Sunday, February 28, 2010
Blobfish
Just in case you don't already have enough to worry about...
John Kass reports in the Chicago Tribune:
"Federal fish fighters this week are preparing further assaults on the feared Asian carp, with nets, electrified fences, poison — whatever they can do to stop the terrifying beast from entering the Great Lakes.
Yet as scary as the jumping Asian carp may be, there's something even scarier.
The blobfish.
As you can see from the accompanying photograph, the cunning blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus) is the most terrifying fish in the world."
Government at Work - Dept. of Homeland Security Loses over 1,000 Computers in One Year
If a kindergarden class loses computers, it's one thing.
If Homeland Security loses computers, that's a whole different story...
If Homeland Security loses computers, that's a whole different story...
This is from Todd Shepherd'sarticle at BigGovernment.com:
"CBP maintains that the computer losses were within acceptable standards for asset management, saying the losses only represented about .5% of their total computer inventory."
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Meanwhile - In San Fran - Outrage over Muni operators' pay
It's not a good time to squeeze the public...
C. W. Nevius writes about it in the San Francisco Chronicle:
"Friday, the Municipal Transportation Agency will vote on ways to balance its budget.
Riders have already seen fare hikes and service cuts and they may face them again thanks to Muni operators who rejected a proposal for a package of concessions that would have saved the agency $15 million over two years. Those savings could have temporarily reduced service cuts and some fee hikes.
But 575 operators voted in favor of the concessions and 857 were against the plan even though Muni operators are guaranteed an 8 percent raise. Their pay, protected by the city charter, ensures they are at least the second-highest paid operators in the nation.
Cue the torches and pitchforks, the local populace is enraged."
Yuckies!
I think whoever thought up this label is quite clever...
Myra Butterworth, reports in the U.K. Daily Telegraph:
"Almost a third of parents remortgage their home to fund adult children.
The rise of so-called YUCKIES – Young Unwitting Costly Kids – is forcing 28 per cent of parents to take the drastic and unexpected measure to help their 18 to 30 year old children.
The latest figures suggested as many as half of parents borrow the money needed, with almost all parents (93 per cent) paying at least something towards their children’s finances."
Silent Running
Spy vs. Spy. Lock makers vs. Crooks. Technology vs. Technology.
Let's face it. You're only as good as your last achievement, and the next best of whatever it is, is just over the horizon.
Well, in this case, under the sea...
Let's face it. You're only as good as your last achievement, and the next best of whatever it is, is just over the horizon.
Well, in this case, under the sea...
Friday, February 26, 2010
Nightfall in America - WSJ.com
This is NOT a warm fuzzy scenario; not a rosy future at all.
Let's hope people keep writing about this so that Americans can see this dreadful path and vote accordingly...
Let's hope people keep writing about this so that Americans can see this dreadful path and vote accordingly...
This is part of Pete DuPont's opinion column in the Wall Street Journal:
"Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal's editorial page did an analysis of the federal government's debt that will be held by the public over the coming decade. When the Democrats took control of Congress in 2007, the debt held by the public was 36.2% of GDP. It rose to 40.2% the next year. This year it will be about 63.6%, next year 68.6%, then 77% of GDP in 2020. And the Obama administration's budget estimates 218% in 2050.
The reason for these rising deficits is the huge increases in federal spending--the intended growth of the federal government--that Congress and the president are pushing. The deficit in 2007 was $160 billion. In the next year the Pelosi-Reid Congress took it up to $458 billion, and when President Obama came into office in 2009 it hit $1.4 trillion. The current 2010 projected deficit is $1.6 trillion, which will lead to a tripling of our national debt from 2008 to 2020.
To the White House and congressional Democrats, these large figures are not a surprise, a mistake or a worry. They part of a strategy to Europeanize America, to make the government larger, broader and in charge of almost everything. And that would of course require broad and massive tax increases. The Washington Post's Robert Samuelson calculated that to fund all the future deficit expenditures would require taxes to increase 'by roughly 50 percent from the average 1970-2009 tax burden.' A 50% tax increase would become a permanent part of a declining America, just as such tax increases have become a permanent part of declining European countries."
The Media - Covering the Climate Scandal - NOT!
As the writer says, this is a big story everywhere, but in America.
Even the average person might wonder why.
The truth appears to be that the American media is extremely reluctant to get involved in things that expose their previous biased reporting that is now being exposed as NOT accurate...
Even the average person might wonder why.
The truth appears to be that the American media is extremely reluctant to get involved in things that expose their previous biased reporting that is now being exposed as NOT accurate...
Charlie Martin covers the story at PajamasMedia.com:
"It’s been called the 'biggest scientific scandal in history.' It has everything to earn Pulitzer consideration: lies and misconduct in high places, political implications, even massive financial transactions that may or may not be legitimate or even legal. It’s big news … as long as you read the Telegraph, the Guardian, the London Times, or even major Indian papers.
It’s no news at all if you read the U.S. mainstream media.
In the ninety days — three months exactly at the time of this writing — since the Climategate files story broke, there has been an amazing amount of breakout in the climate science story, with major error after major error being uncovered in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report IV (AR4). There has been the discovery of suspicious conflicts of interest on the part of the chair of the IPCC, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, and the expanding story of the financial connections between the carbon trading cabal and the scientific climate clique in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Dr. Phil Jones of the University of East Anglia Climate Research Unit has “stepped aside” while under investigation, after which the UK government said it appeared there may have been criminality in CRU’s refusal to fulfill Freedom of Information requests. Scientist members of the IPCC have resigned, not wishing to continue to be associated with the poor quality of work being revealed.
And the UN chief diplomat in charge of climate change matters, Yvo de Boer, resigned in a sudden move that shocked UN climate watchers.
But search the major U.S. papers."
The Media - Overstepping?
Here's an interesting article.
It discusses the media's use of editorials and opinion columns to influence matters that it knows nothing about.
Considering the media's known bias and their inability to get information right, I have to side with the author...
It discusses the media's use of editorials and opinion columns to influence matters that it knows nothing about.
Considering the media's known bias and their inability to get information right, I have to side with the author...
At BigJournalism.com, Lawrence Meters writes about it:
"Let’s face it – 100% verifiable facts are hard to come by. We don’t have time to learn the truth ourselves. Instead, we desperately want somebody to do the hard work for us, and rely on them for our enlightenment. Regrettably, we have been trained to turn to the news media as that source. Somehow we have been led to believe that all journalists are the second coming of Edward R. Murrow, crusaders for the balanced presentation of facts.
That’s our critical mistake, because by trusting in news media, we give up our power. We give up on actually finding the truth. Instead, we have turned our thoughts over to a corrupt source. We have become willing participants in the great mind-control experiment of modern society.
Worse, the media knows this."
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The Media - Why Did ABC News Cover Up the John Edwards’ Sex Tape?
They're biased. That's why...
Mondo Frazier writes at BigGovernment.com:
"One small detail in an AP/Washington Post article of Feb. 10 has outed ABC News: the news network withheld a crucial detail in its reporting of the Andrew Young/John Edwards sex tape story.
The crucial detail? ABC News had already seen the now-infamous Edwards-Hunter sex tape before the interview — and then acted on-camera as if it hadn’t.
That crucial detail raises questions as to why ABC News purposely mislead both its viewers and readers of its website–essentially covering up its own coverage of a cover-up. This action was repeated in recent ABC interview of Young and corresponding news reports on Rielle Hunter’s restraining order regarding the sex tape."
Public Employee Benefit Plans: Up to $1 Trillion in Unfunded Liabilities
The likely answer to this is higher taxes.
Now, if elected officials and their appointees negotiated contracts as if they were protecting their own money, things might be different.
Either that, or if payouts were flexibly linked to the revenue stream.
Better yet, go to private retirement plans and get the government out of it completely...
Now, if elected officials and their appointees negotiated contracts as if they were protecting their own money, things might be different.
Either that, or if payouts were flexibly linked to the revenue stream.
Better yet, go to private retirement plans and get the government out of it completely...
Jonathan Williams reports at BigGovernment.com:
"In fact, as of 2006, states had accumulated nearly $360 billion in unfunded pension obligations, according to a new 50 state study conducted for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The report entitled 'State Pension Funds Fall Off a Cliff,' is co-authored by Dr. Barry Poulson of the University of Colorado and Dr. Arthur P. Hall of the University of Kansas.
Much of the current data regarding liabilities in public employee pensions was taken before the recent economic downturn, and the study’s authors warn the problem is much worse today since stock market losses have not been fully realized in many official government pension statistics. Other estimates with recent data place the unfunded pension liabilities at $1 trillion nationally."
Timeline shows Bush, McCain warning Dems of financial and housing crisis; meltdown
This is just a reminder than many elected officials saw this coming; however, NOTHING was done.
Imagine that!...
Imagine that!...
Government at Work - Weatherizing Homes
More of the same.
This was supposed to weatherize 600,000 low-income homes.
So far, NOT so good!...
This was supposed to weatherize 600,000 low-income homes.
So far, NOT so good!...
The New York Post reports:
"But GAO found that, as of Dec. 31 (nearly a year into the program), barely 9,000 homes had, in fact, been weatherized.
The problem? The bill contained, among other flaws, a mandate that everybody hired to do work on the homes be paid a 'prevailing wage' -- which snarled the program in red tape for months as Energy Department bureaucrats came up with such a figure for every county in the nation.
How many "green jobs" could 9,000 houses have created?
Plenty -- for the aforementioned bureaucrats: ABC News reports that, despite the mere trickle of actual work going on, DOE had burned through a whopping $522 million for the program, or more than 10 percent of its stimulus pot.
Now, not to oversimplify things, but that works out to roughly $57,000 per weatherized home.
Meanwhile, a recent report by Texas Watchdog found that of the $3.7 million that state had spent through the program last year, $3.5 million -- or 95 percent -- went to administrative costs.
All in all, the scheme is functioning . . . about as you'd expect a government program would. \"
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Media - "Fails to look in the mirror"
The American media is really, really bad when it comes to "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth"...
Mondo Frazier writes at BigJournalism.com:
"Readers rarely get a chance to see the re-writing of history, but they’re seeing an attempt in the recent reporting by the Legacy Media of the John Edwards Scandal.
Several recently-published books (Mark Halperin and John Heilemann’s Game Change and Edwards’ ex-aide, Andrew Young’s The Politician) examine the John Edwards scandal and Edwards’ elaborate cover-up of his affair and love child with campaign videographer, Rielle Hunter.
Halperin and Heilemann would have readers believe that they were on the trail of the story from the start–and perhaps they were. It’s just that they didn’t bother to inform the readers of their employers, TIME and New York, while the scandal and cover-up were occurring."
"White House Accused of Federal Crime in Specter, Bennet Races"
At face value, it appears to be "guilty as charged".
In the real world of politics and law, the details are what will matter.
Politics surely is a dirty business..
In the real world of politics and law, the details are what will matter.
Politics surely is a dirty business..
Jeffrey Lord reports for American Spectator:
"A bombshell has just exploded in the 2010 elections.For the second time in five months, the Obama White House is being accused -- by Democrats -- of offering high ranking government jobs in return for political favors. What no one is reporting is that this is a violation of federal law that can lead to prison time, a fine or both, according to Title 18, Chapter 11, Section 211 of the United States Code.
The jobs in question? Secretary of the Navy and a position within the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The favor requested in return? Withdrawal from Senate challenges to two sitting United States Senators, both Democrats supported by President Obama. The Senators are Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania and Michael Bennet in Colorado."
Barack Obama - and that ACORN relationship
As they say: "Anything you say can and will be used against you..."
Today's world of videos and recording devices, along with the Internet, can expose lies in a heartbeat.
I suspect politicians are getting wise to it now; however, their past often comes back to haunt them. Here's one such occurrence...
Today's world of videos and recording devices, along with the Internet, can expose lies in a heartbeat.
I suspect politicians are getting wise to it now; however, their past often comes back to haunt them. Here's one such occurrence...
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
"Regulators deny Conoco permit for Alaska North Slope bridges"
The battle continues...
This is reported on the WorldOil.com website:
"Federal regulators have denied a request by U.S. oil major ConocoPhillips to build a system of bridges to expand oil drilling on Alaska's North Slope, saying the project would harm aquatic wildlife."
"Issa Report finds ACORN Fraud, SEIU Connections"
The issues surrounding ACORN are pervasive.
There have been revealing undercover videos, and even several fraud finding federal investigations.
Similar to the John Edwards scandal, the media refuses to investigate, or even publicize most of what is going on.
Maybe, if we're lucky, the National Enquirer will get involved...
There have been revealing undercover videos, and even several fraud finding federal investigations.
Similar to the John Edwards scandal, the media refuses to investigate, or even publicize most of what is going on.
Maybe, if we're lucky, the National Enquirer will get involved...
At HumanEvents.com, Connie Hair has the latest:
"Republicans on the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee have released a new report leveling fresh allegations and evidence of corruption against the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN.
Entitled 'Follow the Money: ACORN, SEIU and their Political Allies,' the report presents information gleaned from committee investigations into hundreds of bank accounts, shell organizations incorporated under myriad sections of the internal revenue code, even an ACORN-directed accounting firm, Citizens Consulting Inc., charged with obscuring the trail and use of funding streams pouring into ACORN from taxpayers and charitable contributions alike.
The report includes a blistering executive summary of four crucial findings:"
Government at Work - Reporting the Numbers
Could this be: "CPI Number Reported INTENTIONALLY INCORRECT?"
Well, it sure looks like it might be. Scary, isn't it?...
Well, it sure looks like it might be. Scary, isn't it?...
PRE-LINK TEXT Karl Denninger has the details at the Market-Ticker website:
"Look at the highlighted numbers. Let's multiply them up.
(5.966 x 0) + (.769 x -2.1) + (25.206 x -0.1) + (.347 x 0.4) / 32.288 = -0.12%, or -0.1%.
But it was reported as -0.5% in the line directly above (inverted tone.)
Oops.
I didn't re-run the weightings for the entire series but a quick 'eyeball' of the table shows that this should result in a CORE reading of 0.1% (positive), not the negative number reported."
Monday, February 22, 2010
Government at Work - in Australia
This is/was a 2.5 billion dollar program.
I see it as another indication as to why we don't want governments too involved in our lives..
I see it as another indication as to why we don't want governments too involved in our lives..
Malcolm Farr and Alison Rehn report some Australian news:
"Thousands will be out of work after insulation scheme backflip.
* Insulation scheme scrapped
* Comes after four deaths and 100 fires
* Government admits 80,000 homes at risk"
"N.J. loses $70B in wealth during five years as residents depart"
The tax and spend behavior of elected officials has created an untenable situation for New Jersey.
It's the same story in other states where taxes have been raised to the point where wealthy people move out, which, of course, reduces revenue.
That generally increases the percent of people on entitlement programs, with less funds to support those programs...
It's the same story in other states where taxes have been raised to the point where wealthy people move out, which, of course, reduces revenue.
That generally increases the percent of people on entitlement programs, with less funds to support those programs...
Leslie Kwoh writes at NJ.com:
"More than $70 billion in wealth left New Jersey between 2004 and 2008 as affluent residents moved elsewhere, according to a report released Wednesday that marks a swift reversal of fortune for a state once considered the nation’s wealthiest.
Conducted by the Center on Wealth and Philanthropy at Boston College, the report found wealthy households in New Jersey were leaving for other states — mainly Florida, Pennsylvania and New York — at a faster rate than they were being replaced.• Rutgers University economists say it could take seven years to recover from recession
“The wealth is not being replaced,” said John Havens, who directed the study. 'It’s above and beyond the general trend that is affecting the rest of the northeast.'"
Sunday, February 21, 2010
"World’s biggest coal company brings U.S. government to court in climate fraud"
I wonder how long this will take and how much publicity it will draw.
It would seem that a court case would force everyone to prove their points, even the E.P.A.
Considering the questionable science and disputed record keeping in the world of climate change, it could really be interesting...
It would seem that a court case would force everyone to prove their points, even the E.P.A.
Considering the questionable science and disputed record keeping in the world of climate change, it could really be interesting...
John O'Sullivan reports on the ClimateGate.com website:
"The world’s largest private sector coal business, the Peabody Energy Company (PEC) has filed a mammoth 240-page “Petition for Reconsideration,” a full-blown legal challenge against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The petition must be answered and covers the entire body of leaked emails from ‘Climategate’ as well as those other ‘gate’ revelations including the frauds allegedly perpetrated under such sub-headings as ‘Himalayan Glaciers,’ ‘African Agricultural Production,’ ‘Amazon Rain Forests,’ ‘Melting Mountain Ice,’ ‘Netherlands Below Sea Level’ as well as those much-publicized abuses of the peer-review literature and so called ‘gray literature.’ These powerful litigants also draw attention to the proven criminal conduct by climate scientists in refusing to honor Freedom of Information law (FOIA) requests.
Peabody is, in effect, challenging the right of the current U.S. federal government to introduce cap and trade regulations by the ‘back door.’"
Government at Work - "Six inches from slavery"
At first, I thought this was quite a stretch to make a story.
Then, on second thought, considering it's six inches of snow, it seems outrageous at best.
I'm guessing that governments of all sizes have quietly obtained this kind of power.
That's a bit scary in that "states of emergency" may have no clear definition.
The saving grace, may be that enforcement on a large scale seems next to impossible...
Then, on second thought, considering it's six inches of snow, it seems outrageous at best.
I'm guessing that governments of all sizes have quietly obtained this kind of power.
That's a bit scary in that "states of emergency" may have no clear definition.
The saving grace, may be that enforcement on a large scale seems next to impossible...
John Pierce writes about it at Examiner.com:
"According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the city of King NC has received approximately six inches of snow over the last seven days. Apparently, that snowfall, coupled with limited power outages, was frightening enough that, last Friday February 5th, 2010, King Mayor Jack Warren declared a local state of emergency pursuant to North Carolina General Statute § 14-288.12.
Now … the first inclination of a Minnesota resident when hearing of such a response to a snowstorm is to laugh. But this declaration was no laughing matter for the citizens of King. With the stroke of a pen, the mayor stripped them of their fundamental right to travel, to peaceably assemble, and to openly bear arms as enumerated in the North Carolina Constitution. In addition to the denial of fundamental and enumerated rights, the declaration also had the effect of denying the privileges granted by a North Carolina Concealed Handgun Permit issued under North Carolina General Statute § 14-415.11."
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Failure of Liberal Governance - WSJ.com
This story is about the Democrats.
I suspect one could write something very similar about the Republicans.
The bottom line is that whichever party achieves power, they soon forget their promises to the voters and soon the pendulum swings again...
I suspect one could write something very similar about the Republicans.
The bottom line is that whichever party achieves power, they soon forget their promises to the voters and soon the pendulum swings again...
This is from a recent Wall Street Journal opinion column:
"For the fourth time since the 1960s, American voters in 2008 gave Democrats overwhelming control of both Congress and the White House. Republicans haven't had such large majorities since the 1920s. Yet once again, Democratic leaders have tried to govern the country from the left, only to find that their policies have hit a wall of practical and popular resistance.
Democrats failed in the latter half of the 1960s, as the twin burdens of the Great Society and Vietnam ended the Kennedy boom and split their party. They failed again after Watergate, as Congress dragged Jimmy Carter to the left and liberals had no answer for stagflation. They failed a third time in the first two Bill Clinton years, as tax increases and HillaryCare led to the Gingrich Congress before Mr. Clinton salvaged his Presidency by tacking to the center.
A fourth crackup is already well underway and is even more remarkable considering how Democrats were set up for success."
"The end of the battery"?
I seem to have come across a lot of these "revolutionary" stories over time.
Somehow, they don't seem to to deliver very often.
Maybe, I should start a "Let's wait and see" category...
Somehow, they don't seem to to deliver very often.
Maybe, I should start a "Let's wait and see" category...
Anyway, in the U.K. Daily Mail, David Derbyshire posted this:
"Dr Greenhalgh said: 'No one has created a material like this - within ten years it could replace batteries.'"
Friday, February 19, 2010
"The U.S. Government: Willfully Blind to the Jihad"
This is a really serious indictment of our government and military establishments.
And even though it's not covered by the "mainstream" media, everything points to it being true...
And even though it's not covered by the "mainstream" media, everything points to it being true...
Pamela Geller writes this and a lot more at BigGovernment.com:
"There is nothing wacky or extreme or radical about Hasan’s devotion to Islam. What is wacky, extreme and suicidal is the Pentagon’s review of Hasan’s jihad without mentioning or addressing Islam, and the objective of our mortal enemy – to establish Dar al Islam in Israel, Europe, and America. Nowhere does the Pentagon’s Fort Hood report discuss jihad and the ideology that mandates and commands good Muslims to wage jihad against non-Muslims.
This is surrender. And it isn’t limited just to the Fort Hood report. Did you know in the FBI’s Counter-Terrorism Manual, the word jihad is not to be found? Not once.
This is no accident. This is happening because for decades the Muslim Brotherhood (i.e., the Muslim American Society, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Islamic Society of North America, the Islamic Circle of North America, etc.), has infiltrated every agency and institution at the highest levels, and they control what is said and how it can be said."
The Media - and then there's the DEBKAfile
So, what should we make of this?
Possible terrorist attacks on foreign planes aren't worthy of reporting in the U.S.?...
Possible terrorist attacks on foreign planes aren't worthy of reporting in the U.S.?...
Debka.com says "We Start Where The Media Stops". This paragraph (and complete story) is an example:
"Lebanese officials, led by prime minister Saad Hariri, have spent two weeks trying to hide the fact that the Ethiopian airline disaster was caused by terror. But Lebanese health minister Jawad Khalifeh gave the game away by a slip of the tongue Tuesday, Feb. 9: 'The plane exploded during flight and the cabin, as well as the bodies of those on board, were dispersed into the sea, in different locations,' he said, trying to explain why some of the corpses were found dismembered."
"Exposing the 'secure our borders' lie"
So, are YOU an "unsophisticated rube"?
Even though this is about immigration lies, the concept used is prevails in almost ALL of the President's remarks.
Sadly, it seems to have reached the point that so few believe what he says, that he doesn't even get called on it...
Even though this is about immigration lies, the concept used is prevails in almost ALL of the President's remarks.
Sadly, it seems to have reached the point that so few believe what he says, that he doesn't even get called on it...
In a recent opinion column by Vin Suprynowicz I found this:
"The words are designed to convince an unsophisticated rube -- the kind of person out in televisionland who still believes the president speaks plain English and means what he says..."
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Shhh: Public Comments Favor Drilling - Washington Wire - WSJ
This isn't pretty.
I guess if things don't turn out the way you want them to, you just don't mention them.
Oh yeah. And then there's that word: "transparency"...
I guess if things don't turn out the way you want them to, you just don't mention them.
Oh yeah. And then there's that word: "transparency"...
At WSJ.com, Stephen Power begins his column with:
"An email last fall from a top Interior Department official indicates public comments ran two-to-one in favor of a Bush administration plan to expand offshore drilling.
The email from Liz Birnbaum, director of the Minerals Management Service which manages the nation’s offshore oil and natural gas reserves, also suggests how Interior Secretary Ken Salazar could avoid publicly acknowledging the support for the plan, which calls for opening the Atlantic seaboard to drilling, a step many environmentalists and some Democrats oppose."
"Secrets of TV news: Confessions of an anchorman"
I don't know about the veracity of this article; however, it sure rings true...
Anonymous at DailyCaller.com begins their post with this:
"For the last 30 years, I’ve devoted the better part of my life to frightening you, trying my best to make you believe that you are weak, vulnerable, dependent and at risk. I know what’s good for you. You don’t. I’ve tried hard for three decades to defy the laws of nature and return you to infancy, cradled in your mommy’s arm, suckling at her breast, all warm and cozy, not a care in the world. I am the tip of the spear of the liberal nanny state. I am ANCHORMAN!"
Health News - Simple eye test for Alzheimer's
This sounds promising...
Fiona Macrae reports on the U.K.'s Daily Mail website:
"A test that can detect Alzheimer's up to 20 years before any symptoms show is being developed by British scientists. The simple and inexpensive eye test could be part of routine examinations by high street opticians in as little as three years, allowing those in middle age to be screened."
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
"Councils afraid to say how much they pay chiefs"
I think government salaries should be available to the taxpayers.
I CAN understand why one would prefer differently; however, it's the people's money, and the people deserve to know where and how their money is being spent...
I CAN understand why one would prefer differently; however, it's the people's money, and the people deserve to know where and how their money is being spent...
Christopher Hope reports in the U.K. Daily Telegraph:
"The Government had ordered local authorities to disclose the earnings of all executives after concerns were raised about the size of pay increases granted to council officers.
But local authorities claimed that the pay disclosures would leave their staff vulnerable to reprisals from taxpayers. They argued that officers would be subjected to 'personalised attacks and mischief making'.
They said family members might be threatened and officials’ children bullied at school. One local authority even said the proposals represented 'a gross invasion of privacy'.
The TaxPayers’ Alliance, which uncovered the exchange after a Freedom of Information request, accused council chiefs of resorting to emotional blackmail' and 'scare-mongering'."
Londonistan
I seriously doubt that London is the only refuge for "radicalized Muslims".
Political correctness has the entire world paralyzed on this issue, and elected officials are obviously not capable of overcoming their inherent need to NOT offend any group, regardless of the potential harm to others...
Political correctness has the entire world paralyzed on this issue, and elected officials are obviously not capable of overcoming their inherent need to NOT offend any group, regardless of the potential harm to others...
Christian Caryl writes about it at ForeignPolicy.com,
"Just in case the Brits hadn't figured that out, the usual anonymous U.S. State Department official was happy to do it for them. Last month, an official told the Daily Telegraph that their country 'has the greatest concentration of active al Qaeda supporters [in the West],' posing a threat to Britain and 'the rest of the world.' The same article cited a fresh and ominous finding from the director of MI5. He estimated his service was aware of some 2,000 'radicalized Muslims' who might be involved in terrorist plots. That figure, of course, doesn't include the population of plotters who have escaped MI5 scrutiny, like Abdulmutallab. As if to underline the threat, on Jan. 12, the British government banned two of the country's most notorious Islamist organizations, Islam4UK and Al Muhajiroun, under a 2000 anti-terrorism law.
So why is this particular front in the war on terrorism proving such a challenge? Haras Rafiq, a British Muslim who founded a think tank to combat Islamic extremism, worries that a big share of the blame goes to his own government. For decades, he says, Britain tolerated plotting by domestic Islamic radicals as long as they targeted other countries, often ones in the Middle East. 'We gave them freedom to preach violence and extremism -- [as long as] they were preaching it abroad and not in the U.K. They used that freedom to take over community organizations, mosques, TV stations,' he says. 'They've been building capacity for their viewpoint.' He describes the radicals' techniques as strikingly reminiscent of those of 20th-century communists and fascists. The Islamists have also mimicked the Irish Republican movement by using ostensibly non-violent political groups to covertly radical ends."
"How to Get Our Democracy Back: If You Want Change, You Have to Change Congress"
Perhaps you can argue with this. I can't...
At BigGovernment.com, Lawrence Lessig writes about why he thinks Congress is the problem:
"At the center of our government lies a bankrupt institution: Congress. Not financially bankrupt, at least not yet, but politically bankrupt. Bush v. Gore notwithstanding, Americans’ faith in the Supreme Court remains extraordinarily high–76 percent have a fair or great deal of “trust and confidence” in the Court. Their faith in the presidency is also high–61 percent.
But consistently and increasingly over the past decade, faith in Congress has collapsed–slowly, and then all at once. Today it is at a record low. Just 45 percent of Americans have “trust and confidence” in Congress; just 25 percent approve of how Congress is handling its job. A higher percentage of Americans likely supported the British Crown at the time of the Revolution than support our Congress today.
The source of America’s cynicism is not hard to find. Americans despise the inauthentic."
Government at Work - Maybe it doesn't
I'll let Mr. Hawkins explain...
At Townhall.com, John Hawkins wants everyone to know:
"5 Things Americans Need To Understand About How Government Really Works"
"One of the biggest problems we have in this country is that so few Americans understand how our government works in the real world. Since that's the case, most people simply aren't capable of making an informed judgment about whether politicians can deliver on a promise. With that in mind, it seems like a good idea to go back to basics and explain what so many of us have already learned the hard way about the government."
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Student Journalists vs. Planned Parenthood
I'm posting this for two reasons.
The first is that "Planned Parenthood" is NOT exactly as it's name implies. Perhaps their intentions are honorable; however, (similar to ACORN) their actions are NOT always within the law.
My second point is that young enterprising journalists are doing what the regular media should be doing, i.e., investigating and exposing "stuff" that's just not right...
The first is that "Planned Parenthood" is NOT exactly as it's name implies. Perhaps their intentions are honorable; however, (similar to ACORN) their actions are NOT always within the law.
My second point is that young enterprising journalists are doing what the regular media should be doing, i.e., investigating and exposing "stuff" that's just not right...
Lila Rose reports at BigJournalism.com:
"In response to our Birmingham video, the Attorney General Troy King opened an investigation, which King eventually handed over to the State Health Department. Here’s a sample of what the Health Department found at the Birmingham Planned Parenthood clinic: nine out of 9 underage girls, aged 13 to 15, received abortions without proper verification of parental consent. A 13 year old girl came to the clinic for 2 different abortions with four months. Planned Parenthood made no report of suspected abuse or neglect"
"GOP Idea Man Charts Course For Solvency"
Hello! Is anybody listening?
Governments CAN be solvent. Here's an example...
Governments CAN be solvent. Here's an example...
According to George Will at Investors.com:
"Under him, Indiana property taxes have been cut 30% and for the first time, Standard & Poor's has raised the state's credit rating to AAA."
"Which is the Real ‘Racist’ Party"
Sadly, in our upside-down world, Democrats are depicted as saviours of the black minority population.
It's just NOT true!
Of course, the former mainstream media keeps it a secret...
It's just NOT true!
Of course, the former mainstream media keeps it a secret...
Frank Ross recently posted this at BigJournalism.com:
"Once upon a time former Governor, Presidential candidate, and Chairman of the Democrat National Committee called the GOP the “White Party.” CNN commentator Lou Dobbs took Dean to task for his language.
So was Dr. Dean, and those among the Left who share his understanding of history, accurate? Is the GOP the party of white people? Let’s test the good doctor’s diagnosis.
Fifteen questions follow. The correct answers are provided at the end. No peeking!"
Monday, February 15, 2010
"Gaps on the border: U.S. agencies at odds"
It won't be long before immigration and border security are back in the news.
What would seem to be easy, appears to be a battle on more than one front...
What would seem to be easy, appears to be a battle on more than one front...
Thomas Burr describes some of the problems in the Salt Lake Tribune:
"Lackner says the Border Patrol routinely brings in biologists, land managers and others to help educate agents. While they can't operate without any impact on public lands, they try to tread lightly.
He proposes more communication and for all the parties to cooperate on preserving the environment."
"President Obama's Lexicon of Rhetorical Devices"
If I'm not mistaken, interrogators are trained to keep suspects talking, because the longer they talk, the more likely they are to slip up and incriminate themselves.
I'm just saying...
I'm just saying...
At Townhall.com, Ben Shapiro discusses the fine points of Barack Obama's speaking style and phrases:
"Obama is addicted to utilizing language that he has carefully tailored or perverted to obfuscate the truth. In other words, he uses double talk on a routine basis. In order to understand what Obama truly tells us when he speaks to us, it is necessary to grab our Little Orphan Annie Decoder Ring and decipher precisely what he means when he uses his pet phrases. This, then, is a list of his favorite linguistic flourishes -- and just what he means when he uses them:"
"Your Time Is Up, Chuck"
Run, Larry, Run!...
At BigGovernment.com, Michael Caputo writes:
"Until Scott Brown was elected to the Senate in loopy liberal Massachusetts, nobody thought it ever possible to rid New York of the self-serving, mean-spirited, virulently partisan liberal. Now the game has changed. Enter Larry Kudlow.
A graduate of the University of Rochester, Kudlow also worked for New York’s legendary Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. A chief architect of the Reagan era tax-cuts that sparked one of the greatest economic booms in modern times, Kudlow is recognized as a leading anti-tax supply side economist. He holds Jack Kemp out as his mentor and is one of the few people in politics today determined to carry the Buffalo Congressman’s legacy forward.
Kudlow has run a business, met a payroll and toiled for decades in the corporate, policy and media arenas. He’s also endured the alembic of personal crisis and come out tempered with character and humility. In contrast, Schumer has been in politics all his adult life and, after countless mean-spirited public episodes, his character is in question.
Kudlow is also a thoughtful, well-spoken and original analyst and one of the most effective debaters on the Right. This capacity is vital against Schumer, who is vicious and smart on the stump."
Sunday, February 14, 2010
In Our World - Self-defense
Try to imagine all the convoluted thinking that must have gone on in order to have laws that basically get in the way of protecting your own stuff.
This Nebraska congressperson will likely be vilified for trying to make it "right" again to defend yourself and your "castle"...
This Nebraska congressperson will likely be vilified for trying to make it "right" again to defend yourself and your "castle"...
Martha Stoddard reports on how it used to be at Omaha.com:
"Until it was ruled unconstitutional in 1971, the law provided that Nebraskans could use 'any means necessary' to protect themselves, their families and their property and when coming to the aid of others threatened with a heinous crime.
The Nebraska Supreme Court threw out the law, saying it improperly allowed private citizens to determine the punishment for crimes."
Another Obama Tax Hike - WSJ.com
This article describes the sneaky implications of effective marginal tax rates (EMTR).
It seems like subterfuge at it's worst; and, it affects everyone...
It seems like subterfuge at it's worst; and, it affects everyone...
Douglas Holtz-Eakin and Alex Brill write this and more in the Wall Street Journal:
"The Senate health-care bill would raise effective marginal tax rates on lower and middle-income singles and families up to 41%."
"This year marks a crucial time in the future of tax policy. The tax laws enacted in 2001 and 2003 will sunset, along with the recent tax credits included in the so-called stimulus bill. As Congress thinks about the future, we hope it puts full weight on the importance of a tax code that supports the ability of the poor and middle-class to achieve their dreams."
Sports - 2002 Olympic Speed Skating
The point is clear: Never quit.
And what you probably don't know is that one of those fallen skaters was American Apolo Anton Ohno, who, his leg gashed by a skate blade, crawled across the line for a silver medal...
And what you probably don't know is that one of those fallen skaters was American Apolo Anton Ohno, who, his leg gashed by a skate blade, crawled across the line for a silver medal...
Saturday, February 13, 2010
"Prehistoric Giant Discovered"
Does this say something about global warming?
I think it does...
I think it does...
On the the second page of Ted Chamberlain's National Geographic story I found this:
"The ancient snake's giant size suggests that mean year-round temperatures in the tropics were several degrees warmer than they are today, according to a study that analyzed the relationships among a snake's body size, its metabolism, and the outside temperature."
"US food stamps set ever-higher record-32.8 million"
I'm not aware of this being reported in the American media.
Could it be that it would reflect badly on a certain someone?...
Could it be that it would reflect badly on a certain someone?...
Anyway, this IS being reported on the U.K.'s Guardianwebsite:
"A record 38.2 million Americans were enrolled in the food stamp program at latest count, up 246,000 from the previous month and the latest in record-high monthly tallies that began in December 2008."
Politicians - Above the law in the U.K.?
Not only did they break the law, but mysteriously (not really), the enforcement of the law apparently was lacking (except when it was the opposing parties)...
This is from the U.K. Telegraph:
"Mr Fitzpatrick said: "I welcome this belated action to protect voters in their homes but there are real questions to be answered over how the Commissioner has applied the rules.
"The Information Commissioner must explain why it has taken him five years to act over dodgy phone calls from Labour but he has not applied the same restraint to other political parties.
"The SNP sought guarantees from the Information Commission in 2005 that all parties would be treated as the SNP were treated. However it seems while the SNP, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats were served enforcement notices immediately Labour has been allowed an ill-fated second chance."
Friday, February 12, 2010
"BBC executives' expenses up by 8 per cent"
The BBC is government funded.
It appears that they have the same lack of respect for the taxpayers money that politicians have...
It appears that they have the same lack of respect for the taxpayers money that politicians have...
Gordon Rayner and Urmee Khan report in the U.K. Telegraph:
"Expense claims by the BBC's top executives have risen sharply despite previous assurances that the corporation was tightening its grip on spending, newly-released figures show."
"Mark Thompson, the director general, claimed £5,616 for a flight to Seoul in South Korea, where he was attending a conference. Economy flights to Seoul cost as little as £399."
Politicians - Nancy Pelosi
Spend, spend, spend, with NO respect for the people's money...
This is from the Judicial Watch website:
"Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained documents from the Air Force detailing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s use of United States Air Force aircraft for Congressional Delegations (CODELs). According to the documents, obtained by Judicial Watch through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Speaker’s military travel cost the United States Air Force $2,100,744.59 over a two-year period — $101,429.14 of which was for in-flight expenses, including food and alcohol. The following are highlights from the recent release of about 2,000 documents:"
Meanwhile - in the U.K. - A bad cop
Richard Edwards has this and much more in the U.K. Daily Telegraph:
"One of the country’s most senior police officers, who tried to counter misconduct allegations by accusing his force of racism, was jailed for four years yesterday after he was finally exposed as 'a criminal in uniform'. Commander Ali Dizaei became the highest-ranking officer to be convicted of a criminal offence in 33 years. A jury took 10 minutes to convict the 47-year-old Iranian of misconduct and perverting the course of justice after he assaulted and tried to frame a businessman to settle a personal score."
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Politicians - Queens pols stiffed Katrina victims
In my wildest dreams, I couldn't imagine that a politician could be trusted to get money to it's intended recipient...
In the N.Y. Post, Melissa Klein and Isabel Vincent discuss one such occurrence:
"It's the Big Sleazy.
Devastated Hurricane Katrina survivors from New Orleans were left high and dry by a charity set up to help them by state Sen. Malcolm Smith and Rep. Gregory Meeks of Queens.
Only $1,392 of at least $31,000 raised to help Katrina families was paid, tax records show, and just about everybody involved with the charity -- including the two Democratic pols -- claim ignorance as to where the rest of the money went."
Global Warming - Circa 1790, in Philly
History reveals the darndest things...
I found this on the WattsUpWithThat.com website:
"Starting in 1790, a prominent Philadelphia resident named Charles Pierce started keeping detailed records of the weather and climate, which has been archived on Google Books.
His report from January, 1790 is below"
Meanwhile - in California - Class Warfare
What in the world is going on with this?...
At BigGovernment.com, Liberty Chick begins this story with:
"Ten minutes prior to the start of a December 15th, 2009 board meeting of the Riverside Community College District in California, board members are handed a 52-page document filled with millions of dollars in projects to be funded by the district’s taxpayers, who themselves are struggling under the state’s 12.4% unemployment rate. The document, a draft Project Labor Agreement (PLA), will commit long-term construction and ancillary projects for the next several years to labor unions.
At least twenty-three members of the public, many of them local private business owners who oppose the PLA, have attended to publicly comment on the proposal. Two of the board members have never even seen the PLA prior to today, and have asked for a special session to review it. Despite opposition from the public, and the concern voiced by those two board members, the remaining three board members have moved that the Board of Trustees authorize Chancellor Greg Gray to negotiate the final PLA with the Riverside and San Bernardino Building and Construction Trade Councils. Board Trustees Virginia Blumenthal and Janet Green dissented.
So, without adequate time for all to review the draft, without any backup analysis provided to justify the use of up to $350,000,000 in Measure C taxpayer funds, without giving the public reasonable time to voice their opinions, and with an unemployment rate of over 12% when non-union workers are in even greater need of jobs than union workers…why would three of Riverside’s five board members vote to move forward with a final negotiation anyway? Why the rush? Residents and business owners in Riverside are wondering the same thing, and hope to have the chance to weigh in before the PLA’s final draft is signed."
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The Silent Majority: Is Paul Krugman schizophrenic?
No, he's with the New York Times.
Their opinions flip-flop according to who is President...
Their opinions flip-flop according to who is President...
At SilentMajority09.com, :Southern Man" asks:
"Can anyone tell me how Paul Krugman has a shread of credibility left.
In 2003 he was railing against the "huge deficits that George W. Bush was running up and predicting doom and gloom. Now he is trying to figure out what why there is som much hype about budget deficits. Keeping in mind that budget deficits under Bush were around 3% of GDP and under Obama they are around 11%. This guy is suffering from a split personality. Take a look at the differening opinions he offers which are apparantly based more on politics than fact."
"The Fat Lady Sings for Keith Olbermann"
I've tried to watch Keith Olbermann from time to time, but just can't come to like him, much less agree with him...
Stuart Schwartz, at AmericanThinker.com, doesn't seem to be much of a fan either:
"Olbermann does not like women, especially attractive and/or accomplished women. Nor is he particularly fond of men. He is forever the awkward, angry teenager of his high school days who mystified psychologists, the überdork whose cruel taunts of the athletes he covered as a sports broadcaster were legendary, even as he yearned to be thought of as the stud that covers studs. Give it up, a Philadelphia Inquirer sports columnist suggested after watching Olbermann ridicule the appearance of an overweight athlete. He noted that the hefty lefty is 'so bloated he looks as if he swallowed Dan Patrick [his ESPN co-anchor] back in 1997.'
And so the venom drips, and the ratings sink. Olbermann is cruel to all who, as a class, have rejected him, such as joyful people and women...or people of faith and women...or people with traditional marriages and women...and those with well-adjusted relationships and women. Did I mention women?"
Wind Power - a "cautionary tale"
I figure these are learning experiences for everyone that can be prevented in the future...
Tux Terkel reports on it in the Portland, Maine Press Herald:
"The Vinalhaven project consists of three 1.5-megawatt turbines. They are a massive presence on a high point of land at the island's northwest corner, a 10-minute drive from the ferry terminal. Each unit stands 388-feet high, from ground to blade tip.
The ribbon-cutting in November drew more than 400 people and attracted national media attention. Schoolchildren passed out pinwheels. Visiting dignitaries applauded New England's largest coastal wind project."
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Politicians - Harrisburg, PA Mayor Linda Thompson
Apparently, this elected official doesn't like "transparency"...
At PennLive.com, Joe Elias reports:
"Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson addressed City Council during its second day of budget hearing Thursday night to address the city’s debt problems, claiming the battle does not need to be fought in the media, but rather 'behind closed doors.'"
The States and the Stimulus - WSJ.com
Governments at work.
Specifically, big government helping smaller governments get worse.
Are our elected officials oblivious or unconscious? Likely, it's both...
Specifically, big government helping smaller governments get worse.
Are our elected officials oblivious or unconscious? Likely, it's both...
These snippets are from a Wall Street Journal Article about the impact of the "stimulus" money:
"Revenues are down, to be sure, but in several ways the stimulus has also made things worse.
First, in most state capitals the stimulus enticed state lawmakers to spend on new programs rather than adjusting to lean times. They added health and welfare benefits and child care programs. Now they have to pay for those additions with their own state's money.
For example, the stimulus offered $80 billion for Medicaid to cover health-care costs for unemployed workers and single workers without kids. But in 2011 most of that extra federal Medicaid money vanishes. Then states will have one million more people on Medicaid with no money to pay for it."
...
"Second, stimulus dollars came with strings attached that are now causing enormous budget headaches. Many environmental grants have matching requirements, so to get a federal dollar, states and cities had to spend a dollar even when they were facing huge deficits. The new construction projects built with federal funds also have federal Davis-Bacon wage requirements that raise state building costs to pay inflated union salaries.
Worst of all, at the behest of the public employee unions, Congress imposed 'maintenance of effort' spending requirements on states. These federal laws prohibit state legislatures from cutting spending on 15 programs, from road building to welfare, if the state took even a dollar of stimulus cash for these purposes."
Meanwhile - in Poland - T-shirts can get you in trouble
Instinctively, I want to agree with this; HOWEVER, I DON'T want any government taking away the right to free speech...
Hilary Heuler reports on the Christian Science Monitor website:
"Evocative symbols of Europe’s troubled past, such as the swastika, have long been illegal in countries across the continent. But now Poland has gone one step further, revising its criminal code to include a ban on symbols of communism. Poles can now be fined or even put in prison if they are caught with a red star, a hammer and sickle, or even a Ché Guevara T-shirt.
To some, it may seem like a natural reaction for a country that suffered so much under the Soviet Union. There are exemptions for artists, educators, and collectors. But the ban doesn’t sit well with the younger generation of Poles, many of whom see communism not as a threat but as a source of satirical fun and creativity."
Monday, February 08, 2010
"How Asia Makes The U.S. Look Like A Third World Country"
This is from BusinessInsider.com...
"How climate-change fanatics corrupted science"
I was about to post some more individual articles on the subject; however, this one covers it pretty well.
It should be noted that most politicians are still pursuing legislation that is now based on phony information...
It should be noted that most politicians are still pursuing legislation that is now based on phony information...
Michael Barone writes at WashingtonExaminer.com:
"Some decades hence, I suspect, people will look back and wonder why so many government, corporate and media elites were taken in by propaganda that was based on such shoddy and dishonest evidence. And taken in to the point that they advocated devoting trillions of dollars to a cause that was based on flagrant dishonesty and dissembling."
Sunday, February 07, 2010
The Media - and their "selective" reporting
I guess it's clear by now that if you depend on the media to get the full story about political candidates, you are NOT going to get it.
For whatever reason; bias, pressure, or incompetence; they are NOT delivering for Americans...
For whatever reason; bias, pressure, or incompetence; they are NOT delivering for Americans...
At WashingtonExaminer.com, Byron York writes about this outrageous example:
"Two weeks before the 2008 Iowa caucuses, the National Enquirer published a detailed story reporting that Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards had had an affair, and that the woman involved, campaign videographer Rielle Hunter, was pregnant, and that Edwards had arranged for an aide to falsely claim to be the father, and that Hunter and the aide and the aide's family were being taken care of financially by a wealthy Edwards backer. At the time, Edwards was a real contender in the Democratic presidential race, so when the Enquirer story was published, the Edwards camp prepared for what some believed would be an onslaught of media scrutiny. But it didn't come. At the time, Edwards thought he had outsmarted the watchdogs of the press, frustrating their best attempts to uncover the story. But it later turned out that many journalists just didn't want to report the news and hadn't tried very hard to uncover the facts."
"Group Wants Probe of National Cancer Institute Abortion-Breast Cancer Coverup"
Regardless of one's position on this, EVERYONE deserves to have ALL the relevant information...
Steven Ertelt , the LifeNews.com editor, reports:
"A women's group is asking Congress and the Obama administration to investigate the expose' showing how a top National Cancer Institute researcher recently admitted that abortion causes a 40% breast cancer increase risk but organizing a meeting to get the NCI to deny it."
The Media - "Eyes Wide Shut"
It sure seems that way, and almost everyone (except the main stream media) is talking and writing about it...
Ron Futrell writes this a more at BigJournalism.com:
"I’ll take the former on this one. I’m not going to bother debating whether the activist old media turns left. It’s all well documented here on Bigjournalism.com and elsewhere. Besides, you know what you know, you see what you see, and you’ve figured this out long ago. I do wonder if the activist old media would rather see their businesses destroyed than to admit they have a bias. Perhaps. What good is fair and balanced coverage when you believe your purpose is to save the world from Evil Fat Cat Bankers? Bernie Madoff stealing $50 billion leads the newscasts, but the Obama Administration stealing $1.8 trillion from our grandchildren falls on the cutting room floor.
The ratings don’t lie. Fox News destroys its “competition.” CNN had a 20-year head start and its numbers don’t come close, MSNBC has the power of NBC news behind them its numbers are in the toilet. Do they think Fox beats both of them combined because they have better graphics?"
Saturday, February 06, 2010
"Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians" for 2009
Most corrupt, heh?
I wonder how they can even decide...
I wonder how they can even decide...
Judicial Watch,
the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released its 2009 list of Washington's 'Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.' The list, in alphabetical order, includes:
In Our World - "Washed-up lobsters off-limits"?
Go figure...
I found this at UPI.com:
"After an Atlantic storm Saturday, the crustaceans began washing ashore at Petit-Rocher on the northeastern coast and word spread quickly, the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal reported.
However, John St.-Coeur, a spokesman for the federal Fisheries and Oceans ministry, issued a statement warning beachcombers they were breaking the law that says lobster can only be taken in traps by licensed fishermen during open season. Anyone else collecting lobsters could be fined $100,000, he said.
By Tuesday afternoon, the shore was mostly clear of lobsters and Mayor Pierre Godin said as many as 1,000 people -- including him -- had enjoyed many lobster meals since the weekend."
Politicians - U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, WV
This case seems to have many more questions than answers.
In the political world, preferential treatment can buy a vote, AND a vote can buy preferential treatment
MY COMMENT...
In the political world, preferential treatment can buy a vote, AND a vote can buy preferential treatment
MY COMMENT...
Peter Flaherty questions on the National Legal & Policy Center website:
"The closing of the four-year probe by the Justice Department comes after Mollohan voted for Barack Obama’s unpopular health care plan. Has Attorney General Eric Holder now made it legal for members of Congress to earmark money to their business partners? This is a horrible precedent."
Friday, February 05, 2010
"Researching for Rachel Maddow"
Frankly, I don't think this means anything to anyone.
If this is what news people want to spend time on, it's no wonder that certain media outlets are losing viewers...
If this is what news people want to spend time on, it's no wonder that certain media outlets are losing viewers...
At BigJournalism.com, Jordan Moelis picks on Ms. Maddow:
"But hey, it’s MSNBC, where rule number one is never let the facts get in the way of a good invective."
Global Warming - "Climate agency going up in flames"
The media still will not publicize almost anything that disputes the human caused Global Warming concept.
Fortunately, the media is no longer the only source of information...
Fortunately, the media is no longer the only source of information...
Terence Corcoran reports on Canada's National Post website:
"A catastrophic heat wave appears to be closing in on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. How hot is it getting in the scientific kitchen where they've been cooking the books and spicing up the stew pots? So hot, apparently, that Andrew Weaver, probably Canada's leading climate scientist, is calling for replacement of IPCC leadership and institutional reform.
If Andrew Weaver is heading for the exits, it's a pretty sure sign that the United Nations agency is under monumental stress. Mr. Weaver, after all, has been a major IPCC science insider for years. He is Canada Research Chair in Climate Modelling and Analysis at the University of Victoria, mastermind of one of the most sophisticated climate modelling systems on the planet, and lead author on two recent landmark IPCC reports.
For him to say, as he told Canwest News yesterday, that there has been some 'dangerous crossing' of the line between climate advocacy and science at the IPCC is stunning in itself."
Chicago vs. the 2nd Amendment
The 2nd Amendment is constantly in dispute.
The case described here is the latest; and, perhaps the biggest yet...
The case described here is the latest; and, perhaps the biggest yet...
Colleen Mastony has the story at ChicagoTribune.com:
"Since the early 1900s, federal courts and most state courts had agreed that the Second Amendment protected only a collective right to bear arms, which, at the time the Constitution was framed, was considered integral to maintaining militias. But the 5th Circuit decision in United States v. Emerson bucked that precedent, ruling that the amendment protected an individual right — to possess a gun in the home for self-defense, for example. As the libertarian advocates had hoped, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed in the Heller case, handing down a historic decision that energized the gun-rights movement. But because Washington is a federal district, the decision did not apply to states and other cities.
So, the battle shifted to Chicago, an obvious second front because the city's handgun ban was widely considered the strictest in the nation behind the Washington law."
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Hillary Clinton - visiting Haiti
If true, this is a bit ugly.
And it sure seems to come from an unlikely source...
And it sure seems to come from an unlikely source...
Jesse Hagopian writes at SocialistWorker.org:
"EVERYTHING YOU need to know about the U.S. aid effort to assist Haiti in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake can be summed up by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's touchdown in Port-au-Prince on Saturday, January 16: they shut down the airport for three hours surrounding her arrival for 'security' reasons, which meant that no aid flights could come in during those critical hours.
If there was one day when the Haitian people needed aid to flow all day long, that was the day, because the people trapped under the rubble on Tuesday evening couldn't survive much beyond Saturday without water."
"City still waiting for reimbursement from Obama's 2008 visit"
Charging civic groups for costs is a pretty tough call.
Asking the Obama Campaign for money they owe is NOT a tough call.
The choices are to call a collection agency, or embarass them with publicity...
Asking the Obama Campaign for money they owe is NOT a tough call.
The choices are to call a collection agency, or embarass them with publicity...
PRE-LINK TEXT Deana Poole reports in the Illinois State Journal-Register:
"Last summer, at the request of the mayor, the city’s police union submitted a list of 20 revenue-generating and cost-saving measures to help offset the budget deficit. One idea was to seek a fee or 100 percent reimbursement for events where officers’ presence is required.
Mayor Tim Davlin told aldermen the cost of police overtime for city’s three major special events – the LPGA State Farm Classic, the Gus Macker basketball tournament and the Route 66 Mother Road Festival, is repaid through the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Springfield police officers worked at 72 events last year, offering services from security to crowd control, blocking off streets and directing traffic. In all, the events required 498 police officers for a total of 1,339 hours. The estimated total cost was $62,545, according to a list of events the mayor read from.
The events ranged from the Illinois Nurses Association Rally to the Illinois State Fair parade, to the Jingle Bell Run and the Old Capitol Art Fair."
Contract for the American Dream - Jason Chaffetz for Congress
Sounds good to me...
Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz writes this and then lists what needs to be done:
"Elected by the People of our states to the United States House of Representatives, it is our commitment to do what is right for our country. We are guided by the Constitution, dedicated to integrity and personal responsibility, loyal both to our home states and collectively to the United States of America.
Therefore, we set forth to enacting the following Congressional Action Plan (CAP) in the 112th Congress"
Global Warming - and the Rainforest Claims
The so-called "science" behind the United Nations Global Warming reports continues to be exposed as false.
Now, the claims of rainforest depletion doesn't seem to be true...
Now, the claims of rainforest depletion doesn't seem to be true...
Gene J. Koprowski reports this and more at FoxNews.com:
"In the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4), issued in 2007 by the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), scientists wrote that 40 percent of the Amazon rainforest in South America was endangered by global warming.
But that assertion was discredited this week when it emerged that the findings were based on numbers from a study by the World Wildlife Federation that had nothing to do with the issue of global warming -- and that was written by a freelance journalist and green activist."
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
The Media - and their Political Correctness
Mr. Deneberg has a long history of trying to protect consumers.
Obviously, he's still on the job...
Obviously, he's still on the job...
Herb Denenberg writes in the Philadelphia Bulletin:
"I’ve been doing consumer reports for over 34 years and, from my perspective, the No. 1 consumer issue is the sad state of the mainstream media. It has become something other than a segment of the media, and now can be correctly described as a propaganda organ of a Democratic Party controlled executive branch of the U.S. Government. What’s worse, it is totally biased, dishonest, and fraudulent and can no longer be trusted to deliver the information needed by the American people. It pulled off the biggest fraud in electoral history by pushing the election of President Barack Obama, and is continuing to work hand-in-hand with the Obama administration in destroying America as we know it. That’s why this column has so often focused on the sad state of the mainstream media on which the proper functioning of our society depends.
Here’s a perfect illustration of what that mean in practice. One of the strongest supporters of Islamic terrorism is our mainstream media. That’s because its political correctness means that the mainstream media doesn’t give the public the truth about the threat of radical Islam (or whatever you want to call it – Islamic extremism, Islamic terrorism, hijacked Islam, jihadism, etc.). In other words, if we don’t kill political correctness, it will kill us by making us unaware of the ongoing war fought by radical Islam against the U.S. and the West. "
They Still Don’t Get It - NYTimes.com
Yikes!...
In the New York Times, no less, Bob Herbert reports a startling statistic:
"Democrats in search of clues as to why voters are unhappy may want to take a look at the report. In 2008, a startling 91.6 million people — more than 30 percent of the entire U.S. population — fell below 200 percent of the federal poverty line, which is a meager $21,834 for a family of four."
