Sunday, December 30, 2007

From the sub-prime to the ridiculous: how $100bn vanished | Business | The Guardian

From the sub-prime to the ridiculous: how $100bn vanished Business The Guardian: "It began with low-income Americans being encouraged to borrow mortgages they couldn't afford.
The economic butterfly effect would eventually cause deals worth billions of dollars to fall apart; the first run on a British bank in 140 years; some of the most powerful figures on Wall Street losing their jobs; wild gyrations on the markets; and dire warnings that the world is on the brink of recession"

Getting the Story Straight | Redstate

Getting the Story Straight Redstate: "Every once in a while I am more thankful than ever for today’s technology which allows me to talk to you directly instead of having to go through the filter of the main stream media."

Saturday, December 29, 2007

It's better than a religion!


A Nation of Dim Bulbs: "The new bulbs are particularly vulnerable to extremes of temperature, for example; you won't want to use them in your garage in winter. CFLs are also 25 percent longer in size than the average incandescent. This makes them unsuitable for all kinds of lighting fixtures--particularly chandeliers and other ceiling lights--which will have to be either discarded or reconfigured, at considerable expense, after the Bush ban goes into effect. You can't use most CFLs with dimmer switches, either; ditto timers. Newer models that can be dimmed and are adaptable to timers will require you to buy new CFL-compatible dimmers and timers.
The quality of the light given off by CFLs is quite different from what we're used to from incandescents. The old bulb concentrates its light through a small surface area. CFLs don't shine in beams; they glow all the way around, diffusing their illumination. They're terrible reading lights."

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Hillary: I've Know Mrs. Bhutto Many Years


Now that's some real foreign policy experience!

Hillary: I've Know Mrs. Bhutto Many Years Sweetness & Light: "I had given a lot of thought to how Chelsea and I should dress on the trip. We wanted to be comfortable, and under the sun’s heat, I was glad for the hats and cotton clothes I had packed. I didn’t want to offend people in the communities I was visiting, but I was also wary of appearing to embrace customs reflecting a culture that restricted women’s lives and rights."

TorontoSun.com - Lorrie Goldstein - BS alert! BS alert!

TorontoSun.com - Lorrie Goldstein - BS alert! BS alert!: "Finally, if idiot celebrities jetting around the world claiming they are 'carbon neutral' because they buy carbon offsets understood the Kyoto Accord, they wouldn't bother, considering what hypocrites they already are.
That's because Kyoto doesn't count GHG emissions caused by flying, although it's one of the world's fastest-growing sources of GHG."

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Iowa man spends Christmas Eve stuck upside-down in opening of septic tank

Iowa man spends Christmas Eve stuck upside-down in opening of septic tank: "DES MOINES, Iowa - It was a stinky holiday for Robert Schoff.
The 77-year-old man spent part of Christmas Eve stuck upside down in the opening of his septic tank, with his head inside and his feet kicking in the air above.
'It wasn't good, I'll tell you what,' Schoff said Tuesday. 'It was the worst Christmas Eve I've ever had.'DES MOINES, Iowa - It was a stinky holiday for Robert Schoff.
The 77-year-old man spent part of Christmas Eve stuck upside down in the opening of his septic tank, with his head inside and his feet kicking in the air above.
'It wasn't good, I'll tell you what,' Schoff said Tuesday. 'It was the worst Christmas Eve I've ever had.'"

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

NewsBusters.org | Exposing Liberal Media Bias

NewsBusters.org Exposing Liberal Media Bias: "You know all that nonsense the media have been spewing that the Bush tax cuts caused the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer?
Well, the Internal Revenue Service and the Congressional Budget Office have published tax and income numbers for 2005, and the press couldn't be any more wrong."

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Mark Steyn is Not Alone - Opinion - Arutz Sheva

Mark Steyn is Not Alone - Opinion - Arutz Sheva: "Two 'human rights' panels, the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Commission, have him on trial for his alleged claim that Islam does not square with Western ideals. Whatever the outcome, we're all on notice that Big Brother is watching. The word 'tribunal' itself reeks of an Orwellian nightmare and Soviet gulagism."

Against universal health care: Romania’s disastrous example

Transatlantic Politics » Blog Archive » Against universal health care: Romania’s disastrous example: "When going to a birth center resembles a Russian roulette, with no guarantees that the mother and child will be healthy, something is definitely rotten in Romania's universal health care system. Warning against all the universal-health-care-gurus in the US. There is no glamor to a corrupt, mismanaged, state-run system. And no reliable, equitable treatment either."

Monday, December 17, 2007

It's lights out for traditional light bulbs - USATODAY.com

It's lights out for traditional light bulbs - USATODAY.com: "A little-noticed provision of the energy bill, which is expected to become law, phases out the 125-year-old bulb in the next four to 12 years in favor of a new generation of energy-efficient lights that will cost consumers more but return their investment in a few months."

Weirdest work stories of the year - CNN.com

Weirdest work stories of the year - CNN.com: "12. 'Workers killed after seeking raises'
A car dealership owner killed two employees because they kept asking for more pay. The employer told police he was having financial problems and was under a lot of stress."

British taxpayers pay for failed asylum seekers to set up ostrich farm in Iran | the Daily Mail

British taxpayers pay for failed asylum seekers to set up ostrich farm in Iran the Daily Mail: "The revelation reignited a row over Labour's controversial policy of 'bribing' bogus refugees to leave the country."

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Michelle Malkin » Scrooges on the Hill: Saying no to Christmas resolution

Michelle Malkin » Scrooges on the Hill: Saying no to Christmas resolution: "From the office of GOP Rep. Steve King: Congressman Steve King reacted this morning to the nine “NO” votes on his resolution to honor Christmas and the Christian faith. The vote shocked Capitol Hill observers because votes on similar resolutions honoring the holidays of Islam and Hinduism passed without any NO votes. Appearing this morning on the Fox News Channel’s Fox and Friends, King said, “The [nine] naysayers didn’t make it to the floor to debate. I would like to know how they could vote Yes on Islam, Yes on the Indian Religions and No on Christianity when the foundation of this nation and our American culture is Christianity…I think there’s an assault on Christianity in America.” The nine Members voting NO were Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) (FL), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA). None of the nine voted against resolutions honoring the Islamic holiday of Ramadan and the Hindu holiday of Diwali."

Man Drinks Liter of Vodka at Airport Line

Man Drinks Liter of Vodka at Airport Line: "A man nearly died from alcohol poisoning after quaffing a liter (two pints) of vodka at an airport security check instead of handing it over to comply with new carry-on rules, police said Wednesday. The incident occurred at the Nuremberg airport on Tuesday, where the 64-year-old man was switching planes on his way home to Dresden from a holiday in Egypt. New airport rules prohibit passengers from carrying larger quantities of liquid onto planes, and he was told at a security check he would have to either throw out the bottle of vodka or pay a fee to have his carry-on bag checked as cargo. Instead, he chugged the bottle down—and was quickly unable to stand or otherwise function, police said. A doctor called to the scene determined he had possibly life- threatening alcohol poisoning, and he was sent to a Nuremberg clinic for treatment. The man, whose name was not released, is expected to be able to complete his journey home in a few days. "

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Children 'bad for planet' | NEWS.com.au

Children 'bad for planet' NEWS.com.au: "John Guillebaud, co-chairman of OPT and emeritus professor of family planning at University College London, said: 'The effect on the planet of having one child less is an order of magnitude greater than all these other things we might do, such as switching off lights. 'The greatest thing anyone in Britain could do to help the future of the planet would be to have one less child.'"

Monday, December 10, 2007

Superwoman!

Security Guard: 'God Guided Me And Protected Me' - Denver News Story - KMGH Denver: "'I saw him coming through the doors' and took cover, Assam said. 'I came out of cover and identified myself and engaged him and took him down.'"

I wonder what the Hillary camp is thinking......

Saturday, December 08, 2007

The Corner on National Review Online

The Corner on National Review Online: “Just look at the development within Europe, where the number of Muslims is expanding like mosquitoes”
Guess who said this!

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Four Winds Casino withholds revenue sharing - Muskegon Chronicle - MLive.com

Four Winds Casino withholds revenue sharing - Muskegon Chronicle - MLive.com: "The American Indian tribe that owns the new Four Winds Casino Resort in extreme southwestern Michigan is withholding its first revenue-sharing payments from local governments and school districts."

John R. Bolton - The Flaws In the Iran Report - washingtonpost.com

John R. Bolton - The Flaws In the Iran Report - washingtonpost.com: "Rarely has a document from the supposedly hidden world of intelligence had such an impact as the National Intelligence Estimate released this week. Rarely has an administration been so unprepared for such an event. And rarely have vehement critics of the 'intelligence community' on issues such as Iraq's weapons of mass destruction reversed themselves so quickly. "

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

City OKs tax break for new facility - mlive.com

City OKs tax break for new facility - mlive.com: "In return for the 50 percent tax abatement, the company promises to retain 31 jobs and add 50 positions over the next two to three years, officials said. "

Mother Nature feels the pains of divorce (AP) : Yahoo! Green

Mother Nature feels the pains of divorce (AP) : Yahoo! Green: "Divorce can be bad for the environment. In countries around the world divorce rates have been rising, and each time a family dissolves the result is two new households. 'A married household actually uses resources more efficiently than a divorced household,' said Jianguo Liu, an ecologist at Michigan State University whose analysis of the environmental impact of divorce "

Hospital Defends Plans to Turn Patients' Beds to Face Mecca -- 12/05/2007

Hospital Defends Plans to Turn Patients' Beds to Face Mecca -- 12/05/2007: "A hospital in northern England is playing down media reports saying that nurses have been ordered to stop normal duties five times a day to turn Muslim patients' beds so that they face Mecca. British tabloid newspapers reported Tuesday that at a hospital in West Yorkshire county, 'overworked' nurses in the taxpayer-funded National Health Service (NHS) were struggling to cope with the additional duties required for Muslim patients. Apart from moving the beds, the nurses also have to provide bathing water for pre-prayer ablutions, the reports said. The new duties were causing 'havoc,' said the Daily Express, while the Daily Star said they were 'creating turmoil' and quoted a doctor at the hospital as saying it was a case of 'political correctness gone mad.'"

Monday, December 03, 2007

How not to measure temperature, part 38 « Watts Up With That?

How not to measure temperature, part 38 « Watts Up With That?: "This station, COOP number 04-1838 is in Cloverdale, CA is just a few feet away from a chimney flue and an exhaust stack of a diesel generator. Note also the rain gauge placement. "

Sunday, December 02, 2007

CNN: Corrupt News Network - Los Angeles Times

CNN: Corrupt News Network - Los Angeles Times: "THE United States is at war in the Middle East and Central Asia, the economy is writhing like a snake with a broken back, oil prices are relentlessly climbing toward $100 a barrel and an increasing number of Americans just can't afford to be sick with anything that won't be treated with aspirin and bed rest. So, when CNN brought the Republican presidential candidates together this week for what is loosely termed a 'debate,' what did the country get but a discussion of immigration, Biblical inerrancy and the propriety of flying the Confederate flag?"

Lucianne.com News Forum

Lucianne.com News Forum: "The EU says it’s a leisure vehicle The Times [London, UK], by Michael Evans Original Article Posted By:Desert Fox, 12/2/2007 6:16:13 PM People who rely on motorised scooters to help to cope with disabilities are to be hit with a £300 tax, after an EU ruling that they should be categorised along with “leisure vehicles”. The electric power-driven wheelchairs with flexible handlebars are used by people with severe mobility difficulties, such as disabled ex-servicemen. They are now taxed in the same class as snowmobiles, jet skis and racing cars. (Snip) Under the EU ruling the scooters are now subject to a £300 import tax on top of their £2,000 cost. "

More gay men describe sexual encounters with U.S. Sen. Craig | Eyepiece | Idaho Statesman

More gay men describe sexual encounters with U.S. Sen. Craig Eyepiece Idaho Statesman: "More gay men describe sexual encounters with U.S. Sen. Craig Allegations made since news of the Minneapolis case broke lend weight to rumors about Craig."

Saturday, December 01, 2007

FOX Sports on MSN - NFL - Taylor's death a grim reminder for us all

FOX Sports on MSN - NFL - Taylor's death a grim reminder for us all: "No disrespect to Taylor, but he controlled the way he would be remembered by the way he lived. His immature, undisciplined behavior with his employer, his run-ins with law enforcement, which included allegedly threatening a man with a loaded gun, and the fact a vehicle he owned was once sprayed with bullets are all pertinent details when you've been murdered."

ICECAP

ICECAP: "Temperature peaked in 1998 and have shown no warming for a decade now. Many scientists have been remarking about this trend for several years but no one takes heed, preferring to believe models than actual data. Here is the satellite derived global temperature trend since 1979. Note the cooling globally near the volcanically active periods of the early 1980s and 1990s. Note also the warm spike associated with the super El Nino that seemingly marked the beginning of the end of the warm Pacific trend that began in 1978. Temperature peaked in 1998 and have shown no warming for a decade now. Many scientists have been remarking about this trend for several years but no one takes heed, preferring to believe models than actual data. Here is the satellite derived global temperature trend since 1979. Note the cooling globally near the volcanically active periods of the early 1980s and 1990s. Note also the warm spike associated with the super El Nino that seemingly marked the beginning of the end of the warm Pacific trend that began in 1978. "

Melville, sperm.... no whale?

Sperm donor may owe support: "MELVILLE — A Long Island man who said he donated sperm to a female co-worker as a friendly gesture — and then sent presents and cards to the woman’s child over the years — likely will owe child support for the college-bound teenager, according to a judge’s ruling. ........ Even without genetic evidence, the man’s interactions with the child over the years had a patriarchal nature, said Jeffrey Herbst, a county attorney...."

Over-50s 'turned down for NHS treatment' - Telegraph

Over-50s 'turned down for NHS treatment' - Telegraph: "One in six said they had been denied treatment on the NHS on the basis of cost."

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

>bt: Notes from the Silent Surrender

>bt: Notes from the Silent Surrender: "The dogma of multiculturalism holds that all cultures are equal, except Western culture, which (unlike every other society on the planet) has a history of oppression and war is therefore worse. All religions are equal, except Christianity, which informed the beliefs of the capitalist bloodsuckers who founded America and is therefore worse. All races are equal, except Caucasians, who long ago went into business with black slave traders in Africa, and therefore they are worse. The genders, too, are equal, except for those paternalistic males, who with their testosterone and aggression have made this planet a polluted living hell, and therefore they are worse."

Monday, November 26, 2007

Not chicken?

Cannibal goes vegetarian in jail The Courier-Mail: "Meiwes met 43-year-old Bernd Juergen Brandes on the internet after he posted a message asking for someone he could kill and eat. In March 2001, Meiwes killed, dismembered and devoured Brandes in a house in Rotenburg, in Germany’s north. In the book Conversations with a Cannibal, Meiwes said human flesh tasted like pork and that he had reformed"

Sunday, November 25, 2007

My Way News - Study: Kids Will Eat Healthy School Food

My Way News - Study: Kids Will Eat Healthy School Food: "Maybe getting schoolchildren to eat healthy foods isn't a hopeless struggle. Bucking some common notions, a University of Minnesota study has found that school lunch sales don't decline when healthier meals are served, and that more nutritious lunches don't necessarily cost schools more to produce."

'Redacted': Battle Casualty, By Kurt Loder - Movie News Story | MTV Movie News

'Redacted': Battle Casualty, By Kurt Loder - Movie News Story MTV Movie News: "The movie's implication is that such horrific incidents are not unusual, but that they're covered up by the military and the craven mainstream media. This is possible, of course. But the contention is unpersuasive in this particular case, since all five of the soldiers involved were arrested and charged, and three have been tried and sentenced to 90, 100 and 110 years in prison — information the movie declines to convey. "

TCS Daily - Loving Monsters

TCS Daily - Loving Monsters: "One need only look at the treatment of such other topics as crime, terrorism, and warfare to see examples of the same sort of misplaced sentimentality and willful ignorance. Tolerance of criminality leads to more crime; tolerance of terrorism leads to more terrorism; efforts to appear defenseless lead to war. "

Natural disasters have quadrupled in two decades: study

Natural disasters have quadrupled in two decades: study: "The Oxfam study was compiled using data from the Red Cross, the United Nations and specialist researchers at Louvain University in Belgium. "

Euro exchange control possible in face of economic crisis : November 2007 : Ambrose Evans-Pritchard : Business : Telegraph Blogs

Euro exchange control possible in face of economic crisis : November 2007 : Ambrose Evans-Pritchard : Business : Telegraph Blogs: "The die is now cast. As the euro brushes $1.50 against the dollar, it is already too late to stop the eurozone hurtling into a full-fledged economic and political crisis. We now have to start asking whether the EU itself will survive in its current form."

Friday, November 23, 2007

Randy Pausch's Home Page

Randy Pausch's Home Page

Dying prof's last lecture hits home

Dying prof's last lecture hits home: "'Who wants to see a dying man?' he asked. 'It's a beautiful warm day in September.' "

The dollar's in decline. Great news! | Gerard Baker - Times Online

The dollar's in decline. Great news! Gerard Baker - Times Online: "For the historically short-sighted, let's remember we have been here before. Between 1985 and 1995, the dollar declined by 43 per cent against the world's big currencies — somewhat more than it has in the past six years. That period was also marked by dire proclamations of the end of US economic power. But it turned out that in those years the foundations were laid for the strongest period of US economic growth in the past 35 years. "

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Maui News | IfA solar session out of this world

Maui News IfA solar session out of this world: "Over decades of scanning changes in the sun, solar astronomers noticed that when there were few sunspots, the Earth was cold; and when there were many, the Earth was warmer. Today is a time of many sunspots, so that might explain global warming. Not so fast, says University of Hawaii solar astronomer Jeff Kuhn. You can also find a correlation between sunspots and the number of Republicans elected to the U.S. Senate."

Friday, November 16, 2007

Al Gore Wrong Again : November 2007 : ReasonMcLucus : My Telegraph

Al Gore Wrong Again : November 2007 : ReasonMcLucus : My Telegraph: " The culprit is a developing la Nina , a cooling of the water in the eastern Pacific along the South American coast"

Silver Bullet: Neo-Con? Extreme Moderate? How about Revolutionary Liberal.

Silver Bullet: Neo-Con? Extreme Moderate? How about Revolutionary Liberal.: "Often when I walked onto the set of the West Wing some of my colleagues would greet me with a chanting of “Ron, Ron, the neo-con.” It was all done in fun but it had an edge."

Atomic Trousers: Bask in Bumper Sticker Wisdom

Atomic Trousers: Bask in Bumper Sticker Wisdom: "“A PBS Mind In a FOX News World” - This particular bumper sticker is positively oozing with smugness. “God, I can't stand being surrounded by these Wal-Mart-shopping, NASCAR-watching, deer-hunting troglodytes. How can these country-fried rubes allow themselves to be spoon-fed White House talking points from Bill O’Reilly? They must not be smart enough to enjoy watching some dusty old Brits mumble through a clunky drama on PBS like I am.”"

Contrary to reports, the nation's economy is robust | Nevada Appeal | Serving Carson City, Nevada

Contrary to reports, the nation's economy is robust Nevada Appeal Serving Carson City, Nevada: "President Bush recently noted that the nation just experienced its 50th consecutive month of uninterrupted job growth, the longest in the nation's history. This is even better than the media-vaunted Clinton economy of the late '90s, which was a bubble economy if there ever was one. To be sure, the reason this economy continues to do exceptionally well year after year is because U.S. companies really have been earning record profits year after year - as opposed to the thousands of firms that never made a dime during the dot-com bubble of the late '90s (and ultimately went out of business as quickly as they began). You can be sure that if a Democrat had sat in the White House these past seven years, there would have been no end to the praise from the media and Democrats about this incredible economy."

Controversy Over Eurostar's Shock Skinhead Urinating Advert |Sky News|UK News

Controversy Over Eurostar's Shock Skinhead Urinating Advert Sky NewsUK News: "An advert depicting a tattooed skinhead urinating into a china teacup is being used to promote tourism to London."

10 hurt in plane test smash | The Sun |HomePage|Travel


Wednesday, November 14, 2007

OPENING ARGUMENT: Academia's Pervasive PC Rot (11/12/2007)

OPENING ARGUMENT: Academia's Pervasive PC Rot (11/12/2007): "'A RACIST: A racist is one who is both privileged and socialized on the basis of race by a white supremacist (racist) system. 'The term applies to all white people (i.e., people of European descent) living in the United States, regardless of class, gender, religion, culture, or sexuality. By this definition, people of color cannot be racists.' ' [emphasis added]"

Reason Magazine - Cheap Dirty Fuels Versus Costly Clean Fuels

Reason Magazine - Cheap Dirty Fuels Versus Costly Clean Fuels: "Phoenix Motorcars is ordering NanoSafe batteries from the Reno, Nevada-based company Altairnano to fuel its all-electric trucks. These lithium ion batteries can be charged in 10 minutes at a commercial 480 volt station or in six hours using home power. The trucks can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 10 seconds with a top speed of 95 miles per hour and can go 100 miles before recharging. Amazingly these batteries can be recharged 20,000 times. Typical lithium ion batteries can be recharged only 500 to 1000 times, and lead acid batteries won't last more than 700 cycles. Nanosafe batteries replace combustible graphite in typical lithium ion batteries with nanoscale titanium."

Friday, November 02, 2007

IBDeditorials.com: Editorials, Political Cartoons, and Polls from Investor's Business Daily -- Even Harvard Finds The Media Biased

IBDeditorials.com: Editorials, Political Cartoons, and Polls from Investor's Business Daily -- Even Harvard Finds The Media Biased: "Just like so many reports before it, a joint survey by the Project for Excellence in Journalism and Harvard's Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy — hardly a bastion of conservative orthodoxy — found that in covering the current presidential race, the media are sympathetic to Democrats and hostile to Republicans."

The American Spectator

The American Spectator: "The Giuliani hate fest has also infiltrated the airwaves, where Keith Olbermann has made bashing Rudy a daily feature on his show. On Monday, an Olbermann segment entitled, 'Rudy Giuliani -- The next Dick Cheney?' was about Giuliani's penchant for 'secrecy' and 'proclivity for executive power...'"

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

FOXNews.com - Jury Awards Father Nearly $11 Million in Funeral Protesters Case - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

FOXNews.com - Jury Awards Father Nearly $11 Million in Funeral Protesters Case - Local News News Articles National News US News: "BALTIMORE — The father of a fallen Marine was awarded nearly $11 million Wednesday in damages by a jury that found leaders of a fundamentalist church had invaded the family's privacy and inflicted emotional distress when they picketed the Marine's funeral. The jury first awarded $2.9 million in compensatory damages. It returned later in the afternoon with its decision to award $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and $2 million for causing emotional distress to the Marine's father, Albert Snyder of York, Pa. Snyder sued the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church for unspecified monetary damages after members staged a demonstration at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq"

Women blamed for men’s sleepless nights -Times Online

Women blamed for men’s sleepless nights -Times Online: "Women who wear figure-hugging clothes are giving Muslim men sleepless nights and distracting them from prayer, a prominent cleric said yesterday."

North Muskegon campaigns have some intensity - mlive.com

North Muskegon campaigns have some intensity - mlive.com: "Override Headlee in Ferrysburg on Nov. 6

Voters in the city of Ferrysburg are being asked to do something this Nov. 6 that they wouldn't have to bother with, had the late Mr. Headlee not succeeded in attaching his pernicious tax-limiting provision to the state's constitution. The so-called Headlee Amendment was aimed at tying homeowners' property taxes to the rate of inflation; what it mainly succeeded in doing, though, was to tie the hands of city and school officials by throwing monkey wrenches into the budget processes of municipalities and school districts throughout Michigan. Thus, Ferrysburg voters have the choice -- the honor, really -- of overriding another Headlee rollback in Ferrysburg. If it is approved, the proposal would restore 0.3424 mills that would otherwise be cut from the city's operating budget, which would generate a little over $52,000. Cities, which have inflationary pressures of their own to deal with as well as ongoing steep cuts in state-shared revenues in recent years, already have a hard enough time keeping up with just the vital and basic services that their taxpaying residents expect and deserve. We strongly urge a 'YES' vote on Ferrysburg's Headlee override. "

Monday, October 29, 2007

My Way News - 1 in 10 Schools Are 'Dropout Factories'

My Way News - 1 in 10 Schools Are 'Dropout Factories': "It's a nickname no principal could be proud of: 'Dropout Factory,' a high school where no more than 60 percent of the students who start as freshmen make it to their senior year. That description fits more than one in 10 high schools across America."

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Greg Mankiw's Blog: Redistribution in the Rangel Bill

Greg Mankiw's Blog: Redistribution in the Rangel Bill: "Redistribution in the Rangel Bill

The Tax Policy Center has run the numbers to show how different income groups would be affected by the Rangel tax reform proposal compared to the tax law currently on the books.

Here is roughly what the numbers (in Table T07-0300) show:

The bottom three-fourths of households, those making less than $75,000 a year, are not much affected. They each would receive a tax cut of about $100 per year.

The next 24 percent, those making between $75,000 and $500,000, would receive much more substantial tax cuts.

Those in the $200,000 to $500,000 range, who are in the 96 to 99 percentile of the income distribution, would get a tax cut of about $3,600 per year.

The top 1 percent, those making over $500,000, would pay substantially more in taxes.
Those making more than $1 million would see their tax bill rise by an average of more than $100,000.

Thus, as a first approximation, the plan increases the progressivity of the tax code by redistributing income from the very rich (e.g., CEOs, hedge fund managers, superstar athletes and actors) to the upper middle class (e.g., doctors, lawyers, congressmen)."

LA Daily News - 34 percent believe in ghosts

LA Daily News - 34 percent believe in ghosts: "34 percent of people who say they believe in ghosts, according to a pre-Halloween poll by The Associated Press and Ipsos. That's the same proportion who believe in unidentified flying objects - exceeding the 19 percent who accept the existence of spells or witchcraft. Forty-eight percent believe in extrasensory perception, or ESP. But nearly half of you knew we were about to tell you that, right? "

Quack Michael Moore has mad view of the NHS | Minette Marrin - Times Online

Quack Michael Moore has mad view of the NHS Minette Marrin - Times Online: "Unfortunately Sicko is a dishonest film. That is not only my opinion. It is the opinion of Professor Lord Robert Winston, the consultant and advocate of the NHS. When asked on BBC Radio 4 whether he recognised the NHS as portrayed in this film, Winston replied: “No, I didn’t. Most of it was filmed at my hospital [the Hammersmith in west London], which is a very good hospital but doesn’t represent what the NHS is like.” I didn’t recognise it either, from years of visiting NHS hospitals. Moore painted a rose-tinted vision of spotless wards, impeccable treatment, happy patients who laugh away any suggestion of waiting in casualty, and a glamorous young GP who combines his devotion to his patients with a salary of £100,000, a house worth £1m and two cars. All this, and for free. This, along with an even rosier portrait of the French welfare system, is what Moore says the state can and should provide. You would never guess from Sicko that the NHS is in deep trouble, mired in scandal and incompetence, despite the injection of billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money. While there are good doctors and nurses and treatments in the NHS, there is so much that is inadequate or bad that it is dishonest to represent it as the envy of the world and a perfect blueprint for national healthcare. It isn’t. GPs’ salaries – used by Moore as evidence that a state-run system does not necessarily mean low wages – is highly controversial; their huge pay rise has coincided with a loss of home visits, a serious problem in getting GP appointments and continuing very low pay for nurses and cleaners. "

German Party Backs Highway Speed Limit | World Latest | Guardian Unlimited

German Party Backs Highway Speed Limit World Latest Guardian Unlimited: "A majority of delegates at a conference of the center-left Social Democrat party backed a resolution stating that ``a fast and unbureaucratic path to climate protection is the introduction of a general speed limit of 130 kilometers per hour,'' or 80 mph. "

Japan's death penalty under threat as EU spearheads push for global moratorium - Mainichi Daily News

Japan's death penalty under threat as EU spearheads push for global moratorium - Mainichi Daily News: "The European Union and nine other countries started an open negotiation on their draft resolution on a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty, seeking support from other UN member states in order to pass the resolution at the UN General Assembly's committee on human rights later this week. The resolution, co-authored by the 27 EU nations along with Albania, Angola, Brazil, Croatia, Gabon, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines and East Timor, requests countries that still practice the death penalty to 'establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty,' according to a copy of the draft resolution obtained by the Mainichi."

An environmental warning proposed for cars in Europe - International Herald Tribune

An environmental warning proposed for cars in Europe - International Herald Tribune: "The advertising business has jumped on the environmental bandwagon, finding ways to give all sorts of industries a 'green' tuneup and profiting in the process. But is it about to backfire? The European Parliament proposed last Wednesday that car advertisements in the European Union carry tobacco-style labels, warning of the environmental impact they cause. Under the plan, 20 percent of the space or time of any auto ad would have to be set aside for information on a car's fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, cited as a contributor to global climate change. So, should we prepare for warnings along the lines of, 'Driving this car may damage the health of the planet'?"

TheStar.com | News | Quebec to introduce veil ban in voting

TheStar.com News Quebec to introduce veil ban in voting: "Quebec City will follow Ottawa's lead by requiring all electors to show their faces before casting a ballot in elections. Premier Jean Charest's government is expected to introduce legislation on Thursday to compel all voters – including veiled Muslim women – to uncover their faces to a polling station official. The change will be enforced for provincial, municipal and school board elections."

Human race will 'split into two different species' | the Daily Mail

Human race will 'split into two different species' the Daily Mail: "The human race will one day split into two separate species, an attractive, intelligent ruling elite and an underclass of dim-witted, ugly goblin-like creatures, according to a top scientist. "

Edwards plans big for presidency - A Concord Monitor Article - Your News Source - Concord NH 03301

Edwards plans big for presidency - A Concord Monitor Article - Your News Source - Concord NH 03301: "John Edwards says if he's elected president, he'll institute a New Deal-like suite of programs to fight poverty and stem growing wealth disparity. To do it, he said, he'll ask many Americans to make sacrifices, like paying higher taxes. "

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Talks over road funding remain in dark tunnel - mlive.com

Talks over road funding remain in dark tunnel - mlive.com: "For the second time in four months, officials from local townships got together -- along with invited guests from the Muskegon County Road Commission, the state Legislature, the Michigan Department of Transportation and other agencies -- to discuss the crumbling condition of many county roads and the need to find money to repair them. "

mebee they spent the $$ on other stuff?

Talks over road funding remain in dark tunnel - mlive.com: "For the second time in four months, officials from local townships got together -- along with invited guests from the Muskegon County Road Commission, the state Legislature, the Michigan Department of Transportation and other agencies -- to discuss the crumbling condition of many county roads and the need to find money to repair them. "

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Save the birdies!

No nuke, no coal, no windfarms. I'm thinking the enviros are pretty clear:
No people, No factories, No jobs.

Conservationists lose wind farm ruling Houston Chronicle: "The venture that would build the proposed transmission line, in filings with the PUC, said the 'true purpose' of the alliance intervention is to stop the construction of the two wind farms. A preliminary assessment of potential impacts from the wind farms, conducted for the alliance by EDM International of Fort Collins, Colo., found potential threats to local and migrating bird populations in South Texas. The wind industry has said the installation would not harm migrating birds. Blackburn said the transmission lines might not result in daily kills but could prove deadly when bad weather and other factors force birds to fly at lower altitudes. But he said the real danger is from the turbines."

No coal!

Dozens of Coal Plant Proposals Scrapped Due to Global Warming Concerns: "At least 16 coal-fired power plant proposals nationwide have been scrapped in recent months and more than three dozen have been delayed as utilities face increasing pressure due to concerns over global warming and rising construction costs."

Bush's fault?

Michigan's jobless rate climbs to 7.5%: "Michigan's unemployment rate is up slightly to 7.5 percent. State officials say the seasonally adjusted rate last month rose one-tenth of a percentage point higher than the August rate. The state's unemployment rate continues to lead the national rate, which was 4.7 percent last month. "

Low income kids get a new "benefit"!

Everyone must be so proud!
What new "benefits" are being cooked up by enlightened libs?

Maine school to offer contraceptives - Yahoo! News: "King is the only one of the three schools with a health center, primarily because it has more students who get free or reduced-price lunch, said Lisa Belanger, who oversees Portland's student health centers."

The truth that none dare speak?

Is there scientific proof that all races have identical intelligence?

Controversial DNA pioneer's talk halted - Yahoo! News
London's Science Museum canceled a Friday talk by Nobel Prize-winning geneticist James Watson after the co-discoverer of DNA's structure told a newspaper that Africans and Europeans had different levels of intelligence.
James Watson provoked widespread outrage with his comments to The Sunday Times, which quoted the 79-year-old American as saying he was "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours — whereas all the testing says not really."
He told the paper he hoped that everyone was equal, but added: "people who have to deal with black employees find this not true."
The comments drew condemnation from British lawmakers, scientists, and civil rights campaigners. On Wednesday The Independent newspaper put Watson on its front page, against the words: "Africans are less intelligent than Westerners, says DNA pioneer."
Watson, who serves as chancellor of the renowned Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., was to deliver a sold-out lecture at the Science Museum, but on Wednesday night the institution said Watson's comments had gone too far and the event had been canceled.
Call to Watson's book publisher and his office in New York were not immediately returned.
This is not the first time Watson's speaking engagements have caused a stir.
The Independent catalogued a series of controversial statements from Watson, including one in which he reportedly suggested women should have the right to have abortions if tests could determine their children would be homosexual.
In 2000 Watson shocked an audience at the University of California, Berkeley, when he advanced a theory about a link between skin color and sex drive.
His lecture, complete with slides of bikini-clad women, argued that extracts of melanin — which give skin its color — had been found to boost subjects' sex drive.
"That's why you have Latin lovers," he said, according to people who attended the lecture. "You've never heard of an English lover. Only an English patient."
Telephone and e-mail messages left with the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory after business hours Wednesday were not immediately returned.

The lies of omission

Not a major surprise, but nowhere in this article do the unbiased CNN folks mention that the US economy is in marvelous health. By every traditional measure, GDP growth, productivity, total employment, unemployment, deficit % of GDP, stock market, inflation, consumer spending, etc. Most at record positives.
I guess those are not important enough to report to the unwashed.
Sophistry!

CNN.com - CNN Political Ticker Poll: Nearly half think U.S. in recession «: "Nearly half of Americans think the U.S. economy is in a recession — close to 46 percent of those surveyed in a new CNN-Opinion Research Corporation Poll out Thursday morning say the country’s economy is in a recession while 51 percent of those questioned say no."

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Water for oil?

If the Senate's new "renewable fuels" mandate becomes law, get ready for a giant slurping sound as Midwest water supplies are siphoned off to slake Big Ethanol. House and Senate negotiators are preparing for an energy-bill conference, and if the Senate's language prevails, America's economy will be forced to consume more than five times current ethanol production.
Heavily subsidized and absurdly inefficient, corn-based ethanol has already driven up food prices. But the Senate's plan to increase production to 36 billion gallons by 2022, from less than seven billion today, will place even greater pressure on farm-belt aquifers.
Ethanol plants consume roughly four gallons of water to produce each gallon of fuel, but that's only a fraction of ethanol's total water habit. Cornell ecology professor David Pimentel says that when you count the water needed to grow the corn, one gallon of ethanol requires a staggering 1,700 gallons of H2O. Backers of the Senate bill say that less-thirsty technologies are just around the corner, which is what we've been hearing for years.
Some corn-producing regions are already scrapping over dwindling supply. The Journal's Joe Barrett recently reported that Kansas is threatening to sue neighboring Nebraska for consuming more than its share of the Republican River. The Grand Forks Herald reports local opposition to a proposed ethanol plant in Erskine, Minnesota, with anti-refinery yard signs sprouting up and residents concerned about well water. Backers of a proposed plant in Jamestown, North Dakota, recently withdrew their application when it became clear that the plant's million-gallon-a-day appetite would drain too much from a local aquifer. In Wisconsin, new ethanol plants are encountering opposition in Sparta and Milton.
"There are going to be conflicts," says Iowa State hydrogeologist Bill Simpkins, "and there are going to be lawsuits." Even in Iowa, which enjoys abundant rainfall, there are no guarantees that supply can meet the new demand. "The problem is we don't know enough about some of these areas to say whether people can pump out a lot more water," Mr. Simpkins says.
The political fights could get ugly, because plants tend to pop up near cities, not necessarily near the biggest water supplies. Ethanol needs a rail system to be distributed, and ethanol factories save money on boiler maintenance when they get the same kind of high-quality water that humans prefer. In states like Iowa, where ethanol plants are considered agricultural projects deserving of preferential treatment, ethanol can also muscle out other business uses.
Ethanol's big environmental footprint is not limited to water, because biofuels like ethanol are highly inefficient. In September, the Chairman of the OECD's Roundtable on Sustainable Development released a report entitled, "Biofuels: Is the Cure Worse than the Disease?" Authors Richard Doornbosch and Ronald Steenblik compared the power density of different energy sources, measured in energy production per unit of the earth's area. Oil -- because it requires only a narrow hole in the earth and is extracted as a highly concentrated form of energy -- is up to 1,000 times more efficient than solar energy, which requires large panels collecting a less-concentrated form of energy known as the midday sun.
But even solar power is roughly 10 times as efficient as biomass-derived fuels like ethanol. In other words, growing the corn to produce ethanol means clearing land and killing animals on a massive scale, or converting land from food production to fuel production. Peter Huber of the Manhattan Institute says that the best-case scenario promoted by ethanol cheerleaders will actually cause the greatest environmental disaster. If people can actually refine cheap, low-maintenance production techniques that don't require huge water supplies, Mr. Huber predicts a world-wide leveling of forestland as farmers turn vegetation into fuel.
Writing in Science magazine, Renton Righelato and Dominick Spracklen estimate that in order to replace just 10% of gasoline and diesel consumption, the U.S. would need to convert a full 43% of its cropland to ethanol production. The alternative approach -- clearing wilderness -- would mean more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than simply sticking with gasoline, because the CO2-munching trees cut down to make way for King Ethanol absorb more emissions than ethanol saves.
Slowly but surely, these problems are beginning to alert public opinion to the huge costs of force-feeding corn ethanol as an energy savior. The ethanol lobby is still hoping it can keep all of this under wraps long enough to shove one more big mandate through Congress, but the Members need to know the problems they'll be creating. We hope that House conferees, who did not include a new mandate in their energy bill, insist that any final bill is ethanol-free.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Kiwi women are the world's most promiscuous-UK-World-The Times of India

Kiwi women are the world's most promiscuous-UK-World-The Times of India: "A new survey has shown that Kiwi women are the most promiscuous in the world, with an average of 20.4 sexual partners. "

Politics | $4.5 million for a boat that nobody wanted | Seattle Times Newspaper

Politics $4.5 million for a boat that nobody wanted Seattle Times Newspaper: "Why would the Navy waste taxpayer dollars on a boat that nobody wanted? Blame it on Sen. Patty Murray and Congressmen Norm Dicks and Brian Baird. All three exercised their political muscle to slip language into a 2002 spending bill to force the Navy to buy the boat from Edmonds shipbuilder Guardian Marine International."

Friday, October 12, 2007

John Edwards walks into a bar ... - By Mickey Kaus - Slate Magazine

John Edwards walks into a bar ... - By Mickey Kaus - Slate Magazine: "Crops Rotting in the Fields! ... Oh wait. That's last year's crops-rot-in-fields story. Sorry. Here's this year's. They haven't rotted yet... [Thanks to reader C.B.] .. Update: Is the Bush administration rushing to declare a crisis and use it as an excuse to open the door to more illegals? I don't know the answer. But the LAT reports the administration is 'quietly rewriting federal regulations to eliminate barriers that restrict how foreign laborers can legally be brought into the country' under the existing H-2A and H-2B programs for temporary workers. ... I can see why it might be useful to simplify applications. But if it's seasonal work, why would it be necessary to 'extend the definition of 'temporary' beyond 10 months'? Do all these legal workers actually return when their 'temporary' work is over? ... The Bushies are also considering expanding 'the definition of 'agricultural' workers to include such industries as meatpacking and poultry processing. Is it really impossible to get American citizens (or existing legal immigrants) to do meatpacking jobs? ... If an unlimited number of non-temporary 'temporary' workers in can be allowed in under existing law, then why did the Administration feel it needed an explicit new guest-worker program as part of 'comprehensive' reform? ... Krikorian? ... "

Friday, October 05, 2007

Mae West would have loved this story

"Is that an iPod in your pocket or are you really, really happy to see me?"

iPod Sets Man's Pants On Fire - News Story - WSB Atlanta: "The new iPod Nano is hot. But one Douglasville man said his old Nano got even hotter -- hot enough to burst into flames. “So I look down and I see flames coming up to my chest,” said Danny Williams. Williams said the burn hole from the pocket of his pants marks the spot of his 15 seconds of flame. He said he had an iPod Nano and an glossy piece of paper in his pocket. He believes the paper shielded him from being burned."

Friday, September 28, 2007

NC cops AGAIN?

newsobserver.com Nasty cough, nasty run-in with the law: "When Morrisville police officer Chris Gill handed him a ticket, Kent Kauffman coughed. Next thing Kauffman knew, Gill was charging him with assault on a government official."

Monday, September 24, 2007

Go Al Go...re....

WTOL-TV Toledo, OH: Petition drive launched to put Al Gore on Michigan ballot: "Michigan supporters of Al Gore are launching a petition drive to make sure his name can be on the January 15 presidential primary ballot if he decides to enter the race. They are required to submit more than 12,000 valid signatures to the secretary of state's office by October 23 to get the job done."

Men are smartest and dumbest, say scientists - Times Online

Men are smartest and dumbest, say scientists - Times Online: "However, individuals often defy the patterns. Carol Vorderman, the broadcaster – who has a reported IQ of more than 150 – has made a career out of her mathematical skills."
Imagine that! "Individuals often defy the patterns". Imagine that......

9/11 coalition set to 'Swift-boat' Rudy Giuliani today

9/11 coalition set to 'Swift-boat' Rudy Giuliani today: "'We intend to Swift-boat Rudy the way they Swift-boated Kerry,' said Deputy Fire Chief Jim Riches, the group's leader, whose firefighter son Jimmy was killed in the terror attack."

I thought the left use the term "Swift-boat" was an unfair attack.
As from Wikipedia:
"Swiftboating is American political jargon that is used (primarily) as a strong pejorative description of some kind of attack that the speaker considers unfair—for example, an ad hominem attack or a smear campaign."

Opinion: Mark Steyn: Nurse Hillary knows best | health, million, uninsured, insurance, people - OCRegister.com

Opinion: Mark Steyn: Nurse Hillary knows best health, million, uninsured, insurance, people - OCRegister.com: "So, out of 45 million uninsured Americans, 9 million aren’t American, 9 million are insured, 18 million are young and healthy. And the rest of these poor helpless waifs trapped in Uninsured Hell waiting for Hillary to rescue them are, in fact, wealthier than the general population. According to the Census Bureau’s August 2006 report on “Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage,” 37 percent of those without health insurance – that’s 17 million people – come from households earning more than $50,000. Nineteen percent – 8.7 million people – of those downtrodden paupers crushed by the brutal inequities of capitalism come from households earning more than $75,000. "

Jena Six: Law Bloggers Cite Confusing Facts - TalkLeft: The Politics Of Crime

Jena Six: Law Bloggers Cite Confusing Facts - TalkLeft: The Politics Of Crime

Allyson Pollock on what Michael Moore's new film, Sicko, doesn't tell you ... | Special Reports | Guardian Unlimited Politics

Allyson Pollock on what Michael Moore's new film, Sicko, doesn't tell you ... Special Reports Guardian Unlimited Politics

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Free healthcare don't work if ya don't use it.

Who needs toothpaste? Certain ideas of Europe Economist.com: "Who needs toothpaste? Posted by: The Economist BRUSSELS Categories: France ONE OF the tired cliches about Europe is that its inhabitants all have mossy teeth, and have limited enthusiasm for matters of personal hygiene. This is a deporable generalisation, and not a serious subject for discussion. That said... crikey there is a jaw-dropping piece in today's Le Figaro, tucked away in the health pages (alas, not seemingly available on the internet). The article quotes a pair of dentists, one from a Paris teaching hospital and one from the French dentistry association, and offers the following statistics (without citing sources). - one million French citizens never brush their teeth - half of all French do not brush their teeth in the evening - 57% of French children under five have never brushed their teeth"

Smart?

- Financial planner accused of $2 million scam: "GRAND RAPIDS - A financial planner accused of scamming clients out of $2 million stood mute at his arraignment in federal court Tuesday. Robert Smart allegedly used bogus documents to show he was investing his clients' money in prominent West Michigan companies. Instead, he's accused of pocketing the money."

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Local News | Son is busted for drugs, but it's mom and dad who lose the cars | Seattle Times Newspaper

Local News Son is busted for drugs, but it's mom and dad who lose the cars Seattle Times Newspaper

Senate nixes tour-of-duty bill - Politics - MSNBC.com

Senate nixes tour-of-duty bill - Politics - MSNBC.com: "WASHINGTON - The Senate blocked legislation Wednesday that would have regulated the amount of time troops spent in combat, a blow for Democrats struggling to challenge President Bush’s Iraq policies. The 56-44 vote was four votes short of reaching the 60 needed to cut off debate. It was the second time in as many months that the bill, sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., was sidetracked. In July, a similar measure fell four votes short of advancing. Failure of the bill was a sound defeat for Democrats, who have been unable to pass significant anti-war legislation by a veto-proof majority since taking control of Congress in January. Webb’s measure was seen as having the best chance at attracting the 60 votes needed to pass because of its pro-military premise."

Jesse Jackson accuses Obama of 'acting white' in presidential race - Independent Online Edition > Americas

Jesse Jackson accuses Obama of 'acting white' in presidential race - Independent Online Edition > Americas: "The US civil rights leader and former presidential candidate Jesse Jackson set off a racial firestorm yesterday after he accused his fellow Democrat and fellow African American, Barack Obama, of 'acting like he's white' in his campaign for the White House."

CTV.ca | Stronach went to U.S. for cancer treatment: report

CTV.ca Stronach went to U.S. for cancer treatment: report: "Liberal MP Belinda Stronach, who is battling breast cancer, travelled to California last June for an operation that was recommended as part of her treatment, says a report. "

ABC7Chicago.com: Cook County sales tax increase proposed

ABC7Chicago.com: Cook County sales tax increase proposed: "One Cook County commissioner wants to increase the county's portion of the sales tax, and if approved, the sales tax in Cook County would go up to 11 percent. That tax increase would also apply to restaurant and hotel bills. "

Political Radar: Richardson: Obese Americans Need Federal Protection

Political Radar: Richardson: Obese Americans Need Federal Protection: "'This is an issue of basic civil rights,' said Richardson. 'There are no federal laws that protect obese Americans from discrimination in the workplace, school, or anywhere else. This must change.' "

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Optimism and War - September 18, 2007 - The New York Sun

Optimism and War - September 18, 2007 - The New York Sun: "A military sage once said that if you think you are going to lose, you are going to lose. In the daunting business of war, a country does far better with a military commander who thinks he can win and finds ways to get tasks done than with a commander from the Harry Reid School of Leadership who only finds reasons why tasks can't be done"

Liberal Democrats to outlaw petrol-driven cars by 2040 - Independent Online Edition > UK Politics

Liberal Democrats to outlaw petrol-driven cars by 2040 - Independent Online Edition > UK Politics: "Far-reaching proposals to transform Britain into a carbon-neutral economy within 40 years won overwhelming backing from the Liberal Democrat rank and file yesterday. Delegates at the party's annual conference in Brighton approved a series of measures, including plans to remove petrol-driven cars from the roads by 2040, invest billions in the railways and pour resources into renewable power to give Britain a network of non-carbon emitting electricity generators. But an attempt by some delegates to lift the party's historic antipathy to new nuclear power stations was rejected, despite claims that the nuclear option was needed to prevent a greater reliance on gas and coal-fired plants. Chris Huhne, the party's environment spokesman, declared: 'Do we want a world where the wind whips the tiles from our roofs, fells trees that have grown for generations, where it rains four inches in a day, the same as a normal month; rain that fills up the gutters and drains and sewers? We are tearing up nature by the roots.'"

Monday, September 17, 2007

Things You Might Not Know About The Duke Case (Forum)

Things You Might Not Know About The Duke Case (Forum): " Duke administrators were outraged that the lacrosse team had held a stripper party, but no such outrage greeted the more than 20 such parties held at Duke during the 2005-2006 academic year. Duke's famous basketball team held one two weeks before, drawing no apparent criticism."

mediabistro.com: FishbowlDC

mediabistro.com: FishbowlDC: "While the USA Today story is overwhelmingly positive, it's also a case study in fuzzy math and the newspaper industry's measurement system. You see, USA Today doesn't get bought by 2.3 million people -- at least not in the traditional sense of the word 'bought.' Instead, they carpet the hallways of America's hotels, making 'The Nation's Newspaper' more like The Nation's Doormat."

Rocky Mountain News - Denver and Colorado's reliable source for breaking news, sports and entertainment: Editorials

Rocky Mountain News - Denver and Colorado's reliable source for breaking news, sports and entertainment: Editorials: "Of the four original proposals submitted to the Colorado Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform, only one would reportedly cost less than the system we now have: the single-payer plan. An economic forecast by The Lewin Group, a consulting firm hired by the commission, concluded that had the single-payer proposal been in effect, Coloradans would have spent about 4.7 percent less for medical services this year. At a legislative briefing Wednesday, Sen. Ken Gordon, D-Denver, suggested that this finding all but settled the matter - the single-payer program is the best way to both expand coverage to the estimated 770,000 Coloradans who are uninsured and control costs. "

Rigging a study to make conservatives look stupid. - By William Saletan - Slate Magazine

Rigging a study to make conservatives look stupid. - By William Saletan - Slate Magazine: "Are liberals smarter than conservatives? It looks that way, according to a study published this week in Nature Neuroscience. In a rapid response test—you press a button if you're given one signal, but not if you're given a different signal—the authors found that conservatives were 'more likely to make errors of commission,' whereas 'stronger liberalism was correlated with greater accuracy.' They concluded that 'a more conservative orientation is related to greater persistence in a habitual response pattern, despite signals that this response pattern should change.' Does this mean liberal brains are fitter? Apparently. 'Liberals are more responsive to informational complexity, ambiguity and novelty,' the authors wrote. New York University, which helped fund the study, "

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Chafee no longer a Republican - The Crypt's Blog - Politico.com

Chafee no longer a Republican - The Crypt's Blog - Politico.com: "Former Repubican Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, who lost his seat in last year’s Democratic congressional wave, announced that he has left the Republican Party, according to the Providence Journal"

Friday, September 07, 2007

Reason Magazine - Hit & Run > Living Wages for Thee...

Reason Magazine - Hit & Run > Living Wages for Thee...: "The workers who clean Baltimore's Camden Yards baseball stadium are planning a hunger strike to protest their $7 per hour wages. The stadium is the largest employer of the city's homeless day laborers. The kicker, though, is that the Maryland legislature recently passed a 'living wage' bill, setting the minimum at $11.30 per hour. But while the bill covers any business with state contracts in the Baltimore area, the state government is exempt, and Camden is owned by the state of Maryland. "

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

JS Online: Is Wi-Fi a losing strategy?

JS Online: Is Wi-Fi a losing strategy?: "Wi-Fi, once hyped as the technology that could provide wireless Internet access to personal and business computers across urban America, is in deep trouble here and around the country. In many cities, Wi-Fi projects are dead or faltering, saddled with growing equipment expenses, reception problems and little interest by governments in pumping tax money into them. Unreliable business plans of prospective Wi-Fi firms, mounting expenses and undependable technology have delayed some projects or led wireless providers to walk away from others. Some experts are advising local governments to drop their involvement with Wi-Fi and leave the venture of wireless Internet solely in the hands of private industry."

Labor Day Lament: Where Have You Gone, Samuel Gompers, Dennis Kearney, Cesar Chavez, A. Philip Randolph?

VDARE.com: 09/02/07 - The Fulford File: Labor Day Lament: Where Have You Gone, Samuel Gompers, Dennis Kearney, Cesar Chavez, A. Philip Randolph?: "The AFL-CIO is suing the Justice Department on behalf of illegal aliens. It has succeeded in getting a Clinton-appointed judge to put a stop to a recent attempt to prevent employers from hiring illegals with fraudulent social security numbers. [Judge puts hold on immigration penalty letters to employers, AP, August 31, 2007] Why is the AFL-CIO doing this? you might ask. After all, whoever the employer hires will be a new union member, and the majority of AFL-CIO members are Americans. But around the year 2000, the AFL-CIO reversed its position on mass immigration, in favor of embracing, not the American worker, but any worker in America as a potential new member. "

Bring Back IQ Tests!

VDARE.com: 04/17/05 - End The April Agony—Bring Back IQ Tests!: "In reality, of course, universities are ranked primarily on the grades and SAT or ACT scores that their students achieved in high school. The fame of their grad schools and even the successes of their hired football and basketball gladiators seem to matter more to their reputations than documented evidence, assuming any exists, of the effectiveness of their undergraduate teaching. So, why do employers care about which college applicants attended? Mostly because it’s evidence of an applicant’s SAT score—along with high school grades—which in turn is correlated with his IQ. What college you go to permanently signifies your position in the IQ strata. This is why high school students and their parents are so frenzied over college admissions: it really does go on your Permanent Record. One consequence is that many kids strive to get into colleges where the average IQ is a little higher than their own. In his NYT article, Frank points out: 'Thus, according to one study, applicants typically seek an institution whose average combined SAT score is roughly 100 points higher than their own.' In other words, high school seniors would like their resumes to suggest they are about a half standard deviation smarter than they really are."

GOP not popular in LATimes

Is it global warming or smog that clouds the minds of the left coasties?

National Review Online: "Republican Ideas Are Very Unpopular... In the L.A. Times Newsroom
The Los Angeles Times is shocked that Republicans aren't running a campaign designed to appeal to the editors of the Los Angeles Times, and are instead attempting to appeal to, you know, Republicans:"

Monday, September 03, 2007

OpinionJournal - Featured Article

OpinionJournal - Featured Article

Your Moment Of Schadenfreude For Today: Bush-Mocking Journalist Piers Morgan Gets His - Say Anything

Your Moment Of Schadenfreude For Today: Bush-Mocking Journalist Piers Morgan Gets His - Say Anything

Frederick W. Kagan on Bush in Iraq on National Review Online

Frederick W. Kagan on Bush in Iraq on National Review Online: "President Bush’s Labor Day visit to Iraq should have surprised no one who was paying attention. At such a critical point in the debate over Iraq policy, it was almost inconceivable that he would fly to and from Australia without stopping in Iraq. What was surprising was the precise location and nature of the visit. Instead of flying into Baghdad and surrounding himself with his generals and the Iraqi government, Bush flew to al Asad airfield, west of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar Province. He brought with him his secretaries of State and Defense, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the commander of U.S. Central Command. He was met at al Asad by General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, as well as Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kemal al Maliki, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, and Vice Presidents Adel Abdul Mehdi and Tariq al Hashemi. In other words, Bush called together all of the leading political and military figures in his administration and the Iraqi government in the heart of Anbar Province. If ever there was a sign that we have turned a corner in the fight against both al Qaeda in Iraq and the Sunni insurgency, this was it."

Single payer "free" healthcare

Threat to take new-born over emotional abuse - Telegraph: "A pregnant woman has been told that her baby will be taken from her at birth because she is deemed capable of 'emotional abuse', even though psychiatrists treating her say there is no evidence to suggest that she will harm her child in any way. Leader: Unnatural justice of secret courts More use of a vague reason to remove children Social services' recommendation that the baby should be taken from Fran Lyon, a 22-year-old charity worker who has five A-levels and a degree in neuroscience, was based in part on a letter from a paediatrician she has never met."

Our strength is our diversity!

I'm thinking that Willie the C wanted to expand this to the USA.....


King inspects virgins: Africa: News: News24: "Tens of thousands of bare-breasted virgins have lined up for inspection by King Mswati III on Sunday in Swaziland's annual reed dance, which is always riven with speculation over whether the king will choose a new bride. "

Human-animal embryo study wins approval | Science | The Guardian

Human-animal embryo study wins approval Science The Guardian: "Plans to allow British scientists to create human-animal embryos are expected to be approved tomorrow by the government's fertility regulator. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority published its long-awaited public consultation on the controversial research yesterday, revealing that a majority of people were 'at ease' with scientists creating the hybrid embryos."

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Why I watch FOX News

You'd never see "the rest of the story" on any of the liberal MSM outlets.

--8/28/2007-- Media Research Center:
"5. Saunders Discredits Media-Hyped Slam on Conservative Intellect
FNC's Brit Hume on Monday night picked up on a column by the San Francisco Chronicle's Debra Saunders which discredited the media spin on an AP/Ipsos poll that found liberals read one more book a year than conservatives, a finding Pat Schroeder, President of the American Association of Publishers claimed illustrated how conservatives can't think beyond slogans. The AP and CNN's Jack Cafferty both jumped on Schroeder's slam. Hume noted that Saunders 'says Ipsos told her the one book difference between liberals and conservatives is within the poll's margin of error and not statistically significant. The company also said that since the poll did not ask respondents if they read newspapers or magazines, it does not, therefore, say anything about their general level of knowledge or information.'
6. AccuWeather's Bastardi: Intense Hurricanes Part of Natural Cycle
On the Tuesday, August 21 The O'Reilly Factor on FNC, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Joe Bastardi poured cold water on claims that a global warming trend has been the cause of hurricanes of increased intensity as he contended that the Northern Hemisphere similarly saw periods of increased hurricane activity in past decades, going back to the 1890s: 'We're back in the '30's, '40's and 50's. This back and forth cycle that occurs, we saw it in the 1890s to 1910....And people are just getting carried away and fascinated when, if they go back and look at what happened before, you can see the similarities.' "

The Bush economic boom!

Economics Blog: "Within the overall data, however, some interesting trends emerge: those at the top and bottom of the income scale both made bigger gains than those in the middle. The income of the family at the 95th percentile — that is, higher than 95% of all families — rose 1.5% to $174,012, in constant 2006 dollars, while the income of the family at the 10th percentile rose 2.9%, to $12,000"

Monday, August 27, 2007

Weed-eating bug fights invasive purple loosestrife on Mona Lake

Weed-eating bug fights invasive purple loosestrife on Mona Lake: " A weed-eating beetle is showing success in rolling back the spread of an attractive but destructive invasive weed that has been driving out native species across North America, local officials say."

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Rest in peace, mates....

BillingsGazette.com :: Lost WWII submarine found in Bering Sea: "An expedition financed and organized by the sons of USS Grunion skipper Lt. Cdr. Mannert 'Jim' Abele lowered an ROV - remotely operated vehicle, equipped with cameras and video equipment - into an area where an object thought to be the missing sub had been spotted by sonar in an August 2006 expedition."

more here:
http://www.999info.net/Jim.pdf

The Horror! The Horror!

The Horror! The Horror!: "The fascists are coming! Or rather, they're already here, installed in the White House, planning like mad to subvert the Constitution and extend their reign in perpetuity, having first suppressed and eviscerated all opposition and put all of their critics in jail. Thus goes the rant of America's increasingly unhinged left. "

TorontoSun.com - Salim Mansur - Barbarians kill as West drifts

TorontoSun.com - Salim Mansur - Barbarians kill as West drifts: "An evidence of this comes from Scotland. Theodore Dalrymple, a retired physician and prolific writer, in New York's City Journal reports:
'In an effort to ensure that no Muslim doctors ever again try to bomb Glasgow Airport, bureaucrats at Glasgow's public hospitals have decreed that henceforth no staff may eat lunch at their desks or in their offices during the holy month of Ramadan, so that fasting Muslims shall not be offended by the sight or smell of their food. Vending machines will also disappear from the premises during that period.' "

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

OpinionJournal - Featured Article

OpinionJournal - Featured Article: "For example, the new law does not offer explicit liability protection for telecom companies that cooperate with the wiretap program. Instead, the most Democrats would accept is language to 'compel' the cooperation of these companies going forward. The Administration hope is that this 'I had no choice' claim will be an adequate defense against future lawsuits, but in the U.S. tort lottery that is no sure thing.
Meantime, Democrats blocked any retroactive liability protection for companies that thought they were doing their patriotic duty by cooperating with the National Security Agency after 9/11. The goal here isn't merely to open another rich target for the tort bar. It is to use lawsuits to raise the costs for private actors of cooperating with the executive branch. Even if they lose at the ballot box or in Congress, these antiwar activists still might be able to hamstring the executive via the courts."

Six Myths About Child Care

Six Myths About Child Care: "Despite the dramatic increase in child care funding over the past six years, activists and some Members of Congress are still lamenting an alleged 'child care crisis.' However, many of the arguments concerning welfare and child care are outdated or misleading. This paper debunks six persistent myths about child care in America."

Monday, August 06, 2007

"Possum is the new mink"

Features : Radar Online : Eco Indulgence : Green luxury products for the trust fund tree-hugger: "POSSUM IS THE NEW MINK
Apart from perhaps Iggy Pop, it's hard to imagine anyone, let alone international fashionistas, sporting pest pelt. Yet imported 'eco-fur' from New Zealand is becoming standard issue for left-leaning fur fetishists everywhere"

Green Fakers: Why eco-hypocrisy matters

Green Fakers: Why eco-hypocrisy matters: "A few weeks ago, I wrote an item about Barbra Streisand, who was on tour in England. Though she's a big backer of environmental causes, and even offers tips for low-carbon living on her personal website, she was busted by the British press for touring in a private jet with a massive entourage that required 13 trucks and vast amounts of laundry—in other words, for sponsoring a traveling CO2 extravaganza. "

What? No TP jihad?

Climate Cate's dirty hair The Daily Telegraph: "EVEN Oscar-award winner Cate Blanchett is doing her bit to help combat climate change, which includes not washing her hair"

Govmn't "healthcare"

Arrogance, dogma and why science - not faith - is the new enemy of reason the Daily Mail: "What previously belonged to the province of the quack and the charlatan has become mainstream. The NHS provides funding for shamans, while the NHS Directory For Alternative And Complementary Medicine promotes 'dowsers', 'flower therapists' and 'crystal healers'."

Remember Worries About Global Cooling? - Newsweek Technology - MSNBC.com

Remember Worries About Global Cooling? - Newsweek Technology - MSNBC.com: "Citing 'ominous signs that the earth's weather patterns have begun to change dramatically,' the magazine warned of an impending 'drastic decline in food production.' Political disruptions stemming from food shortages could affect 'just about every nation on earth.' Scientists urged governments to consider emergency action to head off the terrible threat of . . . well, if you had been following the climate-change debates at the time, you'd have known that the threat was: global cooling."..... In fact, the story wasn't "wrong" in the journalistic sense of "inaccurate."

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Cruz'In

http://jambork.smugmug.com/gallery/3226400#178204717

Liberals Going After Fox Advertisers

Liberals Going After Fox Advertisers: "MoveOn.org is campaigning against Fox because it says the network characterizes itself as a fair news network when it consistently favors a conservative point of view, said Adam Green, the organization's spokesman.
'We're not trying to silence anybody,' Green said. 'Rush Limbaugh has a right to be on the air—he admits his point of view. Fox doesn't.' "

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Serious Security Questions at Sky Harbor Airport - ABC15.com: Phoenix, Arizona News, Weather, Radar, Breaking News, Traffic and Web Cams

Serious Security Questions at Sky Harbor Airport - ABC15.com: Phoenix, Arizona News, Weather, Radar, Breaking News, Traffic and Web Cams: "Larry Wansley is widely regarded as one of the nation's top airline security experts. 'It's a frightening situation, I've just simply never seen anything like it,' he said. 'I really honestly have not.' "

FT.com / World - Backlash in rich nations against globalisation

FT.com / World - Backlash in rich nations against globalisation: "Large majorities of people in the US and in Europe want higher taxation for the rich and even pay caps for corporate executives to counter what they believe are unjustified rewards and the negative effects of globalisation. "

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Doh!

Maybe we need a "fairness doctrine" for home sellers?

The Volokh Conspiracy - -: " 'Orlando is becoming one of the most difficult cities in America to sell a home for fair-market value."

Fred just got a bit o leverage with NBC


"Hey guys. I'm thinking of NOT running for President. Ya got any inducements?"
The Volokh Conspiracy : "Must NBC Stop Running Law & Order Episodes With Fred Thompson if He Announces His Candidacy, or else face the obligation to give rival candidates equal time? The answer is yes, under 47 U.S.C. § 315(a):"

This explains alot!


edmontonsun.com - Lyn Cockburn - Canada goes to pot: "The UN report stated that Canadians use marijuana four times more than people in any other developed country. Some 16.8 per cent of Canadians between 15 and 64 used pot in 2006.
.......To put it all in perspective, people in Jamaica evidently smoke 6.1-per-cent less pot than do Canadians.

Democrat dimwits hurt Muskegon.... again!


Harris-Darnell is black. Imagine if the GOPers had rejected the only black candidate for the position.......no cries of "racism"? Naa......

Politics leaves jury panel short-handed - mlive.com: "The Muskegon County Jury Commission is supposed to consist of three dedicated individuals who do a lot of important but monotonous work for little money.
But the commission has been short one member for about seven months, creating extra work and frustration for the two remaining members.
Part of the frustration comes from the fact that two replacement candidates were nominated by the county's circuit court judges, but both were rejected by Muskegon County commissioners. "
...The judges eventually nominated Marianne Harris-Darnell of Muskegon Heights to fill the post. In recent years, Harris-Darnell left the Democratic Party, became a Republican and was the unsuccessful GOP candidate last year for state representative in the 92nd state House district.

Follow the money?

Typical worthless Chronicle article. Meebee ya might be interested in who the "founding board members" are and was the rent paid in line with similar rents? Something smells here.....


Charter school's rent cut in half to $260,483 - mlive.com: "After enduring a one-third drop in students, officials with Tri-Valley Charter Academy decided they could no longer afford to pay nearly a half-million dollars a year in rent.
So they negotiated to nearly cut in half the amount of rent being paid to an organization affiliated with one of the school's founding board members."

Aquarama Photo Gallery by Karl R. Josker at pbase.com

Aquarama Photo Gallery by Karl R. Josker at pbase.com

Batty!


Second rabid bat found in Lakeside - mlive.com: "Muskegon County health officials are urging area residents to bat-proof their homes after a second rabid bat was found this week in a house in Muskegon's Lakeside neighborhood.
The homeowner who found the bat called county officials, who removed the animal and tested it. The bat tested positive for rabies, according to county health officials. "


My bat story!
A hundred years ago, or so it seems, I was a little kid visiting relatives in South Salem NY, near Bill&Hill's Chappaqua. The parents were partying and us kids were wandering in the woods. I happened upon a nifty little critter on the ground, picked it up and the bugger bit me. It was a bat. I tried to drop it but the sombich had a quality chomp on my finger. I poped 'em in the gut with my other hand and he let go. The bite drew a small amount of blood, so I did what any pre-macho 5th grader would do, I sucked on my finger til it stopped bleeding and went to play with my cousins. Later that evening, at dinner I casually told my Mom about my little event. Thinking I'd get an "ataboy" for facing a wild animal and showing who was "boss". Apparently rabid bats were plentiful that year in NY and Mom and Dad went ....ballistic!Anyway, I was told to "go get that bat!". Yeah right. The cops were called and I moseyed back into the woods and, amazingly found my biting buddy on the ground. Right where I'd bopped 'em. So I picked him up again. Smart kid! Though I still wonder why my parents didn't come with me......
The state trooper car was in the driveway, lights blaring and they wisked my bite-bat-buddy away. Next day we were told he wasn't rabid.
Only later did I find that if I hadn't found the bat, the nifty stomach needles were my last hope at survival.
That's my bat story!

"Crusherama"?

Harsh....
The Aquarama is towed from Detroit to Buffalo: "'Crusherama' Buffalo-bound
Some said it was a piece of history.
Some said it was an eyesore.
Tuesday, they said goodbye."

SS Aquarama

Very nifty site.


Western New York Heritage Press: "Born in 1945 in Chester, Pennsylvania, as a World War Two troop ship, the future Aquarama was named the Marine Star.
She made one Atlantic crossing before war ended and with it her usefulness to the U.S. Maritme Commission. The ship
was mothballed until 1952 when it was purchased by the Sand Products Company of Muskegon, Michigan. "

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

contentions » archive

contentions » archive: "You don’t hear much about Anbar Province anymore. That’s because this area, once the scene of the heaviest fighting in Iraq, has turned remarkably quiet of late. Attacks are down 80 percent since last year. If there is any cause for optimism in Iraq this is it: If an area as troubled as Anbar could be turned around so quickly, then no part of Iraq can truly be said to be hopeless. "

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

No media coverage for our successes...

contentions » archive: "You don’t hear much about Anbar Province anymore. That’s because this area, once the scene of the heaviest fighting in Iraq, has turned remarkably quiet of late. Attacks are down 80 percent since last year. If there is any cause for optimism in Iraq this is it: If an area as troubled as Anbar could be turned around so quickly, then no part of Iraq can truly be said to be hopeless. "

Monday, July 16, 2007

Sick Propaganda - WSJ.com

Sick Propaganda - WSJ.com: "At the end of a pre-licensure study that took four years to complete, included 70,000 children and cost about $350 million, Dr. Heaton called together 200 people at her company. (As a co-inventor of the vaccine, I was present at this meeting.) She started with a series of slides. 'This is what the world looks like now,' she said, pointing to a map that contained hundreds of small black dots concentrated in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. 'Each of these dots represents 1,000 deaths a year from rotavirus.' Then Dr. Heaton showed a map without any black dots. 'Now,' she said, pointing to the clean map, 'we have the technology in hand to eliminate deaths from this disease.'
Then she wept. She stood in front of 200 people with her head down and her shoulders shaking. This isn't an image that anyone has of a pharmaceutical executive. "

Powell's Books - PowellsBooks.Blog

Powell's Books - PowellsBooks.Blog: "Those who call the King James Version of the Bible the unerring word of God have a slight problem. The New Testament of the KJV (as the King James Version is usually referred) was translated into English from a version of the Greek New Testament that had been collected from twelfth-century copies by Erasmus. Where Erasmus couldn't find Greek manuscripts, he translated to Greek from the Latin Vulgate (which itself had been translated from Greek back in the fourth century). "