Did Taxes Help Drive Dwight Howard to Sign With the Houston Rockets Rather Than the L.A. Lakers?

TaxProf Blog: Did Taxes Help Drive Dwight Howard to Sign With the Houston Rockets Rather Than the L.A. Lakers?:

Seven-time NBA all star Dwight Howard yesterday signed with the Houston Rockets for the maximum free agent contract permitted under the NBA's "Larry Bird Rule" -- $87.6 million over four years (4.5% annual increases over his existing contract).  He spurned a much higher offer from the L.A. Lakers -- $118.0 million over five years (7.5% annual increases).  Several tax folks have run the numbers and concluded that Howard will receive more after-tax income by signing with the Rockets rather than the Lakers, based on California's 13.3% top marginal income tax rate and the absence of a state income tax in Texas, after taking into account the application of various state and local "jock taxes." 

• Accounting Web:  Will Taxes Affect Dwight Howard's 'Decision?'
• Dream Shake:  Will State Income Tax Bring Dwight Howard to Houston?
• Forbes:  Could State Taxes Cause Dwight Howard to Flee L.A. for Houston?
• Joy of Tax Law:  The Taxing Lives of Dwight Howard and Professional Athletes
• Wall Street Journal:  Dwight Howard and the Tax Man
• Wall Street Journal:  Tax Break Could Give Texas Teams an Edge
• The Week:  Could Low Taxes Help Texas Teams Lure Dwight Howard?

(Hat Tip: Tony Nitti.)

54 Months: Record Stretch of 7.5%+ Unemployment Continues

54 Months: Record Stretch of 7.5%+ Unemployment Continues | CNS News:
"Since January 2009, when Barack Obama was inaugurated as president, the United States has seen 54 straight months with the unemployment rate at 7.5 percent or higher, which is the longest stretch of unemployment at or above that rate since 1948, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics started calculating the national unemployment rate."

NYC Bill Would Ban Styrofoam Containers

NYC Bill Would Ban Styrofoam Containers | Heartlander Magazine:
"The New York City Council is considering a bill to ban the sale of food served in polystyrene foam containers. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and at least 11 Council members publicly support the proposed ban, but consumers and small business owners are rallying against it."

5 Things The Republican Party Can Learn From McDonald's

5 Things The Republican Party Can Learn From McDonald's - John Hawkins - Page 1:
"Ultimately, people vote for politicians because they want to MAKE THEIR LIFE BETTER.
Sure, voters may also care about the Constitution, the country, and their kid's future, but most of them are going to vote for the politician they believe will change their life for the better in some fashion -- or at least not make it worse. 
So, what are Republicans going to offer?
Will we cut the price of gas?
Will we reduce energy costs?
Will we stop crime in their area?
Will we reduce their taxes?
Will we save their health care?
Principles and big themes matter, but ultimately, we're going to win elections by the same way McDonald's wins customers: by fulfilling the personal wants and needs of the voters."

June Jobs: An Employment Report Only a Central Banker Could Love

June Jobs: An Employment Report Only a Central Banker Could Love - Ricochet.com:
"1. The economy lost 240,000 full-time workers last month, according to the more volatile household survey, while gaining 360,000 part-time workers.
In other words, the entire increase in the household measure of employment was accounted for by persons working part-time for economic reasons. 
The underemployment rate surged to 14.3% from 13.8%."

EPA Pushes Smart-Grid Connections For Refrigerators To Control Energy

EPA Pushes Smart-Grid Connections For Refrigerators To Control Energy - Investors.com

Regulation: No longer the stuff of science fiction, a little-noticed change in energy-efficiency requirements for appliances could lead to government controlling the power used in your home and how you set your thermostat.

In a seemingly innocuous revision of its Energy Star efficiency requirements announced June 27, the Environmental Protection Agency included an "optional" requirement for a "smart-grid" connection for customers to electronically connect their refrigerators or freezers with a utility provider.

The feature lets the utility provider regulate the appliances' power consumption, "including curtailing operations during more expensive peak-demand times."

So far, manufacturers are not required to include the feature, only "encouraged," and consumers must still give permission to turn it on. But with the Obama administration's renewed focus on fighting mythical climate change, we expect it to become mandatory to save the planet from the perils of keeping your beer too cold.

"Manufacturers that build in and certify optional 'connected features' will earn a credit towards meeting the Energy Star efficiency requirements," according to an EPA email to CNSNews.com.

We are both intrigued and bothered by the notion that a utility company, the regulated energy sock-puppet of government, could and probably will have the power to regulate the power we use and how we use it, as long as we're paying our electricity bills, even to the point of turning these devices and appliances off at will.

We're reminded that former EPA director Carol Browner was a big fan of the smart grid and its potential ability to monitor and control power usage down to the thermostat in your home.

"Eventually," she told U.S. News & World Report in 2009, "we can get to a system when an electric company will be able to hold back some of the power so that maybe your air-conditioner won't operate at its peak."

The same year, President Obama, who had won election on a pledge to "fundamentally transform America," signed a stimulus bill to "transform the way we use energy" with a smart grid that would abandon "a grid of lines and wires that dates back to Thomas Edison — a grid that can't support the demands of clean energy."

To make sure we respond properly to the "demands of clean energy," Obama said this "investment will place Smart Meters in homes to make our energy bills lower, make outages less likely and make it easier to use clean energy." It'll also make it easier to monitor and control our energy use.

So if one day you keep your house too cool or your beer too cold and the dials start moving, don't be surprised. Its just a campaign promise being kept.

Botched Paramilitary Police Raids

Botched Paramilitary Police Raids | Cato Institute:
An Epidemic of "Isolated Incidents"
"If a widespread pattern of [knock-and-announce] violations were shown . . . there would be reason for grave concern."
   —Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, in Hudson v. Michigan, June 15, 2006.

An interactive map of botched SWAT and paramilitary police raids, released in conjunction with the Cato policy paper "Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids," by Radley Balko. "

'Carbon Pollution' and Wealth Redistribution

'Carbon Pollution' and Wealth Redistribution — The American Magazine:
"President Obama’s recently proposed policies will do little to combat climate change — but they will do much for his political and economic objectives."

Ethanol trade undermines U.S. biofuels policy

Ethanol trade undermines U.S. biofuels policy:
"U.S. policy to boost the use of fuel from renewable sources is generating additional greenhouse gas emissions due to rising trade in ethanol between the United States and Brazil, rather than lowering emissions as intended,"

How Aspirin Might Stem Cance

How Aspirin Might Stem Cancer - NYTimes.com:
"The scientists studied 13 people with Barrett’s esophagus, a condition in which cells in the esophagus become damaged, usually by acid reflux.
Sometimes the cells become precancerous, and rarely the problem leads to esophageal cancer.
The researchers tracked S.G.A.’s with periodic biopsies over an average of almost 12 years.
Over all, the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was associated with a 90 percent reduction in the rate of mutations."

Muskegon one of eight selected statewide for 'redevelopment ready' economic development program

Muskegon one of eight selected statewide for 'redevelopment ready' economic development program | MLive.com:
"If the redevelopment strategy is successful on the initial lot, it can be used to redevelop other vacant lots further east on West Western Avenue, he said.
“The grad students had a goal of attracting 25-34-year-old professionals,” Garner said.
“They are trying to figure out a way to attract a developer and a workable deal for a bank.
But to get there, we’d need some anchor tenants that would be willing to give pre-commitments.”"

Reader poll: Is the Detroit People Mover a viable form of mass transit or a useless joke of a system?

Reader poll: Is the Detroit People Mover a viable form of mass transit or a useless joke of a system? | MLive.com:

‘Authentic Frontier Gibberish’

‘Authentic Frontier Gibberish’ : The Other McCain

After Gabby has finished making noises about these sidewindin’ bushwackin’ hornswagglin’ cracker croakers, Olson Johnson then stands up to address the assembled citizenry of Rock Ridge:

“Now who can argue with that? I think we’re all indebted to Gabby Johnson for clearly stating what needed to be said. I’m particularly glad that these lovely children were here today to hear that speech. Not only was it authentic frontier gibberish, it expressed a courage little seen in this day and age.”

For some reason, that came to mind today as I was reading President Obama’s statement about the military coup in Egypt. No, it’s not authentic frontier gibberish, but it is certainly as incomprehensible as anything Gabby Johnson said that day in Rock Ridge:

“Core principles . . . universal human rights . . . legitimate aspirations . . .  the democratic process . . .  we are deeply concerned . . . an inclusive and transparent process . . . Given today’s developments, I have also directed the relevant departments and agencies to review the implications under U.S. law for our assistance to the Government of Egypt.”

Exactly what the hell does this mean? Have the White House speech writers been replaced by a Random Platitude Generator, a computer program that automatically cranks out empty rhetoric, glittering generalities and vague diplomatic argle-bargle?

19 Reasons To Be Deeply Concerned About The Global Economy

19 Reasons To Be Deeply Concerned About The Global Economy | Zero Hedge:
 "Unfortunately, the truth is that everything is not fine.  
The world is becoming increasingly unstable, we are living in the terminal phase of the greatest debt bubble in the history of the planet and the global financial system is even more vulnerable than it was back in 2008.
Unfortunately, most people seem to only have a 48 hour attention span at best these days. 
They don't have the patience to watch long-term trends develop. 
And the coming economic collapse is not going to happen all at once. 
Rather, it is like watching a very, very slow-motion train wreck happen. "

LeAnn Rimes 4th Of July Pics — Shares Family Photo With Eddie Cibrian & Sons

LeAnn Rimes 4th Of July Pics — Shares Family Photo With Eddie Cibrian & Sons - Hollywood Life:
"eAnn shared just how much fun she and her family were all having in Muskegon, Mich. where the country crooner performed  a Fourth of July concert.
She brought along her hubby and two “bonus boys,” as she calls her stepsons, and didn’t hold back snapping photos for all of the Twitterverse — and her nemesis Brandi — to see.
“Here’s to a fantastic 4th! From our family to yours! Stay safe and make memories!” LeAnn tweeted along with a photo of her, Eddie, Mason and Jake. "

10 Spaceflight Disasters Caught on Video

10 Spaceflight Disasters Caught on Video - Oddee.com:

Child Rapist Commits Suicide In Courtroom After Conviction

Child Rapist Commits Suicide In Courtroom After Conviction // Mr. Conservative:
"Don’t you just love feel-good, wholesome, inspiring news!?
A man killed himself mere moments after he was convicted of sodomizing a 14-year-old girl."

The Scariest Jobs Chart Ever

The Scariest Jobs Chart Ever - Business Insider:
"This shows the depth of the recent employment recession — worse than any other post-war recession "

Obamacare requires most insurers to tackle obesity

Obamacare requires most insurers to tackle obesity:
"But now most insurance plans are required to help obese patients try to lose weight under President Obama's health care law."

150 years ago today, outnumbered Michigan commander said 'Fourth of July is no day' to surrender

150 years ago today, outnumbered Michigan commander said 'Fourth of July is no day' to surrender | MLive.com:
"This battle could have been one Michigan military unit's Battle of Thermopylae."

10 Worst Fireworks Disasters Ever

10 Worst Fireworks Disasters Ever - Oddee.com (fireworks, july 4th...)

President Reagan's Address to the Nation on Independence Day - 7/4/86

Hundreds of IRS employees work full-time on labor union business

Coburn: Hundreds of IRS employees work full-time on labor union business - Washington Times:
"The Internal Revenue Service spends millions of dollars a year for 200 employees who actually work full-time on labor-union business even as it furloughs employees and cuts taxpayer advice services under the budget sequester"

Is the United States the Brokest Nation on Earth?

Is the United States the Brokest Nation on Earth? | Power Line:
"Mark Steyn refers to the U.S. as the brokest nation in history, and in purely quantitative terms–$17 trillion–the proposition is not debatable.
But Cato’s Dan Mitchell takes the analysis a step further.
This chart, from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, suggests that the U.S. is in worse fiscal condition than any developed country other than Japan and New Zealand. Greece?
We should be so lucky!"

Is Obama a Victim of Self-Esteem Education?

Articles: Is Obama a Victim of Self-Esteem Education?:

Pew: Obama less 'honest,' more 'incompetent' than Bush

Pew: Obama less 'honest,' more 'incompetent' than Bush | WashingtonExaminer.com

Masonic Temple files for bankruptcy

Masonic Temple files for bankruptcy | Crain's Detroit Business:

Electricity Prices Highest on Record for May

Electricity Prices Highest on Record for May | CNS News:
"The price of electricity in the United States for May was 13.1 cents per kilowatt hour (KWH), which is the highest it has been on record for that month, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which tracks the price going all the way back to 1984."

14,000 Abandoned Wind Turbines in the USA

14,000 Abandoned Wind Turbines in the USA:
"The US has had wind farms since 1981, what the left and the green movement don't want to talk about regarding windmills is (as usual) the truth.
The truth is: windmills, like solar panels, break down.
And like solar panels, windmills produce less energy before they break down than the energy it took to make them. 
That's the part liberals forget: making windmills and solar panels takes energy, energy from coal, oil, and diesel, energy that extracts and refines raw materials, energy that transports those materials to where they will be re-shaped into finished goods, energy to manufacture those goods.
More energy than those finished windmills and solar panels will ever produce."

Gettysburg Pickett's Charge

Longstreet looked for ways to avoid ordering the charge by attempting to pass responsibility to young Col. Alexander, but he eventually did give the order himself non-verbally; when Alexander notified Pickett that he was running dangerously short of ammunition—"Come quick or my ammunition will not let me support you properly"—Longstreet nodded reluctantly to Pickett's request to step off. For Pickett, there was virtually no Confederate artillery with ammunition available to support his assault directly.^[21]

Infantry assault

Cemetery Ridge, looking south along the ridge with Little Round Top and Big Round Top in the distance. The monument in the foreground is the 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument.

The entire force that stepped off toward the Union positions at about 2 p.m.^[14] consisted of about 12,500 men.^[22] Although the attack is popularly called a "charge", the men marched deliberately in line, to speed up and then charge only when they were within a few hundred yards of the enemy. The line consisted of Pettigrew and Trimble on the left, and Pickett to the right. The nine brigades of men stretched over a mile-long (1,600 m) front. The Confederates encountered heavy artillery fire while advancing nearly three quarters of a mile across open fields to reach the Union line and were slowed by fences in their path. These obstacles played a huge role in the large number of casualties the advancing Confederates faced. The ground between Seminary Ridge and Cemetery Ridge is slightly undulating, and the advancing troops periodically disappeared from the view of the Union cannoneers. As the three Confederate divisions advanced, awaiting Union soldiers began shouting "Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg!" in reference to the disastrous Union advance on the Confederate line during the 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg. Fire from Lt. Col. Freeman McGilvery's concealed artillery positions north of Little Round Top raked the Confederate right flank, while the artillery fire from Cemetery Hill hit the left. Shell and solid shot in the beginning turned to canister and musket fire as the Confederates came within 400 yards of the Union line. The mile-long front shrank to less than half a mile (800 m) as the men filled in gaps that appeared throughout the line and followed the natural tendency to move away from the flanking fire.^[23]

On the left flank of the attack, Brockenbrough's brigade was devastated by artillery fire from Cemetery Hill. They were also subjected to a surprise musket fusillade from the 8th Ohio Infantry regiment. The 160 Ohioans, firing from a single line, so surprised Brockenbrough's Virginians—already demoralized by their losses to artillery fire—that they panicked and fled back to Seminary Ridge, crashing through Trimble's division and causing many of his men to bolt as well. The Ohioans followed up with a successful flanking attack on Davis's brigade of Mississippians and North Carolinians, which was now the left flank of Pettigrew's division. The survivors were subjected to increasing artillery fire from Cemetery Hill. More than 1,600 rounds were fired at Pettigrew's men during the assault. This portion of the assault never advanced much farther than the sturdy fence at the Emmitsburg Road. By this time, the Confederates were close enough to be fired on by artillery canister and Alexander Hays' division unleashed very effective musketry fire from behind 260 yards of stone wall, with every rifleman of the division lined up as many as four deep, exchanging places in line as they fired and then fell back to reload.^[24]

Trimble's division of two brigades followed Pettigrew's, but made poor progress. Confusing orders from Trimble caused Lane to send only 3½ of his North Carolina regiments forward. Renewed fire from the 8th Ohio and the onslaught of Hays's riflemen prevented most of these men from getting past the Emmitsburg Road. Scales's North Carolina brigade, led by Col. William L. J. Lowrance, started with a heavier disadvantage—they had lost almost two-thirds of their men on July 1. They were also driven back and Lowrance was wounded. The Union defenders also took casualties, but Hays encouraged his men by riding back and forth just behind the battle line, shouting "Hurrah! Boys, we're giving them hell!". Two horses were shot out from under him. Historian Stephen W. Sears calls Hays's performance "inspiring".^[26]

On the right flank, Pickett's Virginians crossed the Emmitsburg Road and wheeled partially to their left to face northeast. They marched in two lines, led by the brigades of Brig. Gen. James L. Kemper on the right and Brig. Gen. Richard B. Garnett on the left; Brig. Gen. Lewis A. Armistead's brigade followed closely behind. As the division wheeled to the left, its right flank was exposed to McGilvery's guns and the front of Doubleday's Union division on Cemetery Ridge. Stannard's Vermont Brigade marched forward, faced north, and delivered withering fire into the rear of Kemper's brigade. At about this time, General Hancock, who had been prominent in displaying himself on horseback to his men during the Confederate artillery bombardment, was wounded by a bullet striking the pommel of his saddle, entering his inner right thigh along with wood fragments and a large bent nail. He refused evacuation to the rear until the battle was settled.^[27]

As Pickett's men advanced, they withstood the defensive fire of first Stannard's brigade, then Harrow's, and then Hall's, before approaching a minor salient in the Union center, a low stone wall taking an 80-yard right-angle turn known afterward as "The Angle." It was defended by Brig. Gen. Alexander S. Webb's Philadelphia Brigade. Webb placed the two remaining guns of (the severely wounded) Lt. Alonzo Cushing's Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, at the front of his line at the stone fence, with the 69th and 71st Pennsylvania regiments of his brigade to defend the fence and the guns. The two guns and 940 men could not match the massive firepower that Hays's division, to their right, had been able to unleash.^[28]

Two gaps opened up in the Union line: the commander of the 71st Pennsylvania ordered his men to retreat when the Confederates came too close to the Angle; south of the copse of trees, the men of the 59th New York (Hall's brigade) inexplicably bolted for the rear. In the latter case, this left Captain Andrew Cowan and his 1st New York Independent Artillery Battery to face the oncoming infantry. Assisted personally by artillery chief Henry Hunt, Cowan ordered five guns to fire double canistersimultaneously. The entire Confederate line to his front disappeared. The gap vacated by most of the 71st Pennsylvania, however, was more serious, leaving only a handful of the 71st, 268 men of the 69th Pennsylvania, and Cushing's two 3-inch rifled guns to receive the 2,500 to 3,000 men of Garnett's and Armistead's brigades as they began to cross the stone fence. The Irishmen of the 69th Pennsylvania resisted fiercely in a melee of rifle fire, bayonets, and fists. Webb, mortified that the 71st had retreated, attempted to bring the 72nd Pennsylvania (a Zouave regiment) forward, but for some reason they did not obey the order, so he had to bring other regiments in to help fill the gap. During the fight, the severely wounded Lt. Cushing was killed as he shouted to his men, three bullets striking him, the third in his mouth. The Confederates seized his two guns and turned them to face the Union troops, but they had no ammunition to fire. As more Union reinforcements arrived and charged into the breach, the defensive line became impregnable and the Confederates began to slip away individually, with no senior officers remaining to call a formal retreat.^[29]

The infantry assault lasted less than an hour. The supporting attack by Wilcox and Lang on Pickett's right was never a factor; they did not approach the Union line until after Pickett was defeated, and their advance was quickly broken up by McGilvery's guns and by the Vermont Brigade.^[30]

Aftermath[edit]

While the Union lost about 1,500 killed and wounded, the Confederate casualty rate was over 50%. Pickett's division suffered 2,655 casualties (498 killed, 643 wounded, 833 wounded and captured, and 681 captured, unwounded). Pettigrew's losses are estimated to be about 2,700 (470 killed, 1,893 wounded, 337 captured). Trimble's two brigades lost 885 (155 killed, 650 wounded, and 80 captured). Wilcox's brigade reported losses of 200, Lang's about 400. Thus, total losses during the attack were 6,555, of which at least 1,123 Confederates were killed on the battlefield, 4,019 were wounded, and a good number of the injured were also captured. Confederate prisoner totals are difficult to estimate from their reports; Union reports indicated that 3,750 men were captured.^[31]

The casualties were also high among the commanders of the charge. Trimble and Pettigrew were the most senior casualties of the day; Trimble lost a leg, and Pettigrew received a minor wound to the hand (only to die from a bullet to the abdomen suffered in a minor skirmish during the retreat to Virginia).^[32] In Pickett's division, 26 of the 40 field grade officers (majors, lieutenant colonels, and colonels) were casualties— 12 killed or mortally wounded, nine wounded, four wounded and captured, and one captured.^[33] All of his brigade commanders fell: Kemper was wounded seriously, captured by Union soldiers, rescued, and then captured again during the retreat to Virginia; Garnett and Armistead were killed. Garnett had a previous leg injury and rode his horse during the charge, despite knowing that conspicuously riding a horse into heavy enemy fire would mean almost certain death. Armistead, known for leading his brigade with his cap on the tip of his sword, made the farthest progress through the Union lines. He was mortally wounded, falling near "The Angle" at what is now called the High Water Mark of the Confederacy. Ironically, the Union troops that fatally wounded Armistead were under the command of his old friend, Winfield S. Hancock, who was himself severely wounded in the battle. Per his dying wishes, General Longstreet delivered Armistead's Bible and other personal effects to General Hancock's wife, Almira.^[34] Of the 15 regimental commanders in Pickett's division, the Virginia Military Institute produced 11 and all were casualties—six killed, five wounded.^[35]

Stuart's cavalry action in indirect support of the infantry assault was unsuccessful. He was met and stopped by Union cavalry under the command of Brig. Gen. David McM. Gregg about three miles (5 km) to the east, in East Cavalry Field.^[36]

As soldiers straggled back to the Confederate lines along Seminary Ridge, Lee feared a Union counteroffensive and tried to rally his center, telling returning soldiers and Gen. Wilcox that the failure was "all my fault." General Pickett was inconsolable for the rest of the day and never forgave Lee for ordering the charge. When Lee told Pickett to rally his division for the defense, Pickett allegedly replied, "General Lee, I have no division."^[37]

Gov. Rick Snyder: Buena Vista, Inkster school dissolution will start in 'days, not months'

Gov. Rick Snyder: Buena Vista, Inkster school dissolution will start in 'days, not months' | MLive.com:
"a Detroit News report Tuesday indicated Pontiac schools may not be able to complete the school year because of $34 million in unpaid bills to a host of agencies and businesses."

Thorium nuclear reactor trial begins, could provide cleaner, safer, almost-waste-free energy

Thorium nuclear reactor trial begins, could provide cleaner, safer, almost-waste-free energy | ExtremeTech: "....thorium fuel, which is safer, less messy to clean up, and not prone to nuclear weapons proliferation, could quench the complaints of nuclear power critics everywhere."

Gettysburg - Chamberlain´s Charge-150 years ago today

July 2, 1863

On the western slope he placed the 16th Michigan, and then proceeding counterclockwise were the 44th New York, the 83rd Pennsylvania, and finally, at the end of the line on the southern slope, the 20th Maine. Arriving only ten minutes before the Confederates, Vincent ordered his brigade to take cover and wait, and he ordered Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, commander of the 20th Maine, to hold his position, the extreme left of the Army of the Potomac, at all costs. Chamberlain and his 385 men^[11] waited for what was to come.^[12]

Battle of Little Round Top[edit]

Battle of Little Round Top, initial assault.

  Confederate

  Union

The approaching Confederates were the Alabama Brigade of Hood's Division, commanded by Brig. Gen. Evander Law. (As the battle progressed and Law realized he was in command of the division, Col. James L. Sheffield was eventually notified to assume brigade command.) Dispatching the 4th, 15th, and 47th Alabama, and the 4th and 5th Texas to Little Round Top, Law ordered his men to take the hill. The men were exhausted, having marched more than 20 miles (32 km) that day to reach this point. The day was hot and their canteens were empty; Law's order to move out reached them before they could refill their water.^[13] Approaching the Union line on the crest of the hill, Law's men were thrown back by the first Union volley and withdrew briefly to regroup. The 15th Alabama, commanded by Col. William C. Oates, repositioned further right and attempted to find the Union left flank.^[14]

The left flank consisted of the 358 men of the 20th Maine regiment and the 83rd Pennsylvania. Seeing the Confederates shifting around his flank, Chamberlain first stretched his line to the point where his men were in a single-file line, then ordered the southernmost half of his line to swing back during a lull following another Confederate charge. It was there that they "refused the line"—formed an angle to the main line in an attempt to prevent the Confederate flanking maneuver. Despite heavy losses, the 20th Maine held through two subsequent charges by the 15th Alabama and other Confederate regiments for a total of ninety minutes.^[15]

On the final charge, knowing that his men were out of ammunition, that his numbers were being depleted, and further knowing that another charge could not be repulsed, Chamberlain ordered a maneuver that was considered unusual for the day: He ordered his left flank, which had been pulled back, to advance with bayonets in a "right-wheel forward" maneuver. As soon as they were in line with the rest of the regiment, the remainder of the regiment charged, akin to a door swinging shut. This simultaneous frontal assault and flanking maneuver halted and captured a good portion of the 15th Alabama.^[16]

Most historians credit Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain for the bayonet charge on Little Round Top.

Lt. Holman S. Melcherwas later credited by others with leading or initiating the bayonet charge.

Recently published research^[17] has presented claims that Lt. Holman S. Melcher initiated the charge, although Chamberlain has been credited by most historians for ordering the advance. Chamberlain's version of the story is that he decided to order the charge before Lt. Melcher requested permission to advance the center of the line toward a boulder ledge where some of the men were wounded and unable to move. Admiring the lieutenant's bravery and compassion, Chamberlain agreed and sent him back to his company, telling him that he was about to order the entire regiment forward. As Melcher returned to his men, the shouts of "Bayonet!" were already working their way down the line.^[18]

During their retreat, the Confederates were subjected to a volley of rifle fire from Company B of the 20th Maine, commanded by Captain Walter G. Morrill, and a few of the 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters, who had been placed by Chamberlain behind a stone wall 150 yards to the east, hoping to guard against an envelopment. This group, who had been hidden from sight, caused considerable confusion in the Confederate ranks.^[16]

Thirty years later, Chamberlain received a Medal of Honor for his conduct in the defense of Little Round Top. The citation read that it was awarded for "daring heroism and great tenacity in holding his position on the Little Round Top against repeated assaults, and carrying the advance position on the Great Round Top."^[19]

Coast West Fest in Muskegon ROCKS!

What a great night!
I was concerned that 1st day jitters would be evident but "Wow" is the word as this crew really knows how to put on a perfect show.
Everything that made our beloved Summer Celebration Pure Fun is back on our beautiful lakeshore.
And more.
Easy-to-find and inexpensive or free parking.
Fab summer food (deep fried Twinkies!) that would send NYC's nanny Bloomberg into fits of recipe rage. (YES!)
16oz beers!
Cabernet!
A solid and friendly police presence with military booths. (You MUST bring your kids-especially the little ones- to the National Guard climbing wall!)
But the new "3 Stages/One Ticket" really made this a unique event.
Choose your music, change your venue, relax by the shore or jam in the mosh pit.
Or do it all as we did, trying each stage….. a few times each.
The carnival will be missed by some but it really reduces the crowds and opens up the entire park for a different feel at each stage.
Though more tables/benches would be nice on the point.
Thanks to M-Live and the other sponsors.
Come on Muskegon, this is your town and your festival.
$25/night is the bargain of the millennium!
Coast West is a first class event.

http://www.coastwestfestival.com/

JULY 2

LOCATION: Heritage Landing Stage

7:00pm Foghat

9:00pm CHEAP TRICK

LOCATION: MLive Stage

5:30 – 6:45pm Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys

7:30 – 8:45pm Polyphonic Spree 

LOCATION: First General Credit Union Stage

6:00 - 8:00pm Coldville

8:30 – 11:00pm After Effect

JULY 3

LOCATION: Heritage Landing Stage

7:00pm Blue Oyster Cult

9:00pm Chicago

LOCATION: MLive Stage

5:30 – 6:45pm Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers

7:30 – 8:45pm Here Come The Mummies

LOCATION: First General Credit Union Stage

6:00 - 8:00pm Red Stone Riot

8:30 - 11:00pm Orange October  

JULY 4

LOCATION: Heritage Landing Stage

7:00pm LeAnn Rimes

9:00pm Josh Turner

LOCATION: MLive Stage

5:30pm Drowning Pool

7:15pm Ugly Kid Joe

LOCATION: First General Credit Union Stage

6:00 - 7:30pm The Blockhouse Acoustics

8:00 - 10:25pm Time Wise 

10:30pm – Fourth of July Fireworks

Enjoy West Michigan’s Best Fireworks Display!

LOCATION: Heritage Landing

JULY 5

Lakeshore Art Festival

LOCATION: Downtown Muskegon

12:00pm – 7:00pm

LOCATION: Heritage Landing Stage

7:00pm The Vincent Hayes Project

9:00pm Buddy Guy with Jonny Lang and his Band

LOCATION: MLive Stage

5:30pm The Ragbirds

7:30pm Kris Allen

LOCATION: First General Credit Union Stage

6:00 - 8:00pm Whoopee Kat

8:30 - 11:00pm Yard Sale Underwear

JULY 6

Lakeshore Art Festival

LOCATION: Downtown Muskegon

10:00am – 7:00pm

LOCATION: Heritage Landing Stage

7:00pm Hinder

9:00pm Three Days Grace

LOCATION: MLive Stage

5:30 – 6:30pm Steve Rivers

7:15 – 8:45pm Gregg Allman

LOCATION: First General Credit Union Stage

6:00 - 8:00pm Carl Webb Band

8:30 - 11:00pm Ruth and Max Bloomquist    

Census: Michigan 1 of 4 states with fewer college-educated young professionals in 2011 than 2006

Census: Michigan 1 of 4 states with fewer college-educated young professionals in 2011 than 2006 | MLive.com:
"While one recent study shows Michigan is retaining more college graduates than it did five years ago, Census stats show the state actually has fewer college-educated young professionals than in 2006."

The miniscule upside

Blog: The miniscule upside:
"Wattsupwiththat notes the mind boggling idiocy of the President's war on coal:
the reality is that Chris Hope, an ardent supporter of the War on CoalTM, using the most optimistic (and unattainable) assumptions, says that IF we win the War on Coal and we put hundreds of people out of work and increase the cost of electricity for poor and wealthy alike (although obviously, Obama and his rich pals don't care about the cost increase), here's our prize.
Here's what Chris Hope says we've bought for the all the pain and suffering:
In the year 2100 the world might be 0.02°C cooler.
Two hundredths of a degree in a century.
Maybe.
That's the prize.
That's what Chris Hope has proudly announced will be the reward for the job loss and the pain and suffering of the poor."

Gov’t Unveils New Snack Standards for Schools: Donuts Out, Fruit Cups In

Gov’t Unveils New Snack Standards for Schools: Donuts Out, Fruit Cups In | CNS News:
"The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, championed by Mrs. Obama, established the new standards, which go beyond school menus to include all food items sold in schools."

Don’t be Fooled: Uncle Sam Is Still Bankrupt

Don’t be Fooled: Uncle Sam Is Still Bankrupt | Cato @ Liberty:
"The latest excitement has been caused by the recent Congressional Budget Office study detailing new budget projections.
The federal budget deficit this year will be “only” $642 billion.
That’s one-sixth of total federal outlays and 50 percent higher than that pre-Obama record deficit in 2008"

'LOL, JK': Texas teen faces 8 years in prison for making 'terroristic threat' online

'LOL, JK': Texas teen faces 8 years in prison for making 'terroristic threat' online - Washington Times:
"Justin Carter was 18 back in February when a dispute over the online video game “League of Legends took an ugly turn on Facebook, KHOU.com reported.

“Someone had said something to the effect of ‘Oh you’re insane, you’re crazy, you’re messed up in the head,’ to which he replied, ‘Oh yeah, I’m real messed up in the head, I’m going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still, beating hearts,’ and the next two lines were lol and jk,” said Jack Carter, Justin’s father.

A woman from Canada saw the posting, did a Google search and found Mr. Carter’s old address was near an elementary school and she called police, he told KHOU.com.

Justin Carter was arrested the next month and has been jailed since March 27, KHOU.com reported. He’s charged with making a terroristic threat and is facing eight years in prison, according to his dad.

“These people are serious. They really want my son to go away to jail for a sarcastic comment that he made,” the elder Mr. Carter said."

Going Home - ESPN Video - ESPN

SC Featured: Going Home - ESPN Video - ESPN:
MUST SEE VIDEO!
Vets coming home to their families.
Grab a hankie......grab a box of hankies!
Wonderful!

New map may explain Lee's decisions at Gettysburg

New map may explain Lee's decisions at Gettysburg | The Detroit News:
"Why did the shrewd and canny Lee choose to attack, especially in the face of the Union’s superior numbers?
While historians have long wrestled with that question, geographers and cartographers have come up with an explanation, by way of sophisticated mapping software that shows the rolling terrain exactly as it would have appeared to Lee:
From his vantage point, he simply couldn’t see throngs of Union soldiers amid the hills and valleys."

Five things to know about Muskegon Bike Time and downtown farmers market proposed compromise

Five things to know about Muskegon Bike Time and downtown farmers market proposed compromise | MLive.com:

Inconvenient truths about the manmade global warming Scare

Inconvenient truths about the manmade global warming Scare - Columbia Public Policy | Examiner.com: "The truth about the manmade global warming (MGW) scare is that much of what people know is not true and there is a lot people don't know.
As the computer models fall apart, proponents of MGW have had to resort to outright fraud in some cases. (YOU MUST READ THIS!!!)"

Detroit EM axes council head, union pacts, agency

Detroit EM axes council head, union pacts, agency | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com:
"Contracts for the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees Council 25 and the Detroit Police Lieutenants & Sergeants Association will end when they expire in the coming weeks, said Bill Nowling, spokesman for state-appointed emergency manager Kevyn Orr"

The Civil War

The Civil War | Special Reports | Smithsonian Magazine

Newest foot soldiers for ObamaCare: Librarians

Newest foot soldiers for ObamaCare: Librarians « Hot Air:

"Libraries will be particularly important in conservative states that are not making much effort to promote the health law’s opportunities."

Don’t think of it as conscription, think of it as … repurposing. The more ubiquitous the Internet and e-readers get, the less use people have for libraries and thus the further away from their core function libraries will drift. In theory they’re still about book-lending but credit the feds for recognizing their growing role as places lower-income people can get online for free. Per Gallup’s latest, fully 43 percent of the uninsured have no idea that they’re now stautorily required by Hopenchange to seek coverage. If you’re trying to reach the poor to let them know that they qualify for health insurance subsidies — or, rather, that they don’t qualify — then this is a no-brainer. Coming soon, presumably: Deputizing the postal service, another institution that’s being laid to waste by technology, to start selling policies door to door. Ever heard the expression that the federal government is now really just “an insurance company with an army”? Well, the insurance part of that equation needs an army too.

What's Really 'Immoral' About Student Loans

Glenn Harlan Reynolds: What's Really 'Immoral' About Student Loans - WSJ.com:
"If we want to solve the very real problem of excessive student-loan debt, college costs need to be brought under control.
A 2010 study by the Goldwater Institute identified "administrative bloat" as a leading reason for higher costs. The study found that many American universities now have more salaried administrators than teaching faculty"

Gettysburg reenactment is a campaign in itself

Gettysburg reenactment is a campaign in itself:
"It's extremely accurate and feels real - the noise, conditions, and spectacle - but you're not confronting the likelihood of you or your friends being killed," said Jon Sirlin, a Philadelphia lawyer who portays a Union officer and chief of staff, one of an expected 15,000 reenactors"

Obama’s Energy Plan: Impoverish America

Obama’s Energy Plan: Impoverish America | National Review Online:
This is harmful and absurd for many reasons. 
First, by shutting down existing coal-fired power plants, it will effectively destroy trillions of dollars of private property. 
Second, since those plants supply about 40 percent of America’s electric power, they will need to be replaced at great cost, which will be borne by ratepayers. 
Third, all proposed replacements for coal are significantly more expensive, so using them will drive rates up further. 
Fourth, increasing the cost of electric power is one of the most regressive forms of taxation possible, since, for example, stockbrokers making $30 million per year will pay nearly the same additional amount as families making $30,000 per year, despite a thousand fold difference in income. 
Fifth, as a form of business taxation, increasing electric rates preferentially targets companies that produce real goods over those that profit through speculation or the collection of legal costs. 
Sixth, by increasing the costs of American goods, the inflation of electricity prices will make U.S. industry less competitive, causing factories to shut down and throwing millions of Americans out of work. 
And seventh, by depressing the American economy, the plan will cause the loss of massive amounts of federal and state income-tax revenues, thereby accelerating the nation’s descent into bankruptcy.

Annual Gettysburg Civil War Battle Reenactment

Annual Gettysburg Civil War Battle Reenactment

My "friends" from Obama's organizing unit just sent me this eye opener.

My "friends" from Obama's organizing unit just sent me this eye opener.
It's titled "Is this a mistake?"
Nice to know the presidents political brown shirts are pin pointing those who don't "voluntarily" contribute to Dear Leader's bank account.
Doncha tink?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
James --

I just got a list of everyone who's pitching in to build Organizing for Action -- and it looks like you're not part of it.
Here's the record we have for this exact email address:
-- Organizing for Action member: No
-- Suggested donation today: $5
So here I am, on the Sunday morning of the biggest deadline we've faced as a young organization, and I'm asking you, earnestly and directly:
Please chip in $5 or more to build OFA today:
https://donate.barackobama.com/Sunday-Deadline
We have so many big fights we want to take on, and what we do depends on the resources we have at midnight tonight.

I hope you'll help.
Thanks,
Jon
Jon Carson
Executive Director
Organizing for Action -----
If you've made a donation in the last 24 hours that isn't reflected above, don't worry -- it may still be processing. Thanks for your support.

Donate - Organizing for Action

contribute.barackobama.com

Donate online to Organizing for Action.

How The NSA Collects Your Internet Data In Four Charts

How The NSA Collects Your Internet Data In Four Charts | Zero Hedge

150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War

150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War - Tony Horwitz - The Atlantic:
"As the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg approaches, it's time for America to question the popular account of a war that tore apart the nation."

Chamberlain's Speech to Mutineers on Road to Gettysburg:

Bloomberg: Statistically Speaking, NYPD Should Stop More Blacks

Bloomberg: Statistically Speaking, NYPD Should Stop More Blacks | National Review Online:
“I think we disproportionately stop whites too much and minorities too little. It’s exactly the reverse of what they say,” he said. "

Hare-Brained: USDA Reportedly Orders Children’s Magician to Produce ‘Disaster Plan’ for His…Rabbit

Hare-Brained: USDA Reportedly Orders Children’s Magician to Produce ‘Disaster Plan’ for His…Rabbit | Video | TheBlaze.com

Now the Ozark, Mo.-based illusionist is saying the trick’s allegedly on him, as he notes in an email to blogger, Bob McCarty (emphasisadded):

My USDA rabbit license requirement has taken another ridiculous twist. I just received an 8 page letter from the USDA, telling me that by July 29 I need to have in place a written disaster plan, detailing all the steps I would take to help get my rabbit through a disaster, such as a tornado, fire, flood, etc. They not only want to know how I will protect my rabbit during a disaster, but alsowhat I will do after the disaster, to make sure my rabbit gets cared for properly.  I am not kidding–before the end of July I need to have this written rabbit disaster plan in place, or I am breaking the law.

In his email message to McCarty, Hahne also detailed the timeline the USDA reportedly gave him to comply with its order:

1. The new regulation became effective Jan. 30, 2012;
2. The written plan must be completed by July 29, 2013;
3. Hahne and his wife, Brenda, must be trained to implement the plan as written; and
4. The written plan must be available for review by USDA inspectors by Sept. 28, 2013.

Michael Jackson 'spent $35 million to silence at least two dozen boys he abused'

Michael Jackson 'spent $35 million to silence at least two dozen boys he abused' | Mail Online:
"Michael Jackson paid $35 million in hush money to at least two dozen young boys he sexually abused over 15 years, it has been alleged.
Sunday People has published explosive ‘secret FBI files’ suggesting the King of Pop groomed and molested children from at least 1989, despite his insistence he was just spending time with them.
The damning files claim the deceased popstar was a 'pedophile' who watched porn while assaulting a boy, molested a famous child star, fondled a child’s genitals in his private cinema and groped another child whose mother wasn’t ‘bothered’ by it."

Letters: Sen. Goeff Hansen could be the deciding vote to expand Medicaid in Michigan

Letters: Sen. Goeff Hansen could be the deciding vote to expand Medicaid in Michigan | MLive.com:
"Gov. Rick Snyder supports Medicaid expansion and the House Republican majority already have worked in a bipartisan fashion to pass it.
Senate Democrats have made it clear that they're ready to vote on Medicaid expansion. 
In fact, they will be in session on Wednesday, July 3, in order to do so."

Ratings Service Moody's Finds Pension Shortfall

Ratings Service Moody's Finds Pension Shortfall - NYTimes.com:
"Moody’s Investors Service, dissatisfied with the way states measure what they owe their retirees, released its own numbers on Thursday, showing that the 50 states have, in aggregate, just 48 cents for every dollar in pensions they have promised.
That is much less than the 74 cents on the dollar that the states now report, "

Why Healthy Eaters Fall for Fries

Why Healthy Eaters Fall for Fries - NYTimes.com:
"LAST Tuesday, Connor Moran, a limit-the-red-meat, increase-the-greens, eat-salad-for-lunch kind of guy, stopped into a Bronx Dunkin’ Donuts for his usual black coffee, no sugar, no cream.
He walked out with a sandwich of egg and bacon between two halves of a glazed doughnut."

Making of the movie "Gettysburg"(1993) Part 1

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J8gfoFWEz4
Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2PRopBeU7s
Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMo1BEVaVbQ
Part 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhtrkFkt6RI
Part 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EzsrDbsQEY

The Weekend Interview With Jennifer Gratz: The Woman Who Fought Racial Preference

The Weekend Interview With Jennifer Gratz: The Woman Who Fought Racial Preference - WSJ.com:
"Michigan also allows citizen initiatives, and Ms. Gratz saw an opportunity. I
n July 2003 she told her husband of six months, with whom she was living in San Diego: '' '
I'm quitting my job, and I'm moving back to Michigan.
And I know you can't move to Michigan, so we're going to have to figure out how we can make this work.' . . . He looks at me like:
'We're married.
You can't do this!'
He knows me well enough to know that I was doing this."
In January 2004 "he drove me across the country with a bunch of my belongings, and I moved back to Michigan.""

HERO!

Public pension costs swamp revenues of 10 U.S. states

Public pension costs swamp revenues of 10 U.S. states -Moody's | Reuters:
"Ten U.S. states have public pension liabilities that are at least as big as their annual revenues, according to a Moody's Investors Service report released on Thursday that found the Illinois pension bill was equal to 241 percent of its revenues"

Republican U.S. Rep. Upton Joins Dems to Uphold Mandatory Union-Scale Wages

Republican U.S. Rep. Upton Joins Dems to Uphold Mandatory Union-Scale Wages [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
"Just one Michigan Congressional Republican — U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph — joined the Democrats in voting to uphold union prevailing wages on federal construction projects."

Thousands at Gettysburg for 150th anniversary

Thousands at Gettysburg for 150th anniversary - CNN.com:
""For every Southern boy fourteen years old, not once but whenever he wants it, there is the instant when it's still not yet two o'clock on that July afternoon in 1863.""

Those wanting to opt out of Consumers Energy smart meter program can but it will be costly

Those wanting to opt out of Consumers Energy smart meter program can but it will be costly | MLive.com:
"For those requesting to opt out prior to installation, there will be a one-time charge of $69.39 and for those already with a new smart meter but want it removed the one-time cost will be $123.91.
For all of those in the opt-out program using traditional meters that need monthly reading by Consumers Energy employees, the additional charge will be $9.72 a month, according to the MPSC order."