Victor Davis Hanson on The Boomer Legacy
"Barack Obama, a child during the ’60s, is imbued nonetheless with that decade’s “hope and change” messianic sermonizing. Now he wants a new mammoth government-funded “civilian national security force,” one “that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded” as the Pentagon."
Wonderfully written.
Read it all.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Soldier Voting Scandal
The Soldier Voting Scandal
"Rep. Roy Blunt, the House Republican whip, on July 8 introduced a resolution demanding that the Defense Department better enable U.S. military personnel overseas to vote in the November elections. That act was followed by silence. Democrats normally leap on an opportunity to find fault with the Bush Pentagon. But not a single Democrat joined Blunt as a co-sponsor, and an all-Republican proposal cannot pass in the Democratic-controlled House."
This is disgusting.
This IS the democrat party today.
"Rep. Roy Blunt, the House Republican whip, on July 8 introduced a resolution demanding that the Defense Department better enable U.S. military personnel overseas to vote in the November elections. That act was followed by silence. Democrats normally leap on an opportunity to find fault with the Bush Pentagon. But not a single Democrat joined Blunt as a co-sponsor, and an all-Republican proposal cannot pass in the Democratic-controlled House."
This is disgusting.
This IS the democrat party today.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Woman Charged With Assault After Trying to Make Allergic Neighbor Eat Peanut
Woman Charged With Assault After Trying to Make Allergic Neighbor Eat Peanut
Robyn Lee, 23, was riding in a car with Shanna Ferguson when she attempted to put a peanut in Ferguson's mouth,"
Robyn Lee, 23, was riding in a car with Shanna Ferguson when she attempted to put a peanut in Ferguson's mouth,"
$3 trillion USA budget!
Ten Thousand Commandments
"President George W. Bush’s federal budget for fiscal year (FY) 2009 proposed $3.107 trillion in discretionary, entitlement, and interest spending. This was the first-ever $3 trillion budget in the United States. Many other countries’ governments consume more of the national output than the government does, but in absolute terms, ours is the largest government on planet Earth. President Bush was also the first president to deliver a $2 trillion federal budget, as recently as 2002."
"President George W. Bush’s federal budget for fiscal year (FY) 2009 proposed $3.107 trillion in discretionary, entitlement, and interest spending. This was the first-ever $3 trillion budget in the United States. Many other countries’ governments consume more of the national output than the government does, but in absolute terms, ours is the largest government on planet Earth. President Bush was also the first president to deliver a $2 trillion federal budget, as recently as 2002."
DNC host's tax-free gas : Updates : The Rocky Mountain News
DNC host's tax-free gas "The committee hosting the Democratic National Convention has used the city's gas pumps to fill up and apparently avoided paying state and federal fuel taxes."
No gas-tax cut for "little people".
The political party of "The Queen of Mean", Leona Helmsly!
Dispicable hypocrites!
No gas-tax cut for "little people".
The political party of "The Queen of Mean", Leona Helmsly!
Dispicable hypocrites!
New York Times 2Q profit drops 82 percent
New York Times 2Q profit drops 82 percent: "New York Times Co. says its second-quarter earnings fell 82 percent from the year-ago quarter boosted by a one-time gain. Meanwhile, print advertising revenue continued to shrink."
heh....
heh....
Reeths-Puffer school board gives superintendent high marks
Reeths-Puffer school board gives superintendent high marks
"According to the board's evaluation, Cousins 'exceeds expectations' in all areas of job performance, including: Fiscal responsibility; leadership; judgment; communications; organizational development; professional development; motivation; decisiveness; and community relations."
Nice for the big teacher union members.Too bad there are no marks for "student education" or "learning" or.... horror, MEAP!!!
Not a word about "student achievement" or "taxpayers".
Same old, same old.....
Will the parents and taxpayers ever realize that the system is rigged totally for the big union and the little things like student scores, parental satisfaction and taxpayers aren't even mentioned?
Employers know the truth.
"According to the board's evaluation, Cousins 'exceeds expectations' in all areas of job performance, including: Fiscal responsibility; leadership; judgment; communications; organizational development; professional development; motivation; decisiveness; and community relations."
Nice for the big teacher union members.Too bad there are no marks for "student education" or "learning" or.... horror, MEAP!!!
Not a word about "student achievement" or "taxpayers".
Same old, same old.....
Will the parents and taxpayers ever realize that the system is rigged totally for the big union and the little things like student scores, parental satisfaction and taxpayers aren't even mentioned?
Employers know the truth.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Best of the Web Today - WSJ.com
Best of the Web Today - WSJ.com: "One Conventional Bomb Can Ruin Your Whole Day
We'll give you three guesses which political leader said this:
Throughout our history, America's confronted constantly evolving danger, from the oppression of an empire, to the lawlessness of the frontier, from the bomb that fell on Pearl Harbor, to the threat of nuclear annihilation. Americans have adapted to the threats posed by an ever-changing world.
Hint: The speaker was born in Hawaii. Thinking that perhaps it was a transcription error, we checked the video, and sure enough, he actually said 'the bomb.' Could our speaker be mixing up Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima, or Nagasaki? In any case, it's perhaps the biggest Pearl Harbor goof since Sept. 7, 1988, when George H.W. Bush got the month of the attack wrong."
We'll give you three guesses which political leader said this:
Throughout our history, America's confronted constantly evolving danger, from the oppression of an empire, to the lawlessness of the frontier, from the bomb that fell on Pearl Harbor, to the threat of nuclear annihilation. Americans have adapted to the threats posed by an ever-changing world.
Hint: The speaker was born in Hawaii. Thinking that perhaps it was a transcription error, we checked the video, and sure enough, he actually said 'the bomb.' Could our speaker be mixing up Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima, or Nagasaki? In any case, it's perhaps the biggest Pearl Harbor goof since Sept. 7, 1988, when George H.W. Bush got the month of the attack wrong."
Best of the Web Today - WSJ.com
Best of the Web Today - WSJ.com: "Flint, of course, would claim that she was standing up for a principle--for, in the AP's words, 'the privacy rights of library patrons.' Have you noticed, though, how the people who assert this principle are never patrons but always librarians? We'd say this is really a case of status envy. Librarians want their 'profession' to be treated with the same respect society affords the practice of medicine or law. (We should note that people in our own line of work are vulnerable to the same criticism, as evidenced by this item on proposed shield laws.)
Here is a case in which police searching for a missing girl were forced to waste precious time because a bureaucrat, acting on her own authority, said 'Show me the paper' instead of 'How can I help?' Judith Flint is no heroine."
Here is a case in which police searching for a missing girl were forced to waste precious time because a bureaucrat, acting on her own authority, said 'Show me the paper' instead of 'How can I help?' Judith Flint is no heroine."
Police: Man operating riding lawnmower had blood alcohol level more than 5 times the legal limit
Police: Man operating riding lawnmower had blood alcohol level more than 5 times the legal limit
"The driver of riding lawnmower was so drunk -- more than five times the legal limit -- that he slumped over the wheel as it circled in an intersection before he fell to the ground and passed out"
I sure hope it wasn't an ozone action day!
"The driver of riding lawnmower was so drunk -- more than five times the legal limit -- that he slumped over the wheel as it circled in an intersection before he fell to the ground and passed out"
I sure hope it wasn't an ozone action day!
T. Boone Pickens' plan for your pocketbook: empty it!
Winningreen ENERGY Alert NO. 24
T. Boone Pickens’ plan for your pocketbook: empty it
By Tom Randall Date: July 21, 2008
Situation: Oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens is touting his grand new plan for energy independence: generate electricity with windmills thereby freeing natural gas to be used in vehicles instead of gasoline.
It is a scam. It would raise gas prices. Currently, when natural gas is used to generate electricity, it is almost exclusively in “peaker” plants — plants of relatively small capacity (usually about 250 megawatts) that can be turned on and off at short notice to boost output during peak demand periods. Baseload plants, which produce most of our electricity, are fired with less costly coal or nuclear energy but they must run almost continuously because they can’t be easily or economically stopped and restarted.
Generating large amounts of electricity with wind also requires natural gas peaker plants to take up the slack when the wind doesn't blow at the required speed to drive a wind turbine.
Therefore, for every 1,000 megawats of wind generation you would need four new natural-gas-fired peaker plants.
By Tom Randall Date: July 21, 2008
Situation: Oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens is touting his grand new plan for energy independence: generate electricity with windmills thereby freeing natural gas to be used in vehicles instead of gasoline.
It is a scam. It would raise gas prices. Currently, when natural gas is used to generate electricity, it is almost exclusively in “peaker” plants — plants of relatively small capacity (usually about 250 megawatts) that can be turned on and off at short notice to boost output during peak demand periods. Baseload plants, which produce most of our electricity, are fired with less costly coal or nuclear energy but they must run almost continuously because they can’t be easily or economically stopped and restarted.
Generating large amounts of electricity with wind also requires natural gas peaker plants to take up the slack when the wind doesn't blow at the required speed to drive a wind turbine.
Therefore, for every 1,000 megawats of wind generation you would need four new natural-gas-fired peaker plants.
This would require the U.S. to burn more natural gas, not less. Less would be available for non-electricity purposes, such as transportation and, particularly, home heating,
The increasing use of natural gas for electricity is one of the principal reasons your natural gas home heating costs have been skyrocketing in recent years. Pickens’ scheme would only increase this price spiral as environmentalists block increased gas supplies.
Response 1: Pickens, in his commercials and opinion pieces, fails to mention his extensive holdings in wind farms and natural gas. He does say that he has been an “oil man” most of this life. Well, now he’s a wind and gas man…’scuse the pun.
Response 2: The fact is wind and solar are not renewable resources. There is nothing we can do to renew them. They are capricious resources that must be regularly replaced by conventional energy.
Response 3: If Pickens were truly interested in clean abundant energy he would be touting genuinely clean coal-to- liquids technology and absolutely emission-free and nearly limitless recyclable nuclear energy.
Response 4: Pickens could also go back to being an oil man and break the grip of foreign producers by producing oil from shale where we have reserves greater than any country in the world located in just three western states.
Link: Read more about "Pitfalls in Pickens Plan" at: http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/2008/07/10/pitfalls-in-the-pickens-plan/
Just like the ethanol scam.
Bank Mess
Bank Mess: It Started With Gov't Intervention: "Blaming the lenders is the party line of congressional Democrats as well. What we need is more government regulation of lenders, they say, to protect the innocent borrowers from 'predatory' lending practices.
Before going further down that road, it may be useful to look back at what got us into this mess in the first place."
Before going further down that road, it may be useful to look back at what got us into this mess in the first place."
Monday, July 21, 2008
No bias?
Rasmussen Reports™
"The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey found that 49% of voters believe most reporters will try to help Obama with their coverage, up from 44% a month ago."
With credibility gone, the MSM continues its "stay-the-course" plunge into denial.
"The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey found that 49% of voters believe most reporters will try to help Obama with their coverage, up from 44% a month ago."
With credibility gone, the MSM continues its "stay-the-course" plunge into denial.
Gay float takes top honor in Hall parade
Gay float takes top honor in Hall parade: "Tensions reached the point where an FBI agent holding a video camera followed the float in a golf cart during last year's Blossomtime parade, in case anyone perpetrated a hate crime, Gorman said."
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Brightest Ideas of the Week
Brightest Ideas of the Week
"Cut their pay, send them home
4 Facing an unexpectedly strong public outcry, Louisiana’s reformist Gov. Bobby Jindal reversed course and vetoed legislation that would have doubled the pay of Bayou State legislators from $16,800 to $37,500.
Details: “It is clear to me that the legislative pay raise is, in itself, a threat to our reform movement and our progress as a state,” Jindal said. Outraged voters had filed recall petitions against five legislative leaders pushing the raise.
Let people vote on tax hikes
5 A new Scott Rasmussen poll finds that 57 percent of those surveyed believe voters should have a chance to vote a tax hike up or down before it goes into effect.
Details: Nearly the same percentage told Rasmussen that government doesn’t need additional tax revenues to fund essential operations. And 51 percent said they expect Barack Obama to raise taxes if he’s elected president."
"Cut their pay, send them home
4 Facing an unexpectedly strong public outcry, Louisiana’s reformist Gov. Bobby Jindal reversed course and vetoed legislation that would have doubled the pay of Bayou State legislators from $16,800 to $37,500.
Details: “It is clear to me that the legislative pay raise is, in itself, a threat to our reform movement and our progress as a state,” Jindal said. Outraged voters had filed recall petitions against five legislative leaders pushing the raise.
Let people vote on tax hikes
5 A new Scott Rasmussen poll finds that 57 percent of those surveyed believe voters should have a chance to vote a tax hike up or down before it goes into effect.
Details: Nearly the same percentage told Rasmussen that government doesn’t need additional tax revenues to fund essential operations. And 51 percent said they expect Barack Obama to raise taxes if he’s elected president."
First to register handgun, owner 'doesn't fit' profile - Examiner.com
First to register handgun, owner 'doesn't fit' profile - Examiner.com: "McVey found the cops very encouraging of her gun ownership. “I asked them, ‘Do you mind good people owning guns?’ ” she said. “One said, ‘It will help make our job easier.’ ”"
Double JJ Ranch files for bankruptcy
Double JJ Ranch files for bankruptcy: "Just weeks after nearly 50,000 fans from across the United States came to the Double JJ Ranch for the Rothbury Music Festival, the owners filed for bankruptcy in federal court.
The owners filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in the US Western District Court."
The owners filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in the US Western District Court."
CARPE DIEM: U.S. Exports More Than China or Japan
CARPE DIEM: U.S. Exports More Than China or Japan: "The U.S. exports more ($1.024 trillion) than any country in the world except Germany ($1.133 trillion), and more than China ($974 billion) or Japan ($590 billion). Data available here."
The Volokh Conspiracy - -#1216572130
The Volokh Conspiracy - -#1216572130: "interesting national Qunnipiac poll on various legal issues. Of particular interest, the poll asked the following question:
'The Supreme Court has recently ruled that a mandatory death penalty for child rape is unconstitutional. Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of child rape?'
Here are the results:
Favor: 55 percent
Oppose: 38 percent
DK/No Opinion: 7 percent
This would seem to further undermine Justice Kennedy's claim in Kennedy v. Louisiana that there is a national consensus opposing the death penalty for child rape."
'The Supreme Court has recently ruled that a mandatory death penalty for child rape is unconstitutional. Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of child rape?'
Here are the results:
Favor: 55 percent
Oppose: 38 percent
DK/No Opinion: 7 percent
This would seem to further undermine Justice Kennedy's claim in Kennedy v. Louisiana that there is a national consensus opposing the death penalty for child rape."
Instapundit.com -
Instapundit.com -: "STRATEGYPAGE:
While the mass media continues to feature wars and terrorism, the overall trend continues away from such unpleasantness. Such stories are anathema to the mass media, because they do not attract eyeballs, and revenue. That's the way people are, and the result is a distorted view of trends in global violence.
Worldwide, violence continues to decline, as it has for the last few years. Violence has also greatly diminished, or disappeared completely, in places like Iraq, Nepal, Chechnya, Congo, Indonesia and Burundi. Even Afghanistan, touted as the new war zone, is seeing less violence this year than last.
All this continues a trend that began when the Cold War ended, and the Soviet Union no longer subsidized terrorist and rebel groups everywhere.
Now if we can just get the Saudis and Iranians to stop. Read the whole"
While the mass media continues to feature wars and terrorism, the overall trend continues away from such unpleasantness. Such stories are anathema to the mass media, because they do not attract eyeballs, and revenue. That's the way people are, and the result is a distorted view of trends in global violence.
Worldwide, violence continues to decline, as it has for the last few years. Violence has also greatly diminished, or disappeared completely, in places like Iraq, Nepal, Chechnya, Congo, Indonesia and Burundi. Even Afghanistan, touted as the new war zone, is seeing less violence this year than last.
All this continues a trend that began when the Cold War ended, and the Soviet Union no longer subsidized terrorist and rebel groups everywhere.
Now if we can just get the Saudis and Iranians to stop. Read the whole"
'Time' Publishes Definitive Obama Puff Piece
'Time' Publishes Definitive Obama Puff Piece
"No news publication has dared to barely scratch the surface like this before,' columnist and campaign reporter Michael King wrote in The Washington Post Tuesday. 'This profile sets a benchmark for mindless filler by which all other features about Sen. Obama will now be judged."
"No news publication has dared to barely scratch the surface like this before,' columnist and campaign reporter Michael King wrote in The Washington Post Tuesday. 'This profile sets a benchmark for mindless filler by which all other features about Sen. Obama will now be judged."
Chefs invest in Muskegon downtown's future with bistro
Chefs invest in Muskegon downtown's future with bistro
"Longtime Muskegon residents will remember 1133 Third in downtown Muskegon as the site of Big Bob's Restaurant -- Muskegon's bygone 'omelet king.'
But two weeks ago, Jeremy and Jamie Paquin opened Mia & Grace, turning a classic 'greasy spoon' that sat vacant for more than 15 years into a sophisticated eatery that would fit in on a Manhattan street."
"Longtime Muskegon residents will remember 1133 Third in downtown Muskegon as the site of Big Bob's Restaurant -- Muskegon's bygone 'omelet king.'
But two weeks ago, Jeremy and Jamie Paquin opened Mia & Grace, turning a classic 'greasy spoon' that sat vacant for more than 15 years into a sophisticated eatery that would fit in on a Manhattan street."
MSU coach Izzo makes summer home in Grand Haven
MSU coach Izzo makes summer home in Grand Haven
"'Two years in a row, I went to Kuwait for a week,' Izzo said. 'I lived in the barracks with U.S. troops; that was pretty interesting.'"
"'Two years in a row, I went to Kuwait for a week,' Izzo said. 'I lived in the barracks with U.S. troops; that was pretty interesting.'"
Most eligible state kids miss free summer lunches
Most eligible state kids miss free summer lunches: "The Michigan Department of Education took over the summer meal program in 2004, and its outreach efforts have added about 200 sites for a total of about 960. Even so, only about 15 percent of the 460,000 children who are eligible take advantage of it, the Detroit Free Press reported Sunday."
Instapundit.com -
Instapundit.com -: "Too much U.S. presence might interfere with corruption! 'As long as the American troops are in the country, auditors have armed protection and can be very effective at revealing the thefts and getting the thieves punished."
Saturday, July 19, 2008
For Some Ohioans, Even Meat Is Out Of Reach
For Some Ohioans, Even Meat Is Out Of Reach
"The rising cost of food means their money gets them about a third fewer bags of groceries — $100 used to buy about 12 bags of groceries, but now it's more like seven or eight. So they cut back on expensive items like meat, and they don't buy extras like ice cream anymore."
And not a minute too soon!
"The rising cost of food means their money gets them about a third fewer bags of groceries — $100 used to buy about 12 bags of groceries, but now it's more like seven or eight. So they cut back on expensive items like meat, and they don't buy extras like ice cream anymore."
And not a minute too soon!
chizumatic.mee.nu
chizumatic.mee.nu: "In order for 'alternate energy' to become feasible, it has to satisfy all of the following criteria:
1. It has to be huge (in terms of both energy and power)
2. It has to be reliable (not intermittent or unschedulable)
3. It has to be concentrated (not diffuse)
4. It has to be possible to utilize it efficiently
5. The capital investment and operating cost to utilize it has to be comparable to existing energy sources (per gigawatt, and per terajoule).
If it fails to satisfy any of those, then it can't scale enough to make any difference. Solar power fails #3, and currently it also fails #5. (It also partially fails #2, but there are ways to work around that.)
The only sources of energy available to us now that satisfy all five are petroleum, coal, hydro, and nuclear."
1. It has to be huge (in terms of both energy and power)
2. It has to be reliable (not intermittent or unschedulable)
3. It has to be concentrated (not diffuse)
4. It has to be possible to utilize it efficiently
5. The capital investment and operating cost to utilize it has to be comparable to existing energy sources (per gigawatt, and per terajoule).
If it fails to satisfy any of those, then it can't scale enough to make any difference. Solar power fails #3, and currently it also fails #5. (It also partially fails #2, but there are ways to work around that.)
The only sources of energy available to us now that satisfy all five are petroleum, coal, hydro, and nuclear."
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