Interpol becomes America's secret police

On December 23 Pres. Obama amended executive order 12425 granting Interpol this immunity:

Property and assets of international organizations, wherever located and by whomsoever held, shall be immune from search, unless such immunity be expressly waived, and from confiscation. The archives of international organizations shall be inviolable.

There are employees of the Department of Justice tasked to Interpol. This means that domestic law enforcement officials can gather information on Americans, and that information cannot be accessed through disclosure rules or through Freedom of Information requests. This is truly Kafkaesque.

For a more detailed and complete explanation read ThreatsWatch.org.

Climategate revisited

According to the Moscow-based Institute of Economic Analysis:

The IEA believes that Russian meteorological-station data did not substantiate the anthropogenic global-warming theory. Analysts say Russian meteorological stations cover most of the country's territory, and that the Hadley Center had used data submitted by only 25% of such stations in its reports. Over 40% of Russian territory was not included in global-temperature calculations for some other reasons, rather than the lack of meteorological stations and observations.

The data of stations located in areas not listed in the Hadley Climate Research Unit Temperature UK (HadCRUT) survey often does not show any substantial warming in the late 20th century and the early 21st century.

The HadCRUT database includes specific stations providing incomplete data and highlighting the global-warming process, rather than stations facilitating uninterrupted observations.

On the whole, climatologists use the incomplete findings of meteorological stations far more often than those providing complete observations.

IEA analysts say climatologists use the data of stations located in large populated centers that are influenced by the urban-warming effect more frequently than the correct data of remote stations.

Again, this is not science. If you only select data that supports your hypothesis you are not testing. This is data that is heavily relied upon by the U.N. IPCC to report the threat of a warming climate. The evidence becomes less and less convincing every day.

On the precipice

"From the discussions we had, it's clear we are on the precipice of achievement that's eluded Congresses, presidents for generations -- an achievement that will touch the lives of nearly every American," Obama said.

According to Merriam-Webster online:

1 : a very steep or overhanging place
2 : a hazardous situation; broadly : brink

It seems that if the President viewed reform in a positive light he would have used a more positive term, like verge. Precipice to me certainly carries a connotation of peril.

Unreality

For those keeping political score, Democrats were almost twice as likely to believe in ghosts and to consult fortune-tellers than were Republicans, and the Democrats were 71 percent more likely to believe that they were in touch with the dead.

according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

This explains a lot.

Climategate

It's no secret that I am, what is derisively termed, a skeptic on the global warming issue. The dump of a large volume of hacked emails from East Anglia's Climate Research Unit(CRU), which it seems is ground zero for global warming enthusiasts, has raised many questions.

To me the biggest take from all of this is that the CRU scientist have admitted they destroyed the data from which they built their climate models. There is no science if the data cannot be reviewed and verified. What this means is that whether the CRU scientists are right are wrong, their findings are totally worthless. If they cannot be independently verified by other scientists the process of verification is finished. Since most if not all of global warming science seems to exist in a small closed circle of researchers we can no longer accept that their is any scientific proof of global warming.

This does not mean that we are not experiencing a warming climate. It just means that we have no scientific evidence to support the theory that the Earth is warming and that man is responsible.

The cost of health care refrom

Why do we keep hearing about special interests when the Senate is willing to spend $100 million to buy one vote?

Oh to know so much that we can make everyone happy

The notion that a small group of politicians can know enough to design something so complex and so personal is astounding.

John Stossel

That is to the point. It is wonderful that 219 Democrats and 1 Republican think they have the ability to CREATE a health care system. The audacity is breath taking. A bill of 1990 pages is incredible in its size. On the other hand that is not nearly enough to create a health care system. The regulations for the inpatient portion of Medicare run to more pages than the Internal Revenue Code, that is just the inpatient side. Believe me the outpatient regs are for more complex. But with a vote, and a great amount of hubris, Pelosi and her minions will give us all nirvana in health. Never mind that if you like what you have you will be greatly displeased in the next five years over what you have been "given" by the federal government.

Goddamn nanny state, do gooders. May they all be subjected to their own rules. (Which of course they will not be, because they are privileged by being Congressmen.)

Pelosicare

It's no secret that I think the idea of government directed universal health care is a bad idea, but Pelosi's bill is scary as hell. If you don't buy insurance you are fined (or jailed,) if you don't have a plan that includes all coverage Pelosi thinks you should have you are fined (or jailed.) This is not republican democracy, this is the Marxist socialist crap that I was certain would come with the advent of the Obama-Reid-Pelosi triumvirate. Fortunately, it looks like the rank and file is awakening to the horror that is the Pelosi bill, or at least they are afraid they will be unelected if they support it. Oh, and a tax for not obtaining coverage is no different than a fine.

Why should a healthy young person be forced to pay a large amount of money for health insurance. It makes perfect economic sense to buy a low cost policy, or opt out until you reach an age where you might actually consume some health care.

I do so despise large government. It offends my libertarian sensibilities.

Afghanistan

The default position for those who are opposed to America projecting our power is Vietnam. But the real lesson that should be taken from Vietnam, and Korea, is that if there is no stated goal of what would be a victory then military intervention is fruitless. In Vietnam the goal was ????????, so defeat was the abject withdrawal of our troops and abdication to the North Vietnamese communists. In Korea the goal was containing the North Koreans to the 58th parallel; we're still doing that 50+ years later.

In Afghanistan the goal must be the destruction of the Taliban as a political force. If we can't do that then all that has been ventured is a waste. Afghanistan is difficult both culturally and geographically, but with political commitment to the military, the goal can be obtained.

Can we afford it?

$1,200,000,000,000 is a lot of money. This is the cost of the current House bill for, (I don't even know what we're calling this now,) Healthcare reform. It doesn't really matter where you fall on the issue of should we do this or should we not, the price tag would indicate we cannot afford it.

Our economy is in the tank, deficits are growing into the stratosphere as far as we can see and the biggest policy issue we can debate is how to raise the deficit another $1.2 trillion.

Please stop even talking about this until someone explains how it is to be paid for.

Politely stating he's a pussy

David Brooks of the NY Times pens a column titled "The Tenacity Question". Read the whole thing, but the take away is that President Obama does not have the balls to wage the war against the Taliban. A war that Brooks could not find any expert on the subject to agree was unwinnable.

President Obama looks weaker every day when he is asked to confront any foe more important to our country than Fox News.

If the President is losing the editorial page of the NY Times he has lost everyone who is not on the far left fringe.

Nobel Peace Prize

Words fail me.

lethal cocktail of liberty and capitalism

This is the description of the West according to spokesman for Hizb ut Tahrir a Muslim group that espouses the non-violent destruction of Western democracy.

It warms the heart to know that Islam is such a tolerant religion. They are really the big tent group in the world. Just think about it a lethal cocktail, meaning a blending of deadly materials, and what are these lethal ingredients? Liberty and capitalism. No these people don't hate America. They don't hold any ill will toward us. Gee, they just consider the bedrock of our society as lethal ingredients in a lethal cocktail. We should by all means embrace them and their religion of peace.

I feel better now

I have been afraid that the Democrats would get their act together and actually inflict "healthcare reform" on us. I can't imagine anything worse than the federal government taking over our system, and destroying innovation in our country. But I feel better now because health care is now in Sen. Reid's hands. It is hard to conceive of anyone who is less capable of achieving legislative success then the dour Senator from Nevada.

I don't think he's really listening

Pres. Obama embarrasses me

I have thought since Obama began campaigning that there was a disconnect between running for President of the U.S. and displaying in each word and deed a loathing for America and Americans.

In the world of Obama, America has always been wrong; we do not respect other countries, we act unilaterally, we mistreat our poor and minorities. American tradition and western civilization are not to be regarded as positives that built the greatest democracy in history, but as flaws, errors, that have led America to be a dystopia.

So far the administration has disrespected our natural allies, other democracies, and snuggled up against tyrants and dictators. The President's speech at the U.N. furthered this disrespect for America, apologizing for our past and promising to be more...well, not sure what more. Perhaps more apologetic for being successful, striving more for fairness rather than excellence.

President Obama does not represent, nor even recognize, the country that I grew up in and hope to continue to be a part of.

Wow!

Camile Paglia gets it right. Go read!

She is spot on in her analysis.

Regulators regulate

"Remember that legislation itself is only half the problem with Obamacare. Whatever bill passes, hundreds of bureaucrats in the federal agencies will have years to promulgate scores of regulations to govern the details of the law.

"This is where the real mischief could be done because most regulatory actions are effectuated beneath the public radar. It is thus essential, as just one example, that any end-of-life counseling provision in the final bill be specified to be purely voluntary ... and that the counseling be required by law to be neutral as to outcome. Otherwise, even if the legislation doesn't push in a specific direction - for instance, THE GOVERNMENT REFUSING TREATMENT - the regulations could." (Emphasis added.) Wesley J. Smith

Having worked in health care for 20 years or so, I can assure you this is the absolute truth. Congress passes legislation, the President signs it and then some bureaucrat at CMS, who doesn't answer to us, writes a regulation that bears no resemblance to what the legislation intended.

We should be interested (concerned) about health care reform legislation, because it will certainly effect how each and every one of us accesses care, and the care we receive. BUT, remember no matter what legislation is passed, at the end of the day bureaucrats who are really only interested in statistical models will decide how the plan is implemented.

As some wag in the past said; "be careful what you wish for, you may get it."

The Democrats have lost

People are trying to speak. There is shouting and rude behavior on both sides. But violence comes from weakness. When you have to bring in thugs in order to silence the opposition you have lost.

This August is reminiscent of the summer of 1968, and that was ugly.

Classic one liner

This is classic Bob Hope. The man was a genius at delivering a joke straight.

Midgets v Lion

How many midgets does it take to defeat a lion? Apparently more the 42.

Palin bugs out

So Sarah Palin resigns as governor of Alaska, and we don't know why. It's good to know that the NY Times columnist Maureen Dowd does. A woman who has never done anything but spit on people who actually do things for a living is more than happy to call Gov. Palin names and call her one "nutty puppy".

I'm not sure what I think of Gov. Palin, though I do think she is more accomplished than MoDo or Pres. Obama, but she certainly doesn't deserve to be made fun of by a bunch of Manhattan elites who would starve to death in middle America because they couldn't find a good latte' or fine restaurant to eat and be seen in.

Bitch!

It only smells like insider trading

If you or I did this we would get the Martha Stewart treatment.

Senator Durbin cashed out his investments after closed door hearings revealing how risky the banking industry had become. This seems to fit part of the definition under SEC Rule 10b5-1: "any individual who trades shares based on material non-public information in violation of some duty of trust." But I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that nobody ever says boo to this POS.

Iran, the home of the free

There seems to be some people who think the elections in Iran were not totally on the up and up. I can only say that I am shocked to even think that such religiously honest people would even consider such a dishonest thing as rigging an election. It is totally beyond belief!

Remember Islam is a religion of peace, and additionally, honesty!

San Jacinto Day

Today, April 21, is San Jacinto Day. It is a day to remember the victory by the Texians over Santa Ana at San Jacinto. The battle ensured that Texas could become an independent nation. It is also one of the most important battles in history.

The Republic of Texas existed from 1836-1845. Finally, as Sam Houston desired, Texas was annexed into the United States. The annexation of Texas led quickly to war between the U.S. and Mexico. The result of the Mexican-American War was a full surrender by Mexico. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ceded an area of land that constitutes approximately one-third of the continental U.S. The area added included New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California and parts of Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was the fulfillment of manifest destiny. The United States stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific and filled the entire central area of the continent.

What Sam Houston and his small rag tag army did in avenging Goliad and the Alamo yielded the America we know today.

Rick Perry

J.R.-- What do you think of Rick Perry? I was somewhat shocked by his comments yesterday about the possibility of Texas seceding from the union. I didn't know he was such a right-winger. I'm planning to vote for Kaye Bailey for governor if there is no credible Democratic candidate.

No wonder California is uber broke

The state of California is considering regulating the color of automobiles. All in the name of the environment of course. It seems that in California the average person is always crapped on in the rush to be politically or environmentally correct.

I suggest that if you are near the border of California you step aside so you don't crushed by the people fleeing the oppressive government.

Europe acts responsibly?

The European Union is rejecting requests from Washington to pile on more debt to resolve the global recession. Finance ministers say they are doing enough and do not need to pass another stimulus package to shore up jobs.

How sad is it when the socialist of the EU are the responsible group in a crisis? The leadership in Washington looks absolutely pathetic.

GM, buy American

GM is going bankrupt. Now there's a shocker. The company should have been allowed to move into Chapter 11 months ago. But no, we had to waste billions of tax dollars, that's your money and my money, for those of us who pay taxes, supporting a business in failure.

I reiterate, the "government" is not sending money to mom and pop businesses. They're not to big to fail.

Folks, we have been bamboozled and screwed, by big business, labor unions and politicians with their hands out for campaign dollars.

Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican it is time to get mad about YOUR money being wasted on stupid economics.

PETA nutcase

It's good to read that the founder of PETA is fully committed, or at least should be. In her will she asks that her flesh be used to make purses, her legs made into umbrellas stands, her thumbs displayed (one up for the group that best promotes animal rights and one down for the group that mistreats animals most) and an ear sent to the Canadian Parliament so they will be able to heed the cries of baby fur seals.

Nothing says crazy like writing it out in your will. I'm just curious how any member of her group could carry out these demands by abusing her dead flesh.

No mention of whether her bones should be ground into meal to make sea kitten food.

Thank you Congress

By crikey, I am feeling stimulated!

President Obama speaks

I'm watching the press conference, a couple(probably more than a couple) of observations:

The man gives a great speech, answering questions he doesn't seem quite able to ever get to the point.

We will be able to "see how every dime is spent." That's a nice sentiment, but if I can see how every million is spent that will make me happy.

I agree that the federal government should do something, but I am far from convinced that writing what amounts to an annual budget bill in 20 days is responsible. I don't know if it's good or bad, but no one else does either, and that scares the shit out of me. We are talking about $1 trillion, $1,000,000,000,000. I don't care who you are that is a LOT of money. Why not spend $200 billion and see what that does, then add more if we need to. (I ended a sentence with a preposition, that makes me a badass.) :)

I think we are seeing some kind of bizarre affirmative action happening, the President has called on a bunch of women reporters and only two men, now he calls on Major Garrett, hisssssssss, a man, and a Fox News reporter. The President makes fun of his VP, which is pretty easy to do.

He is aware of unexpected consequences, but seems to believe that minimizing those are not are a major issue. Let the chips fall where they may. What an economic plan.

Finally something important, a question about A-Rod using steroids. Blah-blah-blah, who cares, it's only baseball, not a real sport.

OMG, he called on Helen Thomas, and she reads a question that proves her Alzheimers has not taken total control of her life. The poor woman is bat-shit crazy and should retire and go fishing.

We will not torture, but we will continue rendition. I've got no problem with what our government has done to date, so if the President wants to continue that process, good for him.

Damn Republicans; if only they would shut up and go along we could be bi-partisan.

Oh wow, he's willing to fire bad teachers! The NEA just stopped all payment to the campaign chest.

OK, we do need to do something, but saying that the bill has too much spending doesn't mean that spending in this situation is bad. It is a matter of scale.

Frankly, I don't think the President did a very good job of presenting sound reasons why the stimulus package should pass.

That didn't take long

Maureen Dowd has already decided that President Obama is just another politician. That is one quick reversal from deification. The NY Times and Dowd have spent the past year touting what an amazing, Godlike person the President is, and how the world will spin differently on its axis with his election. Now they have already been brought down to earth.

This must be the shortest honeymoon in the history of Presidential politics.

More taxes

Apparently not paying taxes you are fully aware you owe is not a disqualifying factor for running the IRS, but owing over $100,000 is just too much.

IMHO, Geithner should not have been appointed to run Treasury if he couldn't figure out how to comply with IRS rules that he had clearly been informed of. At least Daschle had the defense of working in a somewhat murky area of tax law.

So far President Obama seems to be doing well, but he should toss these nominees the minute he finds out they have problems. It makes him look like he's running an administration that allows different rules for the elites; something he did not campaign as representing.

Taxes? Those are for the other guy

How come these liberals that believe in taxing the rich, don't believe in paying taxes? The tax code is complex, but if you get something, and it wasn't a gift or inheritance, it might just occur to you that you should pay taxes on it.

In the past we couldn't confirm people to cabinet posts because they forgot a few hundred dollars in payroll taxes on a housekeeper, but now it's okay to "forget" tens, or even hundreds of thousands, of dollars in taxes? This is just the epitome of Democrat thinking; someone else should pay for what I want to do!

Oh, if it's not clear, this is a rant, and these people really piss me off!

In this case, a pox on only one of their houses. The house occupied by the Hypocrite Party.

Wait for it...

The Republicans name Michael Steele chair of the party. He is a rare creature, a black Republican. Now we will find out if the election of Obama means we are post-racial.

I guarantee you a year ago this man would be labeled an "Uncle Tom", an inauthentic American black and disgrace to African-Americans. The smart money says all of those epithets will still be used, but we can hope that he will be treated better. Read the opinion columns tomorrow and find out.

I'm a Murderer!

At the insistence of J.R., I was perusing the PETA website and investigated the "Living in Harmony with Wildlife" resource. And now I know I'm not living in harmony with wildlife, see their recommendation below:

"Deny mice and rats access to food in your home—this is the best way to discourage them from taking up residence. Store all food in airtight, rodent-proof containers. If you must trap an occasional rodent, use a cruelty-free live trap made for this purpose. If the trap is plastic, make sure it has air holes, and check it frequently, at least every hour. "

I have had several mice take up residence in my home, and I found that the "sticky traps" and others don't work. And who the hell is going to check a live mouse trap every hour all night long?! The only trap that works in my experience is the good old snap trap with cheese bait. Granted I am not catching a live mouse to release and get back in my home again, but I think it is more merciful than having it starve to death in some live trap, if I forget to check for it for a day or week or whatever.

Sad news

Apparently not everyone is taking P.E.T.A.'s Sea Kitten campaign seriously. If you go to SeaKittens.com today you will see that the sponsor is Omaha Steaks!

The irony is just too juicy.

Texas State Board of Education

The chairman of the Texas board of education apparently believes that the earth is only several thousands of years old. How do these people get elected? There is really no way you can rationally believe that the earth is only 6,000 years old in this day and age. Everything from tree rings to ice cores to radiocarbon dating indicates that the earth is very old.

Here's the link to the article if anyone is interested.. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/education/22texas.html

More on P.E.T.A.

Click to enlarge.

Perhaps the funniest commentary on PETA ever!

President Obama

I watched President Obama take the oath of office, and the inaugural address. I thought the address was excellent. The President made a fine speech which should be reassuring to the majority of Americans. (The left and the right are probably both crapping their collective pants, which suits me just fine.)

Notice how I take the high road and ignore Cousin Mark's comment.

Today's the Big Day!

Our long national nightmare is over!!!

Ha-ha. Just kidding J.R., but I couldn't resist.

More Sea Kittens

The PETA site has a cute children's book about Sea Kittens! The book totally changed my mind. We are wrong to eat fish. Snakes should be called "ground puppies" so people quit killing them.

Man, these people are out of their simple little minds!

Mmmm, sea kitten

How do you like your sea kitten, fried, grilled or blackened?

P.E.T.A. is back in the news for being the stupidest group of people on the planet. They are asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to change the name of fish to "sea kittens". I guess that would also change the agency name to the U.S. Sea Kittens and Wildlife Service.

I am continually amazed that these people apparently don't realize how stupid they seem to people that live in the real world.

damn

Today I am 50. I can remember when I thought someone 50 was old, boy was I wrong.

It is amazing how recently I was in high school and college. I look at my friends and they don't really look that old either. My sister Nancy tells me that 50 is the new 40, which sounds like some more of the baby boomer narcissism, but I don't feel any different than I did in my 30's.

I am reminded of a Bob Seger line, one of my favorites; "I wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then." Perhaps youthful innocence, or ignorance, is not all bad. In a discussion with Carol Taylor the other day she mentioned that someone said, I believe Ghandi's son, that the older he got the less he knows for certain about more things. So that now he really only knows three things for certain, and thinks enlightenment will come when he only knows one thing for certain. I'm not sure what that one thing is, perhaps that death comes once to each of us.

If you know me you know I am a man of few words (only when writing) but I don't have any deep thoughts on the subject of age. We are born, we age, we die. It seems like a simple, elegant progression to me.

Sen. Kennedy-NY

I find it amusing that the people who hated on Gov. Palin so badly think appointing Caroline Kennedy as Senator is a good idea. There are some major differences of course, such as, Palin has some actual experience in government, she has thought out some policies and she has oratorical skills. Kennedy brings nothing to the table except her name.

All I can say is the lefties in Manhattan deserve what they get.