How strong is China’s economy? CNN Money's Jim Chanos believes it is about to go into meltdown. Chanos has warned in the past that China was pumping billions into a property bubble that would ultimately burst, but now he may now be proven right. "China’s top auditor said that loose lending standards and a sharp rise in local government borrowing (for building projects, of course) may have created a mountain of debt that cannot be repaid … All it will take is a fall in housing, or some sort of economic slowdown, to reveal an untold number of bad loans." Source
Meanwhile, in Japan...It has been reported that residents in villages 30 to 40 kilometers away from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan have been discovered to have radioactive urine.
Closer to home...The manner in which FBI officials respond to a federal judge’s order will say a lot about the agency’s failures thus far to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request for copies of surveillance video captured April 19, 1995, by more than 20 cameras operating in the vicinity of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. Story
Prince is clueless...While he deliberates over how to accessorize with purple every morning, pop star Prince says burqa-wearing Islamic women are lucky they don't have to worry about making such choices. "It's fun being in Islamic countries, to know there's only one religion. There's order. You wear a burqa. There's no choice." Source
Non-Muslims or ex-Muslims who know Islam’s text in the Arabic and particularly those who know classical Arabic (few people) will tell you that the text is ‘worse’ meaning more horrifying and more deadly in the original classical Arabic than we are led to believe in English ‘translations.’ Islamic terminology carries with it concepts, cultural practices and a worldview belonging to an ancient Arab society. The words translated into English or modern European languages fail to convey the full meaning that would be understood in an Arabic/Muslim society. Story
MySpace is for sale...News Corp. paid $580 million for MySpace in 2005. It was the leading social network at the time but has since been eclipsed by Facebook. Technology blog All Things Digital, owned by News Corp., said the price for Myspace was in the $20 million to $30 million range. That's a huge loss for News Corp.
Planned Parenthood claims that 97 percent of its services are non-abortion related. It makes one wonder then why an organization would jeopardize its existence for only 3 percent of its business activity. The organization seems to have a choice to make: stay the same and lose tax dollars or change its ways to continue forward. If it remains entrenched in its pro-abortion stance, then other groups will step forward to provide those family services that can receive state and federal funding. Source
Leftists hate America. Therefore, any enemy of America is a Leftist friend. That's why morons like Dennis Kucinich go to places like Syria and praise their leaders. Story
Newt Gingrich isn't rolling over and playing dead..."If you are the Republicans you should say we have more people on food stamps today than ever before in history. President Obama is the most successful food stamp president in American history."
My, my, my, just Imagine...John Lennon was a closet Republican, who felt a little embarrassed by his former radicalism, at the time of his death - according to the tragic Beatles star's last personal assistant. Source
Texas is under severe drought conditions and has led to fireworks bans all around the state. Steven Colbert had this to say..."Folks, our patriotic traditions are under attack from the usual lefty pinko nanny state: Texas. They’re cancelling fireworks because it might lead to fire!...That’s part of the thrill!" Ha.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Browsers
Here's the problem.
If Firefox were creating new features that mattered to users, we would be upgrading along with them, exactly as they want us to.
The problem for them, if they choose to view it as a problem, is that web browsers are done. Feature-complete. No one can think of anything to add that anyone wants, because there are no more features to add. Sadly, this happens to product categories. It happened with word processors twenty years ago. Spreadsheets, around the same time. Windows was done when XP shipped. Mac OS, yeah it's done too. I haven't used any of the new features. And by "new" I mean features introduced in the last eight years or so.
Software products have lifecycles. They reach a point where all they need is maintenence. Make sure it runs on new hardware. Fix security issues as they arise. Optimize. (Firefox could sure use that!) Teeny little tweaks that are almost unnoticable.
More here
If Firefox were creating new features that mattered to users, we would be upgrading along with them, exactly as they want us to.
The problem for them, if they choose to view it as a problem, is that web browsers are done. Feature-complete. No one can think of anything to add that anyone wants, because there are no more features to add. Sadly, this happens to product categories. It happened with word processors twenty years ago. Spreadsheets, around the same time. Windows was done when XP shipped. Mac OS, yeah it's done too. I haven't used any of the new features. And by "new" I mean features introduced in the last eight years or so.
Software products have lifecycles. They reach a point where all they need is maintenence. Make sure it runs on new hardware. Fix security issues as they arise. Optimize. (Firefox could sure use that!) Teeny little tweaks that are almost unnoticable.
More here
Department of Grotesque Payoffs
The US Department of Agriculture no longer serves as a lifeline to millions of struggling homestead farmers. In stead, it is a vast, self-perpetuating postmodern bureaucracy with an amorphous budget of some $130 billion -- a sum far greater than the nation's net farm income this year. In fact, the more the Agriculture Department has pontificated about family farmers, the more they've vanished -- comprising now only about 1 percent of the American population.
Net farm income is expected in 2011 to reach its highest levels in more than three decades, as a rapidly growing and food-short world increasingly looks to the United States to provide it everything from soybeans and wheat to beef and fruit. Yet the department this year will give a record $20 billion in various crop "supports" to the nation's wealthiest farmers -- with the richest 10 percent receiving over 70 percent.If farmers on their own are making handsome profits, why, with a $1.6 trillion annual federal deficit, is the USDA borrowing unprecedented amounts to subsidize them?
Some 70 percent of all subsidies go to corn, wheat, cotton, rice and soybean farmers. Most other farmers receive no federal cash. Yet somehow peach, melon and almond growers seem to be doing fine without government checks.
More here
Net farm income is expected in 2011 to reach its highest levels in more than three decades, as a rapidly growing and food-short world increasingly looks to the United States to provide it everything from soybeans and wheat to beef and fruit. Yet the department this year will give a record $20 billion in various crop "supports" to the nation's wealthiest farmers -- with the richest 10 percent receiving over 70 percent.If farmers on their own are making handsome profits, why, with a $1.6 trillion annual federal deficit, is the USDA borrowing unprecedented amounts to subsidize them?
Some 70 percent of all subsidies go to corn, wheat, cotton, rice and soybean farmers. Most other farmers receive no federal cash. Yet somehow peach, melon and almond growers seem to be doing fine without government checks.
More here
Missing women
In 1990, the economist Amartya Sen published an essay in The New York Review of Books with a bombshell title: "More Than 100 Million Women Are Missing." His subject was the wildly off-kilter sex ratios in India, China and elsewhere in the developing world. To explain the numbers, Sen invoked the "neglect" of third-world women, citing disparities in health care, nutrition and education. He also noted that under China’s one-child policy, "some evidence exists of female infanticide."
The essay did not mention abortion.
Twenty years later, the number of "missing" women has risen to more than 160 million, and a journalist named Mara Hvistendahl has given us a much more complete picture of what’s happened. Her book is called "Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men." As the title suggests, Hvistendahl argues that most of the missing females weren’t victims of neglect. They were selected out of existence, by ultrasound technology and second-trimester abortion.
The spread of sex-selective abortion is often framed as a simple case of modern science being abused by patriarchal, misogynistic cultures. Patriarchy is certainly part of the story, but as Hvistendahl points out, the reality is more complicated — and more depressing.
Thus far, female empowerment often seems to have led to more sex selection, not less. In many communities, she writes, "women use their increased autonomy to select for sons," because male offspring bring higher social status. In countries like India, sex selection began in "the urban, well-educated stratum of society," before spreading down the income ladder.
More here
The essay did not mention abortion.
Twenty years later, the number of "missing" women has risen to more than 160 million, and a journalist named Mara Hvistendahl has given us a much more complete picture of what’s happened. Her book is called "Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men." As the title suggests, Hvistendahl argues that most of the missing females weren’t victims of neglect. They were selected out of existence, by ultrasound technology and second-trimester abortion.
The spread of sex-selective abortion is often framed as a simple case of modern science being abused by patriarchal, misogynistic cultures. Patriarchy is certainly part of the story, but as Hvistendahl points out, the reality is more complicated — and more depressing.
Thus far, female empowerment often seems to have led to more sex selection, not less. In many communities, she writes, "women use their increased autonomy to select for sons," because male offspring bring higher social status. In countries like India, sex selection began in "the urban, well-educated stratum of society," before spreading down the income ladder.
More here
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Blago
Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was convicted on 17 of 20 counts of corruption. He is the fourth governor of Illinois to go to prison since 1973. There must be something in the air...
Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, boasts the 17th largest economy in the world. It also owes $9 billion in unpaid bills, with many small-business vendors providing interest-free loans to the state for six to 12 months...$4.2 billion pension obligations owed in 2012...Highest unfunded state liabilities in the nation - over $62 billion...A $1 billion, or 8%, increase in the 2010 deficit projection - to $13 billion from $12 billion the year before...Total state pensions are underfunded by up to $2.9 trillion. Source
Speaking of thugs...Venezuela thug Hugo Chavez is said to be in critical condition after surgery in the Workers Paradise of Cuba. No one seems sure of what the surgery was for. Perhaps a brain implant?
"The Democrats seem to have given up on budgets. Hey, who can blame them? They've got a ballpark figure: Let's raise two trillion dollars in revenue every year, and then spend four trillion. That seems to work pretty well, so why get hung up on a lot of fine print? Harry Reid says the Senate has no plans to produce a budget, but in April the President did give a speech about "a new budget framework" that he said would save $4 trillion over the next 12 years." Source
Timothy Geithner says taxes must be raised on small business so the federal government can stay big. Hiking taxes on small businesses is the only "alternative" that will allow "a balanced approach to reduce our fiscal deficits." Apparently he has never heard of the alternative of reduced spending and budgets.
Former mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, has written a book...The former mayor, who left office last year, also admits in the 330-page paperback that the infamously botched nature of the disaster response led him briefly into a state of paranoia. Nagin writes that he suspected the federal government of trying to poison him, and he believed at one point that the city’s wealthiest, most powerful residents were trying to bug his hotel suite. Source
Meanwhile, on average, 5.4 businesses are moving jobs, work and/or headquarters out of California each week in 2011, compared with 3.9 such moves per week in 2010, says Irvine business relocation expert Joe Vranich. Source
Cigarette maker R. J. Reynolds estimates that its profit on a pack of cigarettes is about 30 cents. But the federal government gets $1.01 per pack in taxes. And the states average $1.45 per pack.
True or false? When Speaker Nancy Pelosi took over Congress in 2006 the national debt was $162 Billion. When she left office in 2010 it was at $12.9 Trillion.
A week or two ago PresidentCarter Obama said that ATM's were putting people out of work since banks need fewer tellers, etc. Now he's saying that "technological innovations can help create jobs and spur growth in clean energy and advanced manufacturing."
Leftists refer to Michelle Bachmann as "Barbie with Fangs". She is an Iowa native who put herself through law school, raised her five children and took in 23 foster children, and has never lost an election for state or federal office. She did lose one local election...a seat on the local school board in 1999.
Female firefighters blazed a trail that few followed...After 25 years, they are still rare in Chicago and suburbs. Story
Things I didn't know...Norway and Sweden became separate countries in 1905 with the split of the Scandinavian Union. And how small are some European countries? Norway only has 4.4 million people. Sweden has only 8.9 million. Finland has 5.2 million. Denmark has 5.3 million. Ireland has 3.7 million. Don't these people fuck anymore?
Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, boasts the 17th largest economy in the world. It also owes $9 billion in unpaid bills, with many small-business vendors providing interest-free loans to the state for six to 12 months...$4.2 billion pension obligations owed in 2012...Highest unfunded state liabilities in the nation - over $62 billion...A $1 billion, or 8%, increase in the 2010 deficit projection - to $13 billion from $12 billion the year before...Total state pensions are underfunded by up to $2.9 trillion. Source
Speaking of thugs...Venezuela thug Hugo Chavez is said to be in critical condition after surgery in the Workers Paradise of Cuba. No one seems sure of what the surgery was for. Perhaps a brain implant?
"The Democrats seem to have given up on budgets. Hey, who can blame them? They've got a ballpark figure: Let's raise two trillion dollars in revenue every year, and then spend four trillion. That seems to work pretty well, so why get hung up on a lot of fine print? Harry Reid says the Senate has no plans to produce a budget, but in April the President did give a speech about "a new budget framework" that he said would save $4 trillion over the next 12 years." Source
Timothy Geithner says taxes must be raised on small business so the federal government can stay big. Hiking taxes on small businesses is the only "alternative" that will allow "a balanced approach to reduce our fiscal deficits." Apparently he has never heard of the alternative of reduced spending and budgets.
Former mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, has written a book...The former mayor, who left office last year, also admits in the 330-page paperback that the infamously botched nature of the disaster response led him briefly into a state of paranoia. Nagin writes that he suspected the federal government of trying to poison him, and he believed at one point that the city’s wealthiest, most powerful residents were trying to bug his hotel suite. Source
Meanwhile, on average, 5.4 businesses are moving jobs, work and/or headquarters out of California each week in 2011, compared with 3.9 such moves per week in 2010, says Irvine business relocation expert Joe Vranich. Source
Cigarette maker R. J. Reynolds estimates that its profit on a pack of cigarettes is about 30 cents. But the federal government gets $1.01 per pack in taxes. And the states average $1.45 per pack.
True or false? When Speaker Nancy Pelosi took over Congress in 2006 the national debt was $162 Billion. When she left office in 2010 it was at $12.9 Trillion.
A week or two ago President
Leftists refer to Michelle Bachmann as "Barbie with Fangs". She is an Iowa native who put herself through law school, raised her five children and took in 23 foster children, and has never lost an election for state or federal office. She did lose one local election...a seat on the local school board in 1999.
Female firefighters blazed a trail that few followed...After 25 years, they are still rare in Chicago and suburbs. Story
Things I didn't know...Norway and Sweden became separate countries in 1905 with the split of the Scandinavian Union. And how small are some European countries? Norway only has 4.4 million people. Sweden has only 8.9 million. Finland has 5.2 million. Denmark has 5.3 million. Ireland has 3.7 million. Don't these people fuck anymore?
Monday, June 27, 2011
Scientific fraud
Stifling bureaucracy is often blamed for discouraging scientists and businesses from participating in the research programmes of the European Commission (EC). But the commission's notoriously cumbersome procedures and rigid control mechanisms have apparently not prevented a criminal syndicate from conducting a brazen fraud that has siphoned off millions in EC grant funds.
Italian authorities and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) in Brussels, Belgium, have confirmed that they are prosecuting members of a large network accused of pocketing more than €50 million (US$72 million) in EC grants for fake research projects. In Milan, Italy, the Finance Police last month charged several individuals in relation to the fraud. In Brussels, meanwhile, the EC has terminated four collaborative projects in information technology, and excluded more than 30 grant-winners from participation in around 20 ongoing projects. Investigations are still under way in the United Kingdom, France, Greece, Austria, Sweden, Slovenia and Poland.
"We don't have any records of [previous] fraud at such a scale," says David Boublil, the commission's spokesman for taxation, customs, anti-fraud and audit. While investigations continue, Italian prosecutors and OLAF will not disclose the names of the suspects, or the research projects with which they were involved.
More here
Italian authorities and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) in Brussels, Belgium, have confirmed that they are prosecuting members of a large network accused of pocketing more than €50 million (US$72 million) in EC grants for fake research projects. In Milan, Italy, the Finance Police last month charged several individuals in relation to the fraud. In Brussels, meanwhile, the EC has terminated four collaborative projects in information technology, and excluded more than 30 grant-winners from participation in around 20 ongoing projects. Investigations are still under way in the United Kingdom, France, Greece, Austria, Sweden, Slovenia and Poland.
"We don't have any records of [previous] fraud at such a scale," says David Boublil, the commission's spokesman for taxation, customs, anti-fraud and audit. While investigations continue, Italian prosecutors and OLAF will not disclose the names of the suspects, or the research projects with which they were involved.
More here
Being wrong
In most careers, being wrong too often is grounds for dismissal. False prophets in ancient kingdoms were stoned or shamed out of town. Only in science, it seems, can experts consistently get it wrong, and not only keep their jobs, but be highly esteemed as experts. Among the guiltiest of the lot are planetary scientists, whose predictions have been consistently wrong for almost every planetary body studied since the dawn of the space age. Their orbital mechanics is solid; they do get their spacecraft to arrive at the right place at the right time with uncanny accuracy. But what the missions reveal is often completely different from what scientists had told the public they expected to. This has been true of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, comets, asteroids, and most of the moons of the solar system, where hasty revisions have had to be made after spacecraft data falsified the predictions.
Source
Source
Saturday, June 25, 2011
from behind
The moment of truth approaches. Obama needs more money urgently. This end of July all the (borrowed) money of the Federal Government is spent. The law sets the debt ceiling at a bit over 14 trillion dollars. Obama is unable to borrow more. He can’t push the US deeper in debt. Very soon, he won’t be able to pay for current expenses. That’s why he’s asking the Congress to raise the debt ceiling with at least two trillion dollars. The Republicans, in control of the House, accept to raise the ceiling under two conditions. First: only if the government is ready to cut spending over the next 10 years with a sum at least equal to the amount of the raise. Second: if taxes are not raised.
On Thursday, the negotiations collapsed between Obama and his fellow Democrats on one side, and the Republicans in Congress on the other side. Reason: the Democrats are only willing to cut some spending if they are allowed to raise the taxes. This deadlock obliges Obama to take initiative, to formulate a proposal. But, he hates making a first move. He prefers to ‘lead from behind’. He likes others to do the hard work. Recent examples of this attitude: Libya, Obamacare, etc.
More here
On Thursday, the negotiations collapsed between Obama and his fellow Democrats on one side, and the Republicans in Congress on the other side. Reason: the Democrats are only willing to cut some spending if they are allowed to raise the taxes. This deadlock obliges Obama to take initiative, to formulate a proposal. But, he hates making a first move. He prefers to ‘lead from behind’. He likes others to do the hard work. Recent examples of this attitude: Libya, Obamacare, etc.
More here
Debit Cards
Debit cards, a gleam in bankers' eyes 30 years ago, have become the preferred method for people to tap their bank accounts, a free and easy alternative to paper checks, live tellers or cash machines.
U.S. shoppers used them 37 billion times last year, making them more popular than credit cards (19 billion transactions) and checks (18 billion), according to the payments newsletter Nilson Report. Another estimate puts the figure at 45 billion debits.
But big changes are afoot that could make it much more expensive for consumers to use the cards. And with concern rising over data breaches, some privacy advocates are recommending that shoppers return to cash or use credit cards, which provide better protection against fraud losses.
More here
U.S. shoppers used them 37 billion times last year, making them more popular than credit cards (19 billion transactions) and checks (18 billion), according to the payments newsletter Nilson Report. Another estimate puts the figure at 45 billion debits.
But big changes are afoot that could make it much more expensive for consumers to use the cards. And with concern rising over data breaches, some privacy advocates are recommending that shoppers return to cash or use credit cards, which provide better protection against fraud losses.
More here
Friday, June 24, 2011
Dumb
President Carter Obama gets his facts wrong again. And they love to say Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann are dumb. Story
Former New York Governor George Pataki is rumored to be thinking of making a run at the 2012 Republican presidential nomination...Yahoo News reports that in Henniker, New Hampshire, last month, he told a town hall meeting: "Every one of you owes $46,000 to the federal government.... This year under Obama, the government will incur a $1.65 trillion deficit. We have a $14.3 trillion debt. What do we have to show for it? Do we have brand new highways, airports? No, we have President Obama borrowing to reward special interest groups today. And it has to stop."
Understatement of the year...Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke confessed he was "puzzled" by the economy’s weakness, "admitting that the recovery was weaker than expected and that beyond temporary factors like supply chain disruptions in Japan and high energy prices, he was at a loss as to what was causing the soft patch." (Hey, Ben, baby, have you looked into Obama's policies lately? You might get a clue if you do.)
Best headline of the day..."Dems Will Not Shy Away from Accusing GOP of Deliberately Sabotaging Economy". Yeah, sure, like it's Bush and Cheney still stirring up shit to make the Democrats look bad. Ha. Somebody needs to get back on their meds.
The Dutch government says it will abandon the long-standing model of multiculturalism that has encouraged Muslim immigrants to create a parallel society within the Netherlands. A new integration bill...reads: "The government shares the social dissatisfaction over the multicultural society model and plans to shift priority to the values of the Dutch people. In the new integration system, the values of the Dutch society play a central role. With this change, the government steps away from the model of a multicultural society." Story
An alleged North Korean police document reported a case of cannibalism, a South Korean missionary group said Monday, a development, if confirmed, that could support what has long been rumored in the North. There have been accounts among some defectors of eating human flesh amid chronic food shortages that culminated in a massive famine in the late 1990s that was estimated to have killed 2 million people. The North has since relied on international handouts to feed its 24 million people. Source
Three cheetahs and a baby impala. Story and photos.
Did you know? A muslim man is allowed to marry a non-muslim. A muslim woman, however, is forbidden to marry a non-muslim. Death may ensue.
14 foot gator killed in east central Texas on the Trinity River. Story and video.
So why do women athletes tend to be flat-chested? Story
Former New York Governor George Pataki is rumored to be thinking of making a run at the 2012 Republican presidential nomination...Yahoo News reports that in Henniker, New Hampshire, last month, he told a town hall meeting: "Every one of you owes $46,000 to the federal government.... This year under Obama, the government will incur a $1.65 trillion deficit. We have a $14.3 trillion debt. What do we have to show for it? Do we have brand new highways, airports? No, we have President Obama borrowing to reward special interest groups today. And it has to stop."
Understatement of the year...Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke confessed he was "puzzled" by the economy’s weakness, "admitting that the recovery was weaker than expected and that beyond temporary factors like supply chain disruptions in Japan and high energy prices, he was at a loss as to what was causing the soft patch." (Hey, Ben, baby, have you looked into Obama's policies lately? You might get a clue if you do.)
Best headline of the day..."Dems Will Not Shy Away from Accusing GOP of Deliberately Sabotaging Economy". Yeah, sure, like it's Bush and Cheney still stirring up shit to make the Democrats look bad. Ha. Somebody needs to get back on their meds.
The Dutch government says it will abandon the long-standing model of multiculturalism that has encouraged Muslim immigrants to create a parallel society within the Netherlands. A new integration bill...reads: "The government shares the social dissatisfaction over the multicultural society model and plans to shift priority to the values of the Dutch people. In the new integration system, the values of the Dutch society play a central role. With this change, the government steps away from the model of a multicultural society." Story
An alleged North Korean police document reported a case of cannibalism, a South Korean missionary group said Monday, a development, if confirmed, that could support what has long been rumored in the North. There have been accounts among some defectors of eating human flesh amid chronic food shortages that culminated in a massive famine in the late 1990s that was estimated to have killed 2 million people. The North has since relied on international handouts to feed its 24 million people. Source
Three cheetahs and a baby impala. Story and photos.
Did you know? A muslim man is allowed to marry a non-muslim. A muslim woman, however, is forbidden to marry a non-muslim. Death may ensue.
14 foot gator killed in east central Texas on the Trinity River. Story and video.
So why do women athletes tend to be flat-chested? Story
HOA's
Homeowners’ Associations ("HOAs") are losing money due to the high numbers of foreclosures and are scrambling to make up for it by assessing additional fees on the remaining homeowners. Banks are taking longer to foreclose on homes, leaving homes in limbo for months on end with no monthly fees coming in to the HOAs. 13 percent of homes nationwide are vacant, and in some states the vacancy rate is as high as 22 percent. To compensate, HOAs are acting like private investigators, even peering into homeowners’ yards daily until one weed pops its head up, then nailing homeowners with fines. Some HOAs are backdating letters, then dishonestly mailing them out later telling homeowners they have only a couple of days to respond to the backdate when the law actually says the time runs from the date the homeowner received the letter (this recently happened to me). Most homeowners do not have enough time nor knowledge to figure out how to respond adequately within a couple of days, so they end up paying extra fines. Another ploy of HOAs to generate money is to send letters to homeowners telling them the paint on their home must be redone, when the paint looks fine (this also happened to me).
More here
More here
Poll
A new Rasmussen poll...67 percent of likely U.S. voters believe that reporters try to bolster their preferred candidate when covering an election, while 46 percent believe that the average reporter is more liberal than they are, according to the national telephone survey.
Only 21 percent of respondents, on the other hand, have faith that journalists are fair and balanced in their coverage, and 18 percent find the fourth estate's political leanings to be more conservative than their own.
Among the other findings:
- 48 percent of voters believe most reporters would "hide any damaging information they learned to help the candidate they wanted to win."
- Meanwhile, Republicans (59 percent) and unaffiliated voters (58 percent) "feel much more strongly than Democrats that most reporters ... would hold back news that might hurt a candidate they wanted to win."
- 78 percent of conservatives think the average reporter is more liberal than they are, while 38 percent of liberals think the average reporter is more conservative than they are.
- 73 percent of Republican voters versus 20 percent of Democrats say the average reporter is more liberal than they are.
- Male voters are more skeptical of reporters' integrity than female voters are.
Source
Only 21 percent of respondents, on the other hand, have faith that journalists are fair and balanced in their coverage, and 18 percent find the fourth estate's political leanings to be more conservative than their own.
Among the other findings:
- 48 percent of voters believe most reporters would "hide any damaging information they learned to help the candidate they wanted to win."
- Meanwhile, Republicans (59 percent) and unaffiliated voters (58 percent) "feel much more strongly than Democrats that most reporters ... would hold back news that might hurt a candidate they wanted to win."
- 78 percent of conservatives think the average reporter is more liberal than they are, while 38 percent of liberals think the average reporter is more conservative than they are.
- 73 percent of Republican voters versus 20 percent of Democrats say the average reporter is more liberal than they are.
- Male voters are more skeptical of reporters' integrity than female voters are.
Source
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Open borders
Question of the day...Arizona Sheriff Paul Babeu of Pinal County wonders why we have 28,500 troops on the border between North and South Korea but our borders are open to illegal immigrants, human traffickers, drug smugglers, and potential terrorists.
Elsewhere, in Europe. A win for free speech...A Dutch court on Thursday acquitted populist politician Geert Wilders of charges of inciting hatred against Muslims.... Story (Isn't all political activity hateful and offensive to those on the other side? Why should it be illegal?)
Is this how modern day Leftists would have written the Declaration of Independence?... "We hold these truths to be revealed after careful study by Ivy League-educated people, that all men are in need of constant care and supervision, that they are endowed by the highly-educated intellectual class with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are free Health Care, strict and expansive Regulations on all activities, and the pursuit of Big Government." Source
This week the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stupendous decision. The Court unanimously held that not just states but individuals have standing to challenge federal laws as violations of state sovereignty under the 10th Amendment. This will have broad and longstanding implications for the direction of this country. Story
For the 4th time..."U.S. officials say Pakistan has apparently tipped off militants at two more bomb-building factories in its tribal areas, giving the terror suspects time to flee, after U.S. intelligence shared the locations with the Pakistani government." Source (Who needs enemies with friends like this?)
This is what most people are thinking..."NATO today is simply a bureaucracy looking for a reason to justify its existence. The alliance (such that it is) attacks Libya for reasons obscure, which then prompts an alliance member to request the same NATO to protect its shores from Libyan bombing refugees. But you can't really think about any of it, otherwise confusion sets in." Source
Marilyn Monroe...She wasn’t a "little girl lost" in the least. She was a lascivious, wanton woman who connived to use her body in advancing her career. She enjoyed being an object and manipulated it to her full advantage. She used men as much, or more, than they ever used her. Source
Nighttime photo of last rollout of the space shuttle. Here
Ken to Barbie..."Barbie, it's over. I don't date girls that are into deforestation." Story
In Obama’s final ad of the 2008 presidential campaign he asked, "Are you better off now than your were 4 years ago?"
Well, are you?
Elsewhere, in Europe. A win for free speech...A Dutch court on Thursday acquitted populist politician Geert Wilders of charges of inciting hatred against Muslims.... Story (Isn't all political activity hateful and offensive to those on the other side? Why should it be illegal?)
Is this how modern day Leftists would have written the Declaration of Independence?... "We hold these truths to be revealed after careful study by Ivy League-educated people, that all men are in need of constant care and supervision, that they are endowed by the highly-educated intellectual class with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are free Health Care, strict and expansive Regulations on all activities, and the pursuit of Big Government." Source
This week the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stupendous decision. The Court unanimously held that not just states but individuals have standing to challenge federal laws as violations of state sovereignty under the 10th Amendment. This will have broad and longstanding implications for the direction of this country. Story
For the 4th time..."U.S. officials say Pakistan has apparently tipped off militants at two more bomb-building factories in its tribal areas, giving the terror suspects time to flee, after U.S. intelligence shared the locations with the Pakistani government." Source (Who needs enemies with friends like this?)
This is what most people are thinking..."NATO today is simply a bureaucracy looking for a reason to justify its existence. The alliance (such that it is) attacks Libya for reasons obscure, which then prompts an alliance member to request the same NATO to protect its shores from Libyan bombing refugees. But you can't really think about any of it, otherwise confusion sets in." Source
Marilyn Monroe...She wasn’t a "little girl lost" in the least. She was a lascivious, wanton woman who connived to use her body in advancing her career. She enjoyed being an object and manipulated it to her full advantage. She used men as much, or more, than they ever used her. Source
Nighttime photo of last rollout of the space shuttle. Here
Ken to Barbie..."Barbie, it's over. I don't date girls that are into deforestation." Story
In Obama’s final ad of the 2008 presidential campaign he asked, "Are you better off now than your were 4 years ago?"
Well, are you?
Food stamps
Perhaps the biggest fraud of all is the notion, which the USDA has been touting lately, that the food-stamp program is a nutrition program. (The program's name was formally changed in the 2008 farm bill to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program—SNAP—to make it sound more wholesome and attractive.) What is really does is boost caloric intake, which is why numerous studies (including a 2009 Ohio State University report) link food stamps to the worsening obesity epidemic among low-income Americans.
The USDA has vetoed all proposals from local or state governments to prevent food stamps from being used for junk food. With the feds' approval, food stamps are increasingly being redeemed at fast-food restaurants—one of the primary culprits in ballooning American bellies.
But the Obama administration doesn't deserve all the blame. Food-stamp enrollment surged before Mr. Obama took office. The number of food-stamp recipients on George W. Bush's watch rose by more than 50%, even before the recession hit in 2007. As Slate reporter Annie Lowrey wrote for the online magazine last December, President Bush and his food-stamp chief Eric Bost "went on a quiet crusade to expand eligibility, increase enrollment, and reduce stigma around nutrition aid."
H.L. Mencken quipped that the New Deal divided America into "those who work for a living and those who vote for a living." The explosion in the number of food-stamp recipients tilts the political playing field in favor of big government. The more people who become government dependents, the more likely that democracy will become a conspiracy against self-reliance.
More here
Related story...
Detectives in Polk County (Florida) recently busted the largest heroin trafficking operation in the county's history, according to Sheriff Grady Judd..."He's from the Dominican Republic and he's not a citizen of the United States." Perhaps the biggest bombshell of all, Bergen and a handful of others in the operation were on food stamps. In addition to raking in tens of thousands of dollars in drug money, Bergen got $900 every month from the government. Source
The USDA has vetoed all proposals from local or state governments to prevent food stamps from being used for junk food. With the feds' approval, food stamps are increasingly being redeemed at fast-food restaurants—one of the primary culprits in ballooning American bellies.
But the Obama administration doesn't deserve all the blame. Food-stamp enrollment surged before Mr. Obama took office. The number of food-stamp recipients on George W. Bush's watch rose by more than 50%, even before the recession hit in 2007. As Slate reporter Annie Lowrey wrote for the online magazine last December, President Bush and his food-stamp chief Eric Bost "went on a quiet crusade to expand eligibility, increase enrollment, and reduce stigma around nutrition aid."
H.L. Mencken quipped that the New Deal divided America into "those who work for a living and those who vote for a living." The explosion in the number of food-stamp recipients tilts the political playing field in favor of big government. The more people who become government dependents, the more likely that democracy will become a conspiracy against self-reliance.
More here
Related story...
Detectives in Polk County (Florida) recently busted the largest heroin trafficking operation in the county's history, according to Sheriff Grady Judd..."He's from the Dominican Republic and he's not a citizen of the United States." Perhaps the biggest bombshell of all, Bergen and a handful of others in the operation were on food stamps. In addition to raking in tens of thousands of dollars in drug money, Bergen got $900 every month from the government. Source
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
2.1 million new jobs
True or False?...President Carter Obama says...We are obviously going through one of the toughest periods in American history. We went through the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, and immediately after being elected, I had to take a series of very difficult steps to rescue ourselves from the brink. We had lost 4 million jobs in the six months before I was sworn in; lost another 4 million during the period probably six months after I was elected...Over the last 15 months we’ve created over 2.1 million private sector jobs.
Elsewhere, from the Pacific northwest...Because a 21-year-old man was caught on a security camera urinating into a city reservoir, Oregon's biggest city is sending 8 million gallons of treated drinking water down the drain. Portland officials defended the decision Monday, saying they didn't want to send city residents water laced, however infinitesimally, with urine. The reservoirs are drained twice a year for cleaning, and workers have found animal carcasses, paint cans, construction material, fireworks debris and even the plastic bags people use to scoop up after their dogs, said David Shaff, administrator of the city water bureau. Story
Meanwhile in Britain..."The day will come when David Cameron and Barrack Obama will be on their knees, giving us, the Muslims, the jizya. That’s right. Believe me, the day will come when even Queen Elizabeth will wear the niqab and the burqa." Story
Closer to home...It's official. Wiener's resignation is effective Tuesday night at midnight. His signature looks like a semen taking a dump. Source
Kevin Jennings, Obama's Safe Schools Czar, has resigned. He's a sicko who should never have been in any position of authority. "Spit or swallow," indeed. Story
Leftists are starting to worry about 2012. Last year Republicans added 63 House seats, seven Senate seats, and six governors. If the economy doesn't improve the Democrats are toast. Suck it up, leftards.
When does a nation begin dying? When non-compliance becomes the norm...New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran has turned over a staggering 64,000 cases of possible voter fraud to the state Department of Public Safety for investigation. That’s more than 10 percent of the 607,000 people who voted in the 2010 general election in the state...At a legislative hearing earlier this year, Duran said 117 foreign nationals had managed to register to vote, and at least 37 of them actually did cast ballots in the election. Story
America is a welfare state, just not everyone knows it yet. Story
Jon Huntsman declared his candidacy for president. (Yawn) Sorry, Jon, you're going nowhere. We've already got too many RINO's running as it is. Maybe you're angling for a cabinet position?
Mitt Romney is quoted as saying..."I am pro-life and believe that abortion should be limited to only instances of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. I support the reversal of Roe v. Wade, because it is bad law and bad medicine. Roe was a misguided ruling that was a result of a small group of activist federal judges legislating from the bench."
Greece is bankrupt. They need a loan of 110 billion Euros to survive. Greece's debt in December stood at $340 billion Euros while their annual income is only around $40 billion Euros per year. Do the math.
Reuters gives us our daily alarmist story..."Life in the oceans is at imminent risk of the worst spate of extinctions in millions of years due to threats such as climate change and over-fishing."
Leftists are so hung up on "alternative energy" that they disregard promises made by Obama to bankrupt the coal industry and to get ready for skyrocketing energy prices as he discourages all new fossil fuel production. Will people finally notice in 2012?
I will.
Elsewhere, from the Pacific northwest...Because a 21-year-old man was caught on a security camera urinating into a city reservoir, Oregon's biggest city is sending 8 million gallons of treated drinking water down the drain. Portland officials defended the decision Monday, saying they didn't want to send city residents water laced, however infinitesimally, with urine. The reservoirs are drained twice a year for cleaning, and workers have found animal carcasses, paint cans, construction material, fireworks debris and even the plastic bags people use to scoop up after their dogs, said David Shaff, administrator of the city water bureau. Story
Meanwhile in Britain..."The day will come when David Cameron and Barrack Obama will be on their knees, giving us, the Muslims, the jizya. That’s right. Believe me, the day will come when even Queen Elizabeth will wear the niqab and the burqa." Story
Closer to home...It's official. Wiener's resignation is effective Tuesday night at midnight. His signature looks like a semen taking a dump. Source
Kevin Jennings, Obama's Safe Schools Czar, has resigned. He's a sicko who should never have been in any position of authority. "Spit or swallow," indeed. Story
Leftists are starting to worry about 2012. Last year Republicans added 63 House seats, seven Senate seats, and six governors. If the economy doesn't improve the Democrats are toast. Suck it up, leftards.
When does a nation begin dying? When non-compliance becomes the norm...New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran has turned over a staggering 64,000 cases of possible voter fraud to the state Department of Public Safety for investigation. That’s more than 10 percent of the 607,000 people who voted in the 2010 general election in the state...At a legislative hearing earlier this year, Duran said 117 foreign nationals had managed to register to vote, and at least 37 of them actually did cast ballots in the election. Story
America is a welfare state, just not everyone knows it yet. Story
Jon Huntsman declared his candidacy for president. (Yawn) Sorry, Jon, you're going nowhere. We've already got too many RINO's running as it is. Maybe you're angling for a cabinet position?
Mitt Romney is quoted as saying..."I am pro-life and believe that abortion should be limited to only instances of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. I support the reversal of Roe v. Wade, because it is bad law and bad medicine. Roe was a misguided ruling that was a result of a small group of activist federal judges legislating from the bench."
Greece is bankrupt. They need a loan of 110 billion Euros to survive. Greece's debt in December stood at $340 billion Euros while their annual income is only around $40 billion Euros per year. Do the math.
Reuters gives us our daily alarmist story..."Life in the oceans is at imminent risk of the worst spate of extinctions in millions of years due to threats such as climate change and over-fishing."
Leftists are so hung up on "alternative energy" that they disregard promises made by Obama to bankrupt the coal industry and to get ready for skyrocketing energy prices as he discourages all new fossil fuel production. Will people finally notice in 2012?
I will.
Tree of Life
Terrence Malick's movie The Tree of Life (starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, and Jessica Chastain) begins and ends boringly, but is pretty good (if plotless) in the middle. A movie theatre in Bologna, Italy managed to get the reels of film in the wrong order and showed a jumbled up version for nine nights in a row, to no complaints and, indeed, to applause from ticket-buyers....
Source
Source
Obamacare provision
Page 58 and 59...The government will have real-time access to an individual's bank account and will have the authority to make electronic fund transfers from those accounts.
Source
Source
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Creeping sharia
Muslim leaders are planning to break away from the Scottish education system and create their own schools because the current curriculum does not include enough about Islam.
The Sunday Express has learned parents are angry their children are not being given schooling according to their religious beliefs and claim teachers are even promoting "unIslamic principles and behaviours".
Some have even threatened legal action to force councils to open state-funded faith schools at taxpayers’ expense....
Source
The Sunday Express has learned parents are angry their children are not being given schooling according to their religious beliefs and claim teachers are even promoting "unIslamic principles and behaviours".
Some have even threatened legal action to force councils to open state-funded faith schools at taxpayers’ expense....
Source
Declining to lead
Follower in Chief...
We’ve had strong presidents and weak presidents, skillful presidents and incompetent presidents, mediocre presidents and just plain poor presidents. Barack Obama stands alone as the first president who simply declines to lead.
On almost every major issue since he took office in January 2009, Obama has dumped responsibility on someone else, merely paid lip service, or let the issue quietly fade away. Just this year, the issues that have gotten the no-leadership treatment from Obama include: the deficit, the debt, Medicare, Social Security, Medi-caid, energy, corporate taxes, medical liability, immigration, and Libya.
More here
We’ve had strong presidents and weak presidents, skillful presidents and incompetent presidents, mediocre presidents and just plain poor presidents. Barack Obama stands alone as the first president who simply declines to lead.
On almost every major issue since he took office in January 2009, Obama has dumped responsibility on someone else, merely paid lip service, or let the issue quietly fade away. Just this year, the issues that have gotten the no-leadership treatment from Obama include: the deficit, the debt, Medicare, Social Security, Medi-caid, energy, corporate taxes, medical liability, immigration, and Libya.
More here
Monday, June 20, 2011
Bathtub murders
Ten years ago today, Andrea Yates drowned her five children, ages 6 months to 7 years, one by one in the bathtub of the family's Clear Lake home. The 36-year-old mother suffered from postpartum psychosis, the most severe but rarest form of postpartum depression.
Story
A reader calling herself Ramada commented on the story..."Her husband should be in jail for forcing all those pregnancies on her knowing that she was mentally ill. But he is re-married and probably has another litter of children. He has a lot of resposibility in those murders."
(Men's prisons are full of men that are mentally ill. But somehow the reader absolves the woman of murdering her children and blames the husband. This is what Leftists do best.)
Another reader commented..."Amen Ramada! When can we get a law passed that punishes those like Rusty Yates who still believe in the right to keep their wife barefoot and pregnant? What she did was horrific! No doubt. BUT his views on women are ARCHAIC!"
(She too shifts the blame onto the man. As if he was a psychiatrist and could have avoided this crime by keeping his dick in his pants. Pathetic.)
Story
A reader calling herself Ramada commented on the story..."Her husband should be in jail for forcing all those pregnancies on her knowing that she was mentally ill. But he is re-married and probably has another litter of children. He has a lot of resposibility in those murders."
(Men's prisons are full of men that are mentally ill. But somehow the reader absolves the woman of murdering her children and blames the husband. This is what Leftists do best.)
Another reader commented..."Amen Ramada! When can we get a law passed that punishes those like Rusty Yates who still believe in the right to keep their wife barefoot and pregnant? What she did was horrific! No doubt. BUT his views on women are ARCHAIC!"
(She too shifts the blame onto the man. As if he was a psychiatrist and could have avoided this crime by keeping his dick in his pants. Pathetic.)
Unnatural selection
Mara Hvistendahl is worried about girls. Not in any political, moral or cultural sense but as an existential matter. She is right to be. In China, India and numerous other countries (both developing and developed), there are many more men than women, the result of systematic campaigns against baby girls. In "Unnatural Selection," Ms. Hvistendahl reports on this gender imbalance: what it is, how it came to be and what it means for the future.
In nature, 105 boys are born for every 100 girls. This ratio is biologically ironclad. Between 104 and 106 is the normal range, and that's as far as the natural window goes. Any other number is the result of unnatural events.
Yet today in India there are 112 boys born for every 100 girls. In China, the number is 121—though plenty of Chinese towns are over the 150 mark. China's and India's populations are mammoth enough that their outlying sex ratios have skewed the global average to a biologically impossible 107. But the imbalance is not only in Asia. Azerbaijan stands at 115, Georgia at 118 and Armenia at 120.
What is causing the skewed ratio: abortion. If the male number in the sex ratio is above 106, it means that couples are having abortions when they find out the mother is carrying a girl. By Ms. Hvistendahl's counting, there have been so many sex-selective abortions in the past three decades that 163 million girls, who by biological averages should have been born, are missing from the world. Moral horror aside, this is likely to be of very large consequence.
More here
In nature, 105 boys are born for every 100 girls. This ratio is biologically ironclad. Between 104 and 106 is the normal range, and that's as far as the natural window goes. Any other number is the result of unnatural events.
Yet today in India there are 112 boys born for every 100 girls. In China, the number is 121—though plenty of Chinese towns are over the 150 mark. China's and India's populations are mammoth enough that their outlying sex ratios have skewed the global average to a biologically impossible 107. But the imbalance is not only in Asia. Azerbaijan stands at 115, Georgia at 118 and Armenia at 120.
What is causing the skewed ratio: abortion. If the male number in the sex ratio is above 106, it means that couples are having abortions when they find out the mother is carrying a girl. By Ms. Hvistendahl's counting, there have been so many sex-selective abortions in the past three decades that 163 million girls, who by biological averages should have been born, are missing from the world. Moral horror aside, this is likely to be of very large consequence.
More here
Is he running?
Republican activists have waited all week to see a front-running presidential candidate. When Texas Gov. Rick Perry took the stage Saturday, they may have finally gotten their glimpse.
In a 20-minute address to about 2,000 activists at the Republican Leadership Conference, Perry decried the Obama administration and even Republicans he blamed for "apologizing" while touting his own record with remarks that sounded conspicuously like a stump speech.
"This administration in Washington that's in power now clearly believes that government is not only the answer to every need, but it's the most qualified to make the most central decisions for every American in every area," Perry said. He called Obama's approach to the economy "an affront to every freedom-loving American and a threat to every private sector job in this country."
More here
Quote from elsewhere..."Our loudest opponents on the left are never going to like us, so let's quit trying to curry favor with them," Mr. Perry said.
In a 20-minute address to about 2,000 activists at the Republican Leadership Conference, Perry decried the Obama administration and even Republicans he blamed for "apologizing" while touting his own record with remarks that sounded conspicuously like a stump speech.
"This administration in Washington that's in power now clearly believes that government is not only the answer to every need, but it's the most qualified to make the most central decisions for every American in every area," Perry said. He called Obama's approach to the economy "an affront to every freedom-loving American and a threat to every private sector job in this country."
More here
Quote from elsewhere..."Our loudest opponents on the left are never going to like us, so let's quit trying to curry favor with them," Mr. Perry said.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Huma
Was Huma Abedin — wife of Anthony Weiner and deputy chief of staff to Hillary Clinton — unaware that her mother was reported as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood? Did Western media miss what has been revealed in several Arab newspapers and left secret in American government circles? Story
Elsewhere, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) ripped President Obama while giving credit to former President George W. Bush for asking Congress to authorize the war in Iraq. The anti-war Democrat, criticizing Obama’s handling of the conflict in Libya, noted that Bush formally consulted Congress on the Iraq war in 2002. "President Bush came to Congress…President Obama doesn’t feel like he needs to come to Congress." Source
How about a guy who joins the Army and is now against war? You'd think he would have gone into the priesthood? Or be a porn star? Kindergarten teacher? Anything but the Army. Story
Ha Ha. Bill Ayers denied entry into Canada. Source
Now this is interesting...In the Epilogue Chapter of the 20th Anniversary Edition of her book The Feminine Mystique, Betty relayed why she resigned as the first president of the National Organization of Women in 1970. Betty wrote that she, "was unable to openly fight the man haters and unwilling to front for them any more..."
Back in the 60's when President Charles De Gaulle ordered NATO forces to leave French soil, the United States ambassador responded to the demand that "everything must go" by asking whether the graves of those that liberated France should also be removed.
Can you guess which is America's dirtiest city? Story
So how large do you think a computer hard drive from 1956 was? Photo
Prediction by Robert Godwin at One Cosmos..."And we will keep spending more and more for less and less, which is, not coincidentally, the crisis we face in higher education. For few things are more expensive than a liberal education at an elite university, and yet, so utterly worthless, harmful even. Not only do they not put one on the path to truth, but they blow up the bridge, salt the earth, slaughter the big chiefs, and persecute the survivors."
And it's only going to get worse...
Elsewhere, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) ripped President Obama while giving credit to former President George W. Bush for asking Congress to authorize the war in Iraq. The anti-war Democrat, criticizing Obama’s handling of the conflict in Libya, noted that Bush formally consulted Congress on the Iraq war in 2002. "President Bush came to Congress…President Obama doesn’t feel like he needs to come to Congress." Source
How about a guy who joins the Army and is now against war? You'd think he would have gone into the priesthood? Or be a porn star? Kindergarten teacher? Anything but the Army. Story
Ha Ha. Bill Ayers denied entry into Canada. Source
Now this is interesting...In the Epilogue Chapter of the 20th Anniversary Edition of her book The Feminine Mystique, Betty relayed why she resigned as the first president of the National Organization of Women in 1970. Betty wrote that she, "was unable to openly fight the man haters and unwilling to front for them any more..."
Back in the 60's when President Charles De Gaulle ordered NATO forces to leave French soil, the United States ambassador responded to the demand that "everything must go" by asking whether the graves of those that liberated France should also be removed.
Can you guess which is America's dirtiest city? Story
So how large do you think a computer hard drive from 1956 was? Photo
Prediction by Robert Godwin at One Cosmos..."And we will keep spending more and more for less and less, which is, not coincidentally, the crisis we face in higher education. For few things are more expensive than a liberal education at an elite university, and yet, so utterly worthless, harmful even. Not only do they not put one on the path to truth, but they blow up the bridge, salt the earth, slaughter the big chiefs, and persecute the survivors."
And it's only going to get worse...
"Working out"
There is only one thing that keeps gay men in shape: fear. Yes, every gay—at least those of the stereotypical abdominal-obsessed physique that populates Fire Island and Palm Springs—is brought about because gay men are afraid that they will be alone for the rest of their lives. If a gay man is not "serving body" while competing to find a trick or boyfriend in one of the more muscle-bound climates of gay culture, he will be sorely shut out. That is why gay men don't get fat, because if they don't have pecs, guns, and glutes, they're going home alone.
Source
Source
C-sections
Nearly 1-in-3 U.S. babies are now delivered by Cesarean, compared to 1-in-5 a decade ago.
Among black women, Cesareans are slightly more common, representing 34 percent of births in 2007--the last year data was collected--up from 22 percent in 1996, according to a recent report from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Center for Health Statistics.
Researchers point to many factors behind the rise in C-sections. Older mothers, multiple births (due to fertility drugs) and bigger babies all contribute. Medical issues such as diabetes, hypertension--particularly among African Americans--are also causing complications during labor and ultimately leading to more emergency C-sections.
Litigation-shy doctors practicing defensive medicine is another factor. In an study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology last year, nearly a third of the 5,644 doctors surveyed said they were performing more C-sections because they feared lawsuits. Eight percent said they had quit delivering babies, and nearly a third of those said it was because of liability issues.
....
New York City's largest public hospital, Bellevue Medical Center, and one of the city's larger private hospitals, Lenox Hill, show how much more medical money is involved with C-sections.
In 2007 at Bellevue Hospital the average fee for a C-section was $9,839; for a vaginal birth it was $1,912.
At Lenox Hill Hospital, the average fee for a C-section was $20,975; for a vaginal birth, $8,530.
More here
Among black women, Cesareans are slightly more common, representing 34 percent of births in 2007--the last year data was collected--up from 22 percent in 1996, according to a recent report from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Center for Health Statistics.
Researchers point to many factors behind the rise in C-sections. Older mothers, multiple births (due to fertility drugs) and bigger babies all contribute. Medical issues such as diabetes, hypertension--particularly among African Americans--are also causing complications during labor and ultimately leading to more emergency C-sections.
Litigation-shy doctors practicing defensive medicine is another factor. In an study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology last year, nearly a third of the 5,644 doctors surveyed said they were performing more C-sections because they feared lawsuits. Eight percent said they had quit delivering babies, and nearly a third of those said it was because of liability issues.
....
New York City's largest public hospital, Bellevue Medical Center, and one of the city's larger private hospitals, Lenox Hill, show how much more medical money is involved with C-sections.
In 2007 at Bellevue Hospital the average fee for a C-section was $9,839; for a vaginal birth it was $1,912.
At Lenox Hill Hospital, the average fee for a C-section was $20,975; for a vaginal birth, $8,530.
More here
Friday, June 17, 2011
Pentagon bomber?
Early this morning, a suspicious vehicle was found in the bushes near the Pentagon, on the north side and near Fort Myer. One person, a angry, right wing white male naturalized Ethiopian citizen, has been taken into custody. Local news stories indicate that a five-pound bag of ammonium nitrate was found in or near the vehicle - in a backpack. Officers are patrolling the woods with machine guns, and a loud boom is expected any moment when the bomb squad moves in to detonate the device.
Meanwhile in Lebanon...The mufti of Lebanon, Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani, was quoted this week as saying that Palestinians are no longer welcome in his country. He also condemned Palestinians as "trash" and said that he’s not afraid of their weapons. Sheikh Qabbani tells visiting Palestinian delegation for refugees, "We’ve hosted you and no longer want you... You will never be victorious." Source
Anderson Cooper to Bill Maher..."Do you think he [Anthony Weiner] should resign?" Bill Maher to Anderson Cooper..."At this point, yes. Not because I think he did anything so incredibly awful. I mean, Dick Cheney used to go out and shoot birds by the hundreds that were like in a cage. To me, that’s a lot more psychotic than anything Anthony Weiner ever did. But the point is this is America. We have to live in reality."
Headline of the day..."Weiner pulls out early" Ha. Second best, "Wiener Shrivels". Third best, "Wiener Roasted." Fourth best, "Wiener Licked." As for me, I'm still trying to figure out which one he resembles, Beavis or Butthead.
According to Mark Steyn, Democrats are always changing the rules..."In the Nineties, saying to a gal on campus "Nice legs" was a form of sexual assault; now Tweeting your penis to coeds is fine and dandy. Hard to keep up, if you know what I mean."
The state with the lowest abortion rate? 4 per 1,000 women in Wyoming. The highest? 138 per 1,000 women in the District of Columbia. Nationwide, only about 1% of abortions are the result of a rape. And even less are performed for deformities in the fetus.
North Carolina becomes the third state to defund Planned Parenthood. Story
Belugas. Freezing water. And a naked female scientist who swims with them. What's not to like? Story and photos
Terrible story. Moral..Don't leave ferrets alone with infants. Story
Greta van Susteren of Fox News referred to the Washington Post and New York Times attempt to find dirt in Sarah Palin's emails a "media colonoscopy." Wonder how long before Obama's emails are released? The most open and transparent administration ever.
Sarah Palin writes at an eighth-grade level in recently released emails, say writing analysts...It turns out Palin's writing skills are still better than most educated Americans. Global Language Monitor gave Palin's emails a score of 8.2, which actually exceeds that of most chief executives. Story
What may be the science story of the century is breaking...as heavyweight US solar physicists announce that the Sun appears to be headed into a lengthy spell of low activity, which could mean that the Earth – far from facing a global warming problem – is actually headed into a mini Ice Age. Story
Suck it up, Al Gore.
Meanwhile in Lebanon...The mufti of Lebanon, Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani, was quoted this week as saying that Palestinians are no longer welcome in his country. He also condemned Palestinians as "trash" and said that he’s not afraid of their weapons. Sheikh Qabbani tells visiting Palestinian delegation for refugees, "We’ve hosted you and no longer want you... You will never be victorious." Source
Anderson Cooper to Bill Maher..."Do you think he [Anthony Weiner] should resign?" Bill Maher to Anderson Cooper..."At this point, yes. Not because I think he did anything so incredibly awful. I mean, Dick Cheney used to go out and shoot birds by the hundreds that were like in a cage. To me, that’s a lot more psychotic than anything Anthony Weiner ever did. But the point is this is America. We have to live in reality."
Headline of the day..."Weiner pulls out early" Ha. Second best, "Wiener Shrivels". Third best, "Wiener Roasted." Fourth best, "Wiener Licked." As for me, I'm still trying to figure out which one he resembles, Beavis or Butthead.
According to Mark Steyn, Democrats are always changing the rules..."In the Nineties, saying to a gal on campus "Nice legs" was a form of sexual assault; now Tweeting your penis to coeds is fine and dandy. Hard to keep up, if you know what I mean."
The state with the lowest abortion rate? 4 per 1,000 women in Wyoming. The highest? 138 per 1,000 women in the District of Columbia. Nationwide, only about 1% of abortions are the result of a rape. And even less are performed for deformities in the fetus.
North Carolina becomes the third state to defund Planned Parenthood. Story
Belugas. Freezing water. And a naked female scientist who swims with them. What's not to like? Story and photos
Terrible story. Moral..Don't leave ferrets alone with infants. Story
Greta van Susteren of Fox News referred to the Washington Post and New York Times attempt to find dirt in Sarah Palin's emails a "media colonoscopy." Wonder how long before Obama's emails are released? The most open and transparent administration ever.
Sarah Palin writes at an eighth-grade level in recently released emails, say writing analysts...It turns out Palin's writing skills are still better than most educated Americans. Global Language Monitor gave Palin's emails a score of 8.2, which actually exceeds that of most chief executives. Story
What may be the science story of the century is breaking...as heavyweight US solar physicists announce that the Sun appears to be headed into a lengthy spell of low activity, which could mean that the Earth – far from facing a global warming problem – is actually headed into a mini Ice Age. Story
Suck it up, Al Gore.
Woodrow Keeble
He was a full-blooded member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation, a Sioux Native American tribe. He was born in 1917 and died in 1982.
Following a long campaign by his family and the congressional delegations of both North and South Dakota, on March 3, 2008, President George W. Bush posthumously awarded Keeble the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Korean War. Keeble had previously been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with V device for Valor, the Bronze Star for merit, and the Combat Infantryman Badge (first and second awards). Although he was wounded at least twice in World War II and three times in Korea, he received only two Purple Hearts.
Examining the experience of being in combat for the first time, Keeble explained, "Before I experienced the horror of that attack, I was quick to call coward or yellow anyone who showed fear under any circumstances. Nevermore. I don’t know these things, but they speak truth to one. I am not a psychologist, nor a statistician, and less of a philosopher; but the depth of emotion, the dreads of fear, the referees of horrors, and the concentration of self that led me to make this observation, the fear impulse, or perhaps, better said, the (impulses caused) by fear, are stronger, more demanding than either that of love or hunger..."
Keeble's stepson, Russell Hawkins, said this at the ceremony for his posthumous Medal of Honor, "If he was alive today, I would tell him there's no one I respect more, and how he is everything a man should be: brave, kind and generous. I would tell him how proud I am of him, and how I never realized that all this time, I was living with such greatness."
Source
Note...this blogger's mother's maiden name was Keeble and her family came from Illinois. Don't know if there is any relation to Woodrow Keeble but my grandfather always said there was an "Indian Princess" somewhere in the family tree. No one ever determined if his claim was true or not...old men are known for stretching the truth.
Following a long campaign by his family and the congressional delegations of both North and South Dakota, on March 3, 2008, President George W. Bush posthumously awarded Keeble the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Korean War. Keeble had previously been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with V device for Valor, the Bronze Star for merit, and the Combat Infantryman Badge (first and second awards). Although he was wounded at least twice in World War II and three times in Korea, he received only two Purple Hearts.
Examining the experience of being in combat for the first time, Keeble explained, "Before I experienced the horror of that attack, I was quick to call coward or yellow anyone who showed fear under any circumstances. Nevermore. I don’t know these things, but they speak truth to one. I am not a psychologist, nor a statistician, and less of a philosopher; but the depth of emotion, the dreads of fear, the referees of horrors, and the concentration of self that led me to make this observation, the fear impulse, or perhaps, better said, the (impulses caused) by fear, are stronger, more demanding than either that of love or hunger..."
Keeble's stepson, Russell Hawkins, said this at the ceremony for his posthumous Medal of Honor, "If he was alive today, I would tell him there's no one I respect more, and how he is everything a man should be: brave, kind and generous. I would tell him how proud I am of him, and how I never realized that all this time, I was living with such greatness."
Source
Note...this blogger's mother's maiden name was Keeble and her family came from Illinois. Don't know if there is any relation to Woodrow Keeble but my grandfather always said there was an "Indian Princess" somewhere in the family tree. No one ever determined if his claim was true or not...old men are known for stretching the truth.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Obama getting tough on illegals
The Obama administration intensified a crackdown on employers of illegal immigrants, notifying another 1,000 companies in all 50 states Wednesday the government plans to inspect their hiring records.
Businesses across the U.S. that rely on low-skilled labor are working to stave off Immigration and Customs Enforcement audits, which can lead to the loss of large numbers of employees, reduced productivity and legal expenses.
Wednesday's surge in so-called silent raids drew criticism from both the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and immigrant advocates.
It brought to 2,338 the number of companies audited by ICE in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1 and topped the prior year's record of 2,196. The audits, affecting such businesses as garment makers, produce growers and fast-food chains, result in the firing of every illegal immigrant found on a company's payroll.
More here
I wonder if he's doing this because he sees a tough election in 2012 or does he not believe in all his previous rhetoric?
Businesses across the U.S. that rely on low-skilled labor are working to stave off Immigration and Customs Enforcement audits, which can lead to the loss of large numbers of employees, reduced productivity and legal expenses.
Wednesday's surge in so-called silent raids drew criticism from both the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and immigrant advocates.
It brought to 2,338 the number of companies audited by ICE in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1 and topped the prior year's record of 2,196. The audits, affecting such businesses as garment makers, produce growers and fast-food chains, result in the firing of every illegal immigrant found on a company's payroll.
More here
I wonder if he's doing this because he sees a tough election in 2012 or does he not believe in all his previous rhetoric?
Guns in Mexico
U.S. firearms agents told lawmakers on Wednesday they were instructed to only watch as hundreds of guns were bought, illegally resold and sent to Mexico where drug-related violence has raged for years.
Agents for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Arizona told the House of Representatives Oversight Committee they were told not to arrest the so-called straw buyers and instead see where the guns went.
"We monitored as they purchased handguns, AK-47 variants and .50 caliber rifles, almost daily at times," John Dodson, an ATF special agent in Phoenix, told the committee... An ATF supervisor in Phoenix, Peter Forcelli, said some tried to raise concerns with supervisors but were rebuffed...
More here
This is not going to end well...
Agents for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Arizona told the House of Representatives Oversight Committee they were told not to arrest the so-called straw buyers and instead see where the guns went.
"We monitored as they purchased handguns, AK-47 variants and .50 caliber rifles, almost daily at times," John Dodson, an ATF special agent in Phoenix, told the committee... An ATF supervisor in Phoenix, Peter Forcelli, said some tried to raise concerns with supervisors but were rebuffed...
More here
This is not going to end well...
Physics
Stanford University physicist Leonard Susskind revels in discovering ideas that transform the status quo in physics. Forty years ago he co-founded string theory, which was initially derided but eventually became the leading candidate for a unified theory of nature. For years he disputed Stephen Hawking’s conjecture that black holes do not merely swallow objects but grind them up beyond recovery, in violation of quantum mechanics. Hawking eventually conceded.
And he helped to develop the modern conception of parallel universes, based on what he dubbed the "landscape" of string theory. It spoiled physicists’ dream to explain the universe as the unique outcome of basic principles.Physicists seeking to understand the deepest levels of reality now work within a framework largely of Susskind’s making. But a funny thing has happened along the way. Susskind now wonders whether physicists can understand reality.
More here
And he helped to develop the modern conception of parallel universes, based on what he dubbed the "landscape" of string theory. It spoiled physicists’ dream to explain the universe as the unique outcome of basic principles.Physicists seeking to understand the deepest levels of reality now work within a framework largely of Susskind’s making. But a funny thing has happened along the way. Susskind now wonders whether physicists can understand reality.
More here
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
1.9 million fewer employed
Note to President Carter Obama...CNS News reports that twenty-eight months after Congress passed President Obama’s signature economic stimulus law, and nearly one year after he declared the summer of 2010 to be "Recovery Summer," 1.9 million fewer people are employed. All this despite $800 billion in stimulus spending.
Obama was heckled by gay activists yesterday at his Miami fundraiser at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets ranged from $44 to as much as $2,500. About 900 supporters were expected to attend in an arena that holds at least 2400 people.
Luddite of the year...Obama explained to NBC News that the reason companies aren’t hiring is not because of his policies, it’s because the economy is so automated. … "There are some structural issues with our economy where a lot of businesses have learned to become much more efficient with a lot fewer workers. You see it when you go to a bank and you use an ATM, you don’t go to a bank teller, or you go to the airport and you’re using a kiosk instead of checking in at the gate." (Sure, Barry, whatever you say)
Meanwhile in Europe...Flemish (Dutch speaking) separatists are agitating for breaking away from the French speaking Walloons in Belgium and creating an independent Flanders. Since the 13th of June last year the country has been without a government, since the parties have been unable to decide on who would form a government or what direction should be taken by a coalition government consisting of the winners in the different parts of the country. The Flemish are more capitalist in outlook and the Walloons, like their French cousins, are more socialist in outlook.
Are we really surprised by this?...President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela accused his political rivals on Sunday of sabotaging the country's electricity grid and trying to pin the blame on his government for blackouts plaguing much of Venezuela.…Many Venezuelans in affected areas appear to be growing impatient as government officials promise solutions to a problem that has persisted since 2009 despite billions of dollars in investment aimed at revamping the power grid.
From Britain...Cambridge University experts say humans are past their peak and that modern-day people are 10 per cent smaller and shorter than their hunter-gatherer ancestors. And their brains are smaller too. Story (leftist brains have always been small)
The Associated Press reported that an analysis of all 50 U.S. states found...they have a combined $689.5 billion in unfunded pension liabilities and $418 billion in retiree health care obligations. Five states have unfunded public employee pension liabilities of $50 billion or more.
Investors last month withdrew $2.7 billion more than they deposited into stock mutual funds in May, snapping a four-month string of net deposits that began in January, Strategic Insight said on Monday. Bond funds and funds buying foreign stocks attracted net deposits, as investors became less confident about the U.S. stock market, amid signs that the economic recovery is weakening, the New York-based fund industry consultant said. Source (Heck of a job, Barry)
Hmmm...The two largest wildfires burning in Southern Arizona originated in rugged, mountainous corridors frequently used by cross-border people and drug smugglers... And the U.S. Forest Service has determined that both fires were human-caused.
"Since nobody has the means to enforce the West’s political will — or the International Community’s — but the United States, then it means … For the last fifty years the 'international community' has been investing billions in judges and nothing on posses. As a result, the apprehension of all Wanted Suspects and Bad Hombres is left to one embattled Marshal. That is the International Community’s clay foot." Source
Obama was heckled by gay activists yesterday at his Miami fundraiser at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets ranged from $44 to as much as $2,500. About 900 supporters were expected to attend in an arena that holds at least 2400 people.
Luddite of the year...Obama explained to NBC News that the reason companies aren’t hiring is not because of his policies, it’s because the economy is so automated. … "There are some structural issues with our economy where a lot of businesses have learned to become much more efficient with a lot fewer workers. You see it when you go to a bank and you use an ATM, you don’t go to a bank teller, or you go to the airport and you’re using a kiosk instead of checking in at the gate." (Sure, Barry, whatever you say)
Meanwhile in Europe...Flemish (Dutch speaking) separatists are agitating for breaking away from the French speaking Walloons in Belgium and creating an independent Flanders. Since the 13th of June last year the country has been without a government, since the parties have been unable to decide on who would form a government or what direction should be taken by a coalition government consisting of the winners in the different parts of the country. The Flemish are more capitalist in outlook and the Walloons, like their French cousins, are more socialist in outlook.
Are we really surprised by this?...President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela accused his political rivals on Sunday of sabotaging the country's electricity grid and trying to pin the blame on his government for blackouts plaguing much of Venezuela.…Many Venezuelans in affected areas appear to be growing impatient as government officials promise solutions to a problem that has persisted since 2009 despite billions of dollars in investment aimed at revamping the power grid.
From Britain...Cambridge University experts say humans are past their peak and that modern-day people are 10 per cent smaller and shorter than their hunter-gatherer ancestors. And their brains are smaller too. Story (leftist brains have always been small)
The Associated Press reported that an analysis of all 50 U.S. states found...they have a combined $689.5 billion in unfunded pension liabilities and $418 billion in retiree health care obligations. Five states have unfunded public employee pension liabilities of $50 billion or more.
Investors last month withdrew $2.7 billion more than they deposited into stock mutual funds in May, snapping a four-month string of net deposits that began in January, Strategic Insight said on Monday. Bond funds and funds buying foreign stocks attracted net deposits, as investors became less confident about the U.S. stock market, amid signs that the economic recovery is weakening, the New York-based fund industry consultant said. Source (Heck of a job, Barry)
Hmmm...The two largest wildfires burning in Southern Arizona originated in rugged, mountainous corridors frequently used by cross-border people and drug smugglers... And the U.S. Forest Service has determined that both fires were human-caused.
"Since nobody has the means to enforce the West’s political will — or the International Community’s — but the United States, then it means … For the last fifty years the 'international community' has been investing billions in judges and nothing on posses. As a result, the apprehension of all Wanted Suspects and Bad Hombres is left to one embattled Marshal. That is the International Community’s clay foot." Source
Governor Good Hair
Governor Rick Perry is known as "Governor Good Hair" by his critics here in Texas.
Republicans in Texas are often accused of racism because of their opposition to illegal immigration. And there is some truth to that. Republicans don't like the welfare mentality and affirmative action mandates. Governor Rick Perry recently stated his position very well here...
"I think the Hispanic population in the country is no different from the Anglo population or the Asian population. They want to live in a state where they can be free from overtaxation (and) overlitigation. They want to be able to have good schools for their kids and have a wide-open future. That's what the Republican Party is all about."
Republicans in Texas are often accused of racism because of their opposition to illegal immigration. And there is some truth to that. Republicans don't like the welfare mentality and affirmative action mandates. Governor Rick Perry recently stated his position very well here...
"I think the Hispanic population in the country is no different from the Anglo population or the Asian population. They want to live in a state where they can be free from overtaxation (and) overlitigation. They want to be able to have good schools for their kids and have a wide-open future. That's what the Republican Party is all about."
Texas on the Potomac
Gov. Rick Perry sounded very much like a presidential candidate at a New York City Republican fundraising dinner tonight, blasting President Obama’s economic policies and boasting of Texas’ economic growth during his decade-long tenure.
"The Democratic Party is now the party of record deficits, historic debt and failed spending measures sold as job creation programs that only ended up expanding government," he said.
Appearing as the keynote speaker at the New York County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day dinner at Grand Central Station in Manhattan, Perry bragged about presiding over "the strongest economy in this country." He cited government statistics indicating that 48 percent of the jobs created in the U.S. in the past two years have been created in Texas.
"We keep adding jobs while other states lose them left and right," Perry said. "Those jobs flee other states because of factors like excess taxation, punitive regulation and frivolous litigation. To preserve our job-friendly climate, our Legislature didn’t raise taxes in balancing a budget that maintains essential services and keeps more than $6 billion in our Rainy Day Fund.
"In Texas, we can’t defer today’s tough decisions for tomorrow’s generation, and unlike Washington, we don’t have one of those Beijing credit cards to finance deficit spending."
More here
"The Democratic Party is now the party of record deficits, historic debt and failed spending measures sold as job creation programs that only ended up expanding government," he said.
Appearing as the keynote speaker at the New York County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day dinner at Grand Central Station in Manhattan, Perry bragged about presiding over "the strongest economy in this country." He cited government statistics indicating that 48 percent of the jobs created in the U.S. in the past two years have been created in Texas.
"We keep adding jobs while other states lose them left and right," Perry said. "Those jobs flee other states because of factors like excess taxation, punitive regulation and frivolous litigation. To preserve our job-friendly climate, our Legislature didn’t raise taxes in balancing a budget that maintains essential services and keeps more than $6 billion in our Rainy Day Fund.
"In Texas, we can’t defer today’s tough decisions for tomorrow’s generation, and unlike Washington, we don’t have one of those Beijing credit cards to finance deficit spending."
More here
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Electric cars
Electric cars could produce higher emissions over their lifetimes than petrol equivalents because of the energy consumed in making their batteries, a study has found. An electric car owner would have to drive at least 129,000km before producing a net saving in CO2. Many electric cars will not travel that far in their lifetime because they typically have a range of less than 145km on a single charge and are unsuitable for long trips. Even those driven 160,000km would save only about a tonne of CO2 over their lifetimes.
Source
Source
NBA
The NBA claims they are losing $300 million a year. One of the reasons may be salaries...Miami Heat's three stars - James, Bosh, and Wade - each make about $14 million per year.
Last year Lebron James made a fool of himself by predicting that the Miami Heat would win 8 championships or more with him on the team. But he didn't predict what year he would get the first one. So he's not a complete fool yet.
Last year Lebron James made a fool of himself by predicting that the Miami Heat would win 8 championships or more with him on the team. But he didn't predict what year he would get the first one. So he's not a complete fool yet.
Mitt
I hate to say it but Romney did very well at the Republican debate last night. He does have the presidential air about him. He's confident and quick on his feet. He talks the talk but will he walk the walk?
His RINO history is offputting to most conservatives. In fact, most conservatives see him as a Libertarian or conservative Democrat rather than a Republican.
His business experience is what most people like about him. But is it enough to carry him to the presidency? Maybe, but it probably depends on how well PresidentCarter Obama does with the economy in the next 17 months. If the economy does not turn around, Obama is toast.
In fact, Obama might be seeing the writing on the wall. He's okay with one term.
His RINO history is offputting to most conservatives. In fact, most conservatives see him as a Libertarian or conservative Democrat rather than a Republican.
His business experience is what most people like about him. But is it enough to carry him to the presidency? Maybe, but it probably depends on how well President
In fact, Obama might be seeing the writing on the wall. He's okay with one term.
Asymmetry
"Teams of (Washington) Post and (New York) Times volunteers now sort through Sarah Palin’s email; not a reporter in the world is curious about what Barack Obama once said about Rashid Khalidi or the Columbia University GPA that won him entrance to Harvard Law School.
Accept that asymmetry, and almost everything not only makes sense about these two cultural guideposts, but can by extension explain the 1860-like division in American itself."
Source
Accept that asymmetry, and almost everything not only makes sense about these two cultural guideposts, but can by extension explain the 1860-like division in American itself."
Source
Monday, June 13, 2011
Wiener rehab
Congressman Wiener is going into rehab. Is he playing the "victim" card? Seems like it, so now he can blame those feelings of extreme vanity and invulnerability on something else besides himself. Some are wondering if he's into the steroid culture. Who else takes shirtless pictures of themselves and sends them to women? Are women impressed by muscles? No, they're more interested in the size of your wallet.
Chris Matthews of MSNBC says Congressman Weiner is in trouble because his behavior offends culturally backward Christian conservatives. "They’re not part of that 56 percent in Brooklyn and Queens who say, okay, we can live with this guy." (culturally backward?)
Actress Janeane Garofalo defends Congressman Weiner by saying "everyone lies about sex" and hopes he becomes the next mayor of New York City. She says Weiner's actions have not impacted anyone negatively.
Meanwhile, Dubai is cancelling hundreds of construction projects. Property values are dropping. Source
Back in 2006 then-senatorCarter Obama had this to say, "The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government can not pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."
Texas congressman Ron Paul on Friday predicted that inflation will hit 50 percent in the next couple of years, thanks to the massive debt the country has accumulated. He said inflation will act like default. Social Security checks will still be cut and interest payments will still be made, but the inflated dollars will allow the government to repay borrowed dollars with devalued money.
Janet Napolitano keeps saying the strangest things. Now she is claiming, with a straight face, that it is not "good logic" to focus screening efforts on young muslim men who are *cough* responsible for just about every fucking act of terrorism on the planet during the past decade. What is that lady smoking?
A blogger named Michael Prescott says..."I think in many cases skepticism appeals to people who are reluctant to think for themselves, and who ground their self-image in the borrowed authority of relatively high-status figures like Gardner, Carl Sagan, and James Randi. By simply latching on to the stated opinions of these people and parroting them, the skeptic can cultivate the illusion that he is one of them, or at least is in their orbit...True skepticism requires the opposite approach -- a willingness to think for oneself and to disregard the experts if their expertise is found lacking."
About 30 percent of doctors in the United States are female, and women received 48 percent of the medical degrees awarded in 2010. But their productivity doesn’t match that of men. In a 2006 survey by the American Medical Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges, even full-time female doctors reported working on average 4.5 fewer hours each week and seeing fewer patients than their male colleagues. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that 71 percent of female pediatricians take extended leave at some point — five times higher than the percentage for male pediatricians. Source
Mormons in Mexico?...As of year-end 2007, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church) reported 1,121,893 members in Mexico. Source
A recent study shows California lawmakers are the nation's most educated. And some would question what good has it done? They have high unemployment and are billions in debt. Book learning sometimes only makes one more clever, not smarter.
The Mavericks won the NBA championship. No one seems to have any sympathy for LeBron James and his trash talk. He and his teammates made fools of themselves by mockingly coughing at their rivals. Cleveland fans were cheering for the Mavericks. The three "shooting stars" of the Heat were less than meteoric. Nemesis is always on the trail of hubris.
"Say, I've been out of town for a while. How are those Stimulus, HAMP, Cash-for-Clunkers, Weatherization, Green Jobs, Obamacare, "Banking Reform", drilling moratorium, First-Time Home-Buyer Credit, auto company takeovers, and QE2 programs working out?" Source
Bill Cosby, actor and comedian, cited the comparatively high taxes in Canada as to why he has no tour dates there anytime soon.
Chris Matthews of MSNBC says Congressman Weiner is in trouble because his behavior offends culturally backward Christian conservatives. "They’re not part of that 56 percent in Brooklyn and Queens who say, okay, we can live with this guy." (culturally backward?)
Actress Janeane Garofalo defends Congressman Weiner by saying "everyone lies about sex" and hopes he becomes the next mayor of New York City. She says Weiner's actions have not impacted anyone negatively.
Meanwhile, Dubai is cancelling hundreds of construction projects. Property values are dropping. Source
Back in 2006 then-senator
Texas congressman Ron Paul on Friday predicted that inflation will hit 50 percent in the next couple of years, thanks to the massive debt the country has accumulated. He said inflation will act like default. Social Security checks will still be cut and interest payments will still be made, but the inflated dollars will allow the government to repay borrowed dollars with devalued money.
Janet Napolitano keeps saying the strangest things. Now she is claiming, with a straight face, that it is not "good logic" to focus screening efforts on young muslim men who are *cough* responsible for just about every fucking act of terrorism on the planet during the past decade. What is that lady smoking?
A blogger named Michael Prescott says..."I think in many cases skepticism appeals to people who are reluctant to think for themselves, and who ground their self-image in the borrowed authority of relatively high-status figures like Gardner, Carl Sagan, and James Randi. By simply latching on to the stated opinions of these people and parroting them, the skeptic can cultivate the illusion that he is one of them, or at least is in their orbit...True skepticism requires the opposite approach -- a willingness to think for oneself and to disregard the experts if their expertise is found lacking."
About 30 percent of doctors in the United States are female, and women received 48 percent of the medical degrees awarded in 2010. But their productivity doesn’t match that of men. In a 2006 survey by the American Medical Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges, even full-time female doctors reported working on average 4.5 fewer hours each week and seeing fewer patients than their male colleagues. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that 71 percent of female pediatricians take extended leave at some point — five times higher than the percentage for male pediatricians. Source
Mormons in Mexico?...As of year-end 2007, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church) reported 1,121,893 members in Mexico. Source
A recent study shows California lawmakers are the nation's most educated. And some would question what good has it done? They have high unemployment and are billions in debt. Book learning sometimes only makes one more clever, not smarter.
The Mavericks won the NBA championship. No one seems to have any sympathy for LeBron James and his trash talk. He and his teammates made fools of themselves by mockingly coughing at their rivals. Cleveland fans were cheering for the Mavericks. The three "shooting stars" of the Heat were less than meteoric. Nemesis is always on the trail of hubris.
"Say, I've been out of town for a while. How are those Stimulus, HAMP, Cash-for-Clunkers, Weatherization, Green Jobs, Obamacare, "Banking Reform", drilling moratorium, First-Time Home-Buyer Credit, auto company takeovers, and QE2 programs working out?" Source
Bill Cosby, actor and comedian, cited the comparatively high taxes in Canada as to why he has no tour dates there anytime soon.
Texas economy
If Texas Gov. Rick Perry is "seriously considering running for president," as my Examiner colleague Phil Klein reported, he has a ready-made campaign issue that could be his ace in the hole.
"Since the recovery began, 38 percent of all the jobs created in American have been created in the State of Texas," Dallas Federal Reserve president Richard Fisher told CNBC's "The Squawk Reserve" Tuesday.
"My district has more employment now than before the crisis began," Fisher added.
Imagine a one-theme presidential campaign based on the simple fact that while President Obama was out there destroying American jobs by the millions, Perry was busy creating them in Texas.
Fisher cited the lack of a state income tax, and Texas’ business-friendly regulatory environment for its economic success, which has catapulted the Lone Star State to the top exporter in the U.S., surpassing California. But "the most important thing that’s happened to us is tort reform," he said.
"We have the same interest rate structure in Texas as the rest of the United States, low interest rates, the same availability of capital, but money and people and production is moving to our state," Fisher pointed out. " So it’s going to go where it has the best fiscal policy as long as monetary police doesn’t get in the way….
More here
"Since the recovery began, 38 percent of all the jobs created in American have been created in the State of Texas," Dallas Federal Reserve president Richard Fisher told CNBC's "The Squawk Reserve" Tuesday.
"My district has more employment now than before the crisis began," Fisher added.
Imagine a one-theme presidential campaign based on the simple fact that while President Obama was out there destroying American jobs by the millions, Perry was busy creating them in Texas.
Fisher cited the lack of a state income tax, and Texas’ business-friendly regulatory environment for its economic success, which has catapulted the Lone Star State to the top exporter in the U.S., surpassing California. But "the most important thing that’s happened to us is tort reform," he said.
"We have the same interest rate structure in Texas as the rest of the United States, low interest rates, the same availability of capital, but money and people and production is moving to our state," Fisher pointed out. " So it’s going to go where it has the best fiscal policy as long as monetary police doesn’t get in the way….
More here
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Wildfires
A major wildfire in Arizona’s eastern mountains burned out of control early Friday after charring more than 603 square miles of timber, destroying dozens of structures and keeping thousands of evacuees away from their homes…
The 386,000-acre blaze with just 5 percent containment [sic]. After reportedly being sparked by a campfire, it has become the second-largest wildfire in state history and is still growing.
The fire has rekindling the blame game surrounding ponderosa pine forests that have become dangerously overgrown after a century of fire suppression.
Some critics put the responsibility on environmentalists for lawsuits that have cut back on logging. Others blame overzealous firefighters for altering the natural cycle of lightning-sparked fires that once cleared the forest floor.
Either way, forests across the West that once had 50 trees per acre now have hundreds, sometimes thousands, and much of the landscape is choked with tinder-dry brush.
The density of the growth has fueled immense conflagrations in recent years, like now burning in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest… Today, it’s not uncommon for fires to exceed 150 square miles…
Many in Arizona blame the legal battles that have erupted over old-growth logging that threatened endangered species such as the Mexican spotted owl. Since those disputes prevented regular logging that would have thinned the number of trees, the forests became overgrown, they say.
Environmentalists insist that theory is just a scare tactic.
More here
The 386,000-acre blaze with just 5 percent containment [sic]. After reportedly being sparked by a campfire, it has become the second-largest wildfire in state history and is still growing.
The fire has rekindling the blame game surrounding ponderosa pine forests that have become dangerously overgrown after a century of fire suppression.
Some critics put the responsibility on environmentalists for lawsuits that have cut back on logging. Others blame overzealous firefighters for altering the natural cycle of lightning-sparked fires that once cleared the forest floor.
Either way, forests across the West that once had 50 trees per acre now have hundreds, sometimes thousands, and much of the landscape is choked with tinder-dry brush.
The density of the growth has fueled immense conflagrations in recent years, like now burning in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest… Today, it’s not uncommon for fires to exceed 150 square miles…
Many in Arizona blame the legal battles that have erupted over old-growth logging that threatened endangered species such as the Mexican spotted owl. Since those disputes prevented regular logging that would have thinned the number of trees, the forests became overgrown, they say.
Environmentalists insist that theory is just a scare tactic.
More here
Palin Derangement Syndrome
Emails to Sarah Palin...
One message sent by someone in Juneau, Alaska on Sept 17, 2008 said the governor should be "shot from one of the planes that shoot the very wolves that you ordered."
Five days earlier an email landed in her in-box saying she "must be killed."
It said: "She doesn't belong to the NRA to support the right of each citizen to have weapons in an aim of self-defence, but just to support the right of every southern white citizen to shoot all non-white people legally! Sarah Palin MUST BE KILLED!"
Another emailed death threat in the same month, while Mrs Palin was on the campaign trail as John McCain's vice-presidential running mate, came from Antwerp, Belgium.
It said Mrs Palin should be shot and that "only on that moment justice will be accomplished."
More here
One message sent by someone in Juneau, Alaska on Sept 17, 2008 said the governor should be "shot from one of the planes that shoot the very wolves that you ordered."
Five days earlier an email landed in her in-box saying she "must be killed."
It said: "She doesn't belong to the NRA to support the right of each citizen to have weapons in an aim of self-defence, but just to support the right of every southern white citizen to shoot all non-white people legally! Sarah Palin MUST BE KILLED!"
Another emailed death threat in the same month, while Mrs Palin was on the campaign trail as John McCain's vice-presidential running mate, came from Antwerp, Belgium.
It said Mrs Palin should be shot and that "only on that moment justice will be accomplished."
More here
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Modern, high-functioning man
Congressman Wiener has admitted to "age appropriate activities" to a news reporter. Haha. Stay classy, Congressman. Alec Baldwin says in his defense, "Come on, he's a modern, high-functioning man." Meanwhile Wiener is characterizing himself as a dedicated, hard-working congressman who will not be deterred from public service. Such a noble man.
On his show, Rush Limbaugh noted the blatant disconnect of how Leftist women despise Sarah Palin but have nothing but praise for Congressman Anthony Wiener. To Leftists, Ideology trumps everything.
Is this really surprising?...Despite the growing calls for Rep. Anthony Weiner to resign, a poll released this week shows that 56 percent of registered voters in Weiner’s district want him to stay on the job.
Meanwhile, Newt's campaign staff is deserting the ship. Resignations en masse. Rumors say they are moving to the unannounced candidacy of Governor Rick Perry of Texas. Go back on vacation, Newt. Tell Nancy hello for us. You are toast.
Elsewhere, from the newspaper Independent in the UK..."Republican party reptile who feeds on liberals" is a muchraking story about Andrew Breitbart. He is, in their opinion, a bad guy and is likened to a "rabidly partisan attack dog." Story (reptile?)
Quote of the Day...from JFK's Secretary of Health Education and Welfare, John W. Gardner..."The society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy...neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water."
Is anybody on the planet surprised at this?...In the last 24 months 126 people have been indicted on terrorist-related charges in the United States. All of them were Muslim. Source
The Associated Press reported that of the 300 rounds fired in the exchange across the Rio Grande during a drug bust, 294 came from Texas lawmen. Seems the lawmen have a "zero tolerance" policy on guns being pointed at them. (sounds like shock and awe)
Union busting in New York...As state labor unions continue to negotiate with Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration on expired contracts, the governor is moving forward on plans to lay off 9,800 workers beginning July 15. Cuomo promised months ago to trim the workforce if he couldn't get $450 million in concessions from the workforce. None of the contracts have been settled, but union leaders claimed Thursday that the governor is negotiating in bad faith by moving forward with layoffs....
Pamela Haag, the author of Marriage Confidential, says marriage is changing. She cites research showing that 65 percent of women and a whopping 80 percent of men say they'd cheat if they knew they wouldn't get caught.
Debbie Schlussel on women..."One of the many hypocrisies in American family law is that if a woman wants to get an abortion, she has 100% control over that decision, even if she is married. The father has no say. Yet, if she decides to give birth, the father of the kid–who also has no say in that decision–must pay child support."
The Washington Post reports that..."Twice in recent weeks, the United States provided Pakistan with the specific locations of insurgent bomb-making factories, only to see the militants learn their cover had been blown and vacate the sites before military action could be taken, according to U.S. and Pakistani officials." (didn't see that coming, did we?)
Evidence has emerged that the E. coli bacteria responsible for the deadly outbreak in Germany was genetically engineered. Certain sequences of the dangerous bacteria’s DNA appear to be derived from bubonic plague, and helped make the pathogen particularly virulent. (Gee, I wonder who would do something like that?)
Tennessee has passed a law that prohibits the online distribution of any image that might "frighten, intimidate or cause emotional distress" to someone who sees it. Which, really, could be virtually anything. In a sane world this piece of legislation would be declared unconstitutional.
WTF...Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, Ludacris, and Shania Twain at the recent CMT Music Awards. Doesn't CMT stand for Country Music Television? I must be missing something here.
On his show, Rush Limbaugh noted the blatant disconnect of how Leftist women despise Sarah Palin but have nothing but praise for Congressman Anthony Wiener. To Leftists, Ideology trumps everything.
Is this really surprising?...Despite the growing calls for Rep. Anthony Weiner to resign, a poll released this week shows that 56 percent of registered voters in Weiner’s district want him to stay on the job.
Meanwhile, Newt's campaign staff is deserting the ship. Resignations en masse. Rumors say they are moving to the unannounced candidacy of Governor Rick Perry of Texas. Go back on vacation, Newt. Tell Nancy hello for us. You are toast.
Elsewhere, from the newspaper Independent in the UK..."Republican party reptile who feeds on liberals" is a muchraking story about Andrew Breitbart. He is, in their opinion, a bad guy and is likened to a "rabidly partisan attack dog." Story (reptile?)
Quote of the Day...from JFK's Secretary of Health Education and Welfare, John W. Gardner..."The society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy...neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water."
Is anybody on the planet surprised at this?...In the last 24 months 126 people have been indicted on terrorist-related charges in the United States. All of them were Muslim. Source
The Associated Press reported that of the 300 rounds fired in the exchange across the Rio Grande during a drug bust, 294 came from Texas lawmen. Seems the lawmen have a "zero tolerance" policy on guns being pointed at them. (sounds like shock and awe)
Union busting in New York...As state labor unions continue to negotiate with Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration on expired contracts, the governor is moving forward on plans to lay off 9,800 workers beginning July 15. Cuomo promised months ago to trim the workforce if he couldn't get $450 million in concessions from the workforce. None of the contracts have been settled, but union leaders claimed Thursday that the governor is negotiating in bad faith by moving forward with layoffs....
Pamela Haag, the author of Marriage Confidential, says marriage is changing. She cites research showing that 65 percent of women and a whopping 80 percent of men say they'd cheat if they knew they wouldn't get caught.
Debbie Schlussel on women..."One of the many hypocrisies in American family law is that if a woman wants to get an abortion, she has 100% control over that decision, even if she is married. The father has no say. Yet, if she decides to give birth, the father of the kid–who also has no say in that decision–must pay child support."
The Washington Post reports that..."Twice in recent weeks, the United States provided Pakistan with the specific locations of insurgent bomb-making factories, only to see the militants learn their cover had been blown and vacate the sites before military action could be taken, according to U.S. and Pakistani officials." (didn't see that coming, did we?)
Evidence has emerged that the E. coli bacteria responsible for the deadly outbreak in Germany was genetically engineered. Certain sequences of the dangerous bacteria’s DNA appear to be derived from bubonic plague, and helped make the pathogen particularly virulent. (Gee, I wonder who would do something like that?)
Tennessee has passed a law that prohibits the online distribution of any image that might "frighten, intimidate or cause emotional distress" to someone who sees it. Which, really, could be virtually anything. In a sane world this piece of legislation would be declared unconstitutional.
WTF...Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, Ludacris, and Shania Twain at the recent CMT Music Awards. Doesn't CMT stand for Country Music Television? I must be missing something here.
Hating Sarah
Lots of speculation as to why people hate Sarah. Some say it's because she doesn't claim to be a victim as many less attractive women do nowadays. Others say women don't really like beautiful women because of jealousy. But what really disturbs the feminists is the simple fact that she loves men and her man loves her. Love radiates from her like a nova. It drives other women nuts. How can she be so ignorant, doesn't she know that men are evil oppressors?
And look how she does so many things effortlessly. She's a mom of a special needs child. A wife. A politician. A hunter. A fisher. A TV star. A sportswoman. She does all these things without losing her femininity and beauty. What's not to hate?
Suck it up, women. She is what most men want in a wife. Do you really think men like neurotic, psycho crybabies that can't cook. Men don't like pathetic, needy, clingy princess wannabes. Run, Sarah, Run.
Meanwhile, the mainstream media is still digging through her trash...The Washington Post and New York Times are looking for a few people to analyze "24,000 e-mail messages to and from Sarah Palin during her tenure as Alaska’s governor." I'm wondering when we'll be able to peruse Obama's emails, aren't you?
If the Leftists really want to discover something stupid and idiotic they need only look at some of the recent statements by Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Such as...accusing Republicans of wanting to reinstate segregation and "to literally drag us all the way back to Jim Crow laws" and of waging a "war on women." And how about publishing the emails of Nancy Pelosi...?
And look how she does so many things effortlessly. She's a mom of a special needs child. A wife. A politician. A hunter. A fisher. A TV star. A sportswoman. She does all these things without losing her femininity and beauty. What's not to hate?
Suck it up, women. She is what most men want in a wife. Do you really think men like neurotic, psycho crybabies that can't cook. Men don't like pathetic, needy, clingy princess wannabes. Run, Sarah, Run.
Meanwhile, the mainstream media is still digging through her trash...The Washington Post and New York Times are looking for a few people to analyze "24,000 e-mail messages to and from Sarah Palin during her tenure as Alaska’s governor." I'm wondering when we'll be able to peruse Obama's emails, aren't you?
If the Leftists really want to discover something stupid and idiotic they need only look at some of the recent statements by Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Such as...accusing Republicans of wanting to reinstate segregation and "to literally drag us all the way back to Jim Crow laws" and of waging a "war on women." And how about publishing the emails of Nancy Pelosi...?
Friday, June 10, 2011
Violent women
That women accounted for 7% of all convictions for domestic violence last year will come as a surprise to many. But what is not clear is whether the growing numbers of women convicted – a 150% increase in five years – represents a rise in actual cases of female-perpetrated domestic violence.
Domestic violence has traditionally been understood as a crime perpetrated by domineering men against defenceless women. Research spanning over 40 years has, however, consistently found that men and women self-report perpetrating domestic violence at similar rates. Professor John Archer from the University of Central Lancashire has conducted a number of meta-analytic reviews of these studies and found that women are as likely to use domestic violence as men, but women are twice as likely as men to be injured or killed during a domestic assault. Men still represent a substantial proportion of people who are assaulted, injured or killed by an intimate partner (50%, 30% and 25% respectively).
If the empirical research is correct in suggesting that between a quarter and half of all domestic violence victims are men, a question follows: why has women's domestic violence towards men been unreported for so long, and what has changed in the last five years to make it more visible?
More here
Domestic violence has traditionally been understood as a crime perpetrated by domineering men against defenceless women. Research spanning over 40 years has, however, consistently found that men and women self-report perpetrating domestic violence at similar rates. Professor John Archer from the University of Central Lancashire has conducted a number of meta-analytic reviews of these studies and found that women are as likely to use domestic violence as men, but women are twice as likely as men to be injured or killed during a domestic assault. Men still represent a substantial proportion of people who are assaulted, injured or killed by an intimate partner (50%, 30% and 25% respectively).
If the empirical research is correct in suggesting that between a quarter and half of all domestic violence victims are men, a question follows: why has women's domestic violence towards men been unreported for so long, and what has changed in the last five years to make it more visible?
More here
Doom and gloom
The Wall Street Journal says..."The economy will continue to suffer until there is a coherent and favorable economic policy. That means bringing long-term deficits under control without raising marginal tax rates—by cutting government outlays and by limiting the tax expenditures that substitute for direct government spending. It means lower tax rates on businesses and individuals to spur entrepreneurship and investment. And it means reforming Social Security and Medicare to protect the living standards of future retirees while limiting the cost to future taxpayers."
Source
Source
Leftist tempest in a teapot
It is ‘odious’, ‘repugnant’, ‘parasitic’, ‘hypocritical’, a ‘travesty’, a ‘money-grubbing’ scheme, and ‘it would be better all-round if its doors never opened’. Wow. What is it? A whorehouse? A Satanic church? A junk-food chain that specialises in feeding fat straight into children’s veins via a drip?
In fact it’s a proposed new London-based university, called the New College of the Humanities, which says it will teach students the best of literature, culture and history for a fee of £18,000 a year. And yet judging from the unhinged coverage, you could be forgiven for thinking that someone had proposed opening a Ratko Mladic fanclub in Islington.
As one journalist summarised, the initiative has met with 'universal scorn from commentators in the national press'. Journalists have described the university as a 'disgrace', 'nauseous' and 'disgustingly elitist'.
More here
In fact it’s a proposed new London-based university, called the New College of the Humanities, which says it will teach students the best of literature, culture and history for a fee of £18,000 a year. And yet judging from the unhinged coverage, you could be forgiven for thinking that someone had proposed opening a Ratko Mladic fanclub in Islington.
As one journalist summarised, the initiative has met with 'universal scorn from commentators in the national press'. Journalists have described the university as a 'disgrace', 'nauseous' and 'disgustingly elitist'.
More here
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Wiener in a bun
Here's how a writer at the DailyKos.com website saw the scandal before Weiner confessed..."Congressman Anthony Weiner was stalked, set up, smeared, and this was coordinated to protect Clarence Thomas from scrutiny. . . . This conservative crime wave isn't going to just go away. As we've seen with Anthony Weiner, any individual who troubles them, even if that person by [sic] a United States Congressman, is going to get whacked."
James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal says, "Weiner isn't resigning, and it isn't hard to see why. The last thing a man in his position wants to do is spend more time with his family."
Meanwhile, from the Middle East...A Kuwaiti woman who once ran for parliament has called for sex slavery to be legalised - and suggested that non-Muslim prisoners from war-torn countries would make suitable concubines. Salwa al Mutairi argued buying a sex-slave would protect decent, devout and 'virile' Kuwaiti men from adultery because buying an imported sex partner would be tantamount to marriage. Source
Closer to home...The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 54% of Likely U.S. Voters think President Carter Obama is more ideologically liberal than they are, while only 13% view him as more conservative. Twenty-four percent (24%) say their political views are about the same as the president’s.
Soon-to-be President Palin drives the Leftists nuts. The Paul Revere story is typical. She mentions a little known fact about Paul Revere in a speech and the Leftists jump all over her, calling her stupid and uneducated. What an idiot! But it turns out she was right. Oh, the humanity! The critics laughing at her had no clue themselves what had really happened. It was left to scholars who begrudgingly admitted that she was right. But the Leftists now say she may have got it right but it was by mistake. Ha.
Chicago White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen, who was born in Venezuela, sent out this tweet to Marxist supporting idiot Sean Penn yesterday..."Sean Penn if you love venezuela please move to venezuela for a year"
The Associated Press reported that the Muslim Brotherhood has been declared a legitimate party for the first time since it was outlawed in 1954. It will be known as the "Freedom and Justice Party" and will be allowed to run in the parliamentary elections scheduled for September. (so much for the so-called Arab Spring)
"Nemesis is always hot on the trail of hubris..." Story
There is an increasing amount of speculation as to Tiger Woods missing the U.S. Open because of a nagging injury that hasn't healed. Some believe that steroids may be to blame since users are more susceptible to injuries. Before and after pictures of Tiger seem to warrant some suspicion. Rapidly bulking up is a sign of steroid use.
Remember this bit of stargazing?...Obama administration officials predicted that unemployment would drop every single month after August 2009 due to the Obama stimulus.
Aesop once told a tale of two neighbors, one filled with avarice, the other with envy. The gods decided to punish them and so promised that whatever the one wished for the other would receive doubly. The avaricious man wanted a room full of gold. But seeing his neighbor with twice that turned him bitter and angry. The envious man, after thinking about it, decided he wanted to be made blind in one eye, thus knowing his neighbor would be made blind in both. Moral of the story...Envy doesn't lift the envious, it tears down others instead. (thanks, Carla)
James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal says, "Weiner isn't resigning, and it isn't hard to see why. The last thing a man in his position wants to do is spend more time with his family."
Meanwhile, from the Middle East...A Kuwaiti woman who once ran for parliament has called for sex slavery to be legalised - and suggested that non-Muslim prisoners from war-torn countries would make suitable concubines. Salwa al Mutairi argued buying a sex-slave would protect decent, devout and 'virile' Kuwaiti men from adultery because buying an imported sex partner would be tantamount to marriage. Source
Closer to home...The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 54% of Likely U.S. Voters think President Carter Obama is more ideologically liberal than they are, while only 13% view him as more conservative. Twenty-four percent (24%) say their political views are about the same as the president’s.
Soon-to-be President Palin drives the Leftists nuts. The Paul Revere story is typical. She mentions a little known fact about Paul Revere in a speech and the Leftists jump all over her, calling her stupid and uneducated. What an idiot! But it turns out she was right. Oh, the humanity! The critics laughing at her had no clue themselves what had really happened. It was left to scholars who begrudgingly admitted that she was right. But the Leftists now say she may have got it right but it was by mistake. Ha.
Chicago White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen, who was born in Venezuela, sent out this tweet to Marxist supporting idiot Sean Penn yesterday..."Sean Penn if you love venezuela please move to venezuela for a year"
The Associated Press reported that the Muslim Brotherhood has been declared a legitimate party for the first time since it was outlawed in 1954. It will be known as the "Freedom and Justice Party" and will be allowed to run in the parliamentary elections scheduled for September. (so much for the so-called Arab Spring)
"Nemesis is always hot on the trail of hubris..." Story
There is an increasing amount of speculation as to Tiger Woods missing the U.S. Open because of a nagging injury that hasn't healed. Some believe that steroids may be to blame since users are more susceptible to injuries. Before and after pictures of Tiger seem to warrant some suspicion. Rapidly bulking up is a sign of steroid use.
Remember this bit of stargazing?...Obama administration officials predicted that unemployment would drop every single month after August 2009 due to the Obama stimulus.
Aesop once told a tale of two neighbors, one filled with avarice, the other with envy. The gods decided to punish them and so promised that whatever the one wished for the other would receive doubly. The avaricious man wanted a room full of gold. But seeing his neighbor with twice that turned him bitter and angry. The envious man, after thinking about it, decided he wanted to be made blind in one eye, thus knowing his neighbor would be made blind in both. Moral of the story...Envy doesn't lift the envious, it tears down others instead. (thanks, Carla)
Conservative women
From Rush Limbaugh's Pearls of Wisdom..."Since the advent of modern feminism women have been told that they can have it all...Hot husbands, lots of babies, high profile career, nice house, great bodies, all that stuff. And whenever a woman comes along and appears to have it all, they shoot her down. Especially when the woman happens to be a conservative."
Daigo Fukuryu Maru
Daigo Fukuryū Maru (Lucky Dragon 5) was a Japanese tuna fishing boat, which was exposed to and contaminated by nuclear fallout from the United States' Castle Bravo thermonuclear device test on Bikini Atoll, on March 1, 1954.
Aikichi Kuboyama, the boat's chief radioman, died less than seven months later, on September 23, 1954, suffering from acute radiation syndrome. He is considered the first victim of the hydrogen bomb of Operation Castle Bravo.
More here
Aikichi Kuboyama, the boat's chief radioman, died less than seven months later, on September 23, 1954, suffering from acute radiation syndrome. He is considered the first victim of the hydrogen bomb of Operation Castle Bravo.
More here
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Nancy
This week on Face the Nation, Pelosi said, "the economic situation could have been worse if President Barack Obama had not taken action during the first several years of his presidency. She also speculated that rising gas and food prices could be a result of recent natural disasters in the South and Midwest. I think if [Obama] hadn’t taken the actions he did, the situation would be worse. He pulled us from the brink of a financial crisis, an economic crisis, and now we have to dig us out of a deep debt, and we also have to make it clear that we’re not getting into this situation again."
Back in 2008 Nancy Pelosi said that Bush's economic policies had failed our country's middle class. Unemployment was 5% and gasoline was about $3 a gallon.
Pelosi also blasted House Republicans for not passing a jobs bill. She didn't mention that she failed to pass a budget last year when she was still the speaker of the House.
Elsewhere, here's the Best description of Sarah I've seen...Sarah Palin rose to prominence by taking on the Oil Companies and Political Establishment in Alaska of both parties over the issue of royalty payments and their disbursement. Palin argued (and rode that argument into the Governorship) that royalties had to be higher, that the oil companies through kickbacks had consistently under-reported payments, and that further the royalties belonged in direct payouts to all Alaskans instead of graft-ridden infrastructure projects in what amounts to an arctic wilderness. All that from the background of a small-town mayor. (anyone wondering why both Democrat Party and Republican Party hate her?)
Priceless!...Rachel Maddow confidently told the public how Anthony Weiner was victimized by the vast great right wing conspiracy — only days before the Congressman explained that he’d lied to everyone, including the press. Best comment..."Has Weiner been frank?" Source
TMZ reported that Lisa Weiss, a casino employee who was a twitter follower of Wiener, watched him on Bill Maher's show and wrote, "Didn't think I could love you more until I saw you on Bill Maher tonight." Weiner responded, "Maybe Maher will let me do you on his desk. Since u like me there."
Big surprise! The newest members of the nation's highest court -- Obama appointees Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan -- have agreed with each other in all 23 cases they've voted on, which is a supreme rarity, observers said. Source
White House chief economist bails out. On Friday Goolsbee struggled to explain an unexpected rise in unemployment figures, comically describing them as a "bump in the road", hardly reassuring news to the nearly 14 million Americans who are now out of work. Obama says goodby, "Over the past several years, he has helped steer our country out of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. And although there is still much work ahead, his insights and counsel have helped lead us toward an economy that is growing and creating millions of jobs." Source (millions of jobs?)
Who let the dogs out?...The owners of dogs that mauled three children in San Bernardino County have been sentenced to nearly four-and-a-half years each in prison. Authorities say that in February of last year, five dogs — including a 91-pound mastiff — escaped from the couple's Fontana backyard and attacked a woman and three children who were walking along some railroad tracks. Source (a reader comment suggests that vicious dog owners should be required to buy insurance for such attacks)
Odd fact of the day...Seven in ten consumers buy vanilla, chocolate or strawberry, says Howard Waxman, editor of Ice Cream Reporter, but the remaining three in 10 are "where the real battle for profitability is fought."
In a recent poll, 66 percent of those polled say the nation is on the wrong track, which is the highest number since PresidentCarter Obama was elected in 2008. (Democrats only know how to spend money, they don't have a clue as how to make money)
Back in 2008 Nancy Pelosi said that Bush's economic policies had failed our country's middle class. Unemployment was 5% and gasoline was about $3 a gallon.
Pelosi also blasted House Republicans for not passing a jobs bill. She didn't mention that she failed to pass a budget last year when she was still the speaker of the House.
Elsewhere, here's the Best description of Sarah I've seen...Sarah Palin rose to prominence by taking on the Oil Companies and Political Establishment in Alaska of both parties over the issue of royalty payments and their disbursement. Palin argued (and rode that argument into the Governorship) that royalties had to be higher, that the oil companies through kickbacks had consistently under-reported payments, and that further the royalties belonged in direct payouts to all Alaskans instead of graft-ridden infrastructure projects in what amounts to an arctic wilderness. All that from the background of a small-town mayor. (anyone wondering why both Democrat Party and Republican Party hate her?)
Priceless!...Rachel Maddow confidently told the public how Anthony Weiner was victimized by the vast great right wing conspiracy — only days before the Congressman explained that he’d lied to everyone, including the press. Best comment..."Has Weiner been frank?" Source
TMZ reported that Lisa Weiss, a casino employee who was a twitter follower of Wiener, watched him on Bill Maher's show and wrote, "Didn't think I could love you more until I saw you on Bill Maher tonight." Weiner responded, "Maybe Maher will let me do you on his desk. Since u like me there."
Big surprise! The newest members of the nation's highest court -- Obama appointees Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan -- have agreed with each other in all 23 cases they've voted on, which is a supreme rarity, observers said. Source
White House chief economist bails out. On Friday Goolsbee struggled to explain an unexpected rise in unemployment figures, comically describing them as a "bump in the road", hardly reassuring news to the nearly 14 million Americans who are now out of work. Obama says goodby, "Over the past several years, he has helped steer our country out of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. And although there is still much work ahead, his insights and counsel have helped lead us toward an economy that is growing and creating millions of jobs." Source (millions of jobs?)
Who let the dogs out?...The owners of dogs that mauled three children in San Bernardino County have been sentenced to nearly four-and-a-half years each in prison. Authorities say that in February of last year, five dogs — including a 91-pound mastiff — escaped from the couple's Fontana backyard and attacked a woman and three children who were walking along some railroad tracks. Source (a reader comment suggests that vicious dog owners should be required to buy insurance for such attacks)
Odd fact of the day...Seven in ten consumers buy vanilla, chocolate or strawberry, says Howard Waxman, editor of Ice Cream Reporter, but the remaining three in 10 are "where the real battle for profitability is fought."
In a recent poll, 66 percent of those polled say the nation is on the wrong track, which is the highest number since President
Messiahs
Muslims believe that the Saheb-ul-Zaman (the Mahdi, the Lord of the Age) will someday come to set the world aright. It is the sacred duty and privilege of every Muslim to do all he can to hasten the death of the old world and the birth of the new. The Mahdi is said to be hiding in a well.
The Jews have been earnestly supplicating the Lord for the Messiah to come and rule with justice in this terribly unjust world. Christ was rejected because they are expecting a warrior king.
Christians are impatiently awaiting the second coming of Christ. The latest prediction says October of this year.
Even the Zoroastrians are convinced that Saoshayant is the one who shall come, defeat the trouble-making Ahriman -- Satan -- and make the world safe from evil.
The Jews have been earnestly supplicating the Lord for the Messiah to come and rule with justice in this terribly unjust world. Christ was rejected because they are expecting a warrior king.
Christians are impatiently awaiting the second coming of Christ. The latest prediction says October of this year.
Even the Zoroastrians are convinced that Saoshayant is the one who shall come, defeat the trouble-making Ahriman -- Satan -- and make the world safe from evil.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Weenie roast
Congressman Wiener finally admits to being a lying weasel. But he refuses to resign. No surprise there. Democrats don't have any morals, standards, or shame. Ted Kennedy showed them how it's done. Clinton refined it to a science.
Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz says it's okay for Democrats but never, ever for Republicans. Source
9.1% unemployment...Heck of a job, Barry! Story
Prosecutors in Florida want to lock a 12-year-old boy up for the rest of his life - to stop him from killing again. Cristian Fernandez could become America's youngest ever 'lifer' after being charged as an adult over the murder of his two-year-old brother. Source
I'm like most people who like eagles but doesn't this make you smile..."California's protected golden eagles are being killed by wind turbines." Leftists are in a quandary. Who to blame?
Hillbillies may be a little short on book learning but that doesn't mean they are stupid... "You cain't get the water to clear up until you get the pigs out of the creek."
A devout muslim in Dallas was convicted of sprinkling dried feces on bakery products in a grocery store. This happened back in 2006. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Story here and here
Here's proof the Left are Nazis..."Surely it's time for climate-change deniers to have their opinions forcibly tattooed on their bodies. Not necessarily on the forehead; I'm a reasonable man. Just something along their arm or across their chest so their grandchildren could say, ''Really? You were one of the ones who tried to stop the world doing something? And why exactly was that, granddad?'' Story
The process to defund ACORN is still in the works. But "ACORN insiders acknowledge a reconstituted ACORN will emerge in time to help the reelection campaign of President Obama, who used to work for ACORN." Source
A graphical look at where persons living with AIDS are located in the U.S., county by county. Here
Steve Sailer writes..."Over time, political thinking in America has simply deteriorated into partisan ideologies based on Who? Whom? Instead of being against chicanery, we’re supposed to be against chicanery by the other side’s guys. Democrats are now supposed to assume that government can’t be corrupt because it’s government and therefore, by definition, good. Republicans are supposed to assume that for-profit companies can’t be corrupt because they are policed by the magic of the market."
Does your cell phone die by noon? Here's some tips to conserve power and stretch out the battery's charge. Story
Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz says it's okay for Democrats but never, ever for Republicans. Source
9.1% unemployment...Heck of a job, Barry! Story
Prosecutors in Florida want to lock a 12-year-old boy up for the rest of his life - to stop him from killing again. Cristian Fernandez could become America's youngest ever 'lifer' after being charged as an adult over the murder of his two-year-old brother. Source
I'm like most people who like eagles but doesn't this make you smile..."California's protected golden eagles are being killed by wind turbines." Leftists are in a quandary. Who to blame?
Hillbillies may be a little short on book learning but that doesn't mean they are stupid... "You cain't get the water to clear up until you get the pigs out of the creek."
A devout muslim in Dallas was convicted of sprinkling dried feces on bakery products in a grocery store. This happened back in 2006. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Story here and here
Here's proof the Left are Nazis..."Surely it's time for climate-change deniers to have their opinions forcibly tattooed on their bodies. Not necessarily on the forehead; I'm a reasonable man. Just something along their arm or across their chest so their grandchildren could say, ''Really? You were one of the ones who tried to stop the world doing something? And why exactly was that, granddad?'' Story
The process to defund ACORN is still in the works. But "ACORN insiders acknowledge a reconstituted ACORN will emerge in time to help the reelection campaign of President Obama, who used to work for ACORN." Source
A graphical look at where persons living with AIDS are located in the U.S., county by county. Here
Steve Sailer writes..."Over time, political thinking in America has simply deteriorated into partisan ideologies based on Who? Whom? Instead of being against chicanery, we’re supposed to be against chicanery by the other side’s guys. Democrats are now supposed to assume that government can’t be corrupt because it’s government and therefore, by definition, good. Republicans are supposed to assume that for-profit companies can’t be corrupt because they are policed by the magic of the market."
Does your cell phone die by noon? Here's some tips to conserve power and stretch out the battery's charge. Story
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