Saturday, February 28, 2009
"Never Enough"
In their editorial criticism of the spending bill, IBD has an graph, a reference to Jimmy Carter, a look at a sneaky provision, a jab at the U.N., and more...
The last line of their Investors Business Daily editorial also caught my eye:
"One thing is for sure: Islamist terrorists won't waste what the U.S. taxpayer gives them on golf courses and solar panels."
Democrats buried mortgage scandal under the rug five years ago!
Here's a story that was actually in the New York Times in 2003.
I bet no American media outlet is willing to remind anyone of it.
When you see who called this an exaggeration, you will likely see a major cause of the problems...
I bet no American media outlet is willing to remind anyone of it.
When you see who called this an exaggeration, you will likely see a major cause of the problems...
However, CanadaFreePress.com IS willing:
"Under the plan, disclosed at a Congressional hearing today, a new agency would be created within the Treasury Department to assume supervision of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored companies that are the two largest players in the mortgage lending industry.
The new agency would have the authority, which now rests with Congress, to set one of the two capital-reserve requirements for the companies. It would exercise authority over any new lines of business. And it would determine whether the two are adequately managing the risks of their ballooning portfolios.
The plan is an acknowledgment by the administration that oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—which together have issued more than $1.5 trillion in outstanding debt—is broken. A report by outside investigators in July concluded that Freddie Mac manipulated its accounting to mislead investors, "
Meanwhile - in Baghdad
I bet you won't see the American media report this...
However, Tim Albone does in the U.K. TimesOnLine:
"Baghdad has never seen anything quite like it: in the newly reopened al-Khyam bar on the banks of the Tigris a group of American paratroopers, fully armed and dressed for battle, were linked arm in arm with drunken Iraqi revellers as they danced the night away.
'It is good to get a bit of Iraqi culture,' said a soldier from the 82nd Airborne. Three or four of his brothers-in-arms, still wearing body armour and with M4 machineguns slung from their shoulders, did their best to get into the swing. They laughed and joked. Some danced hand in hand with Iraqi women. Some even danced with the men, as is the custom in the Arab world."
Eavesdropping craft critical for monitoring terrorists
Watch what you say.
Remember, this is information they're willing to let us know about.
You can be sure there's more (and better)...
Remember, this is information they're willing to let us know about.
You can be sure there's more (and better)...
At SpaceFlightNow.com, Craig Covault has this:
"The NRO payload on the Delta 4-Heavy is a 5-to-6 ton eavesdropping spacecraft with a high tech deployable antenna as wide as 350 feet."
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Meanwhile - in Clearwater, FL
I'm thinking that there must be more to this story.
Maybe it will come down to what the meaning of "fish" is.
I know it's costing taxpayer's money...
Maybe it will come down to what the meaning of "fish" is.
I know it's costing taxpayer's money...
At wnd.com, Joe Kovacs reports:
"$500-a-day fine for posting Constitution"
"The salty dispute started in December 2007 when Herb and Lori Quintero invested their life savings to purchase and renovate a dilapidated building they turned into the Complete Angler, selling fishing accessories such as rods, reels and live and frozen bait.
To help spruce up the building's image, they hired artist Matt Evanson and gave him free rein to paint a giant mural of marine life, thus far depicting images of six local game fish: snook, redfish, tarpon, dolphin, grouper and sailfish. But Evanson has not been able to complete the artwork – which contains no words except for his signature – because the city on Florida's Gulf Coast claims it violates the sign code.
Clearwater officials say they're merely enforcing the strict rule prohibiting murals on businesses that depict a product the business sells. Ironically, the Complete Angler does not sell game fish."
"The Cal Ripken president" - by Ann Coulter
Ann Coulter's delivery is unacceptable to some; however, she always has something interesting (and true) in her presentations...
At wnd.com, Ann Coulter has a lot to say. Here's a part of it:
"After claiming that the disastrous stimulus bill would create or save 3.5 million jobs – 'more than 90 percent' in the private sector – Obama then enumerated a long list of exclusively government jobs that would be 'saved.'
He was suspiciously verbose about saving the jobs of public schoolteachers. Because nothing says 'economic stimulus' better than saving the jobs of lethargic incompetents who kick off at 2 p.m. every day and get summers off. Actually, that's not fair: Some teachers spend long hours after school having sex with their students.
As with the Clintons, Obama so earnestly believes in public school education that he sends his girls to ... an expensive private school. He demands that taxpayers support the very public schoolteachers he won't trust with his own children.
It is one thing to tell voters that school choice is wrong, because, you know, the public schools won't get better unless Americans sacrifice their children to the teachers union's maw. But it is quite another for Democrats to feed their own kids to the union incinerator.
Consequently, no Democrat president since Jimmy Carter has been stupid enough to send his own children to a public school."
Barack Obama's Expensive Domestic Agenda Will Cost America's Middle Class - WSJ.com
Perhaps one trick leads to another.
I wonder if a majority of voters have already been tricked...
I wonder if a majority of voters have already been tricked...
The Wall Street Journal does the math, and then editorializes:
"President Obama has laid out the most ambitious and expensive domestic agenda since LBJ, and now all he has to do is figure out how to pay for it. On Tuesday, he left the impression that we need merely end "tax breaks for the wealthiest 2% of Americans," and he promised that households earning less than $250,000 won't see their taxes increased by 'one single dime.'
This is going to be some trick. Even the most basic inspection of the IRS income tax statistics shows that raising taxes on the salaries, dividends and capital gains of those making more than $250,000 can't possibly raise enough revenue to fund Mr. Obama's new spending ambitions."
Paul Samuelson Vs. Milton Friedman - Forbes.com
I've always sided with Milton Friedman.
There are those that do not. Some are highly regarded.
After you read this article, you can decide for yourself...
There are those that do not. Some are highly regarded.
After you read this article, you can decide for yourself...
At Forbes.com, Peter Robinson looks at opposing views:
"But Samuelson and Friedman represent two of the most influential economists in the history of the discipline. Samuelson won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1970; Friedman in 1976. Samuelson achieved wide influence through Economics, still a popular textbook decades after he introduced it; Friedman through books such as Capitalism and Freedom, his column for Newsweek and his PBS television series, Free to Choose.
If events have indeed refuted Friedman--if Samuelson is right to say 'I told you so'--then we must promptly put out of our minds much that we thought we learned over the last half century about the importance of limited government and individual liberty.
Comment On This Story
Since Friedman is no longer here to present his side of the argument, perhaps a layman might be forgiven for asking Samuelson a few questions, hoping to persuade the great man to clarify a couple of points."
"What Is Being Covered Up and Why?
Are vaccines creating Autism?
This article certainly raises that concern...
This article certainly raises that concern...
At the NewMedia Journal, Christina England writes this and a lot more:
"So why were secret meetings held and why were the results of the findings not made public? During the Simpsonwood meeting no photocopying was allowed and no person attending was allowed to remove any paperwork. Why was this? It is only because of the Freedom of Information Act that the general public is becoming fully aware of secrets locked away and hidden from their knowledge. Even now with all this data becoming available Governments and drug companies are still insisting that these vaccines are safe. Yet data freely available on the Internet seems to tell a very different story."
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Japan's boffins: Global warming isn't man-made
I'm reading this on the same day that I'm reading this:
GENEVA (Reuters) – The Arctic and Antarctic regions are warming faster than previously thought, raising world sea levels and making drastic global climate change more likely than ever, international scientists said on Wednesday.
Go figure!...
GENEVA (Reuters) – The Arctic and Antarctic regions are warming faster than previously thought, raising world sea levels and making drastic global climate change more likely than ever, international scientists said on Wednesday.
Go figure!...
In the U.K. Register, Andrew Orlowski reports:
"Exclusive - Japanese scientists have made a dramatic break with the UN and Western-backed hypothesis of climate change in a new report from its Energy Commission.
Three of the five researchers disagree with the UN's IPCC view that recent warming is primarily the consequence of man-made industrial emissions of greenhouse gases. Remarkably, the subtle and nuanced language typical in such reports has been set aside.
One of the five contributors compares computer climate modelling to ancient astrology. Others castigate the paucity of the US ground temperature data set used to support the hypothesis, and declare that the unambiguous warming trend from the mid-part of the 20th Century has ceased.
The report by Japan Society of Energy and Resources (JSER) is astonishing rebuke to international pressure, and a vote of confidence in Japan's native marine and astronomical research."
Alan Keyes stokes Obama birth certificate controversy
Alan Keyes is no wimp when it comes to speaking his mind.
In this video, he says some interesting things...
In this video, he says some interesting things...
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
"Who caused the mortgage crisis?"
Politicians caused it. That's who.
Politicians/Government decided to meddle in the financial world to force lending institutions to lend money to UNQUALIFIED people.
We all understand the risk of doing something like that; however, they did not, and still do not.
And, they are meddling once again...
Politicians/Government decided to meddle in the financial world to force lending institutions to lend money to UNQUALIFIED people.
We all understand the risk of doing something like that; however, they did not, and still do not.
And, they are meddling once again...
At AmericanThinker.com, Thomas Lifson quotes at NY Times article from 1999:
"...Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders.
The action, which will begin as a pilot program involving 24 banks in 15 markets -- including the New York metropolitan region -- will encourage those banks to extend home mortgages to individuals whose credit is generally not good enough to qualify for conventional loans. Fannie Mae officials say they hope to make it a nationwide program by next spring.
Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits. ...
... at least one study indicates that 18 percent of the loans in the subprime market went to black borrowers, compared to 5 per cent of loans in the conventional loan market. ...
Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk, which may not pose any difficulties during flush economic times. But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescue similar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980's."
Obama's New Spending Bill Has 9,000 Earmarks
But don't worry. They're not "traditional" earmarks.
Say what!
Political doublespeak at it's best; if you ask me...
Say what!
Political doublespeak at it's best; if you ask me...
Posted at NewsMax.com by William Douglas and David Lightman of McClatchy Newspapers is this gem:
"President Barack Obama should prepare to carve out a lot of free time and keep the coffee hot this week as Congress prepares to unveil a $410 billion omnibus spending bill that's riddled with thousands of earmarks, despite his calls for restraint and efforts on Capitol Hill to curtail the practice.
The bill will contain about 9,000 earmarks totaling $5 billion, congressional officials say. Many of the earmarks — loosely defined as local projects inserted by members of Congress — were inserted last year as the spending bills worked their way through various committees."
"Predatory Legislators" - by Peter Schiff
Peter Schiff has long been a frequent guest on the business networks.
He's the guy who always opposed government interventions in various markets and always argued that political policies were setting us up for a fall.
Nobody paid attention; and now?, well, here we are...
He's the guy who always opposed government interventions in various markets and always argued that political policies were setting us up for a fall.
Nobody paid attention; and now?, well, here we are...
At FinancialSense.com, Peter Schiff now thinks our legislators are making it even worse:
"Although both lenders and borrowers were acting in their own perceived self-interest, what can we say of our economic policymakers who are expected to protect the good of all? Their actions encouraged the whole sad circus. Were it not for the excessively low interest rates provided by the Fed, the lax lending standards and moral hazards supplied by Congress courtesy of Freddie, Fannie, and the FHA, and the many real estate subsidies built into the tax code, none of these predatory loans would have been possible.
Had lenders exercised better judgment and had borrowers avoided overly burdensome debt loads, both parties would clearly be in better financial positions today. Instead, as borrowers were demanding the credit to fuel their dreams of instant real estate riches, lenders were being ordered to accommodate them.
In past generations, homebuyers were required to save for down payments and postpone their purchases until they could actually afford conventional 30-year fixed mortgages. But in recent years, as home ownership became a matter of public policy, the government accused lenders of discrimination and urged lower standards and easier terms. With government guarantees in place, the mortgage industry was happy to both expand their revenues and promote a better society.
But by denying credit, even if it requires borrowers to forgo something they clearly want, lenders not only provide a valuable service to borrowers, but to society. Given the mess in which we now find ourselves, due to the bad loans made during the real estate bubble, this lesson should have been well learned. Unfortunately it hasn't, as the same dynamic is now playing out on a much larger scale."
Monday, February 23, 2009
Economic Policy, Guided By Liberal Ideology, Is Impeding Recovery - WSJ.com
"Exactly in the wrong direction". Ugh!!!
Wouldn't you think we would try what worked in the past?...
Wouldn't you think we would try what worked in the past?...
Peter Ferrara writes in the Wall Street Journal:
"This is why America seems so hopeless right now, and so depressed. We are stuck going in exactly the wrong direction on economic policy because of currently dominant ideological fashions.
A natural economic recovery will begin sometime this year, not because of the president's policies, but because soon this will be the longest recession since World War II. However, thanks to the administration's retrograde policies -- cut from the cloth of the 1970s and even the 1930s -- the recovery will not be what it should be. Rather, unemployment will remain too high, and inflation will resurge, recreating the disastrous economic results we suffered the last time Keynesian policies were dominant."
California Is Verging on Fiscal Insolvency - WSJ.com
Catch 22!
It's not going to be easy to break this cycle.
The first goal should be to stop it from getting worse.
France, California, and now, the entire U.S. aren't getting the message...
It's not going to be easy to break this cycle.
The first goal should be to stop it from getting worse.
France, California, and now, the entire U.S. aren't getting the message...
These paragraphs are from an article by Matthew Kaminski in the Wall Street Journal:
"The French have long experienced the unintended consequences of a large public sector. Ask them about it. As the number of people who get money from government grows, so does the power of constituencies dedicated to keep this honey dripping. Even when voters recognize the model carries drawbacks, such as subpar growth, high taxes, an uncompetitive business climate and above-average unemployment, their elected leaders find it near impossible to tweak the system. This has been the story of France for decades, and lately of California."
'California is in a French-like bind: unable to afford a welfare-type state, and unable to overhaul it. "The people say they want all these programs, then there's nothing they want to pay for,' says Hector De La Torre, a Democratic assemblyman. 'The schizophrenia in the legislature reflects the peoples'.'"
Government at Work - Growing Revenue in Louisiana
Department of Agriculture money to buy police cars?
We've all heard about or experienced small town speed traps.
This one might top them all...
We've all heard about or experienced small town speed traps.
This one might top them all...
I found this at thenewspaper.com:
"In 2007, Higginbotham received $37,500 from the US Department of Agriculture Rural Development's Community Facilities Program for the purchase of two police cars fully equipped with the latest speed detection equipment. Higginbotham ordered Miles to use these vehicles to prey on State Highway 65 travelers as the speed limit dropped without warning to 45 MPH within the town limits."
The Loan Ranger - New York Post
I recently posted about a similar case in Washington State.
Now, I see that this tactic is much more widespread...
Now, I see that this tactic is much more widespread...
Richard Wilner reports on foreclosures in the New York Post:
"'The loan servicers bringing most of the foreclosure actions in the country don't own the mortgages and have no standing to take away a person's home,' said the lawyer, April Charney, who has stopped scores of foreclosure actions in Jacksonville, Fla., where she works as a Legal Aid lawyer.
In essence, Charney has forced scores of plaintiffs in foreclosure actions in Jacksonville to admit they don't have legal ownership of the securitized mortgage they are trying to foreclose upon - stopping the home takeover battle in its tracks.
The strategy has spread virally around the country and now thousands of foreclosure lawsuits are sitting idly - in legal limbo."
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Chevy Suburban - with Presidential extras
Did you ever wonder who or what is in the cars in the Presidential caravan?...
Andrew Didorosi has an answer at jalopnik.com:
"Do you have people constantly throwing shoes at you? It's time you replied with a measured, appropriate response — and that response is a Dillon Aero machine gun turret mounted on top of a Chevy Suburban — just like the one the President's got!"
Angry Renter: Oppose the Mortgage Lender Housing Bailout
This group has a valid point.
The pie chart on their website really tells the story...
The pie chart on their website really tells the story...
Here's the link to AngryRenters.com:
"All we hear these days is whining from reckless home borrowers and their banks.
But did you know that renters are 32 percent of American households? And that homes in foreclosure are less than 2 percent?
So why is Congress rushing to bailout high-flying borrowers and their lenders with our tax dollars?
Unfortunately, renters aren't as good at politics as the small minority of homeowners (and their bankers) who are in trouble. We don't have lobbyists in Washington, DC. We don't get a tax deduction for our rent and we don't get sweetheart government loans.
Quite simply, we are just Angry Renters. And now it is our time to be heard: no government bailouts!"
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Corporate CEOs Caught Scheming on Tape
This doesn't surprise me.
I think the moderator says what needs to be said...
I think the moderator says what needs to be said...
Corporate Taxes - U.S. vs. the World
Maybe there was a corporate tax cut in the "stimulus" bill.
Has anybody read it yet?...
Has anybody read it yet?...
On the Hill's Congress Blog, U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann posted this:
"According to a new study release by the accounting firm KPMG:
'U.S. corporate income tax rate is higher than all other global regions—14 percentage points higher than the global average and nearly 17 percentage points higher than the average among European Union nations. Of the 106 countries surveyed, only the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Japan impose a higher corporate tax rate than the combined rate of 40 percent. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait each have a staggering tax rate of 55 percent; Japan’s rate is 40.69 percent.'
The Heritage foundation reports that:
'Even Europe’s old welfare states have joined the aggressive tax cut parade: Sweden has cut its corporate tax rate to 28 percent from 60 percent; Norway’s rate has dropped over 50 percent to 28 percent; and Denmark’s corporate tax rate is now 25 percent.'"
The Media - Mike Barnicle
So much for Mike Barnicle.
He obviously didn't do his homework and spoke without knowledge.
Unfortunately, a lot of people hear those inaccuracies and form opinions...
He obviously didn't do his homework and spoke without knowledge.
Unfortunately, a lot of people hear those inaccuracies and form opinions...
At least, those like Mark Finkelstein try to keep them honest:
"Scarborough seconded Santelli’s sentiment, but wondered whether Santelli was similarly outraged when the government was bailing out Wall Street. Mike Barnicle assured him that Santelli had not been: 'No, he didn’t make the same argument when we bailed out Wall Street and he didn’t make the same argument when we bailed out General Motors.'
Except Santelli did."
Friday, February 20, 2009
Meet Rick Santelli
If you have five minutes, watch this.
It will be interesting to see if there are consequences for Mr. Santelli...
It will be interesting to see if there are consequences for Mr. Santelli...
Politicians - too numerous to name
O.K. Here's my bet.
If you have even the slightest bit of respect for politicians and their ethics, this article will ruin it for you...
If you have even the slightest bit of respect for politicians and their ethics, this article will ruin it for you...
This is from Jonathan Allen and Alex Knott at CQpolitics.com:
"PMA’s offices have been raided, and the firm closed its political action committee last week amid reports that the FBI is investigating possibly illegal campaign contributions to Murtha and other lawmakers.
No matter what the outcome of the federal investigation, PMA’s earmark success illustrates how a well-connected lobbying firm operates on Capitol Hill. And earmark accountability rules imposed by the Democrats in 2007 make it possible to see how extensively PMA worked the Hill for its clients.
In the spending bill managed by Murtha, the fiscal 2008 Defense appropriation, 104 House members got earmarks for projects sought by PMA clients, according to Congressional Quarterly’s analysis of a database constructed by Ashdown’s group.
See CQ's list of House members who secured earmarks for clients of The PMA Group in the fiscal 2008 defense appropriations law.
Those House members, plus a handful of senators, combined to route nearly $300 million in public money to clients of PMA through that one law (PL 110-116).
And when the lawmakers were in need — as they all are to finance their campaigns — PMA came through for them.
According to CQ MoneyLine, the same House members who took responsibility for PMA’s earmarks in that spending bill have, since 2001, accepted a cumulative $1,815,138 in campaign contributions from PMA’s political action committee and employees of the firm."
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Show me the paperwork!
This actually seems plausible...
Mitch Stacy writes in the Seattle P.I. about an occurrence in Florida:
"Kathy Lovelace lost her job and was about to lose her house, too. But then she made a seemingly simple request of the bank: Show me the original mortgage paperwork.
And just like that, the foreclosure proceedings came to a standstill.
Lovelace and other homeowners around the country are managing to stave off foreclosure by employing a strategy that goes to the heart of the whole nationwide mess.
During the real estate frenzy of the past decade, mortgages were sold and resold, bundled into securities and peddled to investors. In many cases, the original note signed by the homeowner was lost, stored away in a distant warehouse or destroyed."
The Media - A share of stock or the Sunday Paper?
I'm no fan of the New York Times.
I guess that's why this caught my eye.
And I wouldn't spend my money on either...
I guess that's why this caught my eye.
And I wouldn't spend my money on either...
I found this in a posting by Henry Blodget at BusinessInsider.com:
"Shares of NYT (NYT) dropped 29 cents today to close at $3.77. The Sunday paper goes for $4 at the newsstand."
About your Swiss bank account
For some of us, this might be "ugh oh!".
For most of us, we probably think "it's about time"...
For most of us, we probably think "it's about time"...
At FinancialWeek.com, Neil Roland reports:
"The United States sued UBS AG today in an effort to get the Swiss bank to turn over the names of as many as 52,000 wealthy Americans who allegedly tried to evade taxes on $14.8 billion in secret accounts."
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Putin Warns The US Against Socialism
He said what?...
Pat Dollard has this and more on his blog:
"Russian Prime Minister Vladamir Putin has said the US should take a lesson from the pages of Russian history and not exercise 'excessive intervention in economic activity and blind faith in the state’s omnipotence'.
'In the 20th century, the Soviet Union made the state’s role absolute,' Putin said during a speech at the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. 'In the long run, this made the Soviet economy totally uncompetitive. This lesson cost us dearly. I am sure nobody wants to see it repeated.'"
Sunday, February 15, 2009
AP IMPACT: Drugmakers' push boosts 'murky' ailment
There's no doubt that the constant stream of advertising affects us all.
After all, the advertisers wouldn't keep doing it if it didn't pay off.
Unfortunately, most of of don't need whatever they are promoting; but, they can get "inside your head".
My advice is to be a skeptic...
After all, the advertisers wouldn't keep doing it if it didn't pay off.
Unfortunately, most of of don't need whatever they are promoting; but, they can get "inside your head".
My advice is to be a skeptic...
The Associated Press's Matthew Perrone discusses pros and cons in the Washington Post:
"Many doctors and patients say the drugmakers are educating the medical establishment about a misunderstood illness, much as they did with depression in the 1980s. Those with fibromyalgia have often had to fight perceptions that they are hypochondriacs, or even faking their pain.
But critics say the companies are hyping fibromyalgia along with their treatments, and that the grantmaking is a textbook example of how drugmakers unduly influence doctors and patients."
The Media - Failing to report
If this were any other religion or faction, this would be reported differently and more broadly...
At the NationalReview.com, Mark Steyn calls the media "gutless" and more:
"Headless body in gutless press.
Just asking, but are beheadings common in western New York? I used to spend a lot of time in that neck of the woods and I don't remember decapitation as a routine form of murder. Yet the killing of Aasiya Hassan seems to have elicited a very muted response."
A 1,073 page stimulus bill that's anything but transparent.
Everything tells me that the American public has been fooled on this.
Hopefully, it works out; but, even if it does, I think the lack of due diligence before voting has set a very bad precedent...
Hopefully, it works out; but, even if it does, I think the lack of due diligence before voting has set a very bad precedent...
The Wall Street Journal discusses the "stimulus" bill:
"The 1,073-page monstrosity includes the biggest spending increase since World War II, but more important is the fine print expanding the role of the federal government across the breadth of American business, health care, energy and welfare policy.
Given those stakes, you might think Congress would get more than a few hours to debate it. But, no, yesterday's roll call votes came less than 24 hours after House-Senate conferees had agreed to their deal. Democrats rushed the bill to the floor before Members could even read it, much less have time to broadcast the details so the public could offer its verdict.
So much for Democratic promises of a new era of transparency."
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Meanwhile - in Brazil
I'm thinking that 99% of Brazilians are "right"...
Matthew Cullinan Hoffman at LifeSiteNews.com:
"The Brazilian government has determined that 99% of its citizens are 'homophobic,' and therefore must be reeducated, according to the Brazilian newspaper O Globo.
The results are taken from a study that tested for 'homophobia' by asking people to comment on such statements as 'God made men and women with different sexes so that they could fulfill their role and have children.' The 92% of Brazilians who agreed partially or completely with the statement were labeled 'homophobic.'"
Friday, February 13, 2009
"Keeping Our Eyes on the Real Ball"
There's far too much in this article to comment on.
I'll let you read and digest it for yourself.
It would behoove you to keep your "barf" bag nearby...
I'll let you read and digest it for yourself.
It would behoove you to keep your "barf" bag nearby...
Michael G. Franc writes about many of them at NationalReview.com:
"Over the last three weeks the policy experts at my institution, the Heritage Foundation, have published dozens of biting critiques of literally every aspect of the House and Senate versions of this legislative monstrosity. They agree on one thing: Under the guise of stimulating the economy, this one bill contains a generation’s worth of liberal policymaking, an entire Great Society-scale agenda, one that advances the liberals’ view of man and his relationship to government enough to cause LBJ himself to turn red with envy.
The pork and the overall spending are every bit as bad as the critics say, but in the long run, they are mere distractions. The real damage comes from other, less noticed provisions in the bills."
Thursday, February 12, 2009
"Prove you're president, Mr. Obama"
Apparently, this just isn't going to go quietly away...
Bob Unruh reports at WorldNetDaily.com:
"A new lawsuit is being prepared by a California attorney who already has four cases pending over the issue of President Obama's eligibility to occupy to Oval Office, and this one will include a demand from state lawmakers who forward state funds to Washington for documentation of his qualifications.
Orly Taitz told WND today she's preparing the complaint but is holding onto it and will file it shortly to give state legislators a chance to join the action as plaintiffs.
Four already have signed up,..."
"Ending Welfare Reform as We Knew It"
I CAN'T see what this has to do with "stimulus".
I CAN see the points made by the National Review editors.
Hopefully, a future administration and congress will restore sanity once again...
I CAN see the points made by the National Review editors.
Hopefully, a future administration and congress will restore sanity once again...
The National Review's Editors state their opinion:
"Given that the states will receive $4 from the federal government for every $1 they add to their welfare budgets, even conservative governors will feel pressure to inflate their welfare rolls in order to wring every dollar they can out of Washington. And there are early rumblings about removing the already weak work requirements that rounded out the Clinton-era reforms.
The Democrats are stuffing years’ worth of legislation into their 'stimulus' bill. They are operating in the legislative shadows, evading scrutiny and debate, while enacting an expansion of the welfare state that would never survive a more considered process. "
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
About those Rainforests
I guess some would consider this an "inconvenient" development...
Elisabeth Rosenthal reports in the International Herald Tribune:
"About 15 million hectares of original rain forest are being cut down every year, but in 2005, according to the most recent State of the World's Forests Report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, there were an estimated 850 million hectares of potential replacement forest growing in the tropics - an area almost as large as the United States.
Globally, one-fifth of the world's carbon emissions come from the destruction of rain forests, scientists say. It is unknown how much of that is being canceled out by forest that is in the process of regrowth. It is a crucial but scientifically controversial question, the answer to which may depend on where and when the forests are growing."
Along Our Border - Sierra Vista, AZ
Can you believe this?
This is just one area for just a three or four month period...
This is just one area for just a three or four month period...
Bill Hess in the Sierra Vista Herald:
"Agents in the sector stopped 60,189 illegal immigrants from October to January."
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
In Our World - at the ATM
This should give you a creepy feeling...
Jamey Heary reports at NetworkWorld.com:
"With only 100 compromised ATM cards thieves were able to grab $9 million bucks from the banking system in a new style of attack. Law enforcement sources told Fox 5 it's one of the most frightening well-coordinated heists they've ever seen. 'We've seen similar attempts to defraud a bank through ATM machines but not, not anywhere near the scale we have here,' FBI Agent Ross Rice told Fox 5. 'We've never seen one this well coordinated,' the FBI said."
Monday, February 09, 2009
States of Distress - WSJ.com
The finances of our states are in big trouble.
It used to be raise taxes and then spend the money.
Now, apparently, it's evolved to spend money so you have to raise taxes.
This looks like it's going to be a rough ride...
It used to be raise taxes and then spend the money.
Now, apparently, it's evolved to spend money so you have to raise taxes.
This looks like it's going to be a rough ride...
The Wall Street Journal gives their opinion:
"The state spending binge of the last five years has been almost unprecedented in American history. (See nearby chart.) Since 1998 state and local budgets have nearly doubled to $2 trillion, according to the Census Bureau. State and local expenditures rose 34% from 2003-2007 compared to inflation of 19% and population growth of 5%. They also loaded up on debt, which doubled to $2.23 trillion in 2008 from $1.14 trillion a decade earlier. This doesn't include nearly $1.5 trillion in unfunded health and pension liabilities."
Sunday, February 08, 2009
The Fierce Urgency of Pork - by Charles Krauthammer
It appears that our new president has been "rolled" by his Democrat party.
A more descriptive word from the past would be "suckered"...
A more descriptive word from the past would be "suckered"...
In the Washington Post, Charles Krauthammer writes about President Obama and the "pork" bill. Here is his summary:
"After Obama's miraculous 2008 presidential campaign, it was clear that at some point the magical mystery tour would have to end. The nation would rub its eyes and begin to emerge from its reverie. The hallucinatory Obama would give way to the mere mortal. The great ethical transformations promised would be seen as a fairy tale that all presidents tell -- and that this president told better than anyone.
I thought the awakening would take six months. It took two and a half weeks."
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Want to know what's really going on?
This is a quote attributed to Rohm Emmanuel.
He is President Obama's Chief of Staff.
I don't think we need to know anything more... >
He is President Obama's Chief of Staff.
I don't think we need to know anything more... >
"Never let a serious crisis go to waste. What I mean by that is it’s an opportunity to do things you couldn’t do before."
On the ground in Israel
This is an interesting piece of reporting on the situation in Israel.
It is clearly more down to earth (read honest) than we we seem to get from our regular media outlets...
It is clearly more down to earth (read honest) than we we seem to get from our regular media outlets...
Michael Yon is a freelance writer who spends time in the Middle East. He recently visited Israel to report on what's really going on. He begins:
"There had been a light, cold drizzle just before the Muslim taxi driver picked me up in Jerusalem. It should be a 90-minute drive to Sderot, in southern Israel. Along the wet highway, I asked the driver to stop at a small town so that I could buy a juice, and inside the Muslim store a television was turned to news in English, showing success of the most recent Iraqi elections.
In the past, candidates often hid their faces, but this time photos were posted all over the walls and buildings. A fundamental change has occurred. A wave of satisfaction filled me, but also sorrow for the many losses we and the Iraqis suffered. Was it all worth it? This cannot be answered with mere logic, but I suspect that it will be worth it, though only if we continue to progress and stay engaged with the Iraqi people, and government.
The Israeli taxi arrived at Sderot just before noon. Thousands of terrorist rockets have rained on Israeli towns within range of Hamas-ruled Gaza, as the world mostly ignored the thunder. Those who knew about the attacks seemed to dismiss the rockets as just a nuisance, like mosquitoes. Yet the rockets have grown more and more powerful, to the point where the largest these days carries about 60 times more explosives than a hand grenade."
Friday, February 06, 2009
In Defense of Internet Pornography
There are times when the conventional wisdom is wrong.
I wonder if this is one of those times...
I wonder if this is one of those times...
Bob Dyer discusses this one at Ohio.com:
"Sex crimes among Summit County juveniles are at their lowest rate since record-keeping began in 1989. Officials are baffled as to why.
Well, I can tell them why, and I can tell them in just one word: porn."
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Only in America - Illegals sue rancher
Well, I don't have anything nice to say, so you can read this article and come to your own conclusion...
Chelsea Schilling reports at WorldNetDaily.com:
"The lawsuit alleges that Barnett never told the illegals they were trespassing and failed to post a sign notifying them that they were on private property. Because they detained the group, the Barnett family is accused of depriving the plaintiffs of equal protection and due process under the law.
'What in the world are they doing on anyone's property?' Garza asked. 'What are they doing in the United States? It doesn't make any sense.'"
Israel Readies Iran Takeout
Israel will NOT allow Iran to build a nuclear bomb...
At the American Spectator, George H. Wittman explains his theory:
"Jane's Defense Weekly has already reported that it expects the less-advanced American 'bunker busting' bombs (GPU-27, 28) have already been delivered to Israel. The original request, nearly two years ago to over-fly Iraq to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities, was turned down by Washington. All that did was to send the Israeli Defense Ministry back to its drawing boards for alternate attack routes and methods.
Ali Khamenei knows the Israeli attack on Gaza also carried and important warning for Iran that Israel will not wait to seek external approval of what its considers necessary military action. The only questions left, therefore, are how and when the Israelis will choose to interdict Iranian nuclear weapon development."
Campbell's Soup pledges more 'gay' ads
If you consider that they have the option to remain traditional, I guess this advertising campaign is deliberately making a statement...
I found this at WorldNetDaily.com:
"Despite being pressured by traditional family advocates to stop, Campbell's Soup Company, maker of Swanson's brand broth, has vowed to continue spending its advertising dollars in pro-homosexual publications.
As WND reported earlier, the American Family Association objected to a Swanson's broth magazine ad that depicts a lesbian couple and their son. The ad was placed in the December 2008 and January 2009 issues of The Advocate, a magazine that touts itself with the line, 'For 40 years, setting the standard in LGBT journalism.'
Campbell's Soup, however, has brushed off the AFA's complaint."
Stimulus Watch
There's enough material on this new website to keep late-night comedians busy for years.
Unfortunately, it's really not funny.
Our politicians are completely out of control in the way they want to spend OUR money...
Unfortunately, it's really not funny.
Our politicians are completely out of control in the way they want to spend OUR money...
Stimulus Watch will surely educate you:
"StimulusWatch.org was built to to help the new administration keep its pledge and to hold public officials to account for the taxpayer money they spend. We do this by allowing you, citizens around the country with local knowledge about the proposed "shovel-ready" projects in your city, to find, discuss and rate those projects.
Find a project that interests you, or about which you have special knowledge, and let us know what you think. You can find projects by searching or by browsing by locality or program type. "
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
The Media - This is wrong
It will be interesting to see what ABC does with this...
This is posted at the Media Research Center:
"Last week a Politico story broke the news that Stephanopoulos has participated in daily phone strategy sessions with now White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel throughout his tenure at ABC.
Mr. Bozell on Thursday issued a statement demanding an explanation, and calling for Stephanopoulos to recuse himself from reporting on an Obama Administration whose plans and messaging he spends every morning helping to craft. Stephanopoulos has remained silent."
Meanwhile - in Edinburgh, U.K.
Don't you wonder how anyone could come to this conclusion?
We do live in a strange world...
We do live in a strange world...
This is from the Catholic News Agency website:
"Two British grandparents aged 59 and 46 have been told that they are too old and unfit to care for their grandchildren, who are to be placed with an adoptive homosexual couple.
The children had been in their grandparents’ care during their mother’s struggles with heroin."
Trial opens secret world of gun smugglers
Psst! Want to make a few bucks?.
When you think about gun laws, you might consider this...
When you think about gun laws, you might consider this...
At NJ.com, Jonathan Schuppe explains the issue:
"Six days earlier, the 9 mm pistol that killed Cynthia Mack had been picked from the shelves of a suburban Atlanta firearms store by a 29-year-old home-electronics installer lured into a smuggling operation by the promise of easy cash and a trip to New Jersey. He was one of six people recruited by an ex-con forklift operator from Newark looking to supplement his income by selling guns on the street."
Bonuses - for poor performance?
There's a lot of truth in this editorial.
Generally, in a capitalistic economy, companies make as much money as they can, pay their employees and their benefits, reinvest in their business, and pay bonuses out of their PROFITS.
That seems to imply: no PROFIT, no BONUS.
Obviously, something has gone drastically wrong...
Generally, in a capitalistic economy, companies make as much money as they can, pay their employees and their benefits, reinvest in their business, and pay bonuses out of their PROFITS.
That seems to imply: no PROFIT, no BONUS.
Obviously, something has gone drastically wrong...
This comes from an Investors Business Daily editorial:
"It's more than a bit scary when a powerful politician suggests that getting a bonus might get you prosecuted as a criminal. But that's where we are today. Welcome to the new world of post-bailout capitalism."
Daniel Pearl and the Normalization of Evil - WSJ.com
Mr. Pearl makes interesting points and I pretty much agree with him.
We all know that our youth are idealistic and impressionable and that many are able to take advantage of that.
Unfortunately, the fox is guarding the hen house, and as a result, our youth are getting a disproportionate education.
Disproportionally liberal, that is...
We all know that our youth are idealistic and impressionable and that many are able to take advantage of that.
Unfortunately, the fox is guarding the hen house, and as a result, our youth are getting a disproportionate education.
Disproportionally liberal, that is...
Judea Pearl is slain reporter Daniel Pearl's father. He writes in the Wall Street Journal:
"When we ask ourselves what it is about the American psyche that enables genocidal organizations like Hamas -- the charter of which would offend every neuron in our brains -- to become tolerated in public discourse, we should take a hard look at our universities and the way they are currently being manipulated by terrorist sympathizers."
Charity homes built by Hollywood start to crumble
I don't really know who is at fault here; however, I have a funny feeling that getting headlines was more important than doing a quality job.
And why isn't this in the American media?...
And why isn't this in the American media?...
John Harlow reports at the U.K.'s TimesOnLine:
"RESIDENTS of a model housing estate bankrolled by Hollywood celebrities and hand-built by Jimmy Carter, the former US president, are complaining that it is falling apart.
Fairway Oaks was built on northern Florida wasteland by 10,000 volunteers, including Carter, in a record 17-day 'blitz' organised by the charity Habitat for Humanity.
Eight years later it is better known for cockroaches, mildew and mysterious skin rashes."
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Barack Obama - and his Second-Ranking Justice Official
Justice?
Instant replay? No it's not. It's more of the same...
Instant replay? No it's not. It's more of the same...
I found this at a website named Fidelis.org:
"“Ogden’s record is nothing short of obscene. He has represented Playboy Enterprises in multiple cases, Penthouse Magazine, the ACLU, and the largest distributor of hard-core pornography videos. He has opposed filters on library computers protecting children from Internet smut, and successfully defended the right of pornographers to produce material with underage children.”
“David Ogden has collected checks from Playboy and Penthouse to fight any attempts to establish filters on federally-funded public libraries. Ogden even sued the federal government in an attempt to publish Braille versions of Playboy magazine – at taxpayer expense, of course,” said Burch.
As a lawyer in private practice, Ogden has argued for an unlimited abortion license, gays in the military, and has urged courts to treat traditional definitions of marriage as a social prejudice."
Barack Obama - and his Third-Ranking Justice Official
Justice?
Wouldn't you think he'd look for non-controversial people?...
Wouldn't you think he'd look for non-controversial people?...
Steven Ertelt writes at LifeSiteNews.com:
"Barack Obama has named the lawyer who represented Terri Schiavo’s husband Michael in his efforts to kill his disabled wife as the third highest attorney in the Justice Department. Thomas Perrelli, who won an award for representing Schiavo's former husband, had served on Obama's transition team.
The incoming president made Perrelli an associate attorney general and his appointment is generating scorn from pro-life advocates.
Perrelli provided Michael Schiavo with legal advice during his response to the Congressional bill that President Bush signed allowing the Schindler family to take their lawsuit seeking to prevent Terri’s euthanasia death from state to federal courts."
"Let banks fail"
They say that water seeks it's own level, or something like that.
I'm pretty much a believer that we should allow many things to seek their own level.
That's the only way to see what we are really dealing with before we embark on a "fix"...
I'm pretty much a believer that we should allow many things to seek their own level.
That's the only way to see what we are really dealing with before we embark on a "fix"...
In the U.K. Telegraph, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard reports a Nobel prize winner's opinion:
"The Government should allow every distressed bank to go bankrupt and set up a fresh banking system under temporary state control rather than cripple the country by propping up a corrupt edifice, according to Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize-winning economist."
Poltiticians - The Daschles
Caution!
There is unsuitable language in this takedown of ex-Sen. Tom Daschle.
But, if you read it all, you may decide that it's justified...
There is unsuitable language in this takedown of ex-Sen. Tom Daschle.
But, if you read it all, you may decide that it's justified...
Glenn Greenwald writes at Salon.com:
"But there's no need to withhold judgment on Daschle himself. He embodies everything that is sleazy, sickly, and soul-less about Washington. It's probably impossible for Obama to fill his cabinet with individuals entirely free of Beltway filth -- it's extremely rare to get anywhere near that system without being infected by it -- but Daschle oozes Beltway slime from every pore."
All The Oil In The World
When the price of oil rises again, we should wonder what's really going on...
On his website, Bob Parks reminds us about that:
"Stansberry Report Online - 4/20/2006 Hidden 1,000 feet beneath the surface of the Rocky Mountains lies the largest untapped oil reserve in the world is more than 2 TRILLION barrels. On August 8, 2005 President Bush mandated its extraction.
They reported this stunning news: We have more oil inside our borders, than all the other proven reserves on earth.
Here are the official estimates:
8-times as much oil as Saudi Arabia
18-times as much oil as Iraq
21-times as much oil as Kuwait
22-times as much oil as Iran
500-times as much oil as Yemen- and it's all right here in the Western United States.
HOW can this BE? HOW can we NOT BE extracting this!? Because the democrats, environmentalists and left wing republicans have blocked all efforts to help America become independent of foreign oil.
James Bartis, lead researcher with the study says we've got more oil in this very compact area than the entire Middle East -more than 2 TRILLION barrels. Untapped. That's more than all the proven oil reserves of crude oil in the world today, reports The Denver Post."
The Media - in the bailout line?
This will be interesting.
Personally, I can't even imagine a world where a government would loan money to a newspaper that couldn't make it on it's own.
I think we're on a slippery slope with stuff like this...
Personally, I can't even imagine a world where a government would loan money to a newspaper that couldn't make it on it's own.
I think we're on a slippery slope with stuff like this...
NewsBusters Stephen Gutowski writes about it:
"Now, according to an interview between the Philadelphia Bulletin and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell's press secretary, there is little doubt that the Philadelphia Inquirer is indeed requesting a $10 million bailout. The request comes at a time of great financial trouble for the owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Media Holdings. The company has been missing its debt payments since June and is in "technical default" according to the Bulletin."
Monday, February 02, 2009
Peter Schiff: Let the Housing Market Crash
Some answers to today's questions are pretty obvious.
Aren't they?...
Aren't they?...
Luke Mullins of U.S. News & World Report interviewed Peter Schiff. Here's one of the Q&A:
"What's your take of the Fed's moves to engineer lower mortgage rates?
It is a bad thing. They are trying to maintain high home prices by keeping interest rates low. That's how they want to create more affordable housing. What's a much more efficient way [to create more affordable housing] is to let home prices fall so that houses become more affordable because they are cheaper. And so people don't have to borrow as much money to buy a house. These low interest rates are only temporary. They can't stay down here."
The Media vs. The Propagandists
That's a match made in you know where.
Stories are published hastily and inaccurately.
Propagandists embellish and emphasize according to their agenda.
The world gets inaccurate information and forms opinion.
Nobody gets the facts right!...
Stories are published hastily and inaccurately.
Propagandists embellish and emphasize according to their agenda.
The world gets inaccurate information and forms opinion.
Nobody gets the facts right!...
Patrick Martin writes in the U.K.'s Globe and Mail:
"Most people remember the headlines: Massacre Of Innocents As UN School Is Shelled; Israeli Strike Kills Dozens At UN School.
They heralded the tragic news of Jan. 6, when mortar shells fired by advancing Israeli forces killed 43 civilians in the Jabalya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. The victims, it was reported, had taken refuge inside the Ibn Rushd Preparatory School for Boys, a facility run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
The news shocked the world and was compared to the 1996 Israeli attack on a UN compound in Qana, Lebanon, in which more than 100 people seeking refuge were killed. It was certain to hasten the end of Israel's attack on Gaza, and would undoubtedly lead the list of allegations of war crimes committed by Israel.
There was just one problem: The story, as etched in people's minds, was not quite accurate."
The Media - the Washington Post
The people at NewsBusters.com follow the media closely and are quick to point out their bias and hyperbole...
In this case, Kerry Picket knows first hand how the answer to his question was mis-reported. You can see for yourself:
"Cillizza's analysis made it appear as if Steele was slapping Limbaugh down, when in fact, Steele was supporting Limbaugh's right to speak and espouse conservative views to his millions of listeners. This is just another attempt to try to polarize the conservative radio host by omitting information the new GOP chairman gave to reporters."
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Global Warming - The Greatest Fraud in History?
Based upon all that I've read, I'm certainly leaning that way.
Unfortunately, the media, once again, is biased on this subject.
They subtly discredit those who dispute global warming hysteria...
Unfortunately, the media, once again, is biased on this subject.
They subtly discredit those who dispute global warming hysteria...
James Lewis summarizes his thoughts at PajamasMedia.com:
"The credibility of science may never recover."
Global Warming - in Columbia Magazine
If you believe that there is a "consensus" that humans are causing climate change, the comment letters to this article may change your mind...
Here's part of one published comment to a previously published article in Columbia Magazine:
"It is hard for the rational person to believe that man’s tiny contribution to the carbon dioxide content of our atmosphere can cause catastrophic climate change.
Second, most of us understand that carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, but a naturally occurring substance that we exhale with every breath and that plants use in photosynthesis. For people to accept that carbon dioxide has suddenly become a dangerous pollutant is a stretch.
Third, media references to “consensus” on the causes of global warming are false. There never has been a consensus that human activity is sufficient to change climatic conditions. Science works by observation and measurement, not by consensus.
Fourth, historical evidence shows cyclical variations in climate predating industrial activity. Near the end of the 10th century, Norsemen settled Greenland, named for its green foliage. After the Medieval Warm Period ended, glaciers wiped out the colonies, and Greenland was icebound by 1410. This is one of many examples that give the lie to anthropogenic global-warming theory.
Fifth, climate data over the last 150 years or so do not show a correlation between increased carbon dioxide emissions and increased temperatures. For example, the warmest period of the 20th century was during the 1930s, which was a period of economic contraction. The period from 1944 to 1976, one of unprecedented industrial activity, was a time of cooling.
Sixth, recent scientific data show that the earth is cooling, not warming. The reason is solar, not human. August 2008 was the first month in almost 100 years in which no sunspot activity was recorded."
Tax revenues decreasing? - No problem!
Politicians and governments are addicted to our money.
They have increased OUR taxes and used the revenue to satisfy THEIR special interests.
They clearly haven't saved for the "rainy" day.
Now, instead of being innovative in getting value for OUR money, they will be innovative in ways to collect more of it...
They have increased OUR taxes and used the revenue to satisfy THEIR special interests.
They clearly haven't saved for the "rainy" day.
Now, instead of being innovative in getting value for OUR money, they will be innovative in ways to collect more of it...
This Las Vegas Review-Journal editorial gives a hint as to what we can expect:
"NDOT Director Susan Martinovich told lawmakers Wednesday that her agency is looking into a 'Vehicle Miles Traveled' program to raise revenues for needed highway maintenance and capacity upgrades. She pointed out that gasoline tax collections, the department's primary funding mechanism, offer diminishing returns because newer vehicles travel farther on a gallon of fuel than older vehicles do. As a result, motorists are logging more miles than ever while paying less.
In its research to identify a new funding source, NDOT is focusing on 'congestion pricing,' which would charge drivers a premium for using heavily traveled routes during periods of peak demand. To identify everyone who is clogging those highways, the department would install tracking devices inside vehicles."
