Friday, January 26, 2007
Strategic Defense Initiative by Paul M. Weyrich - HUMAN EVENTS
Strategic Defense Initiative by Paul M. Weyrich - HUMAN EVENTS: "We are in the midst of a new space race. This race, unlike the last, is one that usually is ignored -- or derided -- by the news media. Unlike the last, this one is deadly serious. It involves much higher stakes than putting a man on the moon. We can only pray that our politicians and the public will summon the will to prevail. Losing it would bring severe consequences."
To Serve Man
FrontPage magazine.com :: To Serve Man by Julia Gorin: "Imagine German writing turning up on public buses and university walls in 1942, and the citizenry being expected to not bat an eyelash, with the Germans and the media, who do the enemy’s bidding, admonishing us, “What did you think it said?” "
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Nice weather kills!
"What a beautiful day Honey".
"Sorry, Snookems.... I'm bummed....BANG!"
ScienceDirect - Journal of Affective Disorders : Global warming possibly linked to an enhanced risk of suicide: Data from Italy, 1974–2003
ScienceDirect - Journal of Affective Disorders : Global warming possibly linked to an enhanced risk of suicide: Data from Italy, 1974–2003
Where's AlGore when you need him?
Nothing new here
But tell this fact to your local "progressives" and they will say.... he's a liar? mistaken... gotta syndrome? ......I can't hear you...I can't hear you...I can't hear you......
Media Monitor - Media Bias Confirmed - December 4, 2006: "Thomas Edsall, former top political reporter for the Washington Post, told Hugh Hewitt that Democrats outnumber Republicans in the press corps by a factor of 15 or 25 to 1."
Media Monitor - Media Bias Confirmed - December 4, 2006: "Thomas Edsall, former top political reporter for the Washington Post, told Hugh Hewitt that Democrats outnumber Republicans in the press corps by a factor of 15 or 25 to 1."
Islam rules in China?
Amazing how quickly "freedom of religion" morphed into "freedom from religion" to "we gotta change our whole social structure to avoid pissing off the freakin' Muslims". In the entire world!
Classical Values :: The year that dare not speak its name?: "The year that dare not speak its name?
In China, it's the Year Of The P-P-P-Pig!
Yay! Right?
Not in China. According to this detailed WSJ report, the Chinese government is systematically censoring all mentions of pig and pig images "
In China, it's the Year Of The P-P-P-Pig!
Yay! Right?
Not in China. According to this detailed WSJ report, the Chinese government is systematically censoring all mentions of pig and pig images "
I'm thinking the movie"Babe" isn't a big hit in Al Quaida-land....
Parents of the year!
Maybe he shoulda gotta part time job?
Michigan Man With Mannequin Fetish Sentenced for Breaking Storefront Windows "Dotson is unemployed and has lived with his parents most of his life."
Michigan Man With Mannequin Fetish Sentenced for Breaking Storefront Windows "Dotson is unemployed and has lived with his parents most of his life."
Nuts!
I say "nuts!" to the defeatists in America.
Power Line: "Nuts!": "Sixty-two years ago three German armies totaling a half million men caught advancing U.S. forces in the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg by surprise and initiated the events that resulted in the Battle of the Bulge. Thanks to the unbelievable endurance, bravery and sacrifice of the American forces that slowed the German advance sufficiently for General Patton to bring the Third Army to bear, the Battle of the Bulge was close to Hitler's last gasp.
On this day in 1944 the German call for the surrender of the surrounded American forces under General McAuliffe's command at Bastogne resulted in General McAuliffe's immortal, untranslatable response. 'If you don't understand what 'Nuts!' means,' Colonel Joseph Harper explained to his mystified German interlocutors, 'in plain English it is the same as 'Go to hell.' And I will tell you something else; if you continue to attack, we will kill every goddamn German that tries to break into this city.'"
Power Line: "Nuts!": "Sixty-two years ago three German armies totaling a half million men caught advancing U.S. forces in the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg by surprise and initiated the events that resulted in the Battle of the Bulge. Thanks to the unbelievable endurance, bravery and sacrifice of the American forces that slowed the German advance sufficiently for General Patton to bring the Third Army to bear, the Battle of the Bulge was close to Hitler's last gasp.
On this day in 1944 the German call for the surrender of the surrounded American forces under General McAuliffe's command at Bastogne resulted in General McAuliffe's immortal, untranslatable response. 'If you don't understand what 'Nuts!' means,' Colonel Joseph Harper explained to his mystified German interlocutors, 'in plain English it is the same as 'Go to hell.' And I will tell you something else; if you continue to attack, we will kill every goddamn German that tries to break into this city.'"
A little history about "quagmire".
The Corner on National Review Online: "Before the war fell into a 'bloody stalemate' the Chinese attack across the Yalu River had pushed American forces to the brink of defeat; many large units were surrounded and had to be airlifted to safety, and an entire American division had been shattered and overrun. Communist forces recaptured Seoul after pushing American forces substantially back across the 38th parallel, reversing most of the gains from General MacArthur's brilliant Inchon maneuver. In short, before there was the stalemate Webb refers to, there was first a disaster that needed urgent fixing. "
Montana?
U.S. home to set world price record at $155 mln : "Jan 25 (Reuters Life!) - If you're looking for a new home and have $155 million to spare, you could be the proud owner of the world's most expensive abodes.
Forbes.com, the online site of Forbes magazine, on Thursday said timber and real estate baron Tim Blixseth has just upped the ante in the price of the world's most expensive home, planning to build and sell a home for $155 million.
The 53,000-square-foot stone and wood mansion will be built at the Yellowstone Club, a members-only, residential ski and golf resort near Bozeman, Montana developed by Blixseth.
That tops the $139 million asking price for Updown Court in Windlesham, England, which was listed No. 1 in the Forbes.com list of the world's most expensive homes in 2006.
The 10-bedroom mansion will sit on 160 acres and will come with a private gondola-like chairlift that will carry residents to the Yellowstone Club's private ski slopes, an indoor/outdoor swimming pool, and a home movie theater, and it is fully furnished.
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved. "
Forbes.com, the online site of Forbes magazine, on Thursday said timber and real estate baron Tim Blixseth has just upped the ante in the price of the world's most expensive home, planning to build and sell a home for $155 million.
The 53,000-square-foot stone and wood mansion will be built at the Yellowstone Club, a members-only, residential ski and golf resort near Bozeman, Montana developed by Blixseth.
That tops the $139 million asking price for Updown Court in Windlesham, England, which was listed No. 1 in the Forbes.com list of the world's most expensive homes in 2006.
The 10-bedroom mansion will sit on 160 acres and will come with a private gondola-like chairlift that will carry residents to the Yellowstone Club's private ski slopes, an indoor/outdoor swimming pool, and a home movie theater, and it is fully furnished.
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved. "
Non-violent crime?
The anti-druggies always tell us that maryjane don't hurt no one.......
Judge rails on dangers of marijuana: "To the judge, the most important message from the Frank Sibson murder case was debunking the 'urban myth' that marijuana use is harmless. "
Judge rails on dangers of marijuana: "To the judge, the most important message from the Frank Sibson murder case was debunking the 'urban myth' that marijuana use is harmless. "
Thank GOD she didn't own any Haliburton stock.....
The MSM kinda missed this little gem. ...bummer... .
CA Dianne Feinstein: A Question of Ethics: "As a member of the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee, Sen. Feinstein voted for appropriations worth billions to her husband's firms "
CA Dianne Feinstein: A Question of Ethics: "As a member of the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee, Sen. Feinstein voted for appropriations worth billions to her husband's firms "
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
This windsurfer missed most of the Senate Intelligance Committee meetings in 2000!
No wonder he's a weepy girlyman!
Kerry rules out joining presidential race: "'We came close – certainly close enough to try again,' Mr Kerry told senators, at one point choking back tears. '"
Kerry rules out joining presidential race: "'We came close – certainly close enough to try again,' Mr Kerry told senators, at one point choking back tears. '"
Is he off his meds?
I've long been a fan of James Webb, from his stint in the Reagan administration to his many books and op-eds in newspapers. His "Emperor's General" is powerful insight into the challenges of winning the peace after winning the war.
But this quote from his "rebuttal" got my attention:
As I look at Iraq, I recall the words of former general and soon-to-be President Dwight Eisenhower during the dark days of the Korean War, which had fallen into a bloody stalemate. "When comes the end?" asked the general, who had commanded our forces in Europe during World War Two. And as soon as he became president, he brought the Korean War to an end.
Webb is not a fool but is he deranged? He admires Ike for his Korea decision?
Well, let's take a review of that decision. WE ARE STILL IN KOREA!
South Korea is a safe and productive country because Truman and Ike provided American troops to keep South Korea a free country.
Ike decided not to "stay the course' in the Korean war.
NORTH KOREA is arguably the most murderous entity to the human spirit in the entire world!
NORTH KOREA is working with Iran and other rogue countries to develop and sell atomic bombs to use on Americans!
If we leave Iraq now we will get the equivalent of an Islamic North Korea in Iraq. but no South Korea.
Is this what the democrats are selling us?
ABC News: Democratic Response to State of the Union Address: "As I look at Iraq, I recall the words of former general and soon-to-be President Dwight Eisenhower during the dark days of the Korean War, which had fallen into a bloody stalemate. 'When comes the end?' asked the general, who had commanded our forces in Europe during World War Two. And as soon as he became president, he brought the Korean War to an end."
Captain Capitalism: The Hypocrisy is Astounding
Captain Capitalism: The Hypocrisy is Astounding: "And Lee Hamilton and his leftist likes think we can engage in 'constructive dialogue' with these bipolar freaks?"
School bans 'U.S.A.' cheer as insult
School bans 'U.S.A.' cheer as insult: "A Wisconsin high school has banned the apparently patriotic cheer U.S.A., U.S.A., saying that for many students it is shorthand for a vulgar insult. "
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Another one bites the dust!
"Aside from me not showing up for the job, do you have any other problems with my performance?"
County boss agreeing to step aside: "'There were a lot of things that needed to get done that weren't getting done,' Scolnik said. 'Nothing bad happened, but a lot of more good things could have happened with new leadership. "
County boss agreeing to step aside: "'There were a lot of things that needed to get done that weren't getting done,' Scolnik said. 'Nothing bad happened, but a lot of more good things could have happened with new leadership. "
He's got a point!
The problem isn't selfish taxpayers, it's greedy politicians who are taking our money to buy political support for themselves. When will we ever learn?
"That's Saul, folks!": "The amount of spending in real dollars of state government continues to go up. We spent more this last year than the year before and have continued to spend more every year under Governor Granholm. In fact, this Governor has ignored the constitutional requirement to spend within the state’s budget, secretly creating a deficit and not announcing it until after the election…now that’s pure politics. Michigan has a constitutional requirement to live within a balanced budget."
"That's Saul, folks!": "The amount of spending in real dollars of state government continues to go up. We spent more this last year than the year before and have continued to spend more every year under Governor Granholm. In fact, this Governor has ignored the constitutional requirement to spend within the state’s budget, secretly creating a deficit and not announcing it until after the election…now that’s pure politics. Michigan has a constitutional requirement to live within a balanced budget."
Bozo alert!
If Viagra isn't a "lifestyle or sexual enhancement drug" what the heck is it? A weaponizer? "Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"
From an e-mail:
"Looks like a slam-dunk to me! If the timber is too limber, a guy can't sodomize.IMHO, they should go after aspirin makers too: "Not tonight Lance, I have a headache. I understand, Bruce my sweet."
AIDS group to sue Pfizer over Viagra ads Health Reuters.com: "The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) told Reuters it wants Pfizer to be barred from marketing Viagra as a lifestyle or sexual enhancement drug. The nonprofit organization said Pfizer's actions had led to risky behavior by men and an increase in HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases."
Racists!
Maybe the "left" has another word for those who would exclude others based on their race.
Here in Muskegon I see it as "sheet-wearing racism"!
The Politico: "former Rep. William Lacy Clay Sr., D-Mo., a co-founder of the caucus, had circulated a memo telling members it was 'critical' that the group remain 'exclusively African- American.'
Other members, including the new chairwoman, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., and Clay's son, Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., agreed."
Other members, including the new chairwoman, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., and Clay's son, Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., agreed."
Monday, January 22, 2007
Fly Quantas!
Man kicked off flight for Bush-bashing T-shirt Oddly Enough Reuters.com: "Airline staff said the T-shirt of Bush with the tagline 'World's number 1 terrorist' could have upset other passengers and demanded it be changed for another."
Truth can be painful
Back Talk: Anti-Victory Democrats: "An anti-war Democrat, as I use the term, refers to a Democrat who opposed the invasion of Iraq (or believes now that it was a mistake) but recognizes the importance of not being defeated there. An anti-victory Democrat, by contrast, is one who has chosen to believe that victory is hopeless (i.e., that defeat is at hand) and who has further chosen to believe that the humbling of America would actually be a good thing. "
I may start watching SNL again
The audience laughter did seem to be a bit restrained, though. Bummer!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Judge Judy OVERPAID!
In the interest of taking that first "one small step" to reducing IMCOME INEQUALITY shouldn't we take a bunch of money from these chicks and give it to ....... well, me? Why not?
Yes, I know that Barney Frank wants the money but why not give the booty taken from the rich back to the tax payers rather than to the crooks in congress?
I actually like the JJ Show but I actually like money too. And I HATE inequality!
'Judge Judy' earns more per year than all 9 Supreme Court Justices - COMBINED...
In Pictures: The Richest 20 Women In Entertainment - Forbes.com
Yes, I know that Barney Frank wants the money but why not give the booty taken from the rich back to the tax payers rather than to the crooks in congress?
I actually like the JJ Show but I actually like money too. And I HATE inequality!
'Judge Judy' earns more per year than all 9 Supreme Court Justices - COMBINED...
In Pictures: The Richest 20 Women In Entertainment - Forbes.com
We've got a problem
It seems Muskegon spends more effort to cover up our problem than solving it.
Crime Rate Comparison: Muskegon Vs. Grand Rapids
Crime Rate Comparison: Muskegon Vs. Grand Rapids
Saturday, January 20, 2007
A bit more to the story?
Paper: Missing Mo. Boy Met With Police: "Ten months after Shawn Hornbeck's disappearance, he spoke with police to report his bike had been stolen but gave no clue that he was a missing child, a newspaper reported Saturday."
Huh?
Lot's of thoughts on this one.
Why did it take over a week to clear this officer?
Why put any officer on "paid administrative leave"? Why not just reassign to another job?
Why is "administrative leave" a "routine procedure". Shoot at someone, get a paid vacation?
Why is the most intriguing part of this story, the "complaint" of the crook not reported in the story? What was the crook's complaint?
Why is the description of the arrested guy's accomplice not in the story. Or his description?
Officer cleared after shooting; 1 suspect remains at large: "However, Manies was caught approximately 12 hours later after he contacted a Muskegon police officer to make a complaint. "
Why did it take over a week to clear this officer?
Why put any officer on "paid administrative leave"? Why not just reassign to another job?
Why is "administrative leave" a "routine procedure". Shoot at someone, get a paid vacation?
Why is the most intriguing part of this story, the "complaint" of the crook not reported in the story? What was the crook's complaint?
Why is the description of the arrested guy's accomplice not in the story. Or his description?
Officer cleared after shooting; 1 suspect remains at large: "However, Manies was caught approximately 12 hours later after he contacted a Muskegon police officer to make a complaint. "
Inarticulate global warmonger
Who needs proof? Not the members of the Church of Global Warming
Transcript of debate on climate change between the Hudson Institute:
Host: "But is there evidence, though? Because you had a challenge there."
Linus: "No, but look, what’s important is to look at …"
Transcript of debate on climate change between the Hudson Institute:
Host: "But is there evidence, though? Because you had a challenge there."
Linus: "No, but look, what’s important is to look at …"
A hint of money?
Where would the class action lawyers be if they didn't have "researchers" looking for "hints"?
Cancer study ordered into mobile phones - Britain - Times Online: "Professor Lawrie Challis, who is in the final stages of negotiation with the Department of Health and the mobile phone industry for the £3 million that he needs to fund the study, told The Times that research has shown that mobiles are very safe in the short term but that there is a “hint of something” for people using them longer."
Friday, January 19, 2007
Scumbag blames "deamons"
GOPers dump their crap. Demos give them chairmanships.
My Way News - Ney Draws 30 Months in Bribery Case: "Ney apologized to his family and constituents during a brief statement.
'I will continue to take full responsibility, accept the consequences and battle the demons of addiction that are within me,' he said."
My Way News - Ney Draws 30 Months in Bribery Case: "Ney apologized to his family and constituents during a brief statement.
'I will continue to take full responsibility, accept the consequences and battle the demons of addiction that are within me,' he said."
Con job at The Weather Channel
Con job at The Weather Channel:
This week Americans observed a national day of mourning (I'm speaking not of President Ford's funeral, but rather the day that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi seized power in Congress).
Far-left political ideologies are being promulgated through ever-increasing mediums, and recently I noticed that a once-vaunted American television network, The Weather Channel, had succumbed to the cancerous spread of liberalism.
The Weather Channel debuted in 1982 and went on to earn a reputation as a well-known and respected cable network. The explosive success of the cable channel prompted the publication of a book marking the network's 20th anniversary. That success has been based on the fact that weather forecasts are sought after by a vast number of Americans on a near-daily basis.
(Column continues below)
What had been nice about The Weather Channel is that through most of its history it stayed clear of political propaganda and focused on delivering weather forecasts to the nation, supplemented with riveting live reports from the front lines of hurricanes, winter blizzards and springtime floods. "
This week Americans observed a national day of mourning (I'm speaking not of President Ford's funeral, but rather the day that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi seized power in Congress).
Far-left political ideologies are being promulgated through ever-increasing mediums, and recently I noticed that a once-vaunted American television network, The Weather Channel, had succumbed to the cancerous spread of liberalism.
The Weather Channel debuted in 1982 and went on to earn a reputation as a well-known and respected cable network. The explosive success of the cable channel prompted the publication of a book marking the network's 20th anniversary. That success has been based on the fact that weather forecasts are sought after by a vast number of Americans on a near-daily basis.
(Column continues below)
What had been nice about The Weather Channel is that through most of its history it stayed clear of political propaganda and focused on delivering weather forecasts to the nation, supplemented with riveting live reports from the front lines of hurricanes, winter blizzards and springtime floods. "
Navy Times
CG report cites multiple failures in diving deaths - Navy News, Navy Times
It seems that everything and everyone that could go wrong went wrong. Very sad story.
It seems that everything and everyone that could go wrong went wrong. Very sad story.
Asbestos Fireproofing Might Have Prevented World Trade Center Collapse
Thank you, eco-nuts....Asbestos Fireproofing Might Have Prevented World Trade Center Collapse
"Berlau’s report of the post-Sept. 11 fireproofing testing by NIST underscores the chilling possibility that the Sept. 11 WTC building collapses may have been delayed if not preventable had asbestos fireproofing been used."
"Berlau’s report of the post-Sept. 11 fireproofing testing by NIST underscores the chilling possibility that the Sept. 11 WTC building collapses may have been delayed if not preventable had asbestos fireproofing been used."
"Life Under the Bush Debacle "
The Corner on National Review Online: "Life Under the Bush Debacle "
Jonah – Each of your pro-Kerry correspondents take pains to point out how poorly the country has fared under George W. Bush, and how those who support him (especially you…) are destroying the country. Let’s see, last time I checked,
1) The stock market is at an all-time high, thus
2) Retirement accounts are at last recovering.
3) Unemployment is at a 25-year low,
4) Taxes are at 20-year lows,
5) Federal revenues are at all-time highs,
6) The Federal deficit is down almost 50%,
7) Real estate values have soared,
8) Inflation is at a 20-year low,
9) There have been no successful attacks since 9/11,
10) Al Queda is being taken apart, one body at a time.
11) U.S. and British Intelligence have thwarted a number of attacks.
12) The terrorists are flocking to Iraq to be killed, instead of boarding planes for this country.
If any of your writers were as honest they dare you to be, they would admit that, if the president who had accomplished this in the face of such difficulty had a “D” after his name instead of an “R”, they would be singing his praises to the heavens. But no, the country is falling apart. Only if a Democrat takes the White House will everything instantly be perfect again.
Jonah – Each of your pro-Kerry correspondents take pains to point out how poorly the country has fared under George W. Bush, and how those who support him (especially you…) are destroying the country. Let’s see, last time I checked,
1) The stock market is at an all-time high, thus
2) Retirement accounts are at last recovering.
3) Unemployment is at a 25-year low,
4) Taxes are at 20-year lows,
5) Federal revenues are at all-time highs,
6) The Federal deficit is down almost 50%,
7) Real estate values have soared,
8) Inflation is at a 20-year low,
9) There have been no successful attacks since 9/11,
10) Al Queda is being taken apart, one body at a time.
11) U.S. and British Intelligence have thwarted a number of attacks.
12) The terrorists are flocking to Iraq to be killed, instead of boarding planes for this country.
If any of your writers were as honest they dare you to be, they would admit that, if the president who had accomplished this in the face of such difficulty had a “D” after his name instead of an “R”, they would be singing his praises to the heavens. But no, the country is falling apart. Only if a Democrat takes the White House will everything instantly be perfect again.
American Eagle Flight 4184
What are the odds of getting killed on your first day on the job?
The junior flight attendant was hired by Simmons Airlines on October 6,1994, and successfully completed her initial training in October on the Saab 340,Shorts 360 and the ATR 42/72 airplanes. Flight 4184 was the first line trip for the junior flight attendant.
ABC 33/40 Weather Blog » “The Weather Channel” Mess
ABC 33/40 Weather Blog » “The Weather Channel” Mess: "Well, well. Some “climate expert” on “The Weather Channel” wants to take away AMS certification from those of us who believe the recent “global warming” is a natural process. So much for “tolerance”, huh?"
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Doh!
Inside the Beltway - Nation/Politics - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper: "'In a surprise twist in the debate over Iraq,' the story began, Mr. Reyes 'said he wants to see an increase of 20,000 to 30,000 U.S. troops as part of a 'stepped up effort to dismantle the militias.' ' "
Friday, January 12, 2007
Demo-stink
House Republicans yesterday declared "something fishy" about the major tuna company in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco district being exempted from the minimum-wage increase that Democrats approved this week.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Naked Ivy
STUDENTS at America's prestigious Ivy League universities are rebelling against their colleges' stuffy reputations, casting off society's norms along with their clothes to hold naked parties.
Sounds like the Teamsters of Hoffa's days
Interesting LTE.
MEA salaries should outrage state teachers
According to a form filed with the U.S. Department of Labor, MEA administrators in East Lansing and regional Uniserv directors earned almost $21,000 more in the time period Sept. 1, 2004, to Aug. 31, 2005, than the teachers they supposedly help in union activities.
Moreover, some $26.5 million in wages and salaries were paid to 341 administrators in the MEA labor union for an average salary of $77,750; but the average teacher in Michigan earned about $56,970 during the same period, according to statistics released by the NEA.
Incredibly, Michigan teachers rank fourth-highest in the nation for average pay while MEA Uniserv directors earn an average salary of about $87,000 per year. Lou Battagliera, the past president of the MEA, earned an outrageous salary of $181,902; Charles Anderson, who retired as executive editor, earned $169,521; and Al Short, our lobbyist for the union, earned $147,492 in 2005.
Why should teachers be outraged at the huge salaries paid to worthless administrators? Stressed teachers are frustrated by skyrocketing union dues paid to another layer of useless administrators who sat frozen like frogs on lily pads when our state Legislature passed a tough anti-strike bill in 1994!
Without a doubt, MEA eunuchs have become ineffective drones while they fiddle as Rome burns due to weak representation in grievances, negotiations and privatization scams.
Larry D. Vandermolen
MEA salaries should outrage state teachers
According to a form filed with the U.S. Department of Labor, MEA administrators in East Lansing and regional Uniserv directors earned almost $21,000 more in the time period Sept. 1, 2004, to Aug. 31, 2005, than the teachers they supposedly help in union activities.
Moreover, some $26.5 million in wages and salaries were paid to 341 administrators in the MEA labor union for an average salary of $77,750; but the average teacher in Michigan earned about $56,970 during the same period, according to statistics released by the NEA.
Incredibly, Michigan teachers rank fourth-highest in the nation for average pay while MEA Uniserv directors earn an average salary of about $87,000 per year. Lou Battagliera, the past president of the MEA, earned an outrageous salary of $181,902; Charles Anderson, who retired as executive editor, earned $169,521; and Al Short, our lobbyist for the union, earned $147,492 in 2005.
Why should teachers be outraged at the huge salaries paid to worthless administrators? Stressed teachers are frustrated by skyrocketing union dues paid to another layer of useless administrators who sat frozen like frogs on lily pads when our state Legislature passed a tough anti-strike bill in 1994!
Without a doubt, MEA eunuchs have become ineffective drones while they fiddle as Rome burns due to weak representation in grievances, negotiations and privatization scams.
Larry D. Vandermolen
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Friday, January 05, 2007
Kansas thoughts
The best and worst of Opinion Line 2006
Breasts, fashion statements
As far as I'm concerned, the only thing wrong with breast-feeding in public is that the baby's head obstructs my view.
If a woman breast-feeds her baby while lunching at Hooters, would other patrons be offended? Just curious.
If you have stomach rolls, please stop wearing shorts that show them. Nobody wants to see that. If you have back rolls, please stop wearing halters. Nobody wants to see that, either.
If you are 35 or older, short skirts, low-necked tops and tight jeans are not for you. Face it; your glory days are over. Cover up.
Breasts, fashion statements
As far as I'm concerned, the only thing wrong with breast-feeding in public is that the baby's head obstructs my view.
If a woman breast-feeds her baby while lunching at Hooters, would other patrons be offended? Just curious.
If you have stomach rolls, please stop wearing shorts that show them. Nobody wants to see that. If you have back rolls, please stop wearing halters. Nobody wants to see that, either.
If you are 35 or older, short skirts, low-necked tops and tight jeans are not for you. Face it; your glory days are over. Cover up.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
No big deal?
Health costs create county budget gap
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
By Steve Gunn
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
The short, happy era of fiscal prosperity is over for Muskegon County government.
After using an unexpected $1.7 million windfall in September to balance their fiscal 2007 budget plan, county leaders have learned that the cost of providing retiree medical benefits has gone through the roof.
That means the county, almost three full months into the new fiscal year, will have to find a way to erase a sudden deficit of approximately $2.3 million, including $750,000 in the general fund and about $1.5 million in all other funds.
County commissioners started the painful process of eliminating that deficit Tuesday by voting to impose a hiring freeze on full-time employees and reducing the "benefit option" for employees that don't enroll in the medical insurance program.
County Administrator James Borushko will also ask all county departments to review their budgets in the coming weeks and recommend spending cuts and/or revenue increases equaling two percent.
An overall budget reduction plan, based on those recommended cuts, will probably come before county commissioners in February or March, according to officials.
"There's always a new challenge the next day," said Borushko, alluding to last summer's unexpected property tax revenue windfall that temporarily provided the county with enough revenue to cover its budget. "We will look for good news to come hopefully in other areas."
The latest "new challenge" is related to the cost of keeping up with future medical costs for county retirees.
Every few years the county has an "actuarial" study done of its pension and insurance programs, to determine how much it must set aside every year to meet its obligation to retirees over three decades.
Last year the county put aside 6.8 percent of its gross payroll, based on a 2000 actuarial study.
This year county officials estimated they would have to put aside 9.28 percent of gross payroll in the new fiscal year, equaling about $4.5 million.
Then a new actuarial study came in, and the results were chilling. County officials learned they would have to set aside slightly more than 14 percent of gross payroll, or about $6.8 million.
That created a $2.3 million hole in their fiscal 2007 budget plan.
The impact of the shortage could potentially be blunted in coming months. A proposed state law would allow local governments to sell bonds to lessen the impact of the additional costs.
But there's no guarantee that option will become available, and the county would be foolish to count on it, according to officials.
In a memo to commissioners, Jack Niemiec, the county's director of finance and management services, described the budgetary impact of the cost increase "huge."
"The next question, of course, is how to deal with this huge hit," Niemiec wrote in the memo. "We cannot ignore it."
Commissioners reacted Tuesday in several ways, based on Niemiec's recommendations to erase the budget shortfall.
* They voted to impose a hiring freeze for all full-time positions that are funded at least 50 percent with general fund money. The hiring freeze will not save money at the outset, but could make a difference as the months pass and positions become vacant, according to officials.
* Commissioners also voted to reduce the amount of money they give employees who opt out of the county's medical coverage. Currently employees with families of more than two people receive $5,450, families of two receive $5,115 and single employees get $2,322.
With the reduction in place, employees with families will get $2,000 per year while single employees will get $1,000. A total of 210 county employees will be affected, including 9 of the 11 county commissioners, according to officials.
The reduction will save the county an estimated $516,220.
* Niemiec said the county will also save money because wage increases for county employees were not as large as they could have been this year. The county was set to increase wages between 2.5 percent and 3.5 percent for most employees, based on the consumer price index.
The CPI ended up at 1.7 percent, meaning the county can pay the low end of the wage increase, or 2.5 percent. The county budget had assumed an increase of 3.25 percent for most employees., so the saving will be $332,037.
Savings from the reduction of the benefit option and the lower wage increase will total $848,957. That still leaves a hole of roughly $1.4 million in the budget, which the various departments will be expected to eliminate through their two percent cuts.
"We will expect everybody to show up and meet their obligation," said Borushko, who added that employee layoffs probably aren't a concern, unless the initial budget cuts fail to eliminate the deficit.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
By Steve Gunn
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
The short, happy era of fiscal prosperity is over for Muskegon County government.
After using an unexpected $1.7 million windfall in September to balance their fiscal 2007 budget plan, county leaders have learned that the cost of providing retiree medical benefits has gone through the roof.
That means the county, almost three full months into the new fiscal year, will have to find a way to erase a sudden deficit of approximately $2.3 million, including $750,000 in the general fund and about $1.5 million in all other funds.
County commissioners started the painful process of eliminating that deficit Tuesday by voting to impose a hiring freeze on full-time employees and reducing the "benefit option" for employees that don't enroll in the medical insurance program.
County Administrator James Borushko will also ask all county departments to review their budgets in the coming weeks and recommend spending cuts and/or revenue increases equaling two percent.
An overall budget reduction plan, based on those recommended cuts, will probably come before county commissioners in February or March, according to officials.
"There's always a new challenge the next day," said Borushko, alluding to last summer's unexpected property tax revenue windfall that temporarily provided the county with enough revenue to cover its budget. "We will look for good news to come hopefully in other areas."
The latest "new challenge" is related to the cost of keeping up with future medical costs for county retirees.
Every few years the county has an "actuarial" study done of its pension and insurance programs, to determine how much it must set aside every year to meet its obligation to retirees over three decades.
Last year the county put aside 6.8 percent of its gross payroll, based on a 2000 actuarial study.
This year county officials estimated they would have to put aside 9.28 percent of gross payroll in the new fiscal year, equaling about $4.5 million.
Then a new actuarial study came in, and the results were chilling. County officials learned they would have to set aside slightly more than 14 percent of gross payroll, or about $6.8 million.
That created a $2.3 million hole in their fiscal 2007 budget plan.
The impact of the shortage could potentially be blunted in coming months. A proposed state law would allow local governments to sell bonds to lessen the impact of the additional costs.
But there's no guarantee that option will become available, and the county would be foolish to count on it, according to officials.
In a memo to commissioners, Jack Niemiec, the county's director of finance and management services, described the budgetary impact of the cost increase "huge."
"The next question, of course, is how to deal with this huge hit," Niemiec wrote in the memo. "We cannot ignore it."
Commissioners reacted Tuesday in several ways, based on Niemiec's recommendations to erase the budget shortfall.
* They voted to impose a hiring freeze for all full-time positions that are funded at least 50 percent with general fund money. The hiring freeze will not save money at the outset, but could make a difference as the months pass and positions become vacant, according to officials.
* Commissioners also voted to reduce the amount of money they give employees who opt out of the county's medical coverage. Currently employees with families of more than two people receive $5,450, families of two receive $5,115 and single employees get $2,322.
With the reduction in place, employees with families will get $2,000 per year while single employees will get $1,000. A total of 210 county employees will be affected, including 9 of the 11 county commissioners, according to officials.
The reduction will save the county an estimated $516,220.
* Niemiec said the county will also save money because wage increases for county employees were not as large as they could have been this year. The county was set to increase wages between 2.5 percent and 3.5 percent for most employees, based on the consumer price index.
The CPI ended up at 1.7 percent, meaning the county can pay the low end of the wage increase, or 2.5 percent. The county budget had assumed an increase of 3.25 percent for most employees., so the saving will be $332,037.
Savings from the reduction of the benefit option and the lower wage increase will total $848,957. That still leaves a hole of roughly $1.4 million in the budget, which the various departments will be expected to eliminate through their two percent cuts.
"We will expect everybody to show up and meet their obligation," said Borushko, who added that employee layoffs probably aren't a concern, unless the initial budget cuts fail to eliminate the deficit.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Anti-cheese campaign is seen as 'nannying gone mad'
The new regulations, being introduced this month by the television regulator Ofcom, will ban broadcasters from advertising cheese during children's TV programmes, or shows with a large number of child viewers....
The ban comes in the wake of evidence that television commercials have an indirect influence on what children eat and are contributing to obesity in the young...
The model officially labelled cheese as more unhealthy than sugary cereals, full-fat crisps and cheeseburgers.
The ban comes in the wake of evidence that television commercials have an indirect influence on what children eat and are contributing to obesity in the young...
The model officially labelled cheese as more unhealthy than sugary cereals, full-fat crisps and cheeseburgers.
The successes of President George W Bush
Sometimes we forget the significant wins for W... and the USA.
Pretty long and impressive list!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1759220/replies?c=8
Sunday, December 31, 2006
More blather from the MSM
This "poll" purports to prove that the average American is despondent about their future. Then this gem:
"One in four, 25 percent, anticipates the second coming of Jesus Christ."
Just your old, run of the mill 25% of folks expecting the end of the world. Jeeze...
"One in four, 25 percent, anticipates the second coming of Jesus Christ."
Just your old, run of the mill 25% of folks expecting the end of the world. Jeeze...
More from Steyn
There wasn't much in evidence last year. Take another little vignette that'll look good in the movie version:
Mustaf Jama, a Somali ''asylum seeker'' in Britain wanted for the murder of a policewoman, fled the country by taking his sister's passport, wearing a niqab (the full Islamic head-to-toe get-up that covers everything but the eyes) and passing unhindered through the checkpoints at Heathrow.
How about that? It turns out we are profiling after all, but we're profiling everybody except Muslims. Your wizened l'il ol' gran'ma on a Yuletide break to London is bent double and out of breath struggling to take off her coat and shoes. The officials sternly scrutinize her passport to check that the picture matches her flustered and bewildered face. All around her hundreds of women are doing the same, mutely shuffling through the scanner in their stocking feet. But Britain's most wanted man is breezing through because he took the precaution of dressing as a Muslim woman. And it would be culturally insensitive to expose them to the same scrutiny as your gran'ma.
Mustaf Jama, a Somali ''asylum seeker'' in Britain wanted for the murder of a policewoman, fled the country by taking his sister's passport, wearing a niqab (the full Islamic head-to-toe get-up that covers everything but the eyes) and passing unhindered through the checkpoints at Heathrow.
How about that? It turns out we are profiling after all, but we're profiling everybody except Muslims. Your wizened l'il ol' gran'ma on a Yuletide break to London is bent double and out of breath struggling to take off her coat and shoes. The officials sternly scrutinize her passport to check that the picture matches her flustered and bewildered face. All around her hundreds of women are doing the same, mutely shuffling through the scanner in their stocking feet. But Britain's most wanted man is breezing through because he took the precaution of dressing as a Muslim woman. And it would be culturally insensitive to expose them to the same scrutiny as your gran'ma.
Brilliant!
I guess that arresting and executing the murderer isn't an option.
SATELLITES will be used to pinpoint prostitutes in danger following the murders of five sex workers in Suffolk, The Scotsman can reveal.
Prompted by the killings, new locator devices will be piloted with prostitutes in Edinburgh from February.
Police say that by alerting them immediately to the whereabouts of prostitutes being attacked, the alarms could save lives.
SATELLITES will be used to pinpoint prostitutes in danger following the murders of five sex workers in Suffolk, The Scotsman can reveal.
Prompted by the killings, new locator devices will be piloted with prostitutes in Edinburgh from February.
Police say that by alerting them immediately to the whereabouts of prostitutes being attacked, the alarms could save lives.
Why indeed?
http://www.suntimes.com/news/steyn/191774,CST-EDT-STEYN31.article
Here's something else nobody's curious about: Sandy Berger. Consider this passage from the inspector general's official report on the Sandypants and his destruction of classified materials from the National Archives:
''Mr. Berger exited the Archives on to Pennsylvania Avenue, the north entrance. It was dark. He did not want to run the risk of bringing the documents back in the building risking the possibility [redacted] might notice something unusual. He headed towards a construction area on Ninth Street. Mr. Berger looked up and down the street, up into the windows of the Archives and the DOJ, and did not see anyone. He removed the documents from his pockets, folded the notes in a 'V' shape and inserted the documents in the center. He walked inside the construction fence and slid the documents under a trailer.''
Why is this man getting his security clearance back in 2008?
Here's something else nobody's curious about: Sandy Berger. Consider this passage from the inspector general's official report on the Sandypants and his destruction of classified materials from the National Archives:
''Mr. Berger exited the Archives on to Pennsylvania Avenue, the north entrance. It was dark. He did not want to run the risk of bringing the documents back in the building risking the possibility [redacted] might notice something unusual. He headed towards a construction area on Ninth Street. Mr. Berger looked up and down the street, up into the windows of the Archives and the DOJ, and did not see anyone. He removed the documents from his pockets, folded the notes in a 'V' shape and inserted the documents in the center. He walked inside the construction fence and slid the documents under a trailer.''
Why is this man getting his security clearance back in 2008?
Why evil thrives
CNN showed an old, fawning interview of Saddam by Bernard Shaw. They end the piece with the reverential "he was 69". Disgusting!
http://www.torontosun.com/Comment/Commentary/2006/12/31/3097088-sun.html
Less and less in the West these days -- thanks to the insidious doctrine of moral equivalence -- do we seem capable of unequivocally condemning evil, even when it is staring us right in the face.
Rest assured, though, that our enemies are watching our timid, politically correct reactions. And learning. And plotting.
http://www.torontosun.com/Comment/Commentary/2006/12/31/3097088-sun.html
Less and less in the West these days -- thanks to the insidious doctrine of moral equivalence -- do we seem capable of unequivocally condemning evil, even when it is staring us right in the face.
Rest assured, though, that our enemies are watching our timid, politically correct reactions. And learning. And plotting.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Without Bush, this last one couldn't have happened!
Return to the Article
December 30, 2006
The record speaks for itself
J.R. Dunn
Lenin - Dead of the complications of a stroke, perhaps assisted by poisoning, January 21, 1924.
Benito Mussolini - Executed without judicial procedure by communist partisans, April 28 1945. The act was robbed of any meaning by the concurrent murder of his innocent mistress, Clara Petacci.
Adolf Hitler - Dead by his own hand beneath the ruins of the Berlin Chancellory, April 30, 1945.
Stalin - Dead of stroke aided by medical neglect at age 74 at his dacha outside Moscow, March 5, 1953.
Ho Chi Minh - Dead of heart failure at age 79 at his home in Hanoi, September 2, 1969.
Francisco Franco - Dead of old age at 82 on November 20, 1975.
Mao Tse Tung - Dead of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at age 82, on September 9, 1976.
Tito - Dead of circulatory problems on May 4, 1980, three days before his 88th birthday.
Nicolae Ceaucescu - Shot out of hand at age 71 after a bogus "trial" following a national
uprising, December 25, 1989.
Ruhollah Khomeini - Dead of cancer on June 3, 1989, at the age of 89.
Kim Il-sung - Dead of a heart attack at 82 in Pyongyang, July 8, 1994.
Pol Pot - Dead at age 72 (possibly a suicide) on April 16, 1998, while waiting to be turned over to an international tribunal.
Idi Amin Dada - Dead of old age at age 79 on August 16, 2003, after years of exile in Saudi
Arabia.
Slobodan Milosevic - Dead in his cell under unexplained circumstances while in the hands of an international criminal tribunal at the Hague, March 11, 2006.
Most of the great butchers of the 20th century died of old age, in their own beds, some of
them honored by millions. Not a single one met justice in the sense accepted in free states across the world. The handful who died otherwise are aberrations, victims of strange events that act as models for nothing.
There is one single exception - the hanging of Saddam Hussein on December 30, 2006
after a careful, lengthy trial carried out under extremely difficult circumstances according to
internationally recognized judicial norms. The state of Iraq has succeeded where the rest of the civilized world has failed. It is a singular achievement, and it will stand.
"There is no more acceptable sacrifice than the blood of a tyrant."
- Giovanni Boccaccio
December 30, 2006
The record speaks for itself
J.R. Dunn
Lenin - Dead of the complications of a stroke, perhaps assisted by poisoning, January 21, 1924.
Benito Mussolini - Executed without judicial procedure by communist partisans, April 28 1945. The act was robbed of any meaning by the concurrent murder of his innocent mistress, Clara Petacci.
Adolf Hitler - Dead by his own hand beneath the ruins of the Berlin Chancellory, April 30, 1945.
Stalin - Dead of stroke aided by medical neglect at age 74 at his dacha outside Moscow, March 5, 1953.
Ho Chi Minh - Dead of heart failure at age 79 at his home in Hanoi, September 2, 1969.
Francisco Franco - Dead of old age at 82 on November 20, 1975.
Mao Tse Tung - Dead of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at age 82, on September 9, 1976.
Tito - Dead of circulatory problems on May 4, 1980, three days before his 88th birthday.
Nicolae Ceaucescu - Shot out of hand at age 71 after a bogus "trial" following a national
uprising, December 25, 1989.
Ruhollah Khomeini - Dead of cancer on June 3, 1989, at the age of 89.
Kim Il-sung - Dead of a heart attack at 82 in Pyongyang, July 8, 1994.
Pol Pot - Dead at age 72 (possibly a suicide) on April 16, 1998, while waiting to be turned over to an international tribunal.
Idi Amin Dada - Dead of old age at age 79 on August 16, 2003, after years of exile in Saudi
Arabia.
Slobodan Milosevic - Dead in his cell under unexplained circumstances while in the hands of an international criminal tribunal at the Hague, March 11, 2006.
Most of the great butchers of the 20th century died of old age, in their own beds, some of
them honored by millions. Not a single one met justice in the sense accepted in free states across the world. The handful who died otherwise are aberrations, victims of strange events that act as models for nothing.
There is one single exception - the hanging of Saddam Hussein on December 30, 2006
after a careful, lengthy trial carried out under extremely difficult circumstances according to
internationally recognized judicial norms. The state of Iraq has succeeded where the rest of the civilized world has failed. It is a singular achievement, and it will stand.
"There is no more acceptable sacrifice than the blood of a tyrant."
- Giovanni Boccaccio
Where do we get such brave men?
http://insidedenver.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5245883,00.html
The sergeant with no legs sat inside the cemetery, thinking about how this homecoming was supposed to happen.
Amazing Google Top Searches for 2006
http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/zeitgeist2006.html
Pretty pathetic areas of top interest. Still, mostly kids... I hope.
Pretty pathetic areas of top interest. Still, mostly kids... I hope.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Who'd of guessed?
http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2006/12/ap_and_ep_perfe.html
The anti-American MSM lying? Non! (a bit of frogy lingo for my multicultural readers.)
AP and E&P: Perfect "Liars" Together
The AP and E&P have teamed up to perpetuate a lie. The details of their own story make that clear for anyone taking the time to actually parse it. The headline screams Many U.S. Troops in Iraq Oppose Escalation, so let's take a look.
The anti-American MSM lying? Non! (a bit of frogy lingo for my multicultural readers.)
AP and E&P: Perfect "Liars" Together
The AP and E&P have teamed up to perpetuate a lie. The details of their own story make that clear for anyone taking the time to actually parse it. The headline screams Many U.S. Troops in Iraq Oppose Escalation, so let's take a look.
Oo la la!
A 19-year-old woman who disappeared was found stuck in an elevator in a suburban Paris housing project for three days, the French press reported Friday.
The daily Le Figaro described the woman, identified only as Safiatou, as vulnerable because she had "problems of confusion." It said she was found dehydrated but alive on Dec. 22.
According to newspaper and television accounts, Safiatou's father had contacted the building concierge Dec. 19 to say his daughter could be stuck in a broken elevator. No alarm went off and the concierge and a repairman found no one when they checked, Le Figaro reported, citing a source close to the investigation.
The technician began repair work the following day. On Dec. 22, the repairman returned to complete the job and heard a soft cry, Le Figaro reported.
On Wednesday, the girl's father, who had advised police of his daughter's disappearance, filed a complaint for non-assistance to a person in danger -- a crime in France -- according to Le Figaro.
Several elevators in the housing project had recently been renovated but not the one in question, according to the news reports. They said that it was unclear why Safiatou did not cry out for help.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The daily Le Figaro described the woman, identified only as Safiatou, as vulnerable because she had "problems of confusion." It said she was found dehydrated but alive on Dec. 22.
According to newspaper and television accounts, Safiatou's father had contacted the building concierge Dec. 19 to say his daughter could be stuck in a broken elevator. No alarm went off and the concierge and a repairman found no one when they checked, Le Figaro reported, citing a source close to the investigation.
The technician began repair work the following day. On Dec. 22, the repairman returned to complete the job and heard a soft cry, Le Figaro reported.
On Wednesday, the girl's father, who had advised police of his daughter's disappearance, filed a complaint for non-assistance to a person in danger -- a crime in France -- according to Le Figaro.
Several elevators in the housing project had recently been renovated but not the one in question, according to the news reports. They said that it was unclear why Safiatou did not cry out for help.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
silent treatment.....
http://powerlineblog.com/archives/016314.php
On his visit to Iraq, Senator Kerry apparently got something like the silent treatment from the troops who are "stuck" there. WDAY's Scott Hennen quotes a message from a friend serving in Iraq:
This is a true story....Check out this photo from our mess hall at the US Embassy yesterday morning. Sen. Kerry found himself all alone while he was over here. He cancelled his press conference because no one came, he worked out alone in the gym w/o any soldiers even going up to say hi or ask for an autograph (I was one of those who was in the gym at the same time), and he found himself eating breakfast with only a couple of folks who are obviously not troops.
What is amazing is Bill O'Reilly came to visit with us and the troops at the CSH the same day and the line for autographs extended through the palace and people waited for two hours to shake his hand. You decide who is more respected and loved by us servicemen and women!
On his visit to Iraq, Senator Kerry apparently got something like the silent treatment from the troops who are "stuck" there. WDAY's Scott Hennen quotes a message from a friend serving in Iraq:
This is a true story....Check out this photo from our mess hall at the US Embassy yesterday morning. Sen. Kerry found himself all alone while he was over here. He cancelled his press conference because no one came, he worked out alone in the gym w/o any soldiers even going up to say hi or ask for an autograph (I was one of those who was in the gym at the same time), and he found himself eating breakfast with only a couple of folks who are obviously not troops.
What is amazing is Bill O'Reilly came to visit with us and the troops at the CSH the same day and the line for autographs extended through the palace and people waited for two hours to shake his hand. You decide who is more respected and loved by us servicemen and women!
Who are you going to trust?
The liberal MSM/defeatocrats or our troops on the ground?
[M]orale among our guys is very high. They not only believe that they are winning, but that they are winning decisively. They are stunned and dismayed by what they see in the American press, whom they almost universally view as against them. The embedded reporters are despised and distrusted.
A religion of peace?
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20979298-662,00.html
IN September, an elderly Muslim man told some of his peers that scantily clad women were not unlike uncovered meat.If they expose themselves, who's to blame the cat for devouring them?
Sheik Taj el-Din al-Hilaly, Australia's senior Muslim cleric, thought his sermon at the Lakemba mosque, in suburban Sydney, was for his followers' ears only.
IN September, an elderly Muslim man told some of his peers that scantily clad women were not unlike uncovered meat.If they expose themselves, who's to blame the cat for devouring them?
Sheik Taj el-Din al-Hilaly, Australia's senior Muslim cleric, thought his sermon at the Lakemba mosque, in suburban Sydney, was for his followers' ears only.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Gimme a break......
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=422917&in_page_id=1774
Oversize clothes should have obesity helpline numbers sewn on them to try and reduce Britain's fat crisis, a leading professor said today.
Oversize clothes should have obesity helpline numbers sewn on them to try and reduce Britain's fat crisis, a leading professor said today.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
£1m Clotto in costly misread
JUBILANT car salesman Steve Moseley went berserk and told his boss to stick his job — after MISREADING a £1million scratchcard.
Monday, December 04, 2006
This is the battle we Americans are facing!
The anti-American MSM now distorts the facts of this mass murderer to headline a "Trucker" as the murderer.
As if he was a regular "red state" Walmart-style, money grubbing, NASCAR fan, ("racist") white bigot.
The liars in the MSM hiding from us the fact that the "Trucker" is an ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT.
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20061204/D8LQATI80.html
Trucker Convicted in Immigrants' Deaths
HOUSTON (AP) - A truck driver was convicted Monday in the deaths of 19 illegal immigrants crammed into a sweltering tractor-trailer in the deadliest human smuggling attempt in U.S. history.
The jury will return on Wednesday to begin hearing evidence on whether Tyrone Williams, 35, should get the death penalty.
It was the second time Williams was found guilty in the case; an appeals court said the earlier verdict was flawed and ordered a new trial.
The federal jury deliberated a little more than four days before convicting Williams on all 58 counts of conspiracy, harboring and transporting for agreeing to drive the illegal immigrants from South Texas to Houston in 2003.
(AP) Truck driver Tyrone Williams, right, looks away from media cameras as he is escorted from the...Full ImageThe more than 70 immigrants packed into the airtight trailer clawed desperately at the insulation, broke out the taillights and screamed for help as the heat climbed inside. Nineteen suffocated or died of heat or dehydration.
Williams abandoned the trailer at a truck stop near Victoria, about 100 miles from Houston.
Defense attorney Craig Washington said his client was not responsible for the deaths because he didn't know the immigrants were dying until it was too late. Washington blamed another smuggling ring member for causing the deaths by overstuffing the trailer.
Prosecutors said Williams was responsible for the deaths because he didn't free the immigrants or turn on the air conditioning.
Williams showed no reaction when the verdict was read. He accepted a long hug from his lawyer before being led away by U.S. marshals. "I am deeply disappointed," said Washington, a former congressman.
Williams, a Jamaican citizen who lived in Schenectady, N.Y., is the only one of 14 people charged in the case to face the death penalty.
Last year, a jury convicted Williams, but he avoided a death sentence because the jury couldn't agree on his role in the smuggling attempt. An appeals court said the verdict did not count because the jury failed to specify his role in the crime.
As if he was a regular "red state" Walmart-style, money grubbing, NASCAR fan, ("racist") white bigot.
The liars in the MSM hiding from us the fact that the "Trucker" is an ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT.
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20061204/D8LQATI80.html
Trucker Convicted in Immigrants' Deaths
HOUSTON (AP) - A truck driver was convicted Monday in the deaths of 19 illegal immigrants crammed into a sweltering tractor-trailer in the deadliest human smuggling attempt in U.S. history.
The jury will return on Wednesday to begin hearing evidence on whether Tyrone Williams, 35, should get the death penalty.
It was the second time Williams was found guilty in the case; an appeals court said the earlier verdict was flawed and ordered a new trial.
The federal jury deliberated a little more than four days before convicting Williams on all 58 counts of conspiracy, harboring and transporting for agreeing to drive the illegal immigrants from South Texas to Houston in 2003.
(AP) Truck driver Tyrone Williams, right, looks away from media cameras as he is escorted from the...Full ImageThe more than 70 immigrants packed into the airtight trailer clawed desperately at the insulation, broke out the taillights and screamed for help as the heat climbed inside. Nineteen suffocated or died of heat or dehydration.
Williams abandoned the trailer at a truck stop near Victoria, about 100 miles from Houston.
Defense attorney Craig Washington said his client was not responsible for the deaths because he didn't know the immigrants were dying until it was too late. Washington blamed another smuggling ring member for causing the deaths by overstuffing the trailer.
Prosecutors said Williams was responsible for the deaths because he didn't free the immigrants or turn on the air conditioning.
Williams showed no reaction when the verdict was read. He accepted a long hug from his lawyer before being led away by U.S. marshals. "I am deeply disappointed," said Washington, a former congressman.
Williams, a Jamaican citizen who lived in Schenectady, N.Y., is the only one of 14 people charged in the case to face the death penalty.
Last year, a jury convicted Williams, but he avoided a death sentence because the jury couldn't agree on his role in the smuggling attempt. An appeals court said the verdict did not count because the jury failed to specify his role in the crime.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
A chilling indictment of the MSM
http://www.democracy-project.com/archives/002959.html
There’s, also, little reason to doubt that much of the reporting we’re getting, which is feeding despair among many Americans, is unreliable.
This is scarey. Read it all.
There’s, also, little reason to doubt that much of the reporting we’re getting, which is feeding despair among many Americans, is unreliable.
This is scarey. Read it all.
How the imams terrorized an airliner
Why aren't these guys in jail or deported?
Witnesses said three of the imams were praying loudly in the concourse and repeatedly shouted "Allah" when passengers were called for boarding US Airways Flight 300 to Phoenix.
Monday, November 27, 2006
No discussion of religion in college?
http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Content?oid=84436&category=22101
"Their mantra was 'no discussing religion in school,' which is fine except that I did not initiate the conversation, she had." Averill was suspended for four days, until a judicial hearing with the dean of student affairs.
"Their mantra was 'no discussing religion in school,' which is fine except that I did not initiate the conversation, she had." Averill was suspended for four days, until a judicial hearing with the dean of student affairs.
The end of the internal combustion engine?
0-60 in 4 seconds!
The Tesla Roadster—a hotshot sports car that runs on batteries.
We're DOOMED!
Oops. Never mind.....
It was not the hurricane season we expected, thank you.
With cataclysmic predictions that hurricanes would swarm from the tropics like termites, no one thought 2006 would be the most tranquil season in a decade.
With cataclysmic predictions that hurricanes would swarm from the tropics like termites, no one thought 2006 would be the most tranquil season in a decade.
This is disturbing
And Harper is an ostensible conservative.
TORONTO -- Innocent until proven guilty will no longer apply to people charged with serious gun crimes, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced yesterday.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
GLOBAL WARMING!
Oops. Never mind....
There was hardly a run on snow shovels, but a few flakes of the white stuff hit the ground in Orlando for the first time since 2003, meteorologists said.
Feisty!
Three Atlanta police officers were wounded Tuesday night when they exchanged gunfire with a 92-year-old woman. The woman was killed. Police said she shot the officers as they tried to serve a search warrant.
This is what 3rd graders get taught!
Sick!
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/16068074.htm
Teacher Bill Morgan walks into his third-grade class wearing a black Pilgrim hat made of construction paper and begins snatching up pencils, backpacks and glue sticks from his pupils. He tells them the items now belong to him because he "discovered" them.
The reaction is exactly what Morgan expects: The kids get angry and want their things back.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/16068074.htm
Teacher Bill Morgan walks into his third-grade class wearing a black Pilgrim hat made of construction paper and begins snatching up pencils, backpacks and glue sticks from his pupils. He tells them the items now belong to him because he "discovered" them.
The reaction is exactly what Morgan expects: The kids get angry and want their things back.
Danger, danger!
Driving in circles: Downtown drivers experience new era in a roundabout manner Who approved this idiocy? When the accidents and lawsuits come crashing in, will The Chronicle "FrontPage" it or just pretend it didn't happen, like they did with all the Muskegon Mall crime?
http://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-10/116421030486190.xml&coll=8&thispage=1
"Close your eyes, hyperventilate, scream real loud, and pray to God you make it out alive."
Happy Thanksgiving!
from Rush Limbaugh.
Worth the time to read the whole thing.
The Real Story of Thanksgiving
November 21, 2006
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
On August 1, 1620, the Mayflower set sail. It carried a total of 102 passengers, including forty Pilgrims led by William Bradford. On the journey, Bradford set up an agreement, a contract, that established just and equal laws for all members of the new community, irrespective of their religious beliefs. Where did the revolutionary ideas expressed in the Mayflower Compact come from? From the Bible. The Pilgrims were a people completely steeped in the lessons of the Old and New Testaments. They looked to the ancient Israelites for their example. And, because of the biblical precedents set forth in Scripture, they never doubted that their experiment would work. "But this was no pleasure cruise, friends. The journey to the New World was a long and arduous one. And when the Pilgrims landed in New England in November, they found, according to Bradford's detailed journal, a cold, barren, desolate wilderness," destined to become the home of the Kennedy family. "There were no friends to greet them, he wrote. There were no houses to shelter them. There were no inns where they could refresh themselves. And the sacrifice they had made for freedom was just beginning. During the first winter, half the Pilgrims – including Bradford's own wife – died of either starvation, sickness or exposure. "When spring finally came, Indians taught the settlers how to plant corn, fish for cod and skin beavers for coats." Yes, it was Indians that taught the white man how to skin beasts. "Life improved for the Pilgrims, but they did not yet prosper! This is important to understand because this is where modern American history lessons often end. "Thanksgiving is actually explained in some textbooks as a holiday for which the Pilgrims gave thanks to the Indians for saving their lives, rather than as a devout expression of gratitude grounded in the tradition of both the Old and New Testaments. Here is the part [of Thanksgiving] that has been omitted: The original contract the Pilgrims had entered into with their merchant-sponsors in London called for everything they produced to go into a common store, and each member of the community was entitled to one common share. "All of the land they cleared and the houses they built belong to the community as well. They were going to distribute it equally. All of the land they cleared and the houses they built belonged to the community as well. Nobody owned anything. They just had a share in it. It was a commune, folks. It was the forerunner to the communes we saw in the '60s and '70s out in California – and it was complete with organic vegetables, by the way. Bradford, who had become the new governor of the colony, recognized that this form of collectivism was as costly and destructive to the Pilgrims as that first harsh winter, which had taken so many lives. He decided to take bold action. Bradford assigned a plot of land to each family to work and manage, thus turning loose the power of the marketplace. "That's right. Long before Karl Marx was even born, the Pilgrims had discovered and experimented with what could only be described as socialism. And what happened? It didn't work! Surprise, surprise, huh? What Bradford and his community found was that the most creative and industrious people had no incentive to work any harder than anyone else, unless they could utilize the power of personal motivation! But while most of the rest of the world has been experimenting with socialism for well over a hundred years – trying to refine it, perfect it, and re-invent it – the Pilgrims decided early on to scrap it permanently. What Bradford wrote about this social experiment should be in every schoolchild's history lesson. If it were, we might prevent much needless suffering in the future.
"'The experience that we had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years...that by taking away property, and bringing community into a common wealth, would make them happy and flourishing – as if they were wiser than God,' Bradford wrote. 'For this community [so far as it was] was found to breed much confusion and discontent, and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. For young men that were most able and fit for labor and service did repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men's wives and children without any recompense...that was thought injustice.' Why should you work for other people when you can't work for yourself? What's the point? "Do you hear what he was saying, ladies and gentlemen? The Pilgrims found that people could not be expected to do their best work without incentive. So what did Bradford's community try next? They unharnessed the power of good old free enterprise by invoking the undergirding capitalistic principle of private property. Every family was assigned its own plot of land to work and permitted to market its own crops and products. And what was the result? 'This had very good success,' wrote Bradford, 'for it made all hands industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.' Bradford doesn't sound like much of a..." I wrote "Clintonite" then. He doesn't sound much like a liberal Democrat, "does he? Is it possible that supply-side economics could have existed before the 1980s? Yes. "Read the story of Joseph and Pharaoh in Genesis 41. Following Joseph's suggestion (Gen 41:34), Pharaoh reduced the tax on Egyptians to 20% during the 'seven years of plenty' and the 'Earth brought forth in heaps.' (Gen. 41:47) In no time, the Pilgrims found they had more food than they could eat themselves.... So they set up trading posts and exchanged goods with the Indians. The profits allowed them to pay off their debts to the merchants in London. And the success and prosperity of the Plymouth settlement attracted more Europeans and began what came to be known as the 'Great Puritan Migration.'" Now, other than on this program every year, have you heard this story before? Is this lesson being taught to your kids today -- and if it isn't, why not? Can you think of a more important lesson one could derive from the pilgrim experience? So in essence there was, thanks to the Indians, because they taught us how to skin beavers and how to plant corn when we arrived, but the real Thanksgiving was thanking the Lord for guidance and plenty -- and once they reformed their system and got rid of the communal bottle and started what was essentially free market capitalism, they produced more than they could possibly consume, and they invited the Indians to dinner, and voila, we got Thanksgiving, and that's what it was: inviting the Indians to dinner and giving thanks for all the plenty is the true story of Thanksgiving. The last two-thirds of this story simply are not told. Now, I was just talking about the plenty of this country and how I'm awed by it. You can go to places where there are famines, and we usually get the story, "Well, look it, there are deserts, well, look it, Africa, I mean there's no water and nothing but sand and so forth." It's not the answer, folks. Those people don't have a prayer because they have no incentive. They live under tyrannical dictatorships and governments. The problem with the world is not too few resources. The problem with the world is an insufficient distribution of capitalism.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Houses without Hooters!
The worst of the housing bust is over..........,
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116370236302025327.html?mod=home_whats_news_us
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116370236302025327.html?mod=home_whats_news_us
Wow! Sounds just like AlGore!
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador launched a parallel government Monday and swore himself in as Mexico's "legitimate" president, a ceremony the leftist hopes will keep alive his protests to undermine the man who defeated him at the polls.
Ummm, edible underpants......
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/4348328.html
Cotton, for thousands of years one of the most important crops for clothing and shelter, might also become a source of food.
Cotton, for thousands of years one of the most important crops for clothing and shelter, might also become a source of food.
This sounds juicy!
http://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1164041129325910.xml&coll=8
Muskegon Area District Library Director Elizabeth Winsche, who led the drive last year to give the library financial independence, has been fired by the district library's board.
The chairman of that board, Theron Wierenga, has decided to resign in protest.
Muskegon Area District Library Director Elizabeth Winsche, who led the drive last year to give the library financial independence, has been fired by the district library's board.
The chairman of that board, Theron Wierenga, has decided to resign in protest.
I wonder why tuition keeps going up, up, up, up.....
That don't 'clude da benefits, do it?
The University of Michigan's Mary Sue Coleman is among a growing number of college presidents earning annual compensation of $500,000 or more, fueled in part by stiff competition by schools for the best candidates, according to a study.
Coleman was the top-paid public university president last year at $724,604, the journal said. She was fifth this year at $742,148.
Coleman was the top-paid public university president last year at $724,604, the journal said. She was fifth this year at $742,148.
Good times ahead!
This group of "smarter-than-us" people will modify our behavior and give us justice! Wow. This is wonderful. I can't wait.......why does this sound so familiar?
If a Muskegon coalition of business, government and institutions is successful, crime will be reduced, employment will be up and natural areas will be protected.
Sustainability began as an environmental movement of modifying human activity to protect and "sustain" the natural environment. In recent years, the concept has been broadened. .....
The three elements of sustainability -- economics, environment and justice -- create the "triple bottom line." The theory is that when all of three goals are met regions, communities, businesses and institutions will be successful.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Did "moderates" vote for this?
Does Hilary?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/19/AR2006111900376_pf.html
Americans would have to sign up for a new military draft after turning 18 if the incoming chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee has his way.
Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., said Sunday ..........said he will propose a measure early next year.
In 2003, he proposed a measure covering people age 18 to 26. This year, he offered a plan to mandate military service for men and women between age 18 and 42; it went nowhere in the Republican-led Congress.
Well, isn't that nice!
NYC lawyers gotta love this one. Imagine the "sexual harassment" suits! Fun, fun.....
New York Plans To Make Gender Personal Choice
New York City Board of Health is expected to adopt rule allowing people to change gender listed on their birth certificate; people born in city would have to provide affidavits from doctor and mental health professional specifying why their patients should be considered members of opposite sex; applicants would have to have changed their name and show that they have lived in their adopted gender for at least two years; rule, if adopted, would not require sex-change surgery or other medical requirements; proposal puts New York at center of efforts to redefine gender and shows how transgender movement has gained political power beyond its small numbers; transgender advocates note prohibitive cost of sex-change surgery and say proposal is overdue protection against discrimination; some doctors and psychiatrists are skeptical, saying choosing one's gender defies medical history
New York City Board of Health is expected to adopt rule allowing people to change gender listed on their birth certificate; people born in city would have to provide affidavits from doctor and mental health professional specifying why their patients should be considered members of opposite sex; applicants would have to have changed their name and show that they have lived in their adopted gender for at least two years; rule, if adopted, would not require sex-change surgery or other medical requirements; proposal puts New York at center of efforts to redefine gender and shows how transgender movement has gained political power beyond its small numbers; transgender advocates note prohibitive cost of sex-change surgery and say proposal is overdue protection against discrimination; some doctors and psychiatrists are skeptical, saying choosing one's gender defies medical history
Mona Shores...and every other school system...
Totally "head in the sand". Or another orifice! They're out of MONEY not because of not enough "money in" but because of too much "money out". Like SPENT! How much does it cost the taxpayer to employ a teacher? Total cost including pension, early retirement, benefits, days off, etc? What do they make per hour?
We dare not even ask these questions!
Get out the Vasoline folks, this is gonna hurt.
http://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1163780128287480.xml&coll=8
Although the district doesn't appear to be in imminent fiscal danger, declining enrollment along with double-digit health insurance and retirement rate increases will do major damage to the district's coffers within the next five years if the school board does not begin making some hard decisions on budget cuts, school officials reported.
"We're going broke," said Superintendent Terry Babbitt. "Some people want to get angry with the messenger, but it's reality. We're in a free fall ... and we're experiencing a growing financial crisis." ......
"Our financial situation is a perfect storm," said Babbitt. "All we can do is slow the rate of decline."
Although the district doesn't appear to be in imminent fiscal danger, declining enrollment along with double-digit health insurance and retirement rate increases will do major damage to the district's coffers within the next five years if the school board does not begin making some hard decisions on budget cuts, school officials reported.
"We're going broke," said Superintendent Terry Babbitt. "Some people want to get angry with the messenger, but it's reality. We're in a free fall ... and we're experiencing a growing financial crisis." ......
"Our financial situation is a perfect storm," said Babbitt. "All we can do is slow the rate of decline."
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