Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Why the United States Will Never, Ever Build the iPhone

Why the United States Will Never, Ever Build the iPhone - Jordan Weissmann - Business - The Atlantic
The price of labor, though, is just one small piece of what makes China a better place to make an iPhone.
...........................For Mr. Cook, the focus on Asia "came down to two things," said one former high-ranking Apple executive.
Factories in Asia "can scale up and down faster" and "Asian supply chains have surpassed what's in the U.S."
The result is that "we can't compete at this point," the executive said.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Lagarde calls for bigger eurozone firewall

Lagarde calls for bigger eurozone firewall - FT.com
In a speech in Berlin, Christine Lagarde, IMF managing director, said that without a larger bail-out fund, fundamentally solvent countries like Italy and Spain could be forced into a financing crisis.

Some Chevy dealers spurn Volt allocation

Some Chevy dealers spurn Volt allocation
GM's "thinking we need six more Volts is just crazy," Hedrick says.
"We've never sold more than two in a month."
Hedrick says he usually takes just about every vehicle that GM allocates to him.

South Carolina's Attorney General detects voter fraud

South Carolina's Attorney General detects voter fraud - WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports
Wilson says an analysis found 953 ballots cast by voters were people who are listed as dead.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

The Man Who Gave Us Newt

The Man Who Gave Us Newt - By Mark Steyn - The Corner - National Review Online
And, when Ron Paul’s going on about “fiat money” and Newt’s brimming with specifics on everything (he was great on the pipeline last night), Mitt’s generalities are awfully condescending:
The finely calibrated inoffensiveness is kind of offensive.

Give Saddam's Buttock Back, Iraq Tells British Ex-Soldier

Give Saddam's Buttock Back, Iraq Tells British Ex-Soldier

Federer rolls into 2012 Australian Open quarterfinals - ESPN

Rafael Nadal rolls into 2012 Australian Open quarterfinals - ESPN
"I thought I played a really good match," said Federer, through to his 31st straight Grand Slam quarterfinal.
"I knew I had to.
Anything else wouldn't have done the job tonight."

suzuki_is_the_man31
"consecutive grand slam quarterfinals is simply amazing.
To put that in perspective.
No other player in the history of tennis even has 31 consecutive 2nd round appearances.
Heck only 23 tennis players have 31 consecutive gland slam appearances."

NYT: Why Apple won't make iPhones in the US

NYT: Why Apple won't make iPhones in the US - Business - US business - The New York Times - msnbc.com
Apple’s executives believe the vast scale of overseas factories as well as the flexibility, diligence and industrial skills of foreign workers have so outpaced their American counterparts that “Made in the U.S.A.” is no longer a viable option for most Apple products.

Frontloading HQ: The 2012 Presidential Primary Calendar (Republican and Democratic)

Frontloading HQ: The 2012 Presidential Primary Calendar (Republican and Democratic)

Electric Car Parking: Perk Or Privilege?

Electric Car Parking: Perk Or Privilege? Fox News
"In fact, the mining, heavy metals, and other side effects of electric car production and operation are likely worse for the environment."

EyeOnMuskegon 1-22-2012

The Great Minnesota Pension Scam

Instapundit » Blog Archive » WALTER RUSSELL MEAD: The Great Minnesota Pension Scam.
“If you are a current or former state employee in the state of Minnesota, watch out.
Your pension depends on hot air, sketchy arithmetic, and the willingness of future taxpayers to make huge sacrifices to cover the deceit, wishful thinking and sketchy math at the heart of your pension system.”
Of course, this problem isn’t limited to Minnesota.
It’s endemic.

Plus this advice:
“Under modern conditions, for younger workers especially plans where you make contributions matched by your employer are safer bets than defined benefit plans. In defined contribution plans, they can’t touch your money to pay pensions for older workers; in other plans they can suck you dry to keep the better connected and better organized geezers happy.
Your union reps and state legislators won’t tell you about this, but it’s true: badly funded defined benefit programs will be looted to pay the oldsters in full as long as possible, and younger workers will be stiffed when the bill finally comes due.”
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 10:00 am

Saturday, January 21, 2012

MAC Legislative Update - January 20, 2012

MAC Legislative Update - January 20, 2012
Lt. Governor Calley Pushes for Autism Coverage

Lt. Governor Brian Calley (R-Ionia County) indicated that mandatory autism insurance coverage, as promoted by Governor Snyder in his State of the State, could be paid for by offering a tax credit against the new Claims Tax on paid insurance claims.
The tax, after matching federal money, is supposed to provide about $1 billion to fund Medicaid in Michigan.

There is no detail on how much money might be lost to the Medicaid budget to pay for autism insurance coverage.

Another 10 Creative Escalator Ads - Oddee.com

Another 10 Creative Escalator Ads - Oddee.com

America hates Newt Gingrich

America hates Newt Gingrich Campaign 2012 Washington Examiner
Unlike Mitt Romney, who occasionally beats President Obama in general election poll match ups, Newt Gingrich trails far behind President Obama in every survey.
But just how bad are Gingrich's unfavorable among the general public compared to Obama and Romney?

Until 2009, the human clitoris was an absolute mystery

Until 2009, the human clitoris was an absolute mystery
Who'd of guessed?

A trillion-dollar missed opportunity – enough to pay U.S. deficit

A trillion-dollar missed opportunity – enough to pay U.S. deficit ExxonMobil's Perspectives Blog
According to a study by ICF International, expanding domestic energy development in America’s offshore areas could alone generate $1.3 trillion in government revenues over the life of the resource – along with major increases in jobs and economic activity that result from offshore development.

To put this figure in perspective, consider the following numbers:
In 2010, the U.S. federal budget deficit was $1.3 trillion.
The total U.S. national debt currently stands at about $13.8 trillion.
The U.S. oil and natural gas industry contributes more than $1 trillion a year to the U.S. economy.

'Speed freak killer' Loren Herzog found hanged

'Speed freak killer' Loren Herzog found hanged
Herzog was convicted in 2001 of the methamphetamine-fueled rape and murder of Vanderheiden and the killings of two other people in the mid-1980s.
His trial and the case against a co-defendant, childhood friend Wesley Shermantine, were moved to Santa Clara County from San Joaquin County because of extensive pretrial publicity over what were dubbed the "speed freak killers."
Herzog was sentenced to 78 years to life, but an appeals court threw out his conviction in 2004, saying investigators had illegally forced a confession from him.

Girl, 9, who faced online taunts in 2010, dies

Girl, 9, who faced online taunts in 2010, dies
A 9-year-old Detroit-area girl whose battle with Huntington's disease drew attention after she was taunted online by a neighbor has died.

Egypt's Islamists secure 75 percent of parliament

Egypt's Islamists secure 75 percent of parliament
Egypt's election commission and political groups say final results from the country's first elections since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak show Islamist parties winning nearly three-quarters of the seats in parliament.

A Sharper Mind, Middle Age and Beyond

A Sharper Mind, Middle Age and Beyond - NYTimes.com
The “effective, moving, vitalizing work of the world is done between the ages of 25 and 40 — these 15 golden years of plenty.”
In comparison, he noted, “men above 40 years of age” are useless.
As for those over 60, there would be an “incalculable benefit” in “commercial, political and professional life, if, as a matter of course, men stopped work at this age.”

Friday, January 20, 2012

Muskegon County Jail replacement ranked top priority by county leadership

Muskegon County Jail replacement ranked top priority by county leadership MLive.com
“For nine years, the issues of the juvenile center and jail, they are always near the top of the list,” Derezinski said.
“When the heck are we going to get it off the list?”

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Editorial: Obama's call a job killer

Editorial: Obama's call a job killer Editorial Opinion Edmonton Sun
The Republicans aren't telling the whole truth when they say Barack Obama doesn't care about jobs.
The U.S. president is desperately worried about one: his own.
That's the real reason the Obama administration denied a presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline Wednesday,

Why U.S. Gun Sales Are Shooting For The Moon - Forbes

Why U.S. Gun Sales Are Shooting For The Moon - Forbes

Private Elevator Productions Offers Casey Anthony $1 Million

Private Elevator Productions Offers Casey Anthony $1 Million Mediaite
CNN Confirms Casey Anthony ‘Will Get $1 Million’ For Interview

Dems propose 'Reasonable Profits Board' to regulate oil company profits

Dems propose 'Reasonable Profits Board' to regulate oil company profits - The Hill's Floor Action
Six House Democrats, led by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), want to set up a "Reasonable Profits Board" to control gas profits.
The Democrats, worried about higher gas prices, want to set up a board that would apply a "windfall profit tax" as high as 100 percent on the sale of oil and gas, according to their legislation.
The bill provides no specific guidance for how the board would determine what constitutes a reasonable profit.

A Lose, Lose, Lose, Lose, Lose Proposition

A Lose, Lose, Lose, Lose, Lose Proposition - By Victor Davis Hanson - The Corner - National Review Online
As he did with his probably illegal “recess” appointments, President Obama picked a politically advantageous time to cancel the Keystone pipeline project — while the media is obsessed with the South Carolina primary, Newt Gingrich’s second wife, and Mitt Romney’s investments.
Yet it is hard to remember a presidential decision that had as many negatives as this one:

» Rubber Rooms’ Kissing Cousin: New York City’s Absent Teacher Reserve Program

» Rubber Rooms’ Kissing Cousin: New York City’s Absent Teacher Reserve Program - Big Government
New York City government schools have had some pretty outrageous policies.
Rubber rooms were a great example.
They were special places created for teachers accused of crimes, incompetence and the like.
Due to state tenure laws, it actually cost less to house the failed teachers in a location where they couldn’t inflict more damage on students, than to go through the lengthy and expensive legal process necessary to fire them.
Thanks Big Labor!
Now New York administrators are trying to deep-six a program created a few years ago in the collective bargaining agreement with the United Federation of Teachers: the Absent Teacher Reserve.

NYC Business Bled to Death Over Toy Guns

Moonbattery » NYC Business Bled to Death Over Toy Guns
The owner of a discount store in Brooklyn says the city is holding him up for $30,000 in fines he can’t afford — all because he stocked six toy sheriff sets that included plastic guns.
And now the .44-caliber fines for the orange-tipped, obvious fakes are forcing him to close for good.

After two more fatal shootings, Flint emergency manager says he welcomes more state help with crime

After two more fatal shootings, Flint emergency manager says he welcomes more state help with crime MLive.com