Monday, June 07, 2010

As the Sun Awakens, NASA Keeps a Wary Eye on Space Weather

As the Sun Awakens, NASA Keeps a Wary Eye on Space Weather - NASA Science
The sun is waking up from a deep slumber, and in the next few years we expect to see much higher levels of solar activity.

At the same time, our technological society has developed an unprecedented sensitivity to solar storms.

The intersection of these two issues is what we're getting together to discuss.'"

PBS' brand of 'civility'

PBS' brand of 'civility' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"PBS station managers made a big push last year to drive any trace of 'sectarian' Christianity out of the taxpayer-funded broadcasting system, banning any church services or religious lectures that appeared on a handful of stations.
They ultimately compromised and banned any new church programming.

But on at least one program, PBS sounds like it's declaring war on Christianity, including smears on Christianity that are not based on reality."

Chef In Gay Extort Bust

Chef In Gay Extort Bust - June 7, 2010
"Upon flying back to Detroit and conferring with his spouse, the man contacted the FBI about the shakedown plot. While claiming not to recall any 'homosexual liaison' in his hotel room, the man told investigators that he 'felt woozy and unclear' the morning after the purported encounter.
He also reported that his $20,000 Rolex was missing, along with a credit card and $200 in cash."

This is scary!

Sunday, June 06, 2010

Mosque at Ground Zero: Takbir!

Atlas Shrugs: Mosque at Ground Zero: Takbir!
"Here is CNN's piece on the offensive mosque at Ground Zero.

It is certainly more balanced than the interview I did with them on TV earlier this morning.
The interviewer was very hostile (shocka) and argumentative towards my position, while lobbing nerf balls to the disinformationalist Muslim journalist hurling Geller ad hominem attacks."

22 Problems With The Senate's Illegal Immigration Bill

22 Problems With The Senate's Illegal Immigration Bill - Right Wing News (Conservative News and Views)
Read what the democrats are planning for America!

DNC, Obama Now Astroturfing Talk Radio

DNC, Obama Now Astroturfing Talk Radio - Big Journalism
"The shameless media manipulators at the DNC have a new campaign designed to promote Elena Kagan for the Supreme Court.
As with previous campaigns, the “Kagan for Justice Action Center” is run via a special website set up by Organizing for America.
It encourages people to write letters to the editors of newspapers nationwide
(And we can presume that, as before, local newspapers will publish DNC talking points without realizing it).

What’s new is that the DNC is now branching out to Astroturf talk radio as well.
Here’s how the page looks on their website:"

FTC floats Drudge tax

EDITORIAL: FTC floats Drudge tax - Washington Times
"In other words, government policy would encourage a tax on websites like the Drudge Report, a must-read source for the news links of the day, so that the agency can redistribute the funds collected to various newspapers."

U.S.’s $13 Trillion Debt Poised to Overtake GDP

U.S.’s $13 Trillion Debt Poised to Overtake GDP: Chart of Day - Bloomberg.com
"President Barack Obama is poised to increase the U.S. debt to a level that exceeds the value of the nation’s annual economic output, a step toward what Bill Gross called a “debt super cycle.”"

Only through unfairness can fairness be achieved!

Only through unfairness can fairness be achieved!
"Only through unfairness can fairness be achieved!
I'm noticing a very peculiar trend in restrooms lately.
In government buildings, I am seeing floor after floor in which there are two types of restrooms, labeled thusly:
Women's Restroom
and
Unisex Restroom

While it's not the biggest deal in the world, I find myself having no other choice than to use the unisex restroom, but I wondered why women would have restrooms which no one else is allowed to use.
Is this some sort of twisted implementation of 'potty parity'?

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held hearings Wednesday on the 'Potty Parity Act,' a bill that seeks to address the unequal number of restroom facilities for women in federal buildings by requiring at least a 1-to-1 ratio for toilets, including urinals, in women's and men's restrooms.

Obviously the elimination of men's rooms (by simply converting them to 'unisex') achieves such parity without much expense, because it allows women to use 100% of the toilets, while forbidding men from using half of them.
Unless men object, women are thus over-enabled, and the 'problem' is solved."

Employee Records Hard to Come by at Mysterious State Child Care Agency

Employee Records Hard to Come by at Mysterious State Child Care Agency [Mackinac Center]
"The Michigan Home Based Child Care Council (MHBCCC), a controversial government agency that the legislature attempted to defund but was kept alive by the Michigan Department of Human Services, said in a June 2 letter it doesn't have a job description for its $80,000 executive director position and doesn't track the hours of its top executive.

But once contacted by Michigan Capitol Confidential, MHBCCC Executive Director D. Elizabeth Jordan stated Saturday in an e-mail the agency would provide a job description. Jordan's e-mail said there were no time sheets.

The government agency replied to a Freedom Of Information Act request by the Mackinac Center For Public Policy in a June 2 letter.
It stated:
'Executive Director Time Sheets or other records which demonstrate hours spent on the job on MHBCCC-related business and which explain the fulfillment of the aforementioned job description and requirements.
Please be advised that no such documents exist.'
Jordan signed the June 2 letter that stated there were no documents on her job.
Jordan's salary is $80,000 a year."

"Gingrich to Michigan: Change or Die"

"Gingrich to Michigan: Change or Die"!

Mackinac ideas deserve aggressive action | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Mackinac ideas deserve aggressive action detnews.com
"For decades, Detroit has devolved into the poster child for all the failures of the entitlement world first envisioned by the Great Cities concept of President Lyndon Johnson.

For two decades, the Detroit Chamber of Commerce leadership conference has become the poster child for well meaning discussion of important issues, but no significant progress.

But now, in a span of just three hours, all of that has a chance to change"

O.C. loses fight to keep pension data secretunty Register

O.C. loses fight to keep pension data secret - OC Watchdog : The Orange County Register

"We won!

The Orange County Employees Retirement System must hand over the the names and yearly pension amounts of retirees collecting at least $100,000, a judge has ruled.

Glenn Reynolds: Higher education's bubble is about to burst | Washington Examiner

Glenn Reynolds: Higher education's bubble is about to burst Washington Examiner: "the amount families pay for college has skyrocketed 439 percent since 1982. ... Normal supply and demand can't begin to explain cost increases of this magnitude.'"

Saturday, June 05, 2010

Sweden to boycott Israeli cargo

Sweden to boycott Israeli cargo
"Swedish dockworkers are set to launch a week-long boycott of Israeli ships and goods to protest Monday's takeover of a Gaza-destined aid flotilla, a union spokesman said Saturday."

Busted

Busted - John J. Miller - The Corner on National Review Online
"Since the fall of the Soviet Union, statues of Joseph Stalin have been torn down all over Europe and even in the former Soviet Union itself.

The world is closer than ever before to a consensus on the evils of communism and Stalin's primary role in the worst crimes of the last century.

And yet a statue of Stalin is included in the National D-Day Memorial, to be dedicated in Bedford, Virginia, this Sunday, June 6."

Give Peace a Chance

Give Peace a Chance - Mark Steyn - The Corner on National Review Online
"In contrast to the general directions of Helen ('Go back to Germany and Poland') Thomas, the peace-lovers aboard the Mavi Marmara were more specific:
In response to a radio transmission by the Israeli Navy warning the Gaza flotilla that they are approaching a naval blockade, passengers of the Mavi Marmara respond, 'Shut up, go back to Auschwitz' and 'We're helping Arabs go against the US, don't forget 9/11'.
Such amusing conversationalists"

SHOCKING: Report: Obama knew from the beginning that oil leak would likely last months.

SHOCKING: Report: Obama knew from the beginning that oil leak would likely last months.
“This makes all those golf outings, sports-team photo ops, and celebrity jams with Paul McCartney over the past six weeks feel extra special, doesn’t it?”

Friday, June 04, 2010

FOXNews.com - Transgender Men Go Topless at Delaware Beach -- and Police Can't Do a Thing

FOXNews.com - Transgender Men Go Topless at Delaware Beach -- and Police Can't Do a Thing: "Rehoboth Beach in Delaware isn't a topless beach -- but a few transgender men caused a stir by treating it like one."

YouTube - Helen Thomas tells Jews to go back to Germany

YouTube - Helen Thomas tells Jews to go back to Germany

How Socialized Medicine Harms Veterans

How Socialized Medicine Harms Veterans - The Agenda - National Review Online

Congress Ponders How to Push Electric Vehicles

Congress Ponders How to Push Electric Vehicles: Scientific American
"A new bill could promote electric vehicles in five regions nationally by awarding federal funds to assist in the roll-out of plug-in cars.

Not everyone thinks this is the best way to develop the technology"

Has this EVER worked?

Today’s the Day-Donut disobedience!

Today’s the Day OpenMarket.org
"So how should the conscientious citizen respond to this on National Donut Day?

I say, by eating two donuts—one for himself, and one as an act of civil disobedience."

When is double steak day?
I'm in!

Fight Nanny

Fight Nanny

Your government is your Momma now.

Sleep tight!

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Former Marine accused of shooting cow to intimidate witness offered plea deal if he testifies against mom

Former Marine accused of shooting cow to intimidate witness offered plea deal if he testifies against mom
"All Dustin Bender has to do to have a 10-year felony charge against him dropped is testify that a cow was killed to keep its owner from testifying in a criminal sexual conduct case -- and that it was his mom's idea."

There may be mooooo...er to this story!

Half a Dozen States Are Delaying Tax Refund Checks

Half a Dozen States Are Delaying Tax Refund Checks - NYTimes.com
"Procrastination is no longer just for the taxpayers who wait until the last moment to file their tax returns.

Thanks to the economic downturn, at least a half-dozen cash-poor states are now delaying their tax refund checks."

Some homeowners stop paying mortgages

NYT: Some homeowners stop paying mortgages - The New York Times
"For Alex Pemberton and Susan Reboyras, foreclosure is becoming a way of life — something they did not want but are in no hurry to get out of.

Foreclosure has allowed them to stabilize the family business.
Go to Outback occasionally for a steak. Take their gas-guzzling airboat out for the weekend.
Visit the Hard Rock Casino.

“Instead of the house dragging us down, it’s become a life raft,” said Mr. Pemberton, who stopped paying the mortgage on their house here last summer.
“It’s really been a blessing.”"

The new "amerikan" ethic.

Red Cross strikers protesting benefit cuts; blood supply unaffected

Red Cross strikers protesting benefit cuts; blood supply unaffected (Video) - MLive.com
"Michelle Wiersma, a hospital technician walking the picket line, said she was striking because the Red Cross officials are not negotiating and took away worker's 401K retirement plans."

That's a BIG claim.
I suspect a bogus claim.

Public employees' pay, benefits must be reformed

Guest column: Public employees' pay, benefits must be reformed
"One key element of that plan is reforming public employee pay, benefits and pension programs.

We don’t advocate these changes because we feel public employees don’t work hard — we know they do.

But, when wage and benefit expenses are the single biggest factor driving unsustainable finances and are above the national average for state workers and more generous than the private sector, change is needed."

Rush Limbaugh Getting Married for a Fourth Time?

Rush Limbaugh Getting Married for a Fourth Time? PopEater.com
"Conservative radio man Rush Limbaugh is taking a fourth stab at marriage with a weekend wedding to Kathryn Rogers, an events coordinator 26 years his junior, according to various reports"