Tuesday, March 31, 2009

China's 'Carrier Killer'

The US is taking seriously a threat posed by Chinese efforts to turn an ICBM into a aircraft carrier killer. Assuming the targeting could be worked out, which is a large assumption, an ICBM with a conventional warhead could be effective against large ships. The high speed and angle would make it difficult to stop. It is the same difficulty we are facing in setting up an anti-ballistic missile shield. The missiles that we are aiming to stop are ones tipped with WMDs, primarily nuclear weapons. Once we have an effective defense against one we will have an effective defense against the other because they are the same thing just with different war heads.

Of course, the Chinese would not have to worry as much about the targeting of these ship killers if they were nuclear tipped. That would just speed up the process after all. The first problem is that the US would not be able to tell if the missile was nuclear tipped until it reached the ship. The US could have already responded to the perceived threat. Also, what do they think we would do if they were to successfully sink a carrier and kill 5,000 Americans? The back and four from that could easily turn nuclear.

More at http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/03/china-turning-m.html.

Another Obama Nominee Another Tax Issues

Another Obama nominee has tax issues The nominee, Kathleen Sebelius, is up for Health and Human Services Secretary. The issue is is roughly $7,000 in back taxes she just paid. Sebelius says she made "unintentional errors". Giving her the benefit of the doubt, maybe all of these nominee tax problems should serve as a rallying cry for tax reform. If the 'smartest and best qualified' people in the country are unable to correctly file their taxes, how are us 'common folk' supposed to?

What is that I hear; a muffled but increasingly loud cry for a flat tax?

More at http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/03/31/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4908247.shtml.

Chris Dodd Scandals

Senator Chris Dodd (Democrat) has had a few 'issues' as of late. Sean Hannity has 'kind' enough to put them all nicely in to a short movie.

Video embedded below. (From http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/03/finally-movie-scandals-of-senator-chris.html)

Monday, March 30, 2009

China's 'Death Vans'

In an attempt to make capital punishment more efficient and cost effective, they are using death vans. From the outside they do not appear to be any different than normal vans. Open the doors and you will see a lethal injection room set up inside.

The death vans remind some of the Nazi death vehicles used to kill the 'impure'. The Chinese vans are not an attempt to commit genocide, but the comparisons are still being made. It disturbs me more that there seems to be some sort of profit motive in the executions with the selling of organs then the van location of the executions does. Still, you would think the Chinese could come up with something less reminiscent of a Nazi program.

More at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1165416/Chinas-hi-tech-death-van-criminals-executed-organs-sold-black-market.html?ITO=1490.

Al Gore Did Not Participate in Earth Hour?

There is some controversy regarding if Al Gore participated in Earth Hour. Drew Johnson drove by his house during Earth Hour and said that he saw numerous lights on. Al Gore has since issued a denial of sorts but Johnson is sticking with his story.

More at http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/03/29/al-gore-will-leave-the-lights-on-for-ya.

Daniel Hannan on Morning Joe

It is Daniel Hannan; that should be enough of an introduction for you to watch the video.

Video embedded below.



Past posts on Daniel Hannan: (earliest first)
Berman Post: Daniel Hannan (MEP [South East England]) Eviscerates Prime Minister Brown
Berman Post: Daniel Hannan Interviews

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Israel Launched Air Strikes Against Sudan

ABC New is reporting that Israel has conducted three strikes in Sudan since the beginning of this year. The strikes are thought to have been against weapons convoys and smugglers likely carrying arms from Iran. Sudanese officials confirm the strikes while Israel says "No comment".

More at http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2009/03/exclusive-three.html.

Update (4/8/2009):
I did not mention it in the original post, but it is noteworthy that the distance from Israel to the target in Sudan is roughly the same as Israel to Iranian nuclear facilities.

Super Bowl Results May Have Health Impacts

A recent study suggests that the results of a Super Bowl could have an impact on your health. That is if your team is playing. They found that circulatory death rates rose in Los Angeles after the defeat of the Rams in 1980. Deaths there declined in 1984 when the Raiders won.

Now when you are at a sporting event and yell at the referee; "You Are Killing Me!", you might be on to something.

More at http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE52R1MO20090328?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews.

3D Captchas

Captchas (Completely Automated Public Turing tests to tell Computers and Humans Apart) just became more difficult to crack. The new difficulty comes in the form of 3D Captchas. The three dimensional figures do not seem harder to figure out then normal Captchas. In fact, when I tried it out I found it easier then the older versions. Computers though will find it much more difficult.

More at http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10204300-1.html.

Green Jobs Cause Pink Slips?

Spain has gone through their own Green Jobs program, which may be representative of what Obama and the Democrats are trying to pass. Given a recent study lets hope the plan, if implemented, does not have the same effect on the job market. Head over to http://planetgore.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MTI0ZTNjZjAzNGEzYjUxMDNhZThiNDQ5NGRiZDMyZjg= for the details.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Howard Dean Talks to Olbermann About How People Should Not Call a Sitting President 'Fascist'

This video is extremely well edited. Howard Dead went on Olbermann's show and said that people should not call a sitting president a 'Fascist'. It does not appear that Dean knew about Olbermann's use of the word 'Fascist' against President Bush, but Olbermann clearly remembered.

Just watch the clip.

Video embedded below. (From http://www.olbermannwatch.com/archives/2009/03/john_dean_says.php)

Hillary Clinton Regarding 'Our Lady of Guadalupe' - "‘Who painted it?"

During her visit to Mexico, Hillary Clinton (Secretary of State) made a detour to 'Our Lady of Guadalupe'. There she left flowers on behalf of all Americans. Nothing wrong so far. The problem came when she asked "who painted it?". Msgr. Monroy answered simply "G-d". They believe that 'Our Lady of Guadalupe' was miraculously imprinted by Mary on the cloak of St. Juan Diego a little less than 500 years ago (1531).

This is not as bad as the 'Reset Button' incident (Berman Post: "Reset Button" Translation 'Issue'), but it still seems like an unforced error.

More at http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=15511.

SUGAR Act of 2009

It has not escaped some peoples notice that it seems when ever Obama or Geithner talk about the economy or some sort of plan the markets nose dive. A solution has been proposed; the SUGAR Act of 2009. The SUGAR Act, or Shut Up and Go Away Reform Act, is easy to understand. The nation will pay Obama and Geithner 1% of market gains in exchange for them to stop talking about the economy.

More at http://pajamasmedia.com/vodkapundit/2009/03/26/a-cunning-plan.

Friday, March 27, 2009

SEIU Union Members Picket The SEIU

Watch SEIU union members picket the SEIU. That back story is at the source, but it is almost certainly what you think it is. One of the biggest unions, lays off its union workers replacing them with non-unionized workers from temp firms. You can not make this stuff up.

Video embedded below. (From http://hotair.com/archives/2009/03/27/most-awesomely-awesome-video-ever-seiu-pickets-seiu)

Brazilian President - Financial Crisis is The Fault of 'White People With Blue Eyes'

Obama might have been right to snub this guy (Berman Post: Obama Snubs Brazil (President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva)). 'The financial crisis is the fault of blue eyed white people'?!? Are you sure it was not just the Jews?

This is coming from the President of Brazil. Lets just hope for a serious lost in translation revelation to be reported on soon.

Video embedded below.



More at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1165089/White-blue-eyed-bankers-brought-world-economy-knees-What-Brazilian-President-told-Gordon-Brown.html?ITO=1490.

ShamWow Guy Arrested For Giving a Hooker The Slap Chop

Vince Shlomi, the guy first famous for hawking the Shamwow and then the Slap Chop, was arrested following an altercation with a prostitute. After taking the prostitute to his room, she bit his tongue and would not let go. To try to pry her off he repeatedly punched her in the face. Prosecutors did not file formal charges.

More at http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0327092sham1.html.

UN Human Rights Council Passed Resolution to End Critcism of Religion

This resolution seems like a noble endeavor on the surface. Who would not want a more civility in conversation? The problem comes about when you scratch that surface. The first thing that jumps out at you is that in order to enforce this you have to get rid of the pesky notion of freedom of speech. Even if you are ok with that, and hopefully you are not, it transfers where rights are vested. Think about it, your rights are vested in you; the individual. For this resolution to be enforced, the right is vested in a religion. It just goes contrary to what we believe. Lastly, there is a notion that not all criticism is bad. If someone kills innocents in the name of g-d, that should be criticized.

More at http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iRHXSIoJJdXQpG3kPrRO2LWMnWTAD975TOK00.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Senate Reviewing How College Football Picks Top Seed

The United States Senate is reviewing how College Football chooses the top seed. It may be an interesting topic, and there may by substantial room for improvement within the system, but with everything else that is going on in the world and our country, does anyone really believe that this is a good use of their time? Then again, if they are focused on this they may be to distracted to fiddle in areas they should not that could have a substantial negative impact on our country.

More at http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hV4mOJQgUsQthrydU_Vty4iVgC5gD9759GG00.

Daniel Hannan Interviews

After Daniel Hannan's evisceration of Prime Minister Brown (Berman Post: Daniel Hannan (MEP [South East England]) Eviscerates Prime Minister Brown: "Daniel Hannan (MEP [South East England]) Eviscerates Prime Minister Brown") went viral, he landed a few interviews here in the 'States'. The first is from Neil Cavuto and the second is from Glenn Beck. This guy is not even 40 yet. Prime Minister Hannan?

Videos embedded below. (From http://www.lonelyconservative.com/2009/03/25/neil-cavuto-interviews-daniel-hannan and http://torchlight.typepad.com/torchlight/2009/03/daniel-hannan-interview-on-fox-news.html)



Japanese Man Certified as Double A-Bomb Survivor

A Japanese man has become the first person to be certified as a survivor of both nuclear attacks against Japan at the end of World War Two. Should this man be nominated for the worlds luckiest or more unlucky? He was in Hiroshima for business when the first nuke fell. He spent the night there after the attack with burns to his upper body. Then, he went back home to Nagasaki just in time for the second nuke to fall. He may have the worst timing in the world, but did survive both attacks and is now 93 years old.

More at http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,510262,00.html.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

NRSC ad - "Candidate Obama vs. President Obama: Change We Can Believe In?"

This is a good ad, but there is some question as to why it was made. Obama has only been in office for two months and will not be up for reelection for another four years. Why not focus on some of the vulnerable senators or congressmen who's elections are much sooner? It could be to try an erode support for Obama to make it more difficult for him to get his agenda passed. Considering that it is a web ad it does not really eat up any resources, so it could have been a 'why not' moment as well.

Video embedded below.

Daniel Hannan (MEP [South East England]) Eviscerates Prime Minister Brown

Just watch the clip. Think eloquent conservative on a rampage. I would say watch the whole thing, but it is doubtful it would enter your mind not to.

Video embedded below. (Via DrudgeReport.com)



In case you were wondering, he has not ready to go after Obama; not yet (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/daniel_hannan/blog/2009/03/22/i_wont_disown_obama__yet).

Obama's Teleprompter Blunder on St Patrick's Day Was Actually a Joke?

Obama's teleprompter blunder on St Patrick's day (Berman Post: Obama Has a Teleprompt Blunder on St Patrick's Day) was actually a misunderstood joke? It is being reported that the teleprompter error that Obama made during St Patrick's day was actually a successful attempt at humor. Somewhere in the reporting of the event, the joke was turned into a mistake. That is what they are saying over at the Telegraph.co.uk.

More at http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/toby_harnden/blog/2009/03/24/the_truth_about_barack_obamas_irish_teleprompter_gaffe.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Bush Deficit vs Obama Deficit - The Picture

If you are having trouble rapping your mind around the mind boggling numbers being thrown around, head over to http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/24/bush-deficit-vs-obama-deficit-in-pictures for a wonderfully simple graph of Bush's yearly deficits as viewed with Obama's projected yearly deficits.

How do You Pronounce 'Orion'

How do you pronounce 'Orion'? Not the way President Obama just did.

Video embedded below. (From http://www.sundriesshack.com/2009/03/23/hes-starting-to-make-joe-biden-sound-like-daniel-webster)




Related humor.
Content warning.

Video embedded below. (From http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/03/023149.php)

Barney Frank Attacks Code Pink - "Grow up"

Barney Frank (D-MA) attacked Code Pink for their disruption of the hearings today. He told them to "Grow up". Right on.

Video embedded below. (From http://hotair.com/archives/2009/03/24/apocalypse-alert-barney-frank-tells-code-pink-to-grow-up)

Monday, March 23, 2009

Market Indexes Up About 7%

Market indexes went up about 7% today. The Dow jumped almost 500 points (497.48), the fifth larges gain in terms of points in its history. The jump seemed to be on news of a plan to deal with toxic assets and housing news.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Stocks-surge-on-bank-plan-apf-14721874.html

"The Dow rose 497.48, or 6.8 percent, to 7,775.86, its highest finish since Feb. 13. It was the biggest point gain for the blue chips since Nov. 13 when they rose 552 points and the biggest percentage gain since Oct. 28, when they rose 10.9 percent. It was the fifth-biggest point gain in the Dow's history.

Broader stock indicators also surged. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 54.38, or 7.1 percent, to 822.92, crossing the psychological milepost of 800. The Nasdaq composite index rose 98.50, or 6.8 percent, to 1,555.77.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 33.61, or 8.4 percent, to 433.72.

The Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 index, which reflects nearly all stocks traded in America, jumped 7 percent. That's a paper gain of about $700 billion.
"

More at http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090323/D97420DG0.html and http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=atgwohr1NWTs&refer=worldwide.

Obama Snubs Sarkozy ... or Not?

Obama wrote Chirac saying he was looking forward to working with him. The problem is that Chirac is not the president anymore, Sarkozy is. This by itself could be seen as a slight by Obama, but there is an important wrinkle. Obama's letter was apparently a response to a letter Chirac has sent him. In that context, Obama's letter can be viewed as one that indicates Obama was being nice and referring to Chirac's foundation when speaking about looking forward to working with him.

There is one final counter wrinkle. The letter was sent on March 20 which is the anniversary of the Iraq war. Some view the timing of the letter as a slight.

I am going to go with no slight/snub on this one. The timing is interesting, but unless I see something else it appears as an appropriate response to Chirac from Obama.

More at http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/03/obama-upsets-sarkozy-with-letter-to.html.

Former ACORN Employee - 'More Than Half Voter Registrations Invalid'

Late last week a former ACORN employee said over 50% of the voter registrations turned in by ACORN were not valid in the last presidential election. This is some of the expected testimony of Anita MonCrief. According to this employee, ACORN considered a 40% accuracy rate acceptable.

And these are the people they want us to trust in the 2010 census (Berman Post: ACORN to Participate in The 2010 Census).

More at http://www.newsmax.com/kessler/acorn_voters/2009/03/19/193797.html.

Lance Armstrong Fractures Collarbone in Spain

Lance Armstrong got caught up in a multi-bike crash and broke his collarbone while riding in Spain. He was racing in the first stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y León. This injury puts in jeopardy his participation in the upcoming Tour de France.

More at http://velonews.com/article/89531.

Barney Frank - 'Justice Scalia is a Homophobe'

Barney Frank (D-MA) called Justice Scalia a Homophobe in an interview. He made the comment in regard to the possibility of the Supreme Court dealing with Gay Marriage. It happens at roughly 0:40 in the clip.

Video embedded below. (From http://hotair.com/archives/2009/03/23/video-barney-frank-calls-justice-scalia-a-homophobe)

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Biden Does Well at Gridiron Club Dinner

Yesterday, Obama became the first president to skip the Gridiron Club dinner in their first year since 1885 (Grover Cleveland). Biden went instead and by most accounts was funny. He even poked fun at Obama.

More at http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090322/pl_politico/20322.

Largest Dollar Declines Since 1985 Plaza Accord

The dollar has dropped in value in relation to other major currencies the most since 1985 when it was intentionally devalued. This drop was not intentional and may be/is an indicator of inflation.

What makes this particularly worry some to me is that recessions are supposed to be a natural dampener to inflation. My understanding is that you need to spark a recessions to stop hyper-inflation. If the dollar is declining or devaluing now, it does not bode well for when we recover. We may find ourselves forced to start another recessions to fix the inflation problems we are causing now.

More at http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aNdu22y30zwc.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Obama Compares AIG to a Suicide Bomber!?!

Here is the quote at issue;

http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/03/18/obama-its-like-aig-has-a-bomb-strapped-to-them

"“The same is true with AIG,” he said. “It was the right thing to do to step in. Here’s the problem. It’s almost like they’ve got — they’ve got a bomb strapped to them and they’ve got their hand on the trigger. You don’t want them to blow up. But you’ve got to kind of talk them, ease that finger off the trigger.”"

I think that came out a little weird.

Top Ten Post Election Gaffes by Obama And/or Biden

The Telegraph.co.uk has put together a top ten post election gaffes list by Obama and/or Biden. Head over to http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/toby_harnden/blog/2009/03/20/top_10_gaffes_by_barack_obama_and_joe_biden_ for the list.

Muslim Protesters Riot For Fifth Day in Sweden

Here is some video from Malmo (Sweden) where Muslim protesters have been rioting for almost a week. Some believe the protests and rioting are a retaliation for recent arrests.

Video embedded below. (From http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/03/muslim-protesters-riot-attack-police.html)

Obama's $500,000 Book Deal

Five days before Obama took office he reached a half million dollar advance book deal. The deal is for a book which is an abridged version of another of his books, "Dreams From My Father", for middle school age children. While the book does not seem to violate any rules/laws, experts believe it may be a first of its kind.

More at http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/19/obamas-500000-book-bonanza.

Laser Gun Mosquito Killer

Scientists are working on a laser weapon meant to kill millions of mosquitoes in a few minutes. It is being dubbed the 'weapon of mosquito destruction' and works by detecting the frequency of the wing beat. The system then targets the insect and fries it with a laser.

More at http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/16/mosquito.laser.weapon/index.html?eref=rss_topstories.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Missouri Police Told to Keep an Eye on Conservatives?

It appears that Missouri police are being told to keep an eye on conservatives. Well, not in so many words. In a new report police are being being told to watch out for what some might see as conservative indicators or behavior. Things like having a "Right to Carry" sticker. They are told that these people could be "subversive members of paramilitary militias and potential terrorists" and are instructed to "proceed with extreme caution against such radicals".

This seems so out there it is hard not to dismiss as a joke, but the source has a great reputation. Given that, this story shifts away from comedy and toward scary and/or bizarre.

More at http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/03/missouri_police_given_chilling.html.

Obama's DVD Gift to Brown do Not Even Work

It has been confirmed that the 25 DVDs Obama gave to Brown (Berman Post: Obama Snubs Brown) do not work in England; 'wrong region'.

More at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mandrake/5011941/Gordon-Brown-is-frustrated-by-Psycho-in-No-10.html.

Stephen Colbert vs Michael Steele - Rap Battle

Stephen Colbert and Michael Steele in a rap battle.

And the winner is ...

Video embedded below.

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Michael Steele's Rap Battle Response
comedycentral.com
Colbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical HumorMark Sanford


... the audience?

Congressional Budget Office Project Higher Deficits For Obama'a Budget

The Congressional Budget Office released new projections saying that the deficit Obama had calculated about a month ago was significantly less then it should have been. They are projecting a $9.3 trillion in deficits over the next ten years. That is $2.3 trillion more than Obama had said. The deficit will not drop below 4% of the GPD, a number thought to be unsustainable if not out right dangerous.

More at http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/20/business/Obama-Budget.php.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Pelosi - 'Illegal Immigrants Are Very Very Patriotic'

Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was caught on video saying that work site raids are unAmerican and seemed to say that illegal immigrants are "very, very patriotic". These were just a few of her 'interesting' comments. Check the video and source for more.

Why did no one tell me that breaking the law was patriotic. I could have been out looting instead of hitting my law book.

Video embedded below. (From http://patdollard.com/2009/03/pelosi-enforcing-immigration-laws-in-the-us-is-un-american-with-video)

BaracksTeleprompter.blogspot.com

Given recent news regarding Obama and his teleprompter (Berman Post: Obama And The TelePrompter and Berman Post: Obama Has a Teleprompt Blunder on St Patrick's Day: "Obama's reliance on the teleprompter"), someone decided to make a blog from the perspective of that teleprompter. The new blog is called BaracksTeleprompter.blogspot.com.

Hat tip to the DrudgeReport.com

Megyn Kelly Interviews Scott Levenson (ACORN Spokesman)

ACORN will be participating in the 2010 Census (Berman Post: ACORN to Participate in The 2010 Census). That fact/notion has caused some controversy. ACORN Spokesman Scott Levenson went on Fox News and went at it with Megyn Kelly.

Video embedded below. (From http://amyproctor.squarespace.com/blog/2009/3/19/foxs-megyn-kelly-challenges-acorn-on-census-participation.html)

House Passes Bill to Tax Back Most of The AIG Bonuses

The House has passed a bill to tax back most of the AIG bonuses that have been the focus of recent outrage. I spoke about the issue before at Berman Post: Santelli on The AIG Bonuses (Plus my Thoughts). Yes, it is boarder line insanity that people who drove their company into the ground should get bonuses. That said, in this country we respect the rule of law and part of that is the enforcement of contracts.

While there was some discrepancy between the political parties the Republicans were not lining up to fight it. Democrats voted for the measure 243 to 6, while the Republicans voted for it 85-87. The final vote was 328 for to 93 against.

As I said before, we should all be frightened that the government would even think about specified punitive taxes. There are a few legal issues here. Is this a bill of attainder, is the punitive tax rate passed (90%) violate takings law), and the specific targeting of people. Will these issues end up blocking this effort, or will they only provide some guidelines for a legal work around? No one can tell you the answer right now. All I have left to say on the matter is that as frightened as we should be that they are trying it, imagine if they succeed.

More at http://finance.yahoo.com/news/House-passes-bill-taxing-AIG-apf-14693850.html.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

'Greenshirts' in France (Boycott Israel Vandalism)

'Greenshirts' can be seen walking up and down the aisles in mass pulling everything off the shelf that is made in Israel. It is part of a boycott effort they are pushing.

Boycotting produce is easy enough. I wonder how long these people could go boycotting other Israeli inventions. You know cell phones, voice mail, instant messaging, various medical advances... .

Exit question, is this legal in France? Notice any police; neither did I.

Video embedded below (From http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2009/03/where-are-police.html)



Translation (from the source):

"First man: On this day, we solemnly ask the Carrefour's direction for the last time why they do not indicate on their products if they come from Israel. Why do we not know if they come from the "occupied territories", like avocados or pineapples? It's not indicated at all. It's illegal. Why doesn't Carrefour sell products from "palestine"?

Second man: Israeli peppers... from occupied, colonozied territories, they steal the lands. We see it clearly, nothing left.

Boycott

Small tomatoes. Israeli tomatoes. It's written there, just there. Israel.

We don't know where those are from, those might be coming from Israel.

Direction: the fruits

The steal the land, and then come to sell at Carrefour. It's shameful. It's taken from the "palestinians", on the "palestinians' land". What a shame. With the "palestinians' water".

Orange juice from Israel. We can see it clearly. Israel. They are sold at carrefour. Shameful for France. On territories stolen, land stolen, they steal their water, then we sell it at Carrefour, what a shame.

Old woman: South Africa started to shake once all countries started to boycott their products, so what you're doing, I find it good.
Second man: Thank you madam

Second man: They back Israeli criminals, more than 400 children killed, at least 1500 people assassinated, here l'Oréal backs these war criminals. Well we don't accept that. In the trash can. All of you who support Israel, look at what's waiting for you.

See, it's empty now, we don't want these products in our home. We're at home here, we're in France, we're not in Israel.

Let's go to the Israeli wet tissues, it's cheap, number 1, let's remove everything from the shelf, in the trash.

Third man: It's written here, imported from Israel. It's written in big letters there. Imported from Israel.

Second man: We're giving a message to Sarkozy, political message, if they don't want to act, we will act.

Wet tissues for babies, sold here to the French, it's unacceptable. They kill babies then they want to sell wet tissues for babies after that.

Here, the brand Tex, fabricated by Delta Galil in Israel, and sold here to the French, it's unacceptable. It's from the colonies.

Young woman: L'Oréal, it's not an Israeli company, but they built factories there, they boast in the chamber of commerce that they have the best customer base in Israel. Of course, "palestinian" women do not care about their beauty, they care about feeding their children. So we buy them? Those clementines from Yaffa, they are bombs to destroy houses, lived-in houses, schools, mosques, do we buy them? By wearing and buying those clothes, we participate in the occupation, it's illegal. When we see these peppers, we see pretty colors uh? We think they are for diversity, well they treat "palestinians" like racist, they treat them back like in the times of apartheid. Do we buy them?

First man:A lot of us contacted the direction of Carrefour, to receive satisfying answers to our questions. To this day, unfortunately, no answer. Each customer has the right to know what he is buying, especially the right not to contribute to the massacre of the "palestinian" people. We are many associations here today, and these types of operations are happening all over France, all over the world. We will continue to boycott and inform the population. Today, this is Israeli products and products without origin that we boycott. Without a quick answer and changes from Carrefour, tomorrow it's Carrefour that we will boycott!
"

Fed to Pump $1.2 Trillion Into The Economy

The Fed announced a plan to spend up to $300 billion buying government bonds and spend another $750 billion on mortgage backed securities. Stocks went up on the news after dropping yesterday and starting the day down. While stocks went up, the dollar fell in relation to other currencies. This is sparking some inflation concerns. Along the same lines, consumer prices rise 0.4% last month.

More at http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Stocks-jump-after-Fed-says-it-apf-14683550.html, http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/18/business/fed.php, http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Fed-to-buy-up-to-300B-apf-14679757.html, and http://finance.yahoo.com/news/US-consumer-prices-rise-04-apf-14675456.html.

Obama Backing Off Plan to Make Veterans Pay For Treatment of Service Related Injuries With Private Insurance

Obama had been considering a plan that would make injured war veterans pay for medical expenses with private insurance (Berman Post: Obama Administration Considering Making Veterans Pay For Treatment of Service Related Injuries With Private Insurance and Berman Post: Obama Moving Forward With Making Veterans Pay For Treatment of Service Related Injuries With Private Insurance: "Making Veterans Pay For Treatment of Service Related Injuries With Private Insurance").

It seems the popular backlash has made Obama reconsider. Obama has said that he will not pursue the plan.

Watch Jon Stewart rip into the plan.

Video embedded below.




More at http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obama-backs-off-plan-to-alter-vets-care-2009-03-18.html.

Obama Has a Teleprompt Blunder on St Patrick's Day

It appears that Obama's reliance on the teleprompter (Berman Post: Obama And The TelePrompter) has led to a gaff.

The problem started when Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen realized that the speech he had just started giving was the one that Obama had just given. He turned to Obama and said "That's your speech". Obama then took over but apparently made it back to the podium just in time to have his speech switched out the Cowen's. Apparently not realizing the switch, Obama started reading from the teleprompter and proceeded to thank himself for inviting everyone to the St Patrick's Day party.

More at http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Barack-Obama-Thanks-Himself-In-Teleprompt-Blunder-During-Address-With-Irish-PM-On-St-Patricks-Day/Article/200903315243932?lpos=World_News_First_World_News_Article_Teaser_Region_1&lid=ARTICLE_15243932_Barack_Obama_Thanks_Himself_In_Teleprompt_Blunder_During_Address_With_Irish_PM_On_St_Patricks_Day.

ACORN to Participate in The 2010 Census

You may recall all the controversy around ACORN and massive voter fraud (Berman Post: Voter Fraud vs Voter Registration Fraud - Who Cares). Now, the group accused of massive voter fraud will help with the 2010 census. This has many concerned, mostly Republicans. That is because it is believed that most of the voter fraud benefited the Democrats. The census is supposed to be apolitical. It seems like a really bad idea to include ACORN in this. Even if they have done nothing wrong, it just looks awful.

More at http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/03/unreal-acorn-will-participate-in-obama.html.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Russia to Comprehensively Rearm

It looks like the Obama administrations desire to hit the reset button with the Russians worked; sort of (Berman Post: "Reset Button" Translation 'Issue'). Unfortunately, it seems that they have reset to the beginning or middle of the Cold War.

A few days ago we reported that the Russians may start using Cuba and Venezuela to base strategic bombers (Berman Post: Russia May Base Strategic Bombers in Cuba And Venezuela). Now Dmitry Medvedev (Russia's President) has announced a plan for a comprehensive military rearmament over the next two years. Special focus will be given to their nuclear weapons.

Did Obama And The Democrats Spark a Trade War With Mexico?

It looks like the United States may be on the brink of a Trade War with Mexico. The United States ended a pilot program that let some Mexican trucks transport goods in the United States. This violated an agreement we had with them, specifically NAFTA. In response to this Mexico announced an increase on tariffs to roughly 90 US products.

More at http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/mar/16/lt-mexico-us-trucking-031609/?zIndex=67870.

Why shut down the program? It seems to come out of a combination of the protectionist wing of the Democratic party, and a pay back to Unions from Obama and the Democrats. While the intention might be noble, the effect will likely be job losses in America. The reasoning given was safety problems, but evidence does not support any safety issues.

There is still time to pull back before things being to escalate and before and real damage is done. It would be easy to, just comply with our agreement and let the Mexican trucks deliver the goods. They would then remove the new tariffs and we can all put this incident behind us.

Obama Snubs Middle East Allies (And Afghanistan)

While Obama was snubbing Gordon Brown (England) (Berman Post: Obama Snubs Brown) and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Brazil) (Berman Post: Obama Snubs Brazil (President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva): "Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva"), he was apparently ignoring our Middle East allies. Iraq had to wait three weeks to hear from Obama after he became president. Afghanistan had to wait 40 days. Other traditional allies only got protocol messages missing the political content they would have expected.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03172009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/producing_panic_in_americas_allies_159937.htm

" Notably, President Obama did not respond to greeting messages from America's Mideast allies until weeks after he'd entered the White House. The Iraqi leadership had to wait three weeks. Afghan President Hamid Karzai waited 40 days. Leaders of traditional allies such as Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia didn't wait as long - but got only protocol calls devoid of political content.

Obama's emissaries to the region have made it clear that the new administration is keener on cultivating its foes than courting its friends.
"

Santelli on The AIG Bonuses (Plus my Thoughts)

First, Santelli:

Video embedded below.




My thoughts:

I tend to agree with Santelli, people outraged about this relatively pitiful amount should be flipping out regarding the bailout packages. There is something that seems inherently wrong in paying a bonus to people who drove the company into the ground. Still, there is this little thing we having in America known as a contract and the rule of law. My understanding is that these bonuses were contractual obligations and there for had to be paid.

Come to think of it, there is a way to get out of paying bonuses embedded in contracts. It is bankruptcy. Hmmm, let the companies fail and they will not pay the people that destroyed it bonuses. Even if people were really intent on not letting a company fail, attach some strings to the bailout.

Perhaps even 'scaryer' then the apparent incompetence on display is the response. Listen to Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

Video embedded below.



Give back the bonuses or we will take them! The idea of a specialized tax aimed at the recipients of the bonuses smacks of a Bill of Attainder. A Bill of Attainder is criminalizing conduct after a person has committed an act to punish them. The idea is to circumvent a trial or punish people who had not done anything legally wrong. My (granted limited) understanding of Bills of Attainder which are expressly outlawed by the Constitution refer to criminal acts. As such, a specialized tax may not technically run afoul of the Constitution.

The idea of specialized/individualized/personalized taxes, especially if they are technically legal, should send a chill down your spine. Imagine what politicians would/could do with that power. How long before Rush is hit with a special tax? Would you speak out against the government if it meant that you, your family, and your friends would be on the receiving end of a specialized 95% tax?

This is a frighting, dangerous idea that must not be indulged.

Caterpillar to Fire 2,454 Employees

A little over a month ago Obama said passing the bailout would lead to Caterpillar rehiring some of the workers they have just laid off. The CEO of Caterpillar said that Obama's statement was not true (Berman Post: CEO of Caterpillar Contradicts Obama on Bailout Rehiring). Now, after the bailout passed, Caterpillar is not only not rehiring the laid off workers but is firing an additional 2,454.

More at http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96VT8RO0&show_article=1.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Lexcorp Wants a Bailout ("Lex Luthor Bailout")

Lex Luthor wants a bailout for Lexcorp.

Video embedded below.

Obama Administration 'Open' to Taxing Health Benefits

The Obama administration is consideration taxing some employee health care benefits. Even the NY Times is pointing out that this idea is something he attacked McCain for purposing. It should be noted that McCain's plan also had a tax cut component which is not in Obama's.

Just to said your memory;
Video embedded below. (From http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/03/taxing_benefits_for_the_first.asp)


More at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/us/politics/15health.html?_r=1&hp.

Obama Moving Forward With Making Veterans Pay For Treatment of Service Related Injuries With Private Insurance

It appears as if Obama is intent on moving forward with the plan to make veterans pay for treatment of service related injuries with private insurance (Berman Post: Obama Administration Considering Making Veterans Pay For Treatment of Service Related Injuries With Private Insurance).

Commander David Rehbein (The American Legion) expressed disappointment and concern after a meeting he had today with Obama. He believes that Obama intends to move forward with the plan. He said that it seemed the only way to avoid the plan was if an alternative funding plan could be found for the $540 million they are trying to save with the plan.

My views on this plan can be found in the last post linked to above. simply put, horrible idea.

More at http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20090316/pl_usnw/the_american_legion_strongly_opposed_to_president_s_plan_to_charge_wounded_heroes_for_treatment.

Update (3/17/2009):

Here is a little video to remind you what Obama used to say.

Video embedded below.

Military Confirms US Shot Down Iranian Drone Over Iraq

The story about a US fighter shooting down an Iranian Drone over Iraq (Berman Post: US Shot Down Iranian Drone Over Iraq: "US Shot Down Iranian Drone Over Iraq") has been confirmed by the military. The military tracked the drone for over an hour and sent up fighters to ID it when it crossed the boarder. They shot it down when it was more then 25 miles into Iraq.

Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz Mohammed Jassim who is the head of military operations at the Iraqi Defense Ministry believes that the incursion was likely a mistake. Mistake; really? This does not seem like something that would be a mistake to me, but what do I know.

More at http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/03/confirmed-us-do.html.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Batteries That Could Charge in Seconds

A breakthrough in battery technology offers the prospects of batteries that could be charge in seconds. The same technology allows for rapid discharge. The applications for such technology are obvious. Imagine if a traveler on the go could find a plug in their phone, count to 5, and then be on their way again. The same goes for laptops which would be especially important as more kids use laptops in schools that were not designed to have a plug per student in every classroom. Electric cars could be revolutionized as well. One of the biggest problems with electronic cars in how long it takes to recharge them once the battery is depleted. This technology could be available in two years.

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5891194.ece

"The scientists found that by coating particles of lithium iron phosphate in a glassy material called lithium pyrophosphate, ions can bypass these channels and move more quickly. “It works like a beltway around a city,” Professor Ceder said."

Evan Sayet on Liberals

The video is rather long, but worth watching. In case you missed his first video from two years ago, it is included under his new speech. More at the source for a slight break down and some background info.

Videos embedded below. (From http://ace.mu.nu/archives/284342.php#284342)




Space Shuttle Discovery, Picture Perfect Evening Launch

Space shuttle Discovery had a picture perfect evening launch tonight. One day before I die, I want to go see one of these launches live.

Video embedded below.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Fresh Pizza Vending Machine

A fresh pizza made from scratch sounds great, but what can you do if you do not want to make one for your self and the restaurants are closed? With the new pizza vending machine that problem has been solved. The machine makes the pizza from scratch, it does not simply warm up a frozen one. It even has a little window so you can watch the mechanisms as they work. The pizza vending machine is in Italy, but it is a good bet that they will make it over here. A plain pie will run you $4.50 and the price goes up a bit depending on the variety.

More at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/14/business/worldbusiness/14vend.html?pagewanted=all.

The912Project.com

Glenn Beck launched The912Project.com on his special show yesterday, and the response was so overwhelming that it crashed the server during his show. From what I hear it is an interesting and well put together site. I wish I could confirm or deny this for you, but a day later the site is still down. Update to come when I can finally get on to the site.


Update (3/16/2009):

The site is back up after being swapped and knocked out by overwhelming response when it was first revealed. It is a well organized and well put together site. There is a lot of place for user input and though it has only been a few days it seems as if there has been a lot of that input. Head over to check it out yourself.

The DrudgeReport.com has the ratings from last Friday. Beck was second only to O'Reilly, and not by much.

"CABLE NEWS RACE
FRI., MARCH 16, 2009

FOXNEWS O'REILLY 3,185,000
FOXNEWS BECK 3,074,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 2,557,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 2,151,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 1,879,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 1,522,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,223,000
CNN KING 1,046,000
CNNHN GRACE 1,045,000
MSNBC MADDOW 954,000
"

Russia May Base Strategic Bombers in Cuba And Venezuela

Russia is considering basing some of their strategic bombers in Cuba and Venezuela. It seems they already have permission from both nations to land on their airfields while conducting patrols. Could this be another 'test' of Obama; looks like it.

More at http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aOEsM2K7T0i8&refer=worldwide, http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/03/14/russia.cuba.bombers, and http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.9776268a25e75ad5b44b4d87e8a32a02.4a1&show_article=1.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Japan Threatens to Shoot Down North Korean Missile

North Korea is planning on testing a missile in a few weeks. They have threatened to respond against anyone that interferes with what they are calling a satellite launch (Berman Post: Tension Rising in Asia).

Now, Japan has issued a warning/threat that they may shoot down the missile if they believe it poses a danger to them. The official flight plan of the rocket/satellite takes it over Japan and directly toward Hawaii. Japan is concerned that if the missile malfunctions it could hit or shower debris over Japan or one of the boosters might shed at the wrong time and fall on Japan.

More at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/13/north-korea-japan-nuclear-missile and http://closingvelocity.typepad.com/closing_velocity/2009/03/aloha-north-korea-announces-detailed-missile-flight-plan.html.

Former President Clinton Does Not Understand What an Embryo is

It appears that former President Clinton does not understand what an embryo is. As you will see in the video he says that more people will support embryonic stem cell research when the realize that the embryos would not be fertilized and under no possible scenario could become little babies. Slight problem with Clinton's analysis. Embryos are already fertilized. It is possible for them to become little babies if they were put into a womb.

Initially I thought he may be trying to distinguish between 'harvesting' embryos where eggs are fertilized for the purposed of being destroyed for embryonic stem cell research, and 'left over' embryos from the in vitro fertilization which will likely never be used (or put in a womb). The problem with that initial thought was how adamant he was repeating over and over again that the embryos being used for research would not be fertilized not have any possibility of becoming babies. Either he does not understand the important facts here or he is purposely misleading people. My guess is the former, but I could not help but notice how Dr. Sanjay Gupta let him make the mistake over and over again without correcting him.

Video embedded below. (From http://www.jillstanek.com/archives/2009/03/gupta_lets_talk.html)

Obama Snubs Brazil (President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva)

In the wake of snubbing Gordon Brown and England by extension (Berman Post: Obama Snubs Brown), the Obama administration has now insulted Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Brazil by extension.

First, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's visit was pushed forward from this coming Tuesday to this weekend because of St. Patrick's Day. This makes it look like we really did not care about his visit. It is not like the day of the holiday suddenly changed, how could they have not seen this as a conflict when the meeting was first scheduled. Then, they miss spelled and improperly quoted his name; "the White House announcement misspelled his name as "Luis Ignacio" and put "Lula" - a nickname that decades ago became a legal part of the Brazilian leader's name - in quotes".

Make no mistake, Brazil is a player on the global scene and an important player in Latin America. Future prospects for Brazil's place on the world stage are promising. This is not a country we want to alienate; not that we should alienate any country through carelessness.

More at http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/03/13/is_obama_snubbing_another_foreign_leader.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Markets up 3.46% - 4.07%

Today was another good day for the markets. The Dow was up 3.46%, Nasdaq up 3.97%, and S&P 500 up 4.07%. This has been the best three day rally of the year.

There were some more estimates on exactly how much value the markets lost in this down turn. Blackstone Group CEO said that between 40% and 45% of the worlds wealth has been destroyed (http://www.reuters.com/article/wtUSInvestingNews/idUSTRE52966Z20090310).

http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/index.html?Intro=intro_markets

"Market Snapshot

DJIA 7,170.06 239.66 3.46%
Nasdaq 1,426.10 54.46 3.97%
S&P 500 750.74 29.38 4.07%
"

US Shot Down Iranian Drone Over Iraq

An American jet fighter shot down an Iranian drone (UAV) over Iraqi airspace. This previously unreported incident occurred sometime last month. Details are sketchy because officials are not saying much if anything at all. Then again; that tidbit says a lot. That means the Iranian incursion of Iraqi airspace took place while Obama was president. This would seem to cut against hope of improving relations. It also speaks to the level of Iranian involvement in fighting, or aiding the terrorists fight Americans and Iraqi nationals in Iraq.

More at http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/03/us-jet-shoots-d.html.

Obama Administration Considering Making Veterans Pay For Treatment of Service Related Injuries With Private Insurance

Eric Shinseki, Veterans Affairs Secretary, confirmed that the Obama administration is considering plan to make veterans pay for treatment of their service related injuries with private insurance. That is making wounded veterans pay for their battle field injuries through their own insurance. That would make for an interesting conversation; "Thank you Mr / Mrs soldier for putting you life on the line to defend American freedoms and interests. Sorry about your leg / arm / insert injury. No, we are not going to cover your medical expensive, you have private insurance; right?".

This is such a moronic idea I thought it was a really bad attempt at political satire. Thankfully, it seems to have almost no support from either side of the aisle. It should be noted that this is not even a proposal, just a consideration right now. That has not stopped groups from coming out forcefully against it. If you could not tell, count me in with those groups coming out strongly against this ridicules idea.

More at http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/10/veterans.health.insurance/index.html.

Journalist Who Threw Shoes at Bush Sentenced to Three Years

The Iraqi journalist that threw both his shoes at the President Bush was sentenced to three years in prison for his actions (Berman Post: President Bush Dodges Two Shoes). As he was sentenced he shouted "long live Iraq". The conviction was on assaulting a foreign leader. He could have gotten up to 15 years.

More at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090312/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_536.

Did Obama Pledge Not to Use Signing Statements?

Did Obama Pledge not to use signing statements? Watch the video and it seems like he did. If that is the case, then Obama broke a campaign promise when he used signing statements on the omnibus bill he signed yesterday (Berman Post: Obama Signs Omnibus Bill).

Someone could try to parse words saying when he used signing statements he was not doing an "end run around congress", but that argument seems very difficult to make convincingly. If anyone wants to try, your welcome to in the comment section.

Video embedded below. (From http://www.conservativepunk.com/articles/2042)

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Joe Biden on The Taliban - Only "5% of The Taliban Is Incorrigible"

Joe Biden believes that only "5 percent of the Taliban is incorrigible, not susceptible to anything other than being defeated. Another 25 percent or so are not quite sure, in my view, the intensity of their commitment to the insurgency. And roughly 70 percent are involved because of the money, because of them being -- getting paid.".

Video embedded below. (From http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/03/genius-joe-biden-only-5-of-taliban-is.html)



Obama sort of built on this notion expressing a desire to reach out to the 'moderate Taliban'. In response the Taliban have called this "illogical".

""This does not require any response or reaction for this is illogical," Qari Mohammad Yousuf, a purported spokesman for the insurgent group ... "The Taliban are united, have one leader, one aim, one policy...I do not know why they are talking about moderate Taliban and what it means?""

More at http://in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-38433020090310.

Adviser - 'Obama Administration Is Not Overwhelmed'

An economics adviser to Obama administration is not overwhelmed, the contrary of which was reported on at Berman Post: Obama is "Overwhelmed". It may be worth noting that they did not say that Obama was not overwhelmed as was reported. The original story did not say that the administration was overwhelmed, it specified Obama himself. It may also be worth noting how long it took them to respond; you might think that an administration that was not overwhelmed would be able to put out such a small/quick comment on the same day as the accusation.

More at http://www.news25.us/dsp_story.cfm?storyid=11646&RequestTimeout=500.

Obama Signs Omnibus Bill

Obama signed the Omnuibus Bill into law today without any cameras. For anyone keeping tabs, add another $410 Billion; or as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) puts it "about $24 billion a day, or about $1 billion an hour—most of it borrowed." in the 50 days Obama has been in office (from http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/19884.html).

He said it was an "imperfect omnibus bill" referring to all the earmarks. Obama also made use of signing statements. Obama was among many Democrats and some republicans who criticized former President Bush's use of signing statements. To be fair, Bush broke the record by far for number of signed statements while Obama has done only a few.

The Senate had passed the bill 62-35, mostly along party lines.

More at:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/03/president-oba-9.html
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/03/obama-earmark-1.html
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/19895.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obama_spending
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123680763049200481.html
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/11/senate-passes-omnibus-bill

Coleman Campaign Hacked, Online Donor Info Stolen

Norm Coleman’s Senate campaign (yes, there is still one Senate seat 'up for grabs') was hacked. Their online donor's credit card information was stolen. The people effected started getting emails from a wikileaks.org email address stating that personal information about them was about to be posted the website. The Coleman campaign sent an email to those donors soon after saying that they were concerned that their firewall had been breached in January. At that time they had contacted federal authorities who, after a review, found no evidence of unauthorized downloads. The Coleman campaign is encouraging people who donated to them to cancel their credit cards.

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/03/11/minnesota-recount-coleman-donors-hacked confirms that there was a breach and the information posted at the site is legitimate.

More at http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/coleman-supporters-private-info-likely-breached-2009-03-11.html.

White House Reporter Nods Off?

Did a reporter nod off during the daily White House press briefing today? Watch the video and decide for yourself.

Video embedded below. (From http://www.wjno.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=244038&article=5143674)

Sir Gus O'Donnell - Obama Team 'Unreachable' And Planning is "Unbelievably Difficult"

Sir Gus O'Donnell, Britain's most senior civil servant, is complaining about the Obama administrations staff or organization. He said that ""unbelievably difficult" to plan for next month's G20 summit in London because of problems tracking down senior figures in the US administration. "There is nobody there. You cannot believe how difficult it is,"".

It is important to understand the different political systems between England and America generally give England a leg up on transition speed because most of the people stay on when Prime Ministers switch; more so then when administrations switch in America. It is not like we hit the Reset (sorry, had to do it, Berman Post: "Reset Button" Translation 'Issue') button when we switch here. The main point of our huge bureaucracy is to keep transitions smooth. England is supposed to be one of our strongest allies. How long should it reasonably take to get things up and running? The basic frame work should definitely be up and working by now.

This is just the latest in a seemingly growing rift between the US and UK (see Berman Post: Obama Snubs Brown).

More at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cabinet-chief-obama-team-unreachable-1642088.html, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5884398.ece, and http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090311/ts_nm/us_g20_britain_usa.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Obama And The TelePrompter

Politico has an interesting piece on Obama and his reliance on the teleprompter. The use of a teleprompter is not uncommon, it is the extent to which he uses it that is. Obama's use of it for even small events is causing some difficulty in getting an unobstructed view, especially in wide shots, for TV cameras and photographers.

More at http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/19663.html.

Warren Buffett on The Economy

Warren Buffett on the economy and venturing a bit into how Obama is handling it. This comes from the same interview that that card check comment came from (Berman Post: Warren Buffett on Card Check).

Videos embedded below. (from http://hotair.com/archives/2009/03/10/videos-buffett-blasts-obamas-handling-of-economy-crisis-mentality)

























The White House Did Not Condemn The Palestinian Terrorist Attack

At the end of last week a Palestinian terrorist used a construction vehicle as his weapon of choice in a terrorist attack (Berman Post: Palestinian Terrorist Used a Bulldozer in Jerusalem). Condemnations of these attacks have been routine and quick in the last administration. Apparently, the current administration forgot(?) to issue a condemnation for this latest terrorist attack.

No matter what the reason it looks bad. Either they forgot, or they did not think the action merited a condemnation. As bad as the first option is, the second is much worse.

More at http://www.mererhetoric.com/archives/11275522.html.

Nasdaq up 7.07% / Dow up 5.80% / S&P 500 up 6.37%

The markets skyrocketed today, the largest gain of the year. This on news that Citigroup earned profits during the first two months of 2009. As mentioned in the head line; Nasdaq up 7.07%, Dow up 5.80%, S&P 500 up 6.37%.

This good news follows a day where it was announced that global financial assets lost $50 Trillion (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aZ1kcJ7y3LDM&refer=worldwide).



http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/index.html?Intro=intro_markets


"Market Snapshot

DJIA 6,926.49 379.44 5.80%
Nasdaq 1,358.28 89.64 7.07%
S&P 500 719.60 43.07 6.37%
S&P/TSX 7,880.41 313.47 4.14%
"


More at http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Dow-ends-up-nearly-380-on-apf-14598309.html, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123668017809981927.html?mod=article-outset-box, and http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ae018b70-0d8a-11de-8914-0000779fd2ac.html.

'Sexting' Leads to a Suicide

'Sexting', the act of sending nude photos of yourself to another via text message, has exploded in popularity. Some surveys show that 1 in 5 teenagers have admitted to sexting. Now, sexting is being blamed for a suicide. The girl who committed suicide had sent a naked picture to her boyfriend, the two broke up and the picture spread throughout the school. The bullying and teasing followed soon after. She even went on the news a few months ago to warn others against the practice anonymously. This is the unfortunate conclusion to her saga.

Video embedded below.



There are a few interesting legal issues here as well. Can you be arrested for child pornography if someone sends you a photo against your will and fail to permanently delete it properly? One boy was arrested after receiving a photo, but it was not clear from the story if he tried to delete it or even realized it was still on his phone.

More info on past sexting incidents/arrests and stats available at http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5516511.ece and http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/15/national/main4723161.shtml

Monday, March 9, 2009

Obama Signs an Executive Order Lifting Restrictions on Federal Funding For Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Obama signed an executive order lifting a ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Well, my understanding of the order he reverse, G. W. Bush's order, was that the ban only applied to creating new stem cells. Part of the problem was that Bush's order was not entirely clear. To Bush, and many others, this is an issue about life. Embryonic stem cells are created through the destruction of embryos. Embryos that might otherwise develop into children. Supporters of the research counter that the embryos they use come from 'left overs' created for in vitro fertilization that would otherwise be discarded anyway. People apposed fear some will harvest embryos, that is intentionally creating embryos for the express purpose of destroying them. Those appose also point out that there are other ways to get stem cells that do not require the destruction of embryos.

Obama took the signing as an opportunity to denounce cloning.

More at http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/09/obama-says-government-open-door-human-cloning, http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96QPH8G4&show_article=1, http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96QJLPO0&show_article=1, and http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090301181423.htm

Video embedded below.

Tension Rising in Asia

Tension is rising in Asia. The United States ship USNS Impeccable was surrounded and harassed by Chinese ships while on a surveillance mission. Among the provocative actions were sailing dangerously close and getting in front of the US ship then stopping. This incident is the latest in a recent string of escalating encounters. The Chinese do not deny the encounter, but claim that the US ship was in their waters.

More on this at http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSPEK9458120090310?sp=true, http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090310/D96QR9H00.html, and http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKPEK31847520090310.

North Korea is also upping the rhetoric. NK has cut the military hotline to Seoul and have the army at battle stations. Such is not totally unexpected as the US and South Koreans begin war games. This is piling on the tension with the upcoming NK missile test. What the US and SK are calling a missile test, NK says is a satellite launch. NK has said that any interference with the 'satellite launch' would result in war.

More at http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96QRQ780&show_article=1 and http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d5d6fd4a-0c60-11de-b87d-0000779fd2ac.html.

Warren Buffett on Card Check

Simply put, Warren Buffet is against Card Check.

Video embedded below. (From http://hotair.com/archives/2009/03/09/video-warren-buffett-on-card-check)

Wikipedia Whitewashes Obama's Page

Wikipedia is not a reliable source, if this is surprises you I encourage you to read and earlier post of mine; Berman Post: Stop Citing Wikipedia.

It is stories like this which likely go on all the time but rarely make news. Users who post certain information about Obama on his page see those changes quickly reversed, and then have their accounts suspended.

GatewayPundit.blogspot.com says Wikipedia "airbrushes" the controversial information. That is a not so subtle references to Communist leaders who routinely airbrushed people out of photos usually in an attempt to erase them from history. Unlike in the Communist countries, I do not think Obama is behind this (and I do not think they do either), but it makes for an interesting comparison.

More at http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91114 and http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/03/wikipedia-scrubs-dear-leaders-page-of.html.
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