in quite a few places.
Politicians seem to question that wisdom, to the tune of trying to subvert the voters wishes, using other means.
Why am I not surprised?...
At RealClearPolitics.com, George Will discusses them and a recent New York Times article:
"The Times dutifully reported that 37 governors, 15 state legislatures and nine of the 10 most populous cities have term limits, which remain popular with the people who imposed them: "Recent ballot initiatives to alter them, including one in California in February, have failed."
Two amusing arguments against term limits are that political novices are too susceptible to the wiles of lobbyists, and that term-limited legislators, worrying too much about their next jobs and too little about their current ones, are constantly in campaign mode, thinking of the next election rather than the next generation. The idea that when term limits are absent, these difficulties are absent is refuted by one word: Congress."
Friday, October 17, 2008
Survey Says - Who Americans trust?
It sure seems that Americans feel pretty strongly about money issues and who NOT to trust.
Interestly, though, they often don't seem to make the connection as to which candidates are best for their financial well-being, and when it comes to voting, they vote AGAINST the party that prefers less government and lower taxes.
Go figure!...
Interestly, though, they often don't seem to make the connection as to which candidates are best for their financial well-being, and when it comes to voting, they vote AGAINST the party that prefers less government and lower taxes.
Go figure!...
This is from a recent Wall Street Journal opinion column:
"For example, the survey asked, 'What poses the greatest threat to your own economic situation?' The runaway winner was 'higher taxes,' which 50% cited as their first or second biggest worry." [snip]
"But when asked in whom they had the most 'faith and confidence' when it comes to guiding the economy, a mere 7% picked 'the government in Washington.'"
Sources: Taliban split with al Qaeda, seek peace - CNN.com
Here's an interesting article and I admit to being surprised to find it on CNN.
Historically, things don't happen quickly in the Middle East. Something like this would be no exception; however, there HAVE been talks, and more ARE scheduled. Wouldn't it be nice if Afganistan finally stabilized...
Historically, things don't happen quickly in the Middle East. Something like this would be no exception; however, there HAVE been talks, and more ARE scheduled. Wouldn't it be nice if Afganistan finally stabilized...
CNN's Nic Robertson reports:
"Taliban leaders are holding Saudi-brokered talks with the Afghan government to end the country's bloody conflict -- and are severing their ties with al Qaeda, sources close to the historic discussions have told CNN.
The militia, which has been intensifying its attacks on the U.S.-led coalition that toppled it from power in 2001 for harboring Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, has been involved in four days of talks hosted by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, says the source.
The talks -- the first of their kind aimed at resolving the lengthy conflict in Afghanistan -- mark a significant move by the Saudi leadership to take a direct role in Afghanistan, hosting delegates who have until recently been their enemies.
They also mark a sidestepping of key "war on terror" ally Pakistan, frequently accused of not doing enough to tackle militants sheltering on its territory, which has previously been a conduit for talks between the Saudis and Afghanistan.
According to the source, fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar -- high on the U.S. military's most-wanted list -- was not present, but his representatives were keen to stress the reclusive cleric is no longer allied to al Qaeda."
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Meet Joe the Plumber
Here's wishing the best of luck to Joe...
Pam Meister of FamilySecurityMatters.org interviews him:
"At a recent campaign appearance in Ohio, Sen. Obama was approached by plumber Joe Wurzelbacher, who has concerns about Obama’s proposed tax policies. FamilySecurityMatters.org’s Pam Meister had a candid conversation with him about his experience."
"Hijacked Iranian Ship was a Dirty Bomb Meant for Israel on Yom Kippur"
See what you can make out of this...
This is from the shiratdevorah blog:
"On August 21st, 2008, the MV Iran Deyant, 44,458 dead weight bulk carrier was heading towards the Suez Canal. As it was passing the Horn of Africa, about 80 miles southeast of al-Makalla in Yemen, the ship was surrounded by speedboats filled with members of a gang of Somalian pirates who grab suitable commercial ships and hold them and their cargos and crews for ransom. The captain was defenseless against the 40 pirates armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades blocking his passage. He had little choice other than to turn his ship over to them. What the pirates were not banking on, however, was that this was no ordinary ship." [snip]
"Although American intelligence and government sources are maintaining a strictly observed silence, the same does not apply to the Russians and so it is that we learn the real story of the MV Iran Deyanat. She was an enormous floating dirty bomb, intended to detonate after exiting the Suez Canal at the eastern end of the Mediterranean and in proximity to the coastal cities of Israel. The entire cargo of radioactive sand, obtained by Iran from China (the latter buys desperately needed oil from the former) and sealed in containers which, when the charges on the ship are set off after the crew took to the boats, will be blasted high into the air where prevailing winds will push the highly dangerous and radioactive cloud ashore."
Meanwhile - in Lee County, FL
As the writer asks: "What is going on in America?".
If you think about it, this really isn't all that far from saying something in jest or as part of a joke.
But then, not to worry, there isn't any room in our jails anyway...
If you think about it, this really isn't all that far from saying something in jest or as part of a joke.
But then, not to worry, there isn't any room in our jails anyway...
Bobby Eberle reports at gopusa.com:
"Now, we can't even say what we want to say in public because not only will the thought police be on patrol, but, using a recent event in Florida as an example, saying 'Hussein Obama' in public might just get you a visit from the FBI. Just ask Florida's Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott who is under fire -- and investigation -- for referring to Obama at a campaign rally by his -- gasp -- full name. What is going on with America?"
Health News - Antioxidants & Sleep
The antioxidant theories have been around for a while.
This seems to say that they truly are good stuff...
This seems to say that they truly are good stuff...
I found this in an article by Russell Johnston at NaturalNews.com:
"Kaikobad Irani cautiously summarizes his research by saying that 'Control of signaling pathways involving oxidants may explain why some antioxidants appear to prevent development of certain cancers.' If you're equally inclined to caution, you may wish to make sure you're getting plenty of antioxidants.
There are plenty of sources of antioxidants in a good diet, of course, but by far the most potent and effective antioxidant known to science is as cheap and available as a long, dark night: that is, melatonin. Turning your light switch to the off position earlier, keeping it off longer, and making sure that you are always sleeping in real darkness are excellent natural ways to boost your melatonin production. Even occasional changes in your routine, staying up for a couple of extra hours, can reduce your melatonin for weeks, just as jet lag does."
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Scoundrel Country – II - WSJ.com
Washington State has fascinated me for quite a while.
It seems to be a microcosm of American politics at the worst...
It seems to be a microcosm of American politics at the worst...
The Wall Street Journal recently had this:
"The lawyers' aim is, once again, to shut down BIAW political spending in the final weeks of the election. At the very least they hope to turn this suit into a media circus, forcing Mr. Rossi to submit to a deposition and suggesting malfeasance in the heat of a close election. The losers are voters, who are stuck reading about frivolous lawsuits, and, should the Gregoire activists succeed, will lack the information that the BIAW's ads provide. Mark it down as further evidence that the goal of campaign-finance "reformers" is to muzzle political speech."
ACORN - We're financing them?
This ACORN group is involved in a lot of things and they all seem bad.
I'm with Sen. Ensign on this one...
I'm with Sen. Ensign on this one...
At the National Review Online, Rich Lowry writes:
" In a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Senator John Ensign today called for the suspension of taxpayer dollars that ultimately end up in the hands of such controversial groups as ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. ACORN, which is under investigation, is eligible for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac affordable housing funds, which add up to hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
“With the government takeover of Fannie and Freddie, the government will be taxing itself to create a backdoor slush fund, and we must prevent these taxpayer dollars from going toward ACORN,” said Ensign. “With the recent news tying ACORN with voter fraud, suspending these funds is even more urgent.”"
Only in America - ACORN
Go ahead. Try to rationalize that ACORN is a worthwhile organization...
Maybe this story by Jeane MacIntosh in the N.Y. Post will influence you:
""Sometimes, they come up and bribe me with a cigarette, or they'll give me a dollar to sign up," said Freddie Johnson, 19, who filled out 72 separate voter-registration cards over an 18-month period at the behest of the left-leaning Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
"The ACORN people are everywhere, looking to sign people up. I tell them I am already registered. The girl said, 'You are?' I say, 'Yup,' and then they say, 'Can you just sign up again?' he said."
Bill O'Reilly: Confronting Barney
Bill O'Reilly had a pretty good shouting match on one of O'Reilly's recent shows.
This appears to be his written followup...
And you can watch the video...
This appears to be his written followup...
Bill O'Reilly speaks his mind at Townhall.com:
"Now, I remain furious with Barney Frank. To me, he epitomizes everything that is wrong with the federal government. He was incompetent in his oversight of the federal mortgage agencies, and when they folded, causing a chain reaction of financial disasters for honest investors, he blamed other people.
Unacceptable. And every elected official in Washington should feel the same way. This is not some political theory here -- real people are getting hurt, lives are being dramatically affected. Those responsible should be held to account.
But in the land of conventional politics, anyone showing anger and passion is deemed to be "out of control." You must appear calm and cool in the face of any storm. Therefore, Obama and McCain showed little emotion about the terrible economic situation.
Sometimes cool doesn't cut it, fellas. There is a time for anger.
That time is now."
And you can watch the video...
Barack Obama - and the birth certificate
Well, this is still going on.
The outcome will either be devastating, or a big nothing.
Your guess is as good as mine...
The outcome will either be devastating, or a big nothing.
Your guess is as good as mine...
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Politicians - U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, FL
More of the same.
Hypocrisy, ethical lapses, moral lapses, and outright dishonesty...
Hypocrisy, ethical lapses, moral lapses, and outright dishonesty...
This is from Emma Schwartz, Rhonda Schwartz and Vic Walter at ABCnews.com:
"West Palm Beach Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-FL), whose predecessor resigned in the wake of a sex scandal, agreed to a $121,000 payment to a former mistress who worked on his staff and was threatening to sue him, according to current and former members of his staff who have been briefed on the settlement, which involved Mahoney and his campaign committee.
The affair between Congressman Tim Mahoney and Patricia Allen began, according to current and former staffers, in 2006 when Mahoney was campaigning for Congress against Foley, promising 'a world that is safer, more moral.'
Mahoney, who is married, also promised the woman, Patricia Allen, a $50,000 a year job for two years at the agency that handles his campaign advertising, the staffers said.
A Mahoney spokesperson would not answer questions about the alleged affair or the settlement, ..."
Obama's 95% Illusion - WSJ.com
They say "it depends on what the meaning of 'tax cut' is".
The Obama campaign is very clever. They twist words and obfuscate extremely well.
A fair media would "out" them often, but we don't have a fair media...
The Obama campaign is very clever. They twist words and obfuscate extremely well.
A fair media would "out" them often, but we don't have a fair media...
This is from a Wall Street Journal opinion column:
"One of Barack Obama's most potent campaign claims is that he'll cut taxes for no less than 95% of 'working families.' He's even promising to cut taxes enough that the government's tax share of GDP will be no more than 18.2% -- which is lower than it is today.
It's a clever pitch, because it lets him pose as a middle-class tax cutter while disguising that he's also proposing one of the largest tax increases ever on the other 5%. But how does he conjure this miracle, especially since more than a third of all Americans already pay no income taxes at all? There are several sleights of hand, but the most creative is to redefine the meaning of 'tax cut.'"
Meanwhile - in the U.K.
There are days when I think I'm lost...
I found this in the U.K. Daily Mail:
"A gardener has been ordered by council chiefs to remove three foot high barbed wire ringing his allotment - in case thieves scratch themselves climbing over it.
Bill Malcolm, 61, took the drastic step of installing the wire in a bid to prevent burglars raiding his tool shed and ransacking his vegetable plots.
Intruders have struck three times in four months, stealing more than £300 worth of hardware, including spades, forks and hoes as well as destroying his potato patch.
The fed-up gardener surrounded his 600 square yard site in Worcester with a single strand of barbed wire, which stood no more than waist high."
"U.S. Tax on Business, 40% - In Europe, 23%"
Depending on your personal view, America is still the world leader or has slipped somewhat.
In either case, to be a leader, you must do more or better than the other guys.
On the subject of taxes, we need to step it up; and, in this case, up is down...
In either case, to be a leader, you must do more or better than the other guys.
On the subject of taxes, we need to step it up; and, in this case, up is down...
Chris Edwards makes comparisons at CNSnews.com:
"Consider that 12 of the 30 nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have capital gains tax rates of zero. Meanwhile, Congress is dithering about extending our 15-percent capital-gains tax rate. And note that while numerous industrial countries — including Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden — have abolished their death taxes, the U.S. death-tax rate is set to jump to 55 percent in 2011.
Even where the U.S. has instituted encouraging reform — such as the dividend tax rate cut of 2003 — it lags behind its peers. Most OECD countries have lower tax rates on dividends when you measure the total combined corporate and individual burdens. The combined U.S. dividend-tax rate is 49 percent including state taxes — substantially higher than the OECD average of 43 percent.
Corporate tax rates offer an even more striking comparison. Our high rate of 40 percent is a neon sign advertising America’s hostility to job-creating capital. U.S. policymakers sat on their hands as the European Union slashed the average corporate tax rate from 38 percent in 1996 to just 23 percent today. If a country stands still in today’s global economy, it falls behind, ..."
Monday, October 13, 2008
Barack Obama - and Illinois' taxes
A resident of Illinois is warning us...
Here's the closing of a post by J. Brown on the PoliticallyDrunk blog:
"Since 2002, Illinois has consistently lagged in job growth and has seen a drastic reduction in the number of of health care workers employed within the state. Since 2002, Illinois has raised more taxes and fees than any other state in the nation, while failing to balance their budget even once. Since 2002, Illinois has expanded social services, such as children's health insurance, without taking a single step to protect services already in existence. As of October of 2008, the state is over 18 months behind in Medicaid payments to health care providers.
Illinois is a picture of Obama's economic philosophy and what this nation has to look forward too, it is a picture of corruption, out-of-control spending and a government that will tax small and large businesses into non-existence."
Barack Obama - Campaign Involved in More Cover-Ups in ACORN Scandal
Unlike print publications, website content is instantly fluid; with many occurrences of "now you see it, now you don't".
Capturing content and making comparisons is not that difficult. There is even software that can do it for you.
Obviously, every little thing isn't being watched; however, certain websites ARE watched very carefully...
Capturing content and making comparisons is not that difficult. There is even software that can do it for you.
Obviously, every little thing isn't being watched; however, certain websites ARE watched very carefully...
At the ClevelandLeader.com, Julie describes some changes on the Barack Obama website and makes comparisons:
"The mere fact that his campaign has now changed the language of the site shows that they have conceded the fact that their original remark was a bold-face lie. As a lawyer Sen. Obama should know the importance of language.
The original statement implied that he had no working connection with ACORN, whereas the new statement now insists that he has never been employed or hired by ACORN.
It is good to see the truth finally come out now, but why were they trying to hide his association with ACORN, and what else is Obama lying to us about?"
74% of CEOs Believe Obama Would Be Disastrous for the Nation
Considering the historical performances of our two political parties, these people may be right.
On the other hand, the performances of some corporate CEO's certainly lessens the credibility of that group in general...
On the other hand, the performances of some corporate CEO's certainly lessens the credibility of that group in general...
Noel Sheppard posted this at NewsBusters.com:
"... our supposedly impartial press seem totally disinterested in Chief Executive magazine's just-released survey which found some CEOs worried that if implemented '[Obama's] programs would bankrupt the country within three years'.
Chief Executive magazine’s most recent polling of 751 CEOs shows that GOP presidential candidate John McCain is the preferred choice for CEOs. According to the poll, which is featured on the cover of Chief Executive’s most recent issue, by a four-to-one margin, CEOs support Senator John McCain over Senator Barack Obama. Moreover, 74 percent of the executives say they fear that an Obama presidency would be disastrous for the country."
Barack "Obama & Friends: Judge Not?"
Quite a few good points are made in this article...
In the Washington Post, Charles Krauthammer discusses Barack Obama's friends. He begins:
"Convicted felon Tony Rezko. Unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers. And the race-baiting Rev. Jeremiah Wright. It is hard to think of any presidential candidate before Barack Obama sporting associations with three more execrable characters. Yet let the McCain campaign raise the issue, and the mainstream media begin fulminating about dirty campaigning tinged with racism and McCarthyite guilt by association.
But associations are important. They provide a significant insight into character. They are particularly relevant in relation to a potential president as new, unknown, opaque and self-contained as Obama. With the economy overshadowing everything, it may be too late politically to be raising this issue. But that does not make it, as conventional wisdom holds, in any way illegitimate."
Barack Obama - and his ACORN friends
Considering all that we're hearing about ACORN, this little video might give you a bit of a creepy feeling...
Survey says - Americans 'Bail' On the Bail-Out
I guess it's always possible that our politicians know more than we do; however, considering their track record lately, I just don't trust them on this one.
When you add in a few doses or corruption and ethics failure, I find it difficult to trust them on anything...
When you add in a few doses or corruption and ethics failure, I find it difficult to trust them on anything...
Ernie Paicopolos writes at FoxNews.com:
"How about our elected officials? The news is not good. A majority of voters (53 percent) thinks the bailout package shows that government leaders "have no idea what they’re doing." More remarkably, only 6 percent believes officials "know exactly what they’re doing and how the rescue plan will affect the economy." While the continued low ratings of both the president and Congress indicate a lack of confidence in Washington, these results are nevertheless staggering."
Glenn Beck: What happened?
He might just have it right.
It would be interesting to see if any of this could be disputed (not spun)...
It would be interesting to see if any of this could be disputed (not spun)...
In the form of an email, Glenn Beck discusses the causes of the current financial crisis:
"Sis, I know you will always consider me your crazy brother but please pass this message on to all of your friends. There are too many rumors circulating and I want to put the facts out there. This isn't about slamming the Democrats or Republicans--this is about getting the truth out to as many people as possible. The more people we can wake-up the more people we will have restoring the hope, promise and opportunity of our great country. Please pass this on."
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Meanwhile - in the U.K.
I don't know what to say other than the world is truly crazy...
Urmee Khan writes about this in the U.K. Telegraph:
"A mother is receiving £170,000 a year in benefits so that she can live with her family in a seven bedroom house worth £1.2million."
Barack Obama - Seeks To Block Discovery in Citizenship Lawsuit
Philip Berg thinks this would be so easy to resolve. Perhaps he's a kook, but, even so, I have to agree...
Attorney Brian W. Smith posted this at InjuryBoard.com, a website that provides legal analysis and other things:
"In a lawsuit styled Berg v. Obama, lawyers for Barack Hussein Obama have filed a Motion for Protective Order, seeking to block discovery until his motion to dismiss is ruled on by the court. The Motion for Protective Order filed by Obama and the Democratic National Committee, asks the court to issue a protective order stopping 'all discovery in this action pending the Court's decision on defendant's motion to dismiss the action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.'"
Saturday, October 11, 2008
ACORN - in Pennsylvania
This sounds bad...
Jeffrey Lord reports this at the American Spectator:
"'Between March 23rd and October 1st, various groups, including ACORN, submitted over 252,595 registrations to the Philadelphia County Election Board' with 57, 435 rejected for faulty information. 'Most of these registrations were submitted by ACORN, and rejected due to fake social security numbers, incorrect dates of birth, clearly fraudulent signatures, addresses that do not exist, and duplicate registrations. In one case, a man was registered to vote more than 15 times since the Primary election.'"
Politicians - Their campaigns are different
I can't imagine that this means anything significant.
Howveer, it is a bit fun...
Howveer, it is a bit fun...
Dean Reynolds of CBS News writes this and more:
"After most of the previous 12 months covering Barack Obama's campaign for the presidency, it was interesting, instructive and, well, relaxing to follow John McCain for the last few days. The differences between the two are striking."
Politicians - Sen. Christopher Dodd
From all I've read, Sen. Dodd and U.S. Rep. Barney Frank are implicit in enabling or encouraging legislation that is likely the root cause of the current financial meltdown.
Both politicians are loudly blaming everyone but themselves.
I think their abundance of denouncements are an contrived attempt to distract us...
Both politicians are loudly blaming everyone but themselves.
I think their abundance of denouncements are an contrived attempt to distract us...
Wall Street Journal wants to see him exposed:
"Former Lehman Brothers CEO Dick Fuld was under oath Monday when he was grilled on Capitol Hill about his role in the current financial meltdown. But if Members really want to understand the credit mania, they should also call Chris Dodd.
The Connecticut Senator has been out front denouncing the 'companies that form the foundation of our financial markets,' for 'their insatiable appetite for risk." He has also decried 'reckless, careless and sometimes unscrupulous actors in the mortgage lending industry' and he has proclaimed that 'American taxpayers deserve to know how we arrived at this moment.' To that end, we propose he take the stand -- under oath.
Former Countrywide Financial loan officer Robert Feinberg says Mr. Dodd knowingly saved thousands of dollars on his refinancing of two properties in 2003 as part of a special program the California mortgage company had for the influential. He also says he has internal company documents that prove Mr. Dodd knew he was getting preferential treatment as a friend of Angelo Mozilo, Countrywide's then-CEO."
Friday, October 10, 2008
Politics - Even in the worst of times
It seems pretty clear that some get investigated and others do not.
It is obvious that politics is everything.
Not only do some politicians fight national security issues, they also show partisanship when the nation's financial well-being is on the line.
Once again, "throw the bums out" before they ruin us all...
It is obvious that politics is everything.
Not only do some politicians fight national security issues, they also show partisanship when the nation's financial well-being is on the line.
Once again, "throw the bums out" before they ruin us all...
Sean Lengell reports this in the Washington Times:
"But Republicans are angered that mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, whose questionable lending practices led to a government bailout last month, aren't even being addressed.
The two companies guarantee or own millions of mortgages issued to low-income families — a key Democratic voting bloc.
'If Congress chooses to selectively examine the causes of this crisis by excluding the role that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac played, then this week´s hearings will not be viewed as a serious effort, but rather a political charade,' said Antonia Ferrier, a spokeswoman for House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, Missouri Republican."
Barack Obama - William Ayers Connection: Chicago Annenberg Challenge, ACORN and More
There's too much smoke in Obama's persona for me.
I believe that he hiding some things...
I believe that he hiding some things...
Dick Morris discusses Obama's past relationships:
"So let's sum up Obama's Chicago connections. His chief financial supporter was Tony Rezko, now on his way to federal prison. His spiritual advisor and mentor was the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, of 'God damn America' fame. And the guy who got him his only administrative job and put him in charge of doling out $50 million is Ayers, a terrorist who was a domestic Osama bin Laden in his youth."
Meanwhile - in Providence, RI
Sit down first, then read this.
Maybe you should put some towels nearby in case your head explodes...
Maybe you should put some towels nearby in case your head explodes...
Lynn Arditi writes in the Providence Journal. This is only the lead-in:
"In zip code 02907 of the city’s West End, where the house-foreclosure rate is more than six times the statewide average, postman Mike Ferreira’s delivery route is shrinking.
On Bellevue Avenue, homeowners who plant flower gardens and sweep their front steps live next door to boarded-up triple-deckers with weedy yards and trash-strewn sidewalks. Foreclosures have a way of rotting neighborhoods like cavities, from the inside out.
Five of the 49 houses on one block of Bellevue Avenue are vacant. And this is one of the better streets."
Thursday, October 09, 2008
59% Would Vote to Replace Entire Congress
Can you imagine?...
Rasmussen Reports™ this and more:
"Only half (49%) believe that the current Congress is better than individuals selected at random from the phone book. Thirty-three percent (33%) believe a randomly selected group of Americans could do a better job and 19% are not sure (see crosstabs).
A separate survey found that just 11% of voters say Congress is doing a good or an excellent job. (see crosstabs and recent trends)."
Politicians - vs. the American People
The American people seem to believe in certain things; however, our elected representatives aren't listening...
Some time ago, Newt Gingrich wrote about it at HumanEvents.com:
"Here's a sampling of the American people's most widely held views. Compare and contrast these views with what you hear and see coming out of Washington today:
96% believe it is important for the President and Congress to address the issue of Social Security in the next few years.
94% believe children should be allowed a moment of silence to pray to themselves in public school if they desire.
93% believe al Qaeda poses a very serious threat to the United States.
93% believe, in the worker visa program, that each worker should take an oath to obey the United States law and to be deported if the worker commits a crime while in the United States.
93% believe it is important to acknowledge today the reference to God in the Declaration of Independence -- that we are endowed by our Creator with the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
92% believe our focus should clearly be to provide long-term solutions instead of short-term fixes.
91% believe we should dramatically increase our investment in math and science education.
91% believe we should hold city governments to the same standards for cleaning waste water as are applied to the private industry.
90% approve of a Christmas tree or a Menorah being placed on public property during the holiday season."
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Barack Obama - Could this be?
It looks official, but these days, who really knows...
I found this on the Penetrating Insights blog at TownHall.com:
"Breaking: Obama Warning Letter Uncovered"
Barack Obama - the Communist Party says
Let me just say that they are pro-Obama.
That sounds ominous, doesn't it?...
That sounds ominous, doesn't it?...
You can read about it on the Communist Party's website:
YouTube - Barack Obama & Raila Odinga
This is pretty revealing.
The Obama involvement begins at about the 6:00 minute mark...
The Obama involvement begins at about the 6:00 minute mark...
Wake Up, America -by Investor's Business Daily
Telling it like it is [was]...
From the editorial page of Investors Business Daily:
"A nation that doesn't know history is destined to repeat its serious mistakes. People swayed by carefully crafted political propaganda relentlessly repeated and effectively delivered can easily lose their freedom and way of life.
How many times have you been told by soaring, almost hypnotic oratory that 'the direct causes of our financial crisis and subprime real estate loan mess were the greedy banks, big corporations and the failed economic policies of George Bush'?
It's common to blame the one in power. This time, however, it's 100% wrong."
