Thursday, March 31, 2011
The new meaning of transparency - HillBuzz.org
The American media continues to ignore this subject.
This linked article discusses the LACK of transparency in the Obama administration.
This issue clearly demonstrates the political tactic of continuing to publicize and emphasize policies that are NOT even close to what they are actually doing...
This linked article discusses the LACK of transparency in the Obama administration.
This issue clearly demonstrates the political tactic of continuing to publicize and emphasize policies that are NOT even close to what they are actually doing...
Here's the summary from a post by Bridget at HillBuzz.org:
"This White House is about as transparent as a brick wall."
"Firefighters union boss’ father a hefty user of sick leave"
In this day and age, I am fascinated by the number of people who think they'll not get caught.
That's not to mention that thing called hypocrisy...
That's not to mention that thing called hypocrisy...
Joe Schoenmann recently wrote about this gem on the Las Vegas Sun website:
"As investigators probe the potential abuse of sick leave by firefighters, Clark County officials say they will find many instances of employees scheduling sick time off weeks or months in advance. Among them is a firefighter who used the benefit to help carve out 53 consecutive days off in 2009.
What’s notable about the employee, some officials say, isn’t the questionable sick days that were part of the time off — about a third of the department’s 700 employees called in sick at least 10 days during 2009, the equivalent of a month of work time. Rather what is most significant, officials say, is the firefighter’s close ties to the union, which has described the abuse of sick leave as the actions of 'a few bad apples.'"
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
"Impounds and Illegals"
I suspect that some of my postings may get a rise out of you.
That being said, I think this posting requires a warning.
It may make your blood boil...
That being said, I think this posting requires a warning.
It may make your blood boil...
Jack Dunphy writes about this at PajamasMedia.com. This is only the teaser:
"LAPD officers manning sobriety checkpoints will no longer impound cars discovered to be driven by unlicensed illegal immigrants. Yes, you read that correctly."
"Court: Stolen Valor Act Unconstitutional"
Everything about misrepresenting war medals is wrong; except that it's apparently legal...
The issue is discussed at Military.comR:
"PASADENA -- The Stolen Valor Act, under which former water board member Xavier Alvarez was fined and ordered to perform community service in 2007, was upheld as being unconstitutional.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an earlier ruling determining that a law barring people from lying about their military heroics was a violation of free speech.
The earlier ruling, which was made by three of the court's members in August, invalidated the 2006 act by Congress.
Alvarez, a Pomona resident and then a member of the Three Valleys Municipal Water District board, pleaded guilty in July 2008 to falsely saying he had won the Medal of Honor. He was fined $5,000 and sentenced to three years of probation, which required community service."
Our Man-Made Energy Crisis - WSJ.com
The saying in this article caught my attention.
It seems to encompass many of today's wonderful (sounding) ideas...
It seems to encompass many of today's wonderful (sounding) ideas...
In the Wall Street Journal, Nansen G. Saleri recently discussed the (lack of) planning in the world of energy production:
"As the French philosopher Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wisely observed, 'A goal without a plan is just a wish.' Unfortunately for the U.S., there is not even a wish. The time to rethink and redesign our entire energy strategy is now."
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Politicians - U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri)
Quite an overreaction, I'd say.
Why not just learn to be honest in reporting your expenses?...
Why not just learn to be honest in reporting your expenses?...
RealClearPolitics.com recently posted this plus a video:
"'I have convinced my husband to sell the damned plane,' McCaskill said.
Today, Sen. McCaskill admitted that she failed to pay nearly $287,000 in back taxes on the usage of a private plane."
John Yoo: Antiwar Senator, War-Powers President - WSJ.com
Issue by issue, we hear elected officials spouting strong opinions and arguing for a cause.
Unfortunately, we often forget that they are politicians first, and caretakers of our well-being second.
You don't need to be a genius to figure out which is the priority...
Unfortunately, we often forget that they are politicians first, and caretakers of our well-being second.
You don't need to be a genius to figure out which is the priority...
John Yoo has a lot to say in the Wall Street Journal. This particular paragraph reminds us that Washington opinions are ALL political:
"Imagine the uproar if President Bush had unilaterally launched air attacks against Libya's Moammar Gadhafi. But since it's Mr. Obama's finger on the trigger, Democratic leaders in Congress have kept quiet—demonstrating that their opposition to presidential power during the Bush years was political, not principled."
The Chilean Model - Investors.com
I've read about this several times over the past few years.
Considering that it seems to work, it makes me wonder why our elected officials are NOT contemplating something similar.
Could it be that they like the idea of keeping us insecure?...
Considering that it seems to work, it makes me wonder why our elected officials are NOT contemplating something similar.
Could it be that they like the idea of keeping us insecure?...
Investors.com tells about it AGAIN:
"Pensions: Nearly 30 years ago, on the very day Ronald Reagan was sworn in as U.S. president, Chile became the first nation to privatize its social security system. Three decades hence, it has surpassed all expectations."
Monday, March 28, 2011
"U.K. Pulls Plug on United Nations Spending"
Even though I agree, I'm sure this was a difficult choice.
I wonder if it will stand the test of time...
I wonder if it will stand the test of time...
George Russell reported this on the FoxNews website a few eeeks ago:
"In a sweeping and hard-nosed reorganization of priorities for its $10.6 billion multilateral foreign aid program, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government of Prime Minister David Cameron has pulled the financial plug entirely on four U.N. agencies at the end of next year, put three others judged merely “adequate” on notice that they could face the same fate unless they improve their performance “as a matter of absolute urgency;” and issued pointed criticisms of almost all the rest.
The major exception: UNICEF, the U.N. children’s aid agency, which got a strong endorsement and a funding increase."
"Republican Senators Introduce National Right to Work Act "
Unions are definitely in the spotlight...
Senator Jim Demint's website recently posted this:
"Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), introduced the National Right to Work Act to reduce workplace discrimination by protecting the free choice of individuals to form, join, or assist labor organizations, or to refrain from such activities. Seven Republicans joined Senator DeMint as original cosponsors to the Right to Work Act including Senators Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), James Risch (R-Idaho), Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania) and David Vitter (R-Louisiana)."
"Barack Obama: The Weakest President in history?"
Articles like this are showing up overseas.
Of course, the American (state run) media would never be this blunt (accurate).
Historically, in times of crisis, the world has looked for America to lead.
It's not happening under the Obama administration...
Of course, the American (state run) media would never be this blunt (accurate).
Historically, in times of crisis, the world has looked for America to lead.
It's not happening under the Obama administration...
Anna Pukas recently wrote this and more on the U.K. Express website:
"Obama’s campaign slogan was mesmerisingly simple and brimming with self-belief: 'Yes we can.' His presidency, however, is turning out to be more about 'no we won’t.' Even more worryingly, it seems to be very much about: 'Maybe we can… do what, exactly?' The world feels like a dangerous place when leaders are seen to lack certitude but the only thing President Obama seems decisive about is his indecision. What should the US do about Libya? What should the US do about the Middle East in general? What about the country’s crippling debts? What is the US going to do about Afghanistan, about Iran?
What is President Obama doing about anything? The most alarming answer – your guess is as good as mine – is also, frankly, the most accurate one. What the President is not doing is being clear, resolute and pro-active, which is surely a big part of his job description. This is what he has to say about the popular uprising in Libya: 'Gaddafi must go.' At least, that was his position on March 3.
Since then, other countries – most notably Britain and France – have been calling for some kind of intervention. Even the Arab League, a notoriously conservative organisation, has declared support for sanctions. But from the White House has come only the blah-blah of bland statements filled with meaningless expressions."
Sunday, March 27, 2011
2011-03-27 - Words of Wisdom
Saturday, March 26, 2011
"The story of one undocumented student"
This article is a bit one-sided in that it evokes compassion and ignores the rule(s) of law. Granted, this is a very tough issue.
It's also an article where the comments are quite enlightening...
It's also an article where the comments are quite enlightening...
April Corbin writes about the children of "undocumented" (notice the absence of illegal) parents:
"It’s a scene that plays out in homes across America — the battle between a teenager with a desire and parents saddled with responsibility — but for Jessica this fight was more than that. It was the moment she realized she was not like her classmates, not like the 50 students going on this class trip without her.
It was the first time she fully grasped the words undocumented immigrant — and understood that they applied to her."
Friday, March 25, 2011
"Model Student, Sports Star Suspended for Paring Knife Mix-Up"
This story seems to highlight the problems of "political correctness", "zero tolerance", and the apparent inability of people to actually "think" and use common sense.
We have created a society where everyone feels the need to "protect" themselves, either legally, from public opinion, or from making a decision that may turn out to be wrong...
We have created a society where everyone feels the need to "protect" themselves, either legally, from public opinion, or from making a decision that may turn out to be wrong...
Bryan Preston posted this story a while back at PajamasMedia.com:
"An athletic and academic standout in Lee County said a lunchbox mix-up has cut short her senior year of high school and might hurt her college opportunities.
Ashley Smithwick, 17, of Sanford, was suspended from Southern Lee High School in October after school personnel found a small paring knife in her lunchbox.
Smithwick said personnel found the knife while searching the belongings of several students, possibly looking for drugs.
'She got pulled into it. She doesn’t have to be a bad person to be searched,' Smithwick’s father, Joe Smithwick, said.
The lunchbox really belonged to Joe Smithwick, who packs a paring knife to slice his apple. He and his daughter have matching lunchboxes.
'It’s just an honest mistake. That was supposed to be my lunch because it was a whole apple,' he said."
Microsoft and feds bring down spam giant Rustock
I'm sure there are bigger things on our minds; however, the less email spam, the better...
Jat Greene recently reported at news.CNET.com:
"Rustock, purveyor of more e-mail spam than any other network in the world, was felled last week by Microsoft and federal law enforcement agents.
A lawsuit by Microsoft that was unsealed at the company's request late today triggered several coordinated raids last Wednesday that took down Rustock, a botnet that infected millions of computers with malicious code in order to turn them into a massive spam-sending network.
'This botnet is estimated to have approximately a million infected computers operating under its control and has been known to be capable of sending billions of spam mails every day,' Richard Boscovich, senior attorney in the Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit, wrote in a blog post today.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that it was Microsoft's digital crimes unit, working in concert with U.S. marshals, that raided seven hosting facilities across the country and seized the command-and-control machines that ran the network. Those are the servers that send instructions to the fleet of infected computers to dish out spam messages hawking such items as phony lottery scams and fake and potentially dangerous prescription drugs.The takedown was known internally as Operation b107."
Thursday, March 24, 2011
"While Obama searches for clarity, we're plunged into another war"
Being the American President is no easy task.
Is the current one up to the task?...
Is the current one up to the task?...
John Kass takes issue with Mr. Obama in the Chicago Tribune:
"President Barack Obama unmasked himself Tuesday.
He was in El Salvador, standing with Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes, when reporters asked him about his war in Libya.
It is indeed his war. He started it. He gave the order to launch the missiles over the weekend. And now the man who ran for president as an anti-war candidate owns his very own war.
But there has been confusion over which member of his coalition will command the war. Will Obama ask a foreign general to direct American troops? Will President Nicolas Sarkozy of France take the coalition lead?
On Tuesday, Obama was asked about these command issues. It wasn't a trick. It should have been expected. He stood there, and he opened his mouth.
'I would expect that over the next several days you will have clarity and a meeting of the minds of all those who are participating in the process,' Obama said.
We'll have clarity in a few days?
Clarity in a few days, Mr. President?"
"European nations begin seizing private pensions"
A cautionary tale.
When governments get out of control, ANYTHING can happen.
How about: could some pensions be seized, while others are not?...
When governments get out of control, ANYTHING can happen.
How about: could some pensions be seized, while others are not?...
Jan Iwanik included this in a story at CSmonitor.com:
"The most striking example is Hungary, where last month the government made the citizens an offer they could not refuse. They could either remit their individual retirement savings to the state, or lose the right to the basic state pension (but still have an obligation to pay contributions for it). In this extortionate way, the government wants to gain control over $14bn of individual retirement savings."
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Michigan "Gov. Snyder v. Rachel Maddow"
Obviously, Rachel Maddow sees things differently, and passes that on to her (not so many) viewers.
The question is whether she sees it correctly.
And yes, I know ALL the media is clever, clever with soundbites, clever with video snippets, and clever in the way they word what they say...
The question is whether she sees it correctly.
And yes, I know ALL the media is clever, clever with soundbites, clever with video snippets, and clever in the way they word what they say...
Tom Gantert points out some fact-checking at MichiganCapitolConfidential.com:
"Talk show host Rachel Maddow recently made Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder the focus of an on-air attack on his policies during a seven-minute tirade on her MSNBC show.
Maddow suggested that Snyder was fabricating a budget crisis to get his agenda through.
Mackinac Center for Public Policy fiscal policy experts Michael LaFaive and James Hohman commented on a half dozen of the statements made by Maddow:"
"Civil Service Board Announces Police Recruit Scores"
This has happened in other places as well.
Here again, it's being made to sound like a race issue, but, I see it as a reflection on the poor job our schools are doing...
Here again, it's being made to sound like a race issue, but, I see it as a reflection on the poor job our schools are doing...
Ohio's DaytonNewsSource.com recently reported this:
"Under the previous requirements, candidates had to get a 66% on part one of the exam and a 72% on part two.
The D.O.J. approved new scoring policy only requires potential police officers to get a 58% and a 63%. That's the equivalent of an ‘F’ and a ‘D’."
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Barack Obama - and the media
I couldn't agree more.
The American media just won't hold Mr. Obama accountable.
He is a "say anything" president, largely because the media allows it.
It's been that way since he announced his candidacy...
The American media just won't hold Mr. Obama accountable.
He is a "say anything" president, largely because the media allows it.
It's been that way since he announced his candidacy...
Hugh Hewitt writes about the same at WashingtonExaminer.com:
"Far more remarkable than the president's brazenness with the truth, which has become a routine feature of Obama's 'preside-but-don't-lead' tenure in the Oval Office, is the liberal mainstream media's willingness to indulge it.
The president preaches fiscal restraint but advanced a reckless budget and refuses to suggest any entitlement reform. The MSM is silent.
The president imposed Obamacare on an unwilling country and then issues more than a thousand waivers to the friends of Obama and the politically connected. The MSM is silent.
And now with gas prices soaring and an angry population turning their political fury on the president, he runs from the responsibility which is surely his and claims childlike wonder at the idea that his no-growth/no-oil policies are to blame. And the MSM is silent.
A craven MSM continues to abet the president's enormous incompetence in all aspects of his job. The credibility gap that has grown and grown around the president since January 2009 has now reached the point where Obama no longer cares to pretend to the truth and the press no longer cares to report that fact."
"Arne Duncan’s Brave New World: Dept. of Education Wants Your Kid’s Blood Type?"
If this is not "nanny state", I don't know what is.
"The sets include such things as hair color, eye color, gestational age at birth (whether a child was premature or not), blood type, blood test results, birth marks, and even bus stop arrival time."..
"The sets include such things as hair color, eye color, gestational age at birth (whether a child was premature or not), blood type, blood test results, birth marks, and even bus stop arrival time."..
Patrick Richardson recently reported this at Pajamas Media.com. He includes the implications that the post heading indicates:
"Forty-one states — plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands — have signed on to a set of standards that makes local school boards all but superfluous. State boards of education become redundant as well if curricula are decided at a national level rather than at a state level.
Local control, long a hallmark of the U.S. education system, would be lost to a 'one size fits all' solution imposed by bureaucrats who cannot possibly know the needs or challenges of a local school district."
Monday, March 21, 2011
"10 questions with ‘Schools for Misrule’ author Walter Olson"
Here's a respected author who is critical of the law profession.
I haven't read the book; however, while agreeing that we do need lawyers, I also think that our society has entirely too much litigation...
I haven't read the book; however, while agreeing that we do need lawyers, I also think that our society has entirely too much litigation...
Jamie Weinstein recently asked 10 questions of Walter Olson. Here's #2 and #3:
"2. You write that the ideas taught at America’s top law schools are catastrophic for America. What are some of the ideas that you think are so harmful?
3. Why do you think the number one profession in Congress is lawyer? Is that good for society?"
Sunday, March 20, 2011
2011-03-20 - Words of Wisdom
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Survey Says...
Health care and insurance costs need to be more affordable.
The new Health Care Law doesn't seem to be the way...
The new Health Care Law doesn't seem to be the way...
Rasmussen Reports:
"Support for repeal of the national health care law has reached its highest level since May of last year. The number of voters who believe the plan will increase the cost of care has tied its highest level since the law’s passage last March."
"SAS seize Iranian rockets destined for Taliban fighters"
Is it just me or does it seem like the American media (intentionally?) misses stories like this?...
Ben Farmer DID report this in the U.K. Telegraph:
"The consignment of 48 rockets hidden in three trucks was intercepted last month after a fierce fire fight which left several insurgents dead in the remote southern province of Nimroz, bordering Iran.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said the British ambassador has raised the matter with officials in Tehran."
Friday, March 18, 2011
"Unions Threaten Business"
This is NOT pretty.
And they put it in writing...
And they put it in writing...
Charlie Sykes has the letter at 620WTMJ's website. Here's part of it:
"While we appreciate that you may need some time to consider this request, we ask for your response by March 17. In the event that you do not respond to this request by that date, we will assume that you stand with Governor Walker and against the teachers, nurses, police officers, fire fighters, and other dedicated public employees who serve our communities.
In the event that you cannot support this effort to save collective bargaining, please be advised that the undersigned will publicly and formally boycott the goods and services provided by your company."
"A Wired World In Its Own Mirror"
No doubt; this future has already arrived.
Cameras ARE everywhere, and people are using them.
In fact, information is everywhere, and there's so much of it, that we have to learn ways skip over most of it, or else, be overwhelmed...
Cameras ARE everywhere, and people are using them.
In fact, information is everywhere, and there's so much of it, that we have to learn ways skip over most of it, or else, be overwhelmed...
Richard Fernandez recently wrote about it at PajamasMedia.com:
"Photojournalists will still dominate scheduled events, like sporting matches and press conferences, with their pro equipment and training. But statistics is against them when it comes to capturing news. The world is big and professional photojournalists are few. The chances of one of them being in exactly the right place at the right time is about the same as a being on Haifa Street at precisely the moment when insurgents decide to kill an Iraqi election worker right in front of your camera.
It might happen, but it won’t happen too often. For good or ill, the chroniclers of our times will be the event participants themselves."
Thursday, March 17, 2011
A European's Warning to America - WSJ.com
You may have seen Mr. Hannan on television.
He is a member of the European Parliament, which should give him some credibility...
He is a member of the European Parliament, which should give him some credibility...
Daniel Hannan, discusses Europe and expresses his warning about where he sees America going:
"We can now see where that road leads: to burgeoning bureaucracy, more spending, higher taxes, slower growth and rising unemployment. But an entire political class has grown up believing not just in the economic superiority of euro-corporatism but in its moral superiority. After all, if the American system were better—if people could thrive without government supervision—there would be less need for politicians. As Upton Sinclair once observed, 'It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it.'
Nonetheless, the economic data are pitilessly clear. For the past 40 years, Europeans have fallen further and further behind Americans in their standard of living. Europe also has become accustomed to a high level of structural unemployment. Only now, as the U.S. applies a European-style economic strategy based on fiscal stimulus, nationalization, bailouts, quantitative easing and the regulation of private-sector remuneration, has the rate of unemployment in the U.S. leaped to European levels."
"Michael Moore's National Resources"
Michael Moore - math genius - NOT!
Please, national media, expose this guy...
Please, national media, expose this guy...
Mary Katharine Ham gets you started at DailyCaller.com:
"Across the nation, 45 states are projecting over $100 billion in shortfalls, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. If the government just redistributed the wealth of the top three American billionaires—Bill Gates ($54B), Warren Buffet ($45B), and Larry Ellison ($27B)— it could solve that problem in a jiffy.
Of course, the 260-275,000 people employed by Berkshire Hathaway, the 105,000 employed by Oracle, and the 100,000 or so employed by Microsoft, might have something to say about that (to say nothing of the thousands of non-profits, charities, and causes that benefit from Gates’, Buffet’s and Ellison’s fortunes). That’s over 400,000 people out of a job."
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Social Security - It's not really there?
Smoke and mirrors! Don't be fooled...
Charles Krauthammer recently wrote about the White House and Social Security AND Jack Lew:
"The relative ease of the fix is what makes the Obama administration's Social Security strategy so shocking. The new line from the White House is: no need to fix it because there is no problem. As Office of Management and Budget Director Jack Lew wrote in USA Today just a few weeks ago, the trust fund is solvent until 2037. Therefore, Social Security is now off the table in debt-reduction talks.
This claim is a breathtaking fraud.
The pretense is that a flush trust fund will pay retirees for the next 26 years. Lovely, except for one thing: The Social Security trust fund is a fiction.
If you don't believe me, listen to the OMB's own explanation (in the Clinton administration budget for fiscal year 2000 under then-Director Jack Lew, the very same). The OMB explained that these trust fund 'balances' are nothing more than a 'bookkeeping' device. "They do not consist of real economic assets that can be drawn down in the future to fund benefits."
In other words, the Social Security trust fund contains — nothing."
Handouts Make Up One-Third of U.S. Wages - CNBC
Statistics are often ovewhelming.
The number of people on food stamps, in prison, with babies out of wedlock, or who can't read is always surprising to me.
So now we have some additional ones...
The number of people on food stamps, in prison, with babies out of wedlock, or who can't read is always surprising to me.
So now we have some additional ones...
John Melloy writes about it at CNBC.com. He begins:
"Government payouts—including Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance—make up more than a third of total wages and salaries of the U.S. population, a record figure that will only increase if action isn’t taken before the majority of Baby Boomers enter retirement.
Even as the economy has recovered, social welfare benefits make up 35 percent of wages and salaries this year, up from 21 percent in 2000 and 10 percent in 1960, according to TrimTabs Investment Research using Bureau of Economic Analysis data."
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Survey Says...
I respect seniority; however, I'm with the majority on this...
Rasmussen Reports:
"Americans Say Pay Should Be Based on Performance Instead of Education, Seniority"
"Sweater, gloves required when driving Volt in cold"
I bet you didn't know this...
John leBlanc reports this on the Wheels.ca website:
"The magazine found that the Volt uses up a 'considerable' amount of battery range to heat up its cabin on colder days, reducing its range to well below 30 miles (48 kms) before draining the battery and reverting to its gas generator to recharge the batteries and power its electric motor — much lower than the optimal 64 km estimate."
About Passwords
When it comes to passwords, perhaps you'll find this educational...
I found this on the BookOfJoe blog:
"Time It Takes a Hacker's Computer to Randomly Guess Your Password"
Monday, March 14, 2011
"Collective Bargaining Has a Fiscal Impact"
I suspect the type of things discussed by Governor Walker are common in many places.
We've all heard about them from time to time; but, somehow I'm not sure that we realize that we're paying for them.
My thoughts continue to be that unions may be useful in private industry; however, unionizing public employees probably does much more harm than good...
We've all heard about them from time to time; but, somehow I'm not sure that we realize that we're paying for them.
My thoughts continue to be that unions may be useful in private industry; however, unionizing public employees probably does much more harm than good...
Capitol Confidential, a Michigan website, recently reported this list:
"Madison— Today Governor Walker’s office released specific examples and new details to show how collective bargaining fiscally impacts government and how reforming collective bargaining can improve government."
"Keith Ellison fake crying"
Our personal agendas often cause us to see the same thing differently.
In this case, the media have seen it one way, while those with some subject matter expertise, see if differently.
Sadly, what the media reports is what most will absorb...
In this case, the media have seen it one way, while those with some subject matter expertise, see if differently.
Sadly, what the media reports is what most will absorb...
PRE-LINK TEXT Mark Judge reports at DailyCaller.com:
"But then I tuned into Chris Plante’s radio show, and was amazed to hear Plante reading an email saying exactly what I was thinking. It was from a cop — and cops are often pretty good readers of body language. The officer made the same points that I had thought about. When a suspect is ready to lose it, he said, there is a very distinct series of things that happen — as I described above. The officer’s verdict? Ellison’s performance was bogus, the kind of thing you hear from a millionaire trying to escape a speeding ticket."
Sunday, March 13, 2011
2011-03-13 - Words of Wisdom
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Media Quiet to Case of Non-Citizen Convicted Child Molester Who Was High School Principal | NewsBusters.org
The real problem is that somehow, the public school administrative system, didn't prevent this person from gaining employment and stature.
And, of course, the national media is silent...
And, of course, the national media is silent...
Dave Pierre IS reporting it at NewsBusters.org:
"On Saturday (2/19/11), the Los Angeles Times published an article, 'Ex-high school principal gets 8 years for molesting four girls.' The case involved Jonas Vital Silverio, who had pleaded no contest to 10 counts of lewd acts on a child 14 or 15 years old.
At first blush, the story seems to be just another stomach-turning account of child abuse in our nation's public schools. But buried in the middle of the article was a troubling detail:"
"AG Holder Needs to Retract False Statement about Domestic Violence"
I second the motion. After all, why not correct a verifiable mistake?
I doubt that I'm alone with that thought.
See what you think...
I doubt that I'm alone with that thought.
See what you think...
Carey Roberts provides this and more at PajamasMedia.com:
"This factual boo-boo came to light in a February 4 USA Today column by Christina Hoff Sommers. Calling on Holder to remove the misstatement 'immediately,' the essay enumerated the harms wrought by such wrongful assertions.
'Misinformation leads to misdirected policies that fail to target the true causes of violence,' Dr. Sommers declared. 'Worse, those who promulgate false statistics about domestic violence, however well-meaning, promote prejudice. Most of the exaggerated claims implicate the average male in a social atrocity.'"
Friday, March 11, 2011
"Report: Dem's campaign skirted contribution limits"
Think about 91 "shell" Political Action Committees.
How could anyone even consider that as honest?
Ooops, I forgot for a moment that he's a politician, as is his father. Hmmmm...
How could anyone even consider that as honest?
Ooops, I forgot for a moment that he's a politician, as is his father. Hmmmm...
I saw this in a Associated Press article on the Washington Post website:
"The Las Vegas Sun reported Friday that Reid's campaign formed 91 shell PACs that were used to funnel $750,000 into his campaign and skirt contribution limits. Reid, the son of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, told the newspaper that the maneuvers were disclosed and in compliance with the law."
The Immigration Debate is ON
As they say, elections have consequences".
The heat is clearly on...
The heat is clearly on...
Huma Khan writes about it at ABCnews.com:
"States across the country, including Georgia and Oklahoma, where the legislatures debated immigration bills this week, have been mulling controversial Arizona-style immigration laws.Thirty-seven states are considering tougher immigration bills, with multiple bills pending in some states.
'The mere fact that Arizona law has sprung up in over 24 other states within a few months of passage, I believe, is historic,' said William Gheen, president and spokesman of Americans for Legal Immigration, a group that supports stricter immigration laws.
"We are going to pass more immigration enforcement legislation in the states in 2011 than any year prior. And what we don't get done in 2011 we will get done in 2012," he vowed.
States enacted a record number of bills and resolutions on immigration issues during the 2010 sessions, and every state that met in regular session in 2010 considered laws related to immigrants, according to a National Conference of State Legislatures report. Forty-six state legislatures and the District of Columbia passed 208 laws and adopted 138 resolutions for a total of 346."
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Media - The New York Times
So the Democrat governor of New York has the same issues, union obstacles, and solutions that the Republican governor of Wisconsin has.
Yet, somehow, according to the New York Times, they're different. Huh?...
Yet, somehow, according to the New York Times, they're different. Huh?...
Ron Radosh writes about it at PajamasMedia.com:
"A Dissection of a mixed-up Editorial"
"After all, the editors write, 'unlike Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Governor Cuomo is not trying to break the unions.' We have their assurance for this, and because he is not going after collective bargaining, I’m sure the AFL-CIO chieftains in New York State will immediately see the wisdom of Cuomo’s plans and the New York Times editorial endorsement, and will not accuse Cuomo — as they did Gov. Paterson — of being a union-busting monster. I mean all Cuomo wants is a 'salary freeze and a reduction of benefits.' How could any union disagree with that? So the editors warn: 'The unions need to negotiate seriously.'"
DeMint, Coburn Introduce Bill to Defund National Public Radio, PBS
Survival of the fittest?
I actually like the concept of public radio/television.
Unfortunately, much of their programming is decidedly biased; and, for me, that disqualifies them from our tax money...
I actually like the concept of public radio/television.
Unfortunately, much of their programming is decidedly biased; and, for me, that disqualifies them from our tax money...
Susan Jones reported this at CNSnews.com:
"Sens. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said with the nation on the brink of bankruptcy, some decisions to cut spending are difficult -- but not this one:"
"Planned Parenthood's Birth-Control Myth"
Everything about Planned Parenthood seems disingenuous.
The Republicans in Congress are attempting to defund them.
I think it's an idea whose time has come...
The Republicans in Congress are attempting to defund them.
I think it's an idea whose time has come...
At theDailyBeast.com, Kirsten Powers has apparently seen the light. She recently wrote about it, including this:
"Not one fraction of 1 percent said they got pregnant because they lacked access to contraception. Some described having unexpected sex, but all that can be said about them is that they are irresponsible, not that they felt they lacked access to contraception.
Lack of knowledge of contraception also isn’t a reason that American women get abortions. Guttmacher reported that only 8 percent of women who undergo abortions have never used a method of birth control.
This deception smacks of a fleecing of taxpayers in an effort to promote an ideological agenda, rather than a sincere effort to help women plan families.
But what is truly astonishing about the Guttmacher statistics is that they are completely unchanged from a decade ago."
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
"Syosset school superintendent gets $500,000 pay package"
It's hard to find fault with one who tries to get as much as they can; however, whomever oversees this best prepare for some criticism...
Susan Edelman, Farrah Weinstein, and Ginger Adams Otis combined on this article in the New York Post:
"The Syosset Central School District, which serves an enclave of gated communities, ritzy eateries and children's boutiques like 'Spoiled Rotten,' takes the crown in employee compensation.
The school superintendent, Carole Hankin -- who oversees 6,687 kids in 10 schools -- is the highest-paid in the state with $506,322 in total compensation. She collects a $386,868 salary, $67,454 in fringe benefits and $52,000 in retirement funds and expenses including use of a "late model car," plus gas.
By contrast, New York City Chancellor Cathie Black, in charge of 1.1 million students and 1,600 schools, takes home a $250,000 salary, plus health and pension benefits. She gets a driver."
"Global Warming Alarmists Flip-Flop On Snowfall"
I don't know whether humans are causing global warming or not.
I DO know that the science isn't "settled".
Unfortunately, some politicians AND the media are NOT willing to consider BOTH sides of the story...
I DO know that the science isn't "settled".
Unfortunately, some politicians AND the media are NOT willing to consider BOTH sides of the story...
James M. Taylor recently wrote this in a blog post at Forbes.com:
"The alarmists used to claim global warming was causing the retreat of Kilimanjaro’s mountain snowcap, but scientists now understand that local deforestation is the culprit. IPCC claimed in its 2007 assessment that global warming would likely melt the Himalayan glaciers by 2035, but IPCC now admits there is no scientific basis for such an assertion. IPCC claimed in its 1990 assessment that global temperatures should rise 0.6 degrees Celsius between 1990 and 2010, yet NASA satellite data show global temperatures warmed by merely half that amount, at most.
For years, alarmists have claimed 'the science is settled' and 'the debate is over.' Well, when was the science settled? When global warming would allegedly cause Himalayan glaciers to melt by 2035, or now that it won’t? When global warming would allegedly cause fewer heavy snow events, or now that it will allegedly cause more frequent heavy snow events?"
"Obama and the Tea Party—the race card keeps on turning"
I'm in sync with Mr. Simon.
Of course there are race issues; however, to label policy differences as racial is just a plain cheap shot.
Obama and his administration (think Eric Holder) must rise above using race as an all-purpose criticism of honest opinion differences...
Of course there are race issues; however, to label policy differences as racial is just a plain cheap shot.
Obama and his administration (think Eric Holder) must rise above using race as an all-purpose criticism of honest opinion differences...
Roger L. Simon recently wrote about it at PajamasMedia.com:
"We have to move on from accusations of racism, which has been a social taboo for decades now, and allow the laws to do their work. The race card is as rancid and reactionary as Louis Farrakhan.
Obama, I think, recognizes this to some extent. As Walsh also notes, he wants to be a post-racial president, or did anyway, but unfortunately he’s the kind of guy who apparently can’t stop himself from putting people in tired pigeon-holes. He just can’t shake free of obvious preconceptions. He seems to accept clichés because they are convenient or because they exonerate him in uncomfortable situations. Tea Partiers are therefore racists, not people seeking to curtail government spending. These are the types, we were informed stereotypically by the then presidential candidate, who cling to their guns and religion.
But as an agnostic who doesn’t own a gun, I think Obama’s the one with the problem."
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
"Bill would allow Brewer to call up state army..."
I have to wonder what's behing this...
Michael Truelsen posted this on Arizona's KOLD.com website:
"Under state law, the governor can call up a state guard if the National Guard is pressed into service. But SB 1495 would expand those powers to 'any other reason the governor considers to be necessary.'"
"Holder ill serves his 'people'"
Black or white or red or yellow, I expect more from the Attorney General of the United States.
Granted, there have been injustices in the past; but, that should NOT justify inaction on problems of today...
Granted, there have been injustices in the past; but, that should NOT justify inaction on problems of today...
The Washington Times recently editorialized:
"Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. played the race card in congressional testimony on Tuesday, referring to blacks as his “people” while neglecting the rest of Americans. That race-based lens pervades his Justice Department, causing consistently skewed enforcement of the law."
The Media - reporting on the price of gasoline
I guess it's still possible that some people think the media is fair and equal in their reporting.
That being said, I wonder how equal they think this is...
That being said, I wonder how equal they think this is...
Julia A. Seymour recdently reported at Investors.com:
"The national average for gasoline hit $3.36 on Feb. 28, the highest ever for the month of February, according to the Associated Press. But the amount of network news coverage of rising gas prices did not reflect it.
All three broadcast networks together averaged just one story about rising gas prices per day. In contrast, when gas prices rose similarly in 2008, the networks averaged more than one story, per network, per day."
Monday, March 07, 2011
“We Need a Government That Lives Within Its Means”
The President is saying that, but the graph shows something MUCH different...
On the GatewayPundit blog, Jim Hoft says:
"You just can’t make this stuff up."
The Environment - Could we be doing too much?
I'm all for efforts to preserve the environment; however, we have to be very careful NOT to harm the human race.
Historically, invention and innovation have overcome environmental problems. Think horse dropping in the early 20th century.
With that in mind, I'm willing to bet it will happen again...
Historically, invention and innovation have overcome environmental problems. Think horse dropping in the early 20th century.
With that in mind, I'm willing to bet it will happen again...
Liz Peek writes about this at OilPrice.com:
"Environmentalists Damaging US Economy and Job Growth"
Utah's Kaiparowitz Plateau
As our dependencies on foreign fuel suppliers increase and as energy prices continue to rise, consider this...
Archibald Bard has a story to tell at APFN.org:
"The New York Times reported that the monument encloses the largest coal field in the nation, the Kaiparowitz Plateau, which contains at least 7 billion tons of coal worth over $1 TRILLION.
Kentucky-based company Andalux Resources, which holds leases on 3,400 acres in the area, was planning to open a huge operation (underground, not strip mining) that would have generated 1,000 jobs, $1 million in annual revenue for Kane County, and at least $10 million a year in state and federal taxes, according to the New York Times."
Sunday, March 06, 2011
2011-03-06 - Words of Wisdom
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Meanwhile - in Atherton, CA
Too touchy? I think so.
Some are obviously more sensitive than others.
If there is not more to this story, it's a shame to have something like this on one's record...
Some are obviously more sensitive than others.
If there is not more to this story, it's a shame to have something like this on one's record...
Jesse Dungan recently reported this a MercuryNews.com:
"An eighth-grade math teacher at Atherton's Selby Lane School rattled a table to get his students' attention Tuesday afternoon, police said.
He succeeded on that score.
But the demonstration landed him on paid administrative leave."
Government at Work - on Low-flow toilets
Unintended consequences are a trademark of government helping us.
I wonder whose brother-in-law made money on this...
I wonder whose brother-in-law made money on this...
Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross have this story at SFgate.com:
"San Francisco's big push for low-flow toilets has turned into a multimillion-dollar plumbing stink.
Skimping on toilet water has resulted in more sludge backing up inside the sewer pipes, said Tyrone Jue, spokesman for the city Public Utilities Commission. That has created a rotten-egg stench near AT&T Park and elsewhere, especially during the dry summer months.
The city has already spent $100 million over the past five years to upgrade its sewer system and sewage plants, in part to combat the odor problem."
Friday, March 04, 2011
"Did Fox News Lie? | Fox News Palm Trees Wisconsin"
Fox News has to be very careful to avoid even the appearance of manipulating the news.
Their competitors (I'm being polite) are just waiting to jump on the slightest thing...
Their competitors (I'm being polite) are just waiting to jump on the slightest thing...
Jon Bershad writes about this recent Internet "chatter item":
"The Internet is abuzz this morning with a story that Fox News has 'lied' in showing a video of an angry union protester from California while claiming its from Wisconsin. The 'Palm Tree lie' (described as such because the tropical trees in the background of the protest video are used as proof of the deception) was the top two stories on Reddit’s Politics board this morning. They needn’t have tried so hard. While, in the 43-second clip that’s being linked to on YouTube, it does look like Fox News lied, but watching the entire segment for context makes it clear that they did not.
The segment in question occurred during The O’Reilly Factor as Bill O’Reilly was discussing the anger in the union protests."
"The Teddy Files: Even Worse Than You Thought!"
Chappaquidick or not, I could never come to like Ted Kennedy...
John Hinderaker posts about it on the PowerLine blog:
"After repeated attempts, Judicial Watch has managed to pry loose certain documents relating to Teddy Kennedy from the FBI. The FBI's original redactions plainly had nothing to do with national security, so the agency apparently was trying to protect Kennedy's reputation.
The most entertaining documents relate to a trip Kennedy took to Latin America in 1961. He visited a number of countries, accompanied by his 'political counselor.' In each country, Kennedy met with prominent Communists or other left-wing leaders. The U.S. Ambassador to Mexico was outraged that Kennedy wanted to bring such people to the embassy--this was the heart of the Cold War, after all--and he refused, telling Kennedy to arrange his own interviews somewhere else. A State Department official in Peru described Teddy as 'pompous and a spoiled brat.'"
"Shock poll shows rising tide of right-wing nationalism"
It appears that certain opinions are on the rise...
Vincent Moss reported this in the U.K.'s Mirror:
"Almost half the country would back a new right-wing party that vowed to crack down on immigration and Islamic extremists, a shock poll reveals today."
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Billions in Bloat Uncovered in Beltway - WSJ.com
I'm not surprised at this.
I think we all suspect how inefficiently government works; but, we can't really understand it until we see a compilation of what's going on...
I think we all suspect how inefficiently government works; but, we can't really understand it until we see a compilation of what's going on...
Damian Paletta writes about it on the Wall Street Journal website:
"The U.S. government has 15 different agencies overseeing food-safety laws, more than 20 separate programs to help the homeless and 80 programs for economic development.
These are a few of the findings in a massive study of overlapping and duplicative programs that cost taxpayers billions of dollars each year, according to the Government Accountability Office.
A report from the nonpartisan GAO, to be released Tuesday, compiles a list of redundant and potentially ineffective federal programs, and it could serve as a template for lawmakers in both parties as they move to cut federal spending and consolidate programs to reduce the deficit. Sen. Tom Coburn (R., Okla.), who pushed for the report, estimated it identifies between $100 billion and $200 billion in duplicative spending."
Politicians - U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
Much too big for her britches.
That's how I see it...
That's how I see it...
Jonathan Strong writes about her at DailyCaller.com:
"Capitol Hill is famous for its demanding, insensitive bosses. Yet even by the harsh standards of Congress, Sheila Jackson Lee stands out. She may be the worst boss in Washington. 'It’s like being an Iraq War veteran,' says someone who worked for her. Strangers may say, '‘oh I know what you’ve been through.’ No, you really don’t. Because until you’ve experienced it…. People don’t tell the worst of the stories, because they’re really unbelievable.'"
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
The Union Way?
It is what it is, and it's often not pretty...
Michelle Malkin discusses the past and present on her blog:
"It’s about agitation and community organizing and ginning up hatred against political enemies."
"Goggles banned at school swimming lessons"
Try to wrap your brain around this...
The U.K. Telegraph reports this on their website:
"Children have been banned from wearing goggles during school swimming lessons for fears they could hurt themselves."
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
"So Refreshing -- Congress Doing Its Job"
I'm with Phyllis on this.
I also have a curiosity as to who is voting against these amendments (which means in favor of these expenses)...
I also have a curiosity as to who is voting against these amendments (which means in favor of these expenses)...
Phyllis Schlafly writes at Townhall.com:
"Republican members of the House, goaded on by tea partiers, have made a good start in fulfilling their promise to cut $100 billion out of current spending of taxpayers' money. The House approved 66 amendments, most on roll-call votes, to H.R. 1, the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act for FY 2011.
Here is a sampling of those 66 amendments, which are only a drop in the bucket for dealing with the federal deficit, but they reveal some of the nonsense now imbedded in the federal budget."
Wisconsin's Newest Progressive - WSJ.com
Here's some background and a look at the current issues in Wisconsin...
John Fund writes about Wisconsin and Gov. Walker in the Wall Street Journal:
"Mr. Walker's challenge to the status quo is nothing if not bold. Wisconsin, he says, faces an immediate $137 million budget shortfall and a $3.6 billion deficit over the next two years. Part of his plan for putting the state on a sustainable fiscal path is to have state workers contribute more to their pensions and health-insurance plans, although they would still pay less than the national average for government workers.
But what's made him a national target of rage—or a hero, depending on your point of view—are his proposals to limit the power of public-employee unions. 'We have to cut money the state sends counties and cities,' he says, and 'the collective bargaining changes I propose will save them more than those cuts by giving them the flexibility private employers have to control costs.'
He's confident his plan will become law."
New Study Shows That Offshore Drilling Could Make Alaska the Eighth Largest Oil Producer in the World
Someday, American citizens are going to demand that the government allow the use of Alaska's abundant resources.
How can we accept being SO dependent on foreign (hostile) oil suppliers, while we have a bonanza in our own (OK, Sarah Palin's) backyard?...
How can we accept being SO dependent on foreign (hostile) oil suppliers, while we have a bonanza in our own (OK, Sarah Palin's) backyard?...
Penny Starr recently reported this at CNSnews.com:
"The report -- by the consulting firm Northern Economics and the University of Alaska-Anchorage’s Institute of Social and Economic Research -- says that developing Alaska’s OCS could produce almost 10 billion barrels of oil and 15 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, create around 55,000 new jobs and produce $145 billion in new payroll nationally, generating a total of $193 billion in government revenue through the year 2057."
