Thursday, April 30, 2009
Schneller v. Cortes: Sen. Specter Improperly Nominated as Elector
See what you think about this.
Is it just our crazy world?
Does anybody care about the Constitution or even know what's in it?...
Is it just our crazy world?
Does anybody care about the Constitution or even know what's in it?...
I didn't find this in the media.
I found it in a post by Phil at theRightSideOfLife.com:
"Washington, DC - Pennsylvanian James D. Schneller raises in his petition for writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court, filed on April 6, 2009, regarding failure of eligibility of Barack Obama for office, the fact that Senator Arlen Specter was appointed as a Pennsylvania elector for the 2008 presidential election.
Article 2 Section 1 of the United States Constitution directs that 'no Senator or Representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector.'"
Barack Obama - Conveniently Misinformed?
Some read "Cliff's Notes" and some read the books.
I wonder WHAT the president reads; and I wonder IF the media reads.
A first-class media would "fact check" everything, and call out those who misrepresent information for their own grandisement...
I wonder WHAT the president reads; and I wonder IF the media reads.
A first-class media would "fact check" everything, and call out those who misrepresent information for their own grandisement...
At FrontPageMag.com, Ben Johnson tells the "complete" British history on this subject:
"To defend his banning CIA interrogators of using harsh interrogation techniques against al-Qaeda operatives, Obama claimed:"I was struck by an article that I was reading the other day talking about the fact that the British during World War II, when London was being bombed to smithereens, had 200 or so detainees. And Churchill said, ‘We don't torture,’ when the entire British – all of the British people were being subjected to unimaginable risk and threat."
Illegal Immigration - Dueling border bills introduced
Two "opposite" bills?
How can this be on a subject like this?...
How can this be on a subject like this?...
At theHill.com, Eric Zimmerman tells about both.
Here's the one I like:
"Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) introduced legislation to speed up completion of the Mexico-U.S. border fence, mandating an additional 350 miles of fencing within a year. It's often reported that over 600 miles of the originally-required 700 miles of fencing have been completed. That's true, but half of the current fence is designed to stop vehicles, rather than pedestrians. Conservatives contend vehicle fencing–including bollards or poles set several feet apart–do not stop illegal immigrants on foot.
'That figure is misleading because over half the infrastructure along the border consists of vehicle barriers, which do not limit illegal foot traffic,' said Joe Kasper, a spokesman for Hunter.
Besides mandating additional pedestrian fence construction, Hunter's bill would increase sentencing for weapons smuggling, punish so-called 'sanctuary cities,' and require all employers to electronically verify the immigration status of employees."
The Media - CNN and MSNBC
In addition to being biased, some members of the media are clearly out of control.
It's one thing to disagree with a policy or person, but it doesn't justify the "gutter" talked described here...
It's one thing to disagree with a policy or person, but it doesn't justify the "gutter" talked described here...
Bob Unruh is following the story at WorldNetDaily.com:
"The Federal Communications Commission will review complaints it receives over the on-camera gutter talk of anchors for CNN and MSNBC that came as they condemned the tea party movement in which hundreds of thousands of Americans met on Tax Day to protest not just taxes but a runaway government digging the nation into trillions of dollars in debt.
A spokesman for the federal agency confirmed to WND today that there is a standard procedure for evaluating complaints over obscenities, but he could not confirm there would be any response until the concerns had been reviewed.
The complaints already are being delivered. A WND reader who asked that a name not be included in this report confirmed: 'I called the FCC to make a complaint. They are opening an investigation, and he suggested I get everyone I know, who saw or heard the language, innuendos and slurs to contact the FCC, and complain. They need a number of complaints to be able to do anything.'"
Minnesota's Missing Votes - WSJ.com
Close elections really show up the shortcomings of the process.
We already know this one will be "over" anytime soon...
We already know this one will be "over" anytime soon...
The is from the Wall Street Journal:
"Meanwhile, back in the Minnesota Senate recount, the three-judge panel reviewing the race has declared Democrat Al Franken the winner. Republican Norm Coleman intends to appeal to the state's Supreme Court, while Democrats and the press corps pressure him to surrender. We hope Mr. Coleman keeps fighting, because the outcome so far hangs on the fact that some votes have been counted differently from others."
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
George W. Bush - The First 100 Days
Just for a comparison; lest we forget...
Via CNN's Randy Lilleston back in 2001:
"George W. Bush had to fight to become president. After he took office, thanks to lingering questions over the election and his predecessor's slow withdrawal from the spotlight, he had to fight to be considered presidential.
But at the 100-day mark of his tenure, that issue seems to be fading. Bush enjoys high job approval ratings -- higher than Bill Clinton at a similar juncture in his presidency -- and even the question of vision that plagued Bush's father does not appear to be an issue."
Barack Obama - going opposite the people's will
I guess we'll eventually see how it all plays out...
At theHill.com, Dick Morris thinks it will catch up with him:
"So if voters differ so fundamentally with the president on the very essence of his program, why do they accord him high ratings? They are like the recently married bride who took her vows 100 days ago. It would be a disaster for her life if she decides that she really doesn’t like her husband. But she keeps noticing things about him that she can’t stand. It will be a while before she walks out the door or even comes to terms with her own doubts, but it is probably inevitable that she will.
For Americans to conclude that they disapprove of their president in the midst of an earth-shaking crisis is very difficult. But as Obama’s daily line moves from 'I inherited this mess' to 'There are faint signs of light,' the clock starts ticking. If there is no recovery for the next six months — and I don’t think there will be — Obama will inevitably become part of the problem, not part of the solution.
And then will come his heavy lifting. He has yet to raise taxes, regiment healthcare or provide amnesty for illegal immigrants. He hasn’t closed down the car companies he now runs and he has not yet forced a 50 percent hike in utility bills with his cap-and-trade legislation. These are all the goodies he has in store for us all.
Obama’s very activism these days arrogates to himself the blame for the success or failure of his policies. Their outcome will determine his outcome, and there is no way it will be positive."
Barack Obama - reneging on promises
Why am I not surprised?...
In the Washington Times, Jim McElhatton reports:
"The Obama administration, which has boasted about its efforts to make government more transparent, is rolling back rules requiring labor unions and their leaders to report information about their finances and compensation.
The Labor Department noted in a recent disclosure that 'it would not be a good use of resources' to bring enforcement actions against union officials who do not comply with conflict of interest reporting rules passed in 2007. Instead, union officials will now be allowed to file older, less detailed conflict reports.
The regulation, known as the LM-30 rule, was at the heart of a lawsuit that the AFL-CIO filed against the department last year. One of the union attorneys in the case, Deborah Greenfield, is now a high-ranking deputy at Labor, who also worked on the Obama transition team on labor issues. "
"Beauty murder gaffe by Tory MP"
Politicians should stay away from these type TV shows...
In the U.K.'s Sun, Harry Haydon tells about this one:
"Mr Duncan, who had earlier in the show revealed his ambition to become Home Secretary, was discussing American Beauty Queen Carrie Prejean's belief that same sex marriages were wrong.
And the MP called her a 'silly b***h' and said 'If you read that Miss California is murdered you will know it was me'.
The comment has provoked outrage among viewers with complaints being filed with the BBC and the Broadcasting Standards Authority."
Illegal Immigration - and it's costs
Let's see what you think about this...
I found it at the-signal.com. It's the whole article:
"LOS ANGELES COUNTY - Figures from the Department of Public Social Services show that children of illegal aliens in Los Angeles County collected more than $21 million in welfare and more than $22 million in food stamps in March 2009 -- an increase of $1 million from the previous month, according to a news release from Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.
Annually the cost of illegal immigration to Los Angeles County taxpayers exceeds one billion dollars, which includes $220 million for public safety, $400 million for healthcare, and $500 million in welfare and food stamps allocations, according to the news release.
Twenty-four percent of the county's total allotment of welfare and food stamp benefits goes directly to the children of illegal aliens born in the United States, according to Antonovich's statement.
'Illegal immigration continues to have a devastating impact on Los Angeles County taxpayers,' Antonovich said in the statement. 'The total cost for illegal immigrants to county taxpayers exceeds $1 billion a year - not including the millions of dollars for education.'"
Meanwhile - in Tallahassee, FL
Times are tough all over...
The Associated Press's Jessica Gresko reports:
"Having to pay more for Honey Buns and other prison snack shop items has made inmates at Florida prisons and their families upset.
The state, which has the nation's third largest state prison system, raised prices about three weeks ago under a new contract with an outside company. Since then, the department has gotten approximately 60 phone calls and letters from families complaining about the increases.
'The prices have increased dramatically,' one inmate's family wrote in an e-mail to the department signed 'concerned family.' 'We have to send money to our loved one and now he can hardly buy anything substantial. Please can we fix this?'"
Meanwhile - in Contra Costa, CA
Choices.
California has several budget referendums pending before the voters so perhaps this is some type of political gamesmanship.
If not, I think this is a terrible choice...
California has several budget referendums pending before the voters so perhaps this is some type of political gamesmanship.
If not, I think this is a terrible choice...
In the San Francisco Chronicle, Henry K. Lee reports:
"Misdemeanors such as assaults, thefts and burglaries will no longer be prosecuted in Contra Costa County because of budget cuts, the county's top prosecutor said Tuesday.
District Attorney Robert Kochly also said that beginning May 4, his office will no longer prosecute felony drug cases involving smaller amounts of narcotics. That means anyone caught with less than a gram of methamphetamine or cocaine, less than 0.5 grams of heroin and fewer than five pills of ecstasy, OxyContin or Vicodin won't be charged.
People who are suspected of misdemeanor drug crimes, break minor traffic laws, shoplift, trespass or commit misdemeanor vandalism will also be in the clear. Those crimes won't be prosecuted, either."
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The Politics of Liberal Amnesia - WSJ.com
Politicians are just SO bad.
I doubt that there is any aspect of a career politicians life that is not centered on political expediency.
They will say and do anything based on the need of the day, which includes Nancy Pelosi's apparent forgetfulness...
I doubt that there is any aspect of a career politicians life that is not centered on political expediency.
They will say and do anything based on the need of the day, which includes Nancy Pelosi's apparent forgetfulness...
In the Wall Street Journal, Bret Stephens writes about the issue:
"Or maybe the speaker missed what former CIA Director (and Bill Clinton appointee) George Tenet writes in his memoir, 'At the Center of the Storm,' about the CIA interrogation of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed:
'I believe none of these successes [in foiling terrorist plots] would have happened if we had had to treat KSM like a white-collar criminal -- read him his Miranda rights and get him a lawyer who surely would have insisted his client simply shut up. In his initial interrogation by CIA officers, KSM was defiant. 'I'll talk to you guys,' he said, 'after I get to New York and see my lawyer.' Apparently he thought he would be immediately shipped to the United States and indicted in the Southern District of New York. Had that happened, I am confident that we would have obtained none of the information he had in his head about imminent threats to the American people.'
Mr. Tenet continues: 'From our interrogation of KSM and other senior al Qaeda members . . . we learned many things -- not just tactical information leading to the next capture. For example, more than 20 plots had been put in motion by al Qaeda against U.S. infrastructure targets, including communications nodes, nuclear power plants, dams, bridges and tunnels.'"
Porter J. Goss - Security Before Politics
Political expediency, for sure.
That being said; it should be exposed and deplored for what it is...
That being said; it should be exposed and deplored for what it is...
Former CIA Director Porter J. Goss gives his opinion in the Washington Post:
"We can't have a secret intelligence service if we keep giving away all the secrets. Americans have to decide now.
A disturbing epidemic of amnesia seems to be plaguing my former colleagues on Capitol Hill. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, members of the committees charged with overseeing our nation's intelligence services had no higher priority than stopping al-Qaeda. In the fall of 2002, while I was chairman of the House intelligence committee, senior members of Congress were briefed on the CIA's 'High Value Terrorist Program,' including the development of "enhanced interrogation techniques" and what those techniques were. This was not a one-time briefing but an ongoing subject with lots of back and forth between those members and the briefers.
Today, I am slack-jawed to read that members claim to have not understood that the techniques on which they were briefed were to actually be employed; or that specific techniques such as 'waterboarding' were never mentioned. It must be hard for most Americans of common sense to imagine how a member of Congress can forget being told about the interrogations of Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed. In that case, though, perhaps it is not amnesia but political expedience."
The Media - and the Tea Party non-coverage
I wonder what page the historic Boston Tea Party would have been on?...
In the Philadelphia Bulletin, Herb Denenberg writes:
"The moral of the story is that you can’t trust the mainstream media, and if you do, you’re likely to get a false impression of the world. You may want to read The New York Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer, for example, but don’t rely on them (unless you just read the sports pages). You also can assume as biased as their coverage is, it continues to get worse. If you rely on the mainstream media you’re getting something that is closer to propaganda and fiction than to news. Just as the Obama administration is out of control, so is the mainstream media."
The Media - CNN Touts Obama $100M Spending Cut
Love is blind...
At NewsBusters.org, Jeff Poor discusses the infatuation:
"It must be hard to keep a straight face when you report that the President of United States going to cut $100 million from a $3.5 trillion budget and then say he is serious about cutting government spending."
Chinese spies may have put chips in US planes
I may be wrong on this, but I thought there was a law or rule that prohibited foreign parts in our military equipment.
Anyway, this is a creepy story...
Anyway, this is a creepy story...
I found this in the India Times:
"The Chinese cyber spies have penetrated so deep into the US system — ranging from its secure defence network, banking system,
electricity grid to putting spy chips into its defence planes — that it can cause serious damage to the US any time, a top US official on counter-intelligence has said."
Monday, April 27, 2009
Editorial: Impeach Bybee? What a joke
Politics is an ugly sport.
It's hard to believe that politicians spend so much time on being vindictive.
We all know there are better uses for that time...
It's hard to believe that politicians spend so much time on being vindictive.
We all know there are better uses for that time...
The Las Vegas Review Journal has this and more:
"Mr. Bybee, now a justice of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and a senior fellow at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Boyd School of Law, read and interpreted the law, as requested. There is no reason to believe he did anything but interpret -- to the best of his legal training -- what the law said. He wrote that using on the al-Qaida prisoners such techniques as simulated drowning, sleep deprivation, cramped confinement in boxes and other tactics do not constitute torture under the law.
Now, President Obama says Judge Bybee could be impeached for writing that 2002 memo.
On Tuesday, Nevada Sen. John Ensign called that prospect 'outrageous.'
'To call for him to be impeached when he was trying to give the proper legal advice is just ridiculous,' Sen. Ensign told the Review-Journal. 'You impeach people for ethical violations, for criminal violations. It would be like impeaching a member of Congress because they voted the wrong way.'"
The Media - about those presidential polls
More of the same from our media.
As their viewing audiences go down, and the print media goes bankrupt, they continue full speed ahead with their biased reporting.
Go figure!...
As their viewing audiences go down, and the print media goes bankrupt, they continue full speed ahead with their biased reporting.
Go figure!...
At the History News Network, Judith Apter Klinghoffer compares past polls:
"Obama's poll numbers trail those of W.; Gallup covers it up.
Gallup reports that 56% of the public believes that Obama is doing an excellent/good job. Gallup reported 62% approved of George W. Bush's job performance after the first 100 days. MSM tells us how popular Barack Obama is but the numbers tell a different story especially when used comparatively. Comparing the Gallup poll taken following the first 100 day of George W. Bush and Barack Obama is rather informative especially given the highly contentious nature of the 2000 election."
"Earth Day, Then and Now"
So far, no prediction about the demise of the planet has come true.
Obviously, that doesn't mean it can't happen.
Personally, I'd bet that if we are done in, it will be by something completely unforseen...
Obviously, that doesn't mean it can't happen.
Personally, I'd bet that if we are done in, it will be by something completely unforseen...
At Reason.com, Ronald Bailey reviews the past and writes:
"There's much to celebrate on the 30th anniversary of Earth Day. Indeed, one of the chief things to get happy about is that the doomsters were so wrong. Civilization didn't collapse, hundreds of millions didn't die in famines, pesticides didn't cause epidemics of cancer, and the air and water didn't get dirtier in the industrialized countries."
Barack Obama - and in just a short time
I guess this is a rebuttal to what the "biased" media is reporting...
The New York Post's article is titled:
"100 DAYS, 100 MISTAKES"
"Antarctic ice is growing, not melting away"
So, the ice seems to be melting on the West side of Antartica while the ice is growing on the East side.
That's more evidence that the global warming thing is not a SURE thing by a long shot...
That's more evidence that the global warming thing is not a SURE thing by a long shot...
At Australia's news.com, Greg Roberts reports:
"ICE is expanding in much of Antarctica, contrary to the widespread public belief that global warming is melting the continental ice cap."
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Alternative Fuel Folly - WSJ.com
The writer says "Every so often".
I say she is being very generous.
I would say "more often than not"...
I say she is being very generous.
I would say "more often than not"...
In the Wall Street Journal, Kimberley A. Strassel begins:
"Every so often Washington throws out a controversy that brilliantly illustrates everything wrong with Washington."
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Renewable Energy's Environmental Paradox
I see quite a few stories like this.
There's no dispute that alternative energy sources are a good thing.
Unfortunately, the space they require and the necessary connecting lines are issues that appear difficult to resolve...
There's no dispute that alternative energy sources are a good thing.
Unfortunately, the space they require and the necessary connecting lines are issues that appear difficult to resolve...
Juliet Eilperin and Steven Mufson report in the Washington Post:
"If built, the 460-mile line would carry about 3,000 megawatts of power, enough to avoid the need for a handful of coal-fired plants and to help utilities meet mandated targets for use of renewable fuel. 'We have to connect the sun of the deserts and the winds of the plains to places where people live,' Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said recently.
But the line would also cross grasslands, skirt two national wildlife refuges and traverse the Rio Grande, all habitat areas rich in wildlife. The graceful sandhill crane, for example, makes its winter home in the wetlands of New Mexico's Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, right next to the path of the proposed power line."
Friday, April 24, 2009
The best and worst state for gas, cigarettes, beer and sales taxes - MSN Money
Here's an interesting interactive web page for comparing state tax rates on gas, cigarettes, beer, and general sales.
Of course, each state has a multitude of other specialized taxes that "change" (rise) frequently...
Of course, each state has a multitude of other specialized taxes that "change" (rise) frequently...
This link will take you to MoneyCentral.msn.com:
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Politicians - and the words they use
The names of congressional bills are disingenuous.
Political correctness prevents destructive groups from being labeled correctly.
Headlines don't match the content of news stories.
That seems to prove this point is well taken...
Political correctness prevents destructive groups from being labeled correctly.
Headlines don't match the content of news stories.
That seems to prove this point is well taken...
Thomas Sowell warns and gives examples at Investors Business Daily:
"Beware Words That Politicians Use To Confuse"
Government at Work - in Seattle, Washington
Whooooosh! goes the taxpayers money...
At Seattle's King5.com, Drew Mikkelsen reports:
"Seattle paid $5 million for the five toilets in 2004. Last August, Behn bought them on eBay for $12,549.
'We really didn’t buy them,' Behn joked with KING 5, 'We stole them.'"
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Barack Obama - and his Health and Human Services nominee
Looks like another shaky appointee, not to mention the apparent gross misrepresentation of campaign contributuions...
Kathleen Gilbert reports at LifeSiteNews.com:
"She is currently seeking Senate confirmation.
After Sebelius was recently found to have reported only a fraction of Tiller's $38,450 in donations to her insurance commissioner campaign, Operation Rescue yesterday released a copy of a 2002 letter from Tiller stating that he contributed $200,000 to his political action committee (PAC) to assist Sebelius' gubernatorial reelection.
In the letter addressed to members of ProKanDo, Tiller's political action committee, Tiller warns against Sebelius' 'anti-choice' opponent Tim Shallenburger, and expresses regret that his "personal contribution of $200,000 to ProKanDo" was not enough 'to alert voters to the anti-choice position of Mr. Shallenberger (sic).'
Tiller then urges constituents to raise another $250,000 to help spread the message that Sebelius' opponent 'does not trust women.'"
"Affirmation Overload"
I believe this concept is accurate, as are the harmful long term effects...
In the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune, Kate McCarthy asks: Are we 'Good-job!'-ing our kids to pieces?:
"If all kids get is kudos, it can be a recipe for lots of therapy later, he says: What are they going to do when they get even the slightest bit of criticism later in life, in college or on the job?
'The roof falls in. They should get honest, but not hurtful, feedback,' Swihart said. 'Steady, ongoing correction.'
Steven McManus, a family therapist in Golden Valley, agreed.
'Although I think this [over-praising] movement is basically rooted in good intentions, these are often the young adults I see as clients,' McManus said. 'Often they have difficulty at conflict resolution, disappointment or tolerating any negative emotions at all.'"
In Our Schools - in California
A sort article with some alarming statistics...
At SacBee.com, Shane Goldmacher posted this:
"In addition to computing dropout rates for the state, UCSB's data miners calculated them for 17 cities, including all of the largest ones, and found wide variances. Stockton easily had the highest dropout rate, with dropouts outnumbering graduates, 2,775 to 2,695. But Los Angeles wasn't far behind, with a 48 percent dropout rate."
And then there's the Caterpillar D9 Killdozer
Different tools for different wars. I guess...
Lewis Page writes about it at the U.K.'s Register.com:
"'The unmanned D9 performed remarkably during Operation Cast Lead, clearing roads of mines and explosive devices,' an unnamed IDF officer told the paper. 'The unmanned version is important since if there is a concern that an area is loaded with mines it can save lives.'"
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
"Tyranny Grows When Majority Rules The Law"
I wish more people WOULD think about it!...
Walter E. Williams writes in an Investors Business Daily editiorial:
"Think about it.
How many decisions in our day-to-day lives would we like to be made through majority rule or the democratic process?
How about the decision whether you should watch a football game on television or "Law & Order"?
What about whether you drive a Chevrolet or a Ford, or whether your Easter dinner is turkey or ham?
Were such decisions made in the political arena, most of us would deem it tyranny.
Why isn't it also tyranny for the democratic process to mandate what type of light bulbs we use, how many gallons of water to flush toilets or whether money should be taken out of our paycheck for retirement?"
Government at Work - In China
It seems to me that every time humans tamper with things, the unintended outcome borders on disaster.
That being said, I repeat the mantra of being extremely cautious when we try to "fix" things...
That being said, I repeat the mantra of being extremely cautious when we try to "fix" things...
I found this in an article at the Times of India website:
"Selective abortion in favour of males has left China with 32 million more boys than
girls, creating an imbalance that will endure for
decades, an investigation released on Friday
warned.
The probe provides ammunition for those experts who predict China’s obsession with a male heir will sow a bitter fruit as men facing a life of bachelorhood fight for a bride."
Meanwhile - under the sea
A lot of money can buy a lot of innovation.
This seems almost too much to believe...
This seems almost too much to believe...
The Associated Press's Frank Bajak reports:
"Colombian Navy chief Adm. Guillermo Barrera told a counterterrorism conference in Bogota last week that 23 semi-submersibles capable of carrying between 4 and 10 metric tons each have been seized in the past three years.
Though semi-submersibles aren't new to cocaine transport, a bigger, sleeker, more sophisticated variety that average about 60 feet (18 meters) in length began emerging three years ago. Earlier versions, christened 'floating coffins,' couldn't compete with fishing trawlers and speed boats known as 'go-fasts' for maritime transport of drugs.
But drug agents started policing trawlers better, leading traffickers to new methods.
With just over a foot of above-water clearance and V-shaped prows designed to leave minimal wakes, semi-submersibles are nearly impossible for surface craft to detect visually or by radar outside a range of about 10,000 feet (3,000 meters.)
That accounts for their relatively high success rate.
They are propelled by 250 to 350 horsepower diesel engines and take about a week averaging 7 knots (8 mph) to reach Mexico's shores, Colombian and U.S. investigators said.
Fuel tanks carry about 3,000 gallons of diesel, so no refueling is needed on the 2,000-mile journey from Colombia north.
With cocaine in Mexico fetching $6,500 per kilo -- about triple the Colombian price, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration -- an average 7-metric-ton load yields $30 million."
Monday, April 20, 2009
'Pipeline on rail'
Here's an interesting article.
Apparently, the good old railroad still has a place in this world.
I guess it could be labeled a low tech solution...
Apparently, the good old railroad still has a place in this world.
I guess it could be labeled a low tech solution...
In the Canadian National Post, Diane Francis reports:
"'The number I have seen for constructing a pipeline to serve the West Coast is $4-billion. Our rail network is already in place to get to all the West Coast ports. Any terminal facilities needed would have to be put in place whether customers used pipeline or rail. CN's service is scaleable, meaning capacity can be matched with production,' Mr. Foote added.
'Our target is to be moving 10,000 barrels a day by the end of this year. We already move a lot of petroleum products. Our capabilities to handle this product are clearly not an issue and we handle a lot more products that are much more environmentally risky than this would be. Diluted or moved in a car that can be heated is similar to how we ship asphalt today.'
Rail's other benefit is speed.
'We can take this to any port, any place the customer wants it to go, with a minimum capital investment,' he said. 'We can get a railcar to the Gulf Coast in eight days but in a pipeline it could take 50 days to get there.'"
Pirates Vs. the Rest of Us - WSJ.com
It should be "Terrorists Vs. the Rest of Us"
There have always been pirates; but now, they seem much different than in the past...
There have always been pirates; but now, they seem much different than in the past...
In the Wall Street Journal, Daniel Henninger writes about "pirates":
"Some are small pirates like the Somalis, but many others are big pirates. They live in North Korea, Iran and in al Qaeda's hideouts along Pakistan's northwest frontier. They are Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Janjaweed in Darfur. Pirates strap themselves with dynamite to smash the routines of daily life in crowded town squares. Hugo Chavez is the pirate king of Latin America. There are others.
Each wants to replace our system of laws, rules, institutions and sovereignty with their disorder. Then disorder becomes normal."
CNSNews.com - Green Stimulus Money Costs More Jobs Than It Creates, Study Shows
You would think that the White House policy "experts" would be aware of studies like this.
You would think that, wouldn't you?...
You would think that, wouldn't you?...
Josiah Ryan reports at CNSnews.com:
"President Obama, in fact, has used Spain’s green initiative as a blueprint for how the United States should use federal funds to stimulate the economy. Obama's economic stimulus package,which Congress passed in February, allocates billions of dollars to the green jobs industry.
But the author of the study, Dr. Gabriel Calzada, an economics professor at Juan Carlos University in Madrid, said the United States should expect results similar to those in Spain:
'Spain’s experience (cited by President Obama as a model) reveals with high confidence, by two different methods, that the U.S. should expect a loss of at least 2.2 jobs on average, or about 9 jobs lost for every 4 created, to which we have to add those jobs that non-subsidized investments with the same resources would have created,' wrote Calzada in his report: Study of the Effects on Employment of Public Aid to Renewable Energy Sources.
Obama repeatedly has said that the United States should look to Spain as an example of a country that has successfully applied federal money to green initiatives in order to stimulate its economy."
Sunday, April 19, 2009
"Georgetown Says It Covered Over Name of Jesus to Comply With White House Request"
Considering my lack of respect for the actions of the Obama Administration, you can be sure that I don't like this one.
And, about my respect for Georgetown University, that's now gone also.
PS- There's a followup that the monogram wasn't covered when Laura Bush spoke there...
And, about my respect for Georgetown University, that's now gone also.
PS- There's a followup that the monogram wasn't covered when Laura Bush spoke there...
Edwin Mora has the story at CNSnews.com:
"Georgetown University says it covered over the monogram 'IHS'--symbolizing the name of Jesus Christ—because it was inscribed on a pediment on the stage where President Obama spoke at the university on Tuesday and the White House had asked Georgetown to cover up all signs and symbols there.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the 'IHS' monogram that had previously adorned the stage at Georgetown’s Gaston Hall was still covered up--when the pediment where it had appeared was photographed by CNSNews.com."
"Shenanigans: One Question Napolitano"
Disclaimer: I'm no fan of the Obama Administration.
That being said, I think we all should be noticing that they are anything but "transparent", even to the point of controlling the media.
That does not bode well for a "free speech" country...
That being said, I think we all should be noticing that they are anything but "transparent", even to the point of controlling the media.
That does not bode well for a "free speech" country...
Anne Schroeder Mullins reports this at Politico.com,
"The GOPers - by that we mean Rep. Eric Cantor's office - are pouncing on an interview today on 'Morning Joe' with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, under this subject line: 'Administration Permits Only One Question, No Follow-Ups About Extremism Report.'
Today the Secretary went on Morning Joe but they were only allowed to ask one question.
'Apparently, when the Democrats promise an open administration, they really only mean open as long as you ask the questions they want asked and no follow-ups on controversial topics that everyone is reporting on,' staffer Joe Pounder wrote in an email.
Anyway check out the transcript:"
"Mob Rule in D.C."
I think this writer has is right.
Our government has NOT taken the time to think about the long-term unintended consequences of ANY of their recent actions...
Our government has NOT taken the time to think about the long-term unintended consequences of ANY of their recent actions...
At FrontPageMag.com, Peter Schwartz discusses it:
"A mob is driven by rampant emotionalism, with no concern for facts--facts such as: Are these particular recipients guilty of anything? Are they competent individuals, necessary to keep the company operational? Would they have resigned without the inducement of the bonuses? Didn’t Washington consent to the bonuses at the time of the bailout? Aren’t the recipients entitled to the bonuses by contract?
The essence of mob rule is arbitrary and unchecked force, in disregard of all rights. If so, then when the government spends our money with virtually no limits--then trillions of dollars are gleefully disbursed through unrestrained horse-trading and arm-twisting among members of Congress--when trillions more are poured down the rat holes of failing companies at the uncontrolled discretion of bureaucrats--when government 'czars' can select a company’s CEO and dictate its product line--then what we have is government by mob rule. That is, we have government with arbitrary, unchecked power to do as it wishes--which means: government unconstrained by the principle of individual freedom."
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Newsmax.com - Did Bin Laden Find Safe Haven in Iran?
I don't know what to make of this.
It does seem possible.
If so, it was an opportunity missed.
You can decide for yourself...
It does seem possible.
If so, it was an opportunity missed.
You can decide for yourself...
At NewsMax.com, Ken Timmerman writes about this:
"Osama bin Laden’s passion for falcon hunting may have come close to doing him in two years ago, when an American falconer working with a Tajik smuggler and a team of former special forces operators planned to kidnap the fugitive terrorist during a hunt in northeastern Iran, according to one of the people involved in the scheme.
The plan was scuttled when FBI officials in Boston threatened to arrest members of the snatch team for violating the Neutrality Act — even though the State Department has been running a 'Rewards for Justice' program offering private citizens up to $25 million for information leading to bin Laden’s capture or arrest, says Alan Parrot, who was in on the plot."
Friday, April 17, 2009
Politicians - Afghanistan's President
I guess they're the same all over...
The Belfast Telegraph reported this:
"Afghanistan's President, Hamid Karzai, has signed a law which 'legalizes' rape, women's groups and the United Nations warn. Critics claim the president helped rush the bill through parliament in a bid to appease Islamic fundamentalists ahead of elections in August.
In a massive blow for women's rights, the new Shia Family Law negates the need for sexual consent between married couples, tacitly approves child marriage and restricts a woman's right to leave the home, according to UN papers seen by The Independent.
'It is one of the worst bills passed by the parliament this century,' fumed Shinkai Karokhail, a woman MP who campaigned against the legislation. 'It is totally against women's rights. This law makes women more vulnerable.'
The law regulates personal matters like marriage, divorce, inheritance and sexual relations among Afghanistan's minority Shia community. 'It's about votes,' Ms Karokhail added. 'Karzai is in a hurry to appease the Shia because the elections are on the way.'"
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Phone Taxes are Cell Hell - New York Post
If you're wondering why there are "tea" parties, this might be a part of it...
Bill Sanderson and Amber Sutherland report in the New York Post:
"Eleven federal, state and city levies add as much as 33 percent to the cost of New Yorkers' cellphones, a Post analysis found. "
War By Any Other Name - WSJ.com
I agree wholeheartedly with this writer...
Joe Queenan writes in the Wall Street Journal:
"Many feel that such vaporous bureaucratese is a self-emasculating action that plunges us into an Orwellian world where words have no emotional connection with the horrors they purport to describe."
Global Warming - Harvard astrophysicist: Sunspot activity correlates to global climate change
Sooner or later, the media is going to have to report on the growing abundance of information that conflicts with their global warming agenda.
Considering their track record to date, that may not happen until hell freezes over...
Considering their track record to date, that may not happen until hell freezes over...
At tgDaily.com, R. C. Hodgin writes about this and more:
"Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Willie Soon tells us that Earth has seen a reduced level of sunspot activity for the past 18 months, and is currently at the lowest levels seen in almost a century. Dr. Soon says "The sun is just slightly dimmer and has been for about the last 18 months. And that is because there are very few sunspots." He says when the sun has less sunspots, it gives off less energy, and the Earth tends to cool. He notes 2008 was a cold year for this very reason, and that 2009 may be cold for the same.
As of today, there have been 15 days in a row without any sunspots. In 2008 there were 266 days scattered throughout the year without sunspots, and in 2007 there were 163 days without sunspots. These are the #2 and #9 fewest sunspots years seen since 1911."
NASA: Clean-air regs, not CO2, are melting the ice cap
This is from N.A.S.A.
It's another one of those many articles that go 100% against the popular global warming assumptions.
For anyone to suggest taking any kind of action before the truth is "known" is irresponsible and should be questioned every step of the way...
It's another one of those many articles that go 100% against the popular global warming assumptions.
For anyone to suggest taking any kind of action before the truth is "known" is irresponsible and should be questioned every step of the way...
Lewis Page for theRegister.com:
"New research from NASA suggests that the Arctic warming trend seen in recent decades has indeed resulted from human activities: but not, as is widely assumed at present, those leading to carbon dioxide emissions. Rather, Arctic warming has been caused in large part by laws introduced to improve air quality and fight acid rain."
You are being lied to about pirates - San Francisco Bay View
There are two sides to every story, and we often decide which to believe based on personal beliefs and whatever information the media presents to us.
That media usually gives us a "group think" product that is probably more expedient than "in-depth".
The paragraph I quoted is what caught my eye; however, the link is to a quite different side of the "pirates" story...
That media usually gives us a "group think" product that is probably more expedient than "in-depth".
The paragraph I quoted is what caught my eye; however, the link is to a quite different side of the "pirates" story...
At SFBayView.com, Johann Hari has this quote and much more:
"The story of the 2009 war on piracy was best summarized by another pirate, who lived and died in the fourth century BC. He was captured and brought to Alexander the Great, who demanded to know 'what he meant by keeping possession of the sea.' The pirate smiled and responded: 'What you mean by seizing the whole earth; but because I do it with a petty ship, I am called a robber, while you, who do it with a great fleet, are called emperor.'"
Crushing temperatures and global famine
Wouldn't it be sad if the world spent billions of dollars trying to prevent global warming only to experience global cooling?
Maybe we should let things be until we really know what's going on...
Maybe we should let things be until we really know what's going on...
Retired U.S. Navy Physicist and Engineer James A. Marusek writes:
"“If the sun becomes quieter than the old solar cycles, producing more than 1028 spotless days, then we might slip into a Dalton Minimum or maybe even a Grand Minima such as the Maunder Minimum. This solar state will last for decades. Several solar scientist have predicted this will begin in Solar Cycle 25, about a decade from now. But a few have predicted this will occur now in Solar Cycle 24.
“A quiet sun will cause temperatures globally to take a nose-dive. We will experience temperatures that we have not seen in over 200 years, during the time of the early pioneers.
“Temperatures are already falling. Satellites provide generally the most accurate atmospheric temperature measurements covering the entire globe. From the peak year 1998, the lower Troposphere temperatures globally have fallen around 1/2 degree Celsius due to the quiet sun."
Meanwhile - in China - the "Death Van"
Your ride is here!
All I can say is that you might want to take a good look at the ambulance before someone puts you inside...
All I can say is that you might want to take a good look at the ambulance before someone puts you inside...
Andrew Malone reports on the U.K. DailyMail website:
"Developed by Jinguan Auto, which also makes bullet-proof limousines for the new rich in this vast country of 1.3 billion people, the vans appear unremarkable.
They cost £60,000, can reach top speeds of 80mph and look like a police vehicle on patrol. Inside, however, the 'death vans' look more like operating theatres.
Executions are monitored by video to ensure they comply with strict rules, making it possible to describe precisely how Jiang Yong will die. After being sedated at the local prison, he will be loaded into the van and strapped to an electric-powered stretcher.
This then glides automatically towards the centre of the van, where doctors will administer three drugs: sodium thiopental to cause unconsciousness; pancuronium bromide to stop breathing and, finally, potassium chloride to stop the heart.
Death is reputed to be quick and painless - not that there is anyone to testify to this. The idea for such a 'modern' scheme is rooted in one of the darkest episodes in human history."
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
This Tax Is for You - WSJ.com
Up by 1900%!
Desperate governments do desperate things.
The question is: Are they still "For The People"?...
Desperate governments do desperate things.
The question is: Are they still "For The People"?...
This is from today's Wall Street Journal:
"Today is the dreaded April 15, but at least in Oregon it's even going to cost you more to drown in your tax sorrows. In their sober unwisdom, the state's pols plan to raise taxes by 1,900% on . . . beer. The tax would catapult to $52.21 from $2.60 a barrel. The money is intended to reduce Oregon's $3 billion budget deficit and, ostensibly, to pay for drug treatment.
If it passes, Oregon will overnight become the most taxing state for suds, one-third higher than the next highest beer tax state, Alaska. The state may do this even though Oregon is the second largest microbrewery producer in the U.S. The beer industry and its 96 breweries contribute 5,000 jobs and $2.25 billion to state GDP. Kurt Widmer of Widmer Brewing Co. says the tax would 'devastate our company and small breweries throughout the state.'"
Everyone Should Pay Income Taxes - WSJ.com
That's an idea I like to see happen.
Many are trying to wake us up to the burden of taxes.
Tea parties are one of the many ideas...
Many are trying to wake us up to the burden of taxes.
Tea parties are one of the many ideas...
In the Wall Street Journal, Ari Fleischer writes about the inverted spinning pyramid:
"Picture an upside-down pyramid with its narrow tip at the bottom and its base on top. The only way the pyramid can stand is by spinning fast enough or by having a wide enough tip so it won't fall down. The federal version of this spinning top is the tax code; the government collects its money almost entirely from the people at the narrow tip and then gives it to the people at the wider side. So long as the pyramid spins, the system can work. If it slows down enough, it falls.
It's also what's called redistribution of income, and it is getting out of hand.
A very small number of taxpayers -- the 10% of the country that makes more than $92,400 a year -- pay 72.4% of the nation's income taxes. They're the tip of the triangle that's supporting virtually everyone and everything."
So: Have you met the new neighbors?
Just a regular old neighborhood dinner party...
In the Washington Post, Eli Saslow begins:
"DALLAS -- The new couple at 10141 Daria Place accepted an invitation to a neighborhood dinner party last month. The guest list totaled eight. The main dish was chicken potpie. George and Laura Bush left their cul-de-sac in the back of a dark sedan, exited through a Secret Service checkpoint and rode down streets bordered by lawn signs adorned with gigantic Ws to welcome them home."
Nina Olson Says We Still Need a Simpler Tax Code - WSJ.com
Some of the items in her article are mind-boggling...
In the Wall Street Journal, Nina E. Olson begins with:
"As the national taxpayer advocate, I am required to report to Congress each year on the most serious problems facing U.S. taxpayers. With April 15 fast approaching, it will come as no surprise to many frustrated taxpayers that the complexity of the tax code tops my list.
Every year taxpayers and elected officials complain about the tax law's complexity. But despite the exasperation, no significant simplification has occurred since the landmark Tax Reform Act of 1986. To the contrary, each new tax proposal is layered onto the existing code, rendering it more complex with every new act.
Consider the following:"
Tax Plans Redefine 'Rich' - WSJ.com
Being treated (taxed) like a millionaire is one thing.
Actually becoming one is becoming extremely unlikely...
Actually becoming one is becoming extremely unlikely...
In the Wall Street Journal, William McGurn explains:
"There's only one catch. You're not actually going to be bringing in a million-dollar income. But the tax man is going to treat you just as though you did.
That's the message coming out of Albany, N.Y., where a newly ascendant Democratic majority led by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver forced a deal with the Democratic governor to impose a new 'millionaires' tax.' The beauty is that to pay this tax, you won't have to make anywhere near a million dollars. If you make even $300,000 a year, the cash-strapped Empire State will consider you a millionaire."
Free speech under attack
Something is going seriously wrong here.
It seems that the Government fears the citizenry, and may try to enact laws that will certainly cause the citizenry to fear the Government.
It's easy to conclude that the foundations of our Constitution may be under attack by a Government that is sworn to protect them...
It seems that the Government fears the citizenry, and may try to enact laws that will certainly cause the citizenry to fear the Government.
It's easy to conclude that the foundations of our Constitution may be under attack by a Government that is sworn to protect them...
At WorldNetDaily.com, Drew Zahn reports:
"Privacy advocates and Internet experts have been quick to sound the alarm over the act's broadly drawn government powers.
'The cybersecurity threat is real,' says Leslie Harris, president of the Center for Democracy and Technology, which obtained the draft of S.773, 'but such a drastic federal intervention in private communications technology and networks could harm both security and privacy.'
'The whole thing smells bad to me,' writes Larry Seltzer in eWeek, an Internet and print news source on technology issues. 'I don't like the chances of the government improving this situation by taking it over generally, and I definitely don't like the idea of politicizing this authority by putting it in the direct control of the president.' "
E1 - Sounds harmless, doesn't it?
It's not!...
In the U.K.'s TimesOnline, James Hider explains:
"All the pieces are in place. Land has been levelled for housing, the roundabouts indicate that more roads will soon spread out across the wooded hills and the existing road network hints at the future shape of Jerusalem, according to Haim Erlich, an Israeli researcher for the co-existence group Ir Amin.
Mr Erlich points to the almost completed flyover crossing the Jerusalem to Jericho highway, which links E1 to Ma'aleh Adumim, sealing the gap of Jewish suburbs around East Jerusalem. Once the two are joined and then combined with smaller existing Jewish settlements and an industrial area farther out in the West Bank, the so-called Adumim block will have about 45,000 residents and cover more land than Tel Aviv, the second- largest Israeli city, he said.
'If they are really going to build E1, the meaning of that for the Palestinians will ... [mean] that the talks about a two-state solution are only on the level of theoretical talks,' Mr Erlich said. 'It's the end of the idea of the two-state solution.'"
"Smart Dew"
Just a piece of technology news...
This is from the American Friends Tel Aviv University website:
"Each individual 'dew droplet' can detect an intrusion within a parameter of 50 meters (about 165 feet). And at a cost of 25 cents per 'droplet,' Prof. Shapira says that his solution is the cheapest and the smartest on the market.
A part of the appeal of Smart Dew is its near-invisibility, Prof. Shapira says. 'Smart Dew is a covert monitoring system. Because the sensors in the Smart Dew wireless network are so small, you would need bionic vision to notice them. There would be so many tiny droplets over the monitored area that it would be impossible to find each and every one.'"
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Pirates Challenge Obama's Pre-9/11 Mentality - WSJ.com
"Unlawful enemy combatants" have been around since Roman times.
In today's world, they are not protected by the Geneva Convention because they don't fight by the "rules".
I don't think we should change that...
In today's world, they are not protected by the Geneva Convention because they don't fight by the "rules".
I don't think we should change that...
In the Wall Street Journal Mackubin Thomas Owens discusses the issue:
"Second, the various new substitutes for 'unlawful enemy combatant' abolish an important distinction in traditional international law. As the eminent military historian Sir Michael Howard argued shortly after 9/11, the status of al Qaeda terrorists is to be found in a distinction first made by the Romans and subsequently incorporated into international law by way of medieval and early modern European jurisprudence. According to Mr. Howard, the Romans distinguished between bellum (war against legitimus hostis, a legitimate enemy) and guerra (war against latrunculi, pirates, robbers, brigands and outlaws).
Bellum became the standard for interstate conflict, and it is here that the Geneva Conventions were meant to apply. They do not apply to guerra. Indeed, punishment for latrunculi, 'the common enemies of mankind,' traditionally has been summary execution."
"Minnesota's Shame"
I suspect this is the case all across the country.
At face value, there seems to be a need to change some things.
Of course, the caveat is that military votes are inclined to be Republican...
At face value, there seems to be a need to change some things.
Of course, the caveat is that military votes are inclined to be Republican...
At WeeklyStandard.com M. Eric Eversole writes this as he criticizes Minnesota's election procedures:
"Given these facts, it is puzzling that the contest court found no evidence of wholesale disenfranchisement. They had a military absentee voting population equal to one of the twenty-five most populous cities in Minnesota (22,000 voters), and only 15.7 percent were able to vote. When nearly 85 percent of a voting group does not participate, how could this be anything less than evidence of wholesale disenfranchisement?"
State Democrats despoil democracy - BostonHerald.com
I see this quite differently. Perhaps you do, too.
Hopefully, a lot of people do when it next comes time to vote for or against her...
Hopefully, a lot of people do when it next comes time to vote for or against her...
This is in an article by Michael Graham in the Boston Herald:
"Rep. Pam Richardson of Framingham wants the Massachusetts Democratic Party to advocate voting rights for illegal aliens.
You read that right. A handful of liberal Massachusetts towns already allow legal resident aliens to vote in local elections. But Richardson wants illegal immigrants canceling out your vote for school committee and town selectman.
And she wants the state Democratic Party to lead the way.
Last month, at a local party platform meeting in Framingham, Richardson looked into a video camera and bemoaned the unfairness of the crimmigrants’ plight:
'We have a large population of people living here who don’t have the same rights and opportunities of the rest of us,' she complained. 'I’m talking about undocumented immigrants.'
Most 'unfair,' she argues, is their exclusion from our democratic process.
'They don’t feel that they have anyone to represent them [in government]. It’s because they’re not part of the democracy,' Richardson told fellow Democrats."
What a State We're In - Townhall.com
Is this country really messed up, or what?...
At TownHall.com, Rich Tucker reports this, along with some politics:
" According to a 2006 report from the Tax Foundation, D.C. gets back $6.64 for every $1 it pays in federal taxes -- an amazing rate of return.
New Mexico is the actual state that does the best in this regard, and it gets back a mere $2 for every $1 paid in. Meanwhile California, despite being very well represented with 53 members of Congress, loses money, getting back only 79 cents of every dollar it pays in federal taxes."
California's Judgement Date?
This will be interesting...
In the L.A. Times, Eric Baily tells the story:
"Legislative leaders are weighing contingency plans for a potential fiscal 'doomsday' if a slate of ballot measures designed to balance the state budget fails in the May 19 special election.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the bipartisan team of lawmakers pushing the half-dozen propositions continue to insist that the campaign has just begun and can still be won despite a recent public opinion poll showing all but one measure trailing badly.
But, behind the scenes, elected leaders and staffers have begun brainstorming additional budget cuts that might be necessary."
Whistleblowing vs. National Security
This is a story from a while ago.
Newsweek asks: The Fed Who Blew the Whistle
Is he a hero or a criminal?
It's an interesting question to some...
Newsweek asks: The Fed Who Blew the Whistle
Is he a hero or a criminal?
It's an interesting question to some...
On his blog, Patterico answers:
"... speaking as someone who believes the NSA surveillance program was probably illegal – but who recognizes that there are legitimate arguments to the contrary — I think he’s a criminal. And Isikoff’s story reinforces my view strongly. Because the article (together with other research I have done on Tamm, set forth below) shows him to be an anti-Bush partisan who didn’t even know the details of the program, but notified reporters in part because of an anti-Bush bias, and a disagreement with other actions by the Bush Administration, some of which were indisputably legal."
Monday, April 13, 2009
"Terrorist Alert: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles"
It seems like the bad guys will eventually be using these things...
At least that seems to be what Jamie Glazov is implying at FrontPageMag.com:
"So, if you hear what sounds like an angry lawn mower flying overhead, you might want to check it out, or the spider that went off like a sparkler when you squashed it underfoot might be worth a closer look."
Trillion-Dollar Deficit Budget Will Impede Economic Growth - WSJ.com
The financial future is NOT pretty...
In the Wall Street Journal, Michael J. Boskin make some projections:
"What does $6.5 trillion of additional debt imply for the typical family? If spread evenly over all those paying income taxes (which under Mr. Obama's plan would shrink to a little over 50% of the population), every income-tax paying family would get a tax bill for $163,000. (In ten years, interest would bring the total to well over $200,000, if paid all at once. If paid annually over the succeeding ten years, the tax hike per year would average almost $26,000.) That's in addition to his explicit tax hikes. While the future tax time-bomb is pushed beyond Mr. Obama's budget horizon, and future presidents and Congresses will decide how it will be paid, it is likely to be paid by future income tax hikes as these are general fund deficits."
"FBI: Burgeoning gangs behind up to 80% of U.S. crime"
I missed this. Maybe you did, too.
80% of crimes are gang related.
That seems like a major media story line to me.
Of course, it would be if they were doing their job...
80% of crimes are gang related.
That seems like a major media story line to me.
Of course, it would be if they were doing their job...
This was reported by Kevin Johnson in USA Today back in January:
"Criminal gangs in the USA have swelled to an estimated 1 million members responsible for up to 80% of crimes in communities across the nation, according to a gang threat assessment compiled by federal officials.
The major findings in a report by the Justice Department's National Gang Intelligence Center, which has not been publicly released, conclude gangs are the 'primary retail-level distributors of most illicit drugs' and several are 'capable' of competing with major U.S.-based Mexican drug-trafficking organizations.
'A rising number of U.S.-based gangs are seemingly intent on developing working relationships' with U.S. and foreign drug-trafficking organizations and other criminal groups to 'gain direct access to foreign sources of illicit drugs,' the report concludes.
The gang population estimate is up 200,000 since 2005."
Sunday, April 12, 2009
"Geithner's dirty little secret"
I doubt we'll ever know all there is to know about this.
I hope we've learned not to let any corporation get too big, i.e. so big that mismanagement can wreak havoc on an entire industry, or the entire world, for that matter.
Isn't there a warning about putting all your eggs in one basket?...
I hope we've learned not to let any corporation get too big, i.e. so big that mismanagement can wreak havoc on an entire industry, or the entire world, for that matter.
Isn't there a warning about putting all your eggs in one basket?...
In the Asia Times Online, F. William Engdahl writes:
"The government bailout of AIG, at more than $180 billion so far, has primarily gone to pay off AIG's credit default swap obligations to counterparty gamblers Goldman Sachs, Citibank, JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America, the banks who believe they are 'too big to fail'. In effect, these institutions today believe they are so large that they can dictate the policy of the federal government. Some have called it a bankers' coup d'etat. It definitely is not healthy.
Geithner and Wall Street are desperately trying to hide this dirty little secret because it would focus voter attention on real solutions. The federal government has long had laws in place to deal with insolvent banks. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) places the bank into receivership, its assets and liabilities are sorted out by independent audit. The irresponsible management is purged, stockholders lose and the purged bank is eventually split into smaller units and when healthy, sold to the public. The power of the five mega banks to blackmail the entire nation would thereby be cut down to size."
Meanwhile - in the U.K. - Gov't Thermal Imaging (of your home)
I'm certainly not promoting the wasting of energy; however, I just can't agree with this...
At the U.K. DailyMail website, Andrew Levy reports:
"Our movements are already tracked by CCTV, speed cameras and even spies in dustbins.
Now snooping on the public has reached new heights with local authorities putting spy planes in the air to snoop on homeowners who are wasting too much energy.
Thermal imaging cameras are being used to create colour-coded maps which will enable council officers to identify offenders and pay them a visit to educate them about the harm to the environment and measures they can take.
A scheme is already under way in Broadland District Council in Norfolk, which has spent £30,000 hiring a plane with a thermal imaging camera.
It said the exercise has been so successful other local authorities are planning to follow suit."
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Suit: Sanctuary policy a factor in 3 killings
I think we have way too many lawsuits; however, this is one that needs a final answer.
I've always wondered why local police seem encouraged to avoid obvious immigration issues...
I've always wondered why local police seem encouraged to avoid obvious immigration issues...
The San Francisco Chronicle's Jaxon Van Derbeken reports:
"The city's policy, the suit says, kept police from notifying immigration officials and, thus, was a 'substantial factor' in the slayings. The suit notes that city officials knew that Ramos was known for his 'extreme violence' - a member of the notorious Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang - yet did not report him to federal officials under 'official and unofficial policies'' that afforded him sanctuary.
Mike Kelly, an attorney who filed the suit, said it will be up to a court to decide whether the city is liable in this instance.
'The key thing is how a judge decides whether or not there is an obligation of the city and officials to enact federal law,' he said."
Zaaaaaap!
I wonder how many Russian spies have applied for jobs at Northrop Grumman...
Jason Mick reports this at DailyTech.com:
"Northrop Grumman passes an important milestone, as laser weapons near deployment.
Science fiction fans and generals alike have long fantasized about what it'd be like to have a laser weapon at their command. Now at last such dreams are nearing reality. After years of steady milestone progress, military contractor Northrop Grumman has reached a significant mark -- the first 100 kW steady-state laser. "
Friday, April 10, 2009
Pennsylvania Pie Fight: State Cracks Down on Baked Goods - WSJ.com
The world we live in.
Here's one for you to decide.
King Solomon is off for the day...
Here's one for you to decide.
King Solomon is off for the day...
Kris Maher writes in the Wall Street Journal:
"ROCHESTER, Pa. -- On the first Friday of Lent, an elderly female parishioner of St. Cecilia Catholic Church began unwrapping pies at the church. That's when the trouble started."
Meanwhile - in Chicago
Just another day. I guess...
I found this at Chicago's WBBM780.com:
"Mayor Richard Daley today expressed regret for the hiring fraud scandal in his administration.
A day after a federal jury convicted his former Streets and Sanitation commissioner of corruption charges, the mayor read a statement at a news conference.
'I want to say to the people of Chicago that I understand this is a disappointment,' Daley said.
He said he knew the conviction does not reflect well on the city or his administration.
'For that, I am sorry,' Daley said.
The former commissioner, Al Sanchez, was found guilty of rigging hiring in favor of members of the Hispanic Democratic Organization, a pro-Daley patronage army created with the encouragement of top Daley political strategists."
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Meanwhile - Along the Arizona border
Maybe they could deputize and arm the welders.
If they're legal, that is...
If they're legal, that is...
This is in an article by Bill Hess of Wick Communications:
"A group of Cochise County ranchers had a message for two federal government representatives on Saturday: Border Patrol agents need to be on the border, not miles away from it.
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and the Border Patrol Tucson Sector Chief Robert Gilbert listened to the ranchers on Saturday during a more than two-hour meeting.
'The border is unpatrolled,' said veterinarian Dr. Gary Thrasher.
When it comes to the much-touted border fence, he said, 'I see more welders repairing the border fence than I see Border Patrol agents patrolling.'
Rancher Derek Garland echoed that message.
'My house is situated closer to the border than the agents are,' he said."
Barack Obama - Did he bow or not?
Here's the YouTube video.
The item of interest is at the 55 second mark.
In today's world you don't have to believe the media or the White House.
You can watch and decide for yourself with as many replays as you like...
The item of interest is at the 55 second mark.
In today's world you don't have to believe the media or the White House.
You can watch and decide for yourself with as many replays as you like...
What If Keynes Is Wrong? - Rocco Martino
Sounds a lot like a plan; a good plan...
Rocco Martino writes in the Philadelphia Bulletin:
"Quietly I said, 'Doc, I would feel a lot more comfortable if this government called a meeting of the smartest people in the world — economics, mathematics, simulation theory, political science or whatever — and got them to build a model of the economy and then worked different scenarios to see what interaction exists between all these different conflicting demands, ideas, solutions and policies. They could check out the potential impact of programs with tax benefits for creating jobs, for research and development, for creating new industries, for creating whole new ways of doing things. Such a group would think outside the box. After all, boxes usually have nothing but stale air and old ideas in them. We need new initiatives. That’s where government spending should go. That’s how to prime the pump. I still remember how government backing for Research created the computer, radar, antibiotics, launched satellites in space, created the Internet, and on and on. The miracles of Ireland, China and India attest to priming the pump to create jobs with special tax breaks. We don’t create jobs if we raise taxes on one hand, and dole out money with the other. A major simulation effort could investigate all of these before we act. It’s why we build wind tunnels. Can you imagine what we would waste if we built airplanes and flew them to find mistakes and never used a wind tunnel? Ridiculous isn’t it. But that’s what we are doing now. Flying without testing. We need testing. Maybe then I would feel more comfortable with what is going on.'
Doc was silent. He looked at me, a slight smiling starting at the corners of his mouth. 'You sound like a modern economist,' he said. 'I like your ideas. Keynes was right for his day. Maybe he is incomplete for today. I like your idea of a bunch of smart guys testing policies before we go breakneck into spending.' Then he looked a little sad and wistful. 'If I was still teaching,' he continued, 'I would set something like that going. Maybe I can call my buddies at the University. If they could get some government funding, they could take a crack at it.'
I couldn’t help it. I almost jumped up and down as I said, 'Doc, that’s the kind of government spending we need.'"
