Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Here's to ya!
This seems to be a common theme lately.
It does make me wonder where the liquor industry lobbyists are spending their time (and money)...
It does make me wonder where the liquor industry lobbyists are spending their time (and money)...
At LoyolaMedicine.org, Jim Ritter writes:
"Moderate drinkers often have lower risks of Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive loss, according to researchers who reviewed 44 studies.
In more than half of the studies, published since the 1990s, moderate drinkers of wine, beer and liquor had lower dementia risks than nondrinkers. In only a few studies were there increased risks."
The Media - "instinct"
My "instincts" are different. I think the media wallows "in stink".
I know that many of us see the media for what they are; however, many are still in denial about them.
My intention is to keep identifying their shortcomings, as long as they continue their bias...
I know that many of us see the media for what they are; however, many are still in denial about them.
My intention is to keep identifying their shortcomings, as long as they continue their bias...
At NewsBusters.com, Mark Finkelstein writes:
"In one of the more incisive indictments of the MSM I've witnessed, certainly by one of its own, Joe Scarborough tore into the media this morning for its failure to have investigated Barack Obama's political roots. In particular, the Morning Joe host ripped the MSM for not testing the truth of Ryan Lizza's reporting, above, of Rahm Emanuel's claim that he and Obama were central figures in Blago's 2002 gubernatorial campaign. Scarborough pointed out that already this summer, when the Lizza article appeared, it was known that Blago was under a deep ethical cloud. Yet the MSM charged off to Wasilla to investigate Sarah Palin's librarian, utterly uninterested in the report of Obama's intimate link with America's most corrupt governor."
The Media - and Gas Prices
Another case of "don't believe everything you read in the newspaper"...
At TownHall.com, Dan Gainor notices:
"Journalists also chose to focus only on the bad news of energy prices. When prices were rising, newscasts were awash in oil and gas stories – 114 just in July. And rightly so. The cost of energy rippled through everything from food and travel to the stock market. One estimate said $1 on the price of oil meant $1 billion out of consumer pockets. But when those prices dropped, those issues were no longer important – even though that meant a savings of $100 billion. In November, as gas prices dropped to less than half their highs, there were just 26 stories.
One of the biggest national news stories of 2008 had ceased to become important because it became good news and the media were predictably absent."
The Media - BoycottNYT.com
I believe both Reuters and the New York Times exclude the use of "terrorist".
Unfortunately, it has been shown many times that they will use it on "certain" (read biased) occassions...
Unfortunately, it has been shown many times that they will use it on "certain" (read biased) occassions...
At BoycottNYT.com, Don Feder takes issue with the New York Times:
"Hoyt also explains, “The Times does not call Hamas a terrorist organization, though it sponsors acts of terror against Israel,” because 'Hamas was elected to govern Gaza.' And 'it provides social services and operates charities, hospitals, and clinics.'
The National Socialists were elected to govern Germany. Does that mean the Holocaust wasn’t a crime against humanity? If Al-Qaeda ran hospitals and clinics, would that make it something other than a terrorist gang?
If you can’t call someone who kills a five-year-old girl to advance a political cause a terrorist, how do you describe them - as an overly enthusiastic partisan, a misguided freedom-fighter or an unfortunate individual who was driven to acts of desperation?"
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The Media - D.C. lobbyist sues Times over McCain affair story
I'm not a fan of frivilous lawsuits.
I don't think this is one of them.
I think the New York Times went over the top in an effort to discredit John McCain during the election cycle.
If a court agrees, the Times deserves whatever they have to pay for...
I don't think this is one of them.
I think the New York Times went over the top in an effort to discredit John McCain during the election cycle.
If a court agrees, the Times deserves whatever they have to pay for...
I found this at LongIslandBusinessNews.com:
"Washington lobbyist Vicki L. Iseman has filed a $27 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times for a February article about Iseman and her relationship with Sen. John McCain.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Richmond on Tuesday, alleges the article falsely communicated that Iseman and McCain had an illicit 'romantic' relationship in 1999 when he was chair of the Senate Commerce Committee and she was a lobbyist representing clients before Congress.
The suit also names the executive editor of the Times, its Washington bureau chief and four reporters who wrote the story as defendants"
"What they say isn't what you hear"
I think the media is guilty here.
I understand that translations are difficult; however, I think they have a duty to get it right before they publish.
Unfortunately, that conflicts with the media's agenda...
I understand that translations are difficult; however, I think they have a duty to get it right before they publish.
Unfortunately, that conflicts with the media's agenda...
In the Jerusalem Post, Barry Rubin writes:
"The full horror of contemporary Middle East politics and debate is comprehended by few in the West, largely because people aren't informed by their political leaders, intellectuals and media."
Monday, December 29, 2008
Obama Should Forget About Energy Independence - WSJ.com
The energy issue is going to be around for a long time; or, until we run out of it...
Arthur B. Laffer discusses it in the Wall Street Journal:
"It's telling that Mr. Obama and his appointees kept pointing to the successes achieved by California as examples of what should be done on a national level. Whenever California's current policies -- full of taxes and regulations that are crippling its economy -- are held up as a model, you know the speaker has a lot to learn."
Rasmussen Reports™ - Congress' Approval Ratings
It would be interesting to meet the 2% who think Congress is doing an excellent job.
You can rest assured that I'm not one of them...
You can rest assured that I'm not one of them...
Rasmussen Reports reports this:
"Approval of Congress' job performance is down to single digits again for the first time since early September.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of likely voters found that only nine percent (9%) give Congress good or excellent ratings, while 54% give the legislature poor marks. Just one-out-of-50 voters (2%) think Congress is doing an excellent job.
The last time the ratings were this low was on September 9. In late November, 12% gave Congress good or excellent ratings. This is now the fifth time congressional ratings have fallen below 10% since June 1."
ACLU hit by Madoff Ponzi scheme
This fraud really was far reaching...
At Examiner.con, J.D. Tucille has this from an ACLU letter:
"That means that $850,000 in support we were counting on from these foundations in 2009 simply won't exist. We're dealing with that reality and remain committed to continuing our critical work in these areas."
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Gov. Sarah Palin - Commentary
This writer's theory is probably accurate.
I don't think anyone can dispute that there are differences between small towns and urban areas; and, as Limbaugh implies, today's urban "values" aren't the same as they were generations ago...
I don't think anyone can dispute that there are differences between small towns and urban areas; and, as Limbaugh implies, today's urban "values" aren't the same as they were generations ago...
At CNN.com, Ruben Navarrette Jr. wrote this:
"Simply put, Palin is my people. She's small-town folk who wound up in the big leagues.
Because I grew up in a small town with a population of less than 15,000 people, I was disgusted by the insults and condescension coming from those who think of themselves as the enlightened elite. Meanwhile, in small towns, I detected great affection for Palin. People talked about how she was 'a real person' who 'reflected their values.'
The most significant divide in America isn't Red State vs. Blue State, it's rural vs. urban. The country mouse and the city mouse are still slugging it out."
Gov. Sarah Palin - More Admired than Oprah
The media can't dismiss this. They can only ignore it.
If you compare the respective times on the National scene, this is very impressive...
If you compare the respective times on the National scene, this is very impressive...
A very recent Gallup Poll :
"No one comes close to matching Obama in percentage mentions on this year's list of most admired men, based on a Dec. 12-14 USA Today/Gallup poll. By contrast, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin makes a strong showing in second place for Most Admired Woman, garnering 11% of all mentions."
Gov. Sarah Palin
Here are two articles about Gov. Sarah Palin...
This one is an interview with John Gizzi at HumanEvents.com:
The second one is commentary by Ann Coulter, also at HumanEvents.com:
Their subject is: "Conservative of the Year"
Saturday, December 27, 2008
American Thinker: A "Disproportionate Response"
This could just as well been written today...
It's from an article by Rachel Neuwirth in July 2006. She begins:
"Buzzwords plague discussion of the Middle East conflict. For too long the buzzword phrase was the so—called 'occupied territories.' But today the new buzzword is 'disproportionate response,' meaning that Israel is being admonished to not overreact to an act of war by her enemies."
Mortars fired into Israel
This is hard to imagine.
Americans don't even hear about it, unless the Israelis respond and are accused of killing civilians...
Americans don't even hear about it, unless the Israelis respond and are accused of killing civilians...
Yaakov Katz and Herb Keinon report in the Jerusalem Post:
"The IDF received the green light Wednesday for a series of operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, after more than 60 mortar shells and Katyusha and Kassam rockets pounded the Negev.
Gaza terrorists fire over 60 rockets and mortar shells into southern Israel
The barrage hit communities throughout the South, reaching as far north as Ashkelon and as far south as Kerem Shalom. At least two Grad-model Katyusha rockets were fired into Ashkelon on Wednesday, and a Kassam with extended range hit Netivot."
Kimberley A. Strassel: Democrats Are the New Ethics Story - WSJ.com
Politicians are certainly making names for themselves.
Unfortunately none of those names are complimentary...
Unfortunately none of those names are complimentary...
In the Wall Street Journal, Kimberly Strassel discusses the "culture of corruption":
"The Blagojevich drama is titillating enough, and local Democrats' dithering over how to fill Mr. Obama's seat guarantees it will remain a storyline longer than is comfortable. But the Illinois drama has also thrust new light on the ongoing ethical controversies of House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel. At the rate the House Ethics Committee is receiving complaints -- over Mr. Rangel's real-estate problems, tax problems, his privately sponsored trips to the Caribbean, and donations to his center in New York -- this too will make headlines for a while.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Tribune published a new story about Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who racked up $420,000 through a series of suspicious real-estate deals. Texas Rep. Silvestre Reyes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, came under scrutiny this fall for questionable earmarking. West Virginia Rep. Alan Mollohan has been under investigation for a separate earmarking mess. And then there's Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, who has yet to answer questions about the sweetheart mortgage deal he received from Countrywide."
Friday, December 26, 2008
About that "change"
"Change" can mean many things; apparently, even same old, same old.
I have to wonder, "Did Americans get fooled?"...
I have to wonder, "Did Americans get fooled?"...
At DCexaminer.com, Byron York writes:
"As president-elect, Barack Obama faced a dilemma. Too many times to count during the campaign, he promised voters change. We've had it with the old Washington ways, he said. It's time for something different.
But now that he's the incoming president and has to fill about 3,000 of the top jobs in the executive branch, to whom is he looking? To experienced Democratic hands. And what was the last administration in which Democrats got experience running the executive branch? Well, of course.
That's how you get Bill Clinton's old White House chief of staff (John Podesta) as the new transition chief. And you get Clinton's old senior adviser (Rahm Emanuel) as the new White House chief of staff.
And you get Clinton's old impeachment lawyer (Greg Craig) as the new White House counsel. And you get Clinton's old deputy attorney general (Eric Holder) as the new attorney general."
Meanwhile - in San Francisco
Every newspaper seems to have a "local" stuff column...
At SFgate.com, Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross have this in theirs:
"What started as a minor case over a pair of scratch marks less than 6 inches long on a Toyota RAV4 in Palo Alto has turned into a three-year legal odyssey involving a private investigator, an expert witness flown in at a cost of several thousand dollars and appeals all the way to the state Supreme Court."
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas to ALL
Enjoy your day...
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Lobbying Is Democracy in Action (?)
That question mark is mine.
This article considers lobbyists an essential part of democracy, and I don't dispute that.
What I don't like is the pervasive appearance of impropriety and the apparent constant assault on the ethics of our elected representatives, all of whom seem to have a "price".
I guess it's a necessary evil; but it does seem a bit perverted...
This article considers lobbyists an essential part of democracy, and I don't dispute that.
What I don't like is the pervasive appearance of impropriety and the apparent constant assault on the ethics of our elected representatives, all of whom seem to have a "price".
I guess it's a necessary evil; but it does seem a bit perverted...
I found this in an article by Robert J. Samuelson at Newsweek.com:
"In 2008, there are about 16,000 registered lobbyists—people with sufficient congressional contacts that they're required to report under the 1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act, says the Center for Responsive Politics. That's up about 50 percent since 1998. But there are also hordes of public-relations consultants, advertising managers, Internet advisers, policy experts (at think tanks and elsewhere) who are primed to influence government—and a huge support staff including, for example, 'line standers' who grab scarce spots at crucial congressional hearings for high-priced lawyers. When political scientist James Thurber of American University counted all these others, the size of the influence-lobbying complex ballooned to 261,000."
Who We (Still) Are - WSJ.com
Peggy Noonan was a Ronald Reagan speechwriter.
At times, her exposure to President Reagan is apparent in her writings.
I think this article is one of those times...
At times, her exposure to President Reagan is apparent in her writings.
I think this article is one of those times...
In the Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan writes:
"This is a good time to remember who we are, or rather just a few small facts of who we are. We are the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world, the leading industrial power of the world, and the wealthiest nation in the world. "There's a lot of ruin in a nation," said Adam Smith. There's a lot of ruin in a great economy, too. We are the oldest continuing democracy in the world, operating, since March 4, 1789, under a vibrant and enduring constitution that was formed by geniuses and is revered, still, coast to coast. We don't make refugees, we admit them. When the rich of the world get sick, they come here to be treated, and when their children come of age, they send them here to our universities. We have a supple political system open to reform, and a wildly diverse culture that has moments of stress but plenty of give."
Winter medical myths 'debunked'
Considering that "a lie repeated becomes the truth", I suspect these myths will continue for a long time...
From BBC News:
"'Both physicians and non-physicians sometimes believe things about our bodies that just are not true,' wrote Dr Rachel Vreeman and Dr Aaron Carroll.
'Examining common medical myths reminds us to be aware of when evidence supports our advice.'
So what did they find?"
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Caroline Kennedy - and her Special Friend
Officially, The New York Times claims to be unbiased.
I wonder if they're just playing with words, like it depends on what the meaning of "bias" is...
I wonder if they're just playing with words, like it depends on what the meaning of "bias" is...
Alex Pareene posts this and more at Gawker.com:
"Don't even bother to leave a comment at the Times local news blog suggesting a sexy patrician affair between the Senator-to-be and the publisher of the Times.
It seems like a mostly legitimate question to ask, doesn't it? Whether or not they're having sexy sexy old rich scion sex, the special friendship between Sulzberger and Kennedy is well-documented. And when the publisher of your paper is BFF with a public figure, asking whether that friendship affects coverage of that public figure is certainly fair game.
But no, no comments allowed asking about the affair."
Ron Gettelfinger, UAW - an opinion
This is a complicated issue because there are real people involved.
Unions do what they do, and companies respond.
Contracts are not sufficiently linked to a company's viability; therefore, in bad times, there must be concessions.
Now, we'll wait to see who will make them...
Unions do what they do, and companies respond.
Contracts are not sufficiently linked to a company's viability; therefore, in bad times, there must be concessions.
Now, we'll wait to see who will make them...
At NorthStarWriters.com, Dan CalabreseAUTHOR gives his opinion clearly:
"Ron Gettelfinger is a clueless, obstinate man who cares nothing about economic rationality or about the consequences of his actions. He cares only about resisting 'givebacks' and bludgeoning management – because that is his job and that is his universe. If he gets away with it this time, he will take a bad idea and ensure that it becomes catastrophic."
FOXNews.com - Ballot Madness
Close elections can get pretty ugly.
I wonder if you agree with the decisions posted here...
I wonder if you agree with the decisions posted here...
John R. Lott, Jr. and Ryan S. Lott show them at FoxNews.com:
"The primary problem isn’t the rules. The real problem is the lack of consistency. Take some of the ballots that only marked the oval for Coleman, but where the oval is also marked through with an “X.” The Canvassing Board determined that those marks meant those voters intended to support “other/no one.” Here are a couple of examples... "
The root of the financial crisis?
It looks pretty clear to me...
Stephen Brown has this and more at FrontPageMagazine.com:
"At one point, desperate to get the bill passed, Hagel sent a letter to Republican Senate Majority Leader, Bill Frist, asking for a vote. Twenty-six Republican senators signed the letter, while nine of the CDI-targeted Republicans did not.
No Democratic senator, including Obama, signed Hagel’s missive either. For this, they shoulder much of the blame for killing this last chance to prevent the current economic crisis. Former president Bill Clinton admitted as much when he told ABC’s Chris Cuomo: 'I think the responsibility the Democrats have may rest more in resisting any efforts by Republicans in the congress or by me when I was President to put some standards and tighten up a little on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.'"
Monday, December 22, 2008
The Media - NY Times published fake letter
If you use the New York Times as a trustworthy source, you are going to be embarassed on a regular basis...
At Breitbart.com, the AP's Ann Levin reports on their sloppy work:
"The New York Times admitted Monday it published a fake letter purportedly from the mayor of Paris criticizing Caroline Kennedy's Senate bid as "appalling" and "not very democratic."
"What title has Ms. Kennedy to pretend to Hillary Clinton's seat?" the letter in Monday's editions said. 'We French can only see a dynastic move of the vanishing Kennedy clan in the very country of the Bill of Rights. It is both surprising and appalling.'
In an editor's note posted Monday on its Web site, the Times said the letter signed by Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe should not have been published because it violated the paper's standards and procedures. "
Cinderella vs. the Barracuda - by Jonah Goldberg
Clearly unequal treatment in the media, which, whether we like it or not, influences the perceptions of the "sheeple"...
At the National Review Online, Jonah Goldberg comments on their treatment by the media:
"One could say without fear of overstating things that the liberal reaction to the inexperienced Caroline has been somewhat more gracious than the reaction to the “inexperienced” Palin."
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Meanwhile - in New York City
Oh Brother! Big Brother, that is.
I don't like this at all...
I don't like this at all...
Bob Lonsberry writes this and more on his website:
"The obesity tax must be resisted.
While the need to balance the New York budget is real, the obesity tax isn’t about money, it is about freedom. A regular tax wants to take away your money, this tax wants to take away your choice.
It wants to put the latest political correctness in charge of your family food budget, it wants to change the basic American budget, and in the name of “helping” people, it wants to suck off a share of their food budget.
The government will put heavy taxes on the foods people eat – and which have made Americans the biggest, strongest and healthiest people on Earth – and claim that it is doing those people a favor.
It enriches government, empowers the crazy environmental vegans, and kills freedom. It is a dream come true for the big government types.
But it is fundamentally un-American."
Work Rules
Most union members know that the best way to defeat a company is to obey every work rule to the letter.
With that in mind, they bargain for more and more work rules in every contract.
And, when management gives in, they set themselves up for future problems...
With that in mind, they bargain for more and more work rules in every contract.
And, when management gives in, they set themselves up for future problems...
At Slate.com, Mickey Kaus posts this and more:
"Why have unionized Detroit auto manufacturers manifestly lost out to their non-union Japanese competitors, even when it comes to building cars in the United States--to the point where Congress is presented with a choice of bailout or bankruptcy? There are some obvious culprits: shortsighted American managers, schlocky designers, an insular corporate culture. Here's another: the very structure of Wagner Act unionism. The problem isn't so much wages as work rules--internal strictures that make it hard for unionized competitors to constantly adapt and change production processes the way the Japanese do.
Now that everyone is criticizing work rules, it's easy to forget that they don't represent a perversion of the collective bargaining process--they are the intended result of that process, ..."
RFID's are coming on line
Technology can be both good and bad.
Sometimes, it's even a little creepy...
Sometimes, it's even a little creepy...
Dave Eberhart reports at NewsMax.com:
"The federal government has already deployed new detection machines that can scan citizens without their knowledge from as far as 50 feet away and 'read' their personal documents such as passports or driver's licenses."
"The RFIDs are so sensitive that, even before a vehicle pulls up at a border checkpoint, agents already will have on their computer screen the personal data of the passengers, including each person's name, date of birth, nationality, passport or ID number, and even a digitized photo."
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Government at Work - $65,000 per room
It seems like Buffalo's city government is a bit less than competent.
Of course, somebody is definitely making money...
Of course, somebody is definitely making money...
At BuffaloNews.com, James Heaney reports:
"Some of downtown’s largest hotel operators say the last thing they need is more competition, especially subsidized competitors.
But that’s exactly the course City Hall is pursuing.
One heavily subsidized hotel is under construction, and development agencies in the last month have approved two others that would involve significant tax breaks. The new projects would increase the inventory of downtown hotel rooms by 22 percent.
'I don’t see where the business is coming from; I just don’t,' said Rudi Rainer, general manager of Adam’s Mark, downtown’s biggest hotel."
Friday, December 19, 2008
Restore the Uptick Rule, Restore Confidence - WSJ.com
As the article says, "a shortsighted move".
I'm not surprised. It's the way government works...
I'm not surprised. It's the way government works...
Charles R. Schwab discusses it in the Wall Street Journal:
"The last time the stock market suffered from extreme volatility and risk of market manipulation as severe as we are experiencing today, our grandparents' generation stepped up to the plate and instituted the uptick rule. That was 1938. For nearly 70 years average investors benefited immensely from that one simple stabilizing act.
Unfortunately, in a shortsighted move, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) eliminated the rule in July 2007, just as we were about to need it most. Investors have now been whipsawed by what appears to be manipulative trading, what we used to call 'bear raids,' which drive stock prices down without warning and at breakneck speed. Average investors feel the deck is stacked against them and are losing confidence in the markets.
For the sake of our children and grandchildren, and to avoid a needless future repeat of a bad situation, it is time to restore the uptick rule."
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The "Democratic" Agenda
It's seems that the Democrat party doesn't like democratic ideas.
I bet you already knew that...
I bet you already knew that...
In the N.Y. Post, Ken Blackwell tells us what to watch out for:
"Barack Obama ran on the promise of bringing America together, but Democrats in Congress seem more eager to use their majorities to expand and cement their power across the entire federal government.
If Republicans are to avoid becoming a permanent minority, they need to stop five hyperpartisan bills likely to come to the floor over the first half of 2009."
CROWS can be very deadly
It appears that we owe some thanks to Atari, Nintendo, etc...
The Strategy Page explains why:
"The guys operating these systems grew up playing video games. They developed skills in operating systems (video games) very similar to the CROWS controls. This was important, because viewing the world around the vehicle via a vidcam is not as enlightening (although a lot safer) than having your head and chest exposed to the elements, and any firepower the enemy sends your way. But experienced video gamers are skilled at whipping that screen view around, and picking up any signs of danger. Iraqis are amazed at how observant CROWS is. Iraqis tend to just wrote this off as another example of American 'magic.'"
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Only in America - Someone left the backdoor open
What's wrong with this picture?...
Roy Beck posts this at NumbersUSA.com:
"The most recent government data show that the feds granted greencards to 744,531 new working-age permanent immigrants (age 20-64) in 2007. Every one of them can immediately apply for a job (as can many more immigrants who are below and above that age range).
The Department of Homeland Security reports that in the fiscal year just ended it issued NEW work permits to another 912,735 foreign workers who are not permanent immigrants.
That adds up to an astounding rate of 1,657,266 foreign workers per year, and that doesn't count renewals on foreign work permits or the flow of illegal workers."
"One Big Chicago"
Based on the amount of corrupt politicians that get caught, which may just be the tip of the iceberg, this scenario is easy to imagine...
This is from an article by Susan Jones, a Senior Editor at CNSnews.com:
"Richard Viguerie, a leader of the conservative movement, warns that America could become 'one big Chicago' unless federal bailouts are subject to certain restrictions.
'Before we turn over the car companies, the financial sector, the health care system, and much of the rest of the American economy to these guys, we need to realize: We are opening doors to a level of corruption like we have never seen before,' Viguerie warned."
Employee Free Choice Act - Not exactly
Don't you just love the promotional labels our politicians put on these dishonest programs?...
I found this in an article by Herman Cain at NorthStarWriters.com:
"During this same week of “Employee Free Choice Act” enlightenment, I attended two corporate Board meetings with some of my CEO peers. I did not even have to raise the subject, but it came up in the course of conversation.
So I asked them what they thought the impact on business in America would be if the 'Employee Free Choice Act' passed in Congress.
Unanimously, they predicted that the proposed legislation would be the end to manufacturing and production in the United States of America."
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
"Where to Draw the Bailout Line?"
It seems that the question has become which solutions are worse, bailouts or bankruptcies?.
It's sort of like choosing which weapon to die by...
It's sort of like choosing which weapon to die by...
At RealClearPolitics.com, Lawrence Kudlow discusses bailouts and specifically the auto industry:
"Coming back to Detroit, there may be a pragmatic solution, one that takes some of the apocalypse-now threat of major economic decline out of play. Senator Bob Corker and others have proposed a federal oversight board that would in effect become a bankruptcy court. Strict conditions would be imposed on the carmakers, especially regarding compensation -- the single-biggest reason for Detroit's decades-long decline.
Corker wants Detroit to have the exact same compensation levels as the Japanese transplants in the non-union Southern states. That means moving hourly labor costs down from roughly $70 to $48. It means reopening the UAW contracts that have created the huge pay-gap between Toyota and GM. It means putting an end to excessive pension and healthcare benefits.
According to Professor Mark Perry of the University of Michigan, GM healthcare benefits add $1,500 to the price of every vehicle, while pension costs add another $700 per car. That will have to end. The lucrative jobs bank that pays laid-off workers 95 percent of their compensation also will have to stop. And bondholders will have to be satisfied with a complete renegotiation of GM's $62 billion in debt, including the union retiree healthcare fund that is under-funded by $30 billion."
A Memo to the UAW from the Taxpayer
I think this speaks for almost all of us...
This is the beginning of Dan Fitspatrick's letter at theStreet.com:
"First, we want to make it clear that we do not consider you overpaid or lazy. Your persistent reliance on that argument reveals that you either do not understand the issues before us, or are trying to divert attention from these issues by making it all about you. Either way, we want to clarify our position by submitting a number of questions and comments for your consideration."
The Other American Auto Industry
Do you think there's a message here?...
This is just a part of an article by Fred Barnes at WeeklyStandard.com:
"The southern auto industry mocks Detroit. The transplants make money and aren't asking for help from Washington. The recession has curtailed car sales temporarily, causing the transplants to slow production. But they are expected to expand again once the economy recovers. Volkswagen is currently building a plant outside of Chattanooga, which will produce 150,000 cars a year. But VW, with ambitious plans to increase its American sales, obtained an environmental permit that allows it to make 512,000 autos at the site."
Monday, December 15, 2008
Scientists Denounce AP For Hysterical Global Warming
The media continues to hype global warming in spite of facts to the contrary.
Is it any wonder that the media isn't trusted anymore?...
Is it any wonder that the media isn't trusted anymore?...
Noel Shepard posts at NewsBusters.com:
"Scientists from around the world are denouncing an Associated Press article hysterically claiming that global warming is 'a ticking time bomb' about to explode, and that we're 'running out of time' to do anything about it.
As reported by NewsBusters, Seth Borenstein, the AP's 'national science writer,' published a piece Sunday entitled 'Obama Left With Little Time to Curb Global Warming.'"
Global Warming - "Red Hot Lies"
It's a new book by Christopher Horber...
Cynthia Grenier discusses it at HumanEvents.com:
"Time and again throughout his book, Horner details the errors and even frauds committed in the name of global warming, reproducing charts and even photographs that are certainly revealing even to those not passionate about scientific minutiae."
"The data in his book are difficult if not impossible to refute, and certainly give a reader bountiful material to win many an argument with greens and global alarmists."
When the warmest year in history isn't
Just in case you missed it...
At SFgate.com, Debra J. Saunders reports:
"The Global Warming Petition Project urges Washington to reject the Kyoto international global warming pact because there is 'no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate." So far, the Politico reports, more than 31,000 scientists have signed it."
Global Warming - "freezing heat"
Inaccurate reporting of statistics is not new in the recent coverage of global warming alarmism. Amateur scientists all over
the world now scrutinize every little thing.
Taking that into consideration, we have to wonder how accurate the statistics have been all along.
I'm thinking that in the past no one was even double checking...
the world now scrutinize every little thing.
Taking that into consideration, we have to wonder how accurate the statistics have been all along.
I'm thinking that in the past no one was even double checking...
In the U.K. Telegraph, Christopher Booker reports:
"A surreal scientific blunder last week raised a huge question mark about the temperature records that underpin the worldwide alarm over global warming. On Monday, Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), which is run by Al Gore's chief scientific ally, Dr James Hansen, and is one of four bodies responsible for monitoring global temperatures, announced that last month was the hottest October on record.
A sudden cold snap brought snow to London in October
This was startling. Across the world there were reports of unseasonal snow and plummeting temperatures last month, from the American Great Plains to China, and from the Alps to New Zealand. China's official news agency reported that Tibet had suffered its 'worst snowstorm ever'. In the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration registered 63 local snowfall records and 115 lowest-ever temperatures for the month, and ranked it as only the 70th-warmest October in 114 years.
So what explained the anomaly?"
A new sun spells new trouble?
If you need something else to worry about; try this...
This is from an article by Andrei Kislyakov on the Russian News and Information Agency website:
"On August 28, 1859, polar lights glowed and shimmered all over the American continent as darkness fell. Many people thought their city was aflame. The instruments used to record this magnetic fluctuation across the world went off their scales. Telegraph systems malfunctioned, hit by a massive surge in voltage.
This was an actual solar storm. Its results for humankind were small, because civilization had not yet entered a hi-tech phase of development. Had something similar happen in our nuclear space age, destruction would have been catastrophic.
Meanwhile, according to scientific data, storms of such size occur relatively seldom: once in five centuries. But events with half the intensity happen every 50 years. The last one took place on November 13, 1960 and disturbed the Earth's geomagnetic fields, upsetting the operation of radio stations.
Now our dependence on radio electronic devices is so immense that increased solar activity could disable life-support systems all over the world, and not only on the surface."
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Meanwhile - In the U.K.
"Nanny State" is the term used for a government that tries to take care of every human inadequacy. I think this government fits that definition.
Now, I wonder if they considered dressing them in padded helmets and clothing, in case the flip-flops fail?...
Now, I wonder if they considered dressing them in padded helmets and clothing, in case the flip-flops fail?...
I found this at the Daily Mail Online:
"Police in one of Britain's busiest seaside resorts have come up with a novel approach to get drunken women home safely - by giving them flip flops.
Police are handing out the footwear to help drunken ladettes get home uninjured after spotting a number of women staggering home in unsuitable shoes."
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Stimulus Shouldn't Be an Excuse for Pork - WSJ.com
Pork just won't go away...
In the Wall Street Journal, Robert Poole lists some interesting (disgusting) items:
"Dictionary.com defines infrastructure as 'the fundamental facilities and systems serving a country, city, or area.' The nation's mayors define it a bit differently.
On Monday, the U.S. Conference of Mayors went to Capitol Hill to ask for a handout, or as they put it: 'We are reporting that in 427 cities of all sizes in all regions of the country, a total of 11,391 infrastructure projects are 'ready to go.' These projects represent an infrastructure investment of $73,163,299,303 that would be capable of producing an estimated 847,641 jobs in 2009 and 2010.'
A wish list that is 11,391 projects strong! What vital infrastructure projects would cash-strapped taxpayers get for their $73 billion? Here's a sampling:"
Ananova - Double-decker graves set for go-ahead
This seems kind of intimate to me.
Hopefully, you don't just get a random choice...
Hopefully, you don't just get a random choice...
I found this at Ananova.com:
"Human remains are to be dug up and re-buried deeper in the ground in double-decker graves to tackle a shortage of space for new burials.
New inscriptions will then be added to existing headstones while some old gravestones could even be removed altogether, reports the Daily Telegraph.
Up to a dozen local authorities around Britain are set to begin an 18-month trial of the scheme."
Friday, December 12, 2008
Obama's "Energy Czar" - Meet Carol Browner
Apparently, the definition of "change" includes the concept "more of the same"...
At TownHall.com, Michelle Malkin tells us about her:
"On her last day in office, nearly eight years ago, Browner oversaw the destruction of agency computer files in brazen violation of a federal judge's order requiring the agency to preserve its records."
In Our World - Wanna try this?
A true test of trusting your equipment.
I think I'll pass on this one...
I think I'll pass on this one...
In the Denver Post, Jason Blevins reports, and there's a video:
"'There is no parachute. There is no safety net. There is no air bag. But there is 800 horsepower on my back,' said the former TV stuntman who on Monday piloted his hydrogen-peroxide-powered jet pack across the 1,053-foot-deep Royal Gorge.
In a 21-second burst of deafening thrust, 45-year- old Scott soared across the 1,500-foot-wide chasm, setting all kinds of first-ever records in the nascent world of rocket-strapped flight as hundreds of spectators gaped."
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Politicians - in Europe
This sounds pretty ugly.
Actually, this sounds REALLY ugly.
I hope the Irish vote NO, just as they did before...
Actually, this sounds REALLY ugly.
I hope the Irish vote NO, just as they did before...
I found this in an article by Kirsty Walker in the U.K. Daily Mail Online:
"'It's a sad day for democracy when Europe's politicians gang up on their citizens, rather than trying to win over their trust.
'This Treaty has been voted down three times already. It should be dead.
'If EU politicians succeed in bullying the Irish people to reverse their decision, Britain will be forced to accept a Treaty that will weaken the power of ordinary voters in this country and across Europe.'
Tory Europe spokesman Mark Francois added: 'The people of Ireland have already rejected the Lisbon Treaty in a free and fair referendum so it remains to be seen whether their politicians will dare to ask them to do this again.
'In any event it would be very odd if the Irish people are asked to vote twice before the British people are even allowed to vote once.'"
In Our Schools - "H" for "held"
Lately, everyone is changing the grading system.
If they all become "different", I wonder how comparisons will be made...
If they all become "different", I wonder how comparisons will be made...
This comes from the Grands Rapids Press:
"No Grand Rapids high school students will find failing grades on their report cards when they arrive this week.
Instead, students who performed poorly will see an 'H' for 'held' and an opportunity to make up the work and earn a passing grade by the end of the next trimester.
Teachers union leaders argue the change is another late-marking period scramble to boost sagging scores and undermines their ability to get students to show up and work hard all trimester."
Atlas Shrugs "Something of Historic Proportion is Happening"
I'm not a believer that history always repeats itself; but, I AM a believer that we can learn from it.
This writer has similar thoughts..
This writer has similar thoughts..
At AtlasShrugs2000, Pamela Geller says:
"Read your history books. Many people objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and made fun of. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though.
Don’t forget that Germany was the most educated, cultured country in Europe. It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And in less than six years–a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency–it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors. All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them.
As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me."
Survey Says: Uh, let's not publish it
The election is over so this becomes categorized as "for what it's worth"...
I extrcted this from a Michael P. Tremoglie interview with John Ziegler in the Philadelphia Bulletin:
"TB: You said Zogby caved on this after being criticized. What did he do?
JZ: He supported the poll the first day after it came out on his Web site, Nov. 18. Two days later he said wouldn't do the exact same poll about McCain voters. Then he backed off publicly supporting his original poll.
TB: Why?
JZ: Apparently, because he was afraid the results of a poll of McCain voters would confirm that they were more knowledgeable of the issues and the candidate than Obama voters."
Sand - and a lot of patience
This looks like an awful lot of work...
You can see it for yourself at Drogaina.com:
"Hint: think sand sculptures"
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Barack Obama - Somebody has a faulty memory
Asked what contact he'd had with the governor's office about his replacement in the Senate, President-elect Obama today said 'I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening.'
So, is it this reporter's memory or Barack Obama's?
(Unfortunately, evil forces seem to be at play here. The original link is no longer valid; however, a friendly blogger has captured the page and the link will take you there)...
So, is it this reporter's memory or Barack Obama's?
(Unfortunately, evil forces seem to be at play here. The original link is no longer valid; however, a friendly blogger has captured the page and the link will take you there)...
On the day after the election, KHQA's Carol Sowers reported this. :
"Wednesday, November 05, 2008 at 10:39 a.m.
CHICAGO, ILL. -- Now that Barack Obama will be moving to the White House, his seat in the U.S. Senate representing Illinois will have to be filled.
That's one of Obama's first priorities today.
He's meeting with Governor Rod Blagojevich this afternoon in Chicago to discuss it.
Illinois law states that the governor chooses that replacement."
The Media - and Obama's citizenship
There are 20-some lawsuits questioning the citizenship of Barack Obama. At least two have reached the Supreme Court, but the media seems to be ignoring them...
At RenewAmerica.us, JR Dieckmann attempts to explain:
"It seems that everyone today is asking why there is no media coverage of the many legal challenges to Obama's eligibility to become president, based upon many valid questions regarding his citizenship. Instead of simply answering these challenges with documented proof of his citizenship, he has chosen instead to conceal from public view, every single legal document he has, and spend a half million dollars in lawyer fees to fight the cases in hopes of getting them dismissed or delayed indefinitely.
The documents he has had sealed that would answer this looming question are his original birth certificate, his passport, his college records from both Columbia and Harvard universities, his health records, and his original Selective Service registration — if it exists at all. Many inconsistencies in the Selective Service registration form, which has appeared on the web indicate it has been forged or altered. Obama seems determined to hide his true identity."
General Motors to Invest $1 Billion in Brazil
I don't like this.
It's bad enough to spend OUR money on bailouts, but this seems way over the top...
It's bad enough to spend OUR money on bailouts, but this seems way over the top...
In the Latin American Herald Tribune, Russ Dallen reports:
"General Motors plans to invest $1 billion in Brazil to avoid the kind of problems the U.S. automaker is facing in its home market, said the beleaguered car maker.
According to the president of GM Brazil-Mercosur, Jaime Ardila, the funding will come from the package of financial aid that the manufacturer will receive from the U.S. government and will be used to 'complete the renovation of the line of products up to 2012.'"
New Jersey is in trouble
Let's see. New Jersey is a historically Democratic state.
Does that tell us something?.
And not to mention, passing the buck to future elected officials AND future generations...
Does that tell us something?.
And not to mention, passing the buck to future elected officials AND future generations...
Dunstan McNichol and Claire Heininger report at NJ.com:
"Specifically, Corzine proposed letting local governments skip paying $541 million of the $1.1 billion due. They would gradually work their way back to full payments by 2012 under his plan."
"Lawmakers would have to approve the 'pension payment holiday' Corzine proposed. Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) said it 'will get serious consideration.'
'I think it represents the best available option among a whole host of bad choices,' Roberts said. 'These are unprecedented times. If we can give municipalities and property taxpayers some breathing room and still, over the next several years, honor our commitments to public employees and their pensions I think it would be something we should absolutely consider.'
Republican lawmakers derided the proposal as 'an election-year gimmick.'
'Property taxpayers will shoulder an even greater tax burden in the three years following the gubernatorial election as municipalities raise taxes to pay for this year's pension obligation,' said Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Essex)."
"We Blew It"
Many a true word is said in jest...
In his Weekly Standard article, P.J. O'Rourke shares this one:
"There's a joke in Arkansas about a candidate hustling votes in the country. The candidate asks a farmer how many children he has.
"I've got six sons," the farmer says.
"Are they all good little Democrats?" the candidate asks.
"Well," the farmer says, "five of 'em are. But my oldest boy, he got to readin' . . . "
In Our World - The words: they are a changin'
I realize that we have long since abandoned the terminology of our forefathers, and for that matter, the cavemen, so I guess (in a way) this is necessary.
On the other hand, I think certain words are worthy of retention, and on that note, I would suggest a policy of careful additions, along with a extreme reluctance to "remove" any word that we still know the meaning of...
On the other hand, I think certain words are worthy of retention, and on that note, I would suggest a policy of careful additions, along with a extreme reluctance to "remove" any word that we still know the meaning of...
In the U.K. Telegraph, Julie Henry tells about it:
"Oxford University Press has removed words like 'aisle', 'bishop', 'chapel', 'empire' and 'monarch' from its Junior Dictionary and replaced them with words like 'blog', 'broadband' and 'celebrity' Dozens of words related to the countryside have also been culled.
The publisher claims the changes have been made to reflect the fact that Britain is a modern, multicultural, multifaith society.
But academics and head teachers said that the changes to the 10,000 word Junior Dictionary could mean that children lose touch with Britain's heritage."
IKEA’s “Ian and Steve”
The lifestyle one chooses is their personal choice.
I think businesses should stay out of it.
They can certainly promote their products, but they shouldn't promote any particular lifestyle...
I think businesses should stay out of it.
They can certainly promote their products, but they shouldn't promote any particular lifestyle...
At LifeSiteNews.com, Hilary White writes:
"The catalogue, says a pro-family Christian group, 'promotes the extreme ideology of homosexual activists.' Fronda, a Catholic magazine, is encouraging readers to write to the company to protest and reports that readers have already sent hundreds of e-mails and faxes to IKEA demanding an explanation and that the company alter the catalogue.
Nevertheless, the IKEA spokesman in Poland, Karolina Horoszczaková, said that homosexuals are part of modern society and the company will not change the ad. 'Homosexuality is one of the elements of life in modern society. Our company cannot ignore this.'
The ad tells customers, 'Family life is changing ... Welcome to the new era.'
Grzegorz Upper, Fronda editor in chief, said that IKEA is promoting a lifestyle “which is not worthy of public promotion.”
'This [ad campaign] is connected with the strategy of accustoming people to homosexual relationships and then of legalising such relationships. This is done to establish their image in society as equal and then to legalise them.'"
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Politicians - in Canada's Liberal Party
Canadian government and elections are quite different than ours.
Even so, their politicians are every bit as hypocritical and opportunistic as ours are...
Even so, their politicians are every bit as hypocritical and opportunistic as ours are...
In Canada's National Post, Lorne Gunter discusses some of their most recent behavior:
"But none of that matters as much to Canada’s Liberals as being back in power, back in control of public spending and patronage.
Thus the man they last week proposed to foist on Canada as an unelected prime minister — Stéphane Dion — they have this week tossed over the rail in favour of foisting Michael Igantieff on their membership."
Politicians - in Boston
More corruption from our elected officials.
Throw the bums out...
Throw the bums out...
Jonathan Saltzman, Donovan Slack, and Andrew Ryan report at Boston.com:
"Wilkerson faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for each of the nine charges. Turner faces the same potential sanctions on the extortion and conspiracy charges. If convicted of making false statements, he could be sentenced to up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for each count."
Politicians - and their wives
Behind every (un)successful man; is a woman?
Maybe, it's "birds of a feather,"...
Maybe, it's "birds of a feather,"...
Michelle Malkin posts this on her website:
"Meet the First Lady of Illinois, Patty Blagojevich, via the official state website: 'As a wife and mother, Patricia Blagojevich brings firsthand experience and personal commitment to her strong advocacy on behalf of the women and children of Illinois. As First Lady, she works hard to promote initiatives that will help the families of Illinois bring up happy, healthy, and successful children.'
Meet Patty Blagojevich, hardball political thug, via the criminal complaint in her hubby’s massive corruption scandal, page 44 (language warning),"
Politicians - Alabama Mayor Larry Langford
Another corrupt politician...
Melinda Dickinson reports at Reuters.com:
"Authorities arrested Mayor Larry Langford at his place of business in Birmingham at 7 a.m. (1200 GMT) and indicted him on 60 counts including bribery, conspiracy and filing false tax returns, according to U.S. Attorney Alice Martin.
Langford was charged along with investment banker William Blount and lobbyist Al LaPierre for a total of 101 counts. The government said it was also seeking $7.6 million in forfeiture from the three men.
Blount's company profited from collecting fees recommended by Langford in the sewer bond transactions, Martin said.
Alabama's Jefferson County -- of which Birmingham is the main city -- is fighting to stave off what would be the largest bankruptcy in U.S. municipal history over its sewer debt."
Border official charged with harboring illegal immigrant - CNN.com
My funny side would offer this advice: maybe she should leave the country...
Jeanne Meserve reports at CNN.com:
"A top U.S. Customs and Border Protection employee was arrested Friday on suspicion of encouraging one of her cleaning ladies -- said to be an illegal immigrant -- to stay in the country.
An affidavit says Lorraine Henderson continued to employ a woman after being told she was an illegal immigrant.
Lorraine Henderson, whose job as Boston, Massachusetts-area port director for the agency included helping keep illegal immigrants out of the United States, was charged in federal court with harboring an illegal alien."
Politicians - and skin decontamination
Politicians at work lining their pockets at the expense of those who fight so that they can have that ability.
Throw the bums out...
Throw the bums out...
Christine Willmsen and David Heath write in the Seattle Times:
"After being lobbied by companies making a decontamination powder, powerful U.S. senators Charles Schumer, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Arlen Specter forced the military to keep buying what it considers inferior chemical-warfare protection for the troops."
Politicians - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
I only know what is reported here; however, at face value, the Governor seems to have taken the low road...
This was posted by Shane Goldmacher on the Sacremento Bee's website:
"Migden is a controversial pick after the series of public missteps that helped lead to her electoral deficit in June.
A couple years back, she pressed the vote button of an Assembly Republican for her own legislation. Earlier this year, she paid a state record $350,000 fine for campaign finance violations. She pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless driving after a 30-mile drive in her state-owned SUV ended in a collision.
And in August, Senate officials sent her staff members home after she was heard berating them from the hallway.
Jim Boren of the Fresno Bee editorial board called the Migden pick 'the worst appointment of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's political career.'"
Monday, December 08, 2008
Brazil, Argentina buoy Detroit's automakers
Wouldn't you think our beloved politicians would take notice of success like this?
Did someone say unions?...
Did someone say unions?...
Bryce G. Hoffman reports at DetNews.com:
"Whoever says Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. can't make money in the car business has never been to South America.
While the two automakers struggle to pull their North American businesses back into the black, both are making record profits south of the equator. In the United States, declining demand for their cars and trucks has forced Ford and GM to shutter plants and lay off workers. In countries like Brazil and Argentina, they are investing millions just to keep up.
Ford is running three shifts, six days a week at its factory in Camaçari, Brazil, where workers commute past palm huts and coconut vendors to work in one of the most advanced auto factories in the world. Farther south, GM workers in São Paulo fight some of the heaviest traffic in the world to churn out Chevy Corsas and Astras at the automaker's plant in São Caetano do Sul."
Why Canada Loves Nancy Pelosi - WSJ.com
Free trade seems to be a fairly simple concept.
That is, until politicians get involved...
That is, until politicians get involved...
The Wall Street Journal has this opinion:
"It's what you call a win-win. But not for American exporters who compete with Canadians in Colombia. Because Speaker Nancy Pelosi has blocked a vote in Congress on the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, American goods will automatically be more expensive than those from Canada by the amount of the existing tariff. If the United Auto Workers thought their Caterpillar exports were losing global ground before, wait until they compete on this not-so-level playing field."
There’s No Such Thing as ‘Government Money’
I couldn't agree more.
Those that serve us so poorly have become very adept at using words and phrases that deceive us.
And, for those that look no further, that becomes the truth...
Those that serve us so poorly have become very adept at using words and phrases that deceive us.
And, for those that look no further, that becomes the truth...
At PajamasMedia.com, Kyle-Anne Shiver makes several points. She begins:
"What happens to a society whose public discourse has become such an utter perversion of truth that the people can no longer even grasp solid reality?
If Confucius was correct, then, dear readers, we must conclude that our America is in for some very, very, very, very tough times ahead.
For in present-day America, the language we use to describe our realities has come so far afield anything even remotely resembling objective truth that we are little more than walking, talking idiots. It has become nearly impossible to distinguish a truthful statement from an outright lie."
Senator Clinton, Just Who Is Zdenka Gast?
This is for the conspiracy theorists; and it may even be true!...
This is part of Jack Cashill's post begins with this:
"Although his colleagues on the U. S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee will be content to throw Hillary Clinton softballs during her confirmation hearing, I suspect Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina has moxie enough to throw the would-be secretary of state a nasty curve as follows:
DeMint: Senator Clinton, just who Is Zdenka Gast?
Clinton: Zdenka Gast? Help me out here.
DeMint: Let me refresh your memory. Gast played a key role in Commerce Secretary Ron Brown’s fatal trip to Croatia in April 1996. Ostensibly at least, Brown went to Croatia to broker a deal between the Croatian government and a certain American corporation. Gast served as liaison between the two."
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Insufficient public interest?
I'm interested. Aren't you?And don't you think the judge might just be "curious"?...
Joseph Farah reports at WorldNetDaily.com:
"Another lawsuit attempting to obtain a copy of Barack Obama's Hawaiian birth certificate was thrown out Friday by a judge who said there was 'insufficient evidence to indicate that the public interest supports' the document's release.
Judge Bert Ayabe upheld arguments from Republican Gov. Linda Lingle's office, which, inexplicably, has fought tooth and nail to protect the birth certificate from public scrutiny even though it remains the key to establishing whether the man elected to be the next president is actually eligible under the Constitution.
Ayabe ruled that Andy Martin, the man who filed the suit, did not have standing under state law because he did 'not have a direct and tangible interest in the vital statistic records being sought, namely the birth certificate of President Obama.'
Yes, you read that right."
Barack Obama - vs. Alan Keyes
Somebody is holding the trump card here.
I just can't determine who it is...
I just can't determine who it is...
At Essence.com, Cynthia Gordy begins with this background and then questions Alan Keyes:
"The Constitution requires that, to be president, one must be a natural born citizen of the United States. Conservative Alan Keyes-who ran against President-elect Barack Obama in the 2004 race for the Illinois Senate, and in the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign (Keyes ran on the American Independent Party ticket)-is challenging whether that is the case for our new president. In November, Keyes filed a lawsuit against Obama, the California secretary of state, and others, to stop California from giving its electoral votes to Obama until a birth certificate is produced proving that he is indeed a natural born citizen. ESSENCE.com talked to Keyes about where he thinks Obama was born, why he questions the birth records already provided, and if this whole lawsuit is just an overblown case of sour grapes."
Chambliss Victory Refutes Public Break With Conservatism -- Christopher G. Adamo -- GOPUSA
This article is obviously aimed at Republicans.
It is a call for a return to conservatism, using the recent Senatorial race in Georgia as a focal point...
It is a call for a return to conservatism, using the recent Senatorial race in Georgia as a focal point...
At GOPusa.com, Christopher G. Adamo makes this point and more:
"These unfolding events are confusing and inconsistent, at least to those who accept the opinions of the "mainstream" Democrat and Republican punditry. According to the "conventional wisdom" of Washington insiders from both parties, John McCain would have done better to ditch Sarah Palin whom they believed to be a drag on his ticket. But in a seemingly contradictory fashion, Chambliss involved Palin heavily, while McCain was only nominally visible. As a result, Chambliss won his race, and with a far wider margin than McCain accrued on Election Day."
Why Permanent Tax Cuts Are the Best Stimulus - WSJ.com
We've been down this road before and it has worked every time.
Why do we still not get it?...
Why do we still not get it?...
John B. Taylor explains it again in the Wall Street Journal:
"After years of study and debate, theories based on the permanent-income model led many economists to conclude that discretionary fiscal policy actions, such as temporary rebates, are not a good policy tool. Rather, fiscal policy should focus on the "automatic stabilizers" (the tendency for tax revenues to decline in a recession and transfer payments such as unemployment compensation to increase in a recession), which are built into the tax-and-transfer system, and on more permanent fiscal changes that will positively affect the long-term growth of the economy.
Why did that consensus seem to break down during the public debates about the fiscal stimulus early this year? One reason may have been the apparent success of the rebate payments in 2001. However, those rebate payments were the first installment of more permanent, multiyear tax cuts passed that same year. Hence, they were not temporary."
Fireplace police on patrol; smoke can draw fine
I guess it's a sign of the times, and I do believe we deserve clean air; but, somehow, it seems over the top to me...
Steve Rubenstein reports at SFgate.com:
"For the first time ever, residential fires are illegal under a new law, passed in July, that bans home burning on winter season Spare the Air days.
The first such ban took effect at noon. Seventy inspectors from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District planned to spend the day and evening patrolling residential neighborhoods, looking for telltale chimney wisps.
Violators will get warnings by mail. Repeat offenders face fines of as much as $2,000."
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Auto Hearings: Hypocrisy 101 - Henry Payne
Politicians: their lack of memory and the consequences...
This is Henry Payne conclusion in his post at the National Review Online:
"Clearly, these men have no clue that their actions have consequences."
Automakers Pay 85- to 95-Percent of Wages to Union Members Who Are Not Working
So, do we want to be bailing out this?
I know that unions evolved to balance unfair management tactics.
On the other hand, we all might be wondering how these policies came about.
Obviously, no one could have predicted the future; however, I think this borders on irresponsibility on both sides...
I know that unions evolved to balance unfair management tactics.
On the other hand, we all might be wondering how these policies came about.
Obviously, no one could have predicted the future; however, I think this borders on irresponsibility on both sides...
At CNSnews.com, Tiffany Gabbay reports:
"Peter Morici, a professor at the University of Maryland’s school of business, told CNSNews.com that one of the biggest problems the companies face is the UAW’s Jobs Bank – a program established more than two decades ago that guarantees nearly full salary and benefits to out-of-work employees.
'Right now if a plant closes in St. Louis and a new one opens in Kansas City, the workers don’t have to move from St. Louis to Kansas City; they can opt to get a $105,000 payout or go on Jobs Bank where they can collect 95 percent of pay for the rest of their lives,' Morici said."
