Monday, June 04, 2007
The New Criterion — Why the art world is a disaster
The New Criterion — Why the art world is a disaster: "It sounded, my friend said, spectacularly awful. She’d just had a call from her husband, a Bard alum, who had zipped through the exhibition while doing some work at the college. Huge images of body parts—yes, those body parts—floating on the walls of a darkened room, minatory videos of men doing things—yes, those things—to each other, or to themselves, all of it presented in the most pretentious fashion possible."
Help wanted in the fields: Migrant shortage hurts farmers, crops - mlive.com
Help wanted in the fields: Migrant shortage hurts farmers, crops - mlive.com: "'The impact cuts across a number of areas,' said Rosenbaum. 'Without farmworkers, crops are not being harvested, schools receive less funding, and health clinics and other human service (agencies) lose funding.
'Communities receive an estimated $18,000 per worker each year,' said Rosenbaum, 'Fifty percent of their wages are spent locally.' "
'Communities receive an estimated $18,000 per worker each year,' said Rosenbaum, 'Fifty percent of their wages are spent locally.' "
Friday, June 01, 2007
Democrat pork vs troop safety
Wildly ignorant editorial rant by The Chronicle that serves to reconfirm our fears of liberals in charge of our military.
Why is vital equipment to troops delayed? - mlive.com: "The argument that our troops are being put at risk by debate between the president and Congress over extending supplemental funding bill is wildly inaccurate. Our fighting forces have been at risk since the start of the conflict back in 2003, and remain very much at risk today because they don't have what they need in the field. "
Why is vital equipment to troops delayed? - mlive.com: "The argument that our troops are being put at risk by debate between the president and Congress over extending supplemental funding bill is wildly inaccurate. Our fighting forces have been at risk since the start of the conflict back in 2003, and remain very much at risk today because they don't have what they need in the field. "
Why do they pay her extra to do her job?
Fire her now!
- mlive.com: "Quirky clerk case better off in court
Fruitland Township politics can be as interesting as any local government in our area. The quirky case involving its clerk's pay issue is a case in point. It's also a case that is probably best decided in a courtroom.
This is not the first time township Clerk Janell Beard has been embroiled in controversy. Earlier this year, Trustee Mary Eley raised questions about the propriety of Beard's mileage reimbursement requests -- one of a number of township issues Eley addresses in her web site. The complaint was investigated and dismissed by Muskegon Prosecutor Tony Tague.
Now Beard's request for reinstatement of a $1,500 payment she was earlier denied to conduct 'nontraditional elections' -- those conducted in off years in addition to general and primary elections -- is the focus of more controversy. Beard contends the $1,500 was illegally stripped from her, since she considers it part of her $31,314 base salary. Just recently, a divided board, on its attorney's advice, reinstated the clerk's pay, but the issue still remains before Circuit Court Judge James M. Graves Jr.
Several townships in Muskegon and Ottawa counties -- notably Muskegon, Spring Lake and Fruitport -- have experienced acrimonious and rocky times as officials and board members go their different ways.
We hope when the dust clears, Fruitland's troubles will simmer down to a slow boil again. "
- mlive.com: "Quirky clerk case better off in court
Fruitland Township politics can be as interesting as any local government in our area. The quirky case involving its clerk's pay issue is a case in point. It's also a case that is probably best decided in a courtroom.
This is not the first time township Clerk Janell Beard has been embroiled in controversy. Earlier this year, Trustee Mary Eley raised questions about the propriety of Beard's mileage reimbursement requests -- one of a number of township issues Eley addresses in her web site. The complaint was investigated and dismissed by Muskegon Prosecutor Tony Tague.
Now Beard's request for reinstatement of a $1,500 payment she was earlier denied to conduct 'nontraditional elections' -- those conducted in off years in addition to general and primary elections -- is the focus of more controversy. Beard contends the $1,500 was illegally stripped from her, since she considers it part of her $31,314 base salary. Just recently, a divided board, on its attorney's advice, reinstated the clerk's pay, but the issue still remains before Circuit Court Judge James M. Graves Jr.
Several townships in Muskegon and Ottawa counties -- notably Muskegon, Spring Lake and Fruitport -- have experienced acrimonious and rocky times as officials and board members go their different ways.
We hope when the dust clears, Fruitland's troubles will simmer down to a slow boil again. "
This sounds good.
Good news for GM in its battle with Toyota: "General Motors Corp., once the symbol of big, slow corporate America, virtually matched Toyota Motor Corp., the icon of lean manufacturing, in North American assembly plant productivity last year for the first time since it has been measured, industry research group Harbour Consulting reported Thursday."
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Laptops are crippling millions with back problems | the Daily Mail
Laptops are crippling millions with back problems the Daily Mail: "Booming sales of laptops have led to a surge in the number of computer users with back and muscle problems, experts have warned. "
Monday, May 28, 2007
Boing Boing: BBC shredded on bad science in WiFi scare report
Boing Boing: BBC shredded on bad science in WiFi scare report: "the report relied on measurements taken by a lobbyist who also sells tinfoil hats and measurement devices to those afraid of wireless signals. The report also seemed to systematically avoid using the scientific method, "
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Lorie Byrd: Al Qaeda mastered media manipulation in Iraq - Examiner.com
Lorie Byrd: Al Qaeda mastered media manipulation in Iraq - Examiner.com: "Roggio recently told the Christian Science Monitor that most mainstream media reporters “display a lack of knowledge of counterinsurgency and the role the media plays in an insurgency’s information campaign.” He says al Qaeda and insurgent groups frequently choose their targets to get specific media coverage they desire."
BLACKFIVE: Mememorial Day - "Remember..."
BLACKFIVE: Mememorial Day - "Remember...": "Remember Windy 25 - this video was sent to me from 12th AVN BDE and is about all of the Fallen Soldiers of the 12th which includes Windy 25. It was made by Chris Koth and I put it on YouTube for you to see:"
Another moving tribute via Blackfive.
Remember......
Another moving tribute via Blackfive.
Remember......
Origin of "Taps"
Arlington National Cemetery:: Ceremonies: "Origin of 'Taps'
During the Civil War, in July 1862 when the Army of the Potomac was in camp, Brig. Gen. Daniel Butterfield summoned Pvt. Oliver Wilcox Norton, his brigade bugler, to his tent. Butterfield, who disliked the colorless 'extinguish lights' call then in use, whistled a new tune and asked the bugler to sound it for him. After repeated trials and changing the time of some notes which were scribbled on the back of an envelope, the call was finally arranged to suit Gen. Butterfield and used for the first time that night. Pvt. Norton, who on several occasions, had sounded numerous new calls composed by his commander, recalled his experience of the origin of 'Taps' years later: "
During the Civil War, in July 1862 when the Army of the Potomac was in camp, Brig. Gen. Daniel Butterfield summoned Pvt. Oliver Wilcox Norton, his brigade bugler, to his tent. Butterfield, who disliked the colorless 'extinguish lights' call then in use, whistled a new tune and asked the bugler to sound it for him. After repeated trials and changing the time of some notes which were scribbled on the back of an envelope, the call was finally arranged to suit Gen. Butterfield and used for the first time that night. Pvt. Norton, who on several occasions, had sounded numerous new calls composed by his commander, recalled his experience of the origin of 'Taps' years later: "
cats candles wine and chocolate: Memorial Day - Read
cats candles wine and chocolate: Memorial Day - Read: "I then started to cry myself with the realization of what that really meant . All those old sailors, my dad included, standing on the deck of an old submarine holding the flag with such pride and sadness."
Beccy Cole - "Poster Girl" on the Wrong Side of the World
Another song to help us remember those who have given their all. From an Aussie lass who really gets it.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Lost Boat Ceremony - USS Silversides
Lost Boat Ceremony -
Sunday May 27, 2007
11:00 AM
At the USS Silversides dock, on the Muskegon channel.
Sunday May 27, 2007
11:00 AM
At the USS Silversides dock, on the Muskegon channel.
A very moving and worthwhile remembrance. Worth your time.
Bagpipes Cryin'
BLACKFIVE: Bagpipes Cryin' - Navy SEAL Poem to Country Music Video: "'I had three of the four guys on the ground that died that day. I was so heartbroken after I passed out all the flags at the memorial service. I was just thinking about the bagpiper, who is also a retired SEAL captain, standing there literally crying the song out of the bagpipes. We were all so sad. When I came home my wife said I should write down some words. Tim called me and asked how I was doing. I told him I wrote this poem and he said well let me have it. We went back and forth on the phone and decided to make it a tribute to everyone from World War II to the present.'
Navy SEAL Commander Mark Waddell
Navy SEAL Commander Mark Waddell
click the link for a wonderful video....
BLACKFIVE: Bagpipes Cryin' - Navy SEAL poem to Tribute Song: "'I had three of the four guys on the ground that died that day. I was so heartbroken after I passed out all the flags at the memorial service. I was just thinking about the bagpiper, who is also a retired SEAL captain, standing there literally crying the song out of the bagpipes. We were all so sad. When I came home my wife said I should write down some words. Tim called me and asked how I was doing. I told him I wrote this poem and he said well let me have it. We went back and forth on the phone and decided to make it a tribute to everyone from World War II to the present.' Navy SEAL Commander Mark Waddell"
Memorial Day memories
Daily Pundit » Weekend Cooking Thread - Memorial Day Weekend Edition: "I remember one rainy morning as a kid. I had just joined the Boy Scouts, and I was walking through a cemetary with a large, cloth sack of American flags. I had a section to cover, a list in my hand, and I spent all morning placing those small flags in front of the tombstones of dead warriors. After placing the flag, I would stand at attention in my dripping poncho, snap a three fingered Scout salute, and moved on. I remember placing a flag on the tomb of a Colonel of militia who fallen in the Revolution, and another on the fresh grave of an Army Corporal who had fallen in Vietnam. It being a Southern cemetery, small Confederate flags already marked many graves. American flags were placed with them.
When we were finished later that morning, Dad picked me up at the cemetary gate, gave me a smile and took me to the local High’s for an ice cream cone. I might have been wet, but I wasn’t one to turn down ice cream. It cleared up that afternoon and that evening, Dad fired up the grill. Hamburgers and hot dogs. Potato salad and cole slaw. As much Coke as I could drink and more ice cream, besides. Relatives and friends dropped by. It was a long, wonderful day."
When we were finished later that morning, Dad picked me up at the cemetary gate, gave me a smile and took me to the local High’s for an ice cream cone. I might have been wet, but I wasn’t one to turn down ice cream. It cleared up that afternoon and that evening, Dad fired up the grill. Hamburgers and hot dogs. Potato salad and cole slaw. As much Coke as I could drink and more ice cream, besides. Relatives and friends dropped by. It was a long, wonderful day."
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Being Honest About Ignorance — AMERICAN.COM: A Magazine of Ideas, Online
Being Honest About Ignorance — AMERICAN.COM: A Magazine of Ideas, Online: "Ignorance is a word we don't like to use today. It feels too much like a value judgment. But perhaps we should consider reclaiming it. We need to name this tendency, which seems to be ever more common in recent years, of ignoring facts we do not like. Call it willful ignorance. In this case, the value judgment is intended. By reclaiming the word ignorance, we reclaim also the 19th century sense that there is something inherently dangerous in not knowing."
Monday, May 21, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
Disparate But Not Serious - WSJ.com
Disparate But Not Serious - WSJ.com: "But why are employers able to get away with requiring a degree without running afoul of Griggs? Because colleges and universities -- again, especially elite ones -- go out of their way to discriminate in favor of minorities. By admitting blacks and Hispanics with much lower SAT scores than their white and Asian classmates, purportedly in order to promote 'diversity,' these institutions launder the exam of its disparity."
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
The Volokh Conspiracy - -#1179259134#1179259134#1179259134#1179259134
The Volokh Conspiracy - -#1179259134#1179259134#1179259134#1179259134: "a 2002 decision in which the California Fair Employment & Housing Commission penalized Melissa DeSantis $500 for inflicting 'emotional distress' on a would-be roommate by allegedly telling him that 'I don't really like black guys. I try to be fair and all, but they scare me.' The decision also required her to pay the would-be roommate $240 in expenses — and take 'four hours of training on housing discrimination.' (See Department of Fair Employment & Housing v. DeSantis, 2002 WL 1313078, Case Nos. H 9900 Q-0328-00-h, C 00-01-180, 02-12 (Cal. FEHC May 7, 2002).) "
Will "reinvention" of IRS include Scientology tax deal probe?
Will "reinvention" of IRS include Scientology tax deal probe?: "But if this commitment to change the IRS is genuine, the agency should consider remedying what may be one of its largest blunders ever: its secret 1993 tax settlement with Scientology in which the IRS granted Scientology tax-exempt status and cut its estimated billion-dollar tax debt to about 1% of that amount. Not only was this deal a reversal of the IRS' 25-year policy regarding the cult's improper, illegal tax procedures, but it also cost taxpayers almost a billion dollars in unpaid taxes and gave Scientology private/religious education tax exemptions not given to any religion.
This 1993 tax deal was secret until recently exposed by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, and has since captured the interest of tens of millions of US taxpayers, major worldwide corporations with US tax liabilities, and diverse special interest groups with concerns ranging from taxation to religion to separation of church and state.
After repeatedly and justifiably denying Scientology's tax-exempt status, the IRS suddenly reversed its position in 1993 with the secret settlement which granted Scientology religious status and canceled most of the organization's huge tax debt. The mysterious and shocking reversal for the U.S. tax agency came after 25 years of steadfastly refused to provide Scientology with the tax exemption given to normal bona fide churches. Many believe that the scope of what was given away by the IRS to the multi-billion dollar Scientology organization, in financial benefit and other special considerations, is far beyond anything that has been given to any other religious group, corporation, or normal taxpayer."
This 1993 tax deal was secret until recently exposed by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, and has since captured the interest of tens of millions of US taxpayers, major worldwide corporations with US tax liabilities, and diverse special interest groups with concerns ranging from taxation to religion to separation of church and state.
After repeatedly and justifiably denying Scientology's tax-exempt status, the IRS suddenly reversed its position in 1993 with the secret settlement which granted Scientology religious status and canceled most of the organization's huge tax debt. The mysterious and shocking reversal for the U.S. tax agency came after 25 years of steadfastly refused to provide Scientology with the tax exemption given to normal bona fide churches. Many believe that the scope of what was given away by the IRS to the multi-billion dollar Scientology organization, in financial benefit and other special considerations, is far beyond anything that has been given to any other religious group, corporation, or normal taxpayer."
obama
In Your Heart, You Know He's TriteThe Chicago Tribune has an amusing report on Barack Obama, who appeared over the weekend on ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos":
Obama's criticism of [President] Bush for his combative rhetoric came in answer to a question about whether the senator had the capacity to act ruthlessly when necessary if elected president.
"It's not just talking tough, because the truth is nobody's talked tougher than George Bush over the last six years. Being tough means, first of all, not having to talk about it all the time," Obama said. . . .
Without going into any specifics, Obama cited his testing in Chicago politics as a sign that he had an inner toughness. "Somebody who has arrived where I am out of Chicago politics has to have a little bit of steel in them," he said. "I have the capacity, I think, to make strong decisions even if they're unpopular, even if they're uncomfortable, even if sometimes I lose some friends."
So Obama says the first test of toughness is "not having to talk about it"--and he then proceeds to talk about how tough he is. By his own standard, he is a a jellyfish.
National Journal's Hotline transcribes another bit of the interview:
Stephanopoulos: You've also said that with Social Security, everything should be on the table.
Obama: Yes.
Stephanopoulos: Raising the retirement age?
Obama: Everything should be on the table.
Stephanopoulos: Raising payroll taxes?
Obama: Everything should be on the table. I think we should approach it the same way Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan did back in 1983. They came together. I don't want to lay out my preferences beforehand, but what I know is that Social Security is solvable. It is not as difficult a problem as we're going to have with Medicaid and Medicare.
Stephanopoulos: Partial privatization?
Obama: Privatization is not something that I would consider . . .
So when Obama says that "everything should be on the table," what he means is, "Not everything should be on the table." Of course the real problem isn't privatization, it's cynicism.
Obama's criticism of [President] Bush for his combative rhetoric came in answer to a question about whether the senator had the capacity to act ruthlessly when necessary if elected president.
"It's not just talking tough, because the truth is nobody's talked tougher than George Bush over the last six years. Being tough means, first of all, not having to talk about it all the time," Obama said. . . .
Without going into any specifics, Obama cited his testing in Chicago politics as a sign that he had an inner toughness. "Somebody who has arrived where I am out of Chicago politics has to have a little bit of steel in them," he said. "I have the capacity, I think, to make strong decisions even if they're unpopular, even if they're uncomfortable, even if sometimes I lose some friends."
So Obama says the first test of toughness is "not having to talk about it"--and he then proceeds to talk about how tough he is. By his own standard, he is a a jellyfish.
National Journal's Hotline transcribes another bit of the interview:
Stephanopoulos: You've also said that with Social Security, everything should be on the table.
Obama: Yes.
Stephanopoulos: Raising the retirement age?
Obama: Everything should be on the table.
Stephanopoulos: Raising payroll taxes?
Obama: Everything should be on the table. I think we should approach it the same way Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan did back in 1983. They came together. I don't want to lay out my preferences beforehand, but what I know is that Social Security is solvable. It is not as difficult a problem as we're going to have with Medicaid and Medicare.
Stephanopoulos: Partial privatization?
Obama: Privatization is not something that I would consider . . .
So when Obama says that "everything should be on the table," what he means is, "Not everything should be on the table." Of course the real problem isn't privatization, it's cynicism.
Clayton Cramer's BLOG
Clayton Cramer's BLOG
Down the Memory HoleRemember in 1984, where Winston's job was to revise newspapers of the past to keep up with the ever changing present? This is very interesting. A couple years ago, during the Katrina disaster, I linked to a CNN report and quoted it:
Overnight, police snipers were stationed on the roof of their precinct, trying to protect it from gunmen roaming through the city, CNN's Chris Lawrence reported.One New Orleans police sergeant compared the situation to Somalia and said officers were outnumbered and outgunned by gangs in trucks."It's a war zone, and they're not treating it like one," he said, referring to the federal government. ...One of my readers ran into that posting of mine--and noticed that the CNN report at that link no longer said anything like that. It was much, much more upbeat. Nothing about the police snipers on the roof. Did I copy the wrong link? Did I have a brief attack of delusion, and make something up?Nope. Lots of other people linked to that same CNN page, and quoted the same text. Like http://paulsplanet.blogspot.com/2005/09/fall-of-new-orleans_02.html and http://www.warandpiece.com/blogdirs/002476.html .There were bloggers who quoted CNN exactly as I did, although with no link to the story: http://knemeyer.com/dk.cfm?a=cms,c,318,1 and http://www.flaregun.org/?feed=rss2&p=51 and http://gutternickle.net/blog/index.php/2005/09/02/something_i_don_t_want_to_forget_about_kDid something go down the memory hole? If that story was inaccurate, they should have identified it as inaccurate, and updated it. This dramatic transformation of a story that played a big part in creating bad press for President Bush really smacks of something very Orwellian."We have always been at war with Eastasia."
Down the Memory HoleRemember in 1984, where Winston's job was to revise newspapers of the past to keep up with the ever changing present? This is very interesting. A couple years ago, during the Katrina disaster, I linked to a CNN report and quoted it:
Overnight, police snipers were stationed on the roof of their precinct, trying to protect it from gunmen roaming through the city, CNN's Chris Lawrence reported.One New Orleans police sergeant compared the situation to Somalia and said officers were outnumbered and outgunned by gangs in trucks."It's a war zone, and they're not treating it like one," he said, referring to the federal government. ...One of my readers ran into that posting of mine--and noticed that the CNN report at that link no longer said anything like that. It was much, much more upbeat. Nothing about the police snipers on the roof. Did I copy the wrong link? Did I have a brief attack of delusion, and make something up?Nope. Lots of other people linked to that same CNN page, and quoted the same text. Like http://paulsplanet.blogspot.com/2005/09/fall-of-new-orleans_02.html and http://www.warandpiece.com/blogdirs/002476.html .There were bloggers who quoted CNN exactly as I did, although with no link to the story: http://knemeyer.com/dk.cfm?a=cms,c,318,1 and http://www.flaregun.org/?feed=rss2&p=51 and http://gutternickle.net/blog/index.php/2005/09/02/something_i_don_t_want_to_forget_about_kDid something go down the memory hole? If that story was inaccurate, they should have identified it as inaccurate, and updated it. This dramatic transformation of a story that played a big part in creating bad press for President Bush really smacks of something very Orwellian."We have always been at war with Eastasia."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)