Wednesday, August 31, 2011
"Chart of the Week: Federal Spending on Defense vs. Entitlements"
I just bet that our media has you thinking differently.
That's likely because their agenda is pro entitlement and anti military.
It's as plain as that; and then, there are the statistics as shown here...
That's likely because their agenda is pro entitlement and anti military.
It's as plain as that; and then, there are the statistics as shown here...
Abigail White uses a White House chart at Heritage.org to make this point:
"In recent years, however, defense spending has continued to decline as entitlement spending increased. Priorities are being misplaced as the gap between entitlement spending and defense spending continues to widen."
Government at Work - in New Mexico
Obviously, someone said, "Have I got a deal for you"; however, a significant amount of elected officials must have bought into this.
Of course, in their minds, it's never their money...
Of course, in their minds, it's never their money...
Deab Staley writes about the "rail Runner":
"The train’s $840 million debt costs taxpayers $112,328 a day, or about $40 million a year. And that’s not counting the $68,493 a day, or about $25 million a year, the state spends to operate the train.
All that is for about 2,500 daily riders who contribute $8,876 a day, or about $5 million a year, to ride the rails between Albuquerque and Santa Fe."
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
"Statoil Announces Huge North Sea Oil Discovery"
A billion barrels here, a billion barrels there.
These discoveries have to be a good sign...
These discoveries have to be a good sign...
Bjoern H. Amland recently reported this for ABC News:
"Norway's Statoil has received a huge boost to its reserves with the announcement that two previous North Sea oil discoveries are connected which may represent the biggest find in the Norwegian continental shelf in 30 years."
"Moody's Analyst Breaks Silence on..."
We are in a world of wondering "who or what can we trust?"
The answer is likely even less than "nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see"...
The answer is likely even less than "nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see"...
At BusinessInsider.com, Henry Blodget reports on this, and it is NOT pretty.:
"A former senior analyst at Moody's has gone public with his story of how one of the country's most important rating agencies is corrupted to the core.
The analyst, William J. Harrington, worked for Moody's for 11 years, from 1999 until his resignation last year.
From 2006 to 2010, Harrington was a Senior Vice President in the derivative products group, which was responsible for producing many of the disastrous ratings Moody's issued during the housing bubble.
Harrington has made his story public in the form of a 78-page 'comment' to the SEC's proposed rules about rating agency reform, which he submitted to the agency on August 8th. The comment is a scathing indictment of Moody's processes, conflicts of interests, and management, and it will likely make Harrington a star witness at any future litigation or hearings on this topic."
Monday, August 29, 2011
"Energy In America: Dead Birds Unintended Consequence Of Wind Power Development"
It doesn't matter whether it's a windmill or a bridge or a shopping center.
Human activity is almost always going to bump up against something.
I'm not against trying, but I just don't think we can protect every single thing...
Human activity is almost always going to bump up against something.
I'm not against trying, but I just don't think we can protect every single thing...
William La Jeunesse has this in his recent story at FoxNews.com:
"Case in point: In the Bay Area, when activists in the 1980s demanded a cleaner planet, the state responded with the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area. The state-approved wind farm, built with federal tax credits, kills 4,700 birds annually, including 1,300 raptors, among them 70 golden eagles, according to biological reports generated on behalf of the owners."
"The Hierophant in the Living Room"
Fear has always been used as a motivator in the sales world.
Now, governments have mastered the technique and use it for their own purposes (or their brother-in-law's)...
Now, governments have mastered the technique and use it for their own purposes (or their brother-in-law's)...
Richard Fernandez wrote this as part of his very thoughful article at PajamasMedia.com:
"Oops.
When broadcaster Harold Camping predicted the End of the World would take place on May 21, 2011, his failed prediction was widely reviled by the media. When the fatal day came and went without incident, Camping was ridiculed ceaselessly. That’s natural, because getting blamed for predictions that don’t come true are the occupational hazard of mystics and prophets.
But official fortune-tellers have a special get-out-of-jail card. They can soothsay and be proven wrong time and again without consequence. Like Myers they can be absolutely mistaken by several orders of magnitude and in the sign of his coefficient to boot, and yet emerge with their scientific and academic reputations intact. But the official warlocks are far more dangerous than men like Camping, who was a private individual with a private flock. He at least never spent tax money to prepare for a doomsday which never came. Nor did he use government authority to enact regulations to designed to forestall their fake prophecies.
That’s his bad luck. If Camping had been in the Global Warming rather than the religious business he would even now be making his next prediction before an official UN body. He might even be advising President Obama."
Sunday, August 28, 2011
2011-08-28 - Words of Wisdom
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Ruby Red Tape - WSJ.com
I started out thinking this was a "classic".
Then the "applying for a permit to apply for a permit" sentence caused my brain to kick in, and I realized it just status quo for government at work...
Then the "applying for a permit to apply for a permit" sentence caused my brain to kick in, and I realized it just status quo for government at work...
The Wall Street Journal recently published this:
"The abstraction known as 'regulation' is often invoked as a reason businesses aren't growing or hiring fast enough, and with good reason. Anyone wondering what that means in practice should consult the epic saga of the Ruby pipeline.
Last month the 682-mile Ruby started feeding liquefied natural gas from the Rocky Mountains to the growing West Coast markets. Stretching underground from Opal, Wyoming to gas interconnections near Malin, Oregon, the pipeline is one of those 'infrastructure' projects that everyone in Washington claims to favor. Naturally, the regulatory state ensured that the $3.65 billion project came in 23% over budget and four months off schedule.
El Paso, a Texas-based gas pipeline firm, began the 'pre-filing' process in January 2008, which is essentially applying for a permit to apply for the permit known as an 'environmental impact statement.' "
Friday, August 26, 2011
"Glenn Beck and Larry Derfner Turn the World Upside Down"
I find it interesting to read how people outside of America see things.
Opposing views and different opinions exist everywhere...
Opposing views and different opinions exist everywhere...
Yoel Meltzer gives his view at AmericanThinker.com:
"Although I know very little about either the personal or professional background of Glenn Beck, his recent involvement with Israel has brought him into my orbit. For the last few months I've heard the various accusations and warnings from all corners of the Jewish world -- for some he's a right-wing extremist and fascist while for others his strong Mormon beliefs arouse suspicion.
With these thoughts on my mind I decided, following Dudu Fisher's stirring rendition of Israel's national anthem 'Hatikvah,' to just sit back and hear the man talk."
The Nixon Shock Heard 'Round the World - WSJ.com
Historically, politicians have put their own careers well before doing what is right for America and it's citizens.
That's a history lesson that should be drummed into our heads over and over again, so we don't readily accept their current "snake oil"...
That's a history lesson that should be drummed into our heads over and over again, so we don't readily accept their current "snake oil"...
Lewis E. Lehrman writes about this one in the Wall Street Journal:
"The cast of characters gathered at Camp David was impressive. It included future Treasury Secretary George Shultz, then director of the Office of Management and Budget, and future Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, then undersecretary for monetary affairs at Treasury. At the meeting that afternoon Nixon reminded everyone of the importance of secrecy. They were forbidden even to tell their wives where they were."
Thursday, August 25, 2011
"Did Kerry's Swift Boat Hatchet Man Fake His Own Silver Star?"
Apparently, justice is being served here.
Unfortunately, once again, the biased media failed completely to look into this guy' claims and accepted AND published them profusely in an effort to undermine those who wanted the truth to come out...
Unfortunately, once again, the biased media failed completely to look into this guy' claims and accepted AND published them profusely in an effort to undermine those who wanted the truth to come out...
Scott Swett has the story at AmericanThinker.com:
"Wade Sanders' name will be familiar to those who recall the political battles between John Kerry and the veterans who opposed him in 2004. A key member of Kerry's 'Band of Brothers,' Sanders helped introduce his long-time friend at the Democratic National Convention. The two men had trained together at Naval Base Coronado nearly 40 years earlier, before deploying to Vietnam to serve as Navy Swift boat officers. Like Kerry, Sanders found time to do extensive filming in Vietnam, accumulating footage later used in Kerry's campaign film 'Going Upriver.' Among Kerry's handful of highly-publicized veteran supporters, Sanders was probably the most visible -- and the most virulent.
Most of Sanders' efforts targeted the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group formed by Navy veterans who had known Kerry in Vietnam and doubted his fitness to serve as Commander-in-Chief. While the group was being organized, Sanders was already calling and firing off messages to hundreds of former sailors, pressuring them not to sign up."
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Obummer! by Christina Houston - YouTube
Some people are pretty clever when it comes to making a point...
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"Obama: The Affirmative Action President"
Right On! (Am I allowed to say that?)...
AT AmericanThinker.com, Matt Patterson is actually saying what others have hinted at:
"Years from now, historians may regard the 2008 election of Barack Obama as an inscrutable and disturbing phenomenon, a baffling breed of mass hysteria akin perhaps to the witch craze of the Middle Ages. How, they will wonder, did a man so devoid of professional accomplishment beguile so many into thinking he could manage the world's largest economy, direct the world's most powerful military, execute the world's most consequential job?
Imagine a future historian examining Obama's pre-presidential life: ushered into and through the Ivy League despite unremarkable grades and test scores along the way; a cushy non-job as a 'community organizer'; a brief career as a state legislator devoid of legislative achievement (and in fact nearly devoid of his attention, so often did he vote 'present'); and finally an unaccomplished single term in United States Senate, the entirety of which was devoted to his presidential ambitions. He left no academic legacy in academia, authored no signature legislation as legislator.
And then there is the matter of his troubling associations"
Private Enterprise to the Rescue
THIS is the American way...
The Associated Press recently reported this:
"The Hawthorne, Calif.-based private rocket maker said Monday its Dragon capsule will launch on Nov. 30 on a cargo test run to the orbiting outpost. SpaceX said the launch will be followed by a station docking more than a week later."
"Blowing money in the wind"
I've understood this for a while, since reading about problems in Europe.
It's rewarding to see that others are aware and are actually writing about it.
At this time, wind power is NOT an answer to our energy needs...
It's rewarding to see that others are aware and are actually writing about it.
At this time, wind power is NOT an answer to our energy needs...
Jerry Agar writes about it in his Toronto Sun opinion column:
"The problem, Schnare says, is wind is variable and therefore not reliable. A backup source is needed and that is invariably coal or gas-fired plants. Since the supply of power has to equal the consumption of power, the coal plant is going down and up to keep pace with the wind power going up and down.
That causes the coal plant to act like a car in busy urban traffic, which emits more pollutants than a car sailing along on a smooth highway at a constant speed. It is this reality which Schnare says causes the hoped-for positive effect of wind to be negated, at a huge financial cost to consumers."
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
"Taxing the Rich"
When you see it presented like this, you know how big America's financial issues really are...
Matt Cover has these facts and more at CNSnews.com:
"However, according to the Tax Foundation study written by Logan, even taxing the nation’s millionaires at 50 percent – even eliminating loopholes and deductions – would only reduce the deficit by 8 percent and the national debt by 1 percent."
Government at Work - Spending our money
Actually, I meant "wasting our money"...
This Associated Press story by Kevin Begos and Adrian Sainz was recently posted on their website:
"On some days, the pilots with Great Lakes Airlines fire up a twin-engine Beechcraft 1900 at the Ely, Nev., airport and depart for Las Vegas without a single passenger on board. And the federal government pays them to do it.
Federal statistics reviewed by The Associated Press show that in 2010, just 227 passengers flew out of Ely while the airline got $1.8 million in subsidies. The travelers paid $70 to $90 for a one-way ticket. The cost to taxpayers for each ticket: $4,107."
Monday, August 22, 2011
"U.S. incomes fell sharply in 2009: IRS data"
The less income, the less taxes are paid. I guess that's pretty obvious.
That being said, you would think creating an economic environment that puts more people to work will give governments the money they want.
Duh...
That being said, you would think creating an economic environment that puts more people to work will give governments the money they want.
Duh...
David Cay Johnston recently pointed out some statistics at Reuters.com:
"Average income in 2009 fell to $54,283, down $3,516, or 6.1 percent in real terms compared with 2008, the first Internal Revenue Service analysis of 2009 tax returns showed. Compared with 2007, average income was down $8,588 or 13.7 percent.
Average income in 2009 was at its lowest level since 1997 when it was $54,265 in 2009 dollars, just $18 less than in 2009. The data come from annual Statistics of Income tables that were updated Wednesday.
The average tax rate was 11.4 percent, up from 10.5 percent in 2007, the Internal Revenue Service data showed."
The Media - the New York Times
The Times reports; the Congressman rebuts.
He said; she said?
I'm biased against the New York Times so you can decide for yourself...
He said; she said?
I'm biased against the New York Times so you can decide for yourself...
Matthew Boyle reported this at DailyCaller.com:
"Issa spokeswoman Becca Watkins said the Times’ inaccuracies and falsified implications about the congressman stem from the inaccurate reports of left-wing bloggers. Those include ThinkProgress, the left-wing advocacy blog of the Center for American Progress, and the left-leaning Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
'Beginning with the opening line, the New York Times piece is riddled with factual errors and careless assertions that has resulted in a story predicated on innuendo and not fact,' Watkins said in an email. 'It’s disappointing that the so-called ‘paper-of-record’ has decided to publish a story that is nothing more than a compilation of left-wing blog posts that are easily found by a simple Google search. It’s the same old playbook: Every time Darrell Issa starts gaining ground, the left-wing smear machine goes on the attack.'"
Sunday, August 21, 2011
2011-08-21 - Words of Wisdom
Saturday, August 20, 2011
"Garlic-fed cows combat global warming"
Just in case you missed this...
EurActiv.com recently posted this:
"Cows eating feed enriched with the garlic compound — called Allicin – release 40% less gas without interference to their normal digestive fermentation, according to the research.
Methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and agricultural emissions constitute approximately 18% of global greenhouse gas production, Kenton Hart of Aberystwyth University told Euronews."
Friday, August 19, 2011
"Balusters and Bureaucrats"
I'm not fond of historical societies for reasons such as this.
On the other hand, one better be TOTALLY committed before considering a purchase in one of these areas...
On the other hand, one better be TOTALLY committed before considering a purchase in one of these areas...
At AmericanThinker.com, David Workman uses this issue to point out some of what's going wrong here in America:
"Having purchased an old house, a friend of mine, John, was informed that the house had a number of code violations. Specifically, the railing on the porch, at only twenty-one inches, fell considerably short of the city's required forty-two. This is a safety issue, he was told. Apparently, in 1901, when the house was built, children were only half the size that they are now -- or perhaps twice as aware of their surroundings. In any case, he was going to have to replace the porch railings.
So he did. He found a carpenter, who lathed out new balusters in the same style, which was expensive. John could have purchased ready-made uprights, but it was important to him to keep the porch looking as it had. It was while the balusters were being installed that the trouble started.
The trouble arrived in the form of Joyce, a representative of the Historic Preservation Society. She had noticed that the old balusters had been removed from the porch and was, she said, surprised that her office hadn't been informed."
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Thomas Sowell's Random Thoughts
This writer shares his thoughts from time to time.
I always enjoy them. Perhaps you will too...
I always enjoy them. Perhaps you will too...
Thomas Sowell lists some of recent ones at Creators.com. Here's just one of them:
"Learned scholars still debate the reasons for the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Learned scholars of the future, looking back on our decline and fall, may simply be baffled as to how we could have been so stupid."
Pool - YouTube
Perhaps, this will make the size of the national debt more understandable...
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Obama Social Security Number - Still questioned
If it's not one questionable document, it's another.
There's an awful lot of smoke here for there NOT to be a fire...
There's an awful lot of smoke here for there NOT to be a fire...
On the World Net Daily website, Joe Kovacs included this in a recent post:
"'There is obviously a case of fraud going on here,' said private investigator Susan Daniels. 'In 15 years of having a private investigator's license in Ohio, I've never seen the Social Security Administration make a mistake of issuing a Connecticut Social Security number to a person who lived in Hawaii. There is no family connection that would appear to explain the anomaly.'"
The Media - MSNBC's Ed Schultz
Republicans and conservatives, in general, do NOT get a fair shake in the abundantly biased media.
Here's a perfect example of how they work.
If "The Ed Show" was your only source (and for some, it is) this is the kind of stuff you are led to believe...
Here's a perfect example of how they work.
If "The Ed Show" was your only source (and for some, it is) this is the kind of stuff you are led to believe...
At NewsBustewrs.com, Noel Sheppard caught MSNBC on this:
"Ed Schultz Edits Rick Perry to Falsely Accuse Him of Making Racist Remark About Obama"
"Study: ABC Family has most gay characters"
For what it's worth; a sign of the times...
Whitney Jones recently reported this on the Baptist Press website:
"The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) completed its fifth annual Network Responsibility Index -- a report that grades broadcast and cable networks for the quantity and quality of homosexual characters and issues included in their programming.
ABC Family was given an excellent rating because more than half of its programming included gay characters or discussions about homosexuality. ABC Family had the highest percentage of hours -- 55 percent -- that included gays or references to them. In a year, the network's homosexual content rose 18 percent.
The only other channel to receive an "excellent" rating in the report's history was MTV (2010)."
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Obama Birth Certificate - Lawsuit Update records"
And the beat goes on...
Jerome R. Corsi posts at WorldNetDaily.com. He continues to keep us informed on Obama's (lack of?) legitimacy:
"Taitz pursued action in both state and federal courts after officials from the Hawaii attorney general's office presented her on Monday with a letter refusing to comply with her subpoena on grounds that Hawaii privacy law prevents Hawaii Department of Health officials from releasing Obama birth records to the public.
Taitz has maintained that by releasing his long-form birth certificate to the American public on April 27, Obama has waived all privacy restrictions that would prevent the Hawaii DOH from making public the original 1961 birth records the agency has on file."
“Jimmy Carter Is the best-case scenario.”
Here's a pretty thorough bashing of Barack Obama, coupled with comparisons to former President Carter...
Stephen Green includes this in his commentary at VodkaPundit.com:
"The fact that these policies haven’t worked hasn’t deterred Obama. Just on Monday he took to the airwaves yet again to call for yet more taxes and yet more spending to fund the expanded welfare and regulatory state he refuses to trim.
Obama isn’t just a failed leader. Unlike Carter, the Smartest Man in the Room™ has proven unable or unwilling to learn on the job. Obama can’t recognize mistakes — even though the evidence is as plain as last month’s hideous jobs report. He will continue to demand that reality conform to his theories, no matter what damage he does to this country. He doesn’t doge, he doesn’t weave — he keeps pursuing failure in the face of failure."
Meanwhile - in New Hampshire - "Hybrids trump handicapped"
I agree that the distance is likely insignificant; however, it still seems wrong.
And notice how quickly the politicians jumped in with their agends...
And notice how quickly the politicians jumped in with their agends...
Kimberly Houghton recently reported this at UnionLeader.com:
"NASHUA — Three reserved parking spaces for hybrid and low-emission cars at the new $3.3 million state liquor store are located closer to the store’s main entrance than the handicapped parking spots, causing at least one lawmaker to call the design a slap in the face to the disabled."
"Dashed Hopes: How Obama Disappointed"
Journalists in other countries are writing about Obama much less favorably than in the past...
In Germany's Der Spiegel, Marc Hujer wrote this as part of his article about Barack Obama:
"According to opinion polls, 54 percent of Americans say they have had to change their lifestyle, their American way of life, while a third of Americans say they are furious with the banks, the politicians and Obama.
Obama's approval ratings have plunged, with only 40 percent of Americans now saying they are satisfied with his performance. In April 2009, shortly after his inauguration, some 68 percent of Americans were still on Obama's side.
All that remains of the great hopes Americans and the world had pinned on Obama, inspired by his stirring campaign speeches about change and renewal, is a battlefield of unsatisfactory and contradictory compromises. Obama, who just turned 50 and was once a symbol of youthful change, suddenly seems old and worn out, as gray as his hair has become.
His decline in popularity has also destroyed the hope that Obama could bring new momentum to America and the world."
Monday, August 15, 2011
The Media - In Wisconsin
So they didn't want to publish the good news until AFTER the election.
Isn't that admirable?...
Isn't that admirable?...
Guy Benson included this in his article at Townhall.com:
"Democrats, liberal groups, and labor unions spent roughly $20 million on these races -- an unfathomable sum for off-year, state level races. They were better organized, better funded, and seemed to have a distinct intensity advantage. And yet, when the people of Wisconsin had their say, Republicans prevailed. This result delivers a crushing blow to the left, especially government sector unions, who clung to this recall effort as an opportunity to rebuke Gov. Walker's historic budget fix legislation. Speaking of which, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel will publish a positive editorial on the controversial Republican budget...tomorrow, the day after these elections. How very convenient (via Wisconsin radio host Charlie Sykes):"
Meanwhile - in Canada - "Who's kidding who?"
I continue to wonder where people think the government gets money.
Yes, I know they can just print it; however, that doesn't mean taxpayers aren't paying for it somewhere..
Yes, I know they can just print it; however, that doesn't mean taxpayers aren't paying for it somewhere..
Brian Lilley writes about day care in Canada on the Toronto Sun website:
"When did it become the government's job to ensure you could afford to go to work by paying for your other expenses? I thought we went to work to earn a living so we could afford to pay for life's expenses."
"Saginaw Buses: Fewer Riders, More Overtime"
Here's a small example of what goes wrong when governments and unions manage things...
Tom Gantert had this quote in a recent posting at MichiganCapitolConfidential.com:
"'They are doing more overtime and they have less ridership. What is wrong with that picture?” asked Dave Agema, a Republican state representative from Grandville who has been a frequent critic of transit inefficiency. “Less people are riding and they are spending more. It’s crazy'”"
Sunday, August 14, 2011
2011-08-14 - Words of Wisdom
Saturday, August 13, 2011
"The Conservative Crazy Eyes Cliche & Other Stupid MSM Photo Tricks"
The media has a history of manipulating photos.
Some are actually changed using editing techniques while others are carefully selected split second snippets picked from videos.
Regardless of the method, the intention is clearly not honorable...
Some are actually changed using editing techniques while others are carefully selected split second snippets picked from videos.
Regardless of the method, the intention is clearly not honorable...
On her website, Michelle Malkin discusses the current issue and, in addition, provides quite a few past examples:
"Rep. Bachmann is unabashedly conservative, willing to take both parties’ leaders to task, passionate about her work, popular with grass-roots activists on the Right, committed to reining in the size, scope, and power of government, and yes, expressive. For all this, she must be destroyed.
No doubt the editors and photog will deny doing anything to make Bachmann look bad."
Is Obama Smart? - WSJ.com
Lately, I'm starting to see more articles like this...
Bret Stephens offers his opinion in he Wall Street Journal:
"I don't buy it. I just think the president isn't very bright.
Socrates taught that wisdom begins in the recognition of how little we know. Mr. Obama is perpetually intent on telling us how much he knows. Aristotle wrote that the type of intelligence most needed in politics is prudence, which in turn requires experience. Mr. Obama came to office with no experience. Plutarch warned that flattery 'makes itself an obstacle and pestilence to great houses and great affairs.' Today's White House, more so than any in memory, is stuffed with flatterers."
Friday, August 12, 2011
No wonder there’s so much voter fraud in Illinois: illegal aliens running early voting polling places in Chicago"
Illinois has problems.
Of course, one of our political parties continues to claim nothing is wrong...
Of course, one of our political parties continues to claim nothing is wrong...
Kevin Dujan posts about it at HillBuzz.com and advises:
"One of the ways it seems the Left is gaming elections is by using illegal aliens to run early voting places here in Illinois. They work for cheap, they clearly have no trouble breaking the law, and they’re terrified of being sent back to Mexico or wherever else they are from that it’s assured they won’t ever talk to anyone about the crimes they are committing. They might not even realize voter fraud’s a crime, since in the Third World tampering with election results is as natural as tossing frisbees around on a gorgeous summer day.
If you early vote, please stop doing this immediately. You are taking far too many chances with your vote."
Thursday, August 11, 2011
"GM Confirms Slow Chevy Volt Sales"
It appears that General Motors is much less than honest when reporting Chevy Volt sales and their financial position in general.
And, true to form, the state run media is not (or not allowed to be) interested...
And, true to form, the state run media is not (or not allowed to be) interested...
Mark Modica has the story at NLPC.org (National Legal & Policy Center):
"Another question that arises is why the media is so gullible when it comes to reporting statements made by GM. The Chevy Volt comments are very easy to verify. It was not hard to get to the truth about the number of Volts available, why does the media spread the unfounded hype for the Chevy Volt? Why would the comment by GM on balance sheet cash go unchecked?"
"ExxonMobil’s earnings: The real story you won’t hear in Washington"
Oil companies are constantly beat up and accused of not paying enough taxes...
Ken Cohen gives the other side of the story at ExxonMobilPerspectives.com:
"Over the last week as earnings season has approached, the Democratic Party leadership again talked about removing what they call $4 billion in oil industry subsidies. But what they really mean is that they want to increase our taxes by taking away long-standing deductions for our industry while leaving these same deductions in place for other sectors of the economy. The simple truth is that these are legitimate tax provisions to keep U.S. industry internationally competitive – to keep jobs from being exported to other countries.
Unfortunately, this false discussion about oil industry subsidies also reinforces another falsehood making the rounds: that ExxonMobil doesn’t pay its fair share of income taxes in the United States.
Let me state it unequivocally. Last year, our total taxes and duties to the U.S. government were $9.8 billion, which includes an income tax expense of $1.6 billion. Over the past five years, we incurred a total U.S. tax expense of almost $59 billion, which is $18 billion more than we earned in the United States during the same period."
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
"How Much Money Do the Rich Have?"
"Taxing the rich" sounds nice to certain people; however, it really won't get us very far...
At NationalReview.com, Robert VerBruggen explained why. It was a while ago, but the facts haven't changed:
"Liberals believe, more or less, that once one’s income reaches the 'rich' threshold, they have little right to keep any additional dollars they make. Starting with that assumption, I set out to find how much 'extra' money people really have."
"The debt deal and Obama’s 2012 problem"
I don't always agree with George Will; however, he has hit the nail on the head with this paragraph...
George Will has this and more at WashingtonPost.com:
"During various liberal ascendancies, the federal spider has woven a web of dependencies. The political purpose has been to produce growing constituencies of voters disposed to vote Democratic. This disposition, a.k.a. the entitlement mentality, is triggered by making the constituencies constantly apprehensive about the security of their status as wards of government."
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
"The most powerful man on Earth?"
And this is from the Washington Post...
Dana Milbank writes:
"The first draft of his schedule for Monday contained no plans to comment on the downgrading of the U.S. credit rating by Standard & Poor’s. Then the White House announced that he would speak at 1 p.m. A second update changed that to 1:30. At 1:52, Obama walked into the State Dining Room to read his statement. Judging from the market reaction, he should have stuck with his original instinct."
Small Businesswoman’s Epic Rant Against Obama’s Disastrous Economic Policies
Point made!
Telling it like it is...
Telling it like it is...
Breitbart TV's captured and posted this:
"A small businesswoman speaks out"
"Rating downgrade: Did S&P get it right?"
I find this article quite refreshing in that it appears to be free of bias.
It clearly points out that our elected officials are the main cause of our financial problems, and calls on them to fix the (our) mess they've gotten us into...
It clearly points out that our elected officials are the main cause of our financial problems, and calls on them to fix the (our) mess they've gotten us into...
Jeanne Sahadi explains it all at Fidelity.com:
"'The political brinksmanship of recent months highlights what we see as America's governance and policymaking becoming less stable, less effective, and less predictable than what we previously believed.' S&P said Friday in downgrading the United States to AA+ from AAA.
In some ways, it's easy to see why S&P is so pessimistic. Throughout the struggle to raise the debt ceiling, some lawmakers repeatedly suggested it would be better to risk default and not raise the ceiling until Congress passed a spending-cuts-only plan to reduce debt."
Monday, August 08, 2011
"How Network News Helped Bring About the Crash"
If you've watched anything but the mainstream media on this subject, you already know this.
Our "genius" elected officials decided everyone should have a house, and then made it so; at the expense of all of us...
Our "genius" elected officials decided everyone should have a house, and then made it so; at the expense of all of us...
Andrew Klavan tells the story at PajamasMedia.com:
"To put it in simplified but not inaccurate terms, what happened as a result was this: The Clinton administration essentially gave orders to lenders to give unwise loans to people based on their race. Those orders required banks to adopt bad lending practices. The dangerously easy credit made house prices rise. And unscrupulous sharks on Wall Street and elsewhere rushed in to make a profit off the housing bubble by luring investors into funding the crummy mortgages. Thus the poison of the government-mandated bad loans flooded the system. When housing prices inevitably fell, the system collapsed.
At the center of all this were Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, dishonestly run lenders with government backing and a mandate to make housing somehow affordable to those who couldn’t afford it. You can watch videos here and here to see Republicans, including George W. Bush and John McCain, warning of the coming disaster and calling for regulatory legislation to bring the madness at Fannie Mae under control. The videos also show Democrats — most especially and most perfidiously Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts — repeatedly claiming nothing is wrong.
If our mainstream news media had not been so politically one-sided, all of this might have been prevented."
"Jogger finds 25 bricks of cocaine on Galveston beach"
Here's another article reporting the capture of drugs.
These always make the news which I suspect is intended as a deterrent; however, how much actually gets through is not really knowable, and that's likely quite substantial...
These always make the news which I suspect is intended as a deterrent; however, how much actually gets through is not really knowable, and that's likely quite substantial...
Harvey Rice reported this on the Houston Chronicle website:
"GALVESTON — A jogger on Galveston Island discovered a bag in the surf Tuesday containing 25 bricks of cocaine with an estimated street value of $2 million."
Sunday, August 07, 2011
2011-08-07 - Words of Wisdom
Saturday, August 06, 2011
"Cocaine smuggled in kidney beans, pistachios"
The persistence and ingenuity of drug smugglers is astonishing.
As a result, it seems unlikely the drug war can be won anytime soon...
As a result, it seems unlikely the drug war can be won anytime soon...
Peter Franceschina writes about it on Florida's Sun-Sentinel website:
"The woman flying into Fort Lauderdale International Airport from Colombia on Saturday afternoon had three bags of kidney beans and two bags of pistachios in her carry-on suitcase."
"Report: Obama Administration Added $9.5 Billion in Red Tape in July"
And this is only for ONE month.
Isn't this part of what's going wrong here in America?...
Isn't this part of what's going wrong here in America?...
At USnews.com, Paul Bedard recently reported on some comments by Wyoming Sen. Tom Barasso:
"In a memo Barasso handed out to the lawmakers, he claimed that the administration in July only has put in $9.5 billion in new regulatory costs by proposing 229 new rules and finalizing 379 rules. Among those he cited were EPA, healthcare reform, and financial regulatory reform rules."
Friday, August 05, 2011
2011 MLB Salaries by Team
There's big money in sports...
This info is on the USA Today website:
"2011 Major League Baseball Salaries by Team"
Thursday, August 04, 2011
"Chinese sub Jiaolong sinks to new depths with 5,000-metre dive"
So now, the Chinese are on their way to leading in deep sea exploration.
I've read they also have a moon mission planned.
And where is America? This is really getting sad...
I've read they also have a moon mission planned.
And where is America? This is really getting sad...
This is from the U.K.'s Guardian website:
"Chinese scientists aim to complete the world's deepest dive in a manned submersible in 2012 by going to 7,000 metres (22,966 ft) beneath the sea after a successful test dive in the Pacific Ocean.
The Jiaolong, named after a mythical Chinese sea dragon, reached 5,057 metres, its lowest-ever depth, in a dive in international waters in the Pacific in the early hours of Tuesday, Xinhua state news agency said.
'Such a depth means the Jiaolong is capable of reaching over 70% of the seabeds in the world,' it quoted the head of the diving operation, Wang Fei, as saying. 'It will pave the way for a record-breaking 7,000-metre test dive in 2012.'"
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
"Two of Pa.'s largest charters part of test score probe"
The Atlanta, Georgia school district was recently determined to cheat on standardized testing scores.
Now it's Pennsylvania.
The pressure to SCORE well apparently exceeds the pressure to actually teach well...
Now it's Pennsylvania.
The pressure to SCORE well apparently exceeds the pressure to actually teach well...
Benjamin Herold is reporting this at theNotebook,org website:
"Two of the largest charters in Pennsylvania, Chester Community Charter School (CCCS) and the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School (PA Cyber), are among the 89 schools across the state that are to be investigated for statistical irregularities on 2009 standardized tests.
In all, 10 Pennsylvania charters were found to have 2009 test scores warranting further inquiry, according to a recently revealed state report meant to identify 'potential test results that may have been earned unfairly.'
The rest of the 89 schools are spread over 38 school districts. State Secretary of Education Ronald Tomalis has directed those districts to conduct investigations in all their traditional public schools that were heavily flagged in the study."
"Living high on the VA's money"
This probably qualifies as "government at work" in the sense that OUR money gets spent improperly, and the government fails to monitor it.
In this case, as in many, an external investigation is the only mechanism to bring these things to light.
Government gets the least value for our money mainly because it's not their's, and so, they don't care...
In this case, as in many, an external investigation is the only mechanism to bring these things to light.
Government gets the least value for our money mainly because it's not their's, and so, they don't care...
Renee Dudley and her associates deserve kudos for this story at PostAndCourier.com:
"Some expenses were for the legitimate benefit of the center and the veterans.
Others -- clothing and antiques at high-end King Street boutiques, pricey meals at fine restaurants, rent at her private-practice office -- were questionable. Cook even used the Good Neighbor Center's account to pay her personal federal withholding tax.
For more than 15 years, Cook had managed the 32-bed Spruill Avenue shelter where homeless veterans sought help finding work, obtaining permanent housing and overcoming alcohol and drug addiction.
Officials at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the primary source of the grant money that bankrolled Cook's lifestyle, did nothing to stop her spending. VA officials conducted annual inspections at the nonprofit shelter, but rarely reported more than minor health or safety violations.
VA inspectors' financial reviews were perfunctory and relied on Cook's documentation."
"Hey, Who Wants to Talk About Wisconsin’s Economic Miracle?"
Considering the bias of the state run media, you're not likely to hear or read much, if anything, about this.
It's NOT a miracle, it's just common sense...
It's NOT a miracle, it's just common sense...
At PajamasMedia.com, Gary Wichert has this story:
"Over the past six months, Wisconsin has been nothing short of a miracle. Newly elected Governor Scott Walker and the Republicans in the majority in Madison got just about everything they wanted during the past legislative session, and a state facing a projected $3 billion budget shortfall with no end in sight now has a projected $300 million budget surplus. The amazing successes in Wisconsin have emboldened the legislatures and political leaders of other states, who have seen the wonders resulting from a little political backbone and fiscal common sense."
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
"A New Study Takes The Wind Out Of Wind Energy"
I'm sure we all wish wind energy would be the answer; however, as the writer says, "facts are pesky things"...
Robert Bryce writes about it at Forbes.com:
"For years, it's been an article of faith among advocates of renewables that increased use of wind energy can provide a cost-effective method of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The reality: wind energy's carbon dioxide-cutting benefits are vastly overstated. Furthermore, if wind energy does help reduce carbon emissions, those reductions are too expensive to be used on any kind of scale.
Those are the findings of an exhaustive new study, released today, by Bentek Energy, a Colorado-based energy analytics firm."
The Media - CBS Reporter Norah O’Donnell
Biased. Biased. Biased.
It just keeps showing over and over again.
How can we expect honest reporting from people like this?...
It just keeps showing over and over again.
How can we expect honest reporting from people like this?...
Jim Hoft called attention to this at theGatewayPundit.com:
"The media lapdogs were visibly upset this morning with the debt deal that was announced last night."
Monday, August 01, 2011
The Media- "Presidential flummery and questions left unasked"
Oh my! The media won't embarrass the President.
Somehow, I think that's a big part of what going wrong in America...
Somehow, I think that's a big part of what going wrong in America...
Colunist Hugh Hewitt writes about this:
"The president avoids specifics because the numbers in his world don't add up in everyone else's universe. It is all a giant head fake, a show for the adoring scribblers and broadcasters, something to write about other than the awful reality of a hemorrhaging federal budget.
Rarely have so many reporters done so little to illumine so important an issue. Obama's devastation of the economy is rivaled only by his damage done to the Manhattan-Beltway media elite's credibility."
Meanwhile - in Maine - "GOP leader Webster claims voter fraud"
Would you agree with me that we should have the voter registration and election process under control after all these years?
Apparently not!
There are similar stories all over the country...
Apparently not!
There are similar stories all over the country...
Maine's KJON online has this story:
"AUGUSTA -- Maine Republican Party Chairman Charles Webster said Monday he's uncovered more than 200 cases of election fraud in Maine.
And he says as many as 8 to 10 percent of the out-of-state students he saw registered to vote in Maine were registered to vote in two places.
Maine election law states that, in order to register, a voter has to declare Maine as his or her residence and intends to return there after absences."
