Sunday, July 31, 2011
2011-07-31 - Words of Wisdom
Saturday, July 30, 2011
"ABC News's Deputy Political Director Jumps to Left-Wing Union, the 15th Obama Activist Through the Media's Revolving Door (Updated)"
First of all, there's nothing wrong with this. People change jobs all the time.
What we SHOULD be aware of is the ideology...
What we SHOULD be aware of is the ideology...
Brent Baker recently called attention to it on the Media Research Center website:
"ABC News's Deputy Political Director Jumps to Left-Wing Union, the 15th Obama Activist Through the Media's Revolving Door"
Friday, July 29, 2011
"Spenditol"
As with all drugs, read the label and beware of side effects...
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Government at Work - For and Against?
Go figure!
Try to remember things like this when you hear about governments making laws and running things...
Try to remember things like this when you hear about governments making laws and running things...
World Net Daily recently posted this on their website:
"In what critics call a classic case of the government working at cross purposes, Washington is forcing residents across the country to install mercury lighting inside their homes while phasing out mercury lighting outside homes to protect the environment.
Yes, you read that right."
Thursday, July 28, 2011
"Among the Tax-takers"
If YOU actually pay taxes, this is NOT likely to make you happy...
Earl Wright writes about it at AmericanThinker.com:
"I took a seasonal job with the Internal Revenue Service to get some household cash flow going. We 'Timmy Geithner warriors' were appalled by what we learned.
We generally knew that 47 percent of our population pays no income taxes whatsoever. However, we didn't know, and I suspect that very few of you know, how much of your tax money is actually given to non-taxpayers -- in a lump sum, to do with as they please. Over lunch we joked that half the tattoo parlors in America would go under without Uncle Sam's largesse. Only later I learned that was closer to the truth than a joke."
"There Aren’t Enough Millionaires"
Catch phrases rarely hold up under scrutiny...
At NationalReview.com, Kevin D. Williamson writes about the futility of trying to get more money out of rich people via taxes:
"This may sound like a liberal parody of conservative economic thinking, but let me put it out there: America’s problem is that the rich don’t have enough money.
There, I said it. Let’s rumble."
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
"New polls confirm Obama's Democratic base crumbles"
I guessing you won't hear very much about this in the state run media.
This is rough polling data for the President; however, he deserves it...
This is rough polling data for the President; however, he deserves it...
Andrew Malcolm writes about them on the L.A. Times blogsite:
"Now, comes a new ABC News/Washington Post poll with a whole harvest of revelations, among them, strong indications that Obama's liberal base is starting to crumble. Among the nuggets:"
"The Tea Party, Right About Everything"
When you read stuff like this, you really have to wonder about how smart our elected officials really are.
Don't any of them know what's really going on?...
Don't any of them know what's really going on?...
At AmericanThinker.com, Randall Hoven makes this point:
"The false narrative is that the Tea Party is a bunch of stubborn nuts, if not outright racists. In truth, the Tea Party has been right about everything, while almost everyone else has been nuts, especially the 'experts.'"
"Lying and Cheating in the Home of the Brave"
I'm not always in lock-step with O'Reilly, but I think he has this issue right.
Getting ahead is prevailing as never before over getting it right...
Getting ahead is prevailing as never before over getting it right...
Bill O'Reilly writes about it at Townhall.com:
"Now it's a free-for-all of getting what you want as quickly as possible. Lying and cheating are considered by many to be useful tools on the road to accomplishment."
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
'Buy car, get free gun' offered by dealership
Sales gimmicks are sales gimmicks., but this might not go over so well everywhere...
Mike Landis recently reported at KY3.com news:
"The 'buy a car/get a free gun' promotion, which began this week, seems to be working, according to Lewis.
'I would say that traffic has easily doubled,' he said. 'We have had one negative call on it, but most have been positive.'"
Massachusetts Mess - Investors.com
Former Governor Romney would likely prefer this not be known...
This is part of an Investors.com website post:
"In a study that's likely the first of its kind, the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University near Boston took a look at health care costs in Massachusetts and found that they have increased significantly since RomneyCare became the law:"
"Weekend Rail Runner Service Preserved - for now"
Here's another high-speed rail service that cost a lot of money and can't support itself.
I'm beginning to wonder if high-speed rail is similar to windmills and electric cars; i.e., not able at this time to satisfy our needs and expectations cost effectively...
I'm beginning to wonder if high-speed rail is similar to windmills and electric cars; i.e., not able at this time to satisfy our needs and expectations cost effectively...
Julie Ann Grimm reports at SanteFeNewMexico.com:
"Officials with the Rio Metro Regional Transit District today directed staff to go back to the drawing board and find another way to make up an estimated $1.2 million shortfall in the train budget for the current fiscal year.
Members voted to consolidate late-night southbound trains on weekdays, replace the earliest northbound trains with a bus, and other schedule changes they estimate will save $1.4 million in operating costs.
In addition, Saturday trains will be less frequent in the Winter months."
Monday, July 25, 2011
"The Fed Audit"
The Federal Reserve apparently has REALLY BIG money to throw around.
So big that BILLIONS of waste and fraud seem easily possible.
Now, don't you wonder who owns those yachts you see on TV?...
So big that BILLIONS of waste and fraud seem easily possible.
Now, don't you wonder who owns those yachts you see on TV?...
This is part of enator Bernie Sanders' web page comment:
"The first top-to-bottom audit of the Federal Reserve uncovered eye-popping new details about how the U.S. provided a whopping $16 trillion in secret loans to bail out American and foreign banks and businesses during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. An amendment by Sen. Bernie Sanders to the Wall Street reform law passed one year ago this week directed the Government Accountability Office to conduct the study."
BBC News - Right to self-defence in homes to be 'much clearer'
Considering that the U.K. has so many "nanny state" ideas, I find this to be refreshing.
Hopefully, it's not just political posturing...
Hopefully, it's not just political posturing...
I found this on the BBC News website:
"But the government is set to place people's right to defend their property, long present in common law, in statute law.
'It's quite obvious that people are entitled to use whatever force is necessary to protect themselves and their homes,' Mr Clarke said.
"We will make it quite clear you can hit the burglar with the poker if he's in the house and you have a perfect defence when you do so.'
Asked about what this would mean in practice, he said: 'If an old lady finds she's got an 18 year old burgling her house and she picks up a kitchen knife and sticks it in him she has not committed a criminal offence and we will make that clear.'
He added: 'We will make it quite clear you can hit the burglar with the poker if he's in the house and you have a perfect defence when you do so.'"
Sunday, July 24, 2011
2011-07-24 - Words of Wisdom
Saturday, July 23, 2011
"Arab world’s views of U.S., President Obama increasingly negative, new poll finds"
These poll numbers are worse than when Bush was President.
I wonder how you say "how's that hope and change working for you" in Arabic?...
I wonder how you say "how's that hope and change working for you" in Arabic?...
Jason Ukman has this and more on the Washington Post website:
"Fewer than 10 percent of respondents described themselves as having a favorable view of Obama. The president’s ratings were the lowest on 'the Palestinian issue' and 'engagement with the Muslim world,' as the categories were described in the survey.
The poll was conducted over the course of a month among 4,000 respondents in six countries: Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco. Pollsters began their work shortly after a major speech Obama gave on the Middle East, in which he spoke broadly of his vision in the Middle East and pressed Israel, in unusually frank terms, to reach a final peace agreement with the Palestinians."
Friday, July 22, 2011
"Congress Grills NASA Chief Over Next Big Rocket Design | NASA & Deep Space Exploration | Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle & Space Launch System"
I suspect most Americans took pride in NASA's accomplishments over time.
Now, it seems to have become purely a government agency with layers of bureaucracy and not so many potentially exciting goals and projects.
It probably really IS time to turn stuff over to the private sector...
Now, it seems to have become purely a government agency with layers of bureaucracy and not so many potentially exciting goals and projects.
It probably really IS time to turn stuff over to the private sector...
Michael Wall wrote about it at Space.com:
"Last year Congress gave NASA until mid-January 2011 to pick a design for the rocket, known as the Space Launch System, that will carry astronauts on deep space missions. NASA still has not made an official decision, and members of the House of Representatives' Committee on Science, Space and Technology took Bolden to task.
'We've waited for answers that have not come. We've pleaded for answers that have not come,' committee chairman Ralph Hall (R-Texas) told Bolden. 'We've run out of patience.'
Hall said the committee reserves the right to open an investigation into the delays, but he hopes it won't come to that.
'The White House has done you wrong, but nonetheless you have to answer for these continued failures,' said Hall, whose panel is made up of 23 Republicans and 17 Democrats."
Thursday, July 21, 2011
"'Irrefutable' proof of Obama forgery"
This issue just won't go away.
As the election gets closer, things may get hotter...
As the election gets closer, things may get hotter...
Jerome R. Corsi has found quite a few experts to scrutinize Obama;s birth certificate. Here's one of them:
"NEW YORK – Unless the typewriter used to type Barack Obama's purported Hawaiian 'Certificate of Live Birth' in 1961 was magically capable of producing different size and shaped images with the exact same key, the document released by the White House April 27 is a forgery, says a professional typographer with 50 years experience.
'Steel-stamped letters do not expand to larger sizes and morph into different styles of type,' retired New York City typographer Paul Irey told WND.
As WND previously reported, it would be impossible for the different letters that appear in the Obama birth certificate to have been typed by one typewriter, according to Irey."
Cutting the Budget - in Maine
Some states are finding ways to do it...
Maine.gov has this from their state treasurer:
"Pension Reform Saves Maine Taxpayers $1.7 Billion
One of the big victories for Maine taxpayers were the pension reforms included in the recently passed state budget. The changes limit the growth of retirement benefits for 75,000 teachers and state employees. This reduces the stifling $4.1 billion pension debt to $2.4 billion, a stunning 41%."
Cutting the Budget - in Indiana
It's amazing what cutting spending can do.
A few years of these results could get everyone what they want.
They just have to wait...
A few years of these results could get everyone what they want.
They just have to wait...
You can read this and more at theIndyChannel.com:
"Indiana leaders patted themselves on the back on Thursday because of a bigger than expected amount of money in the state's checking account.
State Auditor Tim Berry said Indiana finished the fiscal year on June 30 with nearly $1.2 billion in the bank, more than 40 percent above last year's finish, when tax revenues were plunging and budget makers were worried that the state would run out of money this year."
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The Obama Administration - certainly NOT fair and balanced
I doubt any government likes criticism.
However, America is a special country, where things like this aren't supposed to happen...
However, America is a special country, where things like this aren't supposed to happen...
This and more from Judicial Watch website:
"Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has uncovered documents from the Obama Department of Treasury showing that the Obama administration, contrary to its repeated denials, attempted to exclude the Fox News Channel (FNC) from a round of interviews with Treasury’s “Executive Pay Czar” Kenneth Feinberg. The documents, which include email exchanges within the Department of the Treasury and between Treasury and White House staff, also provide colorful evidence of an anti-Fox News bias within the Obama White House."
Government Pay Raises--It's an Inside Con Job
This isn't a CON job.
Our elected officials are flat out lying to us.
It couldn't be any clearer than this...
Our elected officials are flat out lying to us.
It couldn't be any clearer than this...
Iain Murray has some REAL facts:
"At the White House Twitter Town Hall on July 6, President Obama reassured the nation that he and his staff share its pain. He said, 'People who work in the White House, they've had their pay frozen since I came in, our high-wage folks. So they haven't had a raise in two and a half years, and that's appropriate, because a lot of ordinary folks out there haven't either.' Unfortunately, the only thing the President was being economical with here was the truth. Most White House staffers have received substantial raises in that time. Sadly, that is symptomatic of how government works in America today.
As soon as the President made that statement, Gawker's John Cook looked at the numbers. He found that last year 75% of White House staffers received raises at a time most workers around the country saw no raises at all. This year he found, 'Of the 270 White House staffers who have been there for more than a year, 146—or 54%—received raises. The average salary increase was 8%. If you look at only staffers who got raises, the average increase was twice that.'
Yes, in the Bizarro World of Washington you can get a salary increase without getting a raise—with a pay freeze supposedly in place. Government pay is literally out of control."
"Revelation: The Arc Of The Candidate"
Of course, Tea Party people are likely to see "The Undefeated" in a positive way.
Even with that in mind, this response may be an indication of something really brewing...
Even with that in mind, this response may be an indication of something really brewing...
Anthony James reported this at TeaPartyTribune.com:
"Another revelation that surprised many theater owners, and the members of the press who attended these showings, was the pandemic phenomenon of the entire audience at virtually every venue rising from their seats and giving the film an extended and enthusiastic standing ovation as the credits rolled. In many instances these ovations lasted between 5 and 10 minutes — an almost unheard of response to a documentary that received no paid national advertising, and was announced and rolled out in barely one month’s time."
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Taxes Upon Taxes Upon . . . - WSJ.com
The part of this article that struck me was the listing of taxes that have already been implemented.
Granted, they are in the future, but they ARE coming.
And I know they are taxes on companies; however, you know who that gets passed on to...
Granted, they are in the future, but they ARE coming.
And I know they are taxes on companies; however, you know who that gets passed on to...
The Wall Street Journal recently wrote about some of them:
"Keep in mind that Mr. Obama has already signed the largest tax increase since 1993. While everyone focuses on the Bush tax rates that expire after 2012, other tax increases are already set to hit the economy thanks to the 2010 Affordable Care Act. As a refresher, here's a non-exhaustive list of ObamaCare's tax increases:"
The Stimulation Of Murder - Investors.com
It appears that the government did something really stupid here.
Now, we are witnessing a full scale coverup attempt.
Some say this could be worse than "Watergate". Wow!...
Now, we are witnessing a full scale coverup attempt.
Some say this could be worse than "Watergate". Wow!...
Investors.com writes about it on their website:
"Scandal: The ATF's gun-running disaster was funded in the stimulus bill. Think about all the criminal and drug cartel jobs saved or created. And our attorney general once bragged to a Mexican audience about implementing it.
This could be, no pun intended, the proverbial smoking gun in a growing administration scandal that deserves as much mainstream media attention as Iran-Contra or Watergate.
Right there in the stimulus bill that no one in Congress bothered to read is $10 million for Project Gunrunner (aka Operation Fast and Furious), which resulted in the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and increased drug cartel violence."
Cook taxpayers owe $108 billion, county Treasurer Pappas says"
This may be an exception, but, somehow, I suspect many other states, cities, and municipalities, have similar situations...
Greg Hinz tells this ugly story at ChicagoBusiness.com:
"The average Chicago household now owes a staggering $63,525 to cover local government debt, according to Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.
Suburbanites are deeply in the red, too, with the average household owing $32,901, according to the treasurer.
Among the biggest reasons: $25 billion in unfunded pension liability."
Monday, July 18, 2011
"The U.S. Treasury will not default"
Here's a very worthwhile article about the debt ceiling limit and what could or would happen.
If you don't believe it's ALL political, you might just have your head in the sand...
If you don't believe it's ALL political, you might just have your head in the sand...
Kurt Brouwer recently posted and interesting Q&A. He closed with this:
"On CNBC last week, Warren Buffett had a very good comment:
'I could end the deficit in 5 minutes. You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP all sitting members of congress are ineligible for reelection.'"
"As Obama hands America’s trucking industry to dangerous Mexican trucks Hoffa bleats like a sheep"
Do you get the feeling that everything is going to Hell?...
Kevin "Coach" Collins shares this and more on his website:
"One of Obama’s most useful idiots,putative Republican U.S. Secretary Transportation Ray LaHood,traveled to Mexico City to sign the 'agreement' far from our gaze as he made certain America’s humiliation was complete.
By ratifying a so-called 'pilot' program to allow Mexican junk wagons disguised as long haul trucks onto the highways we pay for Obama has handed his pal Felipe Calderón another way to sneak undocumented fraudulent Democrat voters all over our nation.
Unless a lawsuit brought by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is successful,within weeks Mexican trucks,many of which are American fleet castoffs,will be found in every corner of our country."
"Island off Alabama coast bursting with birds after oil spill"
Oil soaked birds are not a pretty sight.
That being said, is it possible that the media's depiction far exceeds the actual consequences?
This story sure seems to support that Mother Nature can and does recover from bad things...
That being said, is it possible that the media's depiction far exceeds the actual consequences?
This story sure seems to support that Mother Nature can and does recover from bad things...
Verna Gates has this story at Reuters.com:
"The number of pelican pairs has grown since then to an average of 4,000, but this year looks to be nearly 5,000, Clay said.
"The pelican has made a terrific comeback," said Celeste Hinds, field trip coordinator for the Mobile Bay Audubon Society, which monitors the bird population.
"So far, we have seen very little impact from the oil spill, and we are pleased that it has not affected the nesting habits of the brown pelican," Hinds said."
Sunday, July 17, 2011
2011-07-17 - Words of Wisdom
Saturday, July 16, 2011
"Mystery ingredient in coffee boosts protection against Alzheimer's disease"
Coffee prices are pretty high.
Could it be that it's really a bargain?...
Could it be that it's really a bargain?...
Anne DeLotto Baier, University of Florida posted at EurekaAlert.org:
"A yet unidentified component of coffee interacts with the beverage's caffeine, which could be a surprising reason why daily coffee intake protects against Alzheimer's disease."
Friday, July 15, 2011
Meanwhile - in Oregon - "Study Finds Light Rail System Rarely Used"
Here, the citizens did the study that elected officials SHOULD have done and NEVER did.
The results seem to show that this was a very expensive waste of taxpayers funds, AND the beat goes on.
Governments continue to push and fund grandiose projects that the public is unlikely to use...
The results seem to show that this was a very expensive waste of taxpayers funds, AND the beat goes on.
Governments continue to push and fund grandiose projects that the public is unlikely to use...
the Newspaper at TheTruthAboutCars.com recently posted this:
"The Cascade Policy Institute wanted to verify the claim that the TriMet transit system was able to move more passengers than a standard bus line. The researchers did so by attending five special events where use of mass transit would make the most sense, including the final playoff game for the Portland Trail Blazers. The events were spread throughout the year to examine the effects of different weather conditions on transit use. City officials have never made a study of this sort.
'This is important because transportation planners at Metro, TriMet, ODOT and other agencies routinely make multi-billion-dollar decisions based on travel surveys, computer models or simply their own personal beliefs about how people should travel,' Cascade President John A. Charles, Jr wrote in his report. 'They rarely have any direct knowledge of how people actually travel under specific conditions of time, mode availability, parking pricing and geographic constraints'
The Cascade team counted a total of 47,666 individual attendees, noting how many headed toward the venue from a light rail station and how many arrived by automobile, bicycle or foot. At best, 21 percent arrived by rail to see the Trail Blazers. At worst, the opening of the Gresham Civic Station saw just 2 percent arrive by rail. On average, rail accounted for just 11 percent of the trips recorded."
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Politicians - Governor Luis Fortuno
Obviously, cuts CAN be made if one has the courage...
John Stosel writes about him at Townhall.com:
"Fortuno is governor of Puerto Rico. Two years ago, he fired 17,000 government workers. No state governor did anything like that. He cut spending much more than Walker did in Wisconsin. In return, thousands of union members demonstrated against Fortuno for days. They clashed with police. They called him a fascist
Fortuno said he had to make the cuts because Puerto Rico's economy was a mess."
The Media - MSNBC's Martin Bashir
Clearly, certain commentators want to make Salin Palin look bad even if they have to lie.
If you don't want to take my word for it, just click through and see for yourself...
If you don't want to take my word for it, just click through and see for yourself...
Noel Sheppard reports this at NewsBusters.com:
"Martin Bashir Monday falsely accused former Alaska governor Sarah Palin of calling President Obama a sugar daddy.
Not only did the MSNBC host badly misinterpret Palin's words, he clearly doesn't understand what a sugar daddy is (video follows with transcript and commentary)"
The Media - "Salon Fakes Palin, Bachmann Quotes Blaming Obama for Casey Anthony Verdict"
This should be a lesson for those of you that still believe wholeheartedly in the printed word.
Granted, if you read the whole story at Salon.com, you might figure the quotes were phony; however, it could be easily missed, not to mention the similarly misleading headline.
This is just nasty, dishonest journalism...
Granted, if you read the whole story at Salon.com, you might figure the quotes were phony; however, it could be easily missed, not to mention the similarly misleading headline.
This is just nasty, dishonest journalism...
Kristinn Taylor and Andrea Shea King report at BigJournalism.com:
"In an article published Tuesday entitled 'Casey Anthony: The Candidates Respond,' Salon Magazine smeared Sarah Palin and several Republican presidential candidates with faked quotes reacting to the verdict in the Casey Anthony trial. The faked quotes, especially those falsely attributed to Michele Bachmann and Palin, made their way around the Internet this week, adding to the media-driven campaign of hatred against leading Republican women."
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
"The Sugar Daddy Has Run Out of Sugar; Now We Need New Leaders"
Governor Palin continues to point out what America SHOULD be doing as opposed to what's going on.
No one else seems to have the "courage" to say these things.
I like the "other peoples money" idea.
More power to her. How about presidential power?...
No one else seems to have the "courage" to say these things.
I like the "other peoples money" idea.
More power to her. How about presidential power?...
Sarah Palin writes about America's situations at Facebook.com:
"The same 'experts' who got us into this mess are now telling us that the only way out of our debt crisis is to 'increase revenue,' but not by creating more jobs and therefore a larger tax base; no, they want to 'increase revenue' by raising taxes on job creators who are taxed enough already! As Margaret Thatcher said, 'The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.' That’s where we are now. Hard working taxpayers have been big government’s Sugar Daddy for far too long, and now we’re out of sugar. We don’t want big government, we can’t afford it, and we are unwilling to pay for it.
This debt ceiling debate is the perfect time to do what must be done. We must cut. Yes, I’m for a balanced budget amendment and for enforceable spending caps. But first and foremost we must cut spending, not 'strike a deal' that allows politicians to raise more debt! See, Washington is addicted to OPM – Other People’s Money. And like any junkie, they will lie, steal, and cheat to fund their addiction. We must cut them off and cut government down to size."
"HERE'S A SHOCKER: Republican States Have The Best Public Schools In The Country, By A Long Shot"
Newsweek is inclined to be non-conservative so I find this quite interesting...
Walter Russell Mead reports at BusinessInsider.com:
"Using a set of indicators ranging from graduation rate to college admissions and SAT scores, the panel reviewed data from high schools all over the country to find the best public schools in the country.
The results make depressing reading for the teacher unions: The very best public high schools in the country are heavily concentrated in red states."
"Union curbs rescue a Wisconsin school district"
This is quite revealing.
I'm will to bet that other school districts are seeing or will see similar results.
And don't expect the "state run" media to report much about it...
I'm will to bet that other school districts are seeing or will see similar results.
And don't expect the "state run" media to report much about it...
Byron York reports this at WashingtonExaminer.com:
"'This is a disaster,' said Mark Miller, the Wisconsin Senate Democratic leader, in February after Republican Gov. Scott Walker proposed a budget bill that would curtail the collective bargaining powers of some public employees. Miller predicted catastrophe if the bill were to become law -- a charge repeated thousands of times by his fellow Democrats, union officials, and protesters in the streets.
Now the bill is law, and we have some very early evidence of how it is working. And for one beleaguered Wisconsin school district, it's a godsend, not a disaster.
The Kaukauna School District, in the Fox River Valley of Wisconsin near Appleton, has about 4,200 students and about 400 employees. It has struggled in recent times and this year faced a deficit of $400,000. But after the law went into effect, at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, school officials put in place new policies they estimate will turn that $400,000 deficit into a $1.5 million surplus. And it's all because of the very provisions that union leaders predicted would be disastrous."
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
The Media - "Palin/Obama Paper Trails and Media Hypocrisy"
You would have to be blind not to realize the media's bias on this...
Stanley Kurtz writes about it at NationalReview.com:
"The deafening roar of nothingness emerging from the Sarah Palin email trove points up the media’s hypocritical lack of interest in Barack Obama’s pre-presidential record.
Just as Palin’s emails were released, Slate’s David Weigel pointed out that Barack Obama’s State Senate records are not available."
"Gasoline Taxes by State"
States clearly haven't missed out on taxing gasoline.
And remember companies that pay that tax for their vehicle fleets just pass the cost on to you know who...
And remember companies that pay that tax for their vehicle fleets just pass the cost on to you know who...
Barry Ritholtz has a map at ritholtz.com:
"Interesting map, showing what each state charges in taxes for gasoline, per gallon."
"Pro-Obama media always shocked by bad economic news"
This article is spot on.
The word "unexpectedly" appears frequently in economic headlines.
Aside from the frequent use of the word, what is really frightening is that supposedly knowledgeable experts apparently have no clue about the basis for their predictions...
The word "unexpectedly" appears frequently in economic headlines.
Aside from the frequent use of the word, what is really frightening is that supposedly knowledgeable experts apparently have no clue about the basis for their predictions...
Michael Barone recently wrote about it at WashingtonExaminer.com:
"As Instapundit reader Gordon Stewart, quoted by Reynolds on May 17, put it, 'How many times in a row can something happen unexpectedly before the experts start to, you know, expect it? At some point, shouldn't they be required to state the foundation for their expectations?'
One answer is that many in the mainstream media have been cheerleading for Barack Obama. They and he both naturally hope for a strong economic recovery. After all, Obama can't keep blaming the economic doldrums on George W. Bush forever.
I'm confident that any comparison of economic coverage in the Bush years and the coverage now would show far fewer variants of the word 'unexpectedly' in stories suggesting economic doldrums."
Monday, July 11, 2011
Meanwhile - in Willimantic CT
Citizen journalists are getting pretty good...
"Changing Tides: Research Center Under Fire for 'Adjusted' Sea-Level Data"
This is an interesting story.
I think it points out some of the futility in trying to create policy that is based on measurements of these things.
Clearly, everything affects everything, and when you consider the complexity, it's mind boggling.
To think that anyone or any group really has this down to a science that can justify "adjustments", seems a bit foolhardy (to me)...
I think it points out some of the futility in trying to create policy that is based on measurements of these things.
Clearly, everything affects everything, and when you consider the complexity, it's mind boggling.
To think that anyone or any group really has this down to a science that can justify "adjustments", seems a bit foolhardy (to me)...
Maxim Lott wrote about it at FoxNews.com:
"Is climate change raising sea levels, as Al Gore has argued -- or are climate scientists doctoring the data?
The University of Colorado’s Sea Level Research Group decided in May to add 0.3 millimeters -- or about the thickness of a fingernail -- every year to its actual measurements of sea levels, sparking criticism from experts who called it an attempt to exaggerate the effects of global warming.
'Gatekeepers of our sea level data are manufacturing a fictitious sea level rise that is not occurring,' said James M. Taylor, a lawyer who focuses on environmental issues for the Heartland Institute."
Vancouver rioters outed via social media - MarketWatch
If a security camera doesn't get you, one of your friends cameras may.
It might be time to invest in companies that make masks and disguises...
It might be time to invest in companies that make masks and disguises...
Bill Mann writes about the issue at MarketWatch.com:
"Thousands of other riot pictures have shown the impressive power of social and digital media — good and bad — in tracking down the drunk knuckleheads (and probably a few G20-type anarchists) who trashed the lovely city’s downtown after the Vancouver Canucks lost their climactic hockey game. The riot aftermath is also proving what one caller on Vancouver talk-radio station CKNW caller said last week: 'The Internet is forever.'
If you're a small-business owner looking to promote your business, or yourself, there's a new list compiled by Dun & Bradstreet from which Twitter-savvy small-business people can take their cues. Sarah Needleman has the story.
If you’ve been identified, rightly or wrongly, as one of the rioters in the hundreds of pictures posted online by outraged Vancouverites since the June 15 ugliness 'you could apply for a job in 20 years and all the employer has to do is Google your name. If you’re in one of those photos, you’re out of luck,' noted the Vancouver caller. Current employers of alleged and confessed rioters are also feeling the public’s wrath. (More on this"
The Jobless Summer - WSJ.com
This has a bad vibe to it...
The Wall Street Journal reports this and cites the reasons why:
"Only 24% of teens, one in four, have jobs, compared to 42% as recently as the summer of 2001. The nearby chart chronicles the teen employment percentage over time, including the notable plunge in the last decade. So instead of learning valuable job skills—getting out of bed before noon, showing up on time, being courteous to customers, operating a cash register or fork lift—millions of kids will spend the summer playing computer games or hanging out."
Sunday, July 10, 2011
2011-07-10 - Words of Wisdom
Saturday, July 09, 2011
"PJMedia Sues Department of Defense for Climate Conference Info"
The "transparency" buzzword is constantly being shown to be completely phony.
Our elected officials really don't want to disclose anything at all.
The "Freedom of Information" legislation they have passed has so many loopholes that even when information IS released, it's likely not very revealing.
This case seems quite simple on it's face, so we should wonder what's really going on?...
Our elected officials really don't want to disclose anything at all.
The "Freedom of Information" legislation they have passed has so many loopholes that even when information IS released, it's likely not very revealing.
This case seems quite simple on it's face, so we should wonder what's really going on?...
Patrick Richardson tells this story at PajamasMedia.com:
"Almost three months ago, PJMedia reported the story of a simple Freedom of Information Act request.
Our own Richard Pollock submitted a request to the Department of Defense to try and find out just who was on the four airplanes that flew to Copenhagen for the climate change conference in 2009, how much fuel they burned doing it, and how much it cost. The general thrust of the story was likely to have been “look how much fuel they used going to a conference to decide how much fuel we get to burn.”
Fifteen months later, Richard got back … four blank pages.
After making a few calls and rattling a few cages, we were told that there were many more documents but that the various reporting agencies hadn’t released them yet and a release was “forthcoming soon.”
Two months later still nothing."
Friday, July 08, 2011
"Eight Hundred Days Without A Budget"
This issue seems to escape everyone, but it is REALLY outrageous.
The Tea Party people know it, but the media keeps labeling them as extremist.
Go figure!...
The Tea Party people know it, but the media keeps labeling them as extremist.
Go figure!...
John Hayward asks and discusses at HumanEvents.com:
"Has it really been 800 days since Senate Democrats began failing to pass a budget? Why, it seems like only yesterday. Time flies when you’re watching out-of-control politicians throw around huge piles of money without even the pretense of restraint."
"New Car Engine Sends Shock Waves Through Auto Industry"
This sounds promising.
It appears to be an example of American ingenuity rising to the occasion to resolve a problem.
In my perfect world, government stays out of the way and allows things like this to happen...
It appears to be an example of American ingenuity rising to the occasion to resolve a problem.
In my perfect world, government stays out of the way and allows things like this to happen...
Nic Halverson recently reported this at Discovery.com:
"However, researchers at Michigan State University have built a prototype gasoline engine that requires no transmission, crankshaft, pistons, valves, fuel compression, cooling systems or fluids. Their so-called Wave Disk Generator could greatly improve the efficiency of gas-electric hybrid automobiles and potentially decrease auto emissions up to 90 percent when compared with conventional combustion engines.
The engine has a rotor that's equipped with wave-like channels that trap and mix oxygen and fuel as the rotor spins. These central inlets are blocked off, building pressure within the chamber, causing a shock wave that ignites the compressed air and fuel to transmit energy.
The Wave Disk Generator uses 60 percent of its fuel for propulsion; standard car engines use just 15 percent. As a result, the generator is 3.5 times more fuel efficient than typical combustion engines."
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Update: "IT'S THE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, STUPID!"
As I may have said before, why is "everything" about Barack Obama's past so different from the rest of us?
Hardly a week goes by without information such as this.
Here's the social security number issue in some detail..
Hardly a week goes by without information such as this.
Here's the social security number issue in some detail..
Helen Tansey recently posted on that subject at www.t-room.us:
"With both sides seemingly taking a short pause in the battle for reality, we thought it a good time to provide you with an update on the 'It’s the Social Security Number, Stupid!' front. A lot has been happening with some detail already being reported while other detail has not.
We first caught up with Susan Daniels, Susan Daniels & Associates, on the afternoon of May 21, 2011. Daniels is the private investigator who, after a client’s request, first delved into the Obama SSN and all of the peculiarities surrounding it back in 2009."
"Pakistan Conservatives Condemn Gay Rights Event At US Embassy"
I wonder why we would do this when we could have done nothing...
This is from the International Business Times website:
"Irate protesters in Karachi called the event 'an assault on Pakistan’s Islamic culture.'
According to Dawn, an English-language Pakistani daily, Mohammad Hussain Mehnati, a top official with JI, told a rally: 'We condemn the American conspiracy to encourage [bisexuality] in our country. They have destroyed us physically, imposed the so-called war on terrorism on us and now they have unleashed cultural terrorism on us.'
Mehnati added: 'This [event] shows [how] cruel America has unleashed a storm of immoral values on our great Islamic values, which we’ll resist at all costs.'
In Islamabad, the youth wing of JI, burnt a US flag and shouted 'we are ready for jihad against the US.'"
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Politicians - U.S. Senator Ron Johnson
Tough talk. We'll have to wait and see...
Meanwhile - in Australia - "Government wants help to think of a reason to have a carbon tax"
It's very likely that this issue is similar in countries other than Australia.
Elected officials are passing laws that have unknown consequences.
Elected officials are doing things for the WRONG reasons...
Elected officials are passing laws that have unknown consequences.
Elected officials are doing things for the WRONG reasons...
This is from the Joannenove website in Australia:
"Shouldn’t the government know what the benefits and costs of the carbon tax are before they make it into law? This is looking awfully like a case of 'policy first, justifications later'.
First they promised they won’t do it. Then they do it, and they ask for even more of our money so they can pay PR hacks (introduced to us as scientists and economists) to tell us how fabulous their unwanted plan is — after all, the Climate Change Commission has no purpose other than to advertise the Carbon Tax. Then there’s a $12 million advertising program. But wait, there’s more…
Amazingly, there are now $250,000 grants (how many?) from the Department of Climate Change to anyone who can persuade the public to accept the carbon tax!"
The Media - The New York Times
The New York Times is no longer automatically accepted as accurate.
Their news stories and opinions are scrutinized and criticized when they come up short...
Their news stories and opinions are scrutinized and criticized when they come up short...
Tina Korbe writes about this one at HotAir.com:
"The Gray Lady blew a spectacular bit of smoke with a recent article that suggested shale natural gas production is a shaky investment at best and, at worst, a Ponzi scheme of sorts, destined to devastate those who buy the 'lie' that shale plays will not only produce high profits for companies, but will also provide affordable energy for the country.
The piece — 'Insiders Sound an Alarm Amid a Natural Gas Rush' — appeared in the Sunday New York Times and implied natural gas companies intentionally or even illegally overstate the productivity of their wells and the size of their reserves. The article mentioned by name (among others) Aubrey K. McClendon, CEO of Chesapeake Energy Corporation, the second-largest producer of natural gas in the country. The piece juxtaposed a McClendon quote — 'It’s time to get bullish on natural gas' — with supposed 'facts' that suggest no reason to be bullish exists.
By Sunday night, McClendon had already responded to the inaccurate and misleading article. In an internal all-staff e-mail, McClendon reminded Chesapeake employees of the facts NYT reporter Ian Urbina conveniently chose to ignore."
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
"Reagan's vision lives on in Texas"
Say what you want about Texas; however, the results they're getting would surely serve all of us very well...
Michael Reagan, son of President Ronald, recently wrote at WashingtonTimes.com:
"During a time when most companies appear to be insecure about adding to their payrolls because of the uncertainty surrounding our economy, this country would be wise to carefully study why Texas employers seem to be largely immune to this insecurity.
In short, the Reagan Revolution is alive and well - deep in the heart of Texas."
Meanwhile - in Cheyenne, Wyoming
"Shelf" companies. We learn something new every day...
At Reuters.com, Kelly Carr and Brian Grow begin their story with:
"At a single address in this sleepy city of 60,000 people, more than 2,000 companies are registered. The building, 2710 Thomes Avenue, isn't a shimmering skyscraper filled with A-list corporations. It's a 1,700-square-foot brick house with a manicured lawn, a few blocks from the State Capitol.
Neighbors say they see little activity there besides regular mail deliveries and a woman who steps outside for smoke breaks. Inside, however, the walls of the main room are covered floor to ceiling with numbered mailboxes labeled as corporate 'suites.'"
"Secretary Gates’ Legacy: A Nuclear-Armed Iran"
Mr. Derhowitz provides some pretty good comparisons to make his point...
Alan Dershowitz tags him with this at NewsMax.com:
"As Secretary of Defense Robert Gates prepares to retire to private life — after five years as the head of the Department of Defense in both the Bush and Obama administrations — praise is being heaped on him by Democrats and Republicans alike. Herein a dissenting view.
History will not be kind to Gates. Despite some noteworthy accomplishments, he will be remembered as the single most important facilitator of an Iranian regime with nuclear weapons. Future historians will compare him to Neville Chamberlain’s military advisers who opposed all forms of military intervention against the greatest potential danger of the century: An aggressively armed Nazi German in the 20th century. Gates' legacy will be a nuclear armed Iran in the 21st century."
The Local Government Pension Squeeze - WSJ.com
Think about this; and, then decide where it's going.
Not a pretty picture...
Not a pretty picture...
Steve Malanga reports in the Wall Street Journal:
"While the national media has focused on state budget face-offs between government unions and governors such as Wisconsin's Scott Walker, municipal officials like Mr. DeStefano are engaged in their own budget warfare. Wages and benefits account for 30% of state general fund expenditures, according to data from the National Governors Association. But U.S. Census surveys show that in the typical town or school district, employee pay and benefits can consume from 70% to 80% of the budget."
Monday, July 04, 2011
2011-07-04 - Independence Day
Independence Day is the anniversary of the publication of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain in 1776...
Enjoy your freedoms.
Remember, not everyone has them...
Remember, not everyone has them...
Sunday, July 03, 2011
2011-07-03 - Words of Wisdom
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Government at Work - "Bureaucratic overreach not kids stuff"
We're just nuts.
We enforce things like those described here, while we ignore illegal immigrants and release real criminals from jail because of overcrowding...
We enforce things like those described here, while we ignore illegal immigrants and release real criminals from jail because of overcrowding...
Robert Knight writes about it at WashingtonTimes.com:
"A Montgomery County inspector busted some kids for running a lemonade stand at which they were setting aside half the proceeds for pediatric cancer victims. The charge? No permit.
One of the dads involved got a $500 fine. After a TV station’s tape of the bust went viral, the county backed off, canceled the fine and let the kids set up on a side street. The children decided to donate the entire take to cancer kids.
Although it ended well, the incident became news because it illustrates how bureaucrats can abuse power and bully citizens - even kids.
Along the same lines..."
Friday, July 01, 2011
"Police 'covered up' violent campaign to turn London area 'Islamic'"
Laws are not enforced because of political correctness?
Now, how can that work?...
Now, how can that work?...
Andrew Gilligan writes about it in the U.K. Daily Telegraph:
"Victims say that officers in the borough of Tower Hamlets have ignored or downplayed outbreaks of hate crime, and suppressed evidence implicating Muslims in them, because they fear being accused of racism.
The claims come as four Tower Hamlets Muslims were jailed for at least 19 years for attacking a local white teacher who gave religious studies lessons to Muslim girls.
The Sunday Telegraph has uncovered more than a dozen other cases in Tower Hamlets where both Muslims and non-Muslims have been threatened or beaten for behaviour deemed to breach fundamentalist 'Islamic norms.'"
