Friday, November 11, 2011

Public School Teachers Far From Underpaid

Public School Teachers Far From Underpaid [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
It’s a commonly accepted belief that public school teachers are underpaid.
Last month in a visit to Ann Arbor, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan even called for schools to figure out how to double teacher salaries in order to attract and keep top-tier talent.
But a report issued last week by the Heritage Center for Data Analysis questions the conventional wisdom and finds that, instead of being underpaid, people entering the teaching profession actually make one and a half times what they would have in other lines of work.

Detroit is not Oakland: City and protesters preparing for peaceful end to Occupy Detroit's Grand Circus Park campground

Detroit is not Oakland: City and protesters preparing for peaceful end to Occupy Detroit's Grand Circus Park campground MLive.com
The city of Detroit expects the Occupy Detroit protest to vacate their campground at Grand Circus Park when their permit expires on Monday. However, despite rumors of pending police action, Detroit Parks Department director Alicia Minter says the city is not planning to forcibly remove Occupy Detroit.

"Campground"?

David Axelrod's Pattern of Sexual Misbehavior

David Axelrod's Pattern of Sexual Misbehavior - HUMAN EVENTS
Herman Cain​ has spent his life living and working all over the country -- Indiana, Georgia, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Washington, D.C. -- but never in Chicago.
So it's curious that all the sexual harassment allegations against Cain emanate from Chicago: home of the Daley machine and Obama consigliere David Axelrod​.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

ABC and NBC Spike Eric Holder’s 'Fast and Furious' Testimony

ABC and NBC Spike Eric Holder’s 'Fast and Furious' Testimony NewsBusters.org
NBC and ABC in their evening and morning newscasts completely ignored the grilling Eric Holder received on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, over his role in the Fast and Furious scandal.

THE HUNGER FOR “SOCIAL CERTAINTIES:”

Instapundit » Blog Archive » THE HUNGER FOR “SOCIAL CERTAINTIES:”
Ron Radosh on the continuing appeal of communism in the West.

I don’t really think that’s it.
I think it’s that communism/socialism promise good career paths for people whose skills are bureaucratic politics, conforming, sucking up, and punishing nonconformists, and that there are enough of those people — especially in influential professions like journalism and academia — to ensure a continuing constituency.
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 8:19 am

European debt crisis spiralling out of control

European debt crisis spiralling out of control Business The Guardian
Reports that Germany and France have begun talks to break up the eurozone amid fears that Italy will be too big to rescue

Alabama county files biggest municipal bankruptcy

Alabama county files biggest municipal bankruptcy Reuters
Alabama's Jefferson County filed for bankruptcy court protection on Wednesday in the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Wednesday, November 09, 2011

The Coming of Age Wars

The Coming of Age Wars - By Mark Steyn - The Corner - National Review Online
It’s asking a lot of a fraying societal fabric to expect young Hispanics to shoulder the ever greater entitlement costs of elderly whites and blacks (as in the American southwest) or young Muslims of elderly French and Germans (as in Europe).
In the face-off between a beleaguered private sector and the public unions whose lavish benefits they pay for, Big Labor’s muscle holds certain advantages.
That doesn’t apply in the looming showdown between youth and geezers.

Dan Wetzel's Week 11 college football podcast

Dan Wetzel's Week 11 college football podcast - College Football - Rivals.com
The school’s civil liability, and that of individuals such as Spanier, Paterno, athletic director Tim Curley and others is also discussed.
They even cite actual laws.
Clay estimates the total liability will be more than $100 million and that’s if Penn State can avoid any punitive measures, which could drive things higher.

Paterno himself could pay out millions.

Obama Couldn't Wait: His New Christmas Tree Tax

Obama Couldn't Wait: His New Christmas Tree Tax
President Obama’s Agriculture Department today announced that it will impose a new 15-cent charge on all fresh Christmas trees—the Christmas Tree Tax—to support a new Federal program to improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees.
In the Federal Register of November 8, 2011, Acting Administrator of Agricultural Marketing David R. Shipman announced that the Secretary of Agriculture will appoint a Christmas Tree Promotion Board.
The purpose of the Board is to run a “program of promotion, research, evaluation, and information designed to strengthen the Christmas tree industry’s position in the marketplace; maintain and expend existing markets for Christmas trees; and to carry out programs, plans, and projects designed to provide maximum benefits to the Christmas tree industry” (7 CFR 1214.46(n)).
And the program of “information” is to include efforts to “enhance the image of Christmas trees and the Christmas tree industry in the United States” (7 CFR 1214.10).
To pay for the new Federal Christmas tree image improvement and marketing program, the Department of Agriculture imposed a 15-cent fee on all sales of fresh Christmas trees by sellers of more than 500 trees per year (7 CFR 1214.52).

Merry Christmas!
Our government's pre-Black Friday gift to all of us.....paid by all of us....or is it only paid by Christians?

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Grand Jury Report on Jerry Sandusky - Document - NYTimes.com

Grand Jury Report on Jerry Sandusky - Document - NYTimes.com

Joe Paterno, Penn State didn't do what was right in Sandusky case

Joe Paterno, Penn State didn't do what was right in Sandusky case - Michael Rosenberg - SI.com
A young man tells you he just witnessed an older man molesting a boy in a shower.
The boy appeared to be 10 years old.
What would you do?

There are a hundred other aspects to this Penn State story -- the legend and many good deeds of Joe Paterno, his tense relationship with his nominal "superiors," his longtime friendship with alleged child molester Jerry Sandusky, and the game of telephone that unfolded in State College after the incident.
But don't let that obscure the real issue here, the only one that matters.
There was an eyewitness to an unspeakable crime.
Penn State knew it.
And Penn State didn't do nearly enough about it.

Penn State must fire Joe Paterno amid Jerry Sandusky sex scandal

Penn State must fire Joe Paterno amid Jerry Sandusky sex scandal - Andy Staples - SI.com
With no explanation for inaction, Joe Paterno must go now

Many Michigan Public Employees Among Country's Top Wage Earners

Many Michigan Public Employees Among Country's Top Wage Earners [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
Michigan transit entities also have people in the top 5 percent. Peter Varga, CEO of Grand Rapids’ transit authority The Rapid, made $192,153 in 2010.
Michael Ford, CEO of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, made $183,195 in 2010.
In 2009, Josie Parker made $154,675 as executive director of the Ann Arbor Public Library

Italy is bust; it’s just a question of when

Italy is bust; it’s just a question of when - Matthew Lynn's London Eye - MarketWatch

Monday, November 07, 2011

Michigan State Spartans | MSU's Draymond Green hopes 'red X' shows where bin Laden was discarded

Michigan State Spartans MSU's Draymond Green hopes 'red X' shows where bin Laden was discarded The Detroit News
"I'm honored and blessed to basically be playing for our country in front of our troops as they fight for our freedom every day," he said Monday.
"It means a lot and I've been pumped about it."

Living a lie : Lawyers, Guns & Money

Living a lie : Lawyers, Guns & Money
This conversation, in which Sandusky in effect admits that there are other victims, and even refuses to say he’ll stop victimizing children, was surreptitiously observed by a PSU police detective, who was then ordered by the head of campus police to drop the matter.
(The local district attorney, who for unknown reasons decided not to press charges, disappeared in 2005 and was declared legally dead in July).

Penn State scandal: Full Jerry Sandusky coverage on Centre Daily Times

Penn State scandal: Full Jerry Sandusky coverage on Centre Daily Times

Sunday, November 06, 2011

Penn State's insufficient action amid child sex allegations stunning

Penn State's insufficient action amid child sex allegations stunning - College Football - Rivals.com
It is actually even more than that, a stomach-turning 23-page grand jury report that could be the ugliest scandal in the history of college athletics.
The failure of Penn State officials to call in the proper authorities potentially allowed the alleged sexual predator to live free for an additional nine-and-a-half years.

Serious rot in "Happy Valley".

The Democratic Progressive Party Sees "Blacks" as "Useful Idiots"

The World’s 10 Worst Countries for Business

The World’s 10 Worst Countries for Business - CNBC

No, Detroit isn't a country.

Argentina forcing carmakers to export wine, peanuts and chicken feed

Argentina forcing carmakers to export wine, peanuts and chicken feed
As long as Argentina's auto market is growing by about 30 percent per year, we'd expect automakers to do their best to keep dealerships stocked with vehicles.
Long term, though, this sounds like a plan that's nearly impossible to sustain.

Saturday, November 05, 2011

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Debate

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Debate
That is an article by Newt’s daughter entitled “Setting the Record Straight”.
It turns out that all of the stories about Newt’s first wife being served with divorce papers on her deathbed were false, on three counts.
One, Jackie Battley Gingrich is very much alive!
The tumor was benign.
Two, it was Jackie who sought the divorce.
Three, Newt did not abandon his wife.
In fact he took his children to the hospital to visit their mother.

The Case for Pessimism

The Case for Pessimism « Commentary Magazine
If you think like President Obama and believe nations are not defined by their differences, then China’s great leap forward is not that big a deal.
But if you think, like someone who has given it a moment’s thought, that nations are defined by their differences, it is a very big deal.
Most immediately, it means that the fellow elected next November will be the last president of the United States to preside over the world’s leading economy.
This should be a source of shame to every American.
It is not.
Not yet.
Instead, we battle over trivialities.

Penn St ex-coach, others charged in child sex case

Penn St ex-coach, others charged in child sex case
Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and another school administrator were charged Saturday with perjury and failure to report in an investigation into allegations that former football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexually abused eight young men, state prosecutors said.
Sandusky, 67, of State College, was arrested Saturday and released on $100,000 bail, the attorney general's office said.

Curley, 57, and Penn State vice president for finance and business Gary Schultz, 62, both of Boalsburg, were expected to turn themselves in Monday in Harrisburg.
Schultz's position includes oversight of the university's police department.

The 10 Emptiest US Cities - CNBC

The 10 Emptiest US Cities - CNBC
The 10 Most Vacant Cities

Detroit isn't #1?
Devil's Night to the rescue?

How Grade Inflation Hurts Math and Science Education

The Volokh Conspiracy » How Grade Inflation Hurts Math and Science Education
If taking math, science and engineering courses requires students to sacrifice their GPAs and class standing, it should be no surprise that many choose other courses of study.

Traders From Chicago Board Of Trade Dump McDonald’s Applications On Occupy Chicago Protesters

Traders From Chicago Board Of Trade Dump McDonald’s Applications On Occupy Chicago Protesters Mediaite
In the middle of an Occupy Chicago teach-in this week, traders at the Chicago Board of Trade dumped several sheets of paper on top of the heads of protesters below.
Demonstrators were angered to find out they were showered with employment applications for McDonald’s

Friday, November 04, 2011

Mar 11, 2011: Japanese tsunami from the point of view of a car. [VIDEO]

Mar 11, 2011: Japanese tsunami from the point of view of a car. [VIDEO]

Unable to pay bill, Mich. city turns off lights

Unable to pay bill, Mich. city turns off lights - Yahoo! Finance
But when the debt-ridden community could no longer afford its monthly electric bill, elected officials not only turned off 1,000 streetlights.
They had them ripped out -- bulbs, poles and all. Now nightfall cloaks most neighborhoods in inky darkness.

Thursday, November 03, 2011

IL Taxpayers Cover Teacher Pension Contributions

IL Taxpayers Cover Teacher Pension Contributions Heartlander Magazine
Teachers in nearly half of Illinois’ public school districts contribute nothing from their weekly paychecks to their pensions, according to the Illinois Policy Institute (IPI).
Illinois law requires teachers to contribute 9.4 percent to their pensions and employers to contribute 9 percent.

New Words-Ineptocracy

New Words-Ineptocracy Points and Figures
The word is: Ineptocracy
1. Ineptocracy
*_Ineptocracy_****(in-ep-toc’-ra-cy) – a system of government where the least
capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the
members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded
with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number
of producers
*
Use in a sentence:
The occupy protesters are part of the ineptocracy movement.

How Harrisburg Borrowed Itself Into Bankruptcy

Steve Malanga: How Harrisburg Borrowed Itself Into Bankruptcy - WSJ.com
Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania, is drowning in debt. City officials have known for more than four years that they'd have to deal with the fiscal mess, but they punted.
The state has engineered a bailout plan, but the city council rejected it.
Instead it has asked creditors to forgo as much as $100 million of the debt.

Mayors, unions clash on COLAs; pension forecasts defended

Mayors, unions clash on COLAs; pension forecasts defended WPRI.com Blogs
As a partial alternative to the current proposal, Rhode Island AFL-CIO President George Nee suggested lawmakers should instead raise taxes to offset some of the proposed cuts in pension benefits, saying it’s time for Rhode Island to “tax the people who can best afford and can most afford it.”

The Euro Crisis

Edward P. Lazear: The Euro Crisis—Doubting the 'Domino' Effect - WSJ.com
In their case, and in ours, the solution is primarily a reduction in the bloated size of government expenditures that come about by making promises that cannot be kept.

READ THIS!

Pension Red Alert: 70% Of Pensions Are Never Audited

Pension Red Alert: 70% Of Pensions Are Never Audited - Forbes

Hawaii State Liabilities Climb by 60 Percent in Two Years; Expert Calls the News ‘Shocking’

Hawaii State Liabilities Climb by 60 Percent in Two Years; Expert Calls the News ‘Shocking’ Hawaii Reporter
Sheila Weinberg, founder and CEO of the Institute for Truth in Accounting, called the state’s liability in the report “shocking", particularly when it comes to the increase in costs for medical services for state employees.

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Global warming is over, says expert

Express.co.uk :: Global warming is over, says expert
But this last point is one which Prof Curry has furiously rebuttted.
In a serious clash of scientific experts Prof Curry has accused Prof Muller of trying to “hide the decline in rates of global warming”.
She says that BEST’s research actually shows that there has been no increase in world temperatures for 13 years.

Colorado voters reject raising taxes to support education

Colorado voters reject raising taxes to support education - latimes.com
In what could be a harbinger of the 2012 election, Colorado voters Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a measure that would have raised nearly $3 billion for education by temporarily increasing state income, sales and use taxes.

Name one kid whose "education" would improve with more money to teachers and administrators.

Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street Arrest Records Mansions Housing The Daily Caller
Among addresses for which information is available, single-family homes listed on those police intake forms have a median value of $305,000 — a far higher number than the $185,400 median value of owner-occupied housing units in the United States.

$184,000 is the median?!!!!!

Eric Holder Was Right

Eric Holder Was Right - WSJ.com
At a party the other night we met a young black businessman who had graduated from Atlanta's Morehouse College--the elite traditionally black institution that is also Cain's alma mater--before earning a master's in engineering at Columbia University.
He told us that his experiences at the two schools were dramatically different:
"At Morehouse, I was never aware of my race, and there were no excuses."
He said that at Columbia, racial awareness was constant, and when a black student slipped up--say, by showing up late for class--allowances were made because of his race.

The Euro Crisis

Edward P. Lazear: The Euro Crisis—Doubting the 'Domino' Effect - WSJ.com
Closer to home, the same issues that threaten Europe may soon become immediate concerns to Americans.
To understand why, consider two theories of economic destruction, which can be labeled the domino theory and the popcorn theory.

The Naked Dollar: Occupy This

The Naked Dollar: Occupy This
The Naked Dollar visited Zuccotti Park today, site of the largest and now famous Occupy Wall Street protest.
I am here to report what I saw.
I will come back to the picture above, which was most definitely not an "Occupy" rally.

Lawmakers to Propose Transaction Tax for Financial Firms Modeled on Europe

Lawmakers to Propose Transaction Tax for Financial Firms Modeled on Europe - Bloomberg
Senator Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat, and Representative Peter DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat, will introduce the bills tomorrow in their respective chambers.
The bills will give the United States an increased role in the international debate over a transaction tax, which is likely to be discussed at the Group of 20 summit this week in Cannes, France.
“It’s a significant way to raise some needed revenue,” Harkin said in an interview today in Washington.
Quite frankly, I bet nobody would even feel it.”

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Smoking-Gun Document Ties Policy To Housing Crisis

Smoking-Gun Document Ties Policy To Housing Crisis - Latest Headlines - Investors.com
President Obama says the Occupy Wall Street protests show a "broad-based frustration" among Americans with the financial sector, which continues to kick against regulatory reforms three years after the financial crisis.
"You're seeing some of the same folks who acted irresponsibly trying to fight efforts to crack down on the abusive practices that got us into this in the first place," he complained earlier this month.
But what if government encouraged, even invented, those "abusive practices"?

Maybe it's time for a little "off with their heads....."?
The sad reality is that far too many in our country wouldn't be upset if it was "government" at fault.
Our socialist madrases have made "profit" a bad word for too many of our citizens.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Skeptic finds he now agrees global warming is real

My Way News - Skeptic finds he now agrees global warming is real
What's different, and why everyone from opinion columnists to "The Daily Show" is paying attention is who is behind the study.
One-quarter of the $600,000 to do the research came from the Charles Koch Foundation, whose founder is a major funder of skeptic groups and the tea party.
The Koch brothers, Charles and David, run a large privately held company involved in oil and other industries, producing sizable greenhouse gas emissions.

The very angry first lady Michelle Obama

CURL: The very angry first lady Michelle Obama - Washington Times
Mad Michelle this week popped down to Davis Island, Fla., to hobnob with the very people her husband despises - the 1 percent.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Occupy DC to secede from the United States? [VIDEO] |

Occupy DC to secede from the United States? [VIDEO] The Daily Caller
The Daily Caller visited the Occupy DC encampment on Friday and interviewed union organizer Anthony Sluder.
While Sluder appeared to be in charge, he preferred to describe himself as “the one who is informed to inform you.”
Check out what Sluder told TheDC about the “occupiers” and their plan to — you heard it right — secede.

GOLDMAN: Stop Kidding Yourself, The Economy Is Weak And Got Worse In October

GOLDMAN: Stop Kidding Yourself, The Economy Is Weak And Got Worse In October
Remember, this past week, Q3 GDP came in at 2.5%, nearly double the pace of the previous quarter.
And the stock market has rebounded sharply thanks to a surprise string of stronger-than-expected economic data.
But don't get too excited.

From Goldman's Shuyan Wu
"The GSAI fell 0.9 points from 43.3 in September to 42.4 in October.
This is the third straight decline since July, and the second straight month that the headline index has registered below the 50 mark (a sub-50 reading implies that more analysts see contraction in their sectors than expansion)".

Obama clarified what liberalism is

Obama clarified what liberalism is « Don Surber
Obama accepted a whopping $750 million in campaign contributions — a half billion of the money coming from large donors, including the two richest men in America.
That was double the money Republican John McCain collected

GHEI: Europe accepts the inevitable

GHEI: Europe accepts the inevitable - Washington Times
The official European Council statement released Thursday said the deal will result in a “nominal discount of 50 percent on notional Greek debt held by private investors.”
That’s a fancy way to describe what amounts to an orderly default.

Friday, October 28, 2011

It's a Dog's Life (Funny Pics)

Dark Roasted Blend: It's a Dog's Life (Funny Pics)

11 Charged in L.I.R.R. Disability Scheme

11 Charged in L.I.R.R. Disability Scheme - NYTimes.com
Ten of the defendants were taken into custody early Thursday at their homes by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and state investigators, officials said.
They included seven former railroad workers, including a former union president;

Pensions 101: Your one-stop guide to the crisis in Rhode Island

Pensions 101: Your one-stop guide to the crisis in Rhode Island WPRI.com

Four Reasons Keynesians Keep Getting It Wrong

Allan H. Meltzer: Four Reasons Keynesians Keep Getting It Wrong - WSJ.com
Why is the economic response to increased government spending so different from the response predicted by Keynesian models?
What is missing from the models that makes their forecasts so inaccurate?
Those should be the questions asked by both proponents and opponents of more government spending.
Allow me to suggest four major omissions from Keynesian models:

Thursday, October 27, 2011

The Coalition Of The Swilling

The Coalition Of The Swilling » The NewsHour Hits a MUST-SEE Homerun With This Interview

Bill Ayers Wows Adoring Audience at OccupyChicago

» Bill Ayers Wows Adoring Audience at #OccupyChicago - Big Government
Bill Ayers – the one-time domestic terrorist and leader of the Weather Underground, the self-proclaimed author of Barack Obama’s “Dreams of My Father,” the university professor now living on a government-provided pension – wowed the #OccupyChicago crowd last week.

66% Oppose Forgiveness of Student Loans

66% Oppose Forgiveness of Student Loans - Rasmussen Reports™
One of the loudest demands by the Occupy Wall Street protesters is for forgiveness of the nearly $1 trillion worth of student loans, but Americans strongly oppose forgiving that debt.
Even as President Obama talks about easing the burden on those with student loans, in fact, Americans are more inclined to think the government should help those who haven’t gone to college instead.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 21% of American Adults think the federal government should forgive the nearly $1 trillion in loans it made or guaranteed to help students pay for a college education.
Sixty-six percent (66%) oppose the forgiveness of all student loans.Thirteen percent (13%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The corruption you see, the doomsday you don't

The corruption you see, the doomsday you don't - chicagotribune.com
Yes, we're talking here in part — but only in part — about the galling expose that began on the front page of Sunday's Tribune under the maddening headline, "Sub for a day, teacher pension for life":

Two lobbyists with no prior teaching experience were allowed to count their years as union employees toward a state teacher pension once they served a single day of subbing in 2007 …
Over the course of their lifetimes, both men stand to receive more than a million dollars each from a state pension fund that has less than half of the assets it needs to cover promises made to tens of thousands of public school teachers. …
The revelation that one day of substitute teaching allowed officials from a state teachers union to tap into an ailing public pension fund is yet another example of how the Illinois pension system has been manipulated for political purposes and personal gain.

Political purposes and personal gain.
Hmm.

10 States With The Highest Debt Per Person

10 States With The Highest Debt Per Person: Report
The total of U.S. state debt, including pension liabilities, could surpass $4 trillion, with California owing the most and Vermont owing the least, according to an analysis released on Monday.
The nonprofit State Budget Solutions combined states' major debt and future liabilities, primarily for pensions and employee healthcare, unemployment insurance loans, outstanding bonds and projected fiscal 2011 budget gaps.
It found that in total, states are in debt for $4.2 trillion

Repeat criminals to face mandatory life sentences

Repeat criminals to face mandatory life sentences Mail Online
Repeat criminals convicted of a second serious offence will face a mandatory life sentence, under new ‘two-strikes’ rules.
Life terms will automatically go to anyone twice given jail terms of ten years or more for crimes such as rape, child abuse, serious GBH and terrorism offences.
They will also apply to the crime of ‘causing or allowing the death of a child’ - the offence for which Baby Peter’s mother and boyfriend were jailed.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Europe Doesn’t Want To Pony Up More Cash, Seeks U.S.-Led IMF Rescue

Europe Doesn’t Want To Pony Up More Cash, Seeks U.S.-Led IMF Rescue
In other words, Europe wants the U.S., China and the Mideast to come to its rescue without Germany, France or other “rich” euro zone members ponying up more cash.

Failed Democrat Pol Sues Critics Over Election Loss

Failed Democrat Pol Sues Critics Over Election Loss - Peter Roff (usnews.com)
Amazingly, rather than laugh the suit out of court U.S. District Court judge Timothy S. Black, an Obama appointee, is allowing it to go forward.

Monday, October 24, 2011

John Who? - WSJ.com

John Who? - WSJ.com
The best detail is this: "The librarians have eschewed the Dewey Decimal System, concerned by historical accounts that portray Melvil Dewey, its inventor, as a racist and misogynist."

Flash mob at Copenhagen Central Station. Copenhagen Phil playing Ravel's...

Sunday, October 23, 2011

iowahawk: Together, I Shall Ride You To Victory

iowahawk: Together, I Shall Ride You To Victory
Who, you may ask, is T. Coddington Van Voorhees VII?
Simply put, a man born to the conservative saddle.
The only scion of the legendary swashbuckling conservative editor / author / bon vivant T. Coddington Van Voorhees VI, I have since my earliest days honed a conservatism forged in the fires of intellectual combat, stoked by the bellows of classic education, and tempered in the cooling waters of good breeding.

Wisconsin vs Michigan State 10/22/11 Kirk Cousins Last Second Touchdown HQ

For Rhode Island, the Pension Crisis Is Now

For Rhode Island, the Pension Crisis Is Now - NYTimes.com
ON the night of Sept. 8, Gina M. Raimondo, a financier by trade, rolled up here with news no one wanted to hear: Rhode Island, she declared, was going broke.

Flashback: Obama’s Failed Stimulus Cost More than 9 Year Iraq War

Flashback: Obama’s Failed Stimulus Cost More than 9 Year Iraq War The Gateway Pundit
As the War in Iraq winds down remember…
The entire cost of the Iraq War was less than Barack Obama’s failed stimulus bill.
Nice work, champ!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Fraud case leaves California Democrats scrambling

Fraud case leaves California Democrats scrambling Reuters
Stunning accusations that a top California Democratic campaign treasurer looted the war chests of her big-name clients have left candidates across the state scrambling to raise more money as election season looms.
Kinde Durkee, who controlled the funds of roughly 400 candidates and groups, ranging from Senator Dianne Feinstein to local Democratic youth clubs, was arrested in September and charged with fraud.

What Explains the Left's Affinity for OWS and Abhorrence of the Tea Party?

Articles: What Explains the Left's Affinity for OWS and Abhorrence of the Tea Party?

50 Things I Learned From The Movies

50 Things I Learned From The Movies
3. The ventilation system of any building is the perfect hiding place.
No one will ever think of looking for you in there, and you can travel to any other part of the building you want without difficulty.

Why Publish the Marco Rubio Story?

Why Publish the Marco Rubio Story? « Commentary Magazine
I just want to offer a few thoughts, based on years working in newsrooms, of how a piece like Roig-Franzia’s comes to be and why it is usually published even when it fails to make its own case.

DOJ Finds A Cause

DOJ Finds A Cause - WSJ.com
: In the end it couldn't have come as any great shock when the Department of Justice intervened on behalf of a Muslim school teacher who claimed that the board of her Illinois school district was guilty of religious bias.
Nor could it have come as any surprise that the Board of Education, Berkeley School District 87 Cook Country Illinois, was finally forced to settle the case brought against it by the DOJ.
Still, even Americans accustomed to the relentless -- more precisely the relentlessly selective -- political correctness of the Obama Justice Department had to have been startled at the facts of this case and the deranged notions of equity that had impelled Eric Holder's DOJ to go rushing into battle against the school district.

Biden 2016? VP Says "I'll Make Up My Mind On That Later"

Biden 2016? VP Says "I'll Make Up My Mind On That Later" RealClearPolitics
"I'll make up my mind on that later," Vice President Joe Biden said in an interview with CNN's Candy Crowley.
"I'm in one of the, probably the best shape I've been in in my life"

Friday, October 21, 2011

Punishment on Loan from Rush

Punishment on Loan from Rush Heartlander Magazine
A Texas woman says she was subjected to cruel and unusual punishment after her arrest by being forced to listen to talk-show host Rush Limbaugh in the squad car.

What a strange country we live in.

Jimmy O'Bama

Thursday, October 20, 2011

THE FISKER KARMA: Solyndra On Wheels?

Instapundit » Blog Archive

THE FISKER KARMA: Solyndra On Wheels?
“Our tax dollars at work… a half-billion dollar loan (actually $529 million) from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a hybrid toy for the wealthy and/or celebri-licious (like Leonardo DiCaprio, one of the first customers) that, in real world driving, won’t get much better mileage than your average crossover utility vehicle.
Not only that, but the cars are manufactured in Finland — that’s right, Finland – and shipped here for sale, where their purchasers will then receive a $7,500 tax credit for buying one . . . .
Oh, and by the way, it just so happens that several major investors in the company are also major donors to the Democratic Party.
Can you say, ‘crony capitalism?’”

At least it’s really good looking

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

SF plan would offer tax break for hiring felons

SF plan would offer tax break for hiring felons
San Francisco businesses that hire people with felony convictions would get a tax break, under legislation expected to be introduced today.

Toby Keith is never one to mince words in songs

Toby Keith is never one to mince words in songs Reuters
"When I decided to go out on my own in 2004 with Show Dog/Universal, people asked me 'What makes you think you can run a label?'
I told them, 'Because I've seen the people who do it and I'd put a bullet in my mug if I couldn't do as good a job as they do!
And here we are, six years later, still kicking and rocking."

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Should Illinois taxpayers care that state pension funds face imminent bankruptcy?

Should Illinois taxpayers care that state pension funds face imminent bankruptcy? - chicagotribune.com
Illinois' biggest problem is the state budget; the budget's biggest problem is the plush pensions for public employees; lavish pensions are a problem because of a constitutional clause that bans the "diminishment or impairment" of their benefits.
How did we get into this mess?

Articles: Obama: 1, Informed Public: 0

Articles: Obama: 1, Informed Public: 0
I've been worried about this for some time: the government would start either manipulating the data or hiding it altogether.
Eliminating the Abstract is not just a matter of crimping the mirth of data hobbyists like me; it is ominous.

It is hiding the truth.
It is Soviet-like.
It is a short step from airbrushing people out of photos.
The Abstract has been around for 133 years, or about a century longer than the Department of Education has.

Publishing: Amazon Signs Up Authors, Writing Publishers Out of Deal

Publishing: Amazon Signs Up Authors, Writing Publishers Out of Deal - CNBC
Several large publishers declined to speak on the record about Amazon’s efforts.
“Publishers are terrified and don’t know what to do,”

I must admit, after reading a few books on my Kindle, I just don't like the size, weight and hassle of "books".

Monday, October 17, 2011

BREAKING: An IPCC backchannel ‘cloud’ was apparently established to hide IPCC deliberations from FOIA.

BREAKING: An IPCC backchannel ‘cloud’ was apparently established to hide IPCC deliberations from FOIA. Watts Up With That?: UPDATE: (9:20 PST 10-17) the FOI request has been released, a copy of which is now linked below.

CEI has learned of a UN plan recently put in place to hide official correspondence on non-governmental accounts, which correspondence a federal inspector general has already confirmed are subject to FOIA.
This ‘cloud’ serves as a dead-drop of sorts for discussions by U.S. government employees over the next report being produced by the scandal-plagued IPCC, which is funded with millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars.

By Christopher Horner, CEI.org for WUWT
Although this is seedy and unlawful at any time, it also goes in the ‘bad timing’ file.
Or it’s good timing, depending on one’s perspective.
Just as a brand new book further exposes the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)(which scam I dissected here, and in more disturbing detail here), and on the heels of the weekend surprise of a 2005 memo showing President Obama’s cooling/warming/population zealot of a ‘science czar’ John Holdren is the kind of guy Mitt Romney turns to to develop his ‘environmental’ policies, we’ve exposed the Obama administration and IPCC have cooperated to subvert U.S. transparency laws, run domestically out of Holdren’s White House office.

More on the info-lies of the global warmists.

What if they gave an election and nobody came?

Letters: What if they gave an election and nobody came? MLive.com
Elections matter, right?
What if we had an election scheduled and there was a way, an easy and almost free way, for an interested citizen to run for office, but no one knew about it?

Nazis and Communists Throw Their Support Behind Occupy Wall Street Movements

Nazis and Communists Throw Their Support Behind Occupy Wall Street Movements (Updated) The Gateway Pundit

The Austerity Myth: Federal Spending Up 5% This Year

The Austerity Myth: Federal Spending Up 5% This Year - Investors.com
In fact, in the first nine months of this year, federal spending was $120 billion higher than in the same period in 2010, the data show.
That's an increase of almost 5%. And deficits during this time were $23.5 billion higher.
These spending hikes haven't stopped many analysts from claiming that the country is in an age of budget austerity, one that's hurting economic growth.
A July article in USA Today, for example, claimed that "Already in 2011, softer government spending has sapped growth."


Is the liberal media just dumb?
I doubt it.
LIARS!!!!!!!!

NUGENT: Nobody needs Michael Moore's hypocritical advice

NUGENT: Nobody needs Michael Moore's hypocritical advice - Washington Times
Of course, the uninspired, uneducated, unskilled and stoned have been conditioned for generations to expect something for nothing.
They will always be in the tank of the left-wing movement - and they will always be unmotivated and poor and will continue to blame others for their condition.
Instead of busting their humps working two or three jobs, they have time to protest on Wall Street.
Fascinating.

[HD] IndyCar 2011 - Dan Wheldon Fatal Crash (Multi Camera Replay)

Will Teacher Right-to-Work Die With The Recall Election of Rep. Paul Scott?

Will Teacher Right-to-Work Die With The Recall Election of Rep. Paul Scott? [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
On Thursday, Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Clinton Canady ordered a halt to the recall election against Michigan House Education Committee Chair Paul Scott.

More proof the "power" of unions in our state is melting away!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

EyeOnMuskegon 10-16-2011 Tom Eaton

Horrific 15 Car Crash 2011 IndyCar World Championships in Las Vegas 300




A terrible day.
RIP Dan Wheldon

Muskegon Critic

Muskegon Critic
Muskegon Critic
Dispatches from the Great Lakes

Wow!
Another Muskegon blog!

Forums to discuss Egelston Township fire station millage

Forums to discuss Egelston Township fire station millage MLive.com
Township voters will consider a 30-year, 0.7-mill tax increase to fund a $2.3 million station.
Egelston officials say the current fire station is structurally unsound, inefficient and not adequate to accommodate modern firefighting equipment.
Owners of a home with a market value of $100,000, and taxable value of $50,000 would pay $35 per year if the 0.7-mill increase is approved.

How many "$35 per year" millage have we gotten pushed on us in the last few decades?
When will it end!!!!

Student Loan Debt Hell: 21 Statistics That Will Make You Think Twice About Going To College | ZeroHedge

Student Loan Debt Hell: 21 Statistics That Will Make You Think Twice About Going To College ZeroHedge

US to Play 'Very Major Role' In Helping Europe: Geithner

US to Play 'Very Major Role' In Helping Europe: Geithner - CNBC
The U.S. plans on being an active partner as efforts intensify to get Europe get back on its feet financially, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told CNBC Friday

No problem, we've got LOTS of money.......especially for our wonderful allies who so strongly support our country and our troops.........yeah right!

Occupy Muskegon group gathers to plan for upcoming 'occupation'

Occupy Muskegon group gathers to plan for upcoming 'occupation' MLive.com
She said only prospective occupiers know the location and they're keeping it quiet so they aren't "interfered with."
"The Wall Street occupation just sort of sprang up and I think that works better so people can't break it up beforehand," Carson said.

Guest Post: How Government Spending Impoverished Us All

Guest Post: How Government Spending Impoverished Us All ZeroHedge
At the World Complex, I view metal consumption as being a better indicator of economic activity than the officially reported GDP.
Perhaps I should say I trust the metal consumption numbers more, as I suspect they are harder to fake.
In any case, metal consumption usually involves making something, which is frequently accretive to wealth (except in the case of bombs, et al.).
The decline in metal consumption is a direct measure of the decline of real wealth.

Very interesting article.

Court rules in favor of state in welfare cutoff lawsuit

Court rules in favor of state in welfare cutoff lawsuit MLive.com
A federal judge today ruled in favor of the Department of Human Services in a lawsuit that sought to stop the cutoff of cash welfare benefits for some 11,162 people in the state who've exceeded the 48-month time limit.

Recent weather proves climate crisis, Gore says at Wayne State

Recent weather proves climate crisis, Gore says at Wayne State Detroit Free Press freep.com
Gore, speaking Thursday in Detroit, reeled off statistics about huge downpours in Pakistan and Colombia, wildfires in Australia and drought in Texas the past year that he said are clear evidence of the looming climate crisis.