Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Are Americans Bigots? - WSJ.com
No, they are not.
Hopefully, those that are dismissive of the "silent majority" will suffer some appropriate consequences...
Hopefully, those that are dismissive of the "silent majority" will suffer some appropriate consequences...
William McGurn recently explained this point in the Wall Stret Journal:
"American history confirms the need for leaders willing to make strong moral criticisms of their opponents and society. Certainly we could not progress without them. Still, the most successful—Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, et al.—have been those who appealed to the decency of their fellow citizens.
As the controversy over the planned Islamic Center near Ground Zero escalates, we have had many secular sermons on the need to recognize that the vast majority of Muslims should not be confused with the terrorists. No argument there. But how much more fruitful our own debates might be if the Judge Walkers, Mayor Bloombergs and Speaker Pelosis could extend that same presumption of decency to the American people."
"Common Sense in Education Strikes Again"
I can't decide if people have no common sense, or is it that they don't have enough self-confidence to believe what their instincts are telling them...
Marybeth Hicks writes about it at TownHall.com:
"...the New York Times last week carried an interesting story by Randall Stross titled, "Computers at Home: Educational Hope vs. Teenage Reality," in which the author previews an upcoming scientific paper on the effects of home computers on the educational outcomes of low-income students.
The study's authors — professors from the University of Chicago and Columbia University — used fieldwork from a Romanian computer voucher program to prove that low-income students who received home computers actually achieved lower test scores than students who applied for, but did not receive, the vouchers.
Here's the part where we could pocket some research grant money: Mr. Stross quotes researcher Ofer Malamud as saying, 'We found a negative effect on academic achievement. I was surprised, but as we presented our findings at various seminars, people in the audience said they weren’t surprised, given their experiences with their school-aged children.'"
In Our Schools - "Is 'Happy Birthday' Song Insensitive?"
Apparently this has been rectified.
BUT, I have to wonder about the thinking/non-thinking that took place in the first place...
BUT, I have to wonder about the thinking/non-thinking that took place in the first place...
Todd Starnes recently posted this about this story in Missouri:
"Kim Cranston, a spokesperson for the Rockwood School District, told FOX News Radio, the initial ban on the birthday song was meant to protect the students.
'One of the things that she (Davidson) had explained to me is they always want to be sensitive to all children,' Cranston said. 'And there are some children in their school – as there are in many schools – who don’t participate in holiday or birthday celebrations.'
Cranston said to her knowledge there had been no prior complaints about the singing of the 'Happy Birthday' song."
Monday, August 30, 2010
The top secret X-37B shuttle
Apparently, the Air Force has a mysterious space vehicle...
Peter Farquhar writes about this one at News.com.au:
"In May, avid skywatcher Ted Molczan studied the X-37B's orbit from his home in Toronto and said its behaviour suggested it was testing sensors for a range of new spy satellites.
Since then, the X-37B been arguably the least-secret secret project on the planet, as fellow backyard astronomers joined in the scrutiny, aided by how-to video guides and apps such as the Simple Satellite Tracker.
That is, they did until July 29, when the shuttle disappeared, causing all kinds of consternation and conspiracy theories about its fate.
It took amateur skywatcher Greg Roberts of Cape Town, South Africa, who noticed that it failed to appear as scheduled above his base on August 14, another five days to find it."
"'Most' Racial President"
Obviously, this can be a touchy subject.
That being said, when you see the list described here, you can see that the current administration has likely made things worse.
In some cases, by their actions, and in other cases, by their inaction...
That being said, when you see the list described here, you can see that the current administration has likely made things worse.
In some cases, by their actions, and in other cases, by their inaction...
On his website, David Limbaugh has a chronological list of events and writes:
"It turns out that others are noticing this above-described phenomenon, as well, as a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll revealed that fewer and fewer people believe Obama's presidency has advanced racial relations -- 4 in 10, compared with 6 in 10 when he was inaugurated.
This is a very sad turn of events in this nation."
"The Costliest Day"
Ugh! Just stop to think about what this really means...
G. Tracy Mehan, III writes About it at AmericanSpectator.org:
"August 19, was 'Cost of Government Day' (COGD), the date of the calendar year on which the average American worker has earned enough gross income to pay off his or her share of the spending and regulatory burden imposed by government at the federal, state and local levels.
'Two years ago Americans worked until July 16 to pay for the cost of government,' says Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATF). 'That government was too expensive and wasteful. Two years later, we work until August 19 for the same bloated government. We lost an additional full month of our income to pay the cost of government in just the last two years.'"
Sunday, August 29, 2010
American Thinker: Iraq: The War That Broke Us -- Not
If this is true (and it seems to be), we've certainly been led to believe something different...
Unfortunately, a clever propaganda machine and an unquestioning media, have allowed that to happen...
Unfortunately, a clever propaganda machine and an unquestioning media, have allowed that to happen...
Randall Hoven reports this at AmericanThinker.com:
"So the following are facts, based on the government's own figures.
* Obama's stimulus, passed in his first month in office, will cost more than the entire Iraq War -- more than $100 billion (15%) more.
* Just the first two years of Obama's stimulus cost more than the entire cost of the Iraq War under President Bush, or six years of that war.
* Iraq War spending accounted for just 3.2% of all federal spending while it lasted.
* Iraq War spending was not even one quarter of what we spent on Medicare in the same time frame.
* Iraq War spending was not even 15% of the total deficit spending in that time frame. The cumulative deficit, 2003-2010, would have been four-point-something trillion dollars with or without the Iraq War.
* The Iraq War accounts for less than 8% of the federal debt held by the public at the end of 2010 ($9.031 trillion).
* During Bush's Iraq years, 2003-2008, the federal government spent more on education that it did on the Iraq War. (State and local governments spent about ten times more.)"
"Time to admit Obamanomics has failed"
I read somewhere that 40% of Americans believe in ghosts.
Perhaps they also believe in Obamanomics. How about you?...
Perhaps they also believe in Obamanomics. How about you?...
Here's part of a recent Washington Examiner editorial as posted on it's website:
"The Wall Street reform law Obama recently signed potentially requires 533 new regulations, 60 studies and 93 reports, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Obama's Environmental Protection Agency has 29 active rulemakings, and there are 100 new rules on the Labor Department's agenda and 26 at the Transportation Department.
Add Obama's determination to raise everybody's taxes by allowing the Bush cuts from 2001 and 2003 to expire Jan. 1, 2011, and it's easy to why banks, businesses and consumers are hoarding trillions of dollars that could otherwise spur economic growth. And we haven't even addressed the destructive effect on economic growth of Obama's nationalization of major portions of the economy, including the banks, health care and the auto industry."
Saturday, August 28, 2010
In Today's World - Trackers
Be on guard.
Everything you say and do is likely to be filmed and/or recorded by someone...
Everything you say and do is likely to be filmed and/or recorded by someone...
Maggie Haberman has the story at Politico.com:
"Trackers have become the essential campaign tool, exploding in number in part because of the dwindling press corps. News outlets of all sizes have fewer and fewer bodies to send to cover events, meaning campaigns need to gather their own footage of what the opposition is saying and doing on the campaign trail.
But trackers are also now considered as indispensable as pollsters for campaigns ranging from presidential contests all the way down to city council races. Their value reaches well beyond the research and intel they provide — they also record footage that might one day turn out to be a viral video, the modern campaign equivalent of a silver bullet."
Health News - Artificial corneas restore sight
Some medical advances are just astounding...
Richard Alleyne reports on this one in the U.K. Telegraph:
"Artificial corneas restore sight for the first time"
Friday, August 27, 2010
"Skyscraper near Empire State Building wins backing"
I guess every proposed building in NYC controversial to someone or other...
This was recently reported on the BBC website:
"The office building will stand nearly as tall as the 102-storey Empire State Building (ESB), two blocks away.
ESB owner Anthony Malkin had argued the new building would ruin the 'uniqueness' of the city's skyline.
But New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Manhattan should embrace new investments, adding: 'Anybody that builds a building in New York City changes its skyline.'
'We don't have to run around to every other owner and apologize,' Mr Bloomberg told a news conference."
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Ballplayer's Amazing Wall-Climbing Catch
I wonder if this would be within American baseball's rules.
That is, if it's not a very clever animation...
That is, if it's not a very clever animation...
Ball girl's amazing wall-climbing catch...
Hmmm... Maybe...
As of now, I can't find out if this is real or not.
That being said, it sure looks pretty spectacular...
As of now, I can't find out if this is real or not.
That being said, it sure looks pretty spectacular...
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Skin color and August 28th
This is pretty interesting.
The reporting seems to indicate that Martin Luther King's "dream" is more consistent with Glenn Beck than it is with those "civil rights" leaders that we see and hear so much about these days.
See what you think...
The reporting seems to indicate that Martin Luther King's "dream" is more consistent with Glenn Beck than it is with those "civil rights" leaders that we see and hear so much about these days.
See what you think...
Matthew Boyle has this and more at DailyCaller.com:
"Alveda King said she think Beck embraces the meaning of her late uncle’s 'I have a dream,' speech, and aims for trying to reach a better tomorrow, better than the NAACP.
Lloyd Marcus, composer of the 'Tea Party Song' and regular Tea Party rally speaker and black conservative, said he thinks Beck’s rally is where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would be were he alive today.
'I find them [the NAACP and NAN] totally disgusting and I salute my brother Glenn Beck,' Marcus said. 'Dr. King was all about judging people by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. That’s what Beck is all about. The NAACP are completely the opposite. They have far abandoned Dr. King’s vision and dream a long time ago because they are totally about skin color and they have nothing to do with the content of a person’s character.'
Marcus also said that, if Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., were alive today, he’d be disgusted with the civil rights leaders guiding the nation."
November Election - survey says
For what it's worth...
Neil Stevens analyzes the poll at WashingtonExaminer.com:
"Pew’s charts show that 'White Mainline Protestants' have returned to a Republican tilt they lost from 2006-2009, not coincidentally the years Democrats did well. Further, the Republican bleeding of 'Hispanic Catholics' has ended, Republicans have hit their highest level among religiously 'Unaffiliated' Americans since 2002, and since President Obama took office Republicans have made startling gains among 'Jewish' Americans, halving what was a 55 point advantage in 2008 for Democrats to 27 in 2010."
President Apostate? - New York Times
Here's an opinion column from the New York Times of May 12, 2008.
Considering what some consider to be their liberal bias, I wonder if they would publish it today...
Considering what some consider to be their liberal bias, I wonder if they would publish it today...
Back then, Edward N. Luttwak wrote this and more:
"Senator Obama is half African by birth and Africans can understandably identify with him. In Islam, however, there is no such thing as a half-Muslim. Like all monotheistic religions, Islam is an exclusive faith.
As the son of the Muslim father, Senator Obama was born a Muslim under Muslim law as it is universally understood. It makes no difference that, as Senator Obama has written, his father said he renounced his religion. Likewise, under Muslim law based on the Koran his mother’s Christian background is irrelevant.
Of course, as most Americans understand it, Senator Obama is not a Muslim. He chose to become a Christian, and indeed has written convincingly to explain how he arrived at his choice and how important his Christian faith is to him.
His conversion, however, was a crime in Muslim eyes; it is 'irtidad' or 'ridda,' usually translated from the Arabic as 'apostasy,' but with connotations of rebellion and treason. Indeed, it is the worst of all crimes that a Muslim can commit, worse than murder (which the victim’s family may choose to forgive).
With few exceptions, the jurists of all Sunni and Shiite schools prescribe execution for all adults who leave the faith not under duress;..."
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Along the Border - a footbridge
The bridge is bad enough; but, the government's explanation really takes the cake...
Tom Hawks posted this and a video at NorCalBlogs.com:
"Check out the video at the end of this report about the foot bridge across the Rio Grande that illegals can use to cross the border. A bridge that is not guarded at any time during the day or night. As you stand next to the foot bridge you can see that the $2.4 billion border fence that was constructed to stop illegal aliens from crossing the border is not going to deter anyone wanting to come across to America as long as there are not one but two such foot bridges that take all of 12 seconds to cross."
Monday, August 23, 2010
"Sleeping With The ..."
Wow! This seems almost unbelievable.
Surely there is another qualified candidate without this history...
Surely there is another qualified candidate without this history...
This is reported on the Investors.com website:
"President Obama hit a new low in using a recess appointment to name Maria del Carmen Aponte as U.S. envoy to El Salvador. The radical has consorted with Cuban spies but will be taking no questions.
Dismissing three congressional holds on Aponte's ambassadorial confirmation as 'playing politics,' Obama used his vacation to slip Aponte through to represent the U.S. to the strategic Central American country, without a vote in Congress.
That gives Aponte, a campaign contributor aligned to the immigration lobby, access to top-secret information as a political reward.
But Aponte's past is one big red flag. From 1982 to 1994 Aponte lived with a man who worked closely with the Cuban Mission to the U.N. and allegedly was a spy."
Money for everything but...
I guess this makes it more than obvious that our elected officials have no desire to fund activities that support the fight against illegal immigration...
Penny Starr reports at CNSnews.com:
"Even as Congress increased overall federal spending from a then-record $2.6 trillion in fiscal 2006 to $3.6 trillion in fiscal 2010, it only appropriated enough funds for the Department of Homeland Security to provide a fraction of the additional 40,000 detention spaces for illegal aliens that had been authorized by an immigration law approved in 2004.
Because it lacked adequate detention space, DHS says it was forced over the last three years to release hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens it had caught and were being processed for deportation."
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Alex Jones: Big brother is watching you
We're being watched almost everywhere and it's likely to become more prevalent and MORE sophisticated...
Saturday, August 21, 2010
"Agents' union disavows leaders of ICE"
This seems to say something of major significance...
Jerry Seper recently reported this at WashingtonTimes.com:
"The union that represents rank-and-file field agents at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has unanimously passed a "vote of no confidence" for the agency's leadership, saying ICE has "abandoned" its core mission of protecting the public to support a political agenda favoring amnesty.
The National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 7,000 ICE agents and employees, voted 259-0 for a resolution saying there was "growing dissatisfaction and concern" over the leadership of Assistant Secretary John Morton, who heads ICE, and Phyllis Coven, assistant director for the agency's office of detention policy and planning."
Amanpour - Bring back Jake Tapper?
Personally, I rarely watch these Sunday morning shows, so I have to rely on stories like this.
As I've posted previously from previous experience, Amanpour doesn't appeal to me at all.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out...
As I've posted previously from previous experience, Amanpour doesn't appeal to me at all.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out...
Caroline May reports on reaction to her at DailyCaller.com:
"After manning the helm of ABC’s 'This Week' last Sunday for the second time since her August 1 debut, longtime foreign correspondent Christiane Amanpour continues to receive decidedly negative reviews."
Friday, August 20, 2010
Politicians - "The mystery of Jerry Brown’s pension"
Do you think something might not be on the up and up here?...
Brian Joseph writes about it at OCregister.com:
"As Jerry Brown grabbed the spotlight with his criticism of Bell city officials and their outrageous pensions, The Watchdog got to wondering: How much will the Democrat for Governor make in retirement?
That, as it turns out, is a very difficult question to answer. After more than a month of investigation, the Watchdog can only say for certain that Brown and a handful of other top officials are eligible for generous benefits under a special pension fund so obscure that few people in government know how it works and many thought it had been eliminated 20 years ago by outraged voters.
Under the law, Brown should have accrued, at most, 16 years of service credit in this special fund, known as the Legislators’ Retirement System, or LRS. Actuarial statements produced by LRS, however, indicate that an unnamed person of Brown’s age and earning Brown’s exact salary has been credited with 25 to 29 years of service. The difference would mean tens of thousands of dollars in additional pension payments for Brown each year."
Thursday, August 19, 2010
New Batch of Polls From Key House Districts
The November elections are going to be interesting, to say the least...
Jim Geraghty has this at NationalReview.com:
"Whit Ayres, Jon McHenry, and Dan Judy just completed a series of polls in twelve key congressional districts on the East Coast. (Another two batches of polls in the near future will look at key races in the heartland and West Coast.)
Their polls, conducted for American Action Forum on July 28, 29, 31, and August 1, with 4,800 likely general-election voters — 400 each in Connecticut’s 4th and 5th districts, Florida’s 24th district, New York’s 20th, 23rd and 25th districts; Pennsylvania’s 3rd, 10th, 11th, and 12th districts; Virginia’s 5th district; and West Virginia’s 3rd district — show competitive races throughout the East. In aggregate, they find 35 percent of the voters in these districts say their representative deserves reelection while 52 percent say it is time for someone else."
"Dumbing-Down Our National Interest"
After reading this, you may wonder how we expect to win.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first "war" where politicians have handicapped the military to the point of futility...
Unfortunately, this isn't the first "war" where politicians have handicapped the military to the point of futility...
On the Gates of Vienna blog, Baron Bodissey posts the transcript of an enlightening interview:
"John Bernard is a twenty-six year veteran of the United States Marine Corps, and in his retirement blogs at Let Them Fight or Bring Them Home. His mission is to highlight the absurd rules of engagement imposed upon members of the U.S. military, and to expose the insane and dangerous policies of our political leaders.
Last week Vlad Tepes interviewed Mr. Bernard on skype. Unfortunately, the sound quality of the resulting video is so low that it is difficult to hear it clearly. With Vlad’s help I transcribed the entire conversation, and am posting it below. To improve the flow of the narrative, I edited out all the hesitations, placeholders, self-corrections, and repeated words and phrases.
John Bernard is an example of the extraordinary quality we have come to expect from American soldiers, sailors, and Marines. He is intelligent, lucid, well-informed, and devastating in his analysis. If only our political leaders would pay heed to him."
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Barack Obama - trending down
Here's an article from the U.K. discussing Barack Obama.
The poll numbers may have changed since it was written; but, the criticisms likely remain the same...
The poll numbers may have changed since it was written; but, the criticisms likely remain the same...
Nile Gardiner recently wrote this and more in the U.K. Telegraph:
"The stunning decline of Barack Obama: 10 key reasons why the Obama presidency is in meltdown"
"Medicare's Chief Actuary on ObamaCare Facts" - WSJ.com
This is NOT what we were told.
Why am I not surprised...
Why am I not surprised...
This is from a recent Wall Street Journal editorial:
"Mr. Foster has been Medicare's chief actuary for 15 years, and as such he is required to evaluate the law as written. But as he notes in his appendix, the law as written bears little if any relation to the real world—and thus, he says, the trustee estimates "do not represent a reasonable expectation for actual program operations in either the short range . . . or the long range." In an unprecedented move, he directs readers to a separate "alternative scenario" that his office drew up using more realistic assumptions.
Mr. Foster shows that the Medicare "cuts" that Democrats wrote into ObamaCare exist only on paper and were written so they could pretend to reduce the deficit and perform the miracles the trustees dutifully outlined. With the exception of cuts in Medicare Advantage, those reductions will never happen in practice."
Washington vs. Paul Ryan - WSJ.com
Most things these days are coming down to a government vs. less government argument.
Considering the historic waste and mismanagement of governments, it's really difficult to buy into government running anything at all...
Considering the historic waste and mismanagement of governments, it's really difficult to buy into government running anything at all...
The Wall Street Journal offers their opinion:
"The bills for decades of unsustainable social commitments are now coming due, especially Medicare, even as Democrats have created a vast new liability in ObamaCare. Mr. Ryan has one of the few credible plans for rationalizing the federal fisc, and his critics are so vicious because his candor exposes Washington's illusions about the entitlement state while offering a genuine alternative. Democrats hope that demagoguing his proposals will allow them to hang on to their majorities this fall."
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
"Spain's electric car sales off target"
I'm all for reducing our dependency on foreign oil; however, electric cars don't seem to be a good answer.
After all, in addition to their high cost, they still need electricity, and, as of now, that still means oil and coal fired generating plants...
After all, in addition to their high cost, they still need electricity, and, as of now, that still means oil and coal fired generating plants...
U.K.'s BBC recently reported:
"Spain's plans to have 2,000 electric cars on the road by the end of 2010 have been dealt a blow as figures showed just 16 have been sold.
The government-backed REVE electric car and wind power project said 15 cars had been sold so far this year, in addition to one last year."
In Our Schools - "Bring Your Own Toilet Paper"
Something is definitely wrong here.
Teacher salaries and pensions are at all-time highs and there's no money for basic stuff.
Could our elected officials be deliberately using school children as a ploy to soften up attitudes toward raising taxes?
I wouldn't put it past them...
Teacher salaries and pensions are at all-time highs and there's no money for basic stuff.
Could our elected officials be deliberately using school children as a ploy to soften up attitudes toward raising taxes?
I wouldn't put it past them...
Stephanie Clifford reports in the New York Times:
"When Emily Cooper headed off to first grade in Moody, Ala., last week, she was prepared with all the stuff on her elementary school’s must-bring list: two double rolls of paper towels, three packages of Clorox wipes, three boxes of baby wipes, two boxes of garbage bags, liquid soap, Kleenex and Ziplocs.
'The first time I saw it, my mouth hit the floor,' Emily’s mother, Kristin Cooper, said of the list, which also included perennials like glue sticks, scissors and crayons.
Schools across the country are beginning the new school year with shrinking budgets and outsize demands for basic supplies."
Elections - November 2010
It's certainly NOT going to be a quiet election season...
At PajamasMedia.com, Scott Elliot writes about the November elections:
"The Battle for America 2010: Signs of a Gathering Superstorm in November"
Monday, August 16, 2010
"Gaza Markets Full During Ramadan"
The Gaza Strip is usually depicted by American news as impoverished and deficient in goods and services.
Then we have this...
Then we have this...
Elad Benari reports at IsraelNationalNews.com:
"Wafa News Agency reported that since the beginning of the month of Ramadan (which began last Wednesday), the markets in Gaza are full of goods. Wafa also published a photo of the Gaza market, showing it laden with fruit and candy of all kinds. This report comes despite the ongoing claims by the ruling Hamas government that there is a siege on Gaza.
Last Monday, the Hamas government in Gaza announced the arrival of a European medical convoy of ships. The convoy brought 45 ambulances and over 50 other vehicles loaded with medical goods and equipment worth an estimated one million euros.
Other recent or soon-to-arrive aid shipments for Gaza include a Malaysian delegation bringing clothing and medical equipment, an Algerian ship with 85 containers of food and medical equipment and a Syrian convoy with five trucks and 116 tons of food. "
"Another Sailboat, Another Selfish Teenager"
In this case, the accomplishment IS selfish, in that no one else benefits.
There are interesting other points. You can see them in the comments to the article...
There are interesting other points. You can see them in the comments to the article...
Greg Gutfeld recently posted this at BigHollywood.com:
"And so, once again I say: endeavors like this are purely selfish – it’s an act of daring that depends on others risking their lives to save you, once you screw up.
If you really want danger, you’d sign a contract refusing help when everything turns pear-shaped. Of course, everyone will be too decent to abide by it – even if it kills them."
Sunday, August 15, 2010
A Presidential Dark Horse With Bright Ideas - WSJ.com
I'm one that would like to see a candidate or two without "baggage".
Perhaps, Mr. Thune qualifies...
Perhaps, Mr. Thune qualifies...
John Fund reports in the Wall Street Journal:
"Last year, Mr. Thune became head of the Republican Policy Committee, a leadership post that puts him in charge of generating the party's position on key issues. He's also being talked about as a dark horse presidential candidate by Republican strategists who aren't enamored by any of the likely 2012 contenders."
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Will the GOP Storm the Statehouses? - WSJ.com
Almost everyone has opinions on the November election...
Karl Rove's discusses governors in the Wall Street Journal:
"The GOP wave is so strong right now that Republicans could simultaneously win the governorships in the critical Great Lake battlegrounds of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. And the GOP is likely to win the governorship in other presidential battlegrounds like Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico and Oregon."
Friday, August 13, 2010
Hurricane season 2010
This is for you hurricane watchers...
For 2010, the Reuters AlertNet website reports:
""If this outlook holds true, this season could be one of the more active on record," said Jane Lubchenco, NOAA's under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. "The greater likelihood of storms brings an increased risk of a landfall. In short, we urge everyone to be prepared.""
Thursday, August 12, 2010
"If the U.S. Won’t Drill Oil Offshore, Other Nations Will"
This makes me wonder what our government is thinking.
Or, maybe they're NOT thinking!...
Or, maybe they're NOT thinking!...
William Shughart II reports this at BigGovernment.com:
"As reported in the Wall Street Journal on Friday. July 2, Respol YPF SA, a Spanish company, has announced that next year it will begin drilling exploratory wells off the northern coast of Cuba, just 60 miles south of Key West. Industry experts as well as the U.S. Geological Survey seem confident that substantial deposits of crude oil and natural gas are there for the taking.
America’s oil companies cannot participate in exploiting those deposits because of our long-standing and counterproductive trade embargo against Cuba. (Can anyone identify a benefit flowing from that embargo offsetting the heavy costs imposed on me and other smokers of cigars? I doubt it.)
The point is that if the United States commits to bypassing offshore drilling at depths greater than 500 feet, we will be cutting off our collective noses to spite our collective face. Spain, China, Venezuela and other nations will continue to exploit potential reserves of fossil fuels, wherever they may be found. As a result, more of the world’s supply of crude oil and natural gas will fall into the hands of unfriendly nations."
The Media - "...Misses the News"
The concepts expressed here are no surprise to me.
Most of our media sees only what they want to see, and their liberal bias controls that want.
Considering that they (and their families) will also suffer the consequences of the current administration's actions, I wonder if they will have regrets someday...
Most of our media sees only what they want to see, and their liberal bias controls that want.
Considering that they (and their families) will also suffer the consequences of the current administration's actions, I wonder if they will have regrets someday...
Jennifer Rubin writes this and more at CommentaryMagazine.com:
"Liberal outlets have, in essence, insulated themselves from a whole segment of the news. Campaign-donation records and polling reveal that liberal news outlets don’t have many (in some cases, any) conservative-leaning staff members. It’s not hard to conclude that they therefore have few, if any sources, inclined to provide information harmful to liberals. They have, for example, plenty of contacts with the NAACP, but how many of them have Justice Department sources who object to a race-conscious enforcement of civil rights laws? I’m going out on a limb: none.
Moreover, the reporters and columnists who populate the New York Times or the Washington Post and broadcast-news networks are not inclined to follow, let alone take seriously, reporting from conservative outlets. Would the network news anchors have missed a year of the NBPP scandal if they or a single person on their staff read some of the right-leaning blogs or print publications? It would have been hard. If the reporters, producers, and editors of liberal media only read each other’s publications and watch each other’s programs — and they all have exactly the same narrow news “judgment” — a lot is going to slip by. "
The Soak-the-Rich Catch-22 - WSJ.com
The tax cut argument is once again in the forefront of the news.
The arguments are always the same. One argument, as quoted below, seems to hold true.
Can you guess who said it?...
The arguments are always the same. One argument, as quoted below, seems to hold true.
Can you guess who said it?...
Arthur Laffer has the quote and more in the Wall Street Journal:
"Tax reduction thus sets off a process that can bring gains for everyone, gains won by marshalling resources that would otherwise stand idle—workers without jobs and farm and factory capacity without markets. Yet many taxpayers seemed prepared to deny the nation the fruits of tax reduction because they question the financial soundness of reducing taxes when the federal budget is already in deficit. Let me make clear why, in today's economy, fiscal prudence and responsibility call for tax reduction even if it temporarily enlarged the federal deficit—why reducing taxes is the best way open to us to increase revenues."
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Stolen Valor: A Constitutional Right to Lie
Sometimes what is legal is still just "wrong".
An easy example might be burning the American flag. One could be arrested for littering, causing a disturbance, trespassing, and many other things; however, the act itself is protected by the First Amendment.
Now we have this. I don't like it one bit; BUT, it apparently is legal...
An easy example might be burning the American flag. One could be arrested for littering, causing a disturbance, trespassing, and many other things; however, the act itself is protected by the First Amendment.
Now we have this. I don't like it one bit; BUT, it apparently is legal...
Mark Seavey has the story at BigPeace.com:
"Last week a Federal Judge in Denver, Colorado ruled that lies are constitutionally protected. It is the first such ruling of its kind, extending to fallacious speech the same protections as say the “I have a Dream” speech. It’s instructive to see how we got here before delving into the decision itself."
Real ID
Here's another case of government NOT doing it's job.
It evens looks like they don't WANT to...
It evens looks like they don't WANT to...
Shaun Waterman writes at WashingtonTimes.com:
"Like it or not — and many in the Obama administration don't — Real ID is coming to a driver's license near you.
Having failed to get Congress to revise the tough new security rules for state-issued licenses in the Real ID Act, the Department of Homeland Security says it is working out how to implement the law.
But critics fear Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano plans to gut the intent of the legislation's authors."
Chris Christie: The Scourge of Trenton
N.J. Governor Chris Christie. I like this guy.
I sure hope he can keep it going...
I sure hope he can keep it going...
Daniel Foster writes eight short pages at NationalReview.com, including this bio item:
"Christopher James Christie is fond of saying that he’s been underestimated his whole professional life. The Newark-born son of an Irish father and a Sicilian mother, Christie is the product of respectable but middling schools — the University of Delaware and Seton Hall Law — and enjoyed a successful, if not spectacular, career as a partner in a small New Jersey firm. He served a single term as a Morris County freeholder, but was primaried, and soundly defeated, in his bid for reelection. When, despite a lack of criminal prosecutorial experience, he was appointed U.S. attorney in 2002, some detractors thought it a bit of cronyism — the Bush administration rewarding Christie for the fundraising work he’d done during the 2000 election.
They were wrong. By the time Christie left the job six years later, he had put over a hundred crooked pols — 'from the school board to the state house and of both political parties' — behind bars, without losing a single case. And he had tried and convicted terrorists, Mafiosi, and child pornographers; arms dealers, gang members, and corporate hacks. "
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Black caucus reels from ethics, election setbacks
African-Americans are under fire in the political world...
Ben Evans writes for the Associated Press:
"Yet the past two weeks have been more of a nightmare.
Two of Congress' most senior African-Americans, Democratic Reps. Charles Rangel of New York and Maxine Waters of California, are fighting to save their reputations and quite possibly their jobs over ethics allegations. On Tuesday night, seven-term Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Michigan was ousted in the Democratic primary, and several other lawmakers have lost bids for higher office or struggled to get traction."
"A Congressman, Held Accountable"
If you watch the video, notice the look of Mr. Congressman and see if you think he respects "the people"...
I found this (with video) posted by John Hinderaker on the PowerLine blog:
"A constituent asks him about DOJ's dismissal of charges against members of the New Black Panther Party and describes the case accurately. Sherman claims not to have heard about it, drawing fury from the crowd:"
Monday, August 09, 2010
Christiane Amanpour
I've never been able to like her style.
It will be interesting to see how her new role plays out...
It will be interesting to see how her new role plays out...
Benjamin Kerstein has this at the Daily Caller:
"This Sunday, former CNN war correspondent and television host Christiane Amanpour will take over as host of ABC’s venerable public affairs show 'This Week.' Her selection for the post, however, has caused a surprisingly potent backlash. Putting aside issues such as the suitability of a foreign affairs reporter for a show on domestic politics and reports of behind-the scenes opposition to her appointment, most of the criticism has concentrated on Amanpour’s political views and her allegedly biased reporting. In one form or another, this kind of criticism has dogged Amanpour for a very long time."
"60,000 babies of noncitizens get U.S. birthright"
Yep.
And that just in Texas, for ONE year...
And that just in Texas, for ONE year...
Here's just part of Sherry Jacobson's story at DallasNews.com:
"In Texas, between 60,000 to 65,000 babies achieve U.S. citizenship annually by being born in the state's hospitals, according to a tally released by the state's Health and Human Services Commission. Last year, such births represented almost 16 percent of the total births statewide.
Between 2001 and 2009, births to illegal immigrant women totaled 542,152 in Texas alone."
"Gun Limits Lifted in Arizona"
I didn't see this reported in the "mainstream" media.
I wonder if that was intentional, or did they miss this?
Either way, it shows that they are doing a poor job for us...
I wonder if that was intentional, or did they miss this?
Either way, it shows that they are doing a poor job for us...
Alan Korwin recently reported at MensNewsDaily.com:
"Arizona, which has single-handedly rocked the national dialog on the immigration debate, has done it again — this time for guns.
On the same day that portions of Arizona’s controversial immigration bill SB1070 took effect, July 29, 2010, the Grand Canyon state implemented its new Constitutional Carry law.
Under this groundbreaking new act (SB1108), any law-abiding adult in the state — not just residents — can carry a firearm discreetly without a government permit or red tape."
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Global Warming - It's the sun, stupid!
Not carbon, not humans, not SUVs, just that big old hot sun.
It's gets warmer, we get warmer. How simple is that?
Oh yeah; the other 8 planets get warmer, too...
It's gets warmer, we get warmer. How simple is that?
Oh yeah; the other 8 planets get warmer, too...
Lewis Page writes about it ay the U.K. Register:
"New research by German and Russian scientists indicates that summer temperatures in the Arctic actually fell for much of the later 20th century, plunging to the levels seen at the beginning of the industrial revolution.
The new results are said by their authors to indicate that solar activity exerted a powerful influence over Arctic climate until the 1990s, an assertion which will cause some irritation among academics who contend that atmospheric carbon is the main factor in climate change."
Meanwhile - in the U.K. - Cameras going off
As governments feel the pinch of the poor economy, decisions have to made.
Keep in mind that much of government money seems to go to those who are favored.
Now, the same forces are in play for things that are on the cutting board.
No doubt, some decisions will be interesting...
Keep in mind that much of government money seems to go to those who are favored.
Now, the same forces are in play for things that are on the cutting board.
No doubt, some decisions will be interesting...
This was recently repored on the U.K. Daily Mail website:
"Britain’s network of 6,000 speed cameras could be dramatically reduced after a raft of councils looked set to follow Oxfordshire’s move and switch theirs off.
The county’s entire network of 72 cameras will be switched off at midnight tonight after the coalition Government pulled the plug on their funding.
The change of heart could usher in a different landscape for Britain’s 33 million motorists two decades after the first network was installed.
Already, neighbouring Buckinghamshire said it is ‘very likely’ to switch off its cameras, while Bedfordshire, Suffolk and Derbyshire have launched reviews.
Northamptonshire has also switched off eight of their 42 cameras and Somerset is to axe nine of its 26 traps in coming weeks."
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Meanwhile - at the beach in Russia
This is sad...
The U.K. Telegraph recently reported on this:
"More than 1,200 people drowned across Russia in June this year, he said, including 233 between July 5 and July 12.
"The majority of those drowned were drunk," he said. "The children died because adults simply did not look after them." "
Friday, August 06, 2010
"An American Gift: Natural Gas From Shale"
Thank you Mr. Mitchell...
Robert J. Samuelson writes at Investors.com:
"In 1981, Mitchell's small petroleum company faced dwindling natural gas reserves. He proposed a radical idea — drill deeper in the company's Texas fields to reach gas-bearing shale rock more than a mile down.
Because the gas was tightly packed, most engineers believed it was too costly to extract profitably. But after nearly two decades of trying, Mitchell proved doubters wrong. The result: The world has far more available natural gas than anyone suspected.
The BP oil spill cast a cloud over almost all energy news. Well, shale gas is good news. Here's why.
Until recently, scarce U.S. natural gas reserves suggested increasing dependence on expensive foreign supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG). No more."
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Government at Work - On the Canadian border
Two different governments. Two different stories...
This is from an Associated Press article:
"GREAT FALLS — Citing the need to ensure value for its taxpayers' money, Canada plans to close its side of a Saskatchewan-Montana border crossing that sees just five travelers per day — even as the U.S. side is undergoing an $8.5 million stimulus-funded upgrade."
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Teleportation?
Someday... Maybe...
NPR's website has this and a bit more:
"This process happens even faster than the speed of light, physicists say.
Quantum entanglement isn't a new idea — Einstein once famously referred to it as 'spooky action at a distance' — but it wasn't until the past 30 years that scientists were first able to observe this process.
It could one day lead to new types of computers, and some even think entanglement may explain things like telepathy. Scientists aren't quite ready to beam up Scotty yet, but this is the technology that one day may lead to such a feat."
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
"Arizona Sheriff: ‘Our Own Government Has Become Our Enemy’"
Why do I keep thinking that the media is reluctant to publicize what's REALLY going on in Arizona?...
Penny Starr reports a sheriff's opinion at CNSnews.com:
"'If the president would do his job and secure the border; send 3,000 armed soldiers to the Arizona border and stop the illegal immigration and the drug smuggling and the violence, we wouldn’t even be in this position and where we’re forced to take matters into our own hands,' Babeu said.
Dever said the federal government’s failure to secure the border and its current thwarting of Arizona’s effort to control illegal immigration within its borders has implications for the entire country.
'The bigger picture is while what’s going on in Arizona is critically important, what comes out of this and happens here will affect our entire nation in terms of our ability to protect our citizenry from a very serious homeland security threat,' Dever said. 'People who are coming across the border in my county aren’t staying there. They’re going everywhere USA and a lot of them are bad, bad people.'"
Monday, August 02, 2010
In Our World - Brazil's sex tourism boom
I'm sure most of us are unaware of things like this...
BBC News recently reported:
"Young children are supplying an increasing demand from foreign tourists who travel to Brazil for sex holidays, according to a BBC investigation. Chris Rogers reports on how the country is overtaking Thailand as a destination for sex tourism and on attempts to curb the problem."
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Sarah Palin strikes back at Journolist’s ’sick puppies’
I have very similar feelings...
Jonathan Strong has this recent quote and more at DailyCaller.com:
"'The lamestream media is no longer a cornerstone of democracy in America. They need help. They need to regain their credibility and some respect. There are some pretty sick puppies in the industry today. They really need help,' Palin said."
