Monday, May 31, 2010
Meanwhile - in Rhode Island - Wait grows longer for tax refunds
Problem is: it's not their money to set aside. It's their citizens money...
At Projo.com, Neil Downing writes about Rhode Island's money troubles:
"The refund delays are intended to make sure there is enough money to pay about $350 million in borrowings — known as tax anticipation notes, or TANs — due June 30, Dion said. “Everyone knows how volatile the economy has been in the last two years, so the state has taken steps to set aside money in advance,” he said.
To taxpayers, Dion advised, “Be patient. We are paying refunds as quickly as our cash flow allows us.”"
The Paygo Con - WSJ.com
By the way, the election is coming.
You can expect all elected officials to notice you again, and swear to do what is best for you.
Fool you once; shame on them. Fool you again; shame on you!...
You can expect all elected officials to notice you again, and swear to do what is best for you.
Fool you once; shame on them. Fool you again; shame on you!...
Stephen Moore writes in the Wall Street Journal:
"Pay-as-you-go, or paygo, rules require that new entitlement spending and new tax cuts must be paid for dollar-for-dollar with entitlement spending cuts or tax increases. As Paul Ryan, the ranking Republican member of the House Budget Committee has noted, the Democrats under Speaker Nancy Pelosi 'have violated pay-as-you-go rules by nearly $1 trillion' over the past three years.
And they're not done. In the coming weeks, say Congressional Republicans, we should expect some $300 billion of expenditures that Democrats will declare 'emergency spending' and thus do not have to be offset by other spending cuts."
Sunday, May 30, 2010
"Media Matters and SEIU hit job on Nina Easton debunked"
Geez! They don't even have their facts right.
That being said, I don't like the picketing of private residences.
If one feels the need to picket, just picket the business location...
That being said, I don't like the picketing of private residences.
If one feels the need to picket, just picket the business location...
PRE-LINK TEXT Mike Riggs reports at DailyCaller.com:
"Last week, Nina Easton, the Washington editor of Fortune, wrote a column about the SEIU and National People’s Action. The two progressive groups had sent roughly 500 protesters to Easton’s Chevy Chase neighborhood on May 16th to picket the front yard of Bank of America’s Greg Baer. Easton had just put her 2-year-old son down for a nap, and stepped outside to ask the protesters to quiet down. They didn’t. Easton wrote a column. And now she’s become the target of the SEIU and Media Matters for America.
Why? Because Easton, by “refusing” to disclose her husband’s relationship with Bank of America, was misleading her audience at Fortune, and the viewers of FOX News, where she commented on the protest. The only problem? There is no relationship between Easton’s husband and Bank of America."
Global Warming - "It’s the Sun, stupid"
Catastrophic global warming stories are no longer getting headlines.
Seems like dissenting opinions have diffused the issue.
And, perhaps, solar scientists are the Silent Majority who have now awakened...
Seems like dissenting opinions have diffused the issue.
And, perhaps, solar scientists are the Silent Majority who have now awakened...
Lawrence Solomon has the story in canada's National Post:
"Scientists, and especially solar scientists, are becoming assertive. Maybe their newfound confidence stems from the Climategate emails, which cast doomsayer-scientists as frauds and diminished their standing within academia. Maybe their confidence stems from the avalanche of errors recently found in the reports of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, destroying its reputation as a gold standard in climate science. Maybe the solar scientists are becoming assertive because the public no longer buys the doomsayer thesis, as seen in public opinion polls throughout the developed world. Whatever it was, solar scientists are increasingly conveying a clear message on the chief cause of climate change: It’s the Sun, Stupid."
Saturday, May 29, 2010
"Fake Mich. ‘Tea Party’"
Dirty tricks clearly did NOT go away with the Nixon Administration...
Warner Todd Huston tells about this one at PubliusForum.com:
"Chetly Zarko tried to call around to the various Tea Party movement folks in Michigan and none of them seemed to know anything about this supposed new 'Tea Party' petition drive. Zarko quotes Tea Party operative Wendy Day of Howell, Michigan as saying that this petition drive for a fake Tea Party (does one say a Tea Party Party?) is evidence that the Democrats are taking them very seriously, seriously enough to try this new dirty tricks campaign.
Zarko has discovered that the petition is being passed by the Michigan lefty campaign company named Progressive Campaigns, Inc. and the company is being paid $1 for each signature it can gather. Progressive Campaigns, Inc., as Mr. Zarko reports, is 'funded by Soros, the Michigan Democratic Party, and is most recently known for the crude attempt to re-game the Michigan Constitution for the Democratic Party in 2008 through the Reform Michigan Government Now petition.'
So, once again we find a Democrat dirty trick in the making."
'We must live more sustainably' says Jeremy 'Seven Homes' Irons
Why is it that celebrities seem to think they know better than us, while at the same time, NOT doing as they themselves suggest?...
James Delingpole writes about Jeremy Irons in the U.K. Daily Telegraph:
"Irons has just announced his plans to become an eco-campaigner. He wants to be a bit like Michael Moore, he says, only not 'as silly'. Sounds fun, Jezza. Tell us more."
Friday, May 28, 2010
In Our Schools - "The Maine Problem"
This is about the Maine Human Rights Commission.
I think I'll let you read and form your own opinion about it..
I think I'll let you read and form your own opinion about it..
Terry L. Brown writes at theCypressTimes.com:
"On October 17, 2007 The Maine Problem came to light when the school board of King Middle School in Portland, Maine approved a measure that allowed 6th grade girls, girls as young as 11, to receive birth control pills. What made this measure even more egregious is these girls could be given birth control without their parent’s knowledge or consent.
The school board members who voted in favor of this outrage, along with the city health officials who offered this service believe they know what is best for these girls. They believe they are better qualified than parents to make medical decisions for their children. They believe their morals and values are superior to those of the parents. They believe they are all-wise and parents are, at best, ignorant simpletons, incapable of correctly raising their children without the assistance of experts educated by a government that believes itself to be God.
In other words, these parents have discovered that what looks like a school board and health clinic is actually an insane asylum. How do they know that? Because the 'inmates' have lost touch with reality."
"New Research Reveals Large Increase in Arizona's Illegal Immigration Costs"
This is NOT a pretty financial picture...
Federation for American Immigration Reform's website has this:
"(Washington, D.C. May 18, 2010) New research from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimates that the cost of illegal immigration to Arizonans is over $2.7 billion annually. This newly-released estimate includes additional areas of expenditure not included in FAIR's 2004 estimate of about $1.3 billion annual expenditures.
FAIR's research shows that K-12 education of the children of illegal aliens costs the state's taxpayers nearly half of the total fiscal burden. Other factors included in FAIR's estimate are Medicaid, SCHIP, incarceration, welfare and general government expenditures. FAIR's estimate also includes tax state revenue collected from the illegal immigrant population through property, sales and income taxes. This tax revenue represents about $143 million annually, leaving a deficit of more than a $2.7 billion."
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Palin: "'Fightin' words' to cancel team's trip"
Here's coverage of a recent Sarah Palin speech in Illinois...
Abdon M. Pallasch reports in on the Chicago Sun-Times website:
"With 4,000 Chicago area fans cheering her on, former Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin trained her sights Wednesday night on Highland Park High School, which conservative talk radio has targeted for canceling the girls basketball team’s trip to a tournament in Arizona.
'Them are fightin’ words when you say a girl can’t play in the basketball tournament … for political reasons … so we’re going to see about that,' Palin said.
Arizona’s strict crackdown on illegal immigration is projected to cost that state millions in tourism from such cancellations.
'I said, ‘Wait, I thought it was already a crime for an illegal alien [to be here],' Palin said to raucous cheers at the Rosemont Theatre.
Noting that the Highland Park girls held bake sales to pay their way to the national finals for the first time in 26 years, Palin suggested conservatives could get the girls to Arizona despite High School District 113’s decision to keep the girls home this winter."
Government at Work - Spending Our Money
In a basic way, this well describes what is wrong in government...
Matthew Celia reports in the Washington Times:
"Leslie Paige, a spokeswoman for the nonpartisan Citizens Against Government Waste, said it was appalling that no discipline had been handed down by GSA or Homeland Security.
'These are law-enforcement officers who are engaged in outright theft. This is not complicated,' Ms. Paige said.
'If anyone were to read this report they would smell a rat,' she said. 'No dime of recovery, no one went after anyone. This is fraud. It's abuse.'
The case has resulted in no criminal charges, though it was twice referred to federal prosecutors."
"Democrats Skip Constitution Duties for Political Advantage"
American citizens/voters are being disrespected on a gigantic scale.
I can only hope they become aware of stuff like this before they vote.
Obviously, our elected officials prefer otherwise...
I can only hope they become aware of stuff like this before they vote.
Obviously, our elected officials prefer otherwise...
Alaphiah has the story on his blog:
"How much are Democrats spending? They don’t want you to know. In fact Democrats are willing to disregard the Constitution rather than reveal before the November elections just how much they are abusing spending.
Brian Faler in his article, “Democrats unlikely to pass budget in Face of Spiraling Deficits” would lead us to believe that keeping a constitutional mandate like presenting an annual budget is equivalent skipping a meal or some menial task like electing to forego cleaning out rain gutters this year. In other words submitting an annual budget is much more than an “annual task” it is law—Constitutional law. (see article)
Even though the media isn’t reporting it—it is a big deal. It’s a huge deal. Besides making a mockery of our constitution Democrats are making a travesty of our electoral process by keeping information from the American people that would help decide which Party would be best to make our economy better."
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Immigration - Legal vs. Illegal
If you're unwilling to understand the meaning of illegal, you probably won't want to understand this either.
So, how about an opinion as to what is "fair" and "unfair"?...
So, how about an opinion as to what is "fair" and "unfair"?...
Dale Peterson makes some comparisons at Politipage.com:
"You have two families: 'Joe Legal' and 'Jose Illegal.' Both families have two parents, two children, and live in California.
Joe Legal works in construction, has a Social Security Number and makes $25 per hour with taxes deducted.
Jose Illegal also works in construction, has NO Social Security Number, and gets paid $15 cash “under the table.”
Ready? Now pay attention… "
"A Conservative's Case for Sarah Palin's Genius"
She's still around, and still getting plenty of attention.
Who knows? It may just happen...
Who knows? It may just happen...
Tony Lee writes about Sarah Palin at theAtlantic.com. He begins:
"I hadn't seen Sarah Palin speak in person since the 2008 elections. If one just watched or read mainstream media accounts of her paid speeches and appearances since then, including some accounts that have been featured on this site, one may have come to the conclusion that Palin was just a money-hungry ex-politician devoid of conviction, half-heartedly speaking to various interest groups and causes to line her pockets or raise her national profile to peddle books that she didn't even write herself.
Curious about how such memes can develop among supposedly intelligent commentators (most of whom are on the left, but the right has its fair share too), I went to Palin's speech in Washington, D.C. on Friday, where she spoke at a breakfast hosted by The Susan B. Anthony List, an extremely influential pro-life organization.
Nowhere did I see a caricature of a bumbling dolt just going through the motions."
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
California's Pension Fiasco and the Great Nondisclosure of 1999 - WSJ.com
Somehow, I think this may only be the tip of the iceberg.
Taxation WITHOUT representation is bad; however, taxation WITH representaion seems even worse.
I'd bet that many other state, city, and municipal governments did something similar.
The really bad part is that approval is in the hands of elected officials, and it's NOT their money.
Worse than that, taxpayers will have to foot the bill...
Taxation WITHOUT representation is bad; however, taxation WITH representaion seems even worse.
I'd bet that many other state, city, and municipal governments did something similar.
The really bad part is that approval is in the hands of elected officials, and it's NOT their money.
Worse than that, taxpayers will have to foot the bill...
David Crane writes about it in the Wall Street Journal:
"In 1999 then California Governor Gray Davis signed into law a bill that represented the largest issuance of non-voter-approved debt in the state's history. The bill SB 400 granted billions of dollars in retroactive pension boosts to state employees, allowing retirements as young as age 50 with lifetime pensions of up to 90% of final year salaries. The California Public Employees' Retirement System sold the pension boost to the state legislature by promising that 'no increase over current employer contributions is needed for these benefit improvements' and that Calpers would 'remain fully funded.' They also claimed that enhanced pensions would not cost taxpayers 'a dime' because investment bets would cover the expense.
What Calpers failed to disclose, however, was that (1) the state budget was on the hook for shortfalls should actual investment returns fall short of assumed investment returns, (2) those assumed investment returns implicitly projected the Dow Jones would reach roughly 25,000 by 2009 and 28,000,000 by 2099, unrealistic to say the least (3) shortfalls could turn out to be hundreds of billions of dollars, (4) Calpers's own employees would benefit from the pension increases and (5) members of Calpers's board had received contributions from the public employee unions who would benefit from the legislation. Had such a flagrant case of non-disclosure occurred in the private sector, even a sleepy SEC and US Attorney would have noticed.
Eleven years later, things haven't turned out as Calpers promised."
"Leaked Doc Proves Spain’s ‘Green’ Policies an Economic Disaster"
When our elected officials push policies that are "FAILING" elsewhere, it's time to wonder about their competence.
Personally, I think they are purposefully shielded (not an acceptable excuse)from information like this, which, of course, leads to uninformed voting, and subsequent unintended consequences and problems...
Personally, I think they are purposefully shielded (not an acceptable excuse)from information like this, which, of course, leads to uninformed voting, and subsequent unintended consequences and problems...
Christopher Horner writes about this one at PajamasMedia.com:
"On eight separate occasions, President Barack Obama has referred to the “green economy” policies enacted by Spain as being the model for what he envisioned for America.
Later came the revelation that Obama administration senior Energy Department official Cathy Zoi — someone with serious publicized conflict of interest issues — demanded an urgent U.S. response to the damaging report from the non-governmental Spanish experts so as to protect the Obama administration’s plans.
Most recently, U.S. senators have introduced the vehicle for replicating Spain’s unfolding economic meltdown here, in the form of the “American Power Act.” For reasons that are obvious upon scrutiny, it should instead be called the American Power Grab Act.
But today’s leaked document reveals that even the socialist Spanish government now acknowledges the ruinous effects of green economic policy."
Monday, May 24, 2010
In Our World - "The N Commandments"
If you think things are skewed, you're not alone...
At PajamasMedia.com, Richard Fernandez discusses some stuff and begins his summary with:
"Political correctness is gradually replacing common sense and natural law with an unstated but controlling code of manners. Certain things cannot be said; certain illegal things are legal and vice versa; things though evident may not exist."
Gun wrongs and rights
I wonder if you've gotten eh word, or still believe the misrepresentations...
At Examiner.com, Mike Stollenwerk thinks the truth is getting out:
"Something quietly happened over the last few years. America's free press started to report more accurately on gun rights issues as anti-gun rights voodoo-public policy incantations about 'assault weapons,' 'private dealers,' and 'gun show loopholes' have been outed.
It was not long ago that the media appeared to be fully complicit with the anti-gun rights lobby's propaganda machine which, for example, mischaracterized garden variety modern sporting rifles as 'assault weapons,' private individuals selling their used firearms as 'dealers,' and the right to privately sell used guns at gun shows as a 'loophole.' Some Americans believed these reports and concluded that federal gun dealers could sell machine guns at gun shows without background checks or paperwork."
Sunday, May 23, 2010
"White House video blog offers an inside view"
I would add - a "very selective" inside view.
As I've mentioned elsewhere, it may be a sign of the times.
That being said, it's troubling that these videos are "produced" and "edited" by the White House, without (you might say) any witnesses to what really happens...
As I've mentioned elsewhere, it may be a sign of the times.
That being said, it's troubling that these videos are "produced" and "edited" by the White House, without (you might say) any witnesses to what really happens...
Paul Farhi writes about it in the Washington Post:
"White House officials deny that they are attempting to end-run reporters. In fact, they say such initiatives as 'West Wing Week' are evidence of greater candor. 'These videos are just one part of the president's effort to have the most transparent White House in history,' said Nick Shapiro, a spokesman, who added that 'West Wing Week' ' is yet another way for people to get a better sense of what's happening at the White House and why.'
The White House wouldn't make Chaudhary, the videographer, available for an interview. But in a statement issued through Shapiro, he said the videos are 'written, produced and edited by me.' Chaudhary, a former film professor at New York University who extensively documented Obama's presidential campaign, added: 'As the official White House videographer it's my job to document the president's activities, in motion pictures, for history.'"
Celine Dion's Home
The entertaining business pays pretty well...
There's a picture posted at TMZ.com:
"Celine Dion is literally drowning in money -- so much so, that she just built a massive water park in the backyard of her equally massive Florida mansion."
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Harvard astrophysicist dismisses AGW theory, challenges peers to 'take back climate science'
Elected officials are still proposing legislation based on the non-fact that humans and/or CO2 cause global warming.
Hopefully the skeptics continue to publicize the views of accredited scientists and their counterpoints...
Hopefully the skeptics continue to publicize the views of accredited scientists and their counterpoints...
Kirk Myers posts at Examiner.com:
"In the following interview, Dr. Willie Soon, a solar and climate scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, questions the prevailing dogma of man-made global warming and challenges his peers to 'take back climate science.' His remarks are his personal opinion based upon 19 years of scientific research."
Government at Work - "Painting"?
They say a little bit of paint can hide a world of sin.
Politicians apparently use these "feel-good" things with the hope that they hide their failure to honor their constituents wishes on the "important" stuff...
Politicians apparently use these "feel-good" things with the hope that they hide their failure to honor their constituents wishes on the "important" stuff...
Jonathan Allen and Jake Sherman describe the activity at Politico.com:
"A routine science competitiveness bill may have crystallized what the House chamber has become at this moment in a frightening political cycle for Democrats: little more than an election-year staging ground.
Over two days, Democrats turned the ho-hum America Competes bill into a 54-amendment marathon — allowing vulnerable incumbents to sponsor dozens of feel-good amendments to tout back home.
Exhausted from a brutal 16-month stretch that produced a health care law, stimulus funding and a climate change bill, House Democrats seem worn out. They’ve clipped their workweek to a 42-hour period from Tuesday evening to midday Thursday, sprinkling a light schedule with long debates on noncontroversial bills that could easily pass without a formal vote. The five-day workweek is long gone."
Friday, May 21, 2010
"White House message machine spins faster than ever"
Here's an article that describes the lengths the White House goes to to manage/control the news.
I guess it's a sign of the times; but, it makes me very uncomfortable.
It seems to make it too easy for our lazy biased media outlets to just pass on what might be considered "propaganda"...
I guess it's a sign of the times; but, it makes me very uncomfortable.
It seems to make it too easy for our lazy biased media outlets to just pass on what might be considered "propaganda"...
Steven Thomas writes on the McClatchy Newspapers' website:
"The White House bureaucracy devoted to managing public imagery has been growing since President Richard Nixon created the first office devoted to broad communications strategy in 1969. Obama's version uses a blend of old and new techniques and technology in an effort to cut through a polarized partisan landscape and a dizzying array of modern mass media that abbreviate attention spans and fracture public attention.
Obama's White House message machine employs 69 people who are directly involved in some part of the communications effort, at a cost to taxpayers of at least $4.3 million a year. That's an increase from 47 in Bill Clinton's White House and 52 in George W. Bush's.
Those totals don't include communications staffs at the National Security Council or in Vice President Joseph Biden's offices, or support staff who are paid out of different accounts.
They also don't include hundreds of political appointees scattered across cabinet departments and agencies who were hired with approval from the Obama White House and who work with the White House to present a coordinated message, as they did under previous presidents."
Puerto Rico, the 51st State? - WSJ.com
What a tangled web this is...
John Fund writes about it in the Wall Street Journal:
"Puerto Rico, a self-governing commonwealth whose residents are U.S. citizens, has already voted three times (1967, 1993 and 1998) against becoming the 51st U.S. state. But Congressional Democrats, hoping to add to their numbers in Congress, keep pushing for statehood. Late last month, the House voted 223 to 169 to begin yet another attempt to have the island join the union."
Thursday, May 20, 2010
"Democrats Reject 5% Down Payment Rule"
I guess our elected officials will never learn.
It really is time for most of them to be voted out...
It really is time for most of them to be voted out...
Ed Carson recently wrote about this at Investors.com:
"The Senate today rejected a proposal by Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., to impose a minimum 5% down payment for virtually all home mortgages. The amendment to the broader financial regulatory overhaul bill, which failed 42-57, would have required income verification and an assessment of borrowers’ ability to repay as well."
Meanwhile - in the U.K. - Who is cool?
I'm setting you up on this one.
Following is an extract from the story...
Following is an extract from the story...
Simon de Bruxelles has the rest of this story at the U.K.'s TimesOnLine.com:
"The West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust defended the survey, saying that it 'identified the key characteristics of good leadership'.
A spokesman said: 'The project is important in identifying the key characteristics of good leadership, to allow the organisation and the wider NHS to be more efficient and effective which, in turn, will have a direct and positive impact on improving patient care.'"
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Politicians - N.J. Gov. Chris Christie
Governor Christie takes on the media...
TV for Tots: Not The Fantasy You Remember, But All About Adult 'Issues' - WSJ.com
If you're looking for role models, don't look to television.
It's clear that the males in prime-time sitcoms are NOT depicted as stellar members of a productive society.
Now, for the children, we have this...
It's clear that the males in prime-time sitcoms are NOT depicted as stellar members of a productive society.
Now, for the children, we have this...
This is from Jonathan V. Last's recent article in the Wall Street Journal:
"In recent years, for instance, children's entertainment has struggled with the idea of manliness. To some extent, TV is just reflecting changes in the outside world, which over the past 40 years has been, to a large degree, feminized. This has been partly for good and partly for ill. To take just one example, it is undeniably good that bullying has become (at least officially) forbidden. Bullying is a very bad thing.
But as bullying was put away, so were ideas about physical courage and manliness. Not knowing how to handle such subjects in this new era, the creators of children's television choose to present strange visions of men.
The men on kids' shows tend to be either aged, and hence harmless, or young, and vaguely effete."
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Politicians - CONN Attorney General Richard Blumenthal
There is NO excuse for this. Plus, it's not his first occurrence.
I could never vote for this guy...
I could never vote for this guy...
Raymond Hernandez writes in the New York Times:
"At a ceremony honoring veterans and senior citizens who sent presents to soldiers overseas, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut rose and spoke of an earlier time in his life.
'We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam,' Mr. Blumenthal said to the group gathered in Norwalk in March 2008. 'And you exemplify it. Whatever we think about the war, whatever we call it — Afghanistan or Iraq — we owe our military men and women unconditional support.'
There was one problem: Mr. Blumenthal, a Democrat now running for the United States Senate, never served in Vietnam."
Barack Obama - his "iPod Flip-Flop"
How can this be?...
Nicholas Ballasy writes about these quotes at CNSnews.com:
"July 2009 - Obama then said, “Well, look, you're the first person who has actually asked me about it. So, you know, I think that Michael Jackson is, will go down in history as one of our greatest entertainers. I grew up on his music. Still have all his stuff on my iPod. I think that his brilliance as a performer also was paired with a tragic and, in many ways, sad personal life.”
May 2010- 'And with iPods and iPads, and Xboxes and PlayStations--none of which I know how to work (laughter), information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation,' said Obama."
"Al Gore's $9 Million Home"
Paid for with honest money?...
Doug Ross has photos at the HotAir blog:
"Learjet liberal and 110% fraud Al Gore again leads by example by purchasing a small, eco-friendly home in Montecido California..."
Monday, May 17, 2010
N.J. gov. sets tone for US - TheHill.com
Some in New Jersey have already heard enough of Governor Christie.
I'm hoping we hear a lot more. I think he's on the right track...
I'm hoping we hear a lot more. I think he's on the right track...
A.B. Stoddard writes about him at TheHill.com:
"Teachers unions are incensed, fighting Christie’s proposal that — in order to avoid cuts to education — teachers accept a one-year wage freeze and contribute 1.5 percent to the generous-by-every-standard healthcare plans they now enjoy for free. New Jersey, which has the highest unemployment in the region and highest taxes in the country, lost 121,000 jobs in the private sector in 2009 while adding 11,300 new education jobs. During the last eight years, K-12 enrollment rose just 3 percent while education jobs increased more than 16 percent. According to the Newark Star-Ledger, during the recession that has cost many residents their homes and jobs and scaled back hours and pay for the employed, teachers’ salaries rose by nearly 5 percent, double the rate of inflation."
"The Writings of Benjamin Franklin"
Are you related to Ben Franklin?
After reading this (The London Chronicle, November 29, 1766 ), I'm thinking I might be...
After reading this (The London Chronicle, November 29, 1766 ), I'm thinking I might be...
This is from a post at HistoryCarper.com:
"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. -- I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer."
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Social Security vs. Bernie Madoff
Can you pick out the difference?...
An interesting comparison is posted on a NFIB Michigan's Facebook Wall:
"Driverless cars will outrun high-speed rail"
I wonder how many of us are ready for this...
Adrienne Packer writes about them in the Las Vegas Review Journal:
"'America is on the verge of a new transportation revolution,' O'Toole said last week . 'That revolution is not going to be high-speed rail. It's not going to be light rail or street cars.'
Nope. If O'Toole's prediction is correct, those of us who shudder and wince at the thought of leaving behind our convenient and comfortable vehicles can rest easy.
He firmly believes driverless vehicles will lead the way in transportation revolution."
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Barack Obama - "Gives Unions a 'Massive Payback' with Executive Order, Contractors Claim"
This seems too bad to be true.
What's that saying?: "Truth is stranger than fiction"...
What's that saying?: "Truth is stranger than fiction"...
Christopher Neefus reports at CNSnews.com:
"The executive order, implemented in mid-April, encourages federal agencies to use “project labor agreements” or PLAs on their construction projects, which could require any non-union workers to pay into ailing union pension funds and follow work guidelines set out by a union.
Ben Brubeck, who is director of the labor and federal procurement department at the Association of Builders and Contractors (ABC), says the move is unfair to non-union workers who represent about 85 percent of the construction industry."
"Hotshot sniper in one-and-a-half mile double kill"
I guess we have to believe this.
I'm sure there's no "instant replay"...
I'm sure there's no "instant replay"...
Michael Smith reports at the U.K. TimesOnLine:
"The shooting — which took place while Harrison’s colleagues came under attack — was at such extreme range that the 8.59mm bullets took almost three seconds to reach their target after leaving the barrel of the rifle at almost three times the speed of sound.
The distance to Harrison’s two targets was measured by a GPS system at 8,120ft, or 1.54 miles. The previous record for a sniper kill is 7,972ft, set by a Canadian soldier who shot dead an Al-Qaeda gunman in March 2002."
Friday, May 14, 2010
"A Titanic Pa. Budget Problem And Iceberg Looms"
It looks like Pennsylvania is in money trouble.
Their state elected officials recently voted themselves pay raises (in the middle of the night)...
Their state elected officials recently voted themselves pay raises (in the middle of the night)...
Bill Lawrence reports on his blog:
"With the April take in hand, Pennsylvania's General Fund revenues are $1.1 billion below estimate for the 2009-10 fiscal year, according to the state's Department of Revenue.
The fiscal year ends June 30.
Secretary of Revenue C. Daniel Hassell said the state collected $2.9 billion in General Fund revenue in April, which was $390 million,or 11.8 percent, less than anticipated.
April, of course, is a major tax collection month."
"Army to Test ‘Game Changing’ Gun in Combat"
Technology is changing the weapons of war...
Greg Grant has the story at military.com:
"The Army is set to send its high-tech 'counter defilade' weapon to the war zone in the next few months, the first real-world deployment for the much-anticipated XM-25 Individual Airburst Weapon.
Officials announced May 5 that a group of Army Special Forces Soldiers will take the weapon with them to Afghanistan sometime this summer."
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Immigration - "What If Arizona Were Quebec?"
Sometimes a good analogy puts things in the proper perspective.
I think this is one of them...
I think this is one of them...
Michael Filozof writes one at AmericanThinker.com. He begins:
"Suppose for a moment that 15 million Americans -- the population of Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut combined -- sneaked across the border into Quebec. Suppose that these illegal immigrants refused to learn to speak French, that they applied for Canadian welfare, that they reproduced at a rate higher than Quebec's residents, and that they bankrupted Canada's socialized medical system. Suppose that they sent their children to Canadian schools in such large numbers that Quebec's school system had to teach 'French as a Second Language' courses.
Suppose that the 15 million illegal American aliens included large numbers of criminals, drug dealers from Vermont, and arms traffickers, causing Quebec's crime rate to soar; that they comprised 20% to 30% of Quebec's prison inmates; and that they routinely evaded capture by Canadian authorities by sneaking back across the border, where they engaged in gang warfare."
Meanwhile - in the U.K. - Boy banned from eating cheese sandwich
Two years old!
I'm not really inclined to pick on the U.K.; however, that's where I keep finding stories like this...
I'm not really inclined to pick on the U.K.; however, that's where I keep finding stories like this...
This was reported in the U.K. Telegraph's "Education News":
"A two year old boy was banned from eating cheese sandwiches at a council-run nursery unless his parents added a lettuce leaf."
Politicians - NJ Gov. Chris Christie
This is clearly a heavy duty decision.
It will be very interesting to see how it plays out...
It will be very interesting to see how it plays out...
This was recently reported on NJ.com's website:
"TRENTON -- Gov. Chris Christie sparked a political firestorm Monday with his unprecedented decision to jettison a sitting New Jersey Supreme Court justice, inciting harsh criticism from political opponents and reshaping the relationship between the governor’s office and the state’s highest court.
The governor nominated Anne Patterson, a Morris County lawyer, to replace Justice John Wallace, the only African-American on the court, setting the stage for a vicious fight with Senate Democrats opposed to his ouster."
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Immigration - Arizona's law works great in Virginia
Tell me again. What exactly is wrong with Arizona's law?
It's a mirror image of the federal law that's NOT being enforced, and the results of a similar law in Virginia seem quite impressive...
It's a mirror image of the federal law that's NOT being enforced, and the results of a similar law in Virginia seem quite impressive...
David Sherfinski writes about it at WashingtonExaminer.com:
"The national outcry over Arizona's immigration law is nothing new for Prince William County residents — hundreds ofpeople on both sides of the illegal immigration debate poured into marathon public hearings in fall 2007 when the county was passing its crackdown.
Since then, the county has turned over more than 2,000 suspected illegal immigrants to the federal government, and crime last year reached a 15-year low.
Other Northern Virginia jurisdictions also have turned over hundreds of suspected illegal immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement through their own programs."
"Media Should get Islam Right"
Most religions do NOT promote violence.
Some religions seem to...
Some religions seem to...
There is an informative post about Islam on the Logans Warning blog. Here's one snippet:
"008.012
YUSUFALI: Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message): “I am with you: give firmness to the Believers:
I will instil terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them.”
008.013
YUSUFALI: This because they contended against Allah and His Messenger: If any contend against Allah and His Messenger, Allah is strict in punishment."
Grannies vs. the S.W.A.T. Team?
I doubt this got much attention in our biased media; but, pictures do tell the real story.
The deployment of the S.W.A.T. was over the top.
The followup explanation is, well, you can decide for yourself...
The deployment of the S.W.A.T. was over the top.
The followup explanation is, well, you can decide for yourself...
Jim Hoft has it all at the GatewayPundit blog:
"Oops! The Quincy Police Department released a bogus statement calling the SWAT Team on the the protesting grandmothers yesterday. Unfortunately, they forgot about the army of videographers that filmed this incident."
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The Media - covering Arizona's Immigration Law
Not very balanced, and certainly NOT consistent with mainstream America...
Tim Graham writes about it at NewsBusters.org:
"From April 23 to May 3, the top three television networks offered viewers 50 stories and interview segments on their morning and evening news programs. The tone was strongly hostile to the law and promotional to the 'growing storm' of left-wing protesters: 37 stories (or 74 percent) were negative, 10 were neutral, and only three were positive toward the Arizona law's passage -- 12 negative stories for every one that leaned positive. Stories were much kinder and sympathetic to illegal aliens than they were to police officers. Cops were potential abusers of power. Entering the country illegally was not an abuse of power. It was portrayed as an honorable step by the powerless."
30,000 Anti-Global Warming Scientists Can’t Be Wrong
I continue to hope that our elected officials read this stuff and get off the bandwagon of destructive legislation based on the apparently phony premise that humans are causing global warming at a catastrophic rate...
Fred Dardick reports in the Canada Free Press:
"Nature Magazine, the academic journal that introduced the world to X-rays, DNA double helix, wave nature of particles, pulsars, and more recently the human genome, is set to publish a paper in June that shows atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is responsible for only 5-10% of observed warming on Earth.
As explained by the paper’s author Professor Jyrki Kauppinen, 'The climate is warming, yes, but not because of greenhouse gases.'
For the preeminent scientific journal in the world to publish Kauppinen’s work shows conclusively that Al Gore’s much touted “scientific consensus” supporting human-caused global warming is a myth."
Barack Obama - payoff to Brazilian cotton growers
Government at work or Obama at work?
Either way, something seems out of whack here; not to mention the possiblility of more of the same...
Either way, something seems out of whack here; not to mention the possiblility of more of the same...
This is part of a recent Washington Times editorial:
"President Obama's interpretation of fair trade is shaking out, and it entails paying hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars every year to subsidize the Brazilian cotton industry. Sending big bucks to Latin American competitors probably isn't what most Americans consider fair."
"Tons Of Oil Seep Into The Gulf Of Mexico Each Year"
If it seeps, it's apparently no big deal because we don't see it all at once.
If it gushes, it's a really big deal.
It's a fact that there is similar seepage (no big deal) off the coast of California.
It's also a fact that drilling relieves pressure and REDUCES seepage.
Oil in the water is oil in the water. Right? Go figure...
If it gushes, it's a really big deal.
It's a fact that there is similar seepage (no big deal) off the coast of California.
It's also a fact that drilling relieves pressure and REDUCES seepage.
Oil in the water is oil in the water. Right? Go figure...
This was published in Science Daily back in year 2000:
"Twice an Exxon Valdez spill worth of oil seeps into the Gulf of Mexico every year, according to a new study that will be presented January 27 at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.
But the oil isn't destroying habitats or wiping out ocean life. The ooze is a natural phenomena that's been going on for many thousands of years, according to Roger Mitchell, Vice President of Program Development at the Earth Satellite Corporation (EarthSat) in Rockville Md. 'The wildlife have adapted and evolved and have no problem dealing with the oil,' he said."
Monday, May 10, 2010
Barack Obama - vs AZ Governor Jan Brewer
Well, it is what it is...
"Immigration" isn't the problem
Like this writer, I just can't accept unlimited additions to the entitlement list...
David Harsanyi writes at DenverPost.com:
"The uplifting tale of the hard-boiled immigrant, dipping his or her sweaty hands into the well of the American Dream, is one thing. Today, we find ourselves is an unsustainable and rapidly growing welfare state. Can we afford to allow millions more to partake?
When the Nobel Prize-winning libertarian economist Milton Friedman was asked about unlimited immigration in 1999, he stated that 'it is one thing to have free immigration to jobs. It is another thing to have free immigration to welfare. And you cannot have both.'
Dependency programs incentivize not only those who want to work, but those who don't want to work. That's why we need to allow a generous number of immigrants and visitors to take a shot at the American Dream and become part of our economy. I'd just like them to do it on their own and check in first."
Sunday, May 09, 2010
The Big Alienation - WSJ.com
My feelings exactly...
Peggy Noonan recently wrote this and more in the Wall Street Journal:
"We are at a remarkable moment. We have an open, 2,000-mile border to our south, and the entity with the power to enforce the law and impose safety and order will not do it. Wall Street collapsed, taking Main Street's money with it, and the government can't really figure out what to do about it because the government itself was deeply implicated in the crash, and both political parties are full of people whose political careers have been made possible by Wall Street contributions. Meanwhile we pass huge laws, bills so comprehensive, omnibus and transformative that no one knows what's in them and no one—literally, no one—knows how exactly they will be executed or interpreted. Citizens search for new laws online, pore over them at night, and come away knowing no more than they did before they typed 'dot-gov.'
It is not that no one's in control. Washington is full of people who insist they're in control and who go to great lengths to display their power. It's that no one takes responsibility and authority. Washington daily delivers to the people two stark and utterly conflicting messages: 'We control everything' and 'You're on your own.'
All this contributes to a deep and growing alienation between the people of America and the government of America in Washington."
Barack Obama - "America's Selective Salary Policeman"
Mr. Obama never sees the comparisons of what he complains about to what goes on right under his own nose...
I found this in Michelle Malkin's recent Townhall.com article:
"Fundamental lesson of Capitalism 101: Governments and bureaucrats don't make what people want and need. They only get in the way. It is individuals, cooperating peacefully and voluntarily, working together without mandate or central design, who produce the world's goods and services. They make what people desire and demand for themselves..."
Saturday, May 08, 2010
"Unhealthy" Air
It appears that our air has gotten cleaner, while the changing definition of "unhealthy" makes us think something different.
And, of course, the media just publishes; never questioning what they are told...
And, of course, the media just publishes; never questioning what they are told...
At BigJournalism.com, Rich Trzupek thinks it's a moving target:
"Having done this research (which took me all of fifteen minutes) I wonder why an enterprising reporter might not smell a rat in the ALA’s claim that the number of Americans breathing 'unhealthy air' increased by almost 50 million people over a two year period, when the amount of actual pollution in the air decreased substantially in the same time frame? The answer leads us back to that troubling word: 'unhealthy.'
For ALA, other environmental groups and their cheerleaders in the MSM, what denotes 'healthy' involves a constantly moving and conveniently ever-shrinking target. Whenever we are close to meeting a particular goal, the Agency creates a new, more stringent standard. This is known within the environmental industry as 'job security.' The air didn’t get any dirtier over the two years covered by the ALA reports. It was rather the definition of dirty – excuse me, 'unhealthy' – that changed; USEPA created tighter air quality goals once again. ALA, the Sierra Club and the other environmentalist groups understand this is how the game is played of course, but they’re hardly going to point such uncomfortable facts out to MSM journalists who swallow whole everything they have to say."
Global Warming - About that CO2
Watch the video and decide for yourself...
Friday, May 07, 2010
The Media - Newspapers are in trouble
I guess we shouldn't be surprised.
I'd like to lay the blame on their biased, sloppy reporting; but, It's seems clear that by the time you see things in a printed paper, you've either already read it on the Internet or seen it on television...
I'd like to lay the blame on their biased, sloppy reporting; but, It's seems clear that by the time you see things in a printed paper, you've either already read it on the Internet or seen it on television...
CNBC.com website reports:
the "Circulation numbers for the 25 largest newspapers"
Ethanol is good, or is it?
Ethanol doesn't sound so good after reading this.
In fact, it seems to cost more in resources and environmental harm than it's worth.
Am I missing something?...
In fact, it seems to cost more in resources and environmental harm than it's worth.
Am I missing something?...
These paragraphs are from an Investors.com opinion article:
"No one pays much attention to the aquatic 'dead zones' that have appeared off our shores at the mouths of our rivers due to agricultural runoff created by mandates for corn-based ethanol. Ethanol is green energy, good energy — never mind that such biofuels drive up food prices, increase hunger around the world and damage the environment in their own way."
"Ethanol takes 1,700 gallons of water to produce one gallon of ethanol. Each acre of corn needed to make the ethanol requires 130 pounds of nitrogen and 55 pounds of phosphorous.
Increased acreage to produce ethanol means increased agricultural runoff, which is creating aquatic dead zones in our rivers, bays and coastal areas."
Thursday, May 06, 2010
In Our Schools - at Seton Hall
I don't like this...
At LifeSiteNews.com, Kathleen Gilbert reports on this:
"In a statement released Friday, Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark slammed a proposed course on same-sex 'marriage' to be offered at Seton Hall University by a homosexualist professor. Myers says that the course is 'not in synch' with Catholic teaching, and that the university's Board of Trustees have urged officials 'to take whatever action is required under the law to protect the Catholicity of this university.'"
Government at Work - Providing explanations
This would be funny if it wasn't so dishonest.
Sadly, the commercial (paid for with our money) played all over the TV networks before anyone had time to catch up with the truth...
Sadly, the commercial (paid for with our money) played all over the TV networks before anyone had time to catch up with the truth...
Jonathan Strong has more on it at DailyCaller.com:
"The Treasury Department, under fire for supporting General Motors’ claim that the company was paying off its government bailout with that same bailout money, is trying to set the record straight.
Treasury 'never' suggested GM had repaid the bailout in full, according to an April 30 department letter to House oversight committee ranking member Darrell Issa, California Republican.
The only problem is Treasury’s evidence, which the agency helpfully attached. It’s a press release that reads: 'GM REPAYS TREASURY LOAN IN FULL.'"
About that General Motors payback
It's hard NOT to notice whose money this really is...
This is from Senator Chuck Grassley's website:
"Last week, Grassley asked the Treasury Secretary why the administration had allowed GM to use money from an escrow account at Treasury to repay this loan, allowing 'an elaborate TARP money shuffle'.
In a floor speech this afternoon, Grassley said the response he received today from the Treasury Department confirmed that taxpayers funded the loan repayment by way of cash that GM has because the federal government originally loaned that cash to GM, and then the federal government agreed to forgive some of GM’s debt during bankruptcy in exchange for stock in the company, the value of which is uncertain.
'The bottom line is that the repayment was made on the dime of taxpayers across America, and it’s misleading to say that GM repaid its TARP loans ‘in full, with interest, ahead of schedule, because more customers are buying’ GM cars,' Grassley said. 'Taxpayers remain on the hook, thanks to the failed deal cut by the government to try to save GM from bankruptcy.'
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
The Media - " Gloom, Doom Loom For Once-Mighty Network News Operations"
Apparently, I'm am not alone in my belief that the biased, agenda driven media is causing their own demise.
The comments to this article indicate many who have similar thoughts...
The comments to this article indicate many who have similar thoughts...
Michael Walsh writes about it at BigJournalism.com:
"It looks like the end is near for the dinosaurs formerly known as the news divisions of the Big Three — at least two of them anyway. Hard on the heels of layoffs at CBS came a serious ax-wielding at ABC, resulting in the staff cut by more than a quarter, the diminishment of its foreign bureaus and a number of prominent correspondents let go, including Brian Rooney."
N.A.S.A. - Inventions (Spinoffs) from Space
Quite a few items have their roots in the space program.
Hopefully, they keep on coming...
Hopefully, they keep on coming...
N.A.S.A. promotes them on this web page:
"What do all the things pictured on this page have in common? They all use technologies or materials that were originally developed for the space program."
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Barack Obama - Justice Thomas says:
Hmmmm...
Barack Obama - and that elusive birth certificate
If you ask to see Barack Obama's birth certificate, you are disparagingly labeled a "birther".
Yet, it seems like such a simple request.
More and more, it's looking like a whole bunch of people DIDN'T ask when they should have, and now don't want anyone getting traction to prove such a simple point.
Would you want to bet on what history will eventually reveal?...
Yet, it seems like such a simple request.
More and more, it's looking like a whole bunch of people DIDN'T ask when they should have, and now don't want anyone getting traction to prove such a simple point.
Would you want to bet on what history will eventually reveal?...
J.B. Williams writes in the CanadaFreePress, probably because U.S. media is afraid to write anything at all:
"Members from all three branches of the Federal government already know that Barack Hussein Obama is ineligible for the office of President. National leaders, to include members of the US Supreme Court, already know that Barack Hussein Obama is not a “natural born citizen” of the United States of America, and therefore, is ineligible for the office he currently holds.
What they don’t know is how long it will take for most Americans to figure it out, or what to do about it."
Monday, May 03, 2010
Barack Obama - and his promises
Why am I NOT surprised?...
David Freddoso has this at SFexaminer.com:
"Obama: Holding me to my promises is just an ‘old Washington game’"
Obama’s Budget Director: Powerful Rationing Panel (Not Doctors) Will Control Health Care Levels
Death Panels? Didn't Sarah Palin speak of this?...
BreitbartTV.com has a short video of this:
"Obama’s Budget Director: Powerful Rationing Panel (Not Doctors) Will Control Health Care Levels"
Sunday, May 02, 2010
"Vacationing a human right, EU chief says"
This idea that everyone deserves everything doesn't sit well with me...
Katherine Laidlaw reports at OttawaCitizen.com:
"The European Union has declared travelling a human right, and is launching a scheme to subsidize vacations with taxpayers' dollars for those too poor to afford their own trips.
Antonio Tajani, the European Union commissioner for enterprise and industry, proposed a strategy that could cost European taxpayers hundreds of millions of euros a year, The Times of London reports.
'Travelling for tourism today is a right. The way we spend our holidays is a formidable indicator of our quality of life,' Mr. Tajani told a group of ministers at The European Tourism Stakeholders Conference in Madrid on April 15."
John Stossel and the Media’s “Statist Syndrome” - Rasmussen Reports™
Here's an interesting commentary centering on John Stossel's career and the changing media marketplace, where people "vote with their feet"...
Howard Rich writes at RasmussenReports.com:
"And more of those Americans than ever before now vote with their television remotes, as network ratings from the first quarter of 2010 were a bloodbath for CNN and MSNBC, arguably the nation’s top two 'pro-government' networks. Larry King’s show – CNN’s top-rated program – saw its numbers among the coveted 25-54 year-old demographic decline by 43 percent from last year, while Anderson Cooper’s show experienced a 42 percent decline. At MSNBC, the network’s top two primetime programs, 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' and 'The Rachel Maddow Show,' saw their ratings plunge by 43 percent and 38 percent.
Meanwhile, viewers continued flocking to Stossel’s new home at Fox, which saw its top three shows expand their audiences by anywhere from 25-50 percent over the previous year – giving Fox more viewers than CNN, MSNBC and CNBC combined and extending its streak as the nation’s number one network to 100 months. Also, Stossel’s new TV show thrives on Fox Business Network."
Saturday, May 01, 2010
"Activists Claim Free Speech Victory..."
Free speech and religion can be a potent mix...
Patrick Goodenough reports at CNSnews.com:
"A public transit authority in Florida has reversed a decision to take down banner advertisements on buses that offer help to Muslims wanting to leave their faith. Activists are hailing the move as a victory for free speech and religious freedom."
The U.N. - and it's ballooning $732 Million Haiti Peacekeeping Budget
I would bet that somehow the United States (that's means you and I) is paying for this.
And as demonstrated in the past, the United Nations never gets any value for it's expenditures...
And as demonstrated in the past, the United Nations never gets any value for it's expenditures...
George Russell reports on it at FoxNews.com:
"The United Nations has quietly upped this year's peacekeeping budget for earthquake-shattered Haiti to $732.4 million, with two-thirds of that amount going for the salary, perks and upkeep of its own personnel, not residents of the devastated island.
The world organization plans to spend the money on an expanded force of some 12,675 soldiers and police, plus some 479 international staffers, 669 international contract personnel, and 1,300 local workers, just for the 12 months ending June 30, 2010.
Some $495.8 million goes for salaries, benefits, hazard pay, mandatory R&R allowances and upkeep for the peacekeepers and their international staff support. Only about $33.9 million, or 4.6 percent, of that salary total is going to what the U.N. calls 'national staff' attached to the peacekeeping effort."
