Obamacare's first effect

We are starting to hear from companies about the first effect of Obamacare. Earnings are being dinged severely by the write-downs required for retiree pharmacy expenses. AT&T estimates $1 billion, Caterpillar $100 million, Deere & Co. $150 million, these are some of the largest. The Democrats cannot even legitimately claim they were unaware of this; Caterpillar published its expected $100 million write-down before the vote on the bill.

However, Henry Waxman is calling this a concerted effort on the part of Republican CEO's to make healthcare reform look bad. He is ordering these CEO's to testify before his committee so that he can preach at them about how irresponsible they are. I've always thought he was a total tool, but this proves it.

This is not an optional activity for these companies. They are required to do this by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). If they do not make these write-downs they will be in violation of SEC rules. So here we have publicly traded companies complying with the rules they must abide be, and being called before Congress to explain why they are being so evil, and trying to make Obamacare look bad.

Just another Kafkaesque moment brought to you courtesy of the wonderful Democratic Party.

Is that you Cousin Mark?

I hadn't heard anything out of Cousin Mark in a while. He claims he's been really busy at work, but that sounds like an excuse to me. It's not like it's chemical engineering or anything.

His inartful question; would a Republican controlled SCOTUS possibly overturn parts or all of Obamacare?

I'm far from a constitutional scholar, but I believe the tension comes up between the Supremacy Clause and the Tenth Amendment. The Tenth Amendment reads:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

The Supremacy Clause, Article VI, Clause 2:

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

My understanding, again, I'm far from an expert, is that the Supremacy Clause has been ascendant since the War of Northern Aggression ended. The question the Court will face is whether to reinvigorate the Tenth Amendment.

Personally, I feel the time is ripe for a new look at the Tenth Amendment. Long before healthcare reform the federal government had become much to intrusive in our personal lives, and in mandating activities to the States. However, the SCOTUS is generally reluctant to overturn any precedent, especially Supreme Court case law, even if the current Court may find nits to pick with said case law.

Death to Dems?

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says that as many as 10 Democratic members of the House have received death threats over their vote on healthcare reform.

I can only say that there are clearly some crazy people out there. Come on, go to the public meetings your Congress critter has over the break and give them an earful. Be rude, call them socialist pigs, but death threats are way out of line.

It's just politics. We are far enough removed from Republican Rome that we don't have to murder politicians we disagree with.

Healthcare. (what else could it be)

The Democrats had their way and passed this monstrosity of a healthcare bill. I don't doubt their motives in so doing. They did what they thought was the right thing. But, it is very much a left thing.

There is plenty of room for discussion on the issues, but the bottom line is that there are two divergent views of the direction our country should be taking. One is the progressive/liberal view of expanded government, and cradle to grave social programs. This is very much the European model. The other is the conservative view that the country was founded on individual rights and self-sufficiency. The healthcare bill is a victory for the former.

Despite the protestations of the liberals it is bald faced socialism. Socialism is the taking from the general population in order to redistribute "equally". The left has not had the temerity to properly label legislation since the adoption of Social Security.

“Who died and made you king? This is a free country! I’ll do what I damn well please!”

Bill Whittle discusses how the nanny state has taken away our ability to make that statement with authority.

He's well worth a read if you long for the time when self-appointed protectors of your well being were not so pervasive.

Obama is "articulate"and can't sell watermelons

I'm not a public figure, nor a newscaster of note, but I can't imagine saying anything this stupid:



And Dan Rather is supposed to be some kind of enlightened elitist liberal?

Pres. Obama: This is just the foundation

From the Puffington Host:

Obama argued to the group of progressive members that his health care reform bill should be looked at as the foundation of reform, that can be built on in the future. He asked them to help gather votes for the final health care battle and promised that as soon as the bill was signed into law, he'd continue to push to make it stronger. But in a matter of weeks, he stressed, he could sign into law legislation that would lead to 31 million new people being insured, including the woman who wrote him.

This is what I, for one, have always thought was the point of healthcare reform. It is an attempt by the liberals progressives at a full-scale government takeover of the healthcare system.

Obama pointed Kucinich toward single-payer language that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was able to get into the bill. Kucinich fought for an amendment that would allow states to adopt single-payer systems without getting sued by insurance companies. Obama told Kucinich that Sanders's measure was similar but doesn't kick in for several years. "He definitely wrote it down," said one member of Kucinich, suggesting that he'd look into it.

Again, this is not surprising. Sanders is the only member of the Socialist party serving in the House, it makes sense for him to promote single-payer. Kucinich is a socialist, but doesn't have the guts to run as one.

This disclosure of motive by the President is exactly the reason that the reform bill should be opposed. It is incrementalism starting with a huge increment.

Texas

Today, March 2, is Texas Independence Day. On this date in 1836 the Texians met at Washington on the Brazos and declared their independence from Mexico. Thus establishing the Republic of Texas.

This was a desperate time for the Texians. The Alamo was under siege, and would fall on March the 6th with all the defenders being killed. The Runaway Scrape was in full bloom. With the Anglo settlers of Texas fleeing east to escape the oncoming Mexican army under General Santa Anna. Yet these men were bold enough to declare independence, even though it didn't appear very likely that they would be able to enforce the declaration.

Then, on April 21 Sam Houston took the Mexican force by surprise and took Santa Anna prisoner. As a term of the General's parole he ceded sovereignty to the Texans. Thus was confirmed the Republic of Texas, which survived until annexation into the United States of America in 1845.

This is a day of pride for those of us who are fortunate enough to call ourselves Texans.

Nothing to see here. Please move along.

Professor Jones of the Climate Research Institute:

And he claimed it was not 'standard practice' to release data and computer models so other scientists could check and challenge research.

'I don't think there is anything in those emails that really supports any view that I, or the CRU, have been trying to pervert the peer review process in any way,' he said.

This is a rather disturbing comment. The scientific method dictates that data and models be reviewable. The whole idea is to have your findings tested, and either verified or refuted. But, there is nothing here that would indicate attempts to pervert peer review? Puhleaze!!!

We are supposed to reorganize the world economy based on these findings, but it is not "standard practice" to allow anyone to review the data or the computer models? Mind boggling hubris.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1254660/Climategate-expert-tells-MPs.html#ixzz0gzHLphIu

The Thinking Mans Thinking Man

That was the title of the Newsweek cover on October 31, 2009. In reference to... Al Gore!

Geez, that is about the stupidest thing I've ever read. This is the thinking man that says, "shut up, it is settled science." So much for thinking. This whole movement has been about not thinking, but just accepting what ever falderal is dished up.

It seems that Nobel Peace Prize winner Gore has been missing in action since the global warming nuts' "science" has been unraveling. Maybe I have just missed it. (Which wouldn't be hard, since I tend to ignore anything that Manbearpig has to say.) But it seems he hasn't even stepped forward to say that obviously this is the work of skeptics who want the planet to be destroyed.

Canadian healthcare: Update

Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, went to Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami to have a valve replaced in his heart. The reason for having this done in the U.S. rather than using Canada's vaunted public health system was because a less invasive procedure was available.

Now we all know, because we have been told ad nauseum, that the Canadian system is wonderful because it is free, and just as good as the U.S. healthcare. Here is a clear case of the U.S. system being better. If you were an American citizen you could avail yourself of this procedure and have it paid for by your health plan; insurance, HMO, PPO, Medicare. But as a Canadian, you have to leave the country and pay out of pocket to get a less invasive, lower risk operation.

I am just so thankful that my betters in the Democratic Party are going to fix this flaw in our system, and make it so much more like the Canadian system. My question is; where will Canadian premiers go for surgery when the American healthcare system has been ruined by socialism?

Help California now! Why?

California has spent years digging a big hole in which to dump its economy. Finally, they have got the hole deep enough that there is no way to see out. But do they put the shovel down? No way, they rent a backhoe so they can dig faster.

This is a state with out of control spending on every social program imaginable. Pensions are available to employees who have worked thirty years and retire. Pensions at 90% of post-retirement salaries. Firemen can retire at age 50 with thirty years service and their pension can top $100,000 per year. The state provides generous welfare benefits, and extends those benefits to the large population of illegal aliens, undocumented workers, whatever the euphemism du jour for people who are illegally in the U.S. Unions hold strong sway over the state legislature. All of this is supported by high tax rates on businesses and individuals. Employers have been departing the state as fast as they can relocate. Population growth is driven by illegals.

What is the solution to all of this responsibility? Well obviously, we (you and I and the citizens of the other 49 states) must bail California out. And we must do this without the state even making any changes in its irresponsible fiscal behavior.

I for one have no interest in helping California fix its budget mess. Texas has been pilloried for years as being stingy with social benefits, but guess what, we have a healthy economy even in the face of a national economic decline. I see no reason to sacrifice my hard earned dollars to save the citizens of a state who take no responsibility for their own fiscal house.

A year later the President is claiming that the $787 billion stimulus package has worked. There is not much agreement with that position.

The stimulus did not perform as promised, so it is hard to see how it is successful. At the time the stimulus package was enacted the Administration claimed that unemployment would reach 10% without stimulus, but with stimulus it would only reach 8%. Well, it reached 10.5%.

The President also continues to make the jobs created or saved argument. He claims that 1.5 to 2 million jobs have been created or saved due to the stimulus. Certainly, these jobs have not been created, or unemployment would not have increased beyond the worse predictions. Which leaves only the saved side. Jobs saved is not an economic argument because it is a bullshit weasel term. There is no way to know if jobs are "saved."

It is disappointing to see our President struggle so hard to find any positive accomplishment of his first year.

Scientists discover the secret of ageing

I didn't know there was a secret. I thought it happened to all of us if we lived long enough.

Of Hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons

Again the IPCC has apparently fudged statistical data in order to promote the theory of anthropological global warming.

There is no statistical basis for the idea that warming has contributed to the number or intensity of tropical storms. If you remember the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season then you can see where anecdotally this seems plausible. But statistical analysis does not seem to confirm that there are more, or more intense storms.

I have always been skeptical of the global warming enthusiasts, mainly because the dire warnings seemed overwrought. It is becoming more difficult by the day to credit any proponent of "the sky is falling" syndrome.

The hits just keep coming

Phil Jones, the Director of the Climate Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia (UEA), which is the target of Climategate, in answer to a question from the BBC:

B - Do you agree that from 1995 to the present there has been no statistically-significant global warming

Yes, but only just.

I left off the ...yes but, weasel words that followed.

So, one of the leading proponents of anthropogenic global warming admits that there has been no warming for the past 15 years? But never mind, it is scientifically proven consensus that warming is happening.

Oh, and the IPCC made another little error of fact in its report, when it stated that 55% of the Netherlands was below sea level. The real percentage is 26. That's an exaggeration of just over 100%. But again, never mind, a report rife with errors "do(es) not affect the core conclusions that human activities, led by burning fossil fuels, are warming the globe."

Global warming v. science

The problem with global warming theory is, and always has been, that the scientific consensus (an oxymoron) is not really science. The data is cherry picked and incomplete, and then in order to create a forward looking climate model, it is pushed into computer models that must assume facts that are not only unknown, but unknowable. The variables of climate are almost infinite, certainly too large to control for in any meaningful way.

Climate modelers promote modeled findings of climate in 100 years as given fact. These very models have been inaccurate over the last decade. Meteorological modeling becomes problematic after a 24 hour period, yet climate modelers express confidence in there 100 year models.

Michael Crichton, who was a scientist, discusses the problems with global warming consensus, and the science in general. This speech does not so much question warming, which may indeed be happening, and may be the fault of man, but questions the scientific method, and the reason for scientists promoting the theory.

As to the modeling, he says:

Let's think back to people in 1900 in, say, New York. If they worried about people in 2000, what would they worry about? Probably: Where would people get enough horses? And what would they do about all the horseshit? Horse pollution was bad in 1900, think how much worse it would be a century later, with so many more people riding horses?

This is succinct and to the point. What was unknown in 1900 regarding 2000 is probably several orders of magnitude less than what is unknown about 2100 from 2000.

It's a miracle

Farouk Shami, who is running for Governor of Texas, announced today, the invention of a blow dryer that causes hair to regrow and smooths out wrinkles. Shami's day job, when he's not proving how clueless he is about state government, is selling hair care products. Billions of dollars worth of hair care products. This invention should add a few more billion.

It's good to know he'll have something to fall back on when he gets his butt kicked in the Democratic Primary.

Obama saves Iraq

Thank goodness we (meaning those of you who actually voted for him) elected Obama in 2008! He has managed to turn Iraq into a success story.

The Bush administration is to blame for everything that is wrong with the country; the economy, partisan politics, deficits, on and on ad nauseum. But since the One has been elected, Iraq is succeeding. This is apparently due to all the attention President Obamas has paid to Iraq, and the frequent visits by Vice Biden.

Give me a f***ing break!

R.I.P. John Murtha

Congressman Murtha died of complications of surgery. He was one of the most powerful members of the House.

Murtha had a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal) performed at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, this is the same hospital that takes care of the President. According to CNN, doctors "hit his intestine." This procedure is performed 10's of thousands of times per year, in virtually every hospital in the country. One of the outcomes of any surgery can be death, but with this procedure that is unlikely. If this had happened to John Doe in General Medical Hospital, Anytown, USA, a lawyer would already be preparing the lawsuit.

In my opinion this is a medical error, and is inexcusable. But as the discussion continues over health care reform, this matter should be considered, and be part of the discussion. Errors do happen. Doctors are human, and therefore imperfect. What should be done in the instance that the physician's error causes the death of a 77 year old man? Should it just be handled by the John Edwards' of the world, suing for as much as they can get, or should there be another avenue of redress?

Carly Fiorina for California, has a ring to it doesn't it?

Weird!

With the Pink Floyd soundtrack, it is so much better. See the difference?



HT: Andrew Sullivan

Sullivan v. Palin

On the Trig stuff, it was just too absurd to doubt her story, however factually implausible it appeared.

Andrew Sullivan.

I enjoy reading Andrew Sullivan, but what the hell does that comment mean? What is he saying? This is about as dumb as the 9/11 deniers. Gov. Palin was pregnant. She had a retarded child. What is there to doubt about any of that? Is it implausible that she didn't have an abortion?

I just don't get it.

Canadian healthcare

It is repeated so often that it is taken as an article of faith; Canada has a wonderful healthcare system that is available to everyone. The word "free" is used a lot, but obviously someone pays for it. That would be the Canadian taxpayer.

Therefore, it is interesting to learn that the Premier of Labrador and Newfoundland (those are provinces I gather, so he is the equivalent of a Governor of a U.S. state,) is travelling to the United States to have heart surgery. This is not just a skip across the border either. St. John's, the capital, is a long way from the nearest state (Maine), so this requires air travel, or a long drive and ferry ride.

I look forward to hearing why he is leaving Canada to come to the U.S. for surgery. I am willing to bet that the reason is the long wait for surgery in Canada could very well endanger his life.

ADDED: According to Acting Premier Kathy Dunderdale, Premier Williams' doctors recommended that he go to the U.S. for his heart procedure. The CEO of the province's largest health authority said; "There's no question that this is not a queue-jumping issue."

Using dollars

"I was making the simple point that families use vacation dollars, not college tuition money, to have fun," Obama said.

This is a clue to how the President thinks about money. He sees money as funds to be taken from here, and used over there. A very governmental view of money. Money can just be shifted from this program to that. But, the source of the money is not given much consideration.

The reality is money is fungible. Any dollar that is spent on vacation, is a dollar that is not available for tuition. As an individual, or a family, dollars are interchangeable.

There is nothing wrong with spending money on a vacation, but those are dollars that will not be available for any other use, they are spent.

One-term wonder

"I'd rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president," says President Obama. I think this is a worthy sentiment, for which all Presidents should strive.

But I'm thinking more Franklin Pierce or Jimmy Carter, than John Adams on this one. I certainly hope I'm wrong.

Petty criminal

guilty of crimes of murder, armed robbery of citizens, state banks and post offices; assaulting a justice of the peace, raping a virgin of the white race, statuatory rape of a minor of the black race; derailing a train in order to rob the passengers, bank robbery, highway robbery, breaking out of the state prison, promoting prostitution, blackmail, intention of selling fugitive slaves, and counterfeiting. Cattle rustling, horse thievery, supplying Indians with firearms, misrepresenting himself as a Mexican General, unlawfully drawing salary and living allowances from the Army. Crimes against places of high authority, including burning down the courthouse and sheriff’s office, theft of sacred objects, arson in a state prison, perjury, bigamy, deserting his wife and children, inciting prostitution, kidnapping, extortion, receiving stolen goods, selling stolen goods, passing counterfeit money and contrary to the laws of the state using marked cards and loaded dice.

Guesses on who the accused is?

Football!

The NFC Championship game was exciting. A game that was so closely played that there wasn't a boring moment in it.I was rooting for the Vikings for no particular reason.

The Vikings had the best of it, and if you looked at the stats, they won by a score of something like 35-14. Unfortunately, they had two liabilities. One being, one of the best running backs to ever play the game, Adrian Peterson, who appeared to be carrying a greased pig rather than a pigskin. The other, future Hall of Famer Brett Favre, who seems to go wobbly in his decision making in the most important games.

The Saints did what they had managed most of the season, hang on until they could pull out a win. It is a pleasure to see a franchise with such a poor history finally make it to the Super Bowl.

I doubt the Super Bowl will be nearly as entertaining as this game was. Somehow, I feel that the Peyton Manning led Colts will not let the Saints hang on.

Turmoil in Pelosiland

Perhaps the biggest loser in Tuesday's election of Republican Scott Brown to the Senate is Speaker Pelosi.

Pelosi represents San Francisco, probably, the most liberal Congressional district in the country. She has operated as Speaker as though the whole Democratic caucus is as liberal as she and her constituency. The Massachusetts Senate election was clearly a repudiation of the liberal agenda that she, Majority Leader Reid and President Obama have advanced. The healthcare reform bill now in conference is a dead letter. Cap and trade didn't have much chance before the election, it has none now.

Senator Reid has lost his 60 seat majority, so the filibuster can be more easily invoked by the opposition. This gives him political cover, and may well save his seat in Nevada. Speaker Pelosi has seen no change in the make up of her caucus. But the Democratic members of the House who are in competitive districts must now face the political reality that if they comply with the Speaker's mandates they will very likely be unelected in November.

The Speaker cannot legitimately move toward the political center. First of all, she has no concept of what that is, and secondly, the left-wing of the party will start screaming for her head if she attempts to do so. The Moveon.org and DailyKos group are already pissed that the agenda they espouse has not been forced through the House and Senate.

She has the option of working with the more centrist and conservative parts of her caucus, as well as approaching the Republican caucus. The Republicans certainly have no incentive to work with her in anyway, unless she is willing to offer very real concessions to their agenda.

Pelosi, as the Speaker, wields tremendous power. That power is dependent on the other members willingness to follow her as a leader. I doubt we will see a challenge to her leadership, but it is likely to become very difficult for her to whip up the votes to pass any legislation that is not acceptable to the more moderate members of the House.

It will be very interesting to watch and see how she manages what has become a very difficult situation for her.

Now Krugman?

Wow the NY Times opinion staff is turning on President Obama. First it was Dowd, now Krugman jumps ship.

This is a highly positive development. Despite Krugman's Nobel Economic prize he seems way off base on what America wants or needs. He has decided that Obama is not "the One."

The Progressive agenda appears to be off the rails.

Bobsledding is a dangerous sport

we lost some of that sense of speaking directly to the American people

President Obama feels that "we" lost a sense of speaking directly to the American people. Notice the odd use of "we", with the President it is usually "I".

The problem is not that he, the Administration or the Democrats lost the sense of speaking directly to. There is entirely to much of speaking to, and not nearly enough of speaking with, or listening to, the American people.

Perhaps there is a lesson learned here, and the President will actually start to fulfill some of the promise that so many believed in upon his election.

Hitler is not impressed with Brown's victory

"Bush got C's, Obama probably failed lunch."

ht Althouse

Massachusetts elects a Republican

According to the Drudge Report Coakley has called and conceded the race to Brown.

Massachusetts is as firmly Democrat as Texas is Republican. I don't see any way to read this but as repudiation of the Democrats over-reach in the past year. Specifically the attempt to force a national health care bill on the country that is wildly unpopular. The Liberal side of the party has sacrificed all support in a rush to produce a more socialist government.

I have always believed that America is centrist. The religious Conservative branch of the Republican Party is not popular with the average American, and neither is the Progressive branch of the Democratic Party. Unfortunately the seniority system in the legislative branches ensures that the fringes will be over-represented in the legislative process.

We will hear a lot about what this means for the November elections, but that is a long way off, and the Democrats have a chance to salvage some of the inevitable losses. If they continue to legislate against middle America's wishes their losses will make 1994 look like a minor loss.

Hubris

Why do the Democrats in charge, Pelosi, Reid, Obama, insist on inflicting a healthcare bill on us. Popular support is abysmal. According to Rasmussen polling released today (Jan 18) 18% strongly favor, while 44% strongly disapprove of the proposed plan.

Last I checked this was a representative democracy. Meaning the elected represent their constituents.

Inflicting this law upon America at this time looks like political suicide for the Democratic Party. Sure Pelosi will be re-elected, but Reid looks like a lock to lose to anyone not named Reid in Nevada.

I'm confused. I just don't get it. What is the point of this?

Ocean depths and glacial heights

As Cousin Mark says in his comments there is a study out which supports the theory that deep ocean temperatures more closely track changing climate than other data being used.

Prof Latif, who leads a research team at the renowned Leibniz Institute at Germany’s Kiel University, has developed new methods for measuring ocean temperatures 3,000ft beneath the surface, where the cooling and warming cycles start.

His findings indicate that the warming of the deep currents in the 1980's-2000 started deep in the ocean. These temperatures have now reversed and are colder. He believes these currents account for as much as 50% of climate change.

More on the scandal front: it appears that the whole chapter in the IPCC report about the rapid disappearance of the Himalayan glaciers was based on one magazine article which was based on one phone interview with one Indian scientists who made a statement based on supposition without any research or data to support it. Scientists who actually study glaciers say that the statements made in the IPCC report are virtually impossible.

P.S. The UN admits they made a mistake. (This is pretty rare.)

Global warming scams go global

No longer is the manipulation of data to reinforce the preconception of warming a British fetish. Now we learn that our NASA Goddard Science and Space Institute at Columbia University in New York, and the NOAA National Climate Data Center in Ashville, North Carolina, are reducing the number of temperature measurement stations by about 75%, and maintaining those at lower altitudes versus higher. You don't need to be a meteoroligist or climatologist to know that this will create higher average temperatures.

In Canada the number of stations dropped from 600 to 35 in 2009. The percentage of stations in the lower elevations (below 300 feet) tripled and those at higher elevations above 3000 feet were reduced in half. Canada’s semi-permanent depicted warmth comes from interpolating from more southerly locations to fill northerly vacant grid boxes, even as a pure average of the available stations shows a COOLING. Just 1 thermometer remains for everything north of latitude 65N – that station is Eureka. Eureka according to Wikipedia has been described as “The Garden Spot of the Arctic” .

How can we possibly reorder the world's economy based on information provided by our, formerly, trusted scientific community. Read Delingpole for a more detailed story.

Perhaps we should just confine temperature readings to stations between 23 degrees north and 23 degrees south. Then we could really prove some warming compared to historical global temperature measurements.

Shami for Governor

Back in April Cousin Mark stated that he would have to vote for Kaye Bailey if there was no credible Democratic candidate for Texas Governor. Thank goodness he has Farouk Shami to vote for.

Shami is so ashamed of his religion that he lists himself as a Quaker. Upon further questioning he says he's a Quaker/Muslim. Perhaps the honest answer is he doesn't have a religious preference. Muslim certainly doesn't sell to the voters of Texas, and the last broadly elected Quaker I can think of was President Nixon.

Oh bother, neither will garner many votes in the general election.

Help Haiti

It is easy to donate to the relief effort in Haiti. If you have texting, and who doesn't, just text "HAITI" to 90999 and donate $10. This is easy to do and it really adds up. By Thursday of last week $7 million had already been donated this way.

Come on, all three of you reading this, donate.

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.

Stupid lead

NASA's 400-page report says space shuttle crew's seat restraints, suits, didn't work as designed

This is the FoxNews lead for a story about NASA's findings in the Columbia crash. The point being if the the seat restraints, suits and helmets had operated as designed the astronauts would be...dead as opposed to what actually happened which is they died.

N.Y. Times sued

I love this story. The lobbyist, who the Times implied had an affair with Sen. McCain, is suing the rag for defamation asking $27 million in damages. That is some amount more than the company is actually worth today.

Not only can they not sell papers but now they're being sued like "The National Enquirer" for rumor mongering. They couldn't be bothered to report the actual affair of candidate John Edwards, but they printed an article that was totally without facts. Reading it was embarrassing due to the lack of actual sourcing.

The lesson, to me, is when journalist adopt an agenda instead of just reporting they will get hurt.

Warming? Then why am I freezing my ass off?

Yesterday, it was 82 degrees (a record high for December 14) this morning it was 23 degrees (something like the second lowest temperature on record for December 15.) A swing of almost 60 degrees in about 14 hours!

And we are to believe that the Earth is in peril because global temperatures climbed 2 degrees over a decade, and now are on the way back down.

The AP writes, "...2008 is on pace to be a slightly cooler year in a steadily rising temperature trend line. Experts say it's thanks to a La Nina weather variation. While skeptics are already using it as evidence of some kind of cooling trend, it actually illustrates how fast the world is warming." Up is down, in is out, lambs are lying down with wolves! This is the kind of thing that makes it hard to take the global warming nuts seriously. Of course the AP story had the ubiquitous reference to Al Gore, Panicker in Chief (see also ManBearPig.)

Farewell Ray

My friend Ray Ellis passed away a week ago. There was a memorial celebration of his life yesterday which appears to have been well attended by his family and friends. I didn’t make it to the celebration, but my thoughts were very much there.

I have only known Ray for 44 or 45 years, he died at the age of 49. Losing him is like losing a member of the family. If you grew up in a small town you know what I mean, and if you didn’t you will probably never understand. But I will try and convey the closeness that occurs in a small town, and a small school.

Our graduating class, Ray was in my class, had 35 members, give or take one. Of those 35, at least 20 of us went to school together for 12 years, and the others were with us for over six of those years. This forms a bond that is not much different than being brothers and sisters. You may not always get along, but you have to be forgiving of each other, because tomorrow you’re right back together. There was very little dating within the group, we dated up or down a class or two (the one exception I can think of produced a marriage that has lasted nearly 30 years now.) Maybe it was just too weird to date someone that close.

Being a member of a group like that means that you might not see each other for years, but when you do it’s like seeing a missing family member. It’s not awkward. You just catch up, and pick up where you left off. These are people that I would gladly do anything for, and I think they would for me. I may have secrets, but not from this group, as they know me as well, or better, than I know myself.

This closeness extends to everyone, though not quite as tightly, that you attended school with, up a couple of grades and down a couple of grades. It is a feeling of comfort which is hard to explain, but a joy to experience.

Sadly, Ray is not the first of our number to die. At least six that I can think of are already gone. Two were killed in auto accidents, and one was murdered, within two years of our graduation.

Farewell Ray, I will miss you and your wonderful sense of humor.

$25 Oil

Analysts predict that oil may drop to $25 in 2009 with gasoline below $1. Of course, back in July analysts were predicting that oil would be near $200 and gasoline at around $6 by this time. So, I'm not going to make a lot of plans based on this prediction.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. As we gather with friends and family to give thanks for our good lives, remember that by dint of living in these United States of America we are blessed beyond the imaginings of most people in the world.

I am thankful for my family, my friends, my health and my freedom. These are things that we tend to take for granted, but they are the true blessings of life.

Girls in the White House

How sweet is it that Barbara and Jenna showed Malia and Sasha how to jump on the beds at the White House? I think this is one of those really cool stories that, unfortunately, we don't hear enough of.

Gov. Palin pardons a turkey

Gov. Palin gives the traditional pardon to a turkey (a stupid tradition in and of itself.) Meanwhile, in the background, a worker continues with the process of beheading and bleeding turkeys in an abattoir.



The New York Times editorial staff reliably wets their pants over what a horrible person she is (they are such an entertaining group of panty waists.) I guess bleeding hearts think that food magically appears on the supermarket shelves and no animals are harmed in the process.

Mark Steyn sees the Governor's act of pardoning a turkey, and then allowing viewers to see others being slaughtered, as an allegory for government bailouts that pick and choose winners and losers. Ann Althouse, my favorite blogger, writes, "Deal with it, you candy-asses."

Obama on the economic crisis

Yesterday the office of the President-elect put out a video from Sen. Obama.



This is mostly soothing words to make people feel psychically better (which is the proper role for a leader to play.) We don't want a President Carter malaise speech.

There are some policy comments in there. The creation of 2,000,000 jobs to rebuild roads and the crumbling infrastructure. That sounds like a re-creation of the WPA (Works Progress Administration) from the New Deal. And then the bit about a 5,000,000 new green jobs, but I don't think he means the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps.) Since I am one of those who thinks FDR's New Deal didn't actually accomplish much in the way of reviving the economy (unemployment rates did not improve during the 1930's) it's going to be hard for me to endorse revisiting bad policies.

NY Times Election Analysis

The NY Times has an interesting analysis of the election which suggests that the results might indicate the end of the "southern strategy." I hope so, but I'm not so sure.

He rules!

For those of us who have doubts about President-elect Obama, this type of characterization is not encouraging. My understanding is the President serves the people of the U.S., apparently the leadership of the transition team thinks

it's important that president elect Obama is prepared to really take power and begin to rule day one.

Drunk videoing

There was always the risk of drunken emailing and drunken phone calling, this gentleman perfects drunken video. It is funny and I feel sorry for the guy.

Comment on government

Government is evil.

It’s a necessary evil, but it is an evil. Any application of government should be done in a somber fashion, as it is a failure of our humanity that we couldn’t handle it as individual citizens. Deciding whether to apply government to solve a problem should be considered on the same level as burning down an orphanage full of children to solve a problem. Deciding to tax should be thought of like deciding to stab an innocent man for our own gain. Anyone who celebrates government is a ghoulish wretch who must be ostracized from polite society.

Frank J. at imao.us

This is a libertarian statement coming from someone who considers himself a staunch conservative. Anyway, I like it.

So Tired Today!

Cousin Mark had to road trip for business meetings today, which seemed a bit cruel after almost no sleep last night because of excitement over the election and the election results.

It is hard to describe the intense feelings I had leading up to the election and then the release of the headache when it was announced that Obama had won Ohio at 8:30 PM. I was so afraid that the polls were wrong, or something would happen, etc. (the usual Democratic paranoid feelings!). Anyway, my emotions were a mixture of joy and relief.

All during the afternoon and evening of election day I had fun sending text messages to my girlfriend Teneshia who was working the polls here in Houston and didn't have access to the news for part of the evening. It was fun to send the messages (Drudge headline says "Exit Polls Show Obama Big"). By the way, why is it that the right wing jerk Drudge always has the best gossip and scoops?! His site is indispensible when you need to know NOW!!

Anyway, I am very thankful that it did not take all night to find out the winner. Of course, I had all of the joyful emotions, and even a few tears at the amazing scenes shown on TV. I'm also mindful that many (and most of my own family!) do not wholly share my happiness, so I try to keep it all in perspective. I'm hoping for the best. It's also hard to understate the impact this election will have in our country and around the world. That is my feeling. All the best J.R. and other reader(s).

Wow

When the polls closed in California and it was clear that Obama won the election, I expected to feel some mixture of pride and disappointment. Unexpectedly, what I actually felt was a bit of fear.

We fear the unknown.

We just elected a man who's core values are unknown, and who's governing philosophy is unclear. If his past is the marker he will be truly awful. If what he has been saying in the campaign is the marker, then he has the potential to be a truly transcendent leader. My hope is the latter.

Congratulations to President-elect Obama. I wish him the wisdom to govern our country well.

Finally...

We come to the end of a long campaign. This Presidential race has been going on for the better part of two years. Frankly, I am tired of it in every way. There have been the good, the bad and a whole lot of the ugly, and thankfully some entertainment (can you think of Ron Paul or Dennis Kucinich without smiling about how goofily odd they both are?)

Tomorrow the 75% or so of voters who have not voted early will go to the polls and by days end the race will be decided. If it is close we may not know who the winner is but the die will have been cast.

I can say that clearly I have a preference as to who the winner is, but in the end both candidates are decent, intelligent men who are standing for a job that no one can truly appreciate the difficulty of. No matter which way the election goes we will have a new President who deserves the respect that goes with the office. The country will not be destroyed by whoever the winner is. We may discover ourselves moving in a new direction, but that will be tempered by the reality of governing.

Hopefully the hot heads on the far right and far left will remain calm and we will proceed in an orderly fashion from the Bush era to the new administration. America is the greatest nation on Earth and our election process though messy, long and ugly proves this because in the end the winner is accepted and we get on with our business.